Chapter 9: A Real God?

Raiji falls on her bed, sighing tiredly. They hadn't been able to go to Dawn's third job because they didn't except "trouble makers". They got into enough trouble already. Raiji buries her face in her breasts. "Sigh, I really wish I could've gone to the academy..." she frowns, then smiles. At least nobody was hurt. "Yes, no one was hurt." Raiji jumps. "TAKASHIRO-KUN!" He waves, his eyelid twitches. "Good evening. I couldn't sleep, so I stopped time and came here. You should be sleeping." he says. Raiji chuckles. "You it takes me an hour to sleep." she replied. Takashiro looks around her apartment. "It awfully cold in here."

"What are you talking about? The heater is on."

"Not that kind of cold, force cold." Raiji cocks her head. "What do you mean?" Takashiro glances at the glasses woman. "Did you attract a ghost." Raiji's eyes widen. "G-ghost!? No! That's impossible!" the blind boy frowns. "You don't notice? I've never sensed it before... after you found that strange axe bound by seals, it's been colder in here. I believe the axe unsealed a ghost." Raiji turns pale. "I, is this true? I can't live my life with a ghost!" Raiji panics and screams in a pillow. Takashiro shakes his head. "There's no need to panic Raiji your life is not in danger. You'll just be living with a ghost for a while..." his blind gaze stares through Raiji. She covers herself. "Yes?"

He glares darkly. Nervous, Raiji looks behind her, at her shadow. It was quivering. Raiji scoots away from the wall. "M-my shadow is moving!?" Takashiro snickers. "It's here." Raiji trembles in fear. "I, I don't want to sleep here tonight..." the busty adult gets off her bed. "You'll stay at my place then. Come on." he grabs her wrist tightly. "O-ouch! You're hurting me-" her voice cuts off as she and Takashiro are teleported to a bigger glowing apartment. "This is my place. I call it Transparent Hotel."

Raiji stares in awe at the invisible light that seems to reflect from every wall. There didn't seem to be any trace of dirt, or dust anywhere. Takashiro's kitchen was neatly organized and clean. It was all white, silver, and Prussian blue. "I, Is this, w-where you..." Takashiro nods. "This is what I created a few days ago. I was living with Ryouichi up until then. Since it's straight out of my mind, it is clean, and I can only see what I create. You could almost say I'm not blind anymore.

"Are you hungry?" Raiji shakes her head slowly. "N-no, I'm fine..."

Raiji wakes up the following morning. Her voice seemed to catch in her throat. She was covered in blood again. She yelped and jumped out of her bed. She was back in her apartment, which was less trashed than before, only a broken mirror. She tears up. "It happened again..." Knocks erupt at her door, turning into banging. "RAIJI!" she panics and falls into a corner. Her door opens and Hephestia's raged facial expression comes into view. Tears slip down Raiji's cheeks. "You killed the wife of Judas. Judas Chestemptia." Raiji's face turns pale. "N-no..." Hephestia grabs her arm and pull her off the floor. "Get yourself cleaned up and come outside now!"

Raiji rushes to the bathroom and turns on the shower. Not bothering to let it warm, she takes of her night shirt and gets in the shower and washes her hair with shampoo and conditioner combined. She let's her hair dry itself and dries her body off. She ties her corset tightly around her breasts and puts on a t-shirt and a poodle skirt. She slides on sandals and runs outside. She slows down and she's met by a crowd of Demons. Raiji stares in defeat. A-all of these people... they hate me... she could see Bicsa, who was snickering. Izeah and Akuzaki (I forgot her original name, oh well XP) Raiji hides her eyes under her bangs and walks down the steps. The crowd was silent. "Come on boob monster," Bicsa began. "Tell us why."

Raiji clears her throat. "I'm cursed." They remained silent, holding multiple expressions of shock, rage and grief. "I'm cursed by that weapon. It follows me, and eats people. It's a cannibal and it won't leave me alone." she glances at Natsiru. He steps back. "A monster?"

"N-no not a monster! A ghost-"

"She's LYING!"

"That woman's becoming a monster! Feeding on her people!" Raiji feels beads of sweet on her forehead. They spat curses and insults at her. Hephestia steps in front of the green-haired woman/ "SHUT UP NOW!" she roars. The crowd seemed to move back an inch, silencing themselves to the Satan looming in front of Raiji. Hephestia glares darkly. "Don't blame her, this wasn't happening before, was it!?" some nodded in response. Hephestia went on. "Raiji didn't know that weapon was cursed. But if she had used common sense, se would have known it was a bad weapon if seals were on it!" she throws a look at the Demon behind her. "Go home! ALL of you are wasting your time with anger!" the Demons separate. They go back to their daily business. Raiji sighs in relief. "You!" she holdas her breath as Hephestia points a hooked claw at her. "You need to figure how to tae the damn demon!"

She spreads her blue wings and flies away. Raiji straightens her posture and walks back up the stairs to her apartment. She gets a hand bag and puts her pepper spray, wallet and puts her glasses on. She blinks and smiles a little. "Thank goodness, I can see again. She walks down to the café. "Welcome to Mina's Café~" Lunalu chirps excitedly and hugs Raiji, nuzzling her face between Raiji's breasts. "It's not your work day Raiji! What ar here for? Did you miss me~?" Luna giggigles. Raiji chuckles. "Yes, I kind of missed you, have you heard from Hardy lately? After she kicked me out..?" Luna puts her slim finger in her glossy lips. "Hmm... she said she was closing her shop for a few days. I don't know why though. I asked about you, and she said "It no longer matters!" Raiji sighs. "She must still be mad at me." Raiji slouches. Lunalu shows a sympathetic look. "Don't be said Raiji! At least your punishment is light."

"P-punishmnt?" Luna nods quickly. "You have to take care of Sunny! You're lucky because you know him." she chuckles. Raiji cocks her head. "Go and find out why!" she shoos her out the door. Raiji runs to Sunny's place in the woods. She comes across a tall large tent. She walks in quietly and sees a lame Sunny laying in his bed. "Oh Raiji you really came." he smiles. Raiji stares in shock. His arm and leg were wrapped in casts. His leg rested on pillows. His head was wrapped in bandages over his left eye, slightly brown with his blood. She come closer. "W-what happened to you?" she whispered. He sighs. "That Demon that possessed you last night? I fought it, well, defended myself against it."

"Did I, it try to eat you?" Sunny shakes his head and winces. "It knew I was dead and slowly rotting, so it attempted to break me. But it only got my eye, neck, snipe, arm and leg. But I'll be okay." he smiles. Raiji looks down at him in remorse. "This is my fault, I'm so sorry Sunny..." he laughs. "It's going to be alright Raiji. I'm a zombie. These wounds are nothing! Trust me Raiji." Raiji looks away. "Um, some nights ago, I had a dream..." Sunny struggles to sit up. Raiji helps him. "Th-thanks. Go on?"

"There was this old lady in a cloak, who kept telling me, I'm the Chosen One and Chosen by Highest. I was very confused by that, then, I saw the North Star..." Raiji trails off. Sunny nods. "I don't know about that, but it must be something you have to do."

"Really? Like what?" Sunny pauses for a few seconds, then continues. You have to leave." Raiji gasps. "Why? Like banish leave-"

"No no. Not that. A journey. More of a quest." Raiji looks at the ground and sits down. "What direction exactly and I going to?" Sunny smiles. "It doesn't matter where you go. If you're a chosen one, you must be a Hero too." Raiji nods. "Where do Heroes travel?" he clears his dry throat. "The direction a Hero travels doesn't matter in a journey, what lays in their destination is what matters most." Raiji smiles. "Thank you Sunny. I appreciate your wisdom about this, but, I still don't understand..." Sunny points at a small bookshelf on the other side of the tent. "Hm?" Raiji crawls to it and take out a book. Stellar Magic and Constellations... Raiji flips to where a black bookmark was at and gasps. "Th-this is your handwriting Sunny!" she flips through more pages. He nods. "That's my research on Celestial Magic and anything to do with constellations. I want you have it.

"And that book too, next to it." Raiji takes the book. "What's is this?" she looks through it. "Th-this is on Witches?"

"Yes. Those are very important Witch groups that I want to learn about. I wrote of it myself, mind you." Raiji smiles in amazement. "Where did you find time to write all of this?" Sunny shrugs. "I'm old and I'm not who you think I am either..." Raiji turns to him. "What do you mean." he looks down. "Tell me... do you know what Tartarus is? A guild?"

"No, I don't. Why do you ask?" he cuts her off. "I am one of them."

Raiji clenches the boks tightly and runs to Dawns home. She bursts into the tent and gasps. In a hospital bed is a sick coughing woman. "M-Michele-sama!" the woman looks up. "R-Raiji? You really came..." she coughs more. Raiji shakily rubs her back. "Y-you're dying aren't you?" Michele Chestemptia smiles sadly. "I don' have much time left here. I'll be here still, so don't be sad." she smiles sweetly. Raiji reaches for her medicine. "This one?" the dirty blonde nods and takes the small bottle and eats two pills. "Sorry for showing up so suddenly, but I have to ask you something about the Night Fairies."

"Don't worry Raiji. I already know their secret. Did Sunny tell you?" she clears her throat. "He did, but I could tell that he had more to say, but refused to fess it up. All he said was his real name. Jackal, and that he his Curse was Bomb Curse..." Raiji looks at Michele's pale skeptical expression. "I... see..." she tears up and coughs in a cloth. "A-are you alright Michele?" she nods weakly. "Before I die, I want to know something... Is there a heaven, with a real God?" Raiji pauses. Is God real? I don't know... "I, y-yes... he is real." Raiji said, unsure if her answer being true.

Michele closes her eyes. "Is He really real?" I nod. "God was always here. He was never created. He is eternal and made space..." Michele-sama... She smiles. "I'm so relieved. I'll be able to die unafraid. Tell my father I love him, my mother and sister too... and that I'll be joining them." Raiji watches he drift to sleep, he breaths shallow. She stands and excuses herself.

And DONE!

See you in the next issue...