Pai...Take this...
Someday... I'll make you human...
I...promise...
Japan Shinjuku, Tokyo - Junin-Machi 53 New Heights #322 Yakumo Fujii
Chapter I: A CHANGED LIFE
The gods of fate were definitely having some fun that night...
Maybe...If I hadn't been late for work...
Hey! This's a pedestrian area!
So sue me!
Man, if I'm late, Mama's gonna kill me!
Outta the way! Move it, please!
Gangway! Comin' through!
Hey...you OK?
Culture Shock
Are you Chinese? What's your name?
Pai.
``Pai," huh? I'm...
Oh, this get-up?
Don't worry 'bout it... I'm not gay.
When I was a kid, mom got fed up and left home.
Then, four years ago, dad left for Tibet, and then he disappeared, too...
Didn't have much choice, so I got into this line of work.
Very scientific talk...
Does she really understand Japanese?
On top of that, she's filthy... She ever hear of a bathtub?
Hey, Yakumo, what's with the girl?
I thought girls weren't your strong suit, Yakumo...
Well, he IS 16 now...
Got to that age where he wants to try the KINKY stuff, I guess...
Oh, get real!
``Yakumo?"
Yeah...My name's Yakumo...
Fujii...Yakumo?
Professor Fujii's son, Yakumo?
How'd you know that...?
I find you! I finally find you!
It been four years since I leave Tibet!
W..waitaminute!
What the HELL?
You idiot!
Don't make the ladies cry in here.
Mama! Help me!
Why should I?
Aw, c'mon!
Professor Fujii...
Dad?!
She says he's a professor...
Yakumo's father was famous, wasn't he?
Nah...He was just a folklore specialist with a thing for the supernatural...
I don't blame mom for leaving him...
Greetings. How are you, Yakumo?
I am on my way to Kunmin from Tibet, but unfortunately...
...it looks like I'll be leaving this earth right here.
But the girl who has this letter is looking for you...
Her name is Pai. She's a kind girl who nursed me back to health.
More importantly, she's the last of the legendary beings...
...that I've spent my life searching for...
...who, are said to possess the power of eternal youth. The Sanjiyanunkara.
``Sanjiyanunkara?" Tri-clops
Biologically, the sanjiyan are a species that evolved differently...
Commonly, they're called ``monsters."
Pai still doesn't know how to use the power of eternal youth...
...but she says she's been alive for about 300 years...
Hey, Professor, Pai want to become human, too...
Sure...If I can...
Really?!
Long ago, they became fascinated with humans, so, when they found a means of doing so...
...the sanjiyan took upon themselves the brief lifespan of humans.
Right now, it looks like Pai is the last surviving sanjiyan.
What can Pai do to become human?
Take this with you...
My son, Yakumo, will make you human...
To become human, the ``Statue of Humanity," is necessary. A picture of it is enclosed.
The Statue of Humanity is at a company in Hong Kong called the 'Yogekisha.'
Please, Yakumo! Take Pai to Hong Kong and give her the Statue of Humanity! Please.
Geez! He can't be serious! What's with this "Hong Kong" shit?!
He can't tell me to just drop everything...!
Why should I do anything for that little...
It took some work, but I fixed her up a bit...
Don't I look strange, Yakumo?
C..cute...
But that's got nothing to do with this!
There's no such thing as monsters!
Please look at this! It suddenly appeared in the skies above Shinjuku! What on earth is it?
Takuhi!
Hey! So what's this ``Takuhi" thing?!
He my friend who live in my staff!
Huh?! Try not to introduce us, OK?!
He lose control when he get excited!
If we don't calm him soon, he get REAL dangerous!
Hey! Leave me outta this!
Oh, shit!
Stop! Don't you recognize me?!
Takuhi! No!
N...No way...
No...
Am...I really gonna die...?
Don't die! YAKUMO!
I don't believe it...! She really ISN'T human...
Takuhi! Calm yourself!
I...I could've sworn that that Takuhi thing...
My clothes are wrecked, but I'm not hurt...
I guess it wasn't a dream...
She was trying to protect me...
Hong Kong, huh?
Well, we finally made it to Hong Kong!
So what the hell's this mark? Whatta pain...
Yakumo! Hurry! Hurry!
Let's get to Yogekisha!
What're you grinning about? I'm in a bad mood...
I gonna get turned into human soon!
I real happy!
Are humans that great?
Hey, Pai...Why do you want to be a human so badly?
Don't know...
I want to be human for 300 years, but I forgot why...
What an airhead...
Found it, Yakumo! This is it!
Yogekisha
Yep, no doubt about it...this is the place!
Statue of Humanity here, right?!
It can make Pai human, right?!
H..hey!
Stop right there, you guys!
The Statue of Humanity!
Come back here!
Aw, shit!
Yakumo! Look out!
He must've died on the spot...
Yep!
What the hell happened?
I so glad!
H...hey, you!
Y...you're not hurt?!
He was about to hit me, but I guess he missed...
He MISSED?!
The Statue of Humanity is gone!
So, you're Professor Fujii's son?
Well?
Yeah, this's the one the professor left, all right...
He said it was important, so he had me put a transmitter in it -- pretty handy...
So who were those guys?
That's what I'd like to know...
So what does Yogekisha do, then?
We publish a magazine that focuses on the occult. I'm the assistant editor.
AND the only employee...
This is thief's house?
Man! That place is huge!
Antique thieves and a millionaire... What's the connection...?
If we pull this off, we ought to be able to collect damages...
Hmm...I wonder if this'd sound reasonable...
Ling-Ling, hurry up!
This place sure is spooky. I wonder if there're any monsters here...
C'mon, Yakumo, there are no such things!
But didn't you say that the Yogekisha specializes in the occult?
That's just my job! If there's money in it, it's all right...
Geez! Whatta hypocrite!
What's the matter, Pai?
...Feel something... Pai feels something...
The Statue of Humanity!
The Statue of Humanity...It here...It make Pai human...
Who are you?
I'm Huan, the mistress of this mansion.
You must not be feeling that way right about now...
After my husband died in a freak accident a year ago...
...strange creatures began to appear in the mansion.
Ever since then, strange things have been happening...Like what happened to me tonight...
It's those monsters!
They stole this from the Yogekisha!
Now that you mention it, I haven't seen that before. It's certainly a strange-looking statue...
We call it "The Statue of Humanity, " but we don't really know much about it.
Is that so...
What're you doing over there?
Chou!
Mistress!
W..who are you people?!
I'm Ling-Ling Lee from the Yogekisha!
We traced this antique here, which was just stolen from our company, that's all...!
There's no need to be suspicious!
But since we're here, leave your monster-extermination problems to us professionals!
Lessee...Necessary expenses would be...quite a bargain at a mere $3000 a day!
Hey! Didn't you just say that there's no such thing as...
It's OK if there's money involved! We found the statue, right? Butt the hell out!
It doesn't look like they know anything about the statue...
In that case...
And, if you act now, I'll throw in these high-quality wards!
They're a bargain in sets of ten, and they're easy to use!
WE DON'T NEED ANY!!
Well, I guess we'll be heading back to the office now...
That won't be necessary.
Shooting burglars in self-defense is quite legal, I believe...
You've gotta be kidding, old man!
I'm dead serious.
So, you really were the thief, then?
I had something that will serve an important purpose brought here.
Time to say goodbye...
Run!
Do they seriously think they can escape?
Man, Ling-Ling -- you're good!
Comes from living in Hong Kong!
That was dirty trick. You say you don't believe in monster, but you have ward with you!
That was business, too! Business!
Aw, shit! They got me!
An Uu!
This guy's an Uu!
Yakumo! Hurry! Hurry!
What happened?! It looked like you got shot!
Hey, Ling-Ling! Do you know what an ``Uu" is?
``Uu..." Now, where've I...
Professor Fujii!
The Sanjiyanunkara: Three-eyed, mystical creatures. Immortal; beautiful in appearance.
Often bewitch the heart and devour the souls of humans.
He whose soul has been devoured becomes an undead; one whose body will not die.
And upon the forehead of the undead shall appear the mark ``Uu."
Heck, that's an old story...
I wonder how we can get out of here...
No way...
You ATE my soul?!
No way!
Did you eat my soul, Pai?
Here they come again!
I didn't ``EAT" your soul...
Things that hide themselves in other dimensions are just makeshift demons...
Who are you?! You aren't Pai, are you?!
I didn't ``eat" your soul, I only merged it with my own.
My soul...and your soul...?!
That is how I saved you in Shinjuku...
And now that your body cannot die, I won't need to do so again...
We are now one.
If I die, you will die. If I become human, you, too, will become human once more.
If you can't even kill those by yourself, you'll never make it as my Uu...
Are you all right, Pai?
So, you destroyed my Tohchao... What the hell are you people?
I don't know for sure, but it doesn't look like we're your average humans...
If you give back the Statue of Humanity, I'll let you leave.
No! This is really important statue that gonna make Pai human!
Is that so?
Come, Sohkai!
Sohkai! Kill the punk and the girl!
Get outta here...
Get outta here, Sanjiyan...You said I oughta fight by myself, right?
Over here, Mister Monster! If you don't come here, I won't give you statue!
You moron! Stop it! Get out of here with the statue!
If you give it to them, you won't be able to become human!
Hurry, Yakumo! I don't wanna die!
Get out of here! Hurry!
That's it...!
If I can just reach it...
No!
Silence! This belongs to Lord Kaiyanwan!
Who's this ``Kaiyanwan" guy?
T..that's impossible!
You ain't gettin' away...
W..why?
You killed my husband, didn't you?
I'm getting even.
Stop!
So, you've turned traitor, Shunkai?
Don't die!
Do you think I'm just going to give this to you?!
Chou, you bastard!
If you want to find the statue, you'll have to work for it...
Man...We went to all that trouble, and for what...?
It's okay, at least Yakumo safe.
But the Statue of Humanity is gone, isn't it...
Just leave it to me!
I'll turn you into a human yet!
Really, Yakumo?! Really?!
But I have no idea how...
H..hey! Waitaminute! That tickles! Hey!
I beg forgiveness, Lord Kaiyanwan.
I will retrieve the Statue of Humanity by the time of your rebirth. Please forgive me.
That boy with the mark of the undead...
How interesting...