Monster Hunters in Hokkaido

Shizuka dashed up to Gou, making sure he was good.

"I'll follow it, you catch up when you can."

She leaped over debris, a knocked over trashcan, and gave chase to the demon. Although she could catch up easily, it was in her best interest to stay back a little until she knew what type of thing she was dealing with.

When he was far enough away Aki stripped and transformed into a human sized golden fox. Hiding her things by some boxes and trash cans, she markied the area with a barely noticeable claw mark before going after Ryo. She followed behind him just close enough so that she could protect him if she needed to.

Gou tore the store apart. He was looking for anything he could use to stop the monster. He was having trouble finding anything.

the demon ran, panting and foaming at the mouth. its mind focused only on the hunger for the magic of this boy. it tumbled everything in its path aside, turning a sharp corner into the alley where Ryo stood.

Ryos arm was the center of a storm of green lightning and magical energy, barely contained by runes that circled it. as the demon began to get close, the energy seemed to compress, forming a solid point of power, his arm appearing to be a solid bar of green magic for a moment..

The demon, seeing the source of the energy went even crazier, and speed up leaping at Ryo.

there was a flash, the green bar of energy seeming to fly into the demon, and then back to Ryo.

the demon was thrown back, slamming to the ground and writhing in pain. slowly, it seemed to burn away, consumed from the inside by green flames, turning to ash.

Ryo stood for a moment, the green energy and runes sinking back into his body, then with a slow motion, he slumped, falling unconscious.

Aki couldn't help but be impressed by the display. She never imagined someone could hold so much power inside them. While it was impressive it still made her cautious of him. She would hate to have to go up against him if they ever became enemies.

Slowly she approached him and gently nudged him with her snout. When he didn't respond, she looked around to see if the girl or boy from before were around so they could help him but seeing no one she decide it was up to her. Starring down at him she thought it was kind of funny how someone so powerful could be so oblivious to it. Just looking at him now as he slept, she found it hard to believe he could have single-handedly killed a demon.

What a very strange boy, she thought to herself.

Shizuka hissed at the demon who flew past her and watched for a moment as it disintegrated. She the looked wide eyed at Ryo. HE was magic? HE of ALL PEOPLE that she could possibly run into, the ONE PERSON that owned a magic shop that sold some of the best and worst things was MAGIC?!

She glanced at Aki before kneeling down next to Ryo.

Then started taking quick sniffs of his hands and up his arms to his face. This guy radiated the smell and sense of magic she hadn't run into before. She hoped Gou would be along soon. Shizuka pulled a small piece of what looked like litmus paper and pressed it to his forehead, the paper quickly turning green and she scowled.

Gou never found what he wanted so he dashed off toward the monster was. When he for there he gave a confused look to Shizuka. "What...?"

Ryo's ring on his hand still glowed and slowly an object formed in his hand, a book.
No.
A Grimoire.

It's surface was inscribed with a arcane circle, Latin and Japanese runes and letters forming a name above it.

The Archiun Magnus Codex.

It became solid, fitting close to his hand with a solid silver lock keeping it shut. A thin chain connecting it to the ring on his Hans middle finger, and the glow faded.

Shizuka held up the small piece of paper.

"He's been sealed. And for a very long time by the looks of it." she siad as she got up and went to Gou, putting the paper in his hand for him to see. Then she focused her attention on Aki, or what she assumed was Aki.

"So... A Kitsune huh? Haven't met one like you before, if ever." Shizuka's tail end twitched as she stared at Aki, wide eyes and ears erect.

Aki chuckled and turned her head towards Shizuka. "Funny I was going to say the same to you two. Just who are you guys anyways? It's not often you come across such an interesting duo." She asked returning to her more guarded playful attitude.

Ryo began to stir, slowly starting to wake up. The grimoire faded away into the ring once again. And a voice spoke from the ring. All evidence of his magic seeming to be absorb by his body.
"I advise you fools to get him back to the shop before he wakes up."

Gou looked at Aki. "Its a long story. We need to get him back to the shop." Gou looked at the boy and picked him up easily. He threw him over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.

Aki glared at the ring. She was losing her patience with the voice coming from the ring and its attitude but she understood she'd have to endure it for the time being.

She nodded her head agreeing to listen to their story later, she stood and turned to walk towards the shop. When she saw Gou, she was a bit startled by his werewolf form but reminded herself that he was just wolf-like and that he wasn't actually a wolf. Though now she was a bit upset, disliking the fact she could be afraid of him and that he could use that fear against her. "Um, yeah. Despite it's....rudeness the ring seems to know what's going on and whatever it wants to do seems to be important."   She said trying to keep her frustration out of her voice.

Shizuka jogged up to Gou's side as he walked.

"So what are we going to do about him and the shop? We can't close it now. It's tied too strongly to him. As is that ring that keeps giving us sass." Shizuka took Ryo's ringed hand and inspected the ring.

the ring spoke again.
"hey, I may be annoying, but with 1572 years of experience, you'd be a bit prissy too."
the ring was solid silver, with a very faint pattern of lines around the edges, and a shallow groove in the shape of a crescent on the front.
"and the shop will be fine."

Aki rolled her eyes, she hated how the older beings like her mother and the ring got the more entitled they seemed to feel. "You could at least tell us what's going on. That wouldn't be so hard now would it?"

the ring spoke in a rather bored tone.
"I am the arch grimoire known as Deoch, made by Merlin himself during the time of king arthurs round table. i have been passed down through the family of Merlin for generations. hence the young man i currently am being wielded by, who also happens to be a natural born prime mage. his magic has been sealed for his protection. and that of the modern world."

Gou sighed and shook Ryo. "Oh shut it. No one cares." He said and shook him again. He was fed up with this voice. He wanted it to shuuuut it.

"Gou quit shaking the poor guy. It's the ring not him." Shizuka said, a little snarky and a little annoyed.

Ryo shifted, beginning to wake up.
"God... my head..."
"nice of you to wake up boss. So happy your alive." the ring was snarky.
"Whaa?.... what happened. There was... th-this thing in the shop..." ryos voice was soft and confused.

"Didn't the ring say that we needed to be back at the shop before he woke up?" Aki asked glancing up at the waking boy.

Gou shrugged and almost dropped Ryo. "I have no idea." He pushed him back up. He wasn't letting little Merlin the magical unicorn butt off his shoulder and out of sight.

By now they reached the shops back door, an-
Wa i t. Hadn't this been torn off its hinges by a demons 5 minutes ago?
And when did the shop fix itself from the chaos.
"Yep, he's not awake yet though. His magic half is still asleep" the ring spoke to aki.
"We have a few more minutes till that can of chaos opens."

"Then we should get inside quickly. Is there anything else we need to do?" Aki asked not noticing anything out of the ordinary. Though most people would find a talking golden human sized fox, a superfast female neko, and werewolf boy carrying a powerful mage with a sassy magical ring into a magic store very unordinary; it was clear that none of them were just ordinary people.

Shizuka blinked at the newly created shop back, and shook her head. Literally only minutes ago she jumped over a bunch of rubble. She shrugged an opened the door for Gou to duck through.

"After you Gou-chan."