Foreword:
Sorry for the wait, everyone. Last few weeks have been hectic for me. But hey, comes with being a student, right? So here you go, Chapter Three.
Forgotten Harmony of Germane Errant
Chapter Three: Wishing
My body sodden, I closed my eyes, and took a deep breath.
Though the red-tinted water I bathed in seemed uninviting, it was only because of the reflection of Makai's crimson sky on the surface, which lingered over my head. Opening my eyelids slowly, I stared up at the dark clouds slowly drifting by; a habit I had developed during the short breaks old man Youki gave me after training. Hanging next to the empty bank were my drying school clothes on a low branch. I had washed them before stepping into the large stream in an attempt to keep them clean. Youki had recommended me to do so, since he did not have any other clothes to give me other than his own. Thankfully, the current was fairly weak that day, allowing me to finally relax in one place. It was hard to believe that only six days had gone by then.
Six days since the day I first awoke in that dark forest.
Six days since Youki agreed to teach me as a student.
Six days since I met that woman with the parasol underneath the cherry tree.
Remembering the memory, I was brought out of my thoughts when my right arm suddenly protested in pain, causing me to wince a little as I lifted it out from under the water, eyeing the massive bruise that had manifested just above my elbow. Ever since the incident in where I mistook her for a man, Meira had found multiple ways to pay me back for the humiliation, despite me having already apologized to her. After that unfortunate event, she would always demand that I spar with her whenever I had free time from Youki's harsh training regimen. Whenever she challenged me, I was never able to refuse, since the old man would always say that I would benefit from the 'friendly' match.
Not to mention that it was hard to say no to a stubborn girl holding a Japanese katana five centimeters from your neck.
With every match I was able to block more and more strikes, but the ending would always be the same; with me laying face-down in the dirt and Meira standing over me triumphantly as if I was a slain villain. After a while, I gotten used to being beat up everyday, and strived to make sure that the beating I got the next day was less than the one I got the one before.
It was, unfortunately, a painful resolve, but it was one nonetheless.
Frowning slightly at the thought, I eased my injured arm back into the water and took another deep breath. A second later, I let myself fall through the surface, enveloping my body completely with water. Despite the red-tint it had on the surface, the water itself was a realm of grey haze, slowly drifting along in a journey it had made over multiple decades and generations. Accustoming to the pressure, I closed my eyes once more, letting my body sway in the soft current. The sensation of being weightless, of just floating along the current, placed my mind at ease. As the seconds passed, the pressure in my chest grew and grew; growing almost intolerable, but I ignored it. Finally, I kicked the sand and burst from underneath the languid stream, gasping for tainted air. Reaching for the bank, I coughed for what felt like hours, my body slowly recovering as I hugged dry land.
"Damn it…" I choked under my breath, resting my head on the bank.
For some reason, back then I still held on to the idea that it was all a dream, a long hallucination that only appeared real. The water helped me get by at that time, serving as the temporary cherry tree, a momentary haven in that world. Yet, I could not escape the then-current situation.
Easing myself out of the water, I walked over to where my clothes hung and grabbed my underwear, quickly slipping it on. Being naked in a stream some yards behind the hut was not a wonderful experience, especially with the possibility of Meira being around. The idea of giving her another reason to beat the life out of me did not sound attractive at all. Shaking my head to get the water out of my hair, I then reached for my pants, which were still a little humid when I touched them.
Then suddenly, a twig snapped behind me.
Stopping immediately, I quickly turned around, only to find no one there. My eyebrows furrowed, I looked down to the ground and spotted a broken branch. Assuming that it was the source of the noise, I checked the surroundings to my right and left, inspecting for any small animals that may have snapped it.
In this world, being human is a constant endangerment, especially if you do not know how to defend yourself. That being so, it is essential that you never let your guard down, Emil-kun.
Remembering what the old man had told me days before, I reached back to grab the wooden sword Youki had lent me for training and protection, which I had left leaning on the same tree my clothes hung on.
Instead of wood, however, I felt my fingers grab onto flesh.
"My, aren't you a bold one."
Spinning around instantly to the voice, I found two golden eyes staring at me uninterestedly, long blonde wavy hair complementing a stoic pale face. There, standing properly and elegantly, was a woman. She wore a type of orange maid uniform, complete with the white headpiece resting on top of her head and an apron of the same color. She seemed to be in her early twenties. Hesitating, my mind hit a wall, not at all sure on how it should have had me react. The scenario was too sudden, and my mind was still unfocused from being in the stream. A moment of silence followed after, and a cool breeze reminded me of an unpleasant fact.
I was holding the woman's wrist with nothing but boxers on.
Crap.
"Ah! S-sorry!" I shouted out loud as I let go of her arm, trying to hide myself behind my own two limps at the same time. When that did not work, I swiftly retrieved my damp shirt and held it over my lower body. As I did all that, my heart raced intensely, sending all of the blood inside me to my face. The golden-eyed woman only continued with her lack of expression, not at all affected by the fact that I was standing in front of her almost naked.
"No need to be. I seem to have found you at an… inappropriate time. Are you the one they call Emil?" the woman asked in a professional tone, which somehow calmed me down a bit. Looking at her, I noticed that her hair flowed in the breeze almost like Maribel's… Catching myself staring, I hurriedly directed all of my attention to her question.
"Umm… Yes. That's me." I muttered uneasily, taking a step away from the maid.
"Splendid. My name is Yumeko. I have been searching for you. Please, I must ask for you to come with me." She said in the same tone as before, bowing slightly as she did. She had been searching for me? What for? Better yet, what was a maid doing there, in a world of demons? Was she one herself?
Realizing what kind of danger I might have been in, I glanced over to where the wooden sword was. Spotting it, I bent my knees slightly; ready to lunge for it in case the woman did anything suspicious. I must have been a little too obvious, since the maid held up a hand and spoke.
"There will be no need for that either. I hold no wish to harm you. My mistress desires your audience, and she cannot have that if you are heavily injured… or dead."
The way she finished her sentence only made me more cautious.
"Sorry, but I would feel a lot better if I just had it on me." I replied back carefully. That caused the woman to regard me for a moment, and before I knew it, she sighed and turned around.
"Very well. Just please get dressed. I do not believe my mistress would want to speak to a naked boy." The woman named Yumeko said to me while facing away, reminding me of the fact that I was still standing in my underwear. Losing my cautious demeanor, I frantically put on my clothes, ignoring the slight moisture they had. Leaving my blazer off, I at last grabbed the wooden sword, keeping an eye on the blonde maid.
"I have to go talk to someone." I said to Yumeko, watching as she turned back to face me once more.
"No time. We must not keep the mistress waiting."
"I never said I would go."
"Do you intend to go against my mistress' wishes?"
"Well, I was told that demons do eat humans. So yes."
"She will not. She only desires to speak with you."
"And how can I trust you about that?"
Silence followed that question, leaving both the maid and I to glare at each other. I did not care whether she was frustrated with me or not. Thanks to my denial back then, I obtained a sense of false confidence in myself. It was not real, I would always tell myself at that time. No need to be afraid of something not real.
I was an idiot back then.
After a minute or so, the maid finally broke the silence.
"My mistress is only curious about you. We have never had a human from the outside world here in Makai. She wishes to know how you managed to arrive here. Perhaps she may even have a method to send you back if you ask her kindly." The maid stated, once again with no emotion on her face. I, however, had my heart skip a beat when she mentioned a way back to my world, the world I knew. I would no longer have had to endure Youki's training or Meira's beatings. I would be home.
Taking a step forward, I felt determination grip my chest, hope arising in my mind.
"Fine. I'll go with yo-."
"Blanc-kun!"
Before I knew it, a flash of white and violet flew over my head, and stopped in front of Yumeko, katana already heading down towards her head. Although she was also taken by surprise, the maid suddenly brought out two short swords from under her skirt with almost inhuman speed, bringing them up just in time to block the strike. In front of her stood a woman with amethyst hair, and a red vest over her white kimono.
"Meira?" I exclaimed, confused as hell, wondering where she had come from.
"Blanc-kun, run! I'll take care of this!" the female samurai shouted before detaching her blade from Yumeko's and dashing forward, swinging at the blonde maid's stomach. Yumeko, in response, jumped back, growling at her attacker.
"Meira, wait! She wasn't going to hu-!"
"I said go!" Meira interrupted again, turning back to the blonde maid with a smirk.
"You messed with the wrong person now, demon. I will not let you devour him, at least not until I get to beat the crap out of him at least ten more times!"
My eye twitching, I let my head drop, crushed. Of course, that would be the only reason for Meira to protect me.
Running towards Yumeko again, the amethyst-haired girl swung her sword at the maid, who only countered each blow. I could barely see the swords, each moving faster than I could have ever imagined. I did not even think to try to stop the fight again. How could I?
Thankfully, the matter was soon resolved with two fingers.
As Meira brought her katana up to unleash a downward slash onto Yumeko, a hand suddenly shot out and stopped the blade between its index and middle finger.
"Hey, what are you doin-?" Meira shouted at the person behind her before turning around, becoming deathly pale the minute she saw who it was.
It was our teacher, Youki. Floating ghost-half and all.
"Meira, what is the meaning of this?" he asked sternly, lifting the sword from his female student's hands with the same two fingers. Meira began to say her answer, but she only succeeded in making unknown mouth noises in a sequence. The old man could be overwhelming when he wanted to.
"Hermit Konpaku Youki. I thank you for stopping this insane girl." Yumeko said all of a sudden, returning her two shortswords back under her skirt. Realizing that I was watching her as she was doing so, I quickly adverted my eyes towards the crimson sky.
"This insane girl is my student, so her insanity is my responsibility. I apologize for the trouble." The old man said back to the maid, bringing Meira out of her state of shock with the insult.
"Hey!" She yelled, but Youki ignored her.
"Miss Yumeko, may I ask why you are here?" Youki asked Yumeko, who was fixing her apron.
"Of course. I am on an errand from my mistress. My lady requests the audience of the human named Blanc Emil, who is rumored to be from the outside world. He was in the process of agreeing before that girl assaulted me." The maid answered after adjusting a fold on her dress. Youki then looked at me, an eyebrow raised.
"Is that so…" the old man muttered out loud, giving Meira the chance to speak.
"Sensei! What's going on? Why did you stop me?" the female samurai shouted with confusion as she reached for her katana, only to have it be held away from her hand by Youki.
"I would rather not anger the ruler of Makai by allowing you to cause harm to her servant, Meira." The old man said, that time leaving me confounded.
"What?" It was me that time, purely out of instinct.
Turning over to look at me, Yumeko unexpectedly let a small smile form on her lips, though it did not look genuine at all.
"Did I forget to mention that? I serve the lady Shinki." She revealed, a spark of pride lining her voice.
"Who is that?" I asked the maid, whose face deadpanned with the question.
"You will discover that soon enough." Youki assumed me before turning to Yumeko, handing the sword back to Meira as he did.
"I will allow my student to leave with you, on the condition that Meira and I accompany him. Of course it will be purely for his safety, for he is still inexperienced." the old man asked the maid sternly, continuing a second afterwards.
"Do we have an agreement?"
Yumeko, in response, glared at my teacher for only a second, before turning around.
"Very well. You may come with us. Now, if you do not mind, let us depart. My lady awaits." was all she said, before beginning to walk ahead. As she walked by me a thought manifested in my head, one that alarmed me immediately.
How did they know about me? The only people I had come into contact with in Makai were the old man and Meira. So how…
Blinking once, I felt unsure about following her suddenly, but then Youki appeared behind me and spoke, a small smile under his silver beard.
"Let us make haste, Emil-kun. Everything will be fine." He assured me calmly, his white-ghost half almost seeming to nod at me in accordance to my teacher's words.
Looking up to him, I once again felt the odd determination from before, and I nodded, tagging along after Yumeko; blazer and wooden sword at hand. From behind, Meira's voice called out to us.
"H-Hey! Wait for me!"
The next thing I knew, the amethyst-haired samurai appeared at my side, her mouth inches from my ear. Consequentially, my face heated up with the sudden closeness.
"Blanc-kun, do not even dare think that I came to protect you for any reason other than the one I said, got it?" Meira hissed at me in a soft voice, her eyes alternating from me to the maid leading us.
"Alright, I get it. I won't get the wrong idea. Though I wasn't in any danger to begin with… but thanks anyways. For the concern." I mumbled back, causing Meira to jerk her head away from me, her eyes wide for some reason. A second after, she marched ahead of me quickly, not saying another word. Not knowing why she had suddenly played the mute, I continued to tread forward, hearing a chuckle coming from the old man behind me. Glancing back up at the sky, I took in a deep breath, my body already accustomed to the poisonous air of Makai.
'Hopefully, this Shinki lady who everyone seemed to know about had a way to return me back to my world,' I thought to myself as I gazed at the crimson sky, spotting a single black bird flying overhead.
'Hopefully.'
"Huh?"
That was the best sentence I could come up with at that moment, amazement restricting me from saying anything more. When we entered a forest that seemed to be completely made of crystal, I was shocked, yes, but I quickly accepted it as part of that world (and unconsciously, as part of my dream). Yet once we finally got to our intended destination, Meira and I were completely dumbfounded, while both Yumeko and Youki only looked on as if it was a common scene.
Before me roomed a fortress completely out of the same crystal material the forest consisted of, a castle that was hidden by the clear canopies of the crystalline trees. How we had not spotted it in the distance was beyond me.
Noticing that the female samurai and I both stopped in our tracks, Yumeko turned around and once again brandished a prideful, yet empty smirk.
"Welcome to Pandemonium, the home of my mistress Shinki." The blonde maid said before continuing to lead the way. Brought out from my awe-struck state, I went over to Youki, who was about to follow after Yumeko.
"Who is Shinki anyways? A queen?" I asked the old man, who observed me for a minute before answering.
"A Queen? No, Emil-kun. Shinki is what you may call a god. At least in this world."
With that, he strolled away, leaving me with my eyes wide again.
Sure, a god that lived in a palace made of crystal. Why not? By the description of that world I was already in Hell.
"Please do not fall behind. We must not be late." Yumeko shouted back to Meira and me, the two of us jumping slightly in place when she did. Looking at each other, Meira shrugged and went ahead, leaving me in the rear of the group. Slipping on my school jacket, I followed suit.
Before I knew it, we were inside the fortress, navigating through the dark corridors it held. Despite being made of crystal, the halls themselves seemed to be constructed completely from stone. On each wall hung a silver torch with greenish flames along with multiple well-made tapestries, providing the light necessary to walk about. Every so often, a girl in a maid outfit would pass us in the halls, and by Meira's glares, I could guess that each girl that appeared was a demon. Though, it was only a guess. Thankfully, none seemed hostile towards us; rather they did not even acknowledge our presence at all. Oddly enough, the old man actually seemed more at ease there than back in the hut.
"We are here." Yumeko stated, facing us after stopping.
Being brought out from my thoughts, I finally saw the giant crystalline door in front of us, heavily decorated with markings and runes. It left me breathless.
"Emil-kun, straighten up. You will be in the presence of a powerful being. It is recommended to show the utmost respect. You too, Meira." My teacher lectured to his students as the blonde maid went to the door, placing her palm over its decorated surface. Almost instantly, the massive door began to gradually open, revealing a magnificent chamber on the other side, complete with six bonfires of emerald flames that lined the long, burgundy carpet leading to a tall crystalline throne. Around the throne were a squadron of maids lined up on either side, each one waiting for an order. On that gem-like seat sat a white-haired youthful woman, who wore some simple ruby robes over what appeared to be a cherry undershirt. Her hair had a single ponytail sprouting from the top of her head, tied by a single balled hair band.
"May I present you to my mistress, Shinki. The Goddess of Devil's World and creator of Makai."