Definition of Yokai: Various supernatural monsters that mainly appear in Japanese folk lore. There are many varieties. Some bring calamity, some bring good fortune. And this is probably the only definition you'll find in a book that tells you they exist.
This is pulled straight from the handbook of the Yokai Hunters Academy...
This is what is known about modern day yokai so far...
1. Yokai stem from the massive emotional output usually by humans, while they may innitially have evil, good, or nuetral intentions depending on the circumstances of their creation, they are subject to change like any other intelligent being with true will.
2. All Yokai are intelligent, even the ones who gain the appearences of animals or objects. While some may act unintelligent or animal-like, do not be fooled. The average Yokai's intelligence either equals or exceeds that of the average human.
3. Despite what myths say, humans cannot become Yokai. The reason for a Yokai's human ressemblence to perhaps once actual humans, is because they might have stemmed from the intense emotions of that person, therefore gaining their appearence. Some Yokai commonly known for resembling their human counterparts, are Yuki-Onna and some varieties of Tengu.
4. There are only 7 instances of Yokai ever mating with humans and producing a half yokai child. These Yokai offspring are known as the 7 Bridges.
The third strongest of the Seven Bridges is none other then Laura Riswaldo, code named, the Chained Maiden.
Tapei, Taiwan...10:00 PM.
Despite what mortals think...there is no such thing as an ordinary night...not from the perspective of those who might be reading this book anyways. However, if by some chance, one of you are the few people who live in this world of strange spirits and creatures that inhabit our world in plane sight, in the world of this book...then from your perspective this is all extremely normal.
Down in an old alleyway, not that everything didn't look old in Taipei, a strange turtle-like humanoid creature ran noisely through, knocking over trashcans as he went, panick seeming to rise from his very sweat.
This creature was a Kappa...and no, he is not a ninja who lives in the sewer with a rat that knows ninjutsu. Kappas were water demons...Yokai.
The Kappa's webbed feet slapped across the asphalt like a wet flipper. He constantly looked over his shoulder as to be certain that the one chasing him wasn't following. In that moment, he had to jump to the side of the alley as a girl on a motorized scooter zoomed by.
Traffic in Taiwan was like trying to walk through a stampede of blind velociraptors. Most people rode scooters or motorcycles. And the laws on riding motorcycles were so lax in the city, that even if you had a walk light, you still had to watch out in case somebody decided to be a jerk ride out in front of you at 10 miles above the limit.
The Kappa looked behind him again, breathing hard. "Good...I must have lost her. "
"Lost me? Awe come on..don't tell me you're selling me that short."
The kappa cursed and looked up to see a girl standing on top of a shed. She had a black leather jacket, black jeans and a black leather beret. Her smooth black hair was cut to a medium short length and her irises were a bright red.
This girl was named Laura Riswaldo...and she was part Yokai.
"Well well well." said Laura with a grin. "If it isn't the supposed water demon whose been causing so much trouble to those children at the pool lately."
"What I eat isn't any of your damn business Chained Maiden." said the kappa. "If I'm hungry, I'll drown my food and eat it...what's with you!? You should understand!! You're one of us...a yokai!"
"Part yokai.." said Laura. "And not all Yokai go around causing the families of children grief just because they're hungry, you're coming with me..."
"On what authority!?" exclaimed the Kappa. "You're not part of the Yokai Hunter Academy!!"
"Not yet." said Laura. "But just you wait..I'm gonna be right on top!!"
"DAMN YOU!!" the kappa raised his flippers and immediately water smashed out of the asphalt ground, shooting at Laura like geysers.
Laura flipped out of the way agiley and landed lightly on her feet behind the kappa. Laura sighed. "You Yokai never learn do you?"
"Don't underestimate me!!" the kappa shouted as he let out another massive geyeser of water from the ground.
Laura raised her hands as a strange reddish aura began to come from her body. "Chain Impact!!"
A multitude of hard iron wrought chains with rounded spear points on the ends phased out of Laura's palms and smacked straight into the kappa, continuosly extending into the impact point as if there was a never ending chain coming out of Laura's hands. The chains did not buckle on impact, staying absolutely straight as they drove the kappa into the ground.
There was a great trail of rubble and dust as the Kappa was pushed across the asphalt, dragging gouges in the ground with him.
As the kappa got up dizzily, coughing up rocks, the chains retracted back into Laura's hands and she walked slowly forward, still grinning. "Sure ya wanna fight me? I think I did more damage to you just now then nine hours of continuos Jeapordy music does to anyone's sanity."
"You silly half humans.." growled the yokai. "You all think that just because of your human blood, that makes you the protectors of humans against your true kind... how arrogant!!!"
At the word "arrogant", the kappa turned and opened his mouth wide, alowing a massive geyser of water to shoot out of his mouth. Laura grinned again and jumped into the air, way higher then any normal human. She gracefully flipped over the kappa's head and landed behind him again. She tapped the ground lightly with toe of her black sneaker and immediately massive chains with links the size of dinner plates blasted out of the ground behind her and the walls of the buildings next to her. The ends of the massive chains had large bowling ball-like weights which all rammed into the kappa at once.
A tremendous shockwave erupted from the area as the massive chain balls made contact and the when the chains retracted back into the ground and buildings, the kappa was lying unconscious in a massive crater as some broken sewege pipes dripped watter all over his expressionless reptillian face.
"K.O.!!" Laura shouted, pumping her fist. "And the crowd goes wild!"
"Really...you need to tone down your fighting methods."
Laura turned to face the owner of the voice with an irritated look. "Sora..I don't need another lecture."
Walking out of the shadows was a boy who looked a little older then Laura. He had black hair a black eye patch over his right eye. He had a long dark black coat and there were two samurai swords sheathed at his back.
"I would love to stop lecturing you." said Sora with his usual expressionless face. "But it seems like you enjoy ignoring me. Already I've had write 20 appology letters to the Yokai Hunter's local Taiwanese agency this week for property dammage. You're not a student yet Laura, you don't have the authority to go brashly taking down yokai like this.."
Laura looked away from Sora and pouted. "You're no fun..if I'm gonna make it into the Japan branch like you..then I've gotta show I can make it in tough situations."
"Like I told you before." said Sora. "With your reckless behaviour, they're the ones least likely to take you. It's better if you apply for the local Accademy here."
"But the Yokai Hunter's Academy branch here is ranked 39th!!" said Laura. "And Japan is not only ranked 2nd under the American one, but it's also where Mom weht to school! I have to go!!"
Sora sighed. "I already said I'd write a letter for you...but again I'll say this, the chances of you being accepted are slim.."
Laura stuck out her tongue at Sora. "You'll see, I'm gonna pass with flying colors!! And I'll blow you right off the top spot!!"
Before Sora could say another word, Laura jumped into the air and began leaping from roof to roof like a ninja, occasionally using a chain from her hand to swing to higher balconies.
As Laura continued to dodge and weave in between streets, buildings and electrical lines, she brooded over Sora's words: 'the chances you'll get accepted are slim'
"Hmph." muttered Laura. "I've seen worse odds..I'm the third strongest of the Seven Bridges..they should be begging me to join...I think.."
In truth, from what Laura heard, only two of the Seven Bridges had ever accepted themselves into a Yokai Hunters Academy branch. One of them was in Germany, and the other was in America. Two of the top schools for Yokai Hunters in the entire world. America was ranked first, Japan was ranked second, and Germany was ranked 3rd, while the official Chinese one was ranked 4th.
Yokai Hunters were an elite group of law enforcers specifically trained to deal with yokai. They included both humans and yokai in their ranks, using combinations of magic spells and high tech equipment to deal with aggressive yokai who went out of control..at leat that was the job they were most known for. But they also had other jobs in the dealings with yokai, just as all police departments did more then just arrest criminals.
However, since it took very exceptional drive and talent to become a Yokai Hunter, it wouldn't be surprising if they were short staff, so recruits started out very young, around Laura's age (15 years old). And they started going on missions and payed jobs the moment they started at the Academy, of course they were only allowed on low scale threats.
It was only the Japan and American branches that ever went on high level allerts.
As Laura pondered all of this she landed in front of a tall apartment building and walked through the glass double doors without a single word.
"你 好 Laura." said the man at the front desk. "How was your day?"
"Same old, same old." muttered Laura. "晚 安" (means good night)
Laura pressed her small plastic round key to the sensor on the key pad of the inner door and it opened with a click. She immediately pressed the button for the elevator and boarded it, pressing for the third floor. As the elevator went up Laura began to to rummage through her jacket pocket till she pulled out a slip of paper. It was an address where she was supposed to register for the Yokai Hunter Entrance examinations. Of course, you were allowed to pick which region you were examining for, and the toughness of the exam would vary with what you picked...but supposedly if a prestigous student wrote a letter of recommendation for you like Sora said he was going to do, it earned you an extra credit of about 10 points.
And considering how you needed an 85% or higher to get in to the Japan region..that meant Laura would have to get an 75%.
Laura groaned and drilled her head with her own knuckles. Sora was right, no way was she going to make it on brute strength alone.
Laura opened the door to her apartment and gloomily walked in, only to spectacularly slip and and fall on her back.
"Careful Ojosama" said a voice. "Yuki just mopped their Ojosama"
Laura looked up from where she lay to see a small girl who looked around 14 with long white hair and a bright white kimono, gleaming bright yellow eyes and a very unreadable expression kneeling next to her with a wet cloth in her hand.
"Yuki.." said Laura. "Hey..how's it going?"
"Ojosama has come back late again." said Yuki as a literal cold mist began to eminate from her body. "Yuki was wondering when Ojosama would ever get back...Ojosama was worrying Neko.."
"LAURA!!!!" Suddenly, a small boy who looked around 5 wearing a black t shirt and blue jeans and who had brown cat ears and a tail jumped out of nowhere and right onto Laura's stomach, and began hugging the life out of her as tears poured down his face. "YOU WERE GONE FOR HOURS!!! I MISSED YOU!!!"
"All the life...being choked out of me.." gasped Laura. "Must..have...air."
"That is enough Neko." said Yuki pulling the boy cat off of Laura by his shirt collar. "We musn't kill Ojosama with our affections." (Note: Ojosama means princess or My Lady in Japanese.)
Laura sat up groaning. As it so happened, Yuki and Neko were both yokai familiars that she had inherited from her mother. Yuki was a Yuki-Onna, meaning she had control over cold and ice. Neko was a Bakoneko, a yokai that was originally thought to be cats made into human form before the scientific community proved that Yokai were created through human emotions.
Both of them had agreed to serve as Laura's mother's familiars after she had saved them from a harsh neighborhood and took them into her home like her own children. Now after the death of Laura's mother, they had become her familiars in turn.
"Sorry to do this to you guys again." said Laura rubbing her head sheepishly. "Another kappa's been seen drowning and eating children at the local pool."
"Yuki thinks you should leave that to law enforcement Ojosama." said Yuki.
"I know..I know.." Laura as she strode over to the large red sofa that was at the end of the small living room and collapsed in it. "But I couldn't just do nothing."
"Hmph!" said Neko. "At this rate you'll never make it into the Japan region like you've always dreamed. You need more self control!"
Laura eyed Neko deviously. "Coming from the boy I found sneaking through my diary for three nights in a row?"
Neko blushed a little. "Ehehehe..come on, I said I was sorry."
Well Yuki is glad that you are back safe." said Yuki. "Yuki has already drawn a hot bath for Ojosama.."
"Bath?" said Laura, her eyes widening a little nervously. "Aw come on...I don't need a bath.."
Yuki's eyes suddenly gleamed with a steely resolve. "Perhaps Ojosama didn't hear Yuki clearly...Yuki has drawn a hot bath..and Ojosama will get herself clean or else.."
"No thanks!" said Laura suddenly shooting some chains out of her hands and opening the balcony screen door with a pull.
Retracting her chains, Laura ran for the balcony, but not before Yuki glided forward and grabbed her ear painfully and began pulling her towards the bathroom.
Necko watched as Yuki dragged Laura into the bathroom. Several yelling and arguing sounds later, Laura's clothes were thrown out of the bathroom and a splashing sound could be heard as Yuki had just thrown Laura into the large tub.
"Yuki has scored 2 points with Ojosama." said Yuki's voice. "Nothing but net."
"Not funny Yuki!!" squealed Laura.
Necko suddenly got a devious expression on his face, his cheeks blushing really red. "Oh boy..this is my big chance!"
Necko snuck up to the bathroom door and made to peek around the corner, suddenly a soap bar shot out of the bathroom and smacked Necko straight in the forehead, causing him to fall onto his back.
"No peeking...pervert." said Yuki's voice from the bathroom as she could be heard forcefully scrubbing down Laura's back.
Later that night, Laura was in her striped pajamas, sleeping peacefully within her small room as Yuki placed a blanket over her. Before Yuki could leave the room however, Laura stirred.
"Hey...Yuki..?" Laura asked. "Do you think I could pass the entrance exam for the Japan region? The international testing date is tommorow..."
"Has Ojosama studied hard?"
"Yes."
Yuki looked around at the piles of books on Yokai and Yokai Hunters that were all over the room.
"Then I see no reason why you shouldn't pass." sad Yuki.
"Yuki?"
"Yes Ojosama?"
"I'm nervous."
Yuki nodded. "It's natural Ojosama....Yuki is also nervous."