King/Soul: The Novel

KING/SOUL (Trial Version)

Chapter 1: Down Beat

The world is full of strange, mythic things that most do not even know even exist, nor should they know. It is ironic that the beasts and gods that Human’s once believed in with all their hearts are know ignored, making them easier prey to the evils that roam in the shadows. Still, the gods try to keep Humanity on the right track and watch over them like parents watch over their child. The gods are not the only ones, however. There are others who guard Humankind from the supernatural evils of this and other worlds. Some are Humans who found the truth, but many are supernatural creatures themselves.
In 1982, under the direct order of President Ronald Regan, a secret agency was formed to protect Humans and the supernatural from evil. This agency was called KING/SWORD.

……………………..

The hot black metal warmed his cold hand as he ripped it from the “gangsta’s” grip. The gun was still smoking from the shot it just fired. The man swiftly used the back of the Russian-made piece of scrap some might call a gun to break the ‘gangsta’s’ nose. The ‘gangsta’ held his bleeding nose and his ass fell on the cold white snow below. The rays of a nearby streetlight illuminated the two men. The man on the ground wore a grey hooded sweatshirt that seemed rather thin for the time of year. The hood covered most of his face, but the man before him could see it well enough. The man who was standing seemed to tower over the other. He wore a clean suit and black jacket. His face was handsome and clean shaven, his hair blond and slicked back. His blue eyes seemed to glow as he glared down at the man.
He flipped the gun into his own hand as he knelt down and placed it on the ‘gangsta’s’ head. He let out a bored sigh and pulled the hood off of the man’s head. The man was bald, two small horns protruded from his skull and his skin was a deep shade of red. You could see the fright in his black eyes.
Sean just frowned and his glare faded into a blank stare,
“You fucking idiot, Even a Lesser Demon like you should no better than to try and attack an agent of Quincy Morris.” As he spoke his free hand reached into his jacket, though his attention was still completely on the demon.
The demon grinned as it tried to hide its fear, “By Lucifer’s will, I shall kill all of you Quincy Morris bastards! For my comrades who you murdered! For the Mortilo Familia!”
Ah yes, the Mortilo Family, A small demon-run mafia that were taken out last night by the combined efforts of Quincy Morris and Mr. Donnie Zhao, whom you well meet later. Since then, the remnants of the Mafioso have been scattered. Most were smart enough to let things be and either went back to Hell or left D.C. altogether. Apparently, this demon was not that smart.
Sean sighed loudly, obviously unimpressed by the demon’s failed attempt at looking tough. He dropped the Russian pistol and pulled the item he reached for before. It was a silver revolver, about as big as a Colt Python but it was an obvious custom. The grip was black leather and the metal had faint engravings on it. Sean pointed the muzzle of his revolver at the demon’s face, “Shoulda’ stayed at home, pal. Night”
The gunshot echoed in the narrow ally but was drowned in the sounds of the city. Sean stood up as the demon’s corpse burned away into ashes and put his revolver away. Putting his middle finger to his right ear, he said, “Mission Complete”


President Victoria Gracia Kolbold sat at her desk, poring over the papers in front of her. The lamp lit the pages enough to read, though the rest of the room was pitch black. She ran her fingers through her shoulder length brown hair. Her tired, yet ever vigilant green eyes scanned through the document in her hand. The young President’s eyes shot up as she heard her door open and quickly shielded her eyes as light filled the dark room.
“Damn it, Ginkiba!”
The figure in the doorway smiled a sharp smile. He stepped into the small room and gave her a salute. “Maximus Thorgrin AKA Ginkiba reporting for duty, boss-lady” Everything about the man was silver and wolf-like, hence his name ‘Ginkiba’ which means Silver fangs of the wolf. His wild hair was shoulder length and silver. The slightly pointed tips of his ears were beginning to poke out of the strands of silver His wolf-like silver eyes scanned the President as she glared at him. His skin was slightly tan, obviously Greek. His suit was pure white and clean. His fingers were tipped by sharp claws that fit his wolf characteristics.

“Why are you here so late, Ginkiba?” The first female President sighed in frustration. Ginkiba’s smile faded a little, “Well we got some good news and funny…well I think it is funny news.” He said, waiting for her reply. When he received a glare in response he cleared his throat, “Good news first, then!” He clapped his hands together before continuing, “The Mortilo Familia is now completely finished. Sean just took out the last one in the city. For the funny news, D.J. K.B. over at Club Zhao Yun in Chinatown took out a few rouge werewolves who were causing a lot of trouble. This is good for us, because that means more time on more important matters.” He looked at her waiting for her to laugh…or even smile! She gave no reaction, which disappointed Ginkiba. “Well I guess you had to have been there to get the humor of it.” His smiled faded as he took a Flash Drive out of his pocket and put it on her desk. “Here are the crime scene photos from my latest mission. You know the Shadow Demon one? A demon went into the home of Father Jim Rollins and slaughtered him and his family without making a sound. Some of the others think it was a Shinobi class Shadow Demon…but…”

“But you have another idea?”, President Kolbold said as she put the drive into her computer and was looking though the photos. The bodies of Father Rollins, his wife and two sons were sprawled out in different rooms. They were all disemboweled in the same way. Victoria frowned as her stomach churned. She ignored it as she noticed something on the wall. She zoomed in and found words on the wall written in the victim’s blood. “How cliché.” She growled. She looked at the other photos again. Different words behind each victim.
“DEAR BOSS” was written behind the two boys
“JACK THE KNIFE” was written behind the wife
And “RAGNOROK” was written behind Father Rollins.
“A Shinobi demon would not do this.”



The Nightclub called Zhao Yun, which is named after one of the famous Chinese Generals in the Shu Kingdom after the fall of the Han Dynasty, is located in the middle of Washington D.C.’s Chinatown. The building is one of the largest non-commercial structures in the town. On the outside it is an ordinary night club. There are two neon signs, one in English and the other in Chinese. The inside is much larger than the outside makes you believe. On the large stage a band plays while the Disk Jockey takes a break. There is a mass of people on the dance floor of all different types. From Preps to Goths and everyone in between. Standing against the right wall, a man smokes a cigarette. His black suit was barely visible in the mixture of darkness and multicolored lights. After every drag the skin and muscle on his face seemed to fad away and return. His black hair was messy and almost fell down to his lower-jaw line. His faint brown eyes scanned the crowd as he crushed the remains of his cigarette in his fist. He was about to reach for another when…
“Marcus”, cooed a sultry, almost angelic voice.
Marcus Gien sigh and removed his hand from his pocket just as he felt her hand on his crotch.
“Hello, Melina. You look as energetic as ever”
The red-headed beauty smiled and licked her lips, “Here for pleasure, my dear?”
Marcus sighed again and almost smiled when he felt her jump and let go on him. He had his black Beretta pointed at her, the cold muzzle touching her naked mid-section slightly. “Nope, I’m here to see Mr. Zhao, is he in? Oh and by the way, I’m already married, remember?”
Melina pouted as she took a step away from him and put her hands on her hips. “Fine, be that way! Follow me” She turned and started to walk away. Marcus followed suit, grinning. He found it insanely humorous to make a Vampire show an emotion that they usually never reveal. Granted, Melina was an easy target.
They weaved through the crowd, eventually finding themselves in front of a large cedar door. There was a sign on the door written in Ancient Chinese. Marcus smiled wide. He was one of the few who can still read the characters.
When translated, it reads:
Zhao Yun II, son of General Zhao Yun.
Vampire
Head of the Chang Kong of Washington DC and owner of Club Zhao.
Enemies and strangers well be shot on sight.

When Marcus opened the door, sure enough muzzles of various firearms were aimed straight at his face.
“I feel so wanted!” He smiled.
The guards lowered their guns when they realized who it was.
The room was large and seemed to have been decorated by a Chinese God. Statues, both wood and gold littered the room. In the far back was a large desk where Zhao Yun the Second sat, smiling warmly. He wore dark red Chinese Kung-Fu wears. His black hair was matted and not as messy as Marcus’.

Marcus took a seat in front of Mr. Zhao. “You cut your pony tail off.” He said as an off-hand comment.
“Yes, well I needed a little change.” Mr. Zhao replied with a smile, “So what brings you here, Marcus? If it is about the Mortilo, than I already know.”
Marcus smiled back, “I had no doubt.” His grey eyes drifted to the statue of Guan Yu, the Chinese God of War, Jade Emperor and another famous Shu General. His smile faded as he took out three pictures and handed them to Mr. Zhao, “Father Rollins and his family were murdered last night…”
Before he could finish, Mr. Zhao interrupted him with a glare, “Marcus. You know I would never do such a thing. You give us Vampires too little credit, Reaper.”
“I was not going to accuse you, Lord Zhao Yun. I know you would never kill innocents. I just want your input.”
Mr. Zhao nodded , his demeanor going back to normal and looked at the pictures and then looked back at Marcus, “Well the killer was skilled. He or she has experience. The words in blood peek my interest…Ragnorok…I think you remember the meaning of that word. The Norse War of the Gods and end of the world. It happened once, creating this world we live in now…Loki was banished to Hell for betraying Odin. Honestly I am surprised he and Lucifer have not tried to end the world again. Could this be a sign of the second Ragnorok?” He leaned back in his chair with a sigh, “Or is it just the killer trying to confuse us?” He looked back at the pictures, “As for the other two…Maybe he wants to call himself Jack the Knife? Sort of a Jack the Ripper tribute or something.”
Marcus sat up, “Dear Boss is the name of one of the letters Jack the Ripper sent to Scotland Yard. But why would a demon be trying to copy Jack? He maybe infamous, but he was still only Human. Demons would never idolize him.”
“Are you sure a demon did it?”
Marcus shrugged, “Not much choice. Werewolves would never be that quiet. Vampires and Shadow Demons would never show off like this, and anyway you have the Vampire population under your eyes. If a Vampire did it, you would have already executed them.”
“Point taken….this is strange. I’ll look into it.”
Marcus nodded and stood up, “Thank you, old friend.”
Mr. Zhao nodded and stood up. They put their left palms on their right fists and bowed respectively to each other.
“Take care, my friend. I have a bad feeling about this.”
Marcus nodded and gave his friend a smile, “You and me both, Zhao. Let’s hope the lovely Goddess of Luck is with us” And with that he walked out.

King/Soul
Chapter 2: The Goddess of Blades

She walked slowly down the sidewalk just outside the Natural History Museum. The block was dark and empty except for the streetlights that dotted the urban landscape. Her long black hair was tied in a ponytail that lay on her left shoulder. The streetlight above her lit her form and seemed to surround her in an angel-like glow. Her form and curves could be seen through her long red Chinese dress. The black dragon design on the dress seemed to shimmer in the artificial light. To keep her arms warm in the cold December air, she wore a small kaki jacket. Her Jade eyes glanced left and right casually as she walked. In her right hand she held a black leather guitar case. Whatever was inside it was rattling every so often. Her slender legs soon led her away from the Museums and into a bad part of town. For Ryoko, though, no part of DC was too hard to handle.
As she passed by a dark alley there was a sudden howl of a blade cutting through the cold air. She took a step back as a fire axe was swung down in front of her. Ryoko didn’t even flinch or have a look of any distress as she turned to face the attacker and swung her guitar case, but the assailant had let go of the axe and hid in the shadows. Ryoko could see the attacker’s silhouette in the darkness. The figure was slender, obviously a young woman. Her eyes were glowing red and staring at Ryoko. Ryoko glared back at her.
“Not bad. But you should know better, dear” She said to her new foe. Her voice was strong and almost sounded happy.
The figure grinned. Her sharp teeth were visible even in the darkness. Ryoko swiftly opened her guitar case and took out its content: a sheathed Tai Chi sword. The handle and hand guard were green and had a dragon, tiger and a phoenix etched on it. On the end of the handle was a long red strip of cloth. She unsheathed the long, thin blade and pointed the tip at her enemy.
The figure jumped out towards her, a splitting axe in hand. The axe blade was met by Ryoko’s blade and sheath. She used the sheath to push the blade upwards along with her opponent, who landed on her feet. Ryoko could still feel the shock of the attacker’s blow. Ryoko was surprised by the power behind the attack from the girl, who was only using her right hand to wield the wood axe. She heaved a breath and looked back at her attacker, whom she could now see in the moonlight.
She wore a dress that would be at home in the 1800’s and had her brown hair in a tight bun. She was grinning maniacally as she stared at Ryoko.
“How interesting!” She cackled, “My first night back on earth in ages and the first person I choose to give forty whacks can fight! You must be one of those King/Soul agents I have heard so much about! I can’t wait to chop your pretty face up!” She squealed with glee.
She took a step forward and dashed towards Ryoko, swinging her axe wide with only one arm. Ryoko quickly got into a defensive stance, shifting her body to the side and pointing her blade to the ground in front of her. Her jade irises glowed as their blades connected and Ryoko successfully deflected the attack and spun her body, therefore putting her behind the attacker.
“Lizzie!”, came a loud shout, causing the attacker, who was in the middle of swinging her axe into Ryoko’s side to stop her attack mid-swing. Lizzie looked into the shadows as another figure, this one a man, stepped out. The light of the moon seemed to hide most of him well. Ryoko could tell that his clothes were also from the 19th century. He wore a black suit and a black top hat. Ryoko could see the outline of coat tails behind his legs. His glowered at Lizzie with his full attention.
“That is quite enough” He said, his accent was British and his tone was angry yet elegant. “We have other knife work that needs doing.”
“But!” Lizzie tried to protest, sounding like a child being scolded.
“Now!” The man snapped, causing Lizzie to flinch and then stand up. “Fine!” She pouted before looking at Ryoko, who was waiting patiently for the two to finish with a dull look on her face as she rested her sword on her shoulder.
Lizzie smiled, “I can’t wait to fight you again! See you later, Miss Ryoko!” and then skipped into the shadows behind the man.
“At least tell me who you people are!” Ryoko said as she glared at the man, who just smiled like a gentleman.
“In due time, my dear. I know you well be able to figure things out soon…” His gentlemanly smile was twisted into a sadistic grin. He spoke again, though this time his voice had no elegance and became more demonic.
“Say ‘ello t’ your Husband for me, luv.”
Before Ryoko could chase after them, the two faded into the darkness. She let out a silent, “Tsk.” Before sheathing her sword and walking away.

…………
Arigatami Segara stood atop an adjacent building, glaring down at the events that took place. Her arms were crossed over her chest as her red eye scanned Ryoko as she walked away. Her right eye was covered by an eye patch with the symbol of an hourglass in the middle of it. Her black Kunoichi uniform blended in perfectly with the night. Her long auburn hair was tied up, though the tip of her ponytail rested on her black scarf, which was wrapped around her collar. The ends of it fluttered in the wind. On her back just above her butt were two Ninja-to swords, one handle in reach of her right hand and the other in reach of her left.
The lone Kunoichi contemplated the events that just occurred in her mind. The man had mentioned Ryoko’s Husband…How could he have know of Sean? How did that Lizzie woman know Ryoko’s name? Was her attack really just happenstance? And most importantly, who the hell are they and why are they attacking King/Sword?
Too many questions missing their answers. Arigatami turned and bolted towards the edge of the roof. She jumped off and landed on the next roof. She continued to run and jump atop buildings with a swiftness that no human could match. To her this concrete jungle was little different from the Tokugawa Shogunate run Kyoto where she was trained.

……..
Sean Hiruki yawned as he sat at his desk, sifting through paperwork. He let out a long, bored sigh as he leaned back in his swiveling wheeled chair. He was rather fond of it. It was padded with that NASA material they use for beds nowadays and was covered in black cloth. The built-in heater was running silently as he rocked the chair back and forth. He looked ‘outside’ and sighed. The entire King/Sword facility was actually underground and only accessible by the White House, which was directly above. On the windows was the ‘view’ of the White House. Really, it was just an HD picture made to look like a good view. The same story goes for the other windows around the facility. Sean stopped rocking when someone walked into the office. He saw who it was and smile warmly, “Evening, honey”
Ryoko looked at her husband and almost smiled. She sat at the desk next to his and frowned at him.
“..What?” He asked with worry in his voice.
“I was attacked” She replied
“Well that isn’t so strange. You killed them, am I right?” He began rocking the chair again.
“..No.”
He stopped and looked at his wife in surprise. “Now that IS strange…who or what was it?”
“I don’t know…But one of them knows you…Both know our names. A man and a woman, the woman’s name is Lizzie. I don’t know the man’s name. They both looked like the came out of the 1800’s and they were both two different kinds of crazy. Especially the man…He seemed to be two different people.”
Sean went frozen. “What did he look like? Was he British?”
Ryoko nodded, “Yes he was. I didn’t see his face, but he wore a black tuxedo and a top hat. Sean…He knows you”
“Shit!” Sean growled as he turned and looked at his computer monitor. He brought up the photos from the Rollins murders.
Ryoko gritted her teeth, “He’s back…”
Sean clenched his right fist, “Jack the Ripper…”

……………
The apartment was small, yet homely.
“Well **** me…” Growled Marcus.
“I swear to God I did not do this!”, Said a tan-skinned teen in a black and red straight jacket. Long linen bandages fell from his arms and covered his whole upper body, though most of it was hidden beneath the jacket. His spiky hair was black with a shade of red, which matched his blood red eyes.
“I know that, Bandages.” Marcus sighed to his 19 year old apprentice, Adarius Ford-Barrios, better known as Bandages, “Your not sadistic like the bastard who made this mess”
“So this is the mess…eh?” Said a soft, yet strong voice.
“If not, it’ll do ‘till the mess gets here.” Marcus replied to the Kunoichi that appeared next to him. Her sudden appearance caused Bandages to jump back in fright.
“Stop doing that!” he squeaked.
“Shut your pet up, Marcus” Arigatami growled as she knelt down. The Kunoichi had little trouble ignoring Adarius’ whining as she looked at the corpse.
The body was of a young woman in prime physical condition…besides the pile of chopped mush that used to be her most likely pretty face. Arigatami frowned. The Japanese Native could find only one English word to describe it:
“Barbaric…” she growled.
Marcus folded his arms and cracked his neck, “…That is indeed one word for it...” He said with a sigh.
“What is with these people and writing in blood?” Adarius sighed as he tilted his head while looking at the red words on the wall behind the corpse.
“I took an axe
And gave her forty whacks…
When I realized what I have done
I gave her man forty-one.”
Arigatami read the words as she stood up. “…I know that poem…”
“Edger Allen Poe?”
“No, Bandages. Lizzie Borden.” Marcus replied.
“Who?”
“I’m not surprised you don’t know of her. Jack the Ripper kind of beat her in infamy points. She lived here in America back in the late 1800’s. One fine day, some of the neighbors found the bodies of Lizzie’s Step Mother and Father; both were killed by an axe, the Father especially. He didn’t even have a face when they found him. Just like our little lady here. Lizzie was acquitted of her crime and died in 1927 of pneumonia.”
Bandages frowned, “So she got off Scott free…Damn”
Arigatami nodded in agreement, “Yes…But that doesn’t mean she was not punished.”
“Yeah. I sent her to hell myself. That was one of the few times I broke from my retirement.”
“But is seems she adjusted to Hell and was warped into a demon. Seems that she is younger now too…”

“So we got Jack the Ripper and Lizzie Borden, eh? It’s starting to look like a Serial Killer Olympics.” Sean said, not bothering to smile at his own dark joke. He knelt under the yellow Police tape as he walked in, Ryoko following suit.
“We found the other body.” Ryoko said with lament.
“Found him in the fucking trash can. Looks like someone else got to his body before Lizzie got her whacks in.” Sean added.
“You mean there is another one?” Adarius gasped.
“Takes more the two to hold an Olympics…” Marcus growled.
Arigatami cursed under her scarf and looked out the lone window.
“…The sun…”
The others looked at the rising sun and collectively gritted their teeth.
“Six murders in one night. Feels like the beginning of something big.”
Everyone in the room knew Sean was right. He usually was. They all left the room to let the CSI search and clean the scene.

…………….
Lizzie sat on the edge of the Ford’s Theater roof. Her slender legs hung bare from the edge. She swung her legs slightly as she looked at her naked toes. He wavy brown hair was let down, barely douching her shoulders. She smiled like a child and looked at the man to her left,
“Has master said anything, Jack?”
Jack smiled warmly at her and took his top hat off. His hair was short, black and slicked back. His face was youthful and handsome. He had the demeanor of a perfect British Gentleman.
“Just that we are doing a good job and it is going to happen soon”
Lizzie threw up her arms and let out a, “Yay! I can’t wait!”
Jack just smiled and put his hat on his head as he looked at the horizon. He grinned sadistically, “Loki and the Master have an ironic sense of humor. December 24th, 2012, eh? Only twenty more days. “ His grin and eyes widened as he opened his arms to the heavens, “Stop us if you can, Gods of Old! God of Judea! Stop us if you can, KING/SWORD.”

King/Soul
Chapter 3: Three Soul Boogie Woogie

Sean slumped in his armchair. On the wall before him was a mirror. Instead of reflecting his tired form, it showed a different man. His hair was long and a dark shade of blue. His pointed ears pocked out of his hair. His long fingers, tipped with sharp claw-like nails held a burning cigarette. Robes of gold and silver covered his body and seemed to move, though there was no wind. His eyes, as green as money, stared blankly at the angel before him.
“So Jack and Lizzie are back…”
Sean just nodded.
“Hell sure has gone bat-shit insane since I left.”
“Hell has always been insane, Mammon” Ryoko growled as she paced behind Sean.
“True that!” Mammon said with a grin. “How powerful were they?”
Ryoko let down her hair and stopped in the middle of her pace to look at the demon in the mirror. “Lizzie is pretty tough for a demon, but Jack is in a whole other league. He may be on his way to becoming a Satan.
“Bullshit!” Mammon frowned. “The only vacancy left in the Seven is my spot! Jack is a sadist. He’s not greedy.”
Sean rubbed his aching forehead, “That may be true, but he could still be as strong as any of the Seven Satans.”
“Its times like this that make me wonder if Lucifer is just a retard”
“Well said, Mammon” Ryoko sighed.
Mammon then looked at Sean, “If Jack is really as strong as a Satan, than I might have to take over.”
Sean nodded, “I know. I’m not worried”
You may find it strange for a Seraphim class Angel and the former Satan of Greed to have such trust in each other, but you should remember that Fate in odd ways. Not even the Gods know what Fate is planning. Fate seems to have planned for Sean to have the most unique form of Multi-Personality Disorder, for you see, his body hosts not just his own soul, but the souls of Mammon and a monster. When Mammon speaks of taking over, he of course means taking over Sean’s body.

Mammon was about to say more but the ringing of the phone cut him off. Ryoko answered it swiftly, “Hiruki Residence…..Yes ma’am. Understood.” He put the phone back on the charger and looked at Sean. Who was looking back at her. “We have a meeting. Now.” Mammon and Sean nodded and the Satan of Greed took a step out of the mirror and disappeared, causing Sean’s reflection to appear like normal. Sean got his jacket and sighed, “Let’s go”


The meeting room was large enough to seat a good one hundred people. The rows of seats were raised like a university lecture hall, complete with fine wood tables for paperwork and such. On the front wall was a giant screen that was showing the colorful screensaver from the monitor that was connected. The others were already sitting down, except Arigatami, who was standing against the wall. The couple took their seats in the middle. When they did, President Kolbold stood up and spoke, “JEAN, Open new Mission.exe.”
“Roger” replied a robotic female voice. The screensaver changed to the pictures of all the murderers. The hologram of a young woman with flowing green hair appeared next to the screen. She had a strange green glow around her and at first glance her eyes seemed to be dead, but on closer expectation shapes and program files flashed inside them. This was the physical appearance of the A.I. dubbed JEAN. Her actual name was I.C.A.R.U.S or Intellectual Computer Accelerated Ragonrok Universal System. But Marcus thought that name did not fit her, so he named her JEAN. She liked it, so her name was officially changed.
JEAN started to speak, “Data has confirmed that these crimes were committed by London-born Jack the Ripper...real name unknown and Lizzie Borden. However, there is a third killer.” The picture of the latest victim increased in size, “As you can see, the skeletal structure of the victim as well has most of his intestines were vaporized. This fact has led me to conclude that a supernatural being of unique magical power is responsible.”
President Kolbold folded her arms, “Anything else?”
JEAN nodded, “Please take a look at what was found on the victim’s person.” A new photo appeared on the screen. It was a slip of pure white paper. On it was a cross with a circle in the middle to form a simple crosshair. Next to that symbol was a large jagged Z. Below the symbol was a cryptogram.
“This is the call sign of the Zodiac Killer.”
“Fuck” Marcus and a few others growled.
“A serial killer who terrorized San Francisco from 1968-1969, though he could have been killing from as early as 1963. Five killed, though 37 kills claimed. Identity still unknown.”
“I hate it when I’m right…” Sean growled, referring to the ‘Serial Killer Olympics’ comment at the Lizzie Borden crime scene.
“Do we know if it is really Zodiac and is he a demon?” the President asked.
Inefficient Data. Though I believe it is indeed the work of the Zodiac Killer. Not many demons have enough magical energy to do this. He also cannot still be Human, because he would not be able to perform a spell so devastating at such an old age. I am searching the database for any other possible magical creatures that Humans could become.”
“Assuming he was Human to begin with” Arigatami said softly.
President Kolbold turned to the agents with a stern look on her face, “My orders are simple: Find them and make them pay for their crimes! Ginkiba and Arigatami, you search Chinatown. Make sure you go by Mr. Zhao’s club. Sean and Ryoko, you two hunt the Monuments and anywhere else you can think of. Marcus, you take your apprentice and search the Metro.”
I have already put out a notice on the Police scanner to look out for a man and woman in Victorian style clothes. I shall keep you up to date.” JEAN added.
“Let’s get to work!” Victoria ordered in a sharp tone.

DJ K.B. stood on the stage inside Club Zhao Yun. Being that it was late morning, the club was closed until dusk. The DJ wore a grey hoodie that was loose on his dark skin. The mix table before him hid his black jeans and sneakers. His black hair was short and curly and he had a thin strip of goatee in the middle of his chin, which was trimmed short. He grinned at the two before him. “Arigatami! What’s going on, baby?! Still lookin’ fine, I see!”
The kunoichi frowned coldly at the loud man. She had replaced her ninja attire for a red tank top and blue jeans, with the right leg cut to her ankle. Her hands were covered in fingerless black gloves that ran to her elbows. On her left shoulder were tattoos of alchemic symbols and the Kanji for Kunoichi was tattooed on her right forearm. Her boots were black military issue and her eye patch was in her pocket. She kept her right eye closed and hid it in her long bangs.
Ginkiba just smiled at the DJ. “Hey, K.B. Afraid we can’t chat the small stuff right now. We got a few questions for ya.”
The DJ’s grin faded a little, “I see. What can I do for ya, my Mediterranean Amigo?”
“You notice anyone strange in here lately? Like a guy in a tailcoat and top hat or a young woman in a Victorian style dress?”
“Nah, man. But I’ll tell ya about this one cat I’ve been seeing in here! Thought the dude was trippin’ or somethin’! He didn’t look like any creature I have seen before. He wore a brown paper bag over his head, so I couldn’t see his face, but on the bag there was a face drawn on it. A big ass smile with sharp white teeth and the right eye had a hole poked in it. The other eye had something like a large crosshair drawn on it. Dude was tall and lanky. He wore a…lesse…a blue jumpsuit like what mechanics and factory workers used to wear.”
Ginkiba almost grinned, “That is just the information I wanted to hear. Your memory is one of the best in the City!”
“Heh! I try my best, man!” The two men traded handshakes and a fist pound. K.B. had a rare look of seriousness on his face, “You know to give the boss and myself a holla if you need help.”
Ginkiba nodded, “I know, man.”
Arigatami broke her own silence with a quick, “I’ll inform Mr. Zhao of the situation so far.” And she disappeared.


Sean looked at Ford’s Theater with a hint of sorrow. “A great man was murdered here…” He said and he felt his wife’s hand hold onto his. He looked at her and smiled weakly, “…Sorry. Let’s go.” Ryoko nodded and began to walk inside. To not stand out, she had changed into a simple business suit and pants instead of a skirt. In her hand was a black case in the shape of a tube meant to hold large posters, pictures and things. Sean followed her, carrying a guitar case.
The theater was empty. Tourists usually would not come around until the spring and summer months. The couple found it strange that there wasn’t even a Janitor there to keep things clean. As the two reached the first row of seats, they found out why.
The lights went dim and the red curtain on the stage slid away as a lone spotlight shot down to the middle of the stage. There stood Jack the Ripper, smiling a gentlemanly smile. He lifted his hat off his head and bowed, “Greetings and welcome! My, what a wonderful crowd we have tonight! And look at all the lovely couples! Ah, romance is so sweet!” He grinned at the two in front of him. “Good to see you again, Sean. You are looking well”
Sean frowned, “Hello John”
Jack smiled warmly, “Ah, so you remember my real name.”
“Of course, Doctor Jonathan Graham Moore. How could I forget your Human side?” He said as he leaped on to the stage. He set his guitar case down and opened it. He pulled out a plain looking Japanese sword. He unsheathed it, revealing the stunning metal blade and dropped the black sheath to the floor. The metal rattled against the wood floor of the stage for a few seconds.
In response, Jack pulled a large bowie knife and an unusually large cleaver from his coat.
Ryoko pulled her Tai Chi sword out of the poster case and started to walk towards the stage when Sean stopped her.
“Lei May, stay back.” He said in a soft, but forceful tone. Ryoko was taken aback, but nodded. He only called her by her original Chinese name when they were making love, was pissed or in this case, didn’t want her to interfere. Ryoko dropped the poster case and turned around.
“I’ll deal with Lizzie then…” she said as she noticed her opponent skip into the aisle swinging a splitting ax.

Sean side stepped the knife aimed at his side and hit Jack’s wrist with the bottom of his handle, causing Jack to drop the knife and double back. Sean almost smiled at the demon, “What’s the matter John? You’ve gotten slower. I thought you were a demon now.”
Jack’s smile warped into a sadistic grin and his handsome face became a little older and more ghoulish. His black hair grew down his neck. He looked very similar to Lon Cheney Sr’s character in the film “London After Midnight”
Sean instantly regretted mocking him.
“Hello, hello again. Looking well you are, looking well you seem. Jack is back, Jack goes forth!” His free hand cracked as he reached behind himself and pulled a large knife, which was almost as long as a short sword out of a red vortex. The vortex vanished as he brought the knife forward. The blade was wavy and red. The edge was pure black and the handle was silver. The hand guard was the metal face of a gothic style demon with its mouth open, making it look as if the blade was the demon’s tongue.
Jack rushed forward and attacked Sean with increased speed and power. Sean was barely able to deflect the attacks with his katana. He felt the blade of the demonic knife enter his lower arm and cut into his bone. Luckily it was not deep enough to split the bone. When the knife was pulled out, his arm fell to his side, limp and bleeding profusely. He took a few steps back, holding his katana up with his right hand. Sean could feel the evil of the knife flow into his body.
“Damn!”
…Out! Came a sharp voice inside Sean’s head.
‘No! Go away, Count!’ Sean shouted in his head.
Don’t argue! Release me!
‘NO!’
Sean’s body froze suddenly as his skin and features began to peel away and drift into nothingness. Under the peeling skin laid another man. The man’s hair was long and black. He had a thin black goatee that was pointed at the end. He looked to be in his mid-thirties. His clothes were black and Victorian. He had a long black cape that flowed to the ground. His blood red eyes gleamed at Jack with malicious intent. His lips curled in a smiled, revealing his large canines.
“Hello Jack” He said with a thick Romanian accent. Before Jack could flinch, the man shot in front of him, his feet not even touching the ground and grabbed Jack’s face. He then followed his assault by throwing Jack off the stage. Appearing behind him, the man lifted Jack off the ground using his hair. “You fucked up, boy.” And proceeded to stab into Jack’s abdomen with his long, claw-tipped fingers.
The thin blade of Ryoko’s Tai Chi sword hovered over the man’s neck. Ryoko stood to his left, glaring darkly. “We need him alive, Count.”
“How lovely to see you again, Lei May.” He said casually, though he did as commanded and let go of Jack, who quickly recovered and stepped back into another vortex and disappeared.
“Oh dear, he got away…” Smiled the Count, sounding as if he didn’t care. Which he didn’t.
“Bring Sean back!” Ryoko ordered.
“But my dear! I just took back control…Hn Well He and Mammon seem to be taking back control now anyway. Good Evening.” He frowned as he froze. Just as Sean peeled away, so did the Count, replaced by Sean. He slumped and fell into the arms of his wife. He quickly recovered and stood up. He didn’t feel any more pain in his arm. It was healed as soon as the Count took over. Sean looked around and saw Lizzie Borden lying on the floor unconscious. He smiled and looked at Ryoko, “Well at least we got one…” He didn’t speak of the Count, and Ryoko didn’t pressure him about it. She knew what he should be worrying about.


The platform was almost empty. The train roared out as it flew by, leaving only Marcus and Bandages behind.
“What now?” Adarius pondered aloud to his master.
Marcus turned to his apprentice, hands in pockets and grinned. “What? Never hunted a deer before?”
“But we aren’t in a…Oh ha ha. Funny, boss. Funny. So why would he be in here?”
Marcus just shrugged, “Hell if I know. But the Metro is the best way to get into Chinatown.” He walked off the platform and onto the rails as he spoke. “He doesn’t even need to take the train.”
“Makes sense….The hell was that?!”
Adarius took a step back and he grinned widely. He stared wildly at the figure before them.
Marcus had his own reaction; He swiftly pulled out two barrette pistols made of black metal and grinned. “Zodiac Killer, you’re under fucking arrest. Now I won’t give you two choices, because I think I know which you would choose. So let us just end this by showing you what your psycho brain looks like.”
“KEKEKEKEKEKAKAKA!” Zodiac laughed. His voice was rough and broken. “Talk…Cheap…Die…Now please…”
He pulled out a Glock and a large knife from somewhere in the darkness and jumped forward. Marcus fired both pistols at the jumping killer, each shot was cut away by the knife. Zodiac landed in front of Marcus and fired at his face. Marcus pushed the gun away with his own and returned fire. These actions repeated for five minutes, with a few new moves thrown in. As another train roared towards them, they broke from the point-blank battle and pressed against the wall. When it passed they reloaded their guns and jumped back to each other. Both men, now close enough to fight again pointed their guns at each other’s foreheads.
“The fuck are you?” Marcus growled.
“Monster...on his way…to godhood…” Zodiac answered.
“Gee, thanks for clearing that up” Marcus said with a growl full of sarcasm.
“Keh Keh. You’ll understand soon enough” Zodiac cackled as he stood up and stepped away from Marcus. “I am finished here…..I’ll battle you…later….Angel of Death…” He side stepped into the tunnel beside him. Marcus and Adarius followed but they soon lost him.
“SHIT!” Marcus shouted in a rare moment of anger.

King/Soul
Chapter 4: The Son of a Shu General
It is rare to see Zhao Yun’s blood red eyes. Ever since sunglasses were first introduced, he had been wearing them. The few that have seen them became entranced and fell into his hypnotic spell. All except for Arigatami, anyway. She gazed into his eyes as they pored over the images on his computer monitor. Amazingly, she had a small smile on her face as she looked at him. Her eye had a small hint of warmth behind it. The smile faded when she began to speak,
“Jack the Ripper, Lizzie Borden and now the Zodiac Killer. Marcus says that he cannot even figure out what Zodiac is.”
“The Western World’s most infamous ‘modern’ killers all coming back from the dead to kill again…Feh… Sounds like a cheesy Steven King movie. And yet here we are. This is no random occurrence. Something is going on here that we just are not seeing.”
“Agreed…”
Zhao Yun stood up and put a cigarette between his teeth. He put his black sunglasses back on and grinned, “Well it looks like Zhao Yun the 2nd is returning to the battlefield!” As he spoke he pulled out duel automatic pistols. They were silver with an etching of a dragon surrounding each barrel. The custom handguns were AMT Hardballer Longslides with the barrels extended two inches out from the slide. He crossed the large pistols in front of him and put them in the holsters on both sides of his torso under his arms. With one quick action his black duster was over his suit. “Lets go!”
Arigatami grinned and stood up. Shadows covered her body and changed into her Kunoichi uniform.”Just…What I wanted to hear.”


Lizzie woke up with a jolt. She found herself in a dark cell strapped to a chair with a straight jacket. She panicked as she struggled to get out, but even with her demonic strength, she could not move much.
“Don’t even bother. That jacket is made from Astral Cloth.” Said a cold voice on the other side of the bars. President Victoria Kolbold sat in a simple wood chair, he legs crossed. In between her index and middle finger was a long smoking cigar. Her other hand rested on her lap. Her brown eyes seemed to glow as she glared at Lizzie.
Lizzie went frantic, twisting her body and gritting her sharp teeth. Her eyes were filled with primal, uncontrollable fury. “YOU BITCH!” she shrieked. “HOW DARE YOU! I’LL KILL YOU! I’LL FUCKING KILL YOU!”
“Don’t flatter yourself you whore of death.” Victoria hissed back, causing Lizzie to pause. Victoria continued to speak, “I have many questions for you, Lizzie Borden. I expect you to answer them in full or else. I’ll let you know, one of my top agents can see your greatest fear and use it against you.”
“….Fine….” Lizzie growled reluctantly.
“First and most important, who is your master? The one who brought you back.”
“Lord Lucifer of course! HA HA!”
Victoria frowned, “What is he planning?”
“War!!” Lizzie answered with glee.
“With whom? The United States? King/Sword?”
“Human…ity!” She burst into wild laughter as red demonic flame surrounded her body and burned her into nothingness.

Jack walked into the small cottage that lay somewhere in the Black hills in Burkittsville, Maryland. The cottage was old and falling apart. Inside was not much better. Dust and cob webs covered the corners and edges. The only source of light was the dim setting sun shining between the boards covering the space where windows should be. Jack took a small wood chair and dragged it in front of the old fireplace and sat down, frowning at the dusty, woodless fireplace.
“Vershesh Lucifel Rouligh Zesh” Jack growled in Demonic, causing a red fire to burst up though there was no fuel. The outline of a face appeared in the flame. The face smiled at Jack,
“What do you have to report, Jack”, The face asked.
“Bad news, my lord…Lizzie has been captured.”
The face only smiled wider, “I have dealt with her. She is back here with me. She wants to stay here and recover, so I’ll send you a replacement as soon as I find one. Does that please you, Jack?”
Jack almost glared as he frowned, “No, my lord, it does not. Why do WE have to sacrifice ourselves? Should not some of Loki’s forces aid us?”
“In due time Loki will send his own. I’ll make sure it is soon. Jack, it is time to begin the next phase. Time to remind Humans about Hell. Time to remind them about Jack the Ripper! Remind them about the monsters of their past!”
Jack’s frown quickly changed into a gleefully sadistic grin. “With pleasure, my lord Lucifer!”
Lucifer grinned back and the flame vanished. Jack twisted in his chair and grinned at the shadows to his left. There by the wall were four figures hidden in the darkness. The figures were of different sizes and shapes. The one nearest to the door was a giant, burly man at least seven feet tall and made of a few hundred pounds of pure muscle mass. Armor and Bengal Tiger fur covered much of his body. In the dim light his short beard could be seen. In his hands was a giant two headed war axe, the head resting on the floor. To his left was a womanly figure in a red dress that matched her glowing blood red eyes. She was five foot five and slender. Her dress outlined her curves and womanly figure. Her hair was bright red and fell to her hip. Next to her was a big man in British armor and a long red cape. A golden, gem encrusted crown covered some of his neck-length blond hair, which was combed back. He was around five foot seven and his blond beard was a little longer than the first man’s. Strapped to his side was a silver long sword.
The last man was of a strong frame and was the same height as the man next to him. His armor was an interesting mix of European and Japanese. The breastplate, gauntlets and greaves were Western, while the hip-guards were Japanese. They fell from the breastplate and only covered the sides of his legs and fell to the greaves. Between the hip-guards was the end of the chain mail shirt he was wearing beneath and ended under his hip. The collar of his black cape looked to be made of black fur or feathers while the cape itself was shaped like a swallow’s tail and was red. His thin black beard was more of a goatee. It went from a strip down the middle of his chin and spread out to cover the whole end of his chin. His mustache was thin and barely reached his cheeks. His black hair was in a style known as a Shogun Topknot. It was slicked and tied up and back, then end looked like it was exploding. On his hip was a unique long sword. Its handle was that of a Japanese Katana, the hand guard was in the shape of a large drop of water with a flat tip. The sheath was indigo with gold embroiled on the outline. The opening for the sword was shaped like a big U.
“Time to go to work!” Jack grinned as he looked at them. He frowned, “Where is Dong Zuo?”
“He is haunting a brothel in Chinatown.” The last man answered.
“…Of course.” Jack growled.

Zhao Yun and Arigatami watched the sun dip under the horizon as the moon slowly replaced it. They looked at each other and then the four story building behind them. The sign was in both Mandarin Chinese and English like every sign in Chinatown.
It said: “Chang’s White Tiger Inn”
“I can’t believe you own one of these” Arigatami growled.
Zhao Yun just smiled, “Now, now. It is in my name only. I make sure they treat the employees right. And anyway, this has been here since they first built Chinatown. It is apart of American history.” He was obviously not talking about the Motel.
“…Brothels are illegal…”
“So is killing people.”
“…Point taken…Lets get this over with…”
Zhao Yun nodded with a chuckled and the two walked in. The lobby was nice enough. Chinese décor covered the walls and everything inside. In the front desk was a young woman in a flowing white Chinese dress with cranes on it. She smiled warmly.
“Good evening Mr. Zhao. How are you?”
“I’m fine, Lin. How was your trip home? Is your Mother well?”
“She is fine, thank you. Hong Kong is still the same. It was nice to see it again.”
He nodded, “It never changes. Say, did I ever tell you the story about the Shu Kingdom and Lu Bu?”
Lin giggled, “No, you’ll have to tell me some time. You and Miss Arigatami can head to the back. Lady Fu is waiting.”
He nodded and the two went into a door behind Lin. They entered a long hall leading to another door. Doors lined both walls, between them were statues of Tao Gods, Goddesses, Animals and characters from famous Chinese novels. Arigatami spoke up,
“…That was a rather cheesy password…”
“Heh…Well it is better than ‘May the force be with you’ or something like that”
Arigatami almost smiled, “True…”
“GET AWAY!!” came a shriek from the room next to him.
Zhao Yun frowned and swiftly went to open the door, but it was locked from the inside. “…Great… the one door we still need to change the lock on…” He growled as he took a few steps back and forcefully kicked the door open. They found a half naked young lady trying to get away from a large round Chinese man with a scruffy beard. Golden rings, a size too small covered all ten of his pudgy fingers. He wore fancy Chinese robes that were half undone. He walked towards the girl, smiling lecherously.
Zhao Yun’s brow narrowed and he snarled a little. “…I know your face…” He looked at the girl, “Yan Mei go get Madam Fu.” His tone was sharp, though warm. Mei nodded and ran out as Arigatami walked to the far right wall and stood next to a wood scroll showing a colored scene of love making. The Kunoichi looked at them both. She locked her eye on Zhao Yun as she looked at her. Zhao nodded, understanding what she was planning. She would let him handle it. He fat man was his problem, though she would step in if needed.
Zhao Yun glared back at the fat man. “Father told me about you. You’re Dong Zuo, the man who tried to take over the Han Dynasty. I thought you were burning in ‘The Hell of the Horny Dragon’ or ‘The Hell of Starving Undead.’”
Dong Zuo cackled, “Yes well Di Yu has many Hells. I was lucky enough to have been saved by Lord Lucifer.”
“So are you a demon now like your friends?” Arigatami asked suddenly, bringing her to Dong Zuo’s attention. The fat Chinese Dictator looked at her body with perverted lust, causing the Kunoichi to grab a kunai, or Ninja Dagger, from her shirt as she glared at the lustful man.
“Not yet, beautiful, but I am close. After I kill a few King/Sword agents Lord Lucifer will grant me immense power! Impressive, eh? How about you join me in bed?”
Zhao Yun pulled out one of his Hardballers and cocked it as he aimed it at the round man
“I’m your Opponent, Zuo. She is just watching for now.”
“After I kill you then…Keh…You look oddly familiar, boy. What is your name?” Dong Zuo asked as he turned around.
“Zhao Yun 2nd, son of General Zhao Yun of Shu. I’m sure you remember him”
Dong Zuo’s perverted gin turned into a malicious one. A large Chinese Broad sword with big gold loops on the back of the blade appeared in his chubby hand. He charged towards Zhao with speed not matching his large form and swung wide. The attack missed the vampire completely. Zhao Yun responded by shooting the dictator’s right ear.
Dong Zuo growled in pain and took a step back as he held what was left of his bleeding ear. “Bastard!” He spat. “How can you be faster than me?!”
“Because a super powered weakling is still a weakling. You dare come into my city, attempt to rape one of my girls, flirt with Ari-chan and threaten me? Stupid fool. This time I’ll make sure you’re sent to the worst Hell in Di Yu.” As he spoke he took out his other pistol and aimed it at Dong Zuo.
The fat Chinaman yelled in fury and charged again. Zhao empted both magazines into Zuo’s body. All shots hit their mark, but Dong Zuo pushed forward and brought his broad sword down on the vampire, who blocked the wide blade by crossing his guns over his head. Zhao strained to keep himself up straight as Dong Zuo put all his power down on him. With one final oomph, Zhao pushed up with all his might, causing Dong Zuo to stumble back. This gave Zhao Yun enough time to swiftly reload his weapons and aim again. Dong Zuo swung his sword in anger and charged again. Zhao Yun just sighed and teleported next to the fat man, the barrel of his AMT on his temple.
“Begone weakling” Zhao growled before pulling the trigger. Dong Zuo’s head was blasted away, causing the rest of his body to dissolve into dust.
“Well that was quick…” Arigatami stated. Before Zhao Yun could respond the whine of police sirens interrupted him. He sighed and put his weapons away. “Now for the hard part.” He said, half joking. Arigatami just smirked and the two walked out into the lobby to find Sean and Ryoko waiting for them. Behind them a Policewoman was getting details from Yan Mei and Lin.

After hearing the whole story from Zhao Yun, Sean let out a sigh. “Things keep getting better and better…the Serial Killer Olympics just turned into the Plain Psycho Olympics. At least you dealt with Dong Zuo…I hate that bastard.”
“We’ll deal with the police. As far as they know this is just an attempted rape case.” Ryoko said.
“Understood.” Zhao nodded, “I heard Lizzie Borden burst into flames and vanished. Did she give you any clues as to what the **** is going on?”
Sean answered him with a nod, “Yeah. As we thought this is all Lucifer’s doing. He is wanting to start a war. Lizzie said it was against Humanity, but I think he wants something more.”
“Do you think Loki is involved?”
“Don’t know.” Sean shrugged, “Maybe, but we have only encountered Lucifer’s forces thus far. We have to wait and see if Loki has anything to do with all of this.”
Zhao Yun let out a sigh, “Well, if he wants a War, he’s got one. I’m going to start gathering forces. I’ll update you whenever I can and I trust you’ll do the same. Later.” He pats Sean on the shoulder as he leaves and bowed his head to Royko, who bowed back and said, “Take Arigatami with you. I’ll let President Kolbold know what you are doing.”
She then looked at Arigatami as she followed Zhao and winked at her with a little smile, “Gotta look after our men.” She said out of Zhao’s earshot, though Sean heard it and smirked. Arigatami glared a little to hide her light blush, “….Right….” she mumbled before walking after Zhao Yun.
Ryoko turned to her husband with a smile, “It’s about time they started making progress.” Sean chuckled a bit and nodded. Ryoko frowned quickly and became gravely serious as she spoke again, “What if Loki IS involved? Can we defeat Lucifer AND a God? Not to mention their armies.”
Sean just smiled, “Well We will have to find out if it happens, won’t we? If worse comes to worse we wont be alone in this fight. At the very least the Great Sage; Equal of Heaven well join us. He hates Loki.”
Ryoko nodded once and started to walk out with Sean at her side holding her hand. “We’ll make it through this, Lei May. We always get through.” They squeezed each others hands and he continued, “We and everyone we know are warriors with countless years of training and experience under our belts. Lucifer and his little war don’t stand a chance.” Her husband’s words calmed her inner fear and she kissed him on the lips. “Point taken, love.”
Sean kissed her back and smiled warmly, “I know…Now lets get some food, I’m hungry.”