As Alex turned the corner, she saw the three delinquent boys blocking her path home. "Ah'm sorry, I need to get ho-"

She was interrupted by the tallest of them striding up to her, making her back up against the wall. The thud the boy's hand made was impressive, as was the eye contact he held with her. A trickle of sweat built up on the nape of Alex's neck, as she felt the dimness of the sunset giving way to dusk.

>Must be nice for the American to come here, and insult our pride! I need to be....satisfied that you're up for living here.< The boy spoke in Japanese, and Alex's brain couldn't quite translate it. The friends laughed with him as he chuckled, but he had taken his eyes off of Alex for a crucial moment.

He felt something sharp press into his groin, and he froze.

"Now, ah know y'all di'nt just propahsition me. 'Cause if yuh did, then ah reckon ah'd have good cause tuh pro-tect mahself." It took a moment for the boy to realise that what was pressed into him was a tail with an arrowhead and a set of very fine claws extending from the tiny hands Alex had.

>Back off!< The boy's voice sounded strangled, and his lackeys looked at each other in confusion, before staring at what was a girl a moment ago.

Inky tendrils started wafting from Alex, as her body subtly shifted into a more languid presence - her posture ever so slightly jellied. "Ah reckon this ain't turnin' out like ya thought it would, yea?" She leaned in and inhaled, and the boy groaned and collapsed. Alex's voice developed a tone of bourbon and sake as she said, "Now, who wants tuh be dessert?"

/. /. /. /. /. /.

>Sir, we have a new report from Akiha.< The JSDF officer saluted, his greying hair belieing his youthful 23 years of age. He passed a small file to the man sat in the center of the Command Center. In the file, a picture, of a young woman who had just come to Japan to be looked after by family after the unfortunate deaths of her parents.

In the file was a small tablet, detailing a series of CCTV images. As the man picked it up, the officer whispered in his ear. >This is an Epsilon-level problem. Send it to the Wolves.<

The man nodded, as the stills showed a demonic inked presence decimating two people, before transforming into a teenage girl.

The name on the file was Alex Miura.

/. /. /. /. /. /.

The news reports showed the images of three boys who had been found dead the night before - the newsreader mentioned the strangeness of the fact that there appeared to be no reason as yet that the boys had died.

A man unspooled himself into the room from a spiral. Now that he knew what she was, he had to keep an eye out for her and work on giving her the local language.

After all, he was a kindred spirit....of sorts....