into its prey. It then wraps itself around the victim, as indicated by

the bruising on the bodies, and holds them while it tears at them

with its jaws.”

“How big is it?” asked Akiro.

“Difficult to judge precisely, ” Kanno replied, “but I would guess

it is somewhere between five and six feet in length. It would be

immensely powerful and possibly capable of flight. In any case, it is

not a creature that occurs in nature.”

Akiro exhaled heavily. “You mean that someone made this

thing?”

“There are three distinct possibilities, ” said Kanno. “Either it

was thaumagenetically engineered, by a specialist at least as skilled

as myself, or it was conjured up somehow.”

“You mean like a demonic entity?”

“Precisely.”

“And the third possibility?”

“A shapechanger, ” Kanno said. “Which would indicate a. sorcerer

of immense skills who literally transforms himself into the

creature.”

“What sort of creature is it?” Akiro asked, holding his breath.

“A dragon.”

“A dragon!” Akiro exhaled heavily. “And you say it can fly?”

“I do not know.. It’s possible.”

“The media will turn this into a circus, ” Akiro said.

“I have no doubt of feat, ” said Kanno. “But at least you now have

something you can tell them.”

Akiro shook his head. “I’m not sure what’s worse, ” he said.

“Telling them nothing or telling them that there’s a dragon on the

loose somewhere in the Ginza.”

“There have been no witnesses?” asked Kanno.

“None.”

“Interesting, ” said Kanno.