Demon Subaru walked down the street, through the constant chaotic carnage which cursed the city of Sagakin in his name. And he felt good, there was no other way he could describe it. The physical and mental agony which the masses of mortals suffered fed him so well, it was akin to a newborn greedily sucking from its mother's breast and never being fully satisfied by the wonderful taste and nourishment it was provided. The mere thought of leaving, even for a few hours, was unappealing. But due to the failure of his lackeys, he had been forced into the current predicament. As he reached the barrier which kept Sagakin locked in his pocket dimension, a mischievous thought came to his mind. With a single snap from his fingers, he broke the spell he had cast upon the human citizens, waking the survivors from their tormenting nightmares. That way his followers would have enjoyed the thrill of actually hunting down their prey.
A circular portal opened in the barrier and he crossed it, closing it immediately so that no living being would escape. He was greeted by the cheery sight of the rising morning sun, the calming breeze which blew upon the grassy fields and the pleasant sounds of the sea's waves. It all disgusted him to no end. Not wasting time, he produced the five pieces of All Over The World from the pockets of his jeans and fully focused on their power. After meditating near them for the past few days, he felt ever closer to regaining his true form. Demon Subaru barred his fangs as he growled profusely, his human body beginning to shake and twitch. A pair of horns came out of his head and a pair of demonic wings came out of his back, tearing holes through his black T shirt. It was a start. With a single flap from his wings, he jolted into the air and took off.
When was the last time he had enjoyed a good flight? It almost seemed like an eternity at that point. Then again, the passage of time sometimes tended to become meaningless to an immortal like him. And yet, up there in the clear skies, he felt free and full of energy. Although there was no ecstasy from the feedback of negative emotions, which he was accustomed to, somehow this simple act of flying still brought joy in him. But perhaps most importantly, it reminded him of his youth, and now that he was all alone with his thoughts, he could calmly resume his recollection.
Shishima would come to spend the next thousand years of his life in Akushishi's army, under his protective wings. While at first it was very difficult for him to trust his father and the owl, after a few years of food and shelter, coupled with their kind behavior, the young one slowly came to warm up to them. Since he could sense care and concern coming from both, he had the assurance that they were nothing like Koushishi. Once they could actually begin communicating with him, he would start learning how to speak the Twilight Kingdom's main language. Many years later, as he interacted with more youkai, he would catch some of the different dialects spoken in other regions of the kingdom.
After his fluency was solidified, Fukurokuju began teaching him the arts, sciences, magic and history of their home. With each passing lesson, Shishima grew all the more thirsty for the apparently infinite knowledge which his tutor seemed to never run out of. During his time in the Abyss, he knew nothingness, and while he was under his mother's supervision, he knew only pain. Now his horizons were expanding and he loved every minute of it, savoring each information like a starving cub being offered a scrap of meat.
Not long after growing up to his father's height, Akushishi decided to personally train him in battle. Unlike Koushishi, who had him face impossibly difficult combatants, his father trained him personally. The king easily countered the prince's quick and desperate attacks with gentle, almost dance-like dodges, a strategy which Shishima later picked up. Everything, the tutelage and combat training, happened while they were on the frontlines. Their camp had been settled on the Twilight Kingdom's highest peak, beneath Purgatory's border. Akushishi would leave on a daily basis to join the army and lead them in battle, returning late at night, but refusing to fall asleep before he trained his son at least a few hours in.
After a few centuries, his studies were approaching their end. Shishima had learned how to walk on two legs and his newly-grown mane was showing the signs of maturity. The scars he bore from his mother's tests of cruelty were slowly starting to fade away, in part thanks to his mentor's lessons on healing techniques. He sat down cross-legged, with a quill in his hand and a parchment lying on his knees. He listened intently to Fukurokuju, who was pointing to a map during their history lesson.
"And as our numbers grew, we youkai sought domination over the spiritual world. While Hell was not an option since our ancestors had escaped it in search of something much better, each of the upper realms are a definite target," Fukurokuju explained, moving one of his wings in a vertical motion.
"All because our numbers are growing? Keh, that's a pitiful excuse, our realm is large enough to host billions of our kin!" Shishima derided as he played with the quill between his fingers. "There has to be another purpose for this conquest."
The owl laughed, a knowing smile on his beak. "Ever the fast learner, are you? In this case, I suppose you deserve to know the truth."
"Is this not why we have spent so many years having these lessons in a crowded tent?" the prince replied in the same humorous tone.
Fukurokuju put aside his documents, walked away from the map and relaxed, speaking in a more casual manner, "You see, if we were not united in conquest, then we would be divided by our own greedy selfishness, and the Twilight Kingdom would collapse from the sheer weight of the inevitable anarchy. Right after we all escaped the torment of Hell and we saw the vast land ahead of us, infighting began, and with it, petty squabbles over right of territory. Through the direct actions and aspirations of one of your ancestors, do we owe him much, for it was he who stopped our constant bickering and forged us into an actual society, which slowly grew over time into the powerful kingdom you now behold. And he knew that the only way he could keep us all united was by setting the conquest for Heaven as our main goal."
"You mean to tell me that the very basis of our society is a never-ending conquest?" the young lion asked, dumbfounded. The owl nodded, his expression growing somber. "How do you even know all of this?"
Fukurokuju's eyes widened, he tilted his head back slightly and spoke entranced, "Because I have been there and I have seen it all. I was among the angels who fell from Heaven, I was among the demons who rebelled against Hell's tyranny, I was among the youkai who founded the Twilight Kingdom. I can still see it all like it were merely yesterday… the pleasures we lost, the pain we endured, the ambition we grew." He reached a wing to the prince, in him seeing a much older and proud lion. "I was right there, at your ancestor's side. I helped him build this society, I advised him on how to rule, I…" He paused, reflecting upon millennia of history which he had lived, everything coming back to him in the blink of an eye.
"Fukurokuju-sama, are you alright?"
The owl snapped out of his trance and recognized the tent's surroundings filled with piles of manuscripts, paintings and magic items.
"Merely a daydream," he said, shaking his head to alleviate the worry in his thoughts. "Today's lesson is over, and now you are dismissed."
Shishima nodded, folded his parchment and put it on a shelf among many others, put his pen back in the small ink bottle, then he turned to his teacher and gave him a polite bow – their little parting ritual.
"Thank you," the prince spoke, taking his tutor by surprise, for he was not one to show gratefulness openly.
"For what?" asked Fukurokuju.
"You know what." And with that said, he left the tent.
A smile grew once more on the owl's beak. The royal heir was slowly becoming more like his father. They were on the right path.
Surrounding their encampment were jagged rocks, forming into stony mountains molded slowly by the cold wind. Their base was settled in a small ravine, protected by abrupt slopes and the thick clouds above. There was no way the enemy could find them down there. Shishima found his father in a lower valley, giving instructions to the youkai troops, each of them clad in armor and brandishing weapons with sharp blades. As he watched Akushishi give an impassioned and inspiring speech to keep their morale high, the prince wondered how battling side by side with those soldiers would be like. Most likely they did not know that the very reason they were fighting was to keep their unstable society under control. But at the same time would he, Shishima, be willing to participate in that necessary evil for the sake of his kin? It did not take long for the king to notice him in the distance, at which point he ordered his soldiers to head to their posts, and then he flew to his spawn.
"My son, is something wrong?"
"I have full knowledge on our kingdom's history…" Shishima fixated Akushishi. "…and the nature of our goals."
"So Fukurokuju told you the reason why we are having this war..."
"Yes." There was no hint of anger in the young one's voice. "I have no problem with it, this is how things have always been. I just wish to know one thing, father: What is my purpose in all of this?"
Akushishi was rendered speechless. As he got a better look at the prince, he realized just how much he started to look like him. Despite all of Koushishi's attempts to turn their child into a killing machine, in the end he managed to raise him properly. It then dawned on him that the time had come…
"Follow me," he finally answered, spreading his wings and taking off into the sky.
Shishima nodded and did the same. The air got even more unpleasantly cold and their vision was partially obstructed by the clouds they soared through. Eventually they both landed on the tallest peak, rays of light shyly coming down from Purgatory.
"My son, look down at everything beneath us," Akushishi spread his arms wide, making the clouds go away, and gestured to the vast deserts, rivers, woods and mountains of the Twilight Kingdom.
Although he knew of them from Fukurokuju's maps, Shishima never expected those lands to look so amazing, especially from high above. In that clear view, they almost seemed like a rug sown with patches of different colors. For the first time in his life, he felt actual pride for his home world.
"As the prince, you will one day inherit everything you see," the king began, his offspring remaining silent and listening carefully. "With the entire knowledge and power which you will receive, at the same time a great weight will be placed upon your shoulders. The youkai need not a ruthless murderer as their leader, but a wise warrior. That is why Fukurokuju and I have been trying to educate and train you, to get rid of your mother's influence and ensure that our home ends up in good hands."
"I understand…" Shishima finally spoke, still in awe at everything he had seen and learned on that day. "To think that we have managed to maintain such beauty…"
"Yes, with the aid of Fukurokuju, each generation has built upon the previous, and we must continue doing so if we value the freedom our ancestors gave us."
A dark thought slipped into the young one's mind, prompting him to ask, "And what would happen if we reverted to our primal nature?"
"I fear we would degenerate in such a way that we would be no different from Hell's demons. Why, if that were to happen, the entire Twilight Kingdom would enter a state of perpetual decay until one day, Hell might take over and enslave us once more. That is why we must not only preserve that which we have, but also aspire for greater goals than mere selfish gratification. From where I stand, that is the only way for us to remain who we are."
Honesty emanated off of his father's words. Shishima could feel the conflict and concern which the king had for his fellow youkai. And deep inside, he knew that they would rarely have such intimate discussions again. Giving a solemn nod, he spoke back, "Father, here and now, I swear that I will not fail you!"
"I know you won't." Akushishi put a hand on Shishima's shoulder. "I am very proud of how much you've grown over the past years. You will make a great king. That is why I can say with honest pride to anyone that you are my son!" He then turned to leave. "But I must warn you that there are plenty of dangers around us, not only from above and beneath, but also in our very own kingdom. Sometimes your greatest foe is that whom you believed to be your closest ally. Which is why you need to be prepared for anything. Always keep your guard up and trust your instincts."
With those parting words said, the king dived into the sky, heading back to the troops who needed his guidance. As Shishima watched his father go, he could not help but wonder how things were developing back at the palace, under Koushishi's governance. Was she the harbinger of decadence he had been warned of? Or was said decadence in the hearts of all youkai?
Demon Subaru sighed as he awoke from his thoughts.
"I should have listened to you back then, father..." he muttered under his breath and wiped a bloody tear before it could fall down his cheek. "I should have heeded your warning, then maybe things wouldn't have turned out the way they did..."
Instinctively, he gave himself a slap across the face. How could he allow himself to be overwhelmed by such sentimental crap? He was Shishima, the former daiyoukai prince of the Twilight Kingdom, there was no room for sulking. But then he came to the realization that maybe his reflection was right, maybe he indeed had regrets when it came to his past. Running away from them would have done no good, the only way he could deal with them was by accepting the past for what it was and moving on. But could he do it after trying so hard to bury it for over a thousand years?
Soon enough, he reached the mountain. Descending into the woods, he felt the unique scent of Hajime's cologne reeking among the strong smell of pine trees, as well as the annoying flower scent that Sayo emanated. Scanning the area, he found the terrain to be particularly muddy and rocky, yet there was no clear sign of human footprints. His only lead was their distinguished yet fading scents, so he flew off, trying to find a possible trail. The fiend made sure to not go too high in the sky, as to not be noticed, so he seared between the trees, heading Eastward where he felt their scents grow stronger.
After flying over the river and crossing another footpath from above, he soon found a train stopped in the middle of the woods. He carefully landed underneath a tree and peeked beneath in the valley. That was when he saw them – Hajime and Sayo climbed in the train, then the wagon's door closed before it took off. The word 'TOKYO' appeared on the vehicle's outer screens, signaling its destination. Demon Subaru's face twisted into a long smile which revealed razor sharp fangs. Now that he knew where his prey was headed, he could rest assured and plan their upcoming encounter. Laughing to himself, he turned around, spread his wings and flew back to Sagakin.
