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Part Five is here, my friends, and it's my honor to introduce you to someone else I imagined for the Slayers Verse!

Although, strictly speaking, you already met her in the first part of this story...and if you love Kyoko and Misa, you know she did NOT make a good first impression!

But don't judge quickly or harshly, everyone...it was hinted at the end of the last part of the story that other things are at work, hidden in dark shadows, somehow connected to the crisis Kyoko and Misa are facing...and there's a lot more to this girl than you think.

So sit back and be formally introduced to someone who helped set this whole mess in motion...

---
"The World We Live In" -- Part Five!

"All She Has to Fear"

--1--

Time slowly crept that night at the hospital for those the world began to call the Holy Ark Ten. Let's focus on one of them. In her room all to herself, the 19-year-old girl sat on her bed in her nightshirt...the brunette couldn't sleep as she stared into the dark with an expression that didn't come CLOSE to reflecting the pure fear she felt. Like the rest of her fellow activists, she hadn't been seriously hurt at all and she had no clue what the point was to staying in this hospital for a whole night. 'Long term complications?' All that happened to her was she was hit pretty hard by Misa Asagi...and shamefully, she couldn't blame the girl for doing that.

After all, she was the one who slapped Kyoko Asagi in the face.

But the overwhelming fear she felt easily trumped any shame she felt at that moment.

This lovely 19-year-old girl was Karen Oshima. She was born in the United States to her Japanese-born father and her mother, a fair-skinned beauty with brown eyes born and raised in the American Midwest. Of mixed descent, Karen definitely favored her mother more than her father, and it was easy for those who met the girl for the first time to confuse her for being fully Caucasian. But she never had any hangups or gave any kind of a shit about completely incidental stuff like that.

Karen's dad Ryuhei was what his corporation called a 'trouble shooter', someone skilled at solving problems and making improvements for his bosses. His business spanned the globe, including having a branch headquarters smack in the middle of Chicago. That was where he was doing his work about 20 years ago when he met Lillian. They fell in love and got married in first a fully Japanese ceremony and then a Neo-Catholic wedding with every expensive flourish. Almost nine months later, Karen was born.

For the first seven years of her life, Karen Oshima and her family lived in her birth town of Chicago. Ryuhei provided for his wife and daughter as Lillian stayed at home to be a loving mother to Karen. But Ryuhei gently warned Lillian before they were married that as a trouble shooter, he was sent where he was needed by his bosses in the Tokyo Kingdom...and he prepared his wife for the possibility that wouldn't be working at the Chicago branch forever. Sure enough, the order came down that Ryuhei had to move to United Europe, to the corporation's offices in London, England. Like his wife he wasn't exactly thrilled by the idea, they both thought of how this could affect Karen...they wanted their daughter to have a stable upbringing...but they hoped for the best as they made the move across the pond.

London wasn't exactly a place that could be called jolly; it couldn't be called that for a long time. England, like most countries in United Europe, were led by monarchs motivated by pure imperial ambitions...the UE was more of a confederation of elitist assholes with the same interests, which included looking out for themselves and their own desires more than the happiness of their people. It must be stressed that only most of those monarchies were that way, there were some exceptions, like Germany. Lillian wasn't shy about calling the Queen herself a 'straight-up bitch', but Ryuhei warned her not to say that TOO loud! Sometimes the mood could get depressing in London, and not just because of its typical rain and fog, but the parents made the best of it.

Karen did try her best to adjust too, for her mom and dad, but it was difficult. Her parents had explained the nature of her dad's job and they might have to move again sometime in the future. Karen didn't mind...it didn't take her long not to like London, and going ANYWHERE else would be an improvement!

When she was very young, only eight, Karen developed an interest in gymnastics...it helped that the girl was naturally gifted in flexibility, and her mom encouraged her to pursue her interest. As she grew older, she took after her dad in her pure determination and focus in being a gymnast. At her private schools, she impressed her coaches as much as she did her teachers. By the time she was 14, many thought Karen would grow to one day have the pure talent and training to enter world competitions.

But when she reached that age, her dad got another call. They were making another move. As much as the wife and daughter didn't mind, again this didn't do much for stability. Karen wasn't shy about asking how many times this had to happen. But Ryuhei reassured them both that this next placement would be permanent.

They were going to his birth country, the Tokyo Kingdom.

Almost from the first day the family arrived, the mother and daughter loved their new home. It was definitely an easy transition compared to where they had been. It helped a lot that Karen already knew how to speak Japanese as much as English thanks to her dad. Lillian knew the basics of the kingdom's language, too. Ryuhei's home office was in the High End District of Akuma No Machi Seben, and that was the only source of worry for the family. Demon City 7 did have a bad reputation for being plagued by Demonic incursions from the Hells, but at least in High End it was about as bad as everywhere else.

Even though this culture traditionally cherished serenity, the Tokyo Metropolis was also known for its high urban energy that eclipsed most any other major city. Yes, even New York City! By this time Karen developed an independent streak -- she was a teenager, after all, but it was also because she took after her mom. As much as she was attracted to the pure energy and excitement of her high-income surroundings, Karen never lost her focus on her first love, gymnastics. By the time Karen was 18, she had gotten good enough to compete on the world stage...and that was how she earned a scholarship at the School of Athletics of Holy Ark University. It must be said that Karen wasn't as Neo-Catholic as her mom because she was that much more devoted to gymnastics. Ryuhei felt so much pride for their daughter when she enrolled and continued to excel...within two years, she was on track to become part of the national gymnastics team and represent their kingdom in international competition!

A kind and independent girl who had a firm vision for her future, her parents had every reason to believe that Karen Oshima would grab the world's attention one day.

--2--

And as she sat on her hospital bed one dark night, unable to sleep with terror firmly holding her heart, Karen knew she was getting everyone's attention now...

...but it was in a way she NEVER would have wanted.

Karen had quite a few friends among her fellow students at the university, most of them being her teammates in the school's Gymnastics Team. They knew the girl who had two loves in her life: her parents and her sport. They knew Karen was a girl with some strong opinions, but she would have been the first to say she was never into politics. Thanks to her mom and dad, she grew to have a 'live and let live' philosophy when it came to everybody. She believed in the Golden Rule, that everyone should simply treat each other the way they'd want to be treated, and that alone would make the world a better place.

That was why everyone, especially her parents, were bewildered when they found out that Karen was part of some kind of political protest for Demon rights...and even worse, she got into a fight with a couple of Vanquishers earlier that afternoon that sent them to the hospital!

In the brief time Ryuhei and Lillian were permitted to visit their daughter in her hospital room much later, they had no questions for Karen...they were simply, completely grateful she'd be all right. Karen was so thankful for their love, and even more relieved that they didn't ask her about what happened. The mother and father said there would be plenty of time to talk about it when she was out of the hospital and safely home again.

But Karen didn't look forward to that at all...because she would have to lie to the parents she cherished. She couldn't tell them the truth of why this happened. She didn't dare to tell them the reasons she and nine other students started a protest that led to their attacking Kyoko Asagi.

Karen couldn't tell her mother and father she had no choice.

It was the truth she had to keep secret that made Karen feel such terror.

--3--

The next morning, about 10 AM.

The students were released by the attending physician of the hospital, and many of their families were there to pick them up. Some of the students, like a certain beefy jock, were alone because their families were still in their birth countries in the West. Those young adults had traveled far by themselves to be students at the prestigious university. As Karen got her clothes on in her room, she was alone as her cell issued a ringtone. She felt lurching horror just like that. She looked at its screen, and she wasn't surprised to see there was no caller ID. No return number.

Her cell trembled with her hand as she hit the green button and answered, "H-hello?"

A female's voice, humorless and cold, spoke: "Good morning, Miss Oshima. I sincerely hope you won't forget what you must do next?" It was the same voice Doctor Stephen Wu heard last night.

Karen said with quiet tension, "No. I won't forget."

"I hope not, Miss Oshima...for your parents' sakes. Then, as promised, we won't ask anything more of you and your fellow students except for your silence. Goodbye." The bitch hung up.

Trembling, the girl sat on her bed again as she burst into tears...it took a few minutes for her to compose herself.

Not much later the ten students, whether they had families there for support or not, tried to leave the hospital...but it was damned difficult with the dozens of reporters there ready and waiting outside of the lobby. They had to be virtually corralled by almost as many High End Police officers. The media people had to be virtually parted like the Red Sea to make way for the targets of their relentless questions.

One of those journalists, though, had a lot more experience than the rest. Kaede Hashimoto held back as she took a strategic position -- along with a highly advanced camera drone a little smaller than a breadbox floating next to her -- close to a big limousine parked on the curb. It belonged to the Oshima family...

...and when the parents and their daughter got close enough, Kaede and her drone began to approach them. And yes, the drone was transmitting live. The lady announced, "Kaede Hashimoto, Newswatch 8! Miss Oshima, I have some questions to ask you, please -- !"

Ryuhei sternly said, "Back away and leave us alone! We just want to go home!"

Kaede persisted as she continued to approach: "This will only take a moment of your time, please! Miss Oshima, can you please tell me who started the fight?" It was one she needed to ask -- the last she saw her executive producer, Roderick said he was still having difficulty getting the camera footage from University Security that would have shown exactly what happened from start to finish.

Karen slowed in her walk to the limousine, and her parents were forced to slow with her. Lillian said, "Honey, you don't have to say a thing to her -- !"

Karen suddenly said, "It's all right, mom." She looked at Kaede and said flatly, "They started it. Kyoko Asagi attacked us and we tried to defend ourselves, and then her sister came along and they began beating us!" Both of her parents were stunned to hear that...

...so was Kaede, but she kept her cool. She then asked, "Do you intend to press charges against the Asagi sisters, Miss Oshima?"

"No!" Feeling wrenching shame in her heart, it was also easy to express how much fear she felt -- and it wasn't the Asagi sisters she was afraid of -- when she almost cried, "No, none of us will press charges! We just want this over!" She said what she needed to...what she was ordered to say.

No-nonsense, Ryuhei snarled, "That's all, dammit, you're upsetting our daughter! Let us by!"

Kaede didn't argue as she cleared the path for the family...they got in the limousine, and it took off.

Kaede felt genuine excitement as she thought, This is definitely going to get everyone's attention!

　
TO BE CONTINUED!

---

With no doubt, something is up...but what is Karen keeping secret? Will Kaede and the rest of the world ever know?

Next time: the fate of those who were once called the Ground Society is revealed!

Giving credit where it's due!

XNALara created by Dusan Pavlicek; XPS by Dusan and XNAaraL

Model:

Karen Oshima by ...serious, huge love and thanks!

Description

Part Five is here, my friends, and it's my honor to introduce you to someone else I imagined for the Slayers Verse!

Although, strictly speaking, you already met her in the first part of this story...and if you love Kyoko and Misa, you know she did NOT make a good first impression!

But don't judge quickly or harshly, everyone...it was hinted at the end of the last part of the story that other things are at work, hidden in dark shadows, somehow connected to the crisis Kyoko and Misa are facing...and there's a lot more to this girl than you think.

So sit back and be formally introduced to someone who helped set this whole mess in motion...

---
"The World We Live In" -- Part Five!

"All She Has to Fear"

--1--

Time slowly crept that night at the hospital for those the world began to call the Holy Ark Ten. Let's focus on one of them. In her room all to herself, the 19-year-old girl sat on her bed in her nightshirt...the brunette couldn't sleep as she stared into the dark with an expression that didn't come CLOSE to reflecting the pure fear she felt. Like the rest of her fellow activists, she hadn't been seriously hurt at all and she had no clue what the point was to staying in this hospital for a whole night. 'Long term complications?' All that happened to her was she was hit pretty hard by Misa Asagi...and shamefully, she couldn't blame the girl for doing that.

After all, she was the one who slapped Kyoko Asagi in the face.

But the overwhelming fear she felt easily trumped any shame she felt at that moment.

This lovely 19-year-old girl was Karen Oshima. She was born in the United States to her Japanese-born father and her mother, a fair-skinned beauty with brown eyes born and raised in the American Midwest. Of mixed descent, Karen definitely favored her mother more than her father, and it was easy for those who met the girl for the first time to confuse her for being fully Caucasian. But she never had any hangups or gave any kind of a shit about completely incidental stuff like that.

Karen's dad Ryuhei was what his corporation called a 'trouble shooter', someone skilled at solving problems and making improvements for his bosses. His business spanned the globe, including having a branch headquarters smack in the middle of Chicago. That was where he was doing his work about 20 years ago when he met Lillian. They fell in love and got married in first a fully Japanese ceremony and then a Neo-Catholic wedding with every expensive flourish. Almost nine months later, Karen was born.

For the first seven years of her life, Karen Oshima and her family lived in her birth town of Chicago. Ryuhei provided for his wife and daughter as Lillian stayed at home to be a loving mother to Karen. But Ryuhei gently warned Lillian before they were married that as a trouble shooter, he was sent where he was needed by his bosses in the Tokyo Kingdom...and he prepared his wife for the possibility that wouldn't be working at the Chicago branch forever. Sure enough, the order came down that Ryuhei had to move to United Europe, to the corporation's offices in London, England. Like his wife he wasn't exactly thrilled by the idea, they both thought of how this could affect Karen...they wanted their daughter to have a stable upbringing...but they hoped for the best as they made the move across the pond.

London wasn't exactly a place that could be called jolly; it couldn't be called that for a long time. England, like most countries in United Europe, were led by monarchs motivated by pure imperial ambitions...the UE was more of a confederation of elitist assholes with the same interests, which included looking out for themselves and their own desires more than the happiness of their people. It must be stressed that only most of those monarchies were that way, there were some exceptions, like Germany. Lillian wasn't shy about calling the Queen herself a 'straight-up bitch', but Ryuhei warned her not to say that TOO loud! Sometimes the mood could get depressing in London, and not just because of its typical rain and fog, but the parents made the best of it.

Karen did try her best to adjust too, for her mom and dad, but it was difficult. Her parents had explained the nature of her dad's job and they might have to move again sometime in the future. Karen didn't mind...it didn't take her long not to like London, and going ANYWHERE else would be an improvement!

When she was very young, only eight, Karen developed an interest in gymnastics...it helped that the girl was naturally gifted in flexibility, and her mom encouraged her to pursue her interest. As she grew older, she took after her dad in her pure determination and focus in being a gymnast. At her private schools, she impressed her coaches as much as she did her teachers. By the time she was 14, many thought Karen would grow to one day have the pure talent and training to enter world competitions.

But when she reached that age, her dad got another call. They were making another move. As much as the wife and daughter didn't mind, again this didn't do much for stability. Karen wasn't shy about asking how many times this had to happen. But Ryuhei reassured them both that this next placement would be permanent.

They were going to his birth country, the Tokyo Kingdom.

Almost from the first day the family arrived, the mother and daughter loved their new home. It was definitely an easy transition compared to where they had been. It helped a lot that Karen already knew how to speak Japanese as much as English thanks to her dad. Lillian knew the basics of the kingdom's language, too. Ryuhei's home office was in the High End District of Akuma No Machi Seben, and that was the only source of worry for the family. Demon City 7 did have a bad reputation for being plagued by Demonic incursions from the Hells, but at least in High End it was about as bad as everywhere else.

Even though this culture traditionally cherished serenity, the Tokyo Metropolis was also known for its high urban energy that eclipsed most any other major city. Yes, even New York City! By this time Karen developed an independent streak -- she was a teenager, after all, but it was also because she took after her mom. As much as she was attracted to the pure energy and excitement of her high-income surroundings, Karen never lost her focus on her first love, gymnastics. By the time Karen was 18, she had gotten good enough to compete on the world stage...and that was how she earned a scholarship at the School of Athletics of Holy Ark University. It must be said that Karen wasn't as Neo-Catholic as her mom because she was that much more devoted to gymnastics. Ryuhei felt so much pride for their daughter when she enrolled and continued to excel...within two years, she was on track to become part of the national gymnastics team and represent their kingdom in international competition!

A kind and independent girl who had a firm vision for her future, her parents had every reason to believe that Karen Oshima would grab the world's attention one day.

--2--

And as she sat on her hospital bed one dark night, unable to sleep with terror firmly holding her heart, Karen knew she was getting everyone's attention now...

...but it was in a way she NEVER would have wanted.

Karen had quite a few friends among her fellow students at the university, most of them being her teammates in the school's Gymnastics Team. They knew the girl who had two loves in her life: her parents and her sport. They knew Karen was a girl with some strong opinions, but she would have been the first to say she was never into politics. Thanks to her mom and dad, she grew to have a 'live and let live' philosophy when it came to everybody. She believed in the Golden Rule, that everyone should simply treat each other the way they'd want to be treated, and that alone would make the world a better place.

That was why everyone, especially her parents, were bewildered when they found out that Karen was part of some kind of political protest for Demon rights...and even worse, she got into a fight with a couple of Vanquishers earlier that afternoon that sent them to the hospital!

In the brief time Ryuhei and Lillian were permitted to visit their daughter in her hospital room much later, they had no questions for Karen...they were simply, completely grateful she'd be all right. Karen was so thankful for their love, and even more relieved that they didn't ask her about what happened. The mother and father said there would be plenty of time to talk about it when she was out of the hospital and safely home again.

But Karen didn't look forward to that at all...because she would have to lie to the parents she cherished. She couldn't tell them the truth of why this happened. She didn't dare to tell them the reasons she and nine other students started a protest that led to their attacking Kyoko Asagi.

Karen couldn't tell her mother and father she had no choice.

It was the truth she had to keep secret that made Karen feel such terror.

--3--

The next morning, about 10 AM.

The students were released by the attending physician of the hospital, and many of their families were there to pick them up. Some of the students, like a certain beefy jock, were alone because their families were still in their birth countries in the West. Those young adults had traveled far by themselves to be students at the prestigious university. As Karen got her clothes on in her room, she was alone as her cell issued a ringtone. She felt lurching horror just like that. She looked at its screen, and she wasn't surprised to see there was no caller ID. No return number.

Her cell trembled with her hand as she hit the green button and answered, "H-hello?"

A female's voice, humorless and cold, spoke: "Good morning, Miss Oshima. I sincerely hope you won't forget what you must do next?" It was the same voice Doctor Stephen Wu heard last night.

Karen said with quiet tension, "No. I won't forget."

"I hope not, Miss Oshima...for your parents' sakes. Then, as promised, we won't ask anything more of you and your fellow students except for your silence. Goodbye." The bitch hung up.

Trembling, the girl sat on her bed again as she burst into tears...it took a few minutes for her to compose herself.

Not much later the ten students, whether they had families there for support or not, tried to leave the hospital...but it was damned difficult with the dozens of reporters there ready and waiting outside of the lobby. They had to be virtually corralled by almost as many High End Police officers. The media people had to be virtually parted like the Red Sea to make way for the targets of their relentless questions.

One of those journalists, though, had a lot more experience than the rest. Kaede Hashimoto held back as she took a strategic position -- along with a highly advanced camera drone a little smaller than a breadbox floating next to her -- close to a big limousine parked on the curb. It belonged to the Oshima family...

...and when the parents and their daughter got close enough, Kaede and her drone began to approach them. And yes, the drone was transmitting live. The lady announced, "Kaede Hashimoto, Newswatch 8! Miss Oshima, I have some questions to ask you, please -- !"

Ryuhei sternly said, "Back away and leave us alone! We just want to go home!"

Kaede persisted as she continued to approach: "This will only take a moment of your time, please! Miss Oshima, can you please tell me who started the fight?" It was one she needed to ask -- the last she saw her executive producer, Roderick said he was still having difficulty getting the camera footage from University Security that would have shown exactly what happened from start to finish.

Karen slowed in her walk to the limousine, and her parents were forced to slow with her. Lillian said, "Honey, you don't have to say a thing to her -- !"

Karen suddenly said, "It's all right, mom." She looked at Kaede and said flatly, "They started it. Kyoko Asagi attacked us and we tried to defend ourselves, and then her sister came along and they began beating us!" Both of her parents were stunned to hear that...

...so was Kaede, but she kept her cool. She then asked, "Do you intend to press charges against the Asagi sisters, Miss Oshima?"

"No!" Feeling wrenching shame in her heart, it was also easy to express how much fear she felt -- and it wasn't the Asagi sisters she was afraid of -- when she almost cried, "No, none of us will press charges! We just want this over!" She said what she needed to...what she was ordered to say.

No-nonsense, Ryuhei snarled, "That's all, dammit, you're upsetting our daughter! Let us by!"

Kaede didn't argue as she cleared the path for the family...they got in the limousine, and it took off.

Kaede felt genuine excitement as she thought, This is definitely going to get everyone's attention!

　
TO BE CONTINUED!

---

With no doubt, something is up...but what is Karen keeping secret? Will Kaede and the rest of the world ever know?

Next time: the fate of those who were once called the Ground Society is revealed!

Giving credit where it's due!

XNALara created by Dusan Pavlicek; XPS by Dusan and XNAaraL

Model:

Karen Oshima by ...serious, huge love and thanks!