Checking Out

Suitcases packed? Check.

Tearful good byes? Check.

Promises to call once she found a giant lobster? Check.

Leaving instructions for Sakuya to water Patchouli twice a week and to check for a pulse once a day? Check.

Saying something that caused Meiling to blush? Surprisingly....check.

Check, check, check check.

The stars were aligned and everything was in place for Koakuma, the little devil, to leave the Scarlet Devil Mansion behind (for now) and make for the fabulous island of Kuwahawi. Seeing as, aside from a brief meeting with Sakuya's boyfriend and getting punched in the face by a youkai during their time in Las Vegas and watching the Big Bar Brawl with Mistress Flan, she hadn't had much contact with the Kobbers and it was most certainly her turn to take a few months off from her duties to broaden her horizons.

In fact, there was only one thing left for her to do and then she actually would be leaving. A quick trip to the Human Village, complete with a large hat and robe to hide her more demonic features, was all she required.

Suzunaan, an old-fashioned book renter/store, paled in comparison to the library of the Scarlet Devil Mansion, but it was superior in one aspect: it was better at dying one of the workers had amassed a collection of demon books, a broad category of literature whose only common trait was that the authors were youkai. The few demon books at the mansion would never leave there as long as Patchouli still drew breath (once a week) so Koakuma, knowing that such tomes might be useful in as weird a place as the King of Beasts, had sought out the collector, a young woman called Kosuzu Motoori.

The door had a large CLOSED sign on it. That was expected though. Koakuma entered with but a single knock.

"I'm sorry, we're closed for the day," a young woman with brown pigtails and a checkered dress said, not looking up from her copy of Aqua Princess Rita.

"I know; we have an appointment," Koakuma answered, waiting.

The woman, Kosuzu Motoori herself, looked up. "You're Ophelin?"

"Please, call me Ko," Ko(akuma) said.

Kosuzu nodded and reached behind the counter, grunting as she set a heavy metal box on top of it.

"As requsted, four demon books chronicling the existence of various youkai. You want the caretaking instructions now or after you pay?"

Koakuma thought about it. "Now would be fine."

The shopkeeper dug into a pocket and pulled out a small notebook, handing it to her customer.

"It's a little more detailed in there, but the gist of it is don't open the box outside of a consecrated space, supervise any use of ANY of these books, keep a priest of the premises at all times in case of possession, and don't listen to a thing they SAY, just what's on the pages. Especially Weiss - he'll talk your ear off."

"That's GRIMOIRE Weiss!" the box said.

Kosuzu slapped the side and shook her head. "Anyway, you have money, right?"

Koakuma pulled out a slip of paper of her own: a blank check from the Zoofights Corporation for her to fill out. "How much?"

"Twenty-thousand, forty if you don't have insurance-"

"We do."

"Twenty-thousand it is and bring them back IN THIS BOX. I had the Moriya Shrine maiden bless it for me last week so I know it's safe."

Koakuma finished filling out the check and hefted the box, wishing she'd brought a cart. "Thank you much. See you in eight months."

Kosuzu nodded and went back to her comic as the little demon left.

Koakuma grunted as she hefted the heavy box; she only needed to get it to the edge of town where her ride was waiting. No problem, right?

One of the indignant books inside the box began to rant and thrash, causing Koakuma to sigh. This would be almost as difficult as helping Lady Patchouli.