I wrote this chapter as a breather to get away from my main stories for a while. It was inspired by an RPG system centered on demons that I'm busy creating, so you can call it a crossover of sorts — well at least if it ever gets published. :) But most of all it explains my semi-humorous theory of who Miyuki-chan really is.
As always, many thanks to my excellent betas, Dioxine and Shadowfox026.
As soon as the bell rang, the school canteen was filled with dozens of hungry teenagers. Students were eating, drinking, queing, laughing and arguing with each other, their voices drowning the entire hall in irregular noise that could only be produced in educational facilities for the near-adults around the world.
The only way to have an actual conversation inside was to speak even louder than the background noise, a feat that almost any teenager mastered, including the normally soft-spoken individuals like Tsukasa.
"Whew, it's really crowded today!", said the younger twin cheerfully, unpacking her bento. "I think it has been months since it's been this loud!"
"It's too cold outside", her slightly older sister commented, "and it's been raining for days. No wonder everyone gathers here."
Next to Kagami, a mass of blue hair nodded vigorously, for a moment detaching herself from the chocolate cornet she was consuming with deadly precision. "Yeah, so much for the global warming."
Her sister took on a pensive expression, her chopsticks frozen in front of her face for a moment. "How about we prepare some Teruteru Monk dolls to pray for good weather?"
Kagami looked at her abruptly. "Tsukasa... Tell me you don't actually believe that those dolls would stop raining, do you?"
Tsukasa gave a slightly embarrassed smile. "Well, I thought it would be fun. Also, father would be happy! We haven't done it since we were in primary school."
"Right, he really likes those things", Kagami admitted, "but I think he knows we're too old for that."
"To tell you the truth, I think my father would like you to do that", said Konata teasingly.
Kagami scowled. "I didn't need to hear that, thank you." Tsukasa just giggled nervously.
„It's a nice tradition regardless", said the fourth girl, trying to defuse the upcoming argument. „Also, in the past, Teru Teru Bōzu was mainly used by farmers to bring good weather for the crops. Therefore, I think it's perfectly fine if adults do it!"
„Especially if it's miko girls doing it", said Konata, who obviously didn't want to drop the good teasing too quickly. Kagami raised her chopsticks menacingly, prompting Konata to half hide under the table and apologise heartily.
„Um... I wonder what Yuki-chan's father thinks of the Teruteru dolls?", said Tsukasa, also to defuse the situation.
Kagami now scowled at her sister, but said nothing since Miyuki didn't look offended. She was obviously thinking hard. „Well, I don't think I can honestly answer that", she admitted eventually, „I haven't heard enough about him to know what he would think about such matters."
The air around the table suddenly got more serious; Miyuki's family was not a laughing matter, even if it was quite intriguing and enigmatic.
„That's a shame", concluded Konata. „I think it would be interesting to know what Yuki-chan's father thinks."
„Perhaps it would", smiled Miyuki. „This issue has just made me think that I need to know about him more. I shall ask my mother a few things tonight!"
She was running as fast as she could. She was panting, and her pinkish hair was dripping with sweat. The surface was rough and slippery, slowing her despite grace; even the cool air of the underground tunnel worked against her. She was running nonetheless, keeping her eyes on the corridor before her and never looking back, hurried by the thick blanket of sheer terror tightly wrapped around her entire body.
Now she'd done it. She had always been known for being reckless, or perhaps even dumb, because of her curiosity. An interest in powerful or otherwise fascinating individuals was normal for her kind, but she was one of those who tended to go beyond rationality; to take unnecessary risks. She had been roaming the Myrror in her free time for years, looking for such points of interest, confident with her intuition and powers... But this time her intuition had failed her, and she wouldn't have dared to use her puny powers against that.
The girl clenched her teeth and forced her perfect body to run even faster. She was rather small for a human being, and she was a fast runner like anyone of her kind, but she knew that it might not be enough. She thought of choosing one of the small passages that she had passed a moment ago, but she realised it was futile. Despite its size, the horror that was chasing her could not be stopped by such trivial matters as solid rock.
If only she could get to the surface... The tunnel was too narrow for her to spread her wings, but she knew that it was the only way out. She wasn't sure if her pursuer could fly, but she had to take that chance. Besides, she was rather good at flying.
No sound could be heard behind her, though she knew she couldn't believe the silence. That thing probably considered it unrefined to make noise.
„Hmmm? What was it you wanted to ask me, Miyuki-chan?" Takara Yukari's smile was as welcoming and sweet as ever.
„I hope it's not too straightforward, but my friends have been talking about their respective fathers and I felt I would like to know more about mine. Mother, could you please tell me more about him?"
„Oh so that's what it was! Let's see..." Yukari's expression became a mix of dreaminess and pondering. „He was quite a man, obviously..."
The fleeing girl leapt across a steel railing separating the corridor from the underground railway tracks. It was a sign that she was getting close to the surface, but she knew that it was too early for a triumph. Now she could hear the beast's steps, a delicate, rapid clanking of metal against the rocky floor. It seemed inhumanly graceful, like a futuristic machine built solely for running.
Before gaining speed again, the pink-haired fugitive finally dared to take a peek behind her. There it was: a tall and slender humanoid shape with an elongated head, the only visible feature being glowing green eyes, taking large leaps toward her like some terrible ancient athlete. The girl didn't need to see more to keep running swifter.
She was following the railway now, a larger tunnel, but not large enough to spread her wings. She knew that her pursuer would be faster here and she doubted it would tire. Or was it him?, she thought briefly, but immediately reminded herself that it didn't make any difference in her situation.
The girl was approaching the final obstacle: a solid wall of wooden boards blocking the way out, though she had made a hole in on her way down. The hole was big enough for her to get through, but she couldn't afford to lose her speed. She knew she had to jump and it wasn't good; acrobatics weren't her forte although she was in perfect shape. However the rythmical, metallic sound seemed to be getting closer, so she simply concentrated on the small opening as much as she could and leaped...
Rolling on the rocky floor on the other side, she tumbled painfully, getting bruises and cuts all over her body. Fortunately no bones were broken, and she managed to get to the other side of the obstacle, so she didn't waste a moment: it was important to escape! The end of the tunnel could already be seen in the distance.
A short moment after she had started gaining speed, she felt a not-so-distant wave of magical release. She took a glance behind and saw the wooden barricade silently turning to fine dust and splinters. The terrible being didn't seem slowed down by this, as it — no, it was definitely a he — ran through the dust cloud made of disintegrated old wood.
For a moment the girl couldn't take her eyes off her nemesis. He was freakishly tall, definitely more than twice her own height, and his entire body reflected light like dark metal. He didn't wear any clothing, but his silhouette seemed strangely simplified and lacking details, including genitals. His movements and proportions were not entirely human, bringing to mind some sort of insect-like mechanoid god. She also noticed several long, thin veins that seemed to grow directly from his main body which were slowly reaching forward; for some reason they seemed very sharp and painful. I would prefer just normal tentacles if I had a choice, she thought.
The girl knew that her wings would hinder her for the first few seconds, but the infamous Steel Horror — the mysterious creature she had heard of and was reckless enough to seek out — was getting closer anyway, so the risk was worth it. Her purple, bat-like wings ripped through her shirt effortlessly, throwing her slightly off-balance but allowing her longer jumps, for which she felt extreme gratitude.
The entrance to the mine used to be blocked by another wooden wall, but time and the occasional creature had taken care of it long ago. The girl could already see the dreamy landscape of the spirit world, with its featureless hills and dull white sky. Her heart leaped; she spread her wings, flapped them a few times in the rapidly enlarging tunnel to gain even more speed, and with one last effort she jumped towards the Myrror sky.
„Morning, Yuki-chan!", exclaimed Konata, lazily waving to her tall classmate and simultanously trying to stifle a yawn. „Did you sleep well?"
„Yes, thank you very much", Miyuki responded with a smile, „although my sleep was rather short. I wanted to ask some questions about my father and mother and I got a bit carried away... It was very late when we realised what time it was."
„So you did ask about him!", Konata gave her usual mischievous smile. „Tell me, was it him that you got your brains from?"
Miyuki's smile broadened even more. „Thank you for your compliment! Yes, I think it's quite likely."
Konata pestered her more on the way to their classroom, but didn't manage to gain much data on Miyuki's dad. Even though she had little hope for learning anything more, she was rather disappointed.
The girl screamed as the metallic vein cut deeply into her ankle, tearing through skin and muscle. She instinctively flapped her wings as strong as she could to break lose, but she felt like a bird tied to a stone pillar with a string. Her attempts were absolutely pointless.
She had almost done it, but her captor was even faster than she had thought, and his blade-vines had great reach. In terror, she looked below to see him standing on the broken stairs leading to the mine entrance. Not only he was huge, but there was an overwhelming aura of sinister, machine-like elegance surrounding him. It looked like it was made from some dark metal, but she couldn't see any joints; his limbs and the alien-looking head were seamlessly attached to the main body just like the blade-vines. He seemed absolutely stoic, and untold coldness emanated from his gaze. His eyes were calculating and dominating and the vine that was gripping her ankle so painfully was slowly retracting back into his chest.
The girl understood that this was the last stop. There was nothing she could do about this killing machine, no power to get her out of this pinch. She would pay for her curiosity with her life, just like predicted. Cold fear gripped her by her throat, making even the pain insignificant. Nonetheless, her long nails instinctively became even longer and sharper to prepare for battle. She knew it was futile against metal though, and she could only pray that whatever experience awaited her, it would be as short as possible.
When an enormous hand finally grabbed her thigh, she screamed and scratched it, but her nails left no trace on the metallic skin. In response, the Steel Horror yanked her closer, almost tearing her leg off, and his other hand closed around her neck. The pink-haired girl's screams were stopped abruptly and her wings dissolved into nothingness, but her life was not ended yet. She was forced to look her captor in the eyes... and she did.
The creature's glowing eyes were devoid of any details, even seen at this distance; they were just two pools of chemical light, shaped similar to shark's gills. Still, this emptiness did not prevent the girl from recognising the terrifying, overwhelming presence which radiated indifference and contempt. Worst of all was the inhuman intelligence behind those eyes and their piercing gaze was both painful and somehow embarrassing. As they approached, the girl tried to make another attempt to get away, but she couldn't move at all; this gaze held her in place as firmly as the metallic hand on her throat. It's like my last religious experience, she thought as she noticed the monster's other hand soundlessly transforming into a long, perfectly geometrical spike, like a giant butterfly pin. She was trembling by now, unable to even whimper.
No!, something screamed inside her. This can't end like this! It was a distant voice, like something that came from the Abyss itself, but it was enough for her to suddenly remember her home, her life, her dark-winged sisters, and her pride of being a succubus that she had hardly ever felt before. A dark power rushed through her mind and she snapped out of the stupor, focusing on the alien face before her. She knew her odds were astronomically small, but at least she would go down like a real Abyssian.
She grabbed the Steel Horror by his slender wrist and boldly returned his gaze, cracking a small but warm smile. Then she did it.
There were no eerie lights, no instant runes, no occult incantations; demonic magic did not work that way. The emotion wave that the small succubus produced flew across the monster's body like electricity, stopping him in place and causing him to fall to his knees. She felt his distant, enormous mind shake and reconfigure violently, trying to cope with the psychic wave; he gave some sort of telepathic sigh and then his eyes suddenly refocused on his prey. They weren't calm any more; the girl could see the only thing that transcended all demonic creatures, no matter how alien they were: pure lust.
The Steel Horror's pike-arm reconfigured again, turning into a bunch of smaller blade-vines, which immediately rushed toward his victim and turned her clothes to shreds, leaving many shallow cuts on her ivory skin. His entire body was changing, too; his muscles were becoming more prominent under the living metal and his face was getting increasingly detailed. After he threw her to the ground, she noticed he now also had a manhood: a huge one for human standards, but pretty small in proportion to his entire body. It was obviously formed especially for her.
I hope it's a change for the better, she thought worriedly. However, she knew that the course of the battle might have just been changed a little in her favour.
Takara Yukari's house was a big one, bigger than any of her daughter's friends'. The building had two large bathrooms, a spacious lobby, an ultra-modern kitchen and a garden that many people was jealous of. However, the most extraordinary thing about this house was that it had not one, but two family shrines, and one of them hidden in a secret room under the cellar no less.
Yukari was looking at the small metal door built into the wall. It was covered with runes that probably were the strongest binding magic in Japan. She could sense the powerful magical devices that were constantly draining demonic power from the inside of the hidden safe, but this place still made her nervous. However, she was here for a purpose, and she knew that maintaining proper family relations were well worth the risk.
The pink-haired woman placed her slender hands on the door of the demonsteel safe buried under her house and temporarily disabled some of the runes, slightly lowering the barrier. She immediately felt a presence: now weak and imprisoned, but still enormous... and exciting.
„Hello my dear", she communicated with a smile. She hasn't actually said anything and her face remained motionless, but the thought wave transmitted her words and visage effortlessly.
„IT'S YOU", came a distant response. As always, it sounded deep and royal, if rather unsettling. „ARE YOU HERE TO MOCK ME AGAIN?"
„Oh, no!" Yukari pressed her cheek to the cold demonsteel plate. „I'm here because today is a special day. It's been eighteen years since we've met, and it is our anniversary!"
„I SEE", answered the emotionless, inhuman voice in her head. „TELL ME, HOW IS OUR CHILD DOING? IS SHE STRONG?"
„She is well, a very fine young lady. You can be proud of her."
„IN ORDER TO VERIFY THAT, I NEED TO SEE HER."
„She's not strong enough yet, honey. It's too early. However, I can assure you she is strong indeed... She has your eyes sometimes."
„ALTHOUGH HAVING THIS CHILD WITH A MERE SUCCUBUS DISGRACES ME, I WILL ACCEPT IT IF IT PROVES WORTHY."
„Don't worry, honey... She's the daughter of the most terrible denizen of Japan. And not to mention the one who defeated him! Of course she's worthy. And I'm sure she'll be ready to meet you one day as an equal."
„I WILL BE WAITING."
Yukari carefully disconnected the telepathic link and put the magical wards back into place. Her heart was beating fast from the contact with such a being, but she also felt... a little aroused. For a moment she almost considered letting her prisoner out, but she knew he wouldn't be defeated so easily again. She had actually missed him all those years nonetheless, even though he was so close all the time.
Perhaps next year, or the year after that, Miyuki would be ready to learn the entire truth about her father and meet him in person. It would be difficult, but Yukari knew that Miyuki could do it; not only did she have the best genes, but both of her parents loved her very much, in a way. Until then, Miyuki and her father would remain in their respective small worlds, waiting until their time comes.
After all, demons can live very long.