12. A Cruel Pink Hue
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(BGM) Not that she would ever tell anyone, but Makoto's favorite color is pink.
Since she was a young girl she always held it dear in her heart. Even when the painting of the past fades, that visage of pink remains pristine. Its vivid shade lingers forever in her dreams. So deeply stuffed in her skull Sakura petals might flood from her ears as she rests. It’s truly one of her favorite things, those gentle leaves.
The cool breeze would so often mix in these pink hues with the light blue sky as the cherry trees outside the shrine lost their leaves in the spring. Towering works of art which bloomed and shed their luster every year, she could look forward to it eagerly. Now thinks back on every night. It’s an eternal dream ever repeating, so far removed from its formation it might just be nothing more than fantasy.
Spring was always the best time to go out, when the world was filled with that color and the weather served only to accentuate the splendor. She used to be so eager to see it. She begged to train in the yard instead of the dojo when morning practice rolled around during the period. Misaki was never particularly eager to step outside of her well tread routine, but mother encouraged them both to experience the early springtime air.
Even as time peels away the details of these memories, those trees at least remain planted strongly in their mind. It had been too long since she was able to stand under one. This dream would suffice all the same. It still remained a beautiful photograph in her mind, regardless of all decay.
Thus with vigor two girls swung their swords out by the forest line in front of the temple, the spot with the greatest number of visible cherry trees.
“You’re putting too much power in those swings Makoto. You lose control of your sword that way.”
“Okay….”
With a grunt she tries to withhold her forcefulness, but every swing feels too limp in comparison. She didn’t really get it. Regardless, she tried her best to follow her sister's graceful strikes. Perhaps if she worked hard enough to mimic that form she could do it just the same.
“Our craft is an art before it is a means of violence. A powerful strike or gentle one means nothing if the technique is not there. So it’s okay to take things slowly. Pick the pace as needed.
“Slowly…..”
“That’s right. You’re doing good. I know you have it in you.”
It was never quite right. It still fell short of what she was trying to do. It was an improvement for the day though. At least as a child that was enough to make her happy.
She could still enjoy it all as the morning slowly came to end.
“You did good, Makoto. You’ll be a master in no time.”
“I will?”
“I know it, one day it will be true. Let’s keep working at it, okay?”
If only the Makoto imagined. That I could fight for the title of Kensei like you.
——————————————————————————————————
“What a saccharine dream. A beautiful little picture of the past that only serves to sour your pitiful present. Oh wicked soul, do you not wish to rectify this reality?”
“…….”
The darkness sighs. How depressing a sight it thought. A sullen, huddled form still afraid to gaze at the truth before her.
“That demon before you is nothing worth fearing. Just another abomination of the earth. Just a man. There should be malice! Vile contempt! Monster or not, nothing has truly changed for him but the deformity of his appendages. He breaks like any other weak animal. I wouldn’t have to be doing this now if you weren’t so afraid of death you won’t even acknowledge the souls which crumble around you.”
The girl shrinks a little further into herself.
“So you’re the one who took care of the yokai earlier.”
“There are no others it could be. You’ll pile up too many dead ends with such an attitude. You’ve died once today, no reason for another so soon.”
“What do you want?”
“You say you’re tired of the moments which pass you by, yet even now you anguish at the sight of the world. You can’t even confront a man who has made your life miserable thus far. This pain, this twisting in your depths brought enough stimulation to my existence that I might exercise my will. While my body is sealed back in the shed, my essence is eternally bound to yours, a shadow to always follow behind your every step. It’s only natural I arrive to help now.”
The creature is impossible to see but even so their presence beside the girl is felt like a heavy weight.
“I can offer all the things you’ve ever wanted, and in exchange you can free my body. Our dead dreams no longer have to remain so unsightly.”
“That’s a bad idea if I've ever heard one.”
“You saw the Witch, now and forever after I am but your familiar. A willing slave, the envy of magi world around. A shikiōji which could have only been sealed by Seimei himself. Only apart are we destined to remain worthless.”
“And you’re offering what?”
“The thing you’ve always wanted. The promise you made to one most dear. The incarnation of that faded, endless dream. I can give it to you. One step at a time. To me it sounds like a pretty fair trade.”
The girl shifts uncomfortably in place.
“Let’s become a Sword Saint.”
It was an offer hard to accept but seemingly impossible to deny. Such a thing was beyond even her sister. For her, who has hardly escaped the amateurish skill she started with, it was nothing but a fantasy.
“I too am bound to failure by the forces of destiny. Like Icarus I once flew too close to the sun. The heavens were declared the domain of Gods and humans were fated to always fall short. So when I flew, I was cast to Earth as nothing but the muck you see now. The world demanded I fail. My victory went against the very laws of this world, an impossibility not meant for me.”
Somehow the darkness grips the girl's hand. An unshakable cold vice which conveyed a pure eagerness somewhere within which shook her.
“In the face of natural inequality, the laws which bind our very understanding of existence, only a miracle of God could shake the binds. Think of what’s happened to you today. Destiny is real, cruel, unimaginable. Yet now we have a fantasy to believe in, a thing beyond even magecraft which denies the natural order. Let’s contract, and design a world in our image.”
“…..The power to break fate….. Did you figure out what it is?”
“I think I know, but do not be fooled. This world is always unfair, even so power is now something you can take hold of. Fate can be in your favor now, and you can finally change for the better, discard the worthless shell.”
The girl sat there bathed in silence. It was hard to say anything at all.
“I really can’t do it…… That Dream, it’s still important to me.”
“You poor, pitiful disappointment. What sham of a promise, what worthless faith. When has the world ever been so kind? Your sister was simply ignorant is all, unaware of another truth of your destiny. You’ve done nothing for over a decade now. Wasted it down to the second, every moment spelling regret. Idly your self crumbles to waste and passes in a listless void. Is it not time you made a better choice, you worthless hikikomori?”
The darkness presents a hand. An odd dangling thing, like the Buddha's spider thread.
“Am I so low that I would contract with a demon?”
“What do you have to lose? You are the worst humanity has to offer after all.”
——————————————-——————————————-——————————————-——————————————-
Location: Clocktower
Time: Afternoon
Overall Status: Decent
(BGM)
There’s an emptiness to this serenity.
Without the power of a master's gentle calm this peaceful heart is nothing more than apathy.
Even so, this is the manifest of my desire. A power of my own, it’s a dream that now overflows my veins. I can finally do something with this right? I have the opportunity to act as I please right?
Then I’ll do it. I’ll extinguish this abomination.
Moving with instinct I end the creature where it stands.
It’s just a swift movement across the room. A casual action really. It’s just so easy now.
With its attention taken it could not defend, being simply hacked in two. It’s a satisfying motion, truly a kind of perfection I wouldn’t have been able to comprehend before. Too distracted by the enforcer that opposed it, it fell without resistance.
““▂▂▃▃▅▅■■▂▂”
The creatures deformed squirms upon the floor like a discarded lizard's tail. Looking at the man now I feel fairly distant. Who he is….. I couldn’t care either way. It’s cries fade and I can finally move on from its annoyance.
“You alright?” I say looking over to the enforcer.
“If you could do that then what have I been doing this whole time?”
“It’s uhhh, new to me too.”
“What happened to you in the last two seconds?”
“It’s just ummmm, family magecraft.”
Some things just aren’t worth explaining. Right now we have more important things to worry about.
“Very well.... He seemed a little different from the rest of yokai here, I’d like to investigate.”
Pulling herself out of the wall she got thrown into as if nothing had happened, Bazett casually walks over the corpse on the floor.
…….
Is this woman actually damageable? Couldn’t you pretend to be a little bothered by all that at least? I wanna believe I’m still impressive for a bit.
“I suppose the concerning part was that he was himself. You said all the other yokai had burst out the magi attending here, but that doesn’t seem to have occurred for him. They've like.....merged......”
“That seems to be correct. Their body is even wearing what remains of its clothing and bears a resemble to their regular body. It’s possible they might still possess something of value to us as well.”
“I call dibs if he has money on him.”
Bending down I start searching the body's pockets. It’s starting to leak from the wound I made. It's kind of gross to squat here, but it’s a bit too late to worry about my shoes.
Rustling around in their pockets I find mostly junk. A strange herb, a picture of his family and a pack of cigarettes. Most of this isn’t of any value but there is one thing that could be of use. They do have a phone.
Before I can open it Bazett shows something to me.
“Do you know what this is?”
Holding up a small piece of paper it unfolds to reveal a single image. It’s a recognizable and ugly creature. A black and white drawing of yokai.
“That’s a yokai called Nurarihyon. I don’t know why he would have a picture of that. I can only assume it has something to do with the situation but I don’t know what. I’ve heard it called a supreme commander of yokai but I thought that was a misconception.”
“There seems to be some magical energy to it. I assume it must do something?”
“Do you think it made all these yokai?”
“It feels unlikely that someone would be able to cause this kind of damage by just distributing paper.”
I suppose that makes sense……..
Wait a minute. It doesn’t look like the kind I know of but perhaps it’s a manikin? I really am at a loss as to what this thing is supposed to be here for besides just being a drawing.
“I can’t figure it out. This entire day has been beyond my pay grade. At the very least I have their phone.”
“We can only hope it has something that will spell it out for us.”
I can feel the phone suddenly buzz in my hand.
Not a chance.
“Eh?”
“What is it now?”
“The phone responded to us…. It’s a text message.”
You’re a difficult woman to predict, I’ll give you that. Not that it’s particularly important right now.
What is this? Everything just keeps happening, it’s like getting swept in a stream.
“How do they know our position? How are they even getting a connection?”
Unimportant. Who cares? Not me. Anyways, you have been tracked by the fox since you were outside. Luckily I know it’s all it’s moves. Like in 5 seconds Bazett my friend, swing as hard you can to your right.
With a powerful force Bazett swings her fist aimlessly to her right. Smashing into a shadow on the wall there's a small yelp. Falling to the floor, no longer hidden is a small fox like creature similar to one I saw punt a while back. So we've been tracked for some time now.
Enter the room in front of you. The other fox may or may not be catching up to you.
“They want us to enter the room this guy came from.....”
“This figure appears to be very untrustworthy. It’s difficult to discern honesty from them. Though somehow they were able to discern this familiar.”
Bazett idly picks up the corpse only to see its dead and without anything to gain tosses it aside.
“I’ll leave this choice up to you. You probably have better instincts.”
How annoying just getting dragged along by another new development. I think this guy has to be the clairvoyant. At least they’re an established player. That’s not new.
“The chances of a trap seem low, even so that does not mean we won’t be playing into their hands. I suggest we enter cautiously.”
“I would hope so”
Excellent! Just follow the texts and you’ll be fine. The fox is one minute away from touch down here. Talk about timing.
————————-————————-————————-————————-————————-
(BGM)
And if you turn right you’ll enter the office of poor Mr. Anderton (he’s dead don’t worry). Anyways his family wasted their entire life preserving an Age of Gods ward so it can buy you a good 5 minutes. Just put the little gem in the locket on the table.
“I really don’t like the implications of what you just sent!”
Turning to the right I stumble right into the office the test told me would be there. Without hesitation I quickly lock the door.
Tensely I speed walk over to the table and grab the small locket. Pushing some random books to the side I grab a small red gem. It seems to fit well enough so I quickly slam it inside.
Great, have fun in there. If you’re worried, in approximately 5 minute your servant will return to you. How funny, what are the odds?
“Apparently we have 5 minutes in here before my servant shows up how funny. Right now we have to depend on this defensive ward amulet thing…. Never did specify what it was.”
“I find it odd that such an item would just be lying around.”
“Perhaps it was in use recently…..”
“I’m going to investigate further.”
It’s pretty much just a fact at this point that there’s more to this room right. After everything that's gone on there has to be something for me. I just kind of have to accept that this is how the game is being played. Still, this doesn’t feel right. Aren’t I supposed to be able to break fate now or something. Maybe I just haven’t grown into it. Or maybe I’m just now wise enough on all the factors at play…..
There’s suddenly a loud crash outside the door. Despite being a thin wooden door with a small window center such a forceful pounding outside didn’t so much as crack it.
……….
The fox is uhhhhh…………..Bigger………
“At least the ward works…...”
“Good to hear because I’ve found something.”
“That was to be expected I suppose.”
Leaving the scary fox behind I walk across the room over to a small table on the other side of the room which Bazett is intensely looking over. It’s incredibly cluttered, the entire thing enveloped in papers and books. Having pushed a fair few to the side however, Bazett is staring down at something far more recognizable.
“Is that a map of London?”
“Correct. There’s also a second map underneath of the sewer system.”
Looking closer various locations across the city are circled and entire thing is covered with ineligible scrawl….. I say that but I’m just not very good at reading cursive yet. English is hard enough without the random fancy font mode.
“What do you see?”
“Looking over the notes it appears the Clocktower has been investigating evidence of minor spikes in magical energy across the city for the past month or two. So far they haven’t turned up anything. Anderton, following a suspicion, notes that they were close to locations like grocery stores, restaurants and water treatment plants. and has marked it all on this map.”
“Of course that's the situation. So whatever it was got in through the diets of the magi coming here I assume. Though that could also mean this might be a plague on the entirety of London depending on if it needs magi to manifest.”
“I’m not sure how something like this is possible. Regardless, with recent developments something approximating his hunch appears to be the case. The notes also mentioned a deformed frog thought to be some failed experiment somewhere in here I wish to look at.”
Does this mean that’s what happening here is like some kind of disease? A parasite? Rather than some grand ritual or spell, is it the side effect of a creature? I don’t think there’s a yokai like that……
Maybe the servant can do something more abstract. People are afraid of disease, so it can create something like that. I guess there’s no point in randomly throwing guesses out, what’s important is that we have a better idea as to how this happened.
How much longer do we have left anyways I didn't keep track? I can still hear that fox scratching at the outside of the room. I should actually look at the phone's contents while I have the time.
Thinking about it…….
Why does he have a phone anyways? Most magi don’t use modern technology very much, and I don’t think a dumb old guy like him would do something like get a phone.
Is this phone even his then? With a greater curiosity I open the phone and start digging around.
There aren’t any apps that don’t come with the phone by default. They have one contact, shehdbdbehehd…..
It’s literally just gibberish.
Checking the messages they are seemingly the only person they’ve talked to. They just kept sending them pictures of some random guy from distant enough positions that show this was clearly stalking. Wouldn’t put it past him.
Scrolling through it goes back over a month, just endless pictures of them from across London without a single response from the contact.
Seeing as some of these photos are of this room, there’s only one guy it can be.
Does this mean the professor has been compromised for a while now? I suppose I haven’t seen much of him. I’ll have to see what else is on this phone……
Wait a minute, the contact is a phone number right? Could I call it?
“I found the specimen. I will be taking it as evidence.”
From the other side of the room Bazett holds up a small case with a terribly deformed frog. It’s grown extra eyes and human-like limbs alongside a terrible predator grin on its back side. It’s all around an unsightly abomination and I wish she didn’t show me it.
“That’s great and all but I think-“
There’s another powerful rumble as the room shakes again. From outside the door I can see that fox banging against the wall, the stone finally starting to crack.
“Your servant is supposed to show up soon correct?”
“They’re supposed to….”
“We must be prepared to fight regardless.”
With every loud smash against the stones and every splinter of the wood door I grow ever more nervous.
The fate I’m supposed to fight against is supposed to save me this time around right? I can at least have a little faith in that…… This lack of control remains concerning but I’ll take what I can get.
“I hope you’re ready worms!”
I flinch as the wall finally falls and a courage of black and jaws fills the space.
“What is this!”
The foxes roars are suddenly cut short as it collides with a golden wall of light.
“A pale imitation of the true divine glory of my lord could never hope to pierce their light. To raise a hand against the chosen is a true testament to your limited intelligence you lower mammal.”
In the bright ostentatious golden light I’ve been growing familiar with my servant finally manifests by side. Despite their confidence their body looks half dead. Wounded and blood stained she does her best to upkeep that arrogant persona.
“To think I have traded one demon for another. It was pain to get here already, just what trouble have been you been getting yourself into?”
“Where in the world have you been! That should have taken two minutes! I thought you were fighting a trash mob!”
“I was and I took care of it. Spirit form or not it takes some effort to make my way through this kind of location.”
The fox in an effort to break through tears apart it’s side of the room in the aftershock of its forceful collisions, but the barrier won’t begin to budge.
“Be thankful, this creature personally insults me with their presumption that they have a right to exist in this world. I will obliterate them as well.”
Extending from their feet a golden circle begins to fill the room. As soon as the fox touches it is suddenly thrown out of the room with a painfully violent spasm.
“Go ahead. Enter the domain of the sun God.”
With a growl the fox steps into the circle only to instantly burst into flames. It’s claws dig deeply into ground as it tries to pull itself forward but every ounce strength seemingly only goes towards keeping itself in place.
I single golden fist flies out from Akhenaten back and launches the creature out into the darkness. There’s a moment of silence but it never returns.
“I feel like your power level is wildly inconsistent.”
“I’m simply more willing to be serious against such pathetic imitations of the divine.”
“Ugh, whatever! Took you long enough!”
I think I’m right when I say I might have gotten one of the weakest servants around. I mean, she’s an archer without a bow and acts more like a mage with her flashy magic.
“Regardless of how long it took to kill the creature you shouldn’t have gone so deep if you wanted me to find you quickly. Even in spirit form with our divine connection it still takes time to navigate a fortress like this.”
As Akhenaten continues to rattle on about how annoying it is to move through the Clocktower her body begins to vanish in a golden light.
“Ah……. Whatever, let’s just move on already.”
“…….”
With the tall string bean of a servant out of the way in left awkwardly staring at the silent enforcer, still holding on to that damn deformed frog. A number of other papers are held under her other arm.
“I guess it all worked out…..”
“I am still curious as to the motivations of whoever texted us, but I am glad it did not go badly. Seeing as your servant is with us now, it should be much safer to make our way to a member of policies now.”
“Oh right, that’s what we are doing. Do you know where we might find them.”
“I know several possible locations we can reach from here. It’s difficult to know if any of these set locations are still populated but we can’t check all of them if we have to.”
I’d hate to waste more time searching these places but I guess we don’t have a choice.
“When it comes find life I might know a thing or two. The blessings of Aten fill me. If I put my mind to it, I will locate any survivors without issue.”
“I thank you for the assistance. We must hurry in order to deliver our information as soon as possible.”
Without another word Bazett heads back out the giant hole in the wall.
Speaking of evidence, I still have this phone…..
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