Chapter 43: Heading Across Tokyo

Due to how things happened, they started their day heading to Kinshicho. It was hard to imagine missing Akihabara since that area had been lit up and active. But Kinshicho was hiding fairly well, behind a park one way and a deserted area of streets another way. It was also a quieter town than Akihabara. The people were friendly, busy with crafting supplies for themselves and others. While the survey requests were all taken, there were still other requests to take care of.

Isabeau and Walter wanted to work together when they split up; nobody was going to argue that. And Jonathan knew that Flynn and Issachar would prefer working together too. So that left him working with Naverre today. Jonathan didn't mind it since he felt they were all good friends and he could work with any of them.

They took a request to get rid of a demon that was camped out on a bridge to the south. It had come from one of the first surveys, when the Hunter who found the manticore could not take care of it himself. Thankfully, the Hunter agreed to pass what data the program gave him. It included that the manticore was venomous. They had a lot of antidotes for that, so it didn't worry them.

"Where did you slip off to yesterday?" Naverre asked. "You missed a fascinating conversation about dressing up like your favorite characters and acting like them to celebrate their greatness. There weren't many character fashions that are known in Mikado literature, but Literature itself and some of the old mediums have great characters to play as."

Jonathan thought that was odd, but if they were happy with it, there seemed to be no harm in it. "Huh. Well, I met an interesting kid there and we ended up talking about various things for a while. He might have met the real Gabriel, so she's likely around too."

"That sounds like it will get confusing if we end up facing the real Gabriel and the impostor," Naverre said. "How would we tell the difference?"

"I think I could figure it out," Jonathan said. "If not, Issachar could tell in his angel form."

A screechy roar interrupted them. They weren't yet at the bridge, but they'd arrived in sight of the river. Just outside of a streetlight's radius, there was a shadowy beast prowling and whipping a segmented tail around. From the profile, it seemed like a manticore. Naverre raised his eyebrows, then called out, "Hey, weren't you at the bridge?"

"I don't think that was smart," Jonathan whispered over to him. The manticore could be easier to take if they surprised it.

The manticore growled again, but trailed off into a whimper. "Bridge taken, scary one," it said, trying to keep a bellowing voice quiet. "No like."

"You were scared off by something else?" Naverre asked, puzzled.

The manticore turned to face them with a vicious snarl. "ME NOT COWARD!" it bellowed properly before firing many needles at them.

It was a powerful beast. Thankfully, Naverre had picked up Media as Flynn had suggested. It helped to make a tough battle like this easier. They had to take some time to patch up their teams, then look ahead to where the bridge was.

"We took care of the manticore, but do we take care of whatever has taken the bridge now?" Naverre asked.

"We should at least see what's there," Jonathan said. "If we have to, we could call the others over to figure out what to do."

Avoiding the lights as much as they could, they headed towards the bridge. There was nothing blocking their view of two figures there. One was clearly some kind of machine, with two wheels and a long set of handlebars. It didn't seem too steady, but it was standing there. Close to the machine, there was a young man looking off to the south. He didn't have any demons with him unless the machine was something demonic. As they approached, it was easier to see that his black vest revealed a number of strange pictures on his arms.

He noticed them approaching the bridge and turned to find them. Deciding to be civil, Jonathan waved to him. "Hello. We came out to take care of a demon on this bridge, but found it elsewhere. Did you have to fight anything here?"

He waved back. "Yes, it wasn't anything notable. I hope that doesn't cause you trouble."

"As long as the bridge is clear, the job is done," Jonathan said. They exchanged names; he turned out to be Naoki, another Hunter. "Pardon me for asking, but what's that machine you have here?"

"It's my motorcycle," Naoki said. "It can handle rough terrain, so most of the streets are no problem to get around fast. And given how loud it is, a fair number of demons will scatter from that."

"Oh, that could be what spooked the manticore away," Naverre said. "But, are you some satanist or devil-worshiper with all those tattoos of demons on you?"

Jonathan felt annoyed at the question, although he had to wonder if Naverre meant the pictures being what he named tattoos. Strangely enough, Naoki didn't get insulted at the question. "You're asking me two different things. I could just like the designs, you know."

"Well I was told yesterday that tattoos usually mean something to the person who has them," Naverre said. "And aren't they the same kind of thing?"

"No," Naoki said. "Because Satan isn't a devil. He's the Adversary, the penultimate judge with only God ranking above him in the celestial hierarchy. Although, a person might be tempted to see him as a devil if they've committed some grave sin. Being a devil-worshiper is being someone who worships Lucifer, and I'd be neither. I just like the tattoos."

"Well I had to make sure of that kind of thing," Naverre said, trying not to look embarrassed.

"It's interesting to meet another who sees the difference so sensibly," Jonathan said, hoping to keep things civil with a potential ally. Naoki was out here on his own, so he had to be a capable Hunter and thus potentially someone useful to know. "I get so irritated when people mess up those two."

Naoki smiled at that. "Yeah, some people might call it nitpicky, but when you're out here dealing with demons, you don't want to be making that kind of mistake in mixing up identities. A number of them will be pissed off if you misidentify them, although mixing up two big names like that could invite lesser demons to sow more confusion. Anyhow, did you just need the bridge cleared? It seems good in that aspect."

Jonathan nodded. "Yes, some people want to make further surveys down this way."

"It's a massive swamp of poisonous sludge down that way," Naoki said, waving off to the south. "Been that way for years, but there's some promising warehouses in that area if it can be crossed."

"Oh, were you one of the ones investigating that?" Jonathan asked. "I heard there was some trouble a while ago that had everyone shut into the safe areas."

"Well I just got here," he explained. "I've got other things to investigate in this part of Tokyo, not the sludge swamp. There's supposed to be some unusual demons in the area, the sort I look for, as well as a strange phenomenon on a highway further south of the swamp."

"What kind of demons do you look for?" Jonathan asked. "We're looking for some specific ones ourselves."

"Really strong ones, in order to challenge myself," he answered with a believable confidence. "I can handle most demons across Tokyo without much trouble, so I keep an eye out for demons that are unusually strong for their area. They cause a heap of trouble and an unfortunate number of Hunters won't go after them. I do."

"That sounds like a lot of our fellows, unfortunately," Jonathan said.

"So who are you looking for?" Naoki asked.

"Lilith and an impostor of Gabriel," he said, then explained the general information about their main missions.

Naoki rubbed his neck on being told about them. "Hmm, well I couldn't tell you much about an angel impostor, but I do know some about Lilith."

"Really?" Jonathan asked. "What do you know?"

"You won't find her on her own," Naoki said. "Lilith is a temptress and a manipulator, so she'll find others to do her work for her. She likes to be in charge of things, so she's probably leading one group or another under an assumed identity. Probably not the Ashura-kai; they're too chauvinistic for her liking. But one thing that can clue you in to where she is is to pay attention to her daughters."

"Her daughters?" Naverre asked, puzzled at that advice.

He nodded. "The lilim. There is usually a group accompanying her. If the group is just lilims instead of having some succubi or other seductresses along, there's a decent chance that Lilith is around too. And if a demon report of an area has a sudden influx of lilims, Lilith most likely had a hand in that. It's not a conclusive thing, but a hint all the same."

"That might help narrow the search area," Jonathan said.

"Right, this city is difficult to search at times," Naoki said, then held up a hand. "Oh yes, and something else you should be aware of if you aren't already. If you're at all attracted to women, you're vulnerable to the potent charm magic that both Lilith and the lilims possess. Even if you find some charm protection amulet, Lilith is a skilled speaker and can get around that kind of protection if you let her talk enough. So don't confront her alone and be cautious of what she says."

"That would be something to keep in mind," Jonathan said, running his thumb over his wedding ring. "Thanks for your advice; I hope we can return the favor sometime."

"Don't mind it," Naoki said, getting on his motorcycle. "Demon hunters should help each other, after all. Good luck, hope to see you guys alive sometime." He then turned on his motorcycle, which let out a rumbling roar of machine sorcery before taking off to the south with its rider.

Naverre stared at it for a moment. "My word, no wonder the manticore was scared of that! I didn't think a machine would be so loud."

There was a part of Jonathan that felt the motorcycle was much too noisy and fearsome. But it was a swift machine, out of sight in seconds. What kind of thrill would it be to tame one of those mystic relics? He found himself smiling at the thought. "Fast too. I wonder if that's one of the forbidden sorceries we aren't supposed to bring back. It's almost a pity since traveling that quickly without the terminals would be handy."

After double-checking the bridge, they headed back to report in about the manticore to the Association, and about what Naoki had said on Lilith to their fellows.


It was a short walk from Akihabara, a river crossing that had to be made with the help of kelpies, and a long walk down to Kasumigaseki. Of course, a long walk led Asahi to starting conversations. "What do you think Mikado is like, being above the Firmament?" she wondered aloud. "They get to have the sun and be close to it, so I bet it gets really hot."

"Well the world is supposed to have all kinds of weather, so it could be hot, or it could rain, or even snow," Hallelujah said. "And I hear you can get fog without it being magic."

"Hazy air is a sign of dirtiness or magic," Toki said. "I don't see how you can get a natural fog."

Hallelujah shook his head. "No, it happens, um, I know I've read it before." Then he snapped his fingers. "Yeah, they're clouds! Clouds are just water vapor that form up in the sky; they've appeared down here at times, actually. And if the temperature is just right, the clouds can form right along the ground. That's fog. And since they're high up, Mikado probably gets fog a lot too."

"That would be kind of bad, wouldn't it?" Asahi said. "Since if it got all foggy and you couldn't see, you might walk off the edge of the Firmament without realizing it."

"That's be a long fall," Nanashi said, looking up into the darkness.

Behind them, Nikkari kept quiet. These old normal things were magical to these kids who'd never experienced them. And now, there was hope that they might experience such weather for themselves one day. Sure, that hope had always been there. But Flynn was certain he could remove the Firmament without harming Mikado or Tokyo in the process. There was a commanding look to him that made Nikkari believe it was possible almost immediately. Between his knowledge and that look, he even believed that Flynn was far older than he first appeared to be. It was magical to Nikkari, but must be completely normal to Flynn.

And something about these four kids had Flynn, angels, and demons paying attention to them.

Toki was easily explained. She was a weapon to others more than a person. The way she moved along the street, the way she dressed as a shadow, the absolute focus she had in battle, the stoic uncertainty she had in talking to others: she had been raised to have deadly skill and nothing more. With someone to direct her, she could terrorize the whole city. It was chilling to see a child solider, no, assassin like this. But she couldn't deserve a life like that. She deserved a chance to be her own person and live.

In contrast, Hallelujah seemed almost normal for a young teenager in Tokyo. It was clear from his skin, eyes, and fitness that he was a lot healthier than average, but that shouldn't be enough to mark him as special. But Nikkari felt something was unknown about Hallelujah right now. There was his relationship with his one demon, a brotherhood more than a working partnership. There was the way he had a smartphone but no demon summoning app when the program had spread silently and suddenly right when it was needed. And, there was something more that Nikkari noticed on this trek through the streets of Tokyo: Hallelujah was sensitive to the presence and mood of demons. He tried to hide it, but there were a couple of times when the boy became alert to an oncoming battle that Nikkari had not yet noticed. There was something special about him, but what was it?

Nanashi was even more difficult to distinguish from normal, but Nikkari had worked with him long enough to know that boy was something special. For one thing, he was a natural at demon summoning. Anybody could use the summoning program, true. But there was using it and having a knack for it that made a big difference. Nanashi had been using the fusion app too, so his demons were already twice the level of Asahi and Toki's teams even though the girls only started a few hours after him. And Nanashi's demons were quickly cooperative with him, while Asahi's nepaea kept teasing her and Toki's demons seemed wary of her. Given time, Nanashi could likely negotiate with any demon in Tokyo and gain influence with them.

And Asahi… Asahi… she didn't belong in this time.

Nikkari glanced around, keeping watch for any ambushes or challenges. The street was clear for now. Ahead of him, Toki, Hallelujah, and Nanashi were all similarly alert. They didn't need a reminder of how dangerous the streets could be. Asahi glanced around every now and then, but not often enough. She was too quick to get bored with just walking and so brought up these questions and conversations to pass time. In doing so, she was trying to learn more about her two new friends and figure out how to interest them.

If she had been around before the war, Nikkari was certain that she'd be one of the popular girls in school. Asahi had normal interests for a girl her age, at least back to that pre-war era. Her chattiness, positive energy, and eagerness to help would earn her a lot of friends. But in this time, she was a liability. Her talking was noise to disturb or attract demons, or to distract the rest of them. Her energy and words were encouraging, but would lead her to become tired sooner than the rest of them. In all honesty, she was better suited for staying around Kinshicho, to keep up the spirits of the residents and guards there.

But she wanted to be a Hunter badly. Since she was fifteen, she wanted to be accepted as an adult even though she had a lot to learn about responsibility. Asahi didn't have Nanashi's talent, or Toki's training, or Hallelujah's sense, or anything that could make up for her inexperience. She'd get angry with him if she realized that Nikkari was watching over her mainly so she didn't make a dangerous mistake. While it was an awful thought, Nikkari couldn't help but think that she was a prime target for a demon to kill or kidnap as a means to motivate Nanashi into doing something. There were even some humans Nikkari knew of that wouldn't hesitate to do so. She shouldn't be here.

But here she was. It was being a teenager, Nikkari figured. They fit the saying that if you forbid someone to do something, it was all the more likely that they would go and do it. With some experience, Asahi could be good for a role that needed someone encouraging and cheerful. Like guarding civilians in a crisis or running supplies to Hunters posted away from settlements. It was up to Nikkari to make sure that getting that experience didn't kill or permanently harm Asahi.

For now, though, Nikkari let the teens talk with each other. Things were relatively safe for the moment. If supporting others was Asahi's calling, then this was what she needed to be doing.

They got to Kasumigaskei without notable incident. But right at the elevator down to the base itself, they ran into the Mikado samurai again. "Hey, what are you guys doing here?" Asahi asked. "Especially you since you got hurt really bad."

Walter seemed much more alert, smiling as he recognized them. "Hoy there, nice to see you. I did take a month off, and now I'm back"

"Wait, a month?" Hallelujah asked, his eyes wide. "But, we saw you guys in Akihabara not that long ago, and you said you were going to Kinshicho."

"We did, and spent a few hours reconnaissance there after we went back for their wedding," Flynn said.

"There's a large difference of time between here and there, remember?" Nanashi said to the others.

"Oh yeah," Hallelujah said, rubbing his forehead. "It's weird to think of, though."

"It is, very much so," one of the other young men said. From what he'd been told, Nikkari guessed that was Jonathan.

Flynn nodded. "Fujiwara said he was waiting on some guests. If that's you, you may as well head on down before they get too busy fixing this place up."

"Sure, we wouldn't want to hold you all back either," Nikkari said. "Do you know where you're headed?"

"Yes, Skins gave us some directions on how to find some places from here," Flynn said. "We might see each other again if our paths cross."

Knowing that Flynn was training his fellows for a dangerous encounter in the near future, Nikkari wished them well and wordlessly encouraged his students to let them head on their way. There was a guard posted at the elevator as usual, but one that wore the uniform of a Hunter rather than an Ashura-kai. It was someone Nikkari knew, so they were readily passed to head down into the base. While there were a few people in the halls cleaning up and examining potential problems, Nikkari felt it was eerie for the place to be mostly deserted like this. It used to be bustling with activity and tension.

Fujiwara and Skins met with them in the control room. Only a few of the screens were lit up at the moment, showing camera feeds from various places around Tokyo. Of all the people that Nikkari had ever met, no one could match Fujiwara at acting casual even at his most alert and wary. He was already toying with a pen like he was bored. "Ah, hello Nikkari, it's been a while," Fujiwara said, smiling like nothing important was going on.

Nikkari bowed his head. "Hello to you both. It's nice to see you retaking this place; it was a pity that the Ashura-kai didn't make proper use of it."

"Yes, I feel the same," Fujiwara said. "I see you have more students than you did yesterday."

"Right, sorry about not warning you," Nikkari said, although he had. He saw where he was going with this. "But the demon reports seemed relatively safe despite the near power outage, so I felt it was a good trip for all of them."

"Probably good for you too since the terminals now require three locations to make use of them," Skins said. "Though you might not always be able to come here with students."

Fujiwara clapped his hands together, like he had just had an idea. "True, but you've all come at a good time now. I want to resettle the Association headquarters here since the Ashura-kai aren't using this base now. It's gotten dusty and we're not sure how everything is organized right now. If you all don't mind, we could use a few extra hands to check on everything."

"Sure, we wouldn't mind, right guys?" Asahi said, eager for the tasks. In her eyes, a mundane task like cleaning when done for the leader of the Hunter Association was likely to be in her favor towards advancing as a Hunter.

"Sure, why not?" Hallelujah said.

"We were supposed to head back for Kinshicho according to the Boss," Toki said. That was a soldier's mindset.

"I'll send Toma a note to make sure it's fine," Fujiwara said, then quickly assigned tasks so that Asahi, Hallelujah, and Toki were all sent to one of the locker rooms to clean and catalog while Nikkari and Nanashi were held back in the command room 'for a few minutes'.

Nanashi quietly watched and nodded along. Once his friends were out of the room, he asked, "You did that on purpose, didn't you? I know Nikkari sent you a text saying there'd be five of us coming."

Fujiwara smiled again; the glint to his eyes this time showed that he was genuinely amused at that. "Ah, you've seen right through me. No wonder Nikkari thinks highly of you. But yes, you're the important one to talk to and this may go into things I don't want most people hearing of yet. You see, it's not often that I can get Tayama in a position precarious to him. His leadership of the city has been, to speak frankly, toxic to even the people in the Ashura-kai's circle. Your actions in stopping the missiles has put an unexpected wedge in his grip over Tokyo."

"That is dangerous to you, young fellow," Skins said, stern but clearly concerned. "Tayama excuses his cutthroat tactics as what is necessary to keep order, but they are cutthroat and won't give any mercy to anyone."

"I know, but a lot of people would have died," Nanashi said. "Akihabara is bigger than both Kinshicho and Ueno, so I had to do something when I got the chance."

"True, that's still an important matter," Fujiwara said. "But we've already had to cover up your identity to Tayama himself and will have to keep covering you as much as we can for a while. Now, how did you stop the missiles here while you were in Kinshicho?"

"Well I got this demon with the demonica that's of the Virus clan, and it pretty much did everything technical," he answered, activating his demonica so he could call out Trojan.

The tiny toy horse snapped a few of its wires on seeing where it was called out. "Wooo, #seriousplace #delicioushardware."

"Don't mess with any of it," Nanashi said, to which Trojan immediately bobbed in agreement. He then showed the request information to them, along with a photograph that Flynn had sent along of a past life that supposedly they both had lived. Nikkari felt uneasy with all this reincarnation talk; it would have been called complete hogwash before the war. But in this time, it made an eerie amount of sense.

"So are you a reincarnation of Akira?" Skins asked; he probably felt the same way, that this was eerie.

Lowering his eyes, Nanashi looked uncomfortable with it. "I'm not sure myself. I don't remember things like Flynn seems to, just vague things that could be dreams. I mean, it wouldn't be nearly as weird if Akira was somehow my father and that's why I can use this," he put his right hand on the demonica, "even though I don't know who he is either way. It's like I told Flynn: I don't really want to get involved in all this big stuff until I can figure things out for myself. I just haven't had the time, and if people are in trouble, well I'm not going to leave them to that trouble if I can help. Even if it gets me in trouble too."

Nikkari put a hand on Nanashi's shoulder, making the boy look up at him. "That's a wise position to take for now. We just need to keep quiet for the time being, find some other reason to explain us being out here." Nanashi smiled up at him, although his eyes betrayed that he was still troubled.

"Well the basic work in restoring this place to a working condition is suitable for students such as yours," Fujiwara said, having thought of this ahead of time. He was like that, knowing his potential moves two or three steps ahead and able to adjust on the fly. "And Nanashi, speaking with you now has convinced me that you could very well be Akira reborn."

"Really?" Nanashi asked, puzzled at that.

Fujiwara nodded. "You're still figuring things out, but I can see bits of his conviction and selflessness in you already. He too was willing to put his reputation and life on the line for what he believed was right; he wanted to find some way of solving our crisis without relying on demons or angels, as both sides saw humans as mere pawns to play with. In the same way, the Flynn I knew back then also gave his all, even his own life, for what he believed in. Both of you were seeking that third option that worked best for humanity."

Skins frowned thoughtfully at that. "Yeah, but that has me worried about the Flynn we've just met. Sacrificing too much of yourself might save others, but it doesn't make the future for yourself look that bright."

"Yes, I feel that he's suffering already for that," Fujiwara said. "At the same time, I don't think we can stop him from carrying out his intentions, whatever they become. The war has already begun, even though most people will see this time as quiet."

"Do you have plans for this war?" Nanashi asked, starting to look too serious for his age again.

Their leader nodded. "Of course, but more than that, we can adapt quicker than demons or angels. Your community is basically at the front lines should the angels come out of Sky Tower, though. You'll need to help keep those grounds safe."

"They can fly, so they might set up elsewhere," Nanashi said. "But we will."

"We may have to agree to work under the angels temporarily should that prove safer to the civilians there," Nikkari said, recalling various scenarios he'd thought up. "In that case, we might have to move you and your friends elsewhere."

"Did you agree to work with Flynn further?" Fujiwara asked.

"Not right now," Nanashi said. "I do want to keep training myself, in case I need to join in at some point. But for now, I'll keep out of things."

"Well I can think of some things you can do that shouldn't draw too much attention to yourself," Fujiwara said, leading them to discuss potential plans.


After passing through a tunnel that required a toll, the six samurai found themselves in front of a sprawling marsh of poison. The glowing violet mass filled the streets. It may have even eaten some of the massive buildings as the area was more open than other areas in Tokyo. While someone had tried to put stones to walk across, some of them were already eroded to rubble. How had this big of a poison swamp appeared?

More importantly, "Are we really going to be crossing this?" Naverre asked. "It's huge!"

"This is the way to the central towns," Flynn said. "And there's an obvious path over it even if it's barely there, unlike in Naraku."

"We can make this," Jonathan said. "The people of Tokyo would have to cross it if they need to go this way."

"Right," Walter said. "Or are you too much of a prissy chicken to go out into the poison?"

"I can do this as much as any of you," Naverre said. Wanting to do so was another matter.

But they had to cross to move on, presumably. Or at least Flynn had decided to go this way and wasn't changing his mind on seeing the size of the swamp. Naverre tried to stick to the stepping stones even when they were just rubble; the goo was like walking over jam, squishy and slow to sink into. But if it was jam, it was something noxious and unfit to eat.

Of course, they had to fight demons all along the way. The demons grew even tougher as well, stronger than those in the northeastern area! Naverre had thought that he'd put together a pretty good demon team yesterday, but as soon as he got his spells upgraded, he had to negotiate some new demons and fuse the old ones. Even then, they had to team up in threes and work towards remaking their demon allies again.

This was not as glamorous as he'd imagined a samurai's life being. Nothing of this had been how he'd imagined. Sure, they were on a major quest for all of Mikado. But the stories never talked about long trudges through glowing poisonous swamps. Was this kind of thing really what he wanted to be doing with his life? This wasn't exciting; it was disgusting.

Maybe things would improve once they were past this awful place and never had to come this way again.

A/N: I just wanted to make a reply to an anon comment: if it was plausible, I do prefer avoiding 'homosexuality is bad' angst in writing relationships. I've heard people say they're tired of it and I would like to be a positive example in things. But for this particular setting, you're right, avoiding angst isn't plausible as both Mikado and Tokyo have reasons to look down on same sex relationships. And while Mikado is changing, ethical views don't change overnight, especially not from something as strict as what they had. I'm still trying to not make that kind of angst overbearing, as there's a boatload of other problems going on and the games already suffer from darkness-induced apathy.

And thank you all for your comments and reviews! I know I don't reply to comments often, but I appreciate the feedback; it's been encouraging, which I've been extra grateful for lately.