Welcome to the revised version of Chapter 53! ...yeah, I actually revised it. I know, it is a miracle that I went back, and a surprise (for myself) that this totally short chapter of no importance became a chapter that has at least some dark story to it...
...I should've called this Update "Miracles and Surprises" instead of naming Chapter 54 like that, seriously.
But I don't want to say much here... there isn't much to be said. I simply returned to here because I just couldn't let this chapter be the way it was... too short and with too much grammar mistakes.
So here it is, Chapter 53 Revised! Let's start this, shall we?
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Touhou, Team Shanghai Alice / ZUN does. Chôzen Gekido, Ryoko Jigoku, Sly and Nanatsu no Taizai belong to me. The song in this chapter is also not mine.
Chapter 4: Village of the wind ~ The beauty with the dark secret
I felt like I was in one of Patchoulis adventure stories when we walked into the cave behind the waterfall, guided by Aya. It was really interesting, both that Patchouli didn´t only possess books about magic, as well as the feeling of walking into an adventure.
"Please don´t walk off. Otherwise, the guards my think you are intruders.", warned Aya all of sudden and we nodded. I honestly didn't want to end up being attacked by a bunch of white-wolf tengu with Momijis strength... Momiji alone had been a problem for me for a moment... Not as much as Kaguya or Mokou, but still problem enough to consider her as a strong opponent. I mean, she smashed me through a tree with only her fist! And she was holding back, we weren't fighting over life or death or something!
...I need to train with her when I have spare time. Maybe that can finally let me get rid of thinking of Rumia... and how much it is my fault... "...I shouldn't waste thoughts now. I was invited by Lord Tenma herself... appearing there with an expression of sadness is the last thing I should do...", I thought as I shook my head and turned back to the direction we were walking in.
We followed Aya through a long cave, before it opened into a big cave, a far larger area... an area filled with houses. Tengu Village. Though it reminded me more of a city. It was a large area, houses everywhere, the streets busy with all kind of tengu, including reporter tengu like Aya and white-wolf tengu like Momiji, though most of the latter kind often guarded certain buildings. Important ones, I guess.
Aya walked straight towards a large white building... a palace. The palace of Lord Tenma is my guess... as the one who rules all of the tengu, Tenma surely had a large place... It must be good to be the king. Or Queen. And then again, I am a little surprised there aren't monuments of Lord Tenma... After all, Tenma is the one who build up the whole tengu civilation of Gensokyo from zero...
...from nothing more than a wish, a dream... just like Gensokyo, which had been born by the shared dream of a land of peace, where species can co-exist... okay, there are the daily problems, but that cannot be avoided... and would make Gensokyo incredibly boring...
Suddenly, I snapped back into the present and I was reminded of the white palace. I looked over the large white tower and the smaller white balcons on it... truly a masterpiece of work! It was damn impressive! "Hoho, Aya, when were you downgraded to being a guide? That will be great news! 'Aya Shameimaru ~ Guide for Intruders'!", laughed a voice. Looking from the tower down to Aya, I found her growling at another tengu.
This tengu had brown eyes and long brown hair in pigtails with purple ribbons. She wore a white shirt with purple trim on the collar and a thin black tie, a black band around one arm, a purple tokin, a skirt in black/purple checker pattern with a floral pattern on the purple, a small brown pouch on her hip, thigh-high black socks, which were rolled down just below her knees, and red geta sandals with burgundy-purple straps.
She carried a modern cell phone, with a yellow/dark yellow checker pattern, a heart on it, and a brush hanging from it like a charm, which kinda surprised me... it was not like Gensokyo was were modern... the only people I know that have a cellphone are Yukari, Ran and Chen... because Yukari wants to contact Ran and Chen. Why she doesn't use her gaps, I don't know... she's probably too lazy to do so...
"Hatate...! No, I´ve not been downgraded! These are honorable guests of Lord Tenma, the shinigami-judge of the seven sins, Nanatsu no Taizai, and her husband, Chôzen Gekido.", hissed Aya at Hatate. "The shinigami of seven sins?", asked Hatate, shocked. Suddenly, she was bowing in front of Nanatsu. "Respectable and honorable shinigami of seven sins, welcome to the tengu village.", spoke Hatate... and I noticed how she tried to slip her cellphone beneath Nanatsus kimono.
"YOU DAMN SLIMY PANTY-SHOOTING TENGU!", I screamed in unison with Aya, and we hit Hatate over the head with our fists. (Un)fortunately, that knocked Hatate out cold. Aya and I growled, then turned to the palace. "Let´s go!", we growled in unison, and Nanatsu followed us, 'accidentaly' stepping onto Hatate. (1)
"...and here I thought I start getting ahead of Aya and get a panty-shot of that Shinigami before Aya gets one...", groaned Hatate into the ground. "Back to spirit photography.", she muttered, before she finally was knocked out.
We stopped in front of a large white door, decorated with golden images of tengu of all kinds, as well as golden feathers. Aya knocked. "Lord Tenma! Momiji Inubashiri has told me that you would like to see Nanatsu no Taizai and her husband.", exclaimed Aya. "Please let them in.", spoke a strong, female voice, yet sounding like a soft wind, a breeze in the evening, strong and yet soft... Aya nodded, then pushed the door open.
The room we entered was a large room with white walls and golden decorations. A large window was to our right, if looked through it, one could see all of the Tengu Village. On the other side of the room, to our left, was another window, and it showed the mountain and the river, so I guess this window was next to the waterfall. However, I wasn´t looking outside the windows. I looked at Lord Tenma.
She was lying on her side in a nest which was located inside a large bed with white look-through curtains. Lord Tenma was a tall, busty woman with white to grey hair, but a soft grey, and not that grey one would see on an aging human. She wore a white, shoulder- and sleeveless shirt, with a black sleeveless shirt beneath, a red obi around her waist.
Around her waist was a brown skirt, and she wore red pants underneath. She wore white socks that vanished inside her red pants, and she wore the typical, traditional tengu sandals... red wooden sandals with a wooden stilt in the middle. She had black gloves which almost went up to her shoulders, but it was mostly fingerless, only her middle fingers was covered in the black glove made of finest silk. Also, she had an orange scarf around her neck, brown leaves depicted on it.
"So we meet again, hm?", spoke Tenma, taking a sip from a red bowl filled with sake. Yes... now that she says it, I met her before, but it were only a few meetings and we never were friends or anything... Acquaintances, in the best case.
"Yes.", I spoke, and bowed. "We meet as well, Nanatsu no Taizai. It has been a long time we´ve seen each other.", spoke Tenma, and Nanatsu bowed as well. "A good sign. It means that no tengu has given in into excessive live under a sin again.", replied Nanatsu. "Yes, it was indeed a good sign, but I hoped we would have met more often and would´ve drunk together.", smiled Lord Tenma. Nanatsu and I stood up.
"Well, I have heard about you two being in the area, going to meet Yasaka-sama. Momiji is indeed a very good guard, especially with her ability to see and hear everything from afar.", smiled Lord Tenma, and took another sip. "Anyways, I hope you two would spend the night here, and drink with us." "It would be a pleasure...", smiled Nanatsu.
It seemed to be nothing unusual for the tengu that Lord Tenma left the palace, as she was greeted warm and friendly as we walked through the streets of the village, taking a stroll through the village. I was a little bored at that, I was never one to care about my surroundings... I guess this was something left to me from the path of nihilism. With the recently returning memories, I found myself more and more questioning if who I was now was the right way... I had once already broken free from the path and I have once returned to the path... now I was broken free of it again... was going back the right decision...? It... would free me of my guilt concerning Rumia...
...at least of the feeling of guilt.
"What the...?" I rose my gaze to my flame-soul as it shouted out in amazement. Only was it not next to me. "Where are you?", I thought, knowing that it could hear me. "Come here! You've got to see this!"I rose an eyebrow and turned around. And found my flame hovering in front of a house with a large window at the front. And as I read what was written on the window, I frowned. "Karaoke bar? There's a karaoke bar in Gensokyo? ...how did that happen?"
"I guess it didn't walk through the border like Brando.", snickered my flame-soul. I glared at it, to which it began to laugh, but it quickly regained composure and began to circle around me. "Let's take a look inside!", he suggested... and I began to grin. For some reason, I felt just as excited, so why not?
I took a few steps to the right and opened the door leading into the karaoke bar itself. On the far wall were a lot of doors, each leading into one of the private rooms, I guess. And then there was a double door on the left side of the room, on the right side of the room a counter with a female tengu behind it.
Before I knew, my flame-soul soared past me and charged towards the counter. "I want to rent a room!", it spoke. At first, I thought he ment me, but... "...oh. I forgot. She can't hear me... and I guess a talking flame would freak her out... so... Uhm... would you be so nice and..." Suddenly, my flame-soul went quiet. I frowned, usually, once it began to babble, it did not stop. So it must have seen something shocking. Shocking enough to make even it shut up. So I walked over to it.
As I reached the counter, the female tengu, reading a newspaper named "Kakashi Spirit News", looked up at me... but then returned to her newspaper. I sweatdropped, but turned to my flame-soul. "What's up?", I asked it per telepathy. "Look at that screen over there...! At the top!" I frowned, but turned back towards the counter, looked past the tengu with the newspaper and found the screen that my flame-soul spoke about... though I wondered for a second how a working screen ended up in Gensokyo.
And I paled as I found what my flame spoke about. The screen displayed a list called "Live Perfomances". I was not surprised to find that the Primsriver sisters were displayed thrice... what rather surprised me was what my flame had pointed out. The next performance, starting in a few minutes, right before the Primsriver Sisters...
"H-hatate?", I muttered. And at that, the tengu woman before me perked up. "Sorry, it is already sold out for today...", she replied. "...that means, there is still a remaining seat, but it's the most expensive one. Not many can buy the ticket for it, and those who can have no free time. The only person aside Lord Tenma herself that can afford to buy such a ticket is Aya Shameimaru, who earns a lot through her gossip paper of lies, but she has no interest in listening to Himekaidou..."
I rose an eyebrow, found myself unable to say anything. That pervy tengu from before, giving live performances that are completely sold out? "I cannot understand that, though. Everyone likes to hear Hatate. She has such a great voice...", sighed the tengu before me,"...I am really happy I got this job, I can listen to her for free... If I wouldn't be employeed here, I'd get all of my money to buy this ticket... It is even the one next to the seat Hatate-sama will sit down onto when the Prismriver sisters will start..."
The tengu woman gained a dreamy look on her face and I felt how my left eyelid began to twitch. This wasn't true, was it? Hatate? Singing? Completely sold out? "Aha...haha..ha... uhm... how... unfortunate that it is... sold out.", I chuckled uneasily. "Yeah. Sorry if you wanted to listen to Hatate-sama as well... Maybe another day. The performances for tonight are all sold out already. Including that special seat right next to Hatate-sama..."
"Aw... then... I guess another time.", I chuckled. "Hm...", muttered the tengu woman, gaining that dreamy look again... and I, creeped out by her idolisation of Hatate Himekaidou, chose to leave this place. So I turned around, said goodbye and left the karaoke bar. This was a little too creepy.
Outside the karaoke bar, I let out a deep sigh, enjoying the soft breeze that was in Tengu Village... it must be coming through that cave we entered tengu village through. "I thought about it again. I'll buy that ticket." Hearing my flame-soul exclaim that, I chuckled. Geez, he really liked... "Wait a second. He didn't say 'I would'... He said..." My left eyelid began to twitch again. Slowly, I let my gaze trail around, searching for that little bastard that was a split part of me...
...and found it as the doors to the karaoke bar opened again. "Dude, what'cha waiting for! I got us that ticket! I thought about it again, then used telepathy so she could hear me! Ain't I great?" Immediately, my hand darted to the hidden pocket in my shirt in which I had first found my wallet in after the fight where Mokou ripped it. I found my wallet. And pulled it out. And opened it. And noticed that a lot of money was missing. And suddenly, a ticket fell onto my arm. "Don't keep that place waiting! Come on! I spend a lot of your money on it! Don't waste it!"
I felt like I had to slap that little bastard into a wall nearby... but what he said was true. Now that I had that ticket, why not use it? With a deep sigh, I walked past my flame-soul, back into the karaoke bar. "You needed a breath, huh? I can understand that. I would need to take one as well if I had such a great opportunity.", chuckled the tengu woman behind the counter, and I nodded with an uneasy smile.
"Just go through that double door over there. You see which place is yours pretty quick, I guess. it is the only one not occupied. Right at the front.", grinned the woman. I nodded again, continued to smile, then turned to the double doors and entered the room. "We'll talk about this later, you've got me?", I thought, receiving only a snicker from my flame-soul as answer.
The room was large, several benches and chairs set up in front of a large stage. Every chair and bench was already occupied with cheering tengu.. though I spotted a few familiar faces which were no tengu. For example... "Is that... really..." "Yep. Hi Mokou!" The immortal that sat on a bench with Kaguya and Reisen flinched, turned her gaze to me, a light frown on her face... a questioning frown. My flame-soul must have used telepathy to talk to her.
I walked past the bench, stopped right before it. "What are you doing here?", asked Mokou, causing Kaguya to notice me as well. "Oh! Hello Chôzen! What a nice surprise to meet you here!", chuckled the ex-princess of the moon. "I... was solving an incident. Don't ask. Please.", I muttered, to which Mokou grinned smugly... and turned her gaze to my flame-soul. She knew, huh?
"What are you doing here?", I asked in return. "Kaguya dragged me into this. We were playing over where to go... I wanted to go and see the former hell since it sounds interesting... and Kaguya wanted to see a live performance of Hatate Himekaidou, who only sings in tengu village... and I lost.", muttered Mokou, shame written all over her face. "She distracted me! And I fell for it!", groaned the immortal of fire, before she let her head meet the table surface.
Kaguya was blushing a little as she heard it. "I... I wasn't distracting you! I swear! I... I never would've done such a shameful thing as...", Kaguya trailed off, her gaze suddenly somewhere else. "Huh?", I chucked uneasily. "It's too embarrassing what happened...", whispered Kaguya. Hearing that, Reisen began to snicker madly. "Kaguya-hime moved a little to much during playing, and her kimono slipped off her shoulder, revealing her left side to Mokou, usa.", whispered a voice into my ear... before a fireball soared past me, followed by a lot of colorful bullets.
"Don't tell him, you little pest!", screamed Kaguya and Mokou in perfect synchro after the bolting Tewi. And received hundreds of venomous glares. The room had become completely quiet. "SHHHH!", hissed one tengu woman, causing Mokou and Kaguya to blush and sit down. "Sorry.", they whsipered in perfect synchro. I sweatdropped. Until I suddenly felt a rather heavy pat onto the back.
"Chô!", exclaimed a certain evil spirit. "SHHH!", hissed the audience in the room, glaring at Mima... who glared back, an orb of orange,yellow and black in her left hand. An orb powered with twilight. And as Yuuka appeared from behind Mima, holding her umbrella, which had a blue-glowing orb at the tip, the audience turned around as if nothing had happened, sweatdrops all over their heads.
"What are you doing here?", I asked uneasily, quietly nontheless. "Well... Yuuka dragged me into this. We were playing a danmaku match over what to do... continue with the wedding preparations for our friend, like I wanted, or come here and listen to Hatate Himekaidou for a change... I lost.", chuckled Mima uneasily. "...cause she distracted me."
And as I heard that, I suddenly had blood gushing out of my nose. Because I imagined that the same thing that had happened to Kaguya during her game versus Mokou happened to Yuuka. And there is a... difference. Suddenly, I felt a umbrella hit me lightly on the head. "Keep your perverted fantasies for yourself.", snickered Yuuka, as if she knew what I had imagined. I hope not.
"I used a clone of myself to distract her, pervert.", scolded Yuuka... a sadistic grin on her face. "S-Sorry.", I muttered. "Me and my imagination.", I chuckled uneasily, to which Yuuka began to shake her head, the sadistic smile still plastered onto her face. "Huh? Did I miss something?", muttered Mima, blinking. "N-nothing.", I chuckled, holding my nose to stop the blood.
"Ohoho. It's Chôzen!" I blinked, then turned around and found Mystia Lorelei and Wriggle Nightbug before me. And I sweatdropped. "Wait! Let me guess, you two played a game over where to go. Wriggle wanted to go somewhere, and you, Mystia, wanted to listen to Hatate Himekaidou...and Wriggle lost because you distracted her by giving her a peek, right?"
Silence. Mystia and Wriggle looked at me with confused faces, while Mima was, behind me, exchanging non-verbally with Mokou if the same had happened to her. "Great job, Sherlock.", snickered my flame-soul. "uh...what?", muttered Mystia, sweatdropping. To which I sweatdropped as well. "Uh... nothing. Why are you two here?", I asked.
"Uhm... I heard about Hatate singing quite well... and wanted to hear it for myself... and asked my friends to come along...", muttered Mystia, pointing behind her, where Cirno and Daiyousei stood, staring at me with expressionless gazes. "This scenario should be in the 'Scarred for life' pool.", roared my flame-soul in laughter. (2)
"N-nothing. Hahaha... J-just..." "Oh, I want to see how you get out of this!" "I... uh..." "I want to see that too!" "Hey! Quiet down, will you? It is starting!", shouted someone in the first row. "My cue!" "Oh god, I need to go!", I exclaimed, then made a dash for the first row. "...Nice save." "Thanks."
I reached the first row... and found myself surprised. It was completely occupied. Every single chair. So where was I going to... "Ah...aha...aha...ahahahahahaahaha!" Hearing my flame-soul burst into laughter, I sweatdropped and looked around for it. Where was that little bastard and why was he laughing?
"U-up here." I rose my gaze from the ground, looked up... and felt how my left eyelid began to twitch again. Madly. Nanatsu was going to kill me. That "special seat" turned out to be a bench...a swing... for two... in the shape of... hearts... "T-this is... I... I... AHAHAHAHA!" "I'M GOING TO KILL YOU FOR THIS!" "AT LEAST I DIE IN LAUGHTER!"
Slowly, I lifted off the ground, hoped nobody would see me... but the second I was a few centimeters off the ground, I heard the first person shout. "He could afford the special ticket! I am so jealous and that bridge princess Hatate-san has written something about isn't even here!" I went red in embarrassment, hundreds of envious gazes plastered onto me as I flew up to the swing and sat down... my flame-soul roaring in laughter the whole time.
"Betraying Nanatsu again?" I flinched madly as I heard Mimas voice from my right. Turning my gaze, I found the evil spirit snickering at me. "Next time, why don't you betray her with me?", whispered Mima, sliding a finger across my chest... which suddenly went stiff as an umbrella hit Mima on the head.
"I am sorry for her. Please don't let this get to you.", sighed Yuuka, giving me an uneasy smile... a smile of worry. After all... she knew about the tragedy regarding Rumia. "Thanks.", I whispered. "And it is his fault.", I sighed, pointed to my flame-soul... which was trembling as it laughed like mad. "Man am I happy that I can't choke on anything!" "I see.", chuckled Yuuka, while patting Mima's head... that poor evil spirit was holding her head, tears in the corners of her eyes.
"I hope you soon drop by again for a tea or something.", sighed Yuuka, grabbing Mima by the back of her collar, pulling her with her as she descended and sat down at the table with the guys from Eientei. I let out a deep sigh, glared a last time at my flame-soul... as the lights suddenly dimmed.
I turned to the stage waited for my punishment... but that should take a while, as Hatate appeared from behind a door, cheering, encouraging her fans with gestures. "HATA-TAN!", squealed the audience (3)... I sweatdropped as I turned in perfect synchro with my flame-soul to Kaguya, who had squealed the loudest. ...Making Mokou look uncomfortable.
"Thank you! Thank you!", exclaimed Hatate, holding a microphone, waving her hands over her head. For a short moment, her gaze trailed over the audience... and finally stopped on me. For a short moment, confusement was written over her face... but then, a smug grin appeared.
"Thank you all for coming! Thank you all!", exclaimed Hatate, her smug grin still on her face. "You know... I had a very interesting meeting today...", chuckled Hatate into the microphone, walking on the stage to the left.
"I met two very interesting persons, honorable guests of Lord Tenma herself... sadly, I had not much time to talk with them, because you know, as a journalist, you never have much time... but I nontheless would like to welcome them properly! Nanatsu no Taizai, shinigami of the seven deadly sins... Chôzen Gekido, Insei no Youkai... This song is for you!", exclaimed Hatate.
I blushed a little. Especially as my flame-soul broke into laughter again... and a certain evil spirit appeared to my right. "So there has been something between you and her, hm? Well, if you have some time...once it is dark, we two could sneak out here and...ARGH!" "You didn't learn it the first time, huh?" I sweatdropped as Yuuka threw Mima, who was holding her head with tears in the corners of her eyes, over her shoulder.
"HERE WE GO!", shouted Hatate all of sudden, causing me to turn to her again.
I'm always watching over you
Leave it to me, your backup
Up ahead is a crossroad, which way will you go?
Are you still there?
The birthday's soon after all
Quit with this nonsense already,
There's no such thing as being bound by fate
Haphazard heartbeats telling a foggy tale,
ignore those frustrations and make up your mind already
Believe that good things will come to those who wait,
so let's start this off right!
Are you ready?
Just like always, I love you
Take me away with your kiss
I will never forget you, my precious memory
Grilled food is only good for one day;
kick reason to the curb and just follow me! (4)
"Hey, that's a catchy tune! Just like always, I love you, take me away with your kiss, I will never forget you, my precious memory..." I sweatdropped as my flame-soul began to sing inside my head. "And you know... it somehow fits us. Take an example on it! Quit this nonsense already, there's no such thing as being bound by fate... you should think over that."
I blinked. "Hey... you're right... somehow..." "Believe that good things come to those who wait... So wait! Wait for your heart to return! Wait for your life to become normal again instead of mourning over what has happened..." "...that... sounds reasonable..."
"But there is one thing." I frowned. "What?" "...you forgot. Forgot your precious memory." I almost fell off the swing as I fell over anime-style and sweatdropped heavily.
"You really are up to date... I believe only the kappa have such highly developed technology here in Gensokyo...", muttered Nanatsu, looking at a tengu with a cellphone... but unlike Hatate's without camera. "I like modern technology, as do the tengu. I made contracts with the kappa.. which is why we get technology from the outside world. Anything that the kappa can produce or do not need themselves, they give to us... that is how we got working neon signs, screens, cellphones...", chuckled Lord Tenma.
"I see.", replied Nanatsu. "That is surely interesting... The rest of Gensokyo barely does have such technology...", she added. "Because they do not want it. They don't want a complicated life... they rather live their carefree lives... and I can understand that. But Yasaka-sama's word will also reach their ears... and then, they will understand.", smiled Tenma. "I see... We need to ask Yasaka-sama about that personally, don't we, Chôzen?"
Silence. Nanatsu blinked, turned her head around... and found her husband gone. And sweatdropped. "Not again...", she whispered. "...I hope he does at least remain with memories this time..."
"THANK YOU!", shouted Hatate as she waved again. "Please stay around and listen to my precious friends, the breathless trio of the netherworld, the ghosts that have music in their spirit! THE PRISMRIVER SISTERS!" As the crowd began to cheer, Hatate jumped off the ground, began to hover over to me... a smug grin on her face.
She sat down next to me in silence, but she continued her smug grin while the Prismrivers appeared on the stage, their instruments flying aside them. And as soon as the Prismrivers began to play, she turned to me.
"Nice to see you again.", she chuckled. "I'm sorry for what happened before.", I sighed. In reply, Hatate began to laugh. "No need to. I should be sorry for what I tried... Keeping ahead of Aya in the wrong way. I should continue my own way, and not take on her methods and lower myself to her level." I chuckled at that. "Sounds convincing to me.", I chuckled, and we shared a laugh.
"True. I got what I deserved, so don't worry about it anymore.", she grinned. But then, she got a thoughtful expression. "But why are you here? You don't seem to be one of my fans...", she muttered. "Oh, don't get me wrong! You sing really good but... it was not me who bought the ticket... it was me, but in an indirect way..."
As I spoke, I turned to my flame-soul, glared at it with all intensity I had. "A soul?", asked Hatate. "Yep... Have you ever heard about the path of nihilism?" Hatate nodded. "Well... I walked it once... a long time ago... I managed it... even as the 'chosen one', the ultimate nihilist, gaining a power beyond any other... the ability to negate, to make things never exist... Well... as I finished the path, put on a mask (5) that provided me with the power... my soul was split in two... A part of it was seperated from me... And that is that thing there, a living, independent soul.", I sighed.
"Hi toots." Hatate blushed a little. "Uh... hi?", she muttered. "I'm your biggest fan! Marry me!" At that, I grabbed the flame and squeezed it. "I am already married, you freak... Besides, you know her just since a few hours!", I growled to it. At that, Hatate began to laugh. "Seems you two really were one once...! I mean, you somehow remind me of a person which argues with itself if a thing is right or wrong to do!", snickered the pig-tailed tengu.
"Oh. You got that wrong, toots, sorry. That part is still in him. He's like arguing with himself every few seconds." I sweatdropped, then squeezed harder. ".", I growled at the flame. "You're an interesting individual.", smiled Hatate. "Uhm... thanks?", I chuckled in synchro with my flame-soul, causing Hatate to laugh again.
"Tell me more about you. I'd like to write about you in the kakashi spirit news.", suggested Hatate. "Well... I don't know if..." "He has the hots for tomboys!""Do you have to bring that up again?", I gasped, squeezing the flame again. "And that's just the surface of this dark person!" "Shut up!", I pleaded. And as I looked up, I quickly found myself holding my nose again. Hatate was looking at me with such a cute face, huge and sparkling eyes, her cellphone in her hand, ready to hold the interview in it's memory... So I sighed. "Fine..."
"Where is Chô?", muttered Nanatsu, looking left and right as she and Lord Tenma walked through the streets they had already strolled through. "Is that happening on a regular basis?", chuckled Lord Tenma. "Not really...", muttered Nanatsu in return, glaring around... until Aya suddenly stood before her. "I know where he is.", she chuckled.
"Oh?", muttered Nanatsu. "Yep.", grinned Aya. "He's over there! Look!", she exclaimed and pointed past Lord Tenma and Nanatsu. The two women turned around, turning their back to Aya... who quickly slipped her camera beneath Nanatsu's kimono. "Where?", asked Lord Tenma, before she and Nanatsu turned back to Aya. "Oh... must've mistaked someone for him...", chuckled Aya, turned around. "But I swear I saw him walking through the village near the karaoke bar.", she grinned.
"Oh. We lost him that early?", chuckled Lord Tenma. "Apparently.", replied Aya, a smug grin on her face. "Let's go there again.", suggested Lord Tenma, and Nanatsu nodded. "Sure." "I'll see you later!", grinned Aya, waved, turned around and pulled out her camera. "See you!", exclaimed Nanatsu and Lord Tenma as they rushed off... leaving Aya standing there. "Just as planned", chuckled Aya as she opened the memory of her camera.
...and blinked. The picture before her was no panty-shot. Several people looked confused as Aya Shameimaru let her camera, her precious camera, fall to the ground. Aya fell to the ground herself, gasped loudly, crawled away from her camera as if it was the satan itself...
"Do you like it? My dark side...?", whispered a voice into Ayas ear. She shuddered, trembled... slowly turned her head and stared in shock at Nanatsu no Taizai, who had a mad grin on her face. "Chôzen managed to deal with it. Can you?", chuckled Nanatsu as she walked over to the camera and picked it up. "Let's delete this before someone sees this and loses his mind... right?", cackled Nanatsu, grinning over her shoulder. All Aya could do was to nod.
"Such a dark secret should not be revealed and yet..." Nanatsu looked a last time at the picture as she spoke... "...Forced to wear clothing that envelops my whole body to hide this abnormality of nature...", chuckled Nanatsu with an expression of utter madness.
Then, as the picture was deleted, she glared at Aya. "You've seen it now. The curse that is upon me... now you have to deal with the results... where is your house?", asked Nanatsu. "D-Down the s-street.", muttered Aya, pointing down the street. Nanatsu nodded. "Lord Tenma. Please go to the karaoke bar and search for my husband. I will be there as soon as I took care of this far too curious tengu...", chuckled Nanatsu.
Lord Tenma nodded, though she seemed a little confused. Then, she turned towards the area Chôzen had been last seen in, and began walking. Meanwhile, Nanatsu pulled Aya up. "I follow you.", she spoke... and Aya made a dash for her house, followed by Nanatsu.
As soon as the door was locked at the shutters closed, the room lay in almost complete darkness. Only a small oil lamp illuminated the room... Aya was not a friend of that modern, electric lights. Too bright... and too unromantic in cold nights.
But right now, it gave Nanatsu an even more demonic appearance.. even scarier than that what she had seen. "Like my secret? The horrible truth?", chuckled Nanatsu. Aya looked at her... then shook her head. "N-not at all.", muttered Aya, taking another step away from the shinigami.
Nanatsu chuckled... then began to undo her obi, the belt around her waist. Aya shuddered as she thought what would become visible in a few seconds. Aya took another step back... stumbled over her own feet and fell to the ground... and crawled backwards until she suddenly had the wall against her back.
Slowly, Nanatsu no Taizai's kimono slipped off... revealed bare shoulders... hit the ground... and landed on the ground. Aya blinked... before her stood Nanatsu no Taizai in her underwear... but that horrible truth was nowhere to be seen...
"The truth Chôzen could handle... that no one else could handle... they called me the beauty with the dark secret... the death god with the dark side... The perfect woman with the abnormality... they called me cute, beautiful, perfect... but once they saw it, man and woman alike... they called me digusting, horrible, creepy, perverted, a freak of nature!", shouted Nanatsu, taking a step towards Aya.
"So what will you call me? Right here? And in your newspaper?", asked Nanatsu, the madness returning to her face. "Do you know what it is like to be beautiful, pure... and yet so ugly, disgusting, deformed?", screamed the shinigami of the seven sins, taking another step forwards.
Ayas eyes darted around, tried to find the "dark secret" of the shinigami somewhere... but they did not find it. "oh... don't worry. It isn't existent as long as I am not near someone who gives into the seven deadly sins too much...", whispered Nanatsu, taking another step forwards... eight steps dividing her from Aya.
"But as soon as I am seven steps away from one who gives into a sin too much... it becomes visible.", she added. "My whole life, I have been called beautiful. From the very day I came to exist, I, the incarnation of the seven sins... I was called perfect. An Angel! ...but once they saw it, they fled.", whispered Nanatsu.
"My whole life long... I was forced to wear clothes that hide my whole body so that it wasn't visible... I have a beautiful body, I am a unique woman with beauty... I have the desire to show myself like every other woman... you, with your provocative skirt... I can never wear something like that, forced to hide myself... Because of it!", snarled Nanatsu, the first tears in her eyes.
"I feel horrible! I am a freak of nature... and yet there he was...! The man it did not react to as he gave into no sin all too much... the man that saw me like everyone else... even as he left behind the indifference! Chôzen Gekido, a man I fell in love with and that loved me back... exactly that person out of them all could see me as who I was, did not feel disgusted when he saw it!", snarled Nanatsu, clenching her fists.
"...and there was Rumia Shisô, who stood above it all as well... I just found out before she vanished, but... she did not give into a sin all too much. Every being gives in into at least one of them... but neither Rumia, nor Chôzen did give into them too much... Only those two and Shikieiki Yamaxanadu... only these three I could be myself around... even if I did not show it to Rumia...", muttered Nanatsu, taking a step back.
"Rumia... I was angry at her... but I didn't want her to leave. In a way, I liked her as well. She... reminded me of myself. I did not hate her... I was merely angry at her for wanting to take that away from me that I hold onto... the only thing that stops me from becoming insane... my Chôzen...", whispered Nanatsu.
Suddenly, her sad face became hard with anger. "Aya Shameimaru. You give into the sins of lust and gluttony. For that, and finding out my secret, you will have to face it...", whispered Nanatsu, taking a step forwards... causing Aya to flinch. Eight steps. Nanatsu's foot lifted. "W-Wait... p-please not! I won't tell anyone...! Please!", shouted Aya, lifting her arms to defend herself and block her own sight.
Nanatsu had stopped, her foot not set down onto the ground. "Fear... a result of the third deadly sin... wrath... It can make other people fear... fear the hatred...", whispered Nanatsu. "...taste my third sin, Shameimaru. Experience the freak of nature... the woman so beautiful and yet so ugly... the shinigami of the seven deadly sin with the dark side... the woman with two faces...!", growled Nanatsu... and took the step. Seven steps divided her from Aya.
Though she knew better, though she did not want it... as it was with fear... one always had to look, even if he knew what would await him... So Aya peeked at Nanatsu no Taizai... and lowered her arms as she did not find what she had seen on the picture. "Were you kidding..."
Suddenly it appeared. A blue hand on Nanatsus shoulder, causing Aya to flinch. A second hand followed on Nanatsus other shoulder. Aya squealed, pushed herself against the wall. Slowly, messy white hair appeared over Nanatsu's right shoulder... while Nanatsu looked serious and indifferent at Aya.
Eventually, a head peeked over Nanatsu's shoulder, it's skin blue and shriveled. It's eyes were red and it grinned at Aya with a mad grin, the dry, darkblue lips curled up into a grin, threatening to break the dry skin apart. Slowly, Nanatsu turned around, revealed her bare back to Aya... and from a magic circle on Nanatsu's back extended a blue-skinned torso... the body of the blue-skinned female with the dry and shriveled skin. Which was still looking at Aya.
"W-what is this...?", whispered Aya, trembling. "The embodiment of all sins in the world... dry and shriveled, undead and rotting like the minds of those who give into the sins in an excessive ammount... But the real curse is... if I ever should have an offspring... should there ever be a continuation to my bloodline... it will carry my symbol and my curse, will be forced to have this on it's back as soon as I die..."
"What... what do you...?", muttered Aya. "The circle on my back is the circle of the seven sins. My bloodline... is cursed...", whispered Nanatsu... then chuckled. "And my offspring will be forced, it if has this curse, to be named my name... 'no Taizai'... it is no name, it is a title... the title of the carrier of sins...", muttered Nanatsu, taking a step back. The blue-skinned woman glanced at her, her mad smile still present.
"I..is it independent?", asked Aya, slowly standing up. Suddenly, Nanatsu snapped her hand around and glared at Aya... while the blue-skinned female began to laugh with a dry, echoing and high-pitched voice... the voice of death. The cry of the banshee (6). "It is and yet not.", muttered Nanatsu, glaring. "A-and it is only there when someone who gives into the sins too much is seven feet in your reach?", asked Aya... and gasped as the blueskinned female showed her the finger.
"Yes... and that is almost everyone.", replied Nanatsu. Then, she glared over her shoulder. "Go away. Hide.", she growled, to which the blue-skinned female laughed at her... but then turned around so that she was facing Aya... and then let her body hang from Nanatsu back so that she was hanging upside down. Nanatsu growled, then picked up her clothes and put the kimono back on.
"And that is why I am wearing a kimono.", she muttered. "Why I am hiding my body... lock it away.", she continued as she put the obi back on and fastened it. "I hope this was enough. Enough to teach you a lesson as for why you shouldn't intrude other persons privacy. Remember this, Aya Shameimaru. Remember it, or you will become only another soul that this thing on my back eats... become another part of the seven sins. Stop giving into the gluttony and the lust... or you are like that on my back. Like that disgusting thing that destroyed my life...", she muttered and turned towards the door.
"...and I don't mean Chôzen Gekido.", she growled with scorn, opened the door. "I see you later.", was the last thing she said, before she closed the door behind her... the wisp of wind extinguishing the only flame... leaving Aya in the darkness to think of her own sins... and what she would become if she would give anylonger into them... She was left in the darkness with the weight of her sins... Eternal darkness...
As she stared into the darkness, she suddenly found something to her feet... a picture... slowly, with shaking hands, she took it... and stared at it. Showing Nanatsu no Taizai's long, slim and soft legs... and a blueskinned body hanging from Nanatsu's back, staring right into the camera, a mad smile upon its blue, dry lips...
(7)
"...and thank you again for the interview! I'll make sure to send you a free copy of the Kakashi Spirit News once it is done!", exclaimed Hatate as we left the karaoke bar and stepped back onto the streets. "Hey! There you are!" I looked up to see Lord Tenma run towards me.
She stopped next to me, sighed and panted, but then catched her breath. "Where were you?", she asked. "Live performance.", I chuckled and nodded towards Hatate, who grinned. "Uhm... alright... guess that's it for the 'little stroll'...", snickered Tenma and rolled her eyes.
"You found him!", exclaimed Nanatsu as she ran towards us. "Yep. Flame-soul got me into problems.", I sighed, scratching the back of my head... before I slapped the soul away. "God, how I needed this!" "But it's okay.", I chuckled. "Oh. It's that pervy tengu again.", spoke Nanatsu as she looked at Hatate.
And Hatate bowed down. "I am deeply sorry for what I have tried. I should not have tried to get panty-shot of you... doing that would've made me as low as Aya.", muttered Hatate... and I knew she was honest as she spoke. But Nanatsu just laughed. "It's okay... you would've learned your lesson either way... Aya Shameimaru will no longer do this as well... I believe...", chuckled Nanatsu... emitting dark aura as a smile of madness appeared on her face.
I went pale and looked down to Nanatsu's feet... and just for a second, blue hands lifted the kimono a little and a blueskinned face looked at me, nodding. So Aya had taken a panty-shot of Nanatsu... and seen her curse. I nodded back, and the blue body vanished, no sign of it ever having been there. Nanatsu no Taizai... the two faced woman... (8) It is sad how a beauty like hers has to endure such a thing... and even though that embodiment of the seven deadly sins actually listens to her sometimes and doesn't want to be seen... it is still a curse... for both of them.
"Now that this is over, let's drink! I know an excellent pub in the village! We can feast all night!", shouted Tenma, pointing down the street to a pub with a neon-sign above it. It read "The hell of winds"... I don't know how such a strange name came to be, but... it seems to be good if Tenma says so...
"TONIGHT WE DINE IN HELL!", (9) screamed Tenma, as she ran towards the pub... causing Hatate, Nanatsu, my flame-soul and me to sweatdrop.
"Come on, have another one!", exclaimed Lord Tenma and poured Nanatsu another drink. She giggled, drunken like she was. Maybe it was good for her to drink a little... she has been overworked because of me, spending most time to distract me from Rumias leave. She´s been so serious and tried everything... the poor girl deserves some peace. ...that Aya found out her dark secret only had worsened her mood... she needs to loosen up... and this was hopefully what she needed. Some peace and cheerful things... and not a worrywart like me...
"Chô, drink one 's well!", slurred Nanatsu and the owner of the pub, a tall, busty and blackhaired tengu woman with a midriff in her clothes and her black wings revealed on her back unlike most tengu, poured me a drink as well. Lord Tenma told us that this was the best pub of all Tengu Village, and she was right, it was really good here.
The sake was excellent, and the food was good as well. I´ve been eating more than drinking, my last two experiences with sake not that great. Mysteriously, a certain oni has appeared as well, and was now having a drinking contest with Lord Tenma... but Suika´s everywhere a good party is held, so I wasn´t surprised at all.
"Hmn... Chô..." I glanced at Nanatsu and put the last piece of meat in my mouth. "Let´s go back to our room, I´m sleepy...", muttered Nanatsu, leaning onto my shoulder. "I´ll get some guards to show you your room for tonight.", smiled Tenma, and lifted her hand. Immeadiately, two white wolf tengu appeared.
Lord Tenma nodded towards us, then said: "Show them their room for tonight." The white wolf tengu nodded, then gestured us to follow them. Putting one of Nanatsus arms around my neck, I began to follow the guards.
"Are you okay?", I asked. It was dark in the room... though we lay here since hours... I knew Nanatsu couldn't sleep. I knew she was still upset... upset at herself... for being who she was. For how she was. "No...", she whispered back.
"Looks like we both seriously got problems, right?", I chuckled at the irony of the situation. "Yes... yes we do...", muttered Nanatsu, turning her head to me. "...but as long as we two are together... they are nothing...", she whispered as she cuddled into me. I lay an arm around her shoulder, but remained to stare the ceiling.
"...that is true...", I whispered, finally turned to look at her. "...this time, we will not seperate... Chô...", murmured Nanatsu into my chest, holding onto me closely... as if she feared that I would be gone once she lets go... because she feared that I would be gone as soon as she lets go...
"I never wanted it to become like this.", I muttered. "Neither did I.", she replied, looking up to me. "Do you think... that it was right how it was? Is it right that it became like this? An act of fate?", I asked. It stayed silent after my question, the only audible thing Nanatsu and my breaths. "...I cannot answer that.", she replied eventually.
"I guessed so... nobody can answer that... not even Remi.", I sighed, pulled Nanatsu closer to me. "...but whatever you may have heard, whatever people have said about you... it is not true. You are beautiful... you are perfect... your dark secret... it means nothing...", I whispered, holding her close.
...and only a very few seconds later, I felt something wet drip onto my shoulder... Nanatsu was crying... crying, just like in that night that we... that we seperated...
"T-thank you... Chô...", sobbed my wife, clinging onto me as she cried. "You... you're the only one who could ever see past this... who understood me and saw me as who I was... who I am... and that not only because of your nihilism... even now... even as you didn't remember and saw it for the first time... even then you did not freak out, did not become mad... Chôzen...", she cried.
"...p-people who have seen it... who have seen this thing... have gone mad... called me ugly, despisable, disgusting... others have killed themselves right in front of my eyes as they found their minds breaking apart... and it broke mine too...", she whispered. "I cannot understand them... but Nana... I will never leave you... not again... not because of such an unimportant thing... I myself am insane, my mind broken... and I can live with it. I did not kill myself... maybe this is why you are the perfect one for me... insanity attracts insanity...", I thought aloud. And heard Nanatsu chuckle in between her sobbing.
"You stupid old nihilist...", she whispered as she cuddled into me. "...you speak out the truth ever so often without realizing it... we are here, together... because of our insanity... because you can see beyond what is... as can I. You were despised for who you were... the nihilist... and I was despised for what I was... for how I looked..."
I put a hand onto her head and held her close as she finally stopped to sob. "...in the end, we are outsiders... the biggest outsiders... maybe that was why... Rumia fit so well into all of this... because she herself is insane... an outsider... insane like we are...", muttered Nanatsu.
Slowly, I let my gaze trail to her... and then, I smiled a little. "Now that she is gone... it is just me and you again... and I won't ever leave you... not again.", I whispered. "Promise me that.", she replied. "...I will. I won't ever leave you... for nobody and for nothing...", I muttered. She sighed a last time... and then closed her eyes to sleep... to sleep in my arms... the place where she should be.
"...because I bow to no one... and no one bows to me...
Only to you, I lower my head... and you lower yours to me.
Because that is, in what we are alike...
in nothing...
And nothing is another word for everything.
Sleep well, half of my heart.
With the other one in eternal rest,
a bullet pierced through it
you are all I have...
...just like it had always been.
...and forever shall be."
(1) I know, Hataters gone hate. Sorry for that scene, Hatate-Fans. It is still from the first version of this chapter, and I let it remain there. I found it funny for the later scene concerning Hatate.
(2) "Some things are just not meant to be seen or experienced. These poor souls will have to go through the rest of their lives with their shattered mentality. Can also involve extremely embarrassing situations/misunderstandings that the character may NEVER live down.", danbooru definition (warning danbooru is nsfw/not safe for work!)
(3) Hata-Tan is actually an emo-version of Hatate, created by an artist on pixiv. Hata-tan is usually seen with black hair, scars, and bags under the eyes
(4) The translation of the lyrics to the song "fukkireta". I recently enjoyed a 10 hour version of that catchy song... and listened another 10 hours, just because I couldn't stop humming the melody... and that despite the actual song being only one and a half minute long!
(5) Mask of no more future, see 0-NM Chapter 9 for more information. BTW, I noticed it was similiar to how Dio became a vampire...
(6) Banshee is a type of mythological being believed to be a female that screams in a high-pitched way. A Banshee is believed to be an omen of death. Some say hearing a Banshee's "mourning calls" can invoke madness or death.
(7) The whole thing with the embodiment of seven sins actually appeared inside my head just now. And I like it. Has potential to make some more things... And now that we touch on the madness Nanatsu no Taizai displayed... those who have read this story closely should've noticed that some characters are close to insanity... to name a few: Yukari Yakumo, Chôzen Gekido, Rumia Shisô and Nanatsu no Taizai, Mima Hakurei... I think sanity and insanity has and will have an important part in Negative Bullet Project.
(8) Two faced women are actually a species of youkai known as Futakuchionna, a normal human woman with a face at the front and a mouth at the back of the head. Stronger versions of Futakuchionna can actually appear as whole faces instead of just a mouth.
(9) Just had to do it. Reference to the movie "300".
I seriously make my character's suffer, don't I?
Chôzen Gekido has lost his memories, was weak and searched for power, became a nihilist, didn't care about anything, then fell in love, then seperated from his love, was a nihilist again, fell in love again, was pulled back and forth in between two women, one of them left him, he fell into depressions, feels guilty for what happened to Rumia, is near the insanity, has two voices aside his own in his head, has a split soul...
Nanatsu no Taizai had a stillbirth, had to fight for her love, lost her love, cannot be like any other woman, was called disgusting and deformed, has the incarnation of the seven deadly sins on her back, is near the insanity...
Rumia Shisô is near the insanity, had to fight for her love, was sealed into a small girls body for six centuries, lost her love, is suicidal and has propably commited suicide already...
Ryoko Jigoku has lost everyone close to her and was all alone...
Now only the owner of the pub in the human village, Sly, will have to get problems and Negative Bullet Project becomes a story full of tragedies... not going to happen, I think, but I also don't think that this story will return to a lighter self... expect it to become a little dark...
But that's it for now. Hope you liked this revised version of the original chapter (about eight times it size)... Also, I think it is quite ironical that this chapter, which was originally in the previous update, is twice the size of the chapter of this update... No, I'm not going to revise Chapter 54 now, only because it is shorter.
Next up is the 'storm finale'. Get out your raincoats and umbrellas, cause we're going *sunglasses* right into the eye of the storm!
See you next update!
