Precis

--- Last time ---

Alastair: Assuming that the drawing of Youkai doesn’t start affecting the airways, then we should land in Japan in approximately five hours. Will you be able to remain for that long?

???: That’s fine. I can manage that, but not much longer. I have a bad feeling.

Alastair: If anything more happens, keep me posted. And I mean anything.

???: Right. See you soon. ??? out.

*The call ends. Alastair closes the communicator with a frown*

Alastair: Things are getting more and more complicated….

--- Izumo-taisha, Shimane prefecture, Japan ---

*Alastair, Tara and other members of team 226 are within one of the rooms in the Izumo temple. It has been at least a few hours since Alastair’s arrival in the country. The members of 226 look slightly beaten up due to their escape from the collapsed tunnels, with Tara supporting the worst bandages. The only one of the team missing is ???, due to having his own extra mission to complete.*

Tara: So ??? managed to get into contact with you only after we got away from the site then?

Alastair: That doesn’t matter right now. How are you feeling?

Tara: Well, I’ve been better. Wouldn’t recommend pissing off a Jorogumo. They tend to get annoyed when you keep interrupting them by shooting them, you know? Though….to be honest, I’m less worried about me. I’m pretty hardy, you know? But what we found and what that spider woman was talking about back there….well, that’s more worrying than a few scrapes and bruises.

Alastair: Care to tell me over some tea? Come this way, the head monk wants to see you all.

Tara: Sure. *Carefully getting up, so as to not agitate any wounds, she, along with the others, follow Alastair towards the Head Monk’s room.* I’m assuming that the Head Monk wants debriefing about this whole thing too?

Alastair: Precisely. This way.

*The group continues to follow Alastair, until eventually, they reach the office and head inside. The Head Monk motions for them all to sit on the provided cushions. Alastair sits beside the Monk, facing the rest of the team. Once they are settled, one of the priestesses presents them with tea as they begin to talk*

Alastair: So, no that we are settled, if you could tell us what happened, precisely. The call that I received from ??? was far too broken up for me to receive a full report on the way here, though we deduced that it had something to do with the seal you were investigating. So, Miss Washington, if you could…?

Tara: Sure. So, as you know, Me and the rest of the team came here to look into what might have been causing the increase in Youkai activity, and we were directed towards an ancient seal that had been made in the area.

Head Monk: It was the first explanation that we had for the Youkai to be drawn to the area. The seal is ancient and had been heavily warded, even watched over by a Demon hunting clan. Unfortunately, that clan has been greatly reduced over the years. We thought that, in the absence of those guardians, it was entirely possible that the seal might be the cause.

Tara: So, we headed to the area, and it was dead creepy, emphasis on the dead part. Literally, the plant life seemed to become more and more twisted the closer we got, and it was like there was some kind of….Miasma of some kind that was coming from a tunnel deep into the ground. We headed inside, where we found what looked like a great seal of some kind, but it was broken long before we got there. Whatever was inside it seems to be gone, but it’s left enough power behind that was leaking out. We got attacked in there by Jorogumo. She revealed that the power coming from the broken seal is what was drawing the Youkai. They’ve basically been feeding off it, which is probably why the youkai, even the ones normally pretty placid, have been getting so violent in this area too.

Agent: The Jorogumo didn’t talk too much after that, but it seemed that she’s been feeding on the hapless souls, Youkai or human, that have come to investigate. She had already laid traps there, and managed to separate us from Agent T. We had to spend some time escaping from the cave in she created, but we managed to free ??? first, sending him on ahead.

Tara: I the meantime, I managed to lead the Jorogumo on a chase through the labyrinth of tunnels. Guns and everything else seemed pretty useless, so I managed to cause a cave in in that part of the tunnel to kill the Jorogumo, but it knocked me out. I’m told that ??? found me in time and brought me back here. The Temple’s been looking after me til I regained consciousness.

Alastair: And do you know what might have actually been sealed in there?

Tara: No idea. Jorogumo didn’t say anything, and ??? only said that it just felt wrong somehow.

Head Monk: There is very little written about it. There may have been scripture on it, but it has either been lost to time or simply encoded. We will search our archives for information, however. In the meantime, though, it would be best to have the remaining power sealed. If it being left to nature like this, it will only draw more Youkai too it, which will cause more deaths and, in turn, draw far more malicious entities to us. With the situation confirmed, we can not let this be any longer.

Alastair: I’ll organise some help in sealing this off. In the meantime, team 226 will be on standby until it is time to seal the area. It is possible that the initial sealing might draw out Youkai that will attempt to stop us. As such, you will be needed to help protect the ones working on the seal, so you will need the rest. It will not be an easy task and the Youkai that might come may be stronger than the Jorogumo you faced. Will you be prepared for that, Miss Washington? Along with the consequences should you fail to defend the seal and yourself?

Tara: I know…..but I got this far. I can’t give up yet. We’ll be ready, I’m sure of it.

Alastair: Then do your best to use your time wisely. We will call for you all once preparations are completed.

Team 226: Yes Sir!

[END]