Yoshiki's Room - Real World Yoshiki
The kettle whistles on the gas stove. The sound of feet cross the small room to the kitchen. A click and the low rumble of hot flames stops. The whistling dies down, a peeling sound and the sound of hot water being poured, rings from the kitchen. The clank of metal against metal, and then the beep of a kitchen timer being set.
Yoshiki comes back into his room and sets his instant noodles in front of him with one hand, on the small coffee table. A pair of disposable chopsticks still in their paper sleeve is on top of it. Leaning back on the side of his bed he lets out a sigh.
(What in the world do I today?)
He wanted to figure out what in the world was wrong with Shinozaki's family, but trying to go ask them was out of the question. Either the police would be called the moment they saw him or her father would attack him again. For an old man he was quite fit, his stomach was slightly bruised where he'd been punched.
The person who would probably know if Shinozaki had been attacked by some secret society would be Mizuki Magari, but he had no way to find her, and even then she was dangerous, just thinking about her gave Yoshiki a chill down his spine.
(No, I can't ask her. I need someone who can give me information, or at least point me in the right direction... Information?...Of course! Niwa Aiko!)
Niwa Aiko, the spiritual information broker who sold Saenoki Naho the information about Heavenly Host elementary school. She had approached Shinozaki Ayumi and Kishinuma Yoshiki, as survivors of Heavenly Host, with a business offer. She would assist them in reviving their friends, who had died in Heavenly Host, and they would remove any threats or traps still remaining, after Shinozaki Sachiko's ghost had been released. Her objective was to use Heavenly Host as proof that the spiritual world was real, and to become a tour guide of it charging exorbitant fees.
She had notified Satoshi, Yohiski, and Naomi that Ayumi had gone to the abandoned apartment of Shinozaki Makina alone, and there she had taken the red box that Ayumi had found as payment for helping her friends find her. Inside were the Ever After stones. Many of them had apparently been contained within it, but only 2 pairs remained intact among the multiple fragments.
Using them as a conduit, she had taken a photograph via projected thermography of Heavenly Host's insides as proof. In the picture was the ghost of Yuki holding an ax in her right hand, a thick book in her left.
Her irresponsibility and thoughtlessness in her handling of Heavenly Host cost her, her best friends, Saenoki Naho, Ooue Sayaka, Haruyuki Inumaru, and her sister Niwa Kuon.
The last Yoshiki saw of her was when they were running out of Heavenly Host. If Satoshi and the others had gotten out, she should have too.
(Satoshi, I wonder if he's okay.)
He hadn't thought of Satoshi in a while. He'd been too caught up in trying to find Shinozaki.
(I'll stop by his house to see if everything's okay. After that I'll wait in front of Paulownia Academy. I have no idea where she lives and I don't have her phone number either.)
BEEP, BEEP, BEEP, BEEP
The kitchen timer reads 0:00:00. Pulling the chopsticks out of their sleaves, Yoshiki mutters a quick "itadakimasu" before quickly slurping up the contents. He had an objective, and wanted to get to it quickly.
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Passing by the Mochida household everything looked quiet. Except for the sudden appearance of a hot spring.
" `Mochida's Hot spring`? I don't remember this being here before... Well, he doesn't seem to be home."
Sighing, Yoshiki turned around and started walking to the train station.
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Paulownia Academy – Real World Yoshiki
Unlike Kisaragi Paulownia Academy hadn't been closed. First period had already started however and with only casual clothes on Yoshiki couldn't get in without being noticed.
Being here was a risk though, Magari also went to this school. Running into her in broad daylight was hopefully safe enough, but if she managed to make everyone in the area ignore him... Yoshiki shakes his head. He doesn't have a choice. Even if it is Magari he needs to know what's going on with Shinozaki. He doesn't want to be the last one to find out everything. He's had enough of that with Heavenly Host.
That said he can't just stand here in front of the school. If the police don't come to take him away he'll be dragged inside by a guidance counsellor and he can't afford to miss Aiko. Looking around he spots a convenience store opposite the school. Scratching his head and sighing he shoves his hands into his pockets and enters.
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It's been a couple hours. Yoshiki has been standing in the magazine aisle next to the window. He had been keeping an eye on the school but it doesn't seem students leave the campus for lunch. He hadn't expected Aiko to leave the campus during that time but was hoping that he could sneak in either hiding among the students or pretending to be a part time worker delivering sandwiches or something. Neither of the two opportunities arrived so the only option left was to hope he could catch her when she left the school. Looking back down at the magazine he was pretending to read he skimmed a few headlines.
"Source of mysterious pillars unknown, government still refuse comment."
"Alien attack?! Interview with world renowned astronomer!"
"Attack by Molemen?! The coming invasion of the underground civilization!"
None of the headlines seem to even come close. Speculation was going wild due to the sudden appearance and disappearance of the Entity Walls. They hadn't appeared only in Japan. They had appeared the most in Tokyo, the point closest to where the Nirvana had broken into our world, but they didn't stop just there. Locations with high population densities had seen one or two erupt. This had caused large amounts of damage in areas with no earthquake policies. London had taken far more damage than Tokyo in that sense due to most of their infrastructure not being earthquake proof, they still hadn't recovered public transport and places still lacked water and electricity. The Gaza strip had erupted into full blown war. Both sides claimed divine intervention from the presence of the Entity walls and were using it to fuel their propaganda. Similar stories could be heard in multiple places in the Middle East. The number of terror attacks had increased in most parts of the globe fuelled by religious zealotry. America had declared martial law in New York. In total the world was a mess.
Strangely there was almost no mention of secret societies such as the Grave of Maltuva or the Wiccan Institue.
Glancing up again Yoshiki sees nothing but the empty school gates. He puts down the magazine he's reading and picks up another one.
"CEO of rapidly growing PL LLC Niwa Kuon Dissappears!"
Niwa Kuon, Niwa Aiko's older sister and assistant homeroom teacher Yoshiki, Satoshi, Naomi, and Ayumi as well as the CEO of PL LLC. She had taken the place of Shishido Yui, also teaching English, and was a constant reminder of the people lost in Heavenly Host. However, she had accompanied Satoshi and Naomi to Heavenly Host. Using her resources as the CEO of PL she had managed to create a pair of synthetic Ever After stones from the fragments inside the box, allowing them to enter the Heavenly Host. In the end she used her spiritual power to seal the last pillar "The Sephirot of Knowledge" that sealed the Nirvana, separating it from the real world. Thus sacrificing herself she bought Ayumi enough time to find the core of the Nirvana and seal it within the Book of Shadows.
(I wonder what's going to happen to it now that Kuon-sensei is gone)
While the Nirvana was breaking through to the real world she had her company selling spiritual protection items such as charms or power crystals at low prices in order to protect as many people as she could. PL LLC had made a large profit from this. However, the reason for LLC's quick growth was mostly Kuon's unbelievable talent. Her elementary school piece she had written when she was 11 had apparently become a world best seller. From there she had succeeded in all routes of academia and business.
(That reminds me, I'm probably fired from my old job by now. I'll need to find a new one)
Setting down the magazine, Yoshiki picks up one of the job offer flyers. Still checking the school gates from time to time he looks through them while waiting for school to finish.
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(Finally, looks like schools out, who knew I'd get this tired just from waiting.)
With the sun beginning to set students began to leave the school.
(Niwa usually wears that weird purple Yukata so she should be easy to find.)
Picking up a random magazine Yoshiki keeps on looking for Aiko while pretending to read.
(Come on, hurry up!)
Most of the students seem to have left, but no sign of Aiko.
(Dammit, did she not come in to school today?)
Setting down the magazine Yoshiki steps out of the store. He starts walking towards the school.
I can't just go back empty handed, at this rate I'll just grab someone and ask where she lives.
Stepping inside he sees a girl with long black hair, interrupted with a lock of white on the side, in an ordinary Paulownia Academy uniform. She's sitting on one of the red seats that surround a tree, as if to take a short break before going home.
Grabbing her shoulder Yoshiki asks, "Hey, I'm looking for Niwa Aiko, do you know her?"
She stiffens before turning.
"Yes, I know her." Niwa Aiko's face answers.
"Are you really, Niwa?" I take a step back. She's wearing the normal Paulownia Academy uniform. The purple Yukata she wore instead of a school jacket is gone along with the wooden clogs she wore instead of shoes.
"I would believe I would know whether or not I was myself." Violet eyes narrow. "Now, who are you, and why are you looking for me?"
She doesn't remember me? After all the stuff she put us through? I can feel my fists clenching.
Whump!
Huh?!
"Excuse us Vice President we were delayed by a labor crew checking the stability of the roads, what shall we do with this?"
I was grabbed from behind by a big guy in a black suit and sunglasses. Looks like something out of Men in Black. He's got my arms locked behind me and I can't break free!
"Let... go! Dammit!" I struggle, the guy squeezes my arms but I still try to break free. The guy's brow furrows.
"Take him with us, he was looking for me and he has an interesting aura around him. He might be useful." Niwa nonchalantly states.
"Understood."
"Oi, wait, dammit. Lemme go!" I'm dragged backwards, Niwa follows a few paces behind. I hear a car door opening and I'm dragged into the back seat of a car. It's big, probably a limousine.
"Stop struggling, we will not release you until the Vice President gives us the word." A feel something wrap around my wrists and then the sound of ticking plastic. I'm then thrown into the back right seat. The guy sits down opposite me.
Niwa Aiko looks in before smiling. "I suppose you got more than you expected? I guess you don't know much about me after all." She steps in and takes the seat furthest from me.
"You asked me two questions and I answered both, now I have asked you two but you still haven't answered. As a business transaction this isn't the worse I've seen, but I make it a habit to take whatever I think I'm owed, if I'm not paid." She's got that annoying smile on her face again, like the one she wore when she tried to convince me and Shinozaki to go back to Heavenly Host.
"Dammit, are you crazy. This is a kidnapping!"
"Oh, is there someone who would report you missing, a fellow conspirator perhaps?" A look of false surprise paints her face before reforming the smile. "From the look on your face, I guess not. In that case with no one to report it it doesn't matter whether this is a kidnapping, or not."
This person is nuts! I didn't think she was right in the head when she wanted to collect all those spiritual items from Heavenly Host, as well as make it a tourist spot. But this is just insane!
"Since we have time before we arrive, I'll ask again. Who are you, and why are you looking for me?" The smile is gone this time, good it was annoying me.
"I'm Kishinuma Yoshiki, we've met before, in Heavenly Host." Her eyes widen before narrowing. She looks away, folding her arms in front of her.
"So, that explains your aura." She mutters to herself. Mist and Magari said something similar about us. The 5 who escaped from Heavenly Host, apparently we had a different aura to other people. Something about having lived through the same time over and over again, ahhh, I can't remember.
She turns to the guy. I guess he's her bodyguard. "Release him, he's not one of their pawns."
"Understood." He reaches behind me and I hear a snap. My wrists come free and he retreats holding a plastic cuff.
"So you've answered one of my questions." Niwa continues, while I rub my wrists. "I still haven't heard why you wanted to see me though."
"I wanted some information, that's all. You were the only information broker I knew that deals with this sort of stuff." Her brow furrows and she looks out the window. Her arms are still folded over her chest.
"Now I need some info, tell me every..."
"How many family members do you have?"
"Huh?!"
"I asked, `How many family members do you have?` "
"Hold on a second, I answered 2 of your questions now it's my turn to ask."
"What are you saying? You didn't answer those questions immediately last time. I had to get you in my car in order for you to answer them. This is interest. In-ter-est,"
"Wha-. That's just stupid."
"You called me an information broker, information is what I deal with. You should be thankful I'm only charging questions, although if you would like I'm willing to accept payment in a different medium." At this a wide smirk appears on her face. Shit, I guess she still ticks me off.
"If I answer will you answer my questions?"
"It wouldn't hurt. Of course I would have to charge you separately for that." I sigh, I'm stuck in this car anyways and this is my first lead.
"I only have a little sister. I haven't talked or seen my parents in a long time."
"Oh, really?" She's looking out the window again. The sun's rays cast half her body in shadow and the other half in its orange glow.
"Is she from Heavenly Host too?"
"No, there's no way I'd let her go there!"
"I see. I hope you get to see her again." What is she...?
The car stops.
"Vice President, we have arrived."
The door closest to Niwa is opened from outside and another guy in a suit and sunglasses helps her out.
"Get out." The guy sitting opposite to me gestures with his head. I get out of the limousine and he follows behind me.
We're in front of an office building. The entrance is elevated above the street, large stairs lead up to it. Above the entrance I see the letters P L Limited Liability Company.
"Come in, it's getting cold." I hear her say without looking back.
I don't understand what's going on or whether I can trust her, I have half a mind to just turn around and run. She was creepy before, now she gives off the same feeling as Magari. I thought she still had a human heart when she begged Mist not to kill her sister, looks like her appearance isn't the only thing that changed.
I grit my teeth, there's a guy behind me but at this time of the day there's still a few people around. I could kick up a scene and might be able to get out or at least get help.
"I'm sorry... you don't have to worry anymore."
Shinozaki went back to Heavenly Host with Mist. She didn't know what sort of state it was in or how to find the Book of Shadows once she got there. She hadn't even learned how to swim. But she went back. Just to get back our friends.
The building in front of me isn't Heavenly Host. The things I'm dealing with aren't even spirits or ghosts. If I run away now, then why didn't I run away the moment she was possessed back by the third floor bathrooms in Heavenly Host?
I look down and sigh. I look back up. Niwa Aiko stares down at me from the top of the stair by the entrance.
" `No matter what happens`, was it..."
I walk forward and start climbing.