Dull and heavy was the atmosphere of Sagakin. The stench of death reeked in the air throughout the streets littered with corpses, every now and then one could hear screams of terror echoing in the distance, and the constant red sky provided neither the joyous energy of day, nor the calming rest of night. To make matters worse, a fog of an even darker red had covered most of the city, partially obscuring its sights. It truly seemed as if they were all trapped inside a collective nightmare, one that would not end.

A woman ran down the bloodied sidewalks through said fog, her modest housewife dress sullied by the dirt off of the road she had fainted on. The last thing she recalled was a strange beam of light coming from the university, after which she was holding her three year old son's hand and running among a crowd, seeking refuge from whatever danger had plagued their city. Somewhere in her thoughts, she blamed herself for not immediately moving back to her mother's house in Osaka at the very moment she heard the news of a serial killer roaming Sagakin.

"Hideki! Hideki!" she desperately shouted her offspring's name.

How could she have been so careless? They should have sought refuge in their own home instead of joining the crowd. Most likely her little boy had woken up before her and wandered off. Her only hope was that he did not go too far.

Suddenly, a short figure appeared in the distance. There was no mistake, it had to be him.

"Hideki, there you are!" the woman immediately went in its direction. "Are you alright? How could you run off like that?"

"Don't worry, Hideki's safe now, mommy." The figure stepped out of the fog, revealing himself as Bochiborof. "However, he won't be for long!"

"A... plush toy?"

What followed after was a wail of agony as a pair of claws pierced the mother's back, tearing it open to reveal her spinal cord. Demon Sora relished the scent of freshly-spilled blood which awoke her predatory instincts and made her even more rabid for murdering. Once she had appreciated the value of life, which was a precious gift that Mother Nature had granted to everyone, but those days were long gone, all that was left were her hunger for blood and the hope that she would one day be reunited with her friends.

"Hideki! Hideki! All of that concern for a mere piece of flesh that maybe will outlive you. You humans truly are a pathetic lot!" Bochiborof laughed at the expense of the terrorized woman. "Don't worry, you won't be split apart for long. After we're done with you, we'll hunt down your little brat and give him an even worse torture than what you're now enduring! Yes, I promise you we'll make him regret he'd ever been brought into this world!"

"N-no! Do whatever you want with me, but leave Hideki alone!" the woman desperately cried and began struggling against the claws which penetrated her body. "Hideki, run away! Please, go and hide!" As she tried to free herself, the movements caused her internal organs to be sliced by the claws until she began choking on her own blood.

"This bitch is killing herself without even knowing it," Demon Sora said in disbelief.

"Yes, humans are so amusing when they let their emotions get the best of them," Bochiborof concluded and turned to leave. "You can finish the job if you'd like, I need to keep my promise."

On the other side of the fog, three year old Hideki happily walked down the sidewalk in his blue pajamas decorated with pictures of jungle animals, ignoring all of the people resting on the ground. Although they had chosen a strange place to sleep on that weird red night, he did not seem to care, for his mind was focused on one thing. After waking up next to his mother, he saw a purple toy wandering by. Besides walking on its own two feet, it was also able to talk, just like a human! Hideki had never seen any plush toy do this before, how come Santa never brought him one?

"Mister toy, mister toy, wait for me! Mister toy, mister toy, I want to come with you! Mister toy, mister toy, please play with me! Mister toy, mister toy, let's both have fun!" the child carelessly sang as he searched the streets.

But there was no sign of it, not under the rusted benches, in the decayed bushes, beneath the dried trees, nor by the street lamps. Eventually, he bumped into a tall figure and fell on his back. Upon opening his eyes, he saw the toy next to him: it was a purple wolf plushie with long hair, a red headband, blue eyes, a golden necklace, golden spikes coming out of its shoulders, a pair of red boxing gloves on its hands, a golden belt held its black pants, and its brown shoes were shaped after wolf paws. Although there were some strange red spots on its white face, Hideki could not help but adore the toy. To make things better, it seemed to be about his size as well. That would have definitely made it the biggest toy in his room.

"Hey kid, do you like my little present?" a hissed voice asked, prompting the child to look up at the tall figure.

Much to his shock, he saw that the young man facing him was staring down with glowing red pupils and a predatory grin filled with fangs. The little boy screamed in terror, picked up the plushie and ran off. Demon Edo watched him go, then he spread his wings and flew in pursuit. Their chase went through twists and turns as the child kept going through narrower streets and alleys, desperately seeking a hideout. In those moments he thought of his mother and the safety she provided. Yes, if he could find her, all would be right again. She would protect him from the scary winged monster.

"Is there a clown's workshop nearby?" asked the plushie.

"So you really can talk, mister toy!" Hideki glanced back in disbelief.

"Yes, I am magical. Now quick, find the clown's workshop. It will take us to a wonderland where nobody will ever find us!"

The little boy narrowed his eyes and searched through the fog until he found a warehouse with a juggling clown riding a motorcycle depicted on its door.

"Wow, what a smart boy you are, you've found it! Quickly, let's hide before it's too late!" the toy urged him.

Pushing the large door open was a strenuous task for his small body, but Hideki managed to do as told and sought refuge inside with his new friend. He then dropped the toy and laid down on the floor to catch his breath. The plushie got back on its feet after being dragged around, dusted itself, then it went to lock the door.

"Mister toy, is this wonderland?" the child asked as he caught his breath. "When is the magic-"

PUNCH!

Bochiborof hit him so hard in the stomach that the boy curled up into the fetal position and vomited on the floor. It all happened so quickly, he had never experienced before such strong pain.

"Didn't your mother ever tell you not to talk to strangers?"

He looked up in tears at the purple wolf, who was grinning at his pain.

"You're a bad boy, Hideki. Mommy's very angry at you for not listening to her. That's why I'm going to beat you up until nothing's left of you but a bloody mess, you gullible little brat!"

"M-mister toy, stop that, you're scaring me!" the child fearfully whimpered.

The door unlocked from behind and Demon Edo walked in with the key in his hand. Once that workshop had the noble purpose of entertaining children and bringing smiles to their faces, but now it was a place where he would concoct his deadly traps and lure unsuspecting victims.

"The monster found us!" shouted Hideki.

"Found you? I'm the owner of this place. You're trespassing, and you know what happens to mean old trespassers, don't you?"

The two fiends giggled at the little one, who was shocked by the sudden betrayal. The winged one barred his teeth and lashed at the helpless child, who in a moment of instinct grabbed the plushie and tossed him right into the fang-filled mouth. Since the exit was blocked, he ran down the stairs in the hopes of finding a new hideout. Soon enough, he heard rushed footsteps from behind. As he reached the poorly lit basement, he grabbed whatever toy he could find on the tables and threw them at his pursuers. Eventually he found a box filled with marbles and spread them on the floor. As soon as the duo reached the basement, they tripped on the small objects and crashed, no different from goofy cartoon characters.

His escape secured, Hideki ran up the stairs once more, the climb seeming like the longest activity he had ever done in his life. Deep inside he felt the urge to just cry out for his mother, and she would come, as she always did whenever he had a bad dream or fell out of bed. She had always been there for him, warming him, cradling him, kissing his wounds, he knew that as long as she was there, everything would be fine. So why did she not come when those two monsters were after him? The opened door was waiting for him right at the top of the stairs, and he did not waste any time to get out of that terrible building.

As soon as he set foot outside, a knife pierced his right eye and caused him to scream his pain out into the night. Shinobu pulled the blade out of his wounded organ and swiftly stabbed him in the stomach as well, her feline-like yellow eyes showing no pity whatsoever. But how could she not? She was a normal girl, just like him! How was she no different from the monsters who tricked him? With a kick from her high heeled shoe, he collapsed on the concrete in a pool of blood. His last thought before drifting away was of his mother and how she had failed to protect him...

"I can smell the brat's blood, he's not gone too far!" Demon Edo said as he and the Funky Knightmare ran up the stairs.

"There he is- Wait, is that Shinobu?" Bochiborof was quick to remark.

"You two almost let this little kid escape. And the master had left you of all people in charge of this city, Bochiborof? Pathetic!" she spat with disgust and picked up the fresh corpse.

"He got the best of us, I'll admit..." The winged one scratched the back of his head in embarrassment. "Thanks for helping us out!"

"I am not the one blessed with the almighty Shishima's powers, and yet you relied on me, a mortal, to finish the job for you? Hmph, you truly are a bunch of weaklings." Shinobu turned to leave, unwilling to endure the sight of the dimwitted duo anymore. "I'll be taking this trophy as sacrificial meat for my next ceremony."

"And who do you think you are to call us weaklings, you arrogant hag?! Just because Demon Subaru-sama gave you the position of High Priestess of his cult, that doesn't mean you can just talk shit about his demonized minion and his most loyal servant, the almighty Bochiborof-sama! Why, you ought to kiss the ground we walk on, for our mere presence is an honor for-"

"Which reminds me," Shinobu was quick to interrupt Bochiborof's rant, "I was told by the master that he has an audience with you."

"Huh?" The plushie blinked and pointed at himself. "With me?"

"Yes, I suggest you not make him wait."

Having returned to Sagakin, Demon Subaru fetched his black jacket and flew to the city hall. There he retreated the horns and wings back into his body so he could get dressed, then he installed himself in the mayor's office and had a look at the census papers, calculating in his mind how many days it would take for the rest of the population to be slaughtered. The Spawns of Shishima had barely reached a hundred in their numbers, and while new converts were always welcome, he could not waste too much time and effort on just one city. More had to follow suit in order for him to reshape the world into his image. But for the moment, that little corner of Japan was his own haven. As he stared at the city beneath from the window, he could not help but laugh.

"Yes, this chaos is feeding my power unlike ever before! Things just keep getting better and better!"

"Are you done with the selfish prattle?" asked the Shishima reflection from the mirror, to which he responded with a solemn nod. "Good, then let's get back to your story. What happened after your father informed you of your purpose?"

Demon Subaru sat on the desk to face the mirror, cleared his voice and resumed his recollection.


As soon as he was fully trained and well-versed in the ways of the Twilight Kingdom youkai, Shishima would spend the following centuries fighting in the army by his father's side as they pushed their border even deeper into Purgatory's depths. A vast celestial dome separated both realms, and on a daily basis a legion of angels would appear to halt the advancing youkai from entering their home. The Purgatory angels were different from the rest in the spirit world. They were all faceless, their feathered wings made of marble, and sharp-edged, their humanoid bodies muscular and radiating with golden light. Although they only interacted in battle, Shishima could feel no emotion off of these beings. They were all cold and fixated on their duty of protection, as if they lacked individuality. But they were not the best of fighters, as the better-trained soldiers of the Twilight Kingdom could take them out with ease. The only advantage of the angels lay in their large numbers. Due to this, the youkai would tire easily from what seemed to be an endless struggle, leading to a retreat back to their encampment in the mountains, which ended the daily battle. Despite this minor setback, they always seemed to get ever closer to the entrance in the other realm, and the king was sure to use his magic to draw a new border to ensure their progress was not in vain.

Once every few months, the troops would return to the royal palace, which acted as the capital of the Twilight Kingdom. There they would rest and regroup, planning their next battle strategy. To accommodate Shishima with his new home, Akushishi granted him a room in the upmost level of the building, as well as a harem of succubi, incubi and other demonic beings he was interested in. With each new piece of information the prince requested from Fukurokuju, his room gradually became more and more crowded with shelves upon shelves of books and scrolls. The members of his harem lived a level beneath him, in a large complex of modest bedrooms. Like his parents, Shishima organized orgies with his slaves on a regular basis while he was home. Thanks to his high status, he was quick to inspire respect from his subjects, the average youkai knowing him as the king's son, but the soldiers fearing him for his ruthless way of battling. During formal ceremonies where it was expected for the entire royal family to participate, he would glance at his mother between discussions, and she would stare back at him, a dead, cold and piercing stare always meeting his own. It was obvious that she did not agree with how her mate was raising their heir, but ultimately she had no say in the matter, hence why she was always distant during said meetings.

A few days before their return to the frontlines, Fukurokuju took Shishima on a tour in their vast art museum, its galleries decorated with various statues and paintings of their kin.

"This one is called 'The Triumph of One'." The owl motioned to the painting of an ogre youkai sitting atop a pile of corpses, his horned head resting against his left hand, while his right hand lay down relaxed, dripping with blood. In the background there were burning fields, smoke rising to the gray desolate sky. The dead bodies belonged to beings of divine and profane nature alike. On the youkai's face there was an expression of uncertainty, as he stared down deep in thought. "Behold – the warrior has made a throne out of everyone he has slain. You can see what became of the realm he had conquered. This is the ultimate triumph."

"If that is so, why isn't he happy? He should rejoice in his victory!" the young lion argued.

"Observe his expression. He is conflicted, because now that he has attained ultimate power over everything and everyone, he realizes he has no other purpose. As such, he is now lost in thought, struggling to find a new meaning for his eternal existence."

"Why would anyone paint something like this? It seems pretty antithetical to our conquest."

"Our culture was built not only around war and conquest, but also around the philosophy of life," Fukurokuju explained as he moved his wings to gesticulate at the entirety of the museum. "Our artists keep seeking new purposes other than what society has given them."

The prince was not impressed, he merely shrugged and replied, "I don't know, that sounds pretty counterproductive."

"Do not let pragmatism blind your mind, Shishima! Take another look at the painting – the youkai is alone in his triumph, in his little throne there are also corpses of his kin, hinting that he resorted to anything to gain victory, even betrayal. Let this be a lesson to you: Personal ambition should not always overrule common ambition. If it does, all you will gain is the utter despair of loneliness."

Shishima knew of that despair all too well. If one managed to conquer the entirety of the spirit world and had everything under their control, would they have suffered the same torment of nothingness that the Abyss had to offer? How could one have everything and yet nothing at the same time? It was a twisted paradox!

"Although you remain silent, I can clearly see that something is troubling you," Fukurokuju remarked, catching the prince's attention. "Worry not, it is good that you are no longer dismissive of this art form. That is its purpose, to make one think and expand their horizons even further."

"What should I do then?" the young one asked. "If one day I manage to achieve our ultimate goal, what will there be left for me?"

"Although you have been bestowed with the responsibility of leading us by birth right, ultimately you are the only one who can forge your own fate. If you seek something other than what you were dealt with, feel free to pursue it. But be mindful how you weigh your responsibilities and your desires."

The owl's wisdom was both reassuring and addictive for Shishima's mind. He longed to keep their discussions going for longer periods, but unfortunately their responsibilities no longer allowed him that luxury.

Later that day, a meeting was held in the senate room between the army generals and the politicians. The room resembled an amphitheater with descending rows of seats, in front of them a stage with two podiums, and behind said stage were the thrones on which the king and queen sat to witness the debates. The prince stood unseen in a corner and watched how his mentor was having a heated argument with the highest ranking general, a wolf youkai named Rufu. Although his fur was graying and his left eye had been lost in a battle long ago, he was always stern and fierce in attitude, donning an elegant black military uniform which brandished a long katana at the waist.

"Though we are facing dire times, I believe we can all agree that our newly acquired territories can be split equally amongst all youkai," Fukurokuju argued. "As such, we should convoke the governors of each district and debate on how we can partition the upper realm properly."

"And what about the capital palace? Is it not the utmost important part of the Twilight Kingdom?" Rufu shot back, earning some cheers from his fellow generals. "Why, I say that we are more worthy of incorporating the mountains and the new 'upper realm' into our direct administration!"

"I disagree, we need not our brothers and sisters in the far corners of the land believe that they are suffering through the capital's hegemony. Offering to share the mountains can open the path to better discussion and cooperation. After all, we are at war, should we not have the whole kingdom united?"

"Fukurokuju, you may be the oldest of our kin, but your words resemble those of a newborn," the youkai general mocked, a couple of laughs echoing in the hall.

"Silence!" roared Akushishi, catching everyone's attention. "I will not tolerate any further disrespect levied against anyone gathered here! Now, proceed with your discussion."

"My sincere apologies, Your Highness." The wolf did a quick bow, then he turned back to the owl. "What I meant to imply was that although you are a brilliant tactician, you may be lacking in vision when it comes to our organization."

"I have given my best to help maintain our kingdom, both in times of peace and war. How did you arrive to that conclusion?" Fukurokuju shot back, not attempting to hide his offence.

"The stakes of the war grow with each passing year, we simply do not have the time for debates over conquered land when the enemy is always on high alert and full aware of our threat. The problem of inequality among our citizens is something best left for safer times. I suggest that until we have fully dealt with the Purgatory issue, all lands conquered henceforth shall fall directly under the capital's rule."

It was then that the prince realized what his father had meant by warning him of the dangers coming from their own kingdom. Corruption and selfishness reigned in the hearts of their generals and politicians, the very youkai who swore to protect and administer their home. And as he saw a good portion of the crowd cheer for Rufu, he could not help but share his mentor's disgust.

As the years passed, Shishima became more independent in combat, preferring to take care of himself rather than always having Akushishi fight by his side. It was not a rebellious move on his part, he merely wished to be alone. Back then he discovered that he could concentrate on his thoughts quite well while killing angels. As much as he did not want to admit it, he was growing worried with the military and political heads. He saw that Fukurokuju's voice of reason fell on more deaf ears with each senate meeting. If it were not for Akushishi's power imposing fear onto them, they would have easily caused disruption in the Twilight Kingdom. And then a thought crossed the young lion's mind – what could he do to keep those corrupt fiends under control if he were in charge? Whenever his father spoke, his voice boomed with authority and immediately commanded attention and submission. Would they have acted the same if Shishima spoke to them in a similar tone? Or would it have been better if he made examples out of a few of them in front of everyone? After all, not many would have cried over the spilled blood of a mere senator.

As he was battling the angels while being caught in his thoughts, he lost attention for a moment. One single moment, that was all it took to bring him down. A sword fell from above, slashing his left shoulder and wing. He could no longer control his body and started falling through the clouds, past the mountains and their high peaks, all the way down into the palace gardens, crashing into a large bush. The impact was anything but pleasant, he felt some of his bones crack. His fresh wound bled all over his fur. While trying to cope with the pain, his sight was slowly becoming blurry. Before he blacked out, he saw a purple lioness youkai shyly approaching him from behind the trees, the pleasant scent of flowers in the air…


"I knew I had felt that scent somewhere before!" Demon Subaru interrupted his recollection.

"Ah, was it the scent of water lilies, poppies and spring water?" the Shishima reflection asked, a hint of melancholy in its voice.

"Yes, that must have been the same scent that priestess gave! But how could she? No human perfume should be able to have that same mix."

"You would be surprised, actually. Regardless, let us continue, things are getting so much more interesting!"

"I would rather not..."

"How so? Are you afraid of something you might remember?"

"No, it's just that I'm not in the mood to remember that."

"Aha, so you are afraid! How many times must I tell you? Stop running from your fears, you will never be able to conquer them if you keep acting like a coward!"

Demon Subaru roared and lashed at the mirror, his palms pressed against the wall. "I am Shishima, former heir of the Twilight Kingdom, an icon of fear itself! Don't you ever suggest that I am afraid of something!"

"All you do is keep lying to yourself. I am you and you are me. We've started our little discussions on the very basis that you are currently facing this weakness of fear, which you need to overcome in order to get back on track and focus on your main goal of achieving godhood. In order to do that, you must face all aspects of your past, including the most unpleasant ones. You have no choice!"

A few knocks on the door snapped Demon Subaru out of his thoughts. He waved his hand to open it and allowed Bochiborof to enter, noticing a worried expression on his plush face.

"Milord, is everything alright?"

"Yes, why do you ask?" he replied, keeping his composure.

"I have just heard you arguing with yourself a few moments ago. I didn't mean to eavesdrop, but it made me concerned about your sanity," the plushie confessed.

"And why do you care about my sanity, Bochiborof?"

"Oh, it's because I would be really saddened if anything bad happened to you, master. If you were to leave me all alone once again, there would be no more fun whatsoever."

Demon Subaru stared at him with a neutral expression, although he could not help but be dumbfounded by the genuine concern that his servant displayed. He replied, "Fun, you say?"

"Yes, ever since I've known you, I've always cherished our moments spent together. Killing mortals, defeating weaklings in duels and plotting evil schemes is always a pleasure when I'm doing it with you, Demon Subaru-sama!"

Somewhere inside he could not help but smile. Although as a demon of his power he could never allow himself to have deeper connections such as friendship, for it was a weakness that could be easily exploited, he was still certain that Bochiborof's feelings were honest. A smart being would have simply used said feelings as a means to an end, but for some reason Demon Subaru could not bring himself to do it. Maybe those feelings were indeed reciprocated, maybe he indeed had a friend in that little plush wolf.

"I see. Worry not, I was just experiencing a fleeting moment of weakness. But I am fine right now and there is nothing you can do to help me." The hooded one walked back to the office desk and gestured for his minion to follow. "I have called you because I've discovered that Hajime is headed to Tokyo."

"Is he, sire?"

"Yes, as such I want us to plan ahead of time our next meeting. I suggest we give him a warm welcome in our own style, wouldn't you agree?"

"That would be most entertaining!"

Demon Subaru and Bochiborof laughed together as they began plotting their next move towards the unsuspecting youth.