Chapter 65 - Exposure

Nikko, 6 AM

"So, how do we find him?" Kotone asks her two companions.

Her, Red, and Fumio just arrived in the streets of Nikko.

After deciding on their plan of action, they decided to act during the day.

"Uhhh. Boss, Kotone, you do know what Hideki looks like, right?" Fumio asks.

"Uhhh…" Kotone does not.

"I don't, but I have a guess of where he is." Red says.

The two look at him to ask how, but they notice the serious expression that he is wearing.

Red meanwhile, is curious.

He can smell traces of malice in the spiritual energy in the air. Not the type that the members of the CSG had during the protest, but something else. A murderous one that is combined with hunger. It also obviously belongs to a single person.

From what he can gather, that person has passed by where they are currently standing in, in the past twelve hours.

As to what kind of person would have this potent malicious aura that it leaves traces after hours, Red has a few ideas. Unfortunately, those ideas are based on his experiences in his previous world, and may not necessarily be applicable to his current one.

"Hang on to me." Red instructs the two and they take each or Red's arms, before they travel to the air again.

Soon, the three arrive at Lake Chuzenji, a few kilometers away from the Nikko City's center. Even though the lake is large, and there are plenty of vacation mansions by its lakeside, Fumio already knows where their destination is. After all, he has been here before once.

"The Kumagai Compound." He utters.

At the northern side of the lake, is what looks like a village settlement, scattered with buildings made using Japan's traditional architecture. And at the center of it, is what looks like a medieval Japanese Castle.

Fumio however knows that just like in the Hasegawa compound, these traditional looking buildings are only skins and they actually have modern appliances and amenities in them.

The Kumagai Clan has a long lineage, dating back to the 1700s and have lorded over Nikko even during Japan's feudal era until the Great War. Just like other noble clans of that period, Kumagai's authority has also collapsed due to the rise of the superiori among the common people they lorded over.

But unlike most noble houses that did not live to see the end of the Great War, the Kumagai did as they were blessed with a great number of superiori that were able to protect their lineage long after The Great War.

As for how the Hasegawa and Kumagai Clans became allies, was simply because the founder of the Hasegawa was a Kumagai clansman. That Hasegawa founder after becoming even stronger than the Kumagai Clan Head, decided to leave the Kumagai to avoid making things awkward.

"So, Hideki really is staying here, huh." Fumio says as Red brings him and Kotone closer above the Kumagai Compound.

"Where do you think is the perfect place to shoot it?" Red asks the two as they land at one building's rooftop.

"On the rooftop of that one over there." Fumio points at one of the tall buildings below the castle.

"Okay." Red nods.

Fumio then takes out the news camera that Red stole from somewhere, and fiddles with it skillfully. After hours of preparation, he was able to get some basic understanding of how to use it.

"Boss. You put an invisibility seal on me and Kotone. What about this camera? People might see it." Fumio asks.

"There's one under it. Power it with your elixir." Red says.

Fumio then activates the seal, but can still see the camera.

Kotone, then steps a few steps away from Fumio, and just like she suspected the camera is only invisible after a certain distance from it, just like how the invisibility illusions that Red has put on them in the past.

"Alright. You two go in position. Fumio, flare up a wave (of spiritual energy) if you're ready." Red instructs.

"Okay." And with that his two disciples hop away. 

<>

The morning is usually peaceful for Kumagai Takeo. He would usually wake up at six in the morning for tea, train his swordsmanship for an hour or so, having his breakfast and taking a shower, before starting his duties as the clan head.

This morning however is, is different.

"HAH.. Hah… HAHAHAAAAAAA…"

A strange and raspy laugh reverberates from outside the castle. He feels his skin tingle as the voice seems to contain an eerie sense of chaos. He quickly gets up and opens his window and he sees, above the clan compound's center, and just a few meters away from him, a man wearing familiar looking jester clothes.

"M-Mr. Fool…" He wants to refuse believing it, but the man that crushed the pride of the powerful Murakami clan in front of the nation, the man who the clans labeled as a terrorist, is in his tiny and peaceful home.

During the emergency meeting of the clan heads a day after Mr. Fool's attack on Chofu, it was revealed to him and others by Murakami Atsushi, that Mr. Fool to some extent is civil and peaceful This makes him not as scared as one should be when facing a real terrorist of Mr. Fool's strength.

But remembering Atsushi's claim of Mr. Fool's motivations in attacking the National Diet Building, he cannot help but be worried.

[Mr. Fool, as from what I observed, can "smell" corruption and bad intentions. The members of the congress he attacked, which are currently in a coma, are either our puppets, or have committed less than honorable acts.]

Kumagai is not a powerful clan, but they are satisfied with their stable position.

As long as everyone in Nikko is happy, then they are proud. That also means that Takeo's conscience is clear about his clan's practices. So, seeing Mr. Fool in his compound makes him think that Mr. Fool thinks that there is corruption in the place.

"MR. F-" He is about to call out when Mr. Fool suddenly starts dancing, "SMELLY MAN! SMELLY MAN! WHERE ARE YOU?" and singing.

'Smelly' Takeo remembers that it is the word Mr. Fool use to address those that Mr. Fool finds evil. 

"YOU!" He cannot help but take a step back when Mr. Fool's attention is suddenly on him.

"Y-Yes?" He can only speak meekly.

"WHERE'S THE SMELLY MAN?" Mr. Fool asks.

"I don't know. Were you looking for me?" Takeo asks just to be sure that he is not the target.

"NO! NOT YOU…" To his relief, Mr. Fool simply ignored him after that.

Mr. Fool then continues to hop and dance in the air above the buildings and houses below, while obviously looking for that 'smelly' man.

*slam**slam*

Takeo then sees that some of the buildings below also open their windows to also see what is happening. Some of his clansmen even step out. This makes his heart beat out of extreme anxiety as he does not know what to do.

He cannot order them to get inside, or gather at the clan hall as he does not know what Mr. Fool's actions will be.

Fortunately for him, his ignorance is cleared, as Mr. Fool suddenly jumps down to one of the buildings. Not only jump down, but stomp down, breaking that building's roof, making a hole on it.

'Use the doors!' Takeo wants to reprimand Mr. Fool, but he can only swallow the destruction of his clansman's property.

Soon, Mr. Fool jumps out of the hole he jumped into but this time, carrying a person.

"SMELLY MAN! SMELLY MAN! I FOUND YOU!" Mr. Fool continues to chant again.

It takes Takeo a few seconds but soon, he recognizes that that person is his friend's son, and the now former heir of the Hasegawa, Hideki.

He knows that while Hideki already lost his value to the Hasegawa as a clansman, his friend Gorou still values blood.

Gorou, to focus more on clan politics and train his younger son, while also ensuring the safety of Hideki, he sent Hideki to Takeo's care.

Takeo however, can only be a loyal friend to a limit. He will not risk himself or his clan by attempting to stop an S-Class Superioris. So, he can only bitterly watch at whatever Mr. Fool is about to do to Hideki.

Mr. Fool then throws Hideki to the village square from a great height, and Hideki sails on the air at a great speed.

Takeo is about to look away at what he knows is a certain death, but to his shock, as if an octopus, black tentacles suddenly grow out of Hideki's back, and encases its owner's body.

*CRASH* An audible loud shattering noise is heard when Hideki landed on the stone ground of the village square. While his tentacles shattered, they did enough to protect him and he comes out unharmed.

"HAHAHA! SMELLY SQUID! I FOUND YOU! HAHA! I WAS RIGHT!"

Hideki meanwhile curses.

Even though he quickly retrieved his ice, his act is finally revealed. He also feels wrath on the man in front of him. He does not know what he did wrong, being suddenly exposed like this after months of being careful, by a stranger and a fool, makes him feel beyond indidnant.

'It's over.' He immediately decides to disappear.

He has not grown strong enough to instantly kill the Kumagai Clan leader, much more to fight the man in front of him, or else he would have wiped out the whole of Kumagai compound to eliminate witnesses.

Unfortunately, he can only wish as he turns around to flee. 

*WHOOSH*

Suddenly, in front of him, Mr. Fool appears, shocking him greatly.

"SQUID! LET'S DANCE!" The man then throws a kick his way.

He summons bars of ice in front of him, successfully blocking the kick. He then surrounds himself in his ice cage to buy himself time as he coats his feet with ice, to levitate himself and fly away.

Unfortunately for him, *CRASHHHH* before he can even fly away, his ice cage is broken and he feels his feet be grabbed by the jester.

The next moment, he feels the earth approach him, or the other way around, and he smashes to the ground once again, only this time, without his ice to cushion him. 

"MR. SMELLY! MR. SMELLY! WHAT ARE YOU?" While stunned on the ground, he can only sigh in relief Mr. Fool is asking questions instead of continuing an attack. After all, once he loses consciousness, it's over for him.

"I'm a friend. My friend, can you let me go? Why are you hurting me?" He can only plead as he tries to recover his bearings.

"NO. MOTHER SAID I SHAN'T BE FRIENDS WITH MURDERERS." Mr. Fool harrumphs.

"…" Takeo at this time, has already jumped down from the castle, and has approached closer, so he has seen and heard everything.

This reminds him of Gin, who he and his clansmen detained for two weeks until the man's escape the day before.

The reporter who he thought of was a spy at first, and then a crazy man after insisting on a crazy claim even after enduring coercion, was right all along.

But while he is thankful of Mr. Fool of exposing Hideki, he wishes that Mr. Fool not have done it in his home as it will look bad for him. 

"I don't know what you mean." Hideki meanwhile, tries to reason, hoping to fool a fool.

"NOPE! YOU LIE! YOUR ICE! IT SMELLS LIKE PEOPLE!" Mr. Fool scoffs.

"Mr. Fool! You can't kill him!" Takeo suddenly interrupts hoping to take a chance.

If he takes Hideki in his custody, he can appease the bereaving family of the victims, and he can also minimize the news that him and his clan harbored a serial killer.

"YES. YES. MOTHER SAID I SHAN'T KILL. WE SHOULD SEND HIM TO PRISON!" To his surprise, Mr. Fool is even easier to talk to.

He does a double take however at Mr. Fool's next words.

"BUT YOU PROTECTED HIM! YOU'LL PROTECT HIM AGAIN! YOU LIE!" Mr. Fool accuses.

"I didn't know!" Takeo argues in defense.

"If I knew, I would have sent him to prison myself!" He then glares daggers at Hideki.

But to further his rage, he sees Hideki simply smirk at him.

"HHMMM… THEN LET ME MAKE HIM SLEEP FOR YOU." Mr. Fool approach Hideki once again.

Suddenly, "HAHAHAHAHA!" Hideki starts laughing. Not a joyous one, but a bitter one.

Then he stands up and looks at Mr. Fool.

"THIS ISN'T THE END YOU CLOWN!" He says one last time before "*BLLURGGHHH*" thick black smoke rush out of his mouth, then nose, then ears, and finally, his eyes.