Chapter 2: Blood Trap, Mind Trap

Eiji was still carrying Emi, because it was clear she couldn't walk.

"Wow... For a small person, you sure are heavy!" He exclaimed.

She scoffed. "Well, I don't eat for shit neither, so ya have piss poor arms then."

She turned red. "That cake was pretty tasty though..."

Hiro sighed. "Em, sometimes I wonder about you..."

She laughed. "Not much of a poser that one! There ain't much to know."

She looked away. "Well, maybe just... One thing. Well... Kinda some other things... Damn."

They both looked at her.

"Out with it." They said flatly.

Emi gave an overdramatic and overdrawn sigh.

"Well... Um, you see... Those um... Ya know when I came to yer place, and, um..."

Uwayaku-Kuhn gave an utterly annoyed groan.

"Just say it! You are beating around the bush, and well... No. Don't do that."

"Fine!" She exclaimed.

"I stole them cufflinks, but... that was 'cause I was tricked!"

Hiro and Eiji paused for a moment.

"Seriously!?" They exclaimed.

She looked down. "I know! I know! I just... I didn't wanna make ya guys hate me. It wasn't because I'm just some no good mudlark..."

Hiro held the bridge of her nose.

"We know that. You probably had your reasons, but you should have told us."

Eiji sighed. "Do you really think we would hate you over stolen jewelry? I mean, even so, this is over the top for a punishment!"

"Why did you steal them?" Hiro asked.

Emi paused for a moment.

She gave a sad sigh.

"A girl named Amaya said she was wantin' them... I liked her for a long time. We been friends since we were just little tykes... I thought. She said that if I got her them cufflinks, we'd have enough to get out, 'n live somewhere nice... She said we'd get married, and... Damn her. She narked. Lied. Now I'm in this fix, and she's sittin' pretty with Niku!"

Eiji looked down. "But you said you were childhood friends... Why would she betray you?"

Emi looked away. "I don't know. If I knew I... Ah! What the hell could I do!? She did it! Nothin' changes that!... She's the only one who ain't dead cause a me, so I guess... Well, I didn't think she'd do that... Not that."

"Dead?" Asked Hiro.

"What do you mean dead?"

Emi gave her a flat look.

"I mean dead. D-E-D... I think. Fuck it, sorry... I can't read! Well... They say I'm cursed, cause all my kin and friends're dead. And most after're also dead... No one's touched me since... Well, maybe at the brothel..."

"Not listening to that." Said Uwayaku-Kuhn.

She sighed. "Fine. Well anyhow, no one gets near me, like I got the plague or somethin'."

Eiji sighed. "That's horrible... You're not cursed."

Emi looked away from him, her guard up.

"I dunno 'bout that, and you don't neither."

"Yes I do." He said.

"With enough training, you can sense just about any sign of a curse. My mother is an excellent sorceress, and well... She's paranoid. I have that, including knowledge on magic and most demons... Even though technically we were in heaven... And, there were no demons there."

Emi gaped. "What!? Nah, yer tellin' a tall one Eiji, no one just... Shit... Really? Then what're ya doin' here!?"

Eiji looked down. "Well originally, I came here on accident, trying to save Hiro... Then the heavens became more dangerous. Even tyrannical, you might say."

Emi looked confused.

"That another word for dangerous?"

Hiro shook her head.

"No. It's a lot like the watch... Unfair ruling or treatment by a leader to it's people."

Emi looked up.

"Damn... That bad?"

Hiro let out a gasp of pain as a metal spike shot through her broken foot. It widened at the top, and clamped down.

There was an immediate banging on the roof afterward.

Someone was trying to get in.

Eiji felt a spike shoot through his foot, causing him to fall. He managed to keep Emi off of the ground as more spikes shot up, widening, and clamping down. Some had shot through Eiji's Torso. They had not hit any vital spots, but it was definitely painful.

"What's going on!?" Hiro exclaimed.

"Eiji!? EIJI!"

He set Emi down.

"You... Crawl away... Okay...?" He said, struggling to breath through the pain.

"No." She said.

"I can still cast."

"Be careful." Said Uwayaku-Kuhn.

"You really are in no condition to be using blood magic, but under the circumstances..."

"Ya think I don't know that!?" She exclaimed.

"But I can't just do nothin'. I hafta do all I can."

There was a maniacal laughter that the whole group recognized.

Emi gave a weary groan.

"Oh fuck..."

Uwayaku-Kuhn sighed.

"I'll give you that one, just because it's what I was thinking too."

He laughed again.

"I have gained much funding from the watch with the help of my... persuasive friends."

Uwayaku-Kuhn glared at him.

"Why the heavens would need aid from a lowly poltergeist, I cannot say I know."

Eiji stopped.

"A... A poltergeist?... Is that what... He is?"

He sighed. "Yes. Who you see there isn't Kaihn. It is indeed the one who swallowed him, and stole his form."

Kaihn looked at them all with disgust.

"Yes, now shut up. Time to meet your deaths mortals... Something I've long awaited."

...

The real Kaihn was witnessing this take place from inside of his own mind...

He could see everything that was happening during the day, and at night?

...Well, that wasn't the most pleasant occurrence.

Sora stood next to him.

"What's happening this time?" She asked.

Kaihn looked forward.

"It seems he's using his new technology to kill them... I don't think he stuck with the apprenticeship idea for very long."

Sora sighed sadly.

"I knew he wouldn't. He's not actually related to anyone we are... You just happened to fool him once."

He looked back at the window.

"Well, in any case, I need to cause a diversion."

He let his mind drift, and let his voice enter the thoughts if the poltergeist, making them his own.

"I shouldn't make this too easy... That wouldn't be any fun. Let them hang for a while in their own suffering... Mock them before the end."

He smirked. "That should do it. The fool was always a fan of grandeur and lavish death speeches..."

...

Kaihn grinned maliciously.

"How does it feel to be trapped like a rat? And you boy... I'm sure the angels will be pleased when they finally get to erase you."

Hiro sobbed.

"I won't let you hurt him!"

"Don't play along with that shit!" Emi hissed.

He looked at Emi.

"I think I'll kill you first."

...

Kaihn lost his composure.

"Oh, God DAMMIT! That wasn't what I wanted!"

Sora clutched onto him as she stared out of the window.

"Hiro...That's Kuhn's daughter, right?"

Kaihn looked down.

"Yes, and now the demon is killing my trump card. Emi not being trapped allows her to use blood magic. She's a blood summoner, and can go toe to toe with the demon if she raises a good enough summon..."

He was about to strike.

Kaihn sighed.

"Dammit... I'm going to get hell for this later."

...

Kaihn was about to strike Emi, and drain her dry.

Both Hiro and Eiji screamed for her to move...

Kaihn fell to the ground, and held his head.

"What are you doing!?" He screamed.

His real voice was now mixed with the poltergeist's.

"I made the speech happen so you could summon something! Just...!"

The poltergeist was pushing back.

Emi nodded, and scraped her hand on the metal edges of the widened ground spikes.

She managed a very deep gash.

She slammed her hand to the ground.

"ChiKaKū! ANSWER ME!"

The ground shook as a giant red and black beast shot out of the ground and through the tunnel.

It was colossal.

"What!? NO!" Uwayaku-Kuhn yelled.

"That is a Behemoth, no... THE BEHEMOTH! A near apocalyptic summon! It's legendary! There's no way she can control it! Just the summon itself COULD KILL HER!"

Leviathan's filed into the tunnels and freed Hiro and Eiji, healing their wounds.

The Behemoth let out a loud roar.

"WHO HAS CAST THEIR BLOW ON EMIKA!? SHE IS MINE."

"It seems Emi has some extraordinary connections." Said Uwayaku-Kuhn.

"This one, however, is risky. It only works under the strictest of conditions, or it kills those who attempt to cast it."

"What are the conditions?" Hiro asked.

He nodded.

"Yes, very strict conditions. Even more so, because it was an independent summon, allowing the summoned creature to act on it's own will. The conditions are: a prior bond or understanding with the Behemoth, it can only be summoned once every two years at most, there has to be a low life force, or being on the brink of death, and you have to have extreme amounts of willpower. The summon itself, even after this, potentially kills the caster. Seeing as she's receiving immediate healing, this helps things. She will still be in a state of unconsciousness until we find a better healer."

Kaihn the poltergeist stood there frozen and pale.

The Behemoth picked him up by the back of his shirt with two fingers.

"DADDY!" The Leviathan's screamed.

"Look! LOOK! HE'S BACK! HUZZAH!"

"And also?" He added. "He's the father of all lower Behemoth's, and Leviathan's.

"HELLO LITTLE MAN..." He said. His voice boomed through the earth.

"I THINK I DISLIKE YOU POLTERGEIST... HERE'S THE PROCEDURE. I WILL KILL YOU, BUT FIRST? I AM GOING TO EXTRACT YOU, AND TEAR YOU TO PIECES TEN TIMES. MY HATRED FOR YOU WILL BE SATISFIED WITH YOUR SOUL!"

ChiKaKū raised his hand above Kaihn's head, and extracted the poltergeist.

Another being flew out as well.

Uwayaku-Kuhn froze.

"Sora...?"

His eyes widened.

"SORA! I'm over here!"

She floated down to him, and they embraced.

"I missed you..." She said softly.

Uwayaku-Kuhn held her.

"I would never want to exist in an eternity wandering without you..." He said.

"Aaww!" Hiro gushed.

"That is so... Just... Wow! It's the sweetest thing I've ever seen!"

Eiji shook his head and smiled.

"I guess that worked out... Good."

The citizens of Deadmarch were in meltdown, as the Behemoth sat in the middle of town.

The poltergeist had escaped with help from 'Divine' Providence.

"WELL... THAT WAS TAXING." He said.

The little people scurried around in shock and horror as ChiKaKū approached the tunnels again.

"HEY... CAN I COME WITH YOU?" He asked.

"I HAVEN'T BEEN HERE IN AGES. EVERYONE NEED'S A GOOD TRIP TO PURGATORY ONCE IN A THOUSAND YEARS OR SO... LOOSENS THE BACK AND LEGS."

Eiji sighed. "You know? I respectfully disagree with that, but yeah. You can definitely stay... Blood roads?"

Hiro laughed. "This could get interesting... ChiKaKū right?" She asked.

He nodded.

"YES, I AM CHIKAKŪ. HARBINGER OF MORTAL DESTRUCTION IN DAYS OF OLD... BEFORE THEN...? WELL CHILDREN, I WAS A GREAT BARD... WELL... I THOUGHT SO."

The people of Deadmarch stopped to stare at the Behemoth.

"So yer not gonna swallow us...?" Said a man.

"Also then, the deep 'n bad hell place ain't in yer gullet?" Said another.

"Also, 'n ye ain't gonna scrape our innards on them mountains yander?" Asked a woman.

He let out a full bellied laugh.

"I DO NOT HAVE TIME OR PATIENCE FOR SUCH TRIVIAL MATTERS! BESIDES... THE MOUNTAINS ARE GROWING YELLOW ROSES THIS YEAR. YELLOW IS MY FAVORITE COLOR! I WOULD NOT RUIN SUCH A DECADENT DISPLAY..."

They all turned to glare at the watch.

"Ya all lied ta us!" The woman yelled.

"Even Kenji 'n Kenta had weary eye's on yer claims! 'N they're right!"

"Keepin' us under yer thumb ya did!" Yelled a man.

"YEA!" They cheered.

"Them watcher's be full a piss they be! Thinkin' they'cn steal're homes 'n livin'!? Whata load, that'un is!"

"RIGHT!" They yelled.

"LET'S GET'EM!"

The whole town, and even most of the nobles stood and fought against the watch. It wasn't hard... Considering all ChiKaKū had to do was step on them.

He yawned.

"I LOVE BATTLES... I NEED A NAP. DOES ANYONE HAVE DIRECTIONS TO A MEADOW...? OR MEANS TO BUILD A GIANT COT...?"

"I'm afraid we need to heal Emi's sister, and evacuate everyone."

Said Uwayaku-Kuhn.

"There is a great danger coming, of the likes even you couldn't contain."

Eiji gaped. "That bad!? What's going on!?"

ChiKaKū looked over the horizon.

"SO THERE IS..." He said.

He looked down at the citizens of Deadmarch.

"YOU MAY WANT TO RUN... THAT DIRECTION."

He pointed away from the coming danger.

The whole town packed their things, and began fleeing to a new area.

The Leviathan's were helping Hiro, Emi, and Eiji out of the tunnels.

"Which house is Freya in!?" Hiro exclaimed.

"I don't know!" Said Eiji.

"Emi's out, so we can't ask her."

Sora nodded. "Hold on..."

She seemed to scope the entire town, and stopped at a small brick building.

They all ran to the area.

Fred was carrying Emi. He seemed stressed, and saddened by the recent events.

"Wake up Emi..." He whispered.

She heard his thoughts, but could not wake up.

Sorry Fred... I can't. I'm really out, and I ain't goin' to be wakin' up soon... Sorry.

(It's alright... The others are going to heal Freya now. No need to worry...)

That's a relief... I was so damn worried. I hope she's doin' okay...

Fred carried her to the building. He swallowed the souls of the wandering watch, and gained strength.

ChiKaKū looked down at Fred.

"I SEE THAT YOUR CHOSEN HAS ARRIVED... EMIKA IS A GOOD CHOICE. A GENTLE, AND MISUNDERSTOOD SOUL... MUCH LIKE MYSELF. TREAT HER WELL."

Fred nodded. "Of course."

They entered the room where Freya was.

She was black, and her skin looked nearly gone in the face... Her body was falling apart, and she was fading.

Hiro grabbed the syringe with the antidote from her pack.

"That's powerful alchemy..." Said Sora.

Hiro nodded, injecting the antidote into her heart.

"You can thank Shisuta for that... She's a genius."

Freya's features began to restore, and her wounds had healed...

She still looked very sick, but there was no mistaking that face...

That woman looked just like Lilith.