+++++ Hikawa Shrine, Azabu-Juban, Japan. (Monday + 9)
The remnants of the bodies of the Shrine's priests had been cleared away from the Main Hall at some point, though the blood and effluvium remained. The building still canted precariously at an angle, the recovery of the wounded and reconstitution of friendly forces remained too high a priority to see to the repair of what once had been a place of honor for a long dead kitsune. It was obvious that he was being watched from afar. His entrance unintentionally grand and terrifying to behold, there was little chance that people would do anything but eye him warily. This place, though, was as good as any other for him to kneel down and gather himself. The youkai would not disturb him, primal fear held them back. The humans were safe now, the apartment building cleared of the undead menace and the Angel that had brought said menace suffering for eternity as it was slowly torn apart by a naked singularity he had created within it. With no ability to find him, and the youkai watching him unlikely to allow them closer, he need not worry about them. The two youma and one Olympian were likely to be held back by the same primal fear that kept the majority of the youkai at bay. Other than the Sailors, who he knew would honor his earlier request, that limited tremendously the potential causes of the sounds of feet carefully picking their way through debris behind him.
He wasn't surprised to hear their voices. Wasn't shocked when they joined him, the same way they had taken to doing over the past week. Wasn't angry that these three young ladies sought out his company after everything that had just been done to them all. He understood their fear, the unknown always brought that basic emotion forth. He understood their drive to remain a presence in his sight, tragedies were a cause for community gathering in the world they came from. He understood their earnest desire to encourage him to speak to them, as all living creatures did better after speaking to another regarding their suffering. None of it would drive him to break his silence just yet. Not at that moment, most of all.
Sitting in seiza, his gauntleted hands resting easily on his quadriceps, he allowed their touch, their voices, their warmth, to wash around him. To pass through him, like air through an open window. He used their presence to temper the metal with which his heart was now fashioned from, so that when he went forth to show the world the price it had incurred by sparking his wrath he could and would not be diverted from his path.
"Please, let down your armor…let us hold you as we mourn the honored dead." Their voices held no magic, no coercion. They wished him to let them help because they wished to help him, not because they felt beholden to. This was what allowed them to remain in his presence, what made them the only women he would not keep at thought's distance. "We are not so stupid as to believe that you wouldn't have told everyone else to go jump off a cliff if it meant you could learn to love her."
He had grown in understanding regarding the use of those abilities granted to him by the youkai, by his status as an Elder, and by his control over Unit-01. He had begun to use the flora of the world, the stone and earth, and without knowing he had the capacity, the concept of universal gravitation. He reacted without having to think about what he was doing, he allowed his need to set forth his capabilities, and now he needed to make certain that if he planned ahead, that he could still do what he wanted.
The building around the four deliberately righted itself, sturdy trees forming from nothingness to interlock themselves in an impenetrable barrier between where they were and the world outside, holding up the structure and reinforcing it to make it a more permanent fixture. Bioluminescent growths provided light after the torches were extinguished by clumps of loose dirt. The ground below the foundations of the building cautiously consumed the blood, the rot, and the furnishings within the main hall, solidifying into furnishings that would provide the minimal comforts he would need from time to time. None of the acts, individually or combined, made more noise than his breathing had. The drama and import of the moment itself came and went without any fanfare.
Moving, hours after he had chosen the spot he now knelt in, Shinji reached his hands up to the helmet of Unit-01 and delicately removed it from around his head. Turning it about so that the mask faced him, he ran one of his thumbs along the broken protrusion Tsuruko had kissed before ending her own life. "I am not telling the three of you this because I hate you. I am not telling you this because I am angry with you, or because I think you're failures, or because you're horrible people. This isn't me doing the stupid shit I normally do around people. I'm not lying to you because I'm afraid of losing the tiny bit of validation that you give me by being around me." A short pillar of stone rose out of the ground before him, and he set his helmet upon it to free his hands again. "When I leave this room, when I step outside this mausoleum I have crafted to remind me of my failures, I am going to be a far different man."
Mika and Misa slid to either side of the pillar, each taking a gauntleted hand and holding it tight. "And what about when you're in here? What about when you return?"
Never had he felt about anyone as warmly as he did in that moment. They were not telling him not to do what he had chosen to do, they weren't even begging him to change his mind. He had spoken, they had accepted what he said as what was to be. All they wanted was to know what it is that he needed of them and from them in this place he had declared his home. "In here, I will learn who and what I am. I will try to find who, or what, is inside of me." His voice didn't change at all when he announced, "I will kill anyone but you three who enters. The door is going to be as locked as I can make it, and I will only allow you three to come and go." They had earned as much. He could smell the death on them now. The struggle to save lives. He could see the many times they had tried to stand by him without forcing anything upon him. The way they helped the women that had surrounded him, the sea of women he drowned within, all without once showing jealousy or rancor. "I want to trust you. I want to talk to you, to tell you what I intend to do. I will kill you if you betray me." Retrieving his hands, he cupped them before him and formed three rings of unbreakable jade fitted to the middle finger of each of the triplets before him. "I won't force you to accept my terms. If you do-" The rings vanished and adorned the right hand of each woman before he could finish. He let out a small chuckle and let his hands drop back down to his legs. "Well then. I hope you don't come to regret that decision."
Miwa laid against his back, her head settled atop his shoulder, her eyes full of trust and shared remorse. "We understand why you're pushing everyone away. We don't agree with it, but we know you're not going to hold that against us. All we want from you is a chance. If you…if you have to kill half of the world to save the rest…."
Shinji dipped his shoulder to work his arm around her waist, dragging her around before him and scooping up the others in the same hug. "I can't stop the suffering that's about to happen. I need the three of you to explain to everyone else that I am deathly serious about the sanctity of this room. Stop them from ending their own lives pointlessly."
They hugged him just as tightly as he did them. "We will do what we can." After a span of heartbeats, they leaned back and looked at him with hesitation evident in their bearing.
"I'm not one bad question away from killing you, nor am I one misstep away from breaking into tears. My emotional state does not teeter on some demented precipice. I am filled with fury, there is precious little room for anything else at the moment. I have reached a point where I am so furious that I'm actually calm. If you want something, ask. I can't guarantee I'll say yes, I can't promise I won't look at you like you're stupid. I can promise that by you taking those rings that you've earned a level of trust that I never believed I'd have in another living being." His eyes swept slowly between the three women before him. "So ask."
"Did you love them?" Each word was slow to follow the last, nervousness remaining despite his assurances.
"No." He shook his head slightly for emphasis. "I didn't suddenly discover love just before they died, or on first sight, or as I looked on their remains. I didn't suddenly have an epiphany, or realize that it was in my heart all along. They were…each of the women that have died around me were just as worthy of inspiring this rage as any other." He looked up at the wall of art that the trees had created for him, a natural portrait of each of the women he felt responsible for the death of crafted out of leaves, flowers, and mosses. "What I realized when I saw Tsuruko sacrifice herself was that I didn't know what to do. I didn't know what to feel. She had, moments before, sat on my lap spelling out why she wanted to see if we were compatible. Hera-san acts as if I'm already married to her. Ritsuko's last conversation with me was a massive misunderstanding on her part. I know now that my apology was misinterpreted by her, that she thought I was telling her that I didn't want anything to do with her, instead of apologizing for cheating on her by accepting affections from someone else after already having accepted them from her. That was why her eyes went hard before she bowed. Because I became so flustered at everything going on, because I didn't control myself, she died thinking I had no interest in knowing her. I don't even know if I'm capable of love, if I'm going to be honest. The three of you…." He returned his eyes to their faces. "In my mind, you're wasting your time trying to love me. I'm just not sure if I can ever reciprocate what you feel. If I could ever give you what you deserve, as women, as partners, as friends. When I came here, I was lost. I was confused, and scared, and just trying to find a way to get back to where I came from. After Amaterasu showed me that was impossible, I resigned myself to trying to do what I could to help this world instead. After I was stabbed, I thought I could at least live long enough to kill the Angels, to keep the city safe. After Elysium, I just wanted to keep the people here at the Shrine safe. If there's love in me, somewhere, I don't know that I could point to it. Each of you three are…precious. Every moment you give me is prized. But the world I see isn't filled with charming walks through shopping malls, or trips to amusement parks, or whatever people actually do on dates. It isn't filled with visions of sneaking kisses between classes, or walking home holding hands. I don't see a wedding, kids…a future. I see the fight that I've been losing. I see death. I see a patch of dirt like every other patch of dirt on this fucking planet as the unlucky repository of whatever remains of Unit-01 after I've been killed while failing to change the inevitable. You deserve far more than that."
All three gave him a look of frustrated helplessness, combined with an array of halting efforts at saying something in response. Eventually after a quick silent consultation with one another, they nodded in agreement and simply asked, "Could we ask the Mujina to make some small changes to your den, so long as they do so while you're not here? Perhaps an antechamber where we could accept offerings in your name. We're not opposed to sleeping atop you in our fox forms," they looked over to the small pallet he'd woven together of various grasses, "but we would much rather be able to curl up next to you as women when we can."
He thought over the request, turning it this way and that in his mind. "No changes to this room…except the bed. I'll let you three bring a new bed in here, and I'll expand the room as necessary to fit it in. You can do whatever you want to the rest of the tree." Standing up and setting them down carefully, he picked up his helmet to put it on before hesitating and looking at them once more. "I asked that you don't leave me, you agreed not to…is that considered a binding pact according to the Laws of the universe?"
"It is."
"…Thank you." Putting his helm securely in place, he turned around and stepped out into a world in desperate need of new management.
+++++ Hikawa Shrine, Azabu-Juban, Japan. (Monday + 9)
Dawn had come before the Shrine next saw the Silent One. The Shrine walls had been reinforced and repaired, the apartment was at that point in time also undergoing necessary maintenance. Mars and Venus were speaking with Kyoko and Hera when the whispers drew their attention. All four watched as he strode purposefully through a door that only closed after the Triplets scampered out in their fox forms, and all four wondered at what it might mean that his armor was now silver with red highlights. Two of the ladies clicked their tongues in frustration as he seemed to ignore them entirely, whereas Mars and Kyoko had already accepted that his actions were likely not undertaken with a thought towards those that might have romantic inclinations. The Sailor recognized the walk of someone who had a tremendous number of places to be and not enough of themselves to be everywhere they must. The General saw a man that had finally reached the end of his tether and had chosen his path forward.
The glow of an electric lamp gave the Marine Expeditionary Unit's small arms specialist enough light to work with as he desperately attempted to do what he could to make sure his fellows could continue to operate effectively. When that light became dimmer due to a presence in his pavilion, he only looked up enough to see who it was and whether or not they were worth talking to. When he saw Unit-01 pick up a 7.62 NATO round, he decided not to say anything about it. If the walking death machine wanted ammunition, it wasn't his place to say no. He did, however, become slightly more concerned when the bullet was removed from the brass casing and the contents inside said casing were dumped on his table. "Something I can do for you, boss?"
Unit-01, as expected, remained silent. After setting the casing next to a bowl full of empty casings, and the bullet where it wouldn't roll off and be lost, it smoothed out the small pile of propellant and tapped a finger next to the granular substance.
"That's what gets set off by the primer, boss. The little dimple on the back of the brass goes pop, this goes bang, and whatever's on the receiving end of the slug there," he gestured to the bullet, "has a bad day." Unit-01 tilted its head to the side slightly, a vague sense of irritation growing. "You…uh, you probably know that though."
"Nitrocellulose. Cotton linter that's been boiled in sodium hydroxide before being mixed with nitric and sulfuric acid. There's more to the process, of course," Kyoko looked up at him from where she'd arrived. There was no judgement in her bearing, only a question as to his intent. "The grains you see are cut to an appropriate length, and are…then…."
Unit-01 had bent down to the ground, scooping up rock to form into an enormous barrel which then rapidly filled with a replication of the propellant. Taking a pinch out and setting it close to the original sample, it then looked back at the enlisted man in charge of weapons.
After waiting for a few seconds for her Marine to cue into what was happening, Kyoko interceded again. "Private, do you need to borrow a lighter to test what he's offering you?"
"Ah, uh, n-no ma'am." A quick application of a flame proved that both samples produced a similar puff of smoke and popping sound. "Y-yeah, that's…did you just make a tub of powder out of rock, boss?"
Another gesture from Unit-01 drew everyone's eyes to a series of wooden crates, each filled with brass of a variety of sizes, primers to fit the brass, and bullets to be placed upon the tip that it had made while waiting for the private to make up his mind. Without wasting any more time, it turned and moved off towards the medical wards.
"Get whatever help you need, Private. It seems Pilot Ikari has resolved our ammunition issues." Kyoko ignored the stunned salute of the man before turning and jogging to catch up to the silent warrior. "Thank you, Shinji. Right now, we're able to produce enough rations for everyone, and I've sent out raiding parties to search the nearby areas but they haven't been able to go very far without running into trouble and having to fall back or be overrun. That ammo will go a long way towards us holding out for reinforcements. We've been attempting to communicate with Command, but nothing we have is punching through whatever interference has been set up. We should have had a helicopter already on station by now to get the Sailors to the Research Station."
A Mujina that was moving past their path stopped at a motion from Unit-01, setting down the stack of stone it had been ferrying to give its full attention to the being it least wanted to anger. "Yes, Silent One, what can I do for you?" Both badger-spirit and general were surprised to see the Eva take off the gauntlet and bracer from its left arm. Holding out the band that Usagi had gifted it, the need was evident. "Uhm…yes. May I touch it?" A single nod granted assent. Tapping the bracelet with a sharpened nail, the Mujina frowned in thought for a few seconds. "Silicon, magnesium, iron, calcium, aluminum, chromium, titanium, manganese…. It all manifests in the form of the olivine, pyroxene, and plagioclase feldspar woven throughout. Hmm…hmm, yes…there is some ilmenite set in a pentagonal array. Very rare. Very powerful. Whoever it was that gave you this clearly wishes to keep you safe. This is magic of the oldest order, far harder to produce anymore." Blinking a few times as they looked up to Unit-01's face, they silently asked if the answer was satisfactory.
After re-securing its armor where it belonged, Unit-01 set three persimmons in the Mujina's hands and moved without further comment into the main floor of the apartment complex. If it recognized the cautiously raised hands greeting it, or the bows of respect, it made no motions to reciprocate the gestures. Kyoko had to push herself to keep pace, forced into walking in that nebulous zone between a fast walk and a slow jog.
Once inside, another attempted distraction from the obfuscated goals of Unit-01 appeared in the form of Noriyasu Seta, who stood up from the chair he'd been resting in by an isolation room and approached what he believed to be Shinji with a host of questions to ask. "Ikari-sensei, what happened? I-" It wasn't that Unit-01 had intentionally rammed him with a shoulder, sending him staggering backwards and over the chair he'd been using, it was that Unit-01 simply hadn't changed its course or pace.
Kyoko continued to gather information, not stopping to help the now dizzy archeologist back onto his feet. She had guessed correctly that the destination they moved towards was the morgue, and was only surprised slightly when Unit-01 moved directly to the rolling locker that contained the body of Ritsuko Akagi. Two of the yuki-onna that were responsible for both the low temperature of the room and the disposition of the corpses after they had been properly cleansed came over to stand next to her. "What do you intend to do?"
Unit-01 gently picked up the fallen doctor, then used his knee to slam the drawer shut. Creating a free-standing block of green marbleized stone, he then covered the woman from head to toe in woven boughs of chrysanthemums. When nothing but her face remained visible, he picked up the plinth without any trouble and walked back out of the room.
One of the yuki-onna gripped Kyoko on the shoulder, stopping her from immediately following. The other spoke in low tones to not draw attention from Unit-01. "At a glance, she should not decay while attached to that monument. We will see to it that wherever he places her is properly secured. We caution you, Warmaster, do not labor under the belief that the man you knew is beneath that carapace. We can no longer hear his thoughts, and that cannot offer anything but ill-tidings."
"If he isn't under that armor, then whoever it is happens to be doing an odd job of acting like someone other than a man grieving for the dead." Pulling her shoulder free, she hurried after Unit-01 to do what she could to salvage their situation. She ignored Noriyasu again as he asked something regarding names, and made it outside just in time to see her target setting Ritsuko's memorial down outside of the tree he'd crafted from a grouping of smaller trees. She walked over slowly, now that Unit-01 was surrounded by the odd triplets, believing that it was unlikely he'd simply bowl them over to leave.
After she was close enough, she heard the trio speaking in comforting tones. "…a chamber fit to eulogize her within. We will ensure that it is expansive enough to host any others that may fall, at least those that have earned the right to rest within your memory." One of the three, not that she'd know which was which with a gun to her head, turned slightly to glance at her. "What has been done cannot be undone. We must focus on making the best of the world before us, now. While you go search for your answer, we will cooperate with the human military here to prepare for what is to come."
Unit-01 nodded wearily, then knelt down to accept a hug from the three ladies before him. After giving that display of affection proper attention, it stood and moved a few steps to their side before squatting down and launching itself in a high, arcing, jump over the wall and to the city outside the Shrine.
"I need to coordinate our plans with him, ladies." Kyoko wasn't upset at the youkai trio, and kept her tone free from any possible recriminations or accusations. "I need to get a feel for how he's doing, too. I can't rely on a weapon's system that doesn't provide feedback, and I can't rely on a friend or peer that won't give me the same."
Misa, Mika, and Miwa looked at each other, then back to the General. "He is going to look for signs of battle. He's going to check for a police presence, or military blockade, or anything that might indicate why no reinforcements have arrived. He doesn't think you're a liar, and if it weren't for his trust in you, he wouldn't be helping you at all. He hopes to be back before long…but it is unlikely he'll want to speak with you, or anyone else, for the foreseeable future."
She knew that she could have received worse news regarding the entire matter, that the young man was doing what he believed to be best because nothing they'd tried had gone according to plan, and that at the moment she had nobody better to send off on a reconnaissance mission than the one man that stood the highest chance of leaving and returning on his own. She also knew she had no choice in the matter. "Ok. What do I need to do to help him when he comes back?"
Three matching smiles told her she'd said the right thing. "We need to figure out how to get him to wherever Naoko Akagi is likely heading. Killing her is the best way to improve our situation, and our best chance of stopping everything from becoming even worse."
+++++ Kaiou/Tenou apartment, Hikawa Shrine, Azabu-Juban, Japan. (Monday + 9)
Minako held her sister in battle as the young shrine maiden wept for the loss of her grandfather. She herself felt like her body weighed several thousand tons, and she knew that both Rei and Haruka were faring little better. The apartment was no longer occupied by them alone, however, and the temporary additions while the entire building was swept for a fifth time were doing what they could to help. Two college students were serving as nurses to the stricken, a young bluenette sat at a table staring blankly at a point far beyond the apartment walls, an even younger blonde slept curled into a defensive ball under a blanket on the couch, and a living, breathing, pillar of rage with two swords at her hip stood silently near the door.
The situation might have been confusing, or frightening, to the Sailor for Venus if it weren't for the fact that she had a puzzling knot to toy with in order to occupy her mind. Her mother was still alive, downstairs, still reliving the same six hours that she had been since she was pulled from her home for her own safety. Her friends and allies continued to die. Shinji hadn't yet come to see her, hadn't checked on her, hadn't been the one to tell her about what had happened. Usagi hadn't shown up to fight, Michiru was still unconscious, and it was looking more and more like they were on the defensive against an enemy that could strike at any time, from anywhere.
She needed to keep those remaining few safe. She needed to use her strengths. She needed to act.
+++++ Akagi Apartment, Hikawa Shrine, Azabu-Juban, Japan. (Monday + 9)
"When I reached the door, she was already up to her eyebrows." Hera glared at the spot that had been occupied by the most recent Angel, explaining to Mizore what had happened during the struggle. "I took her hand, and when I pulled…."
The yuki-onna could smell the disgust radiating from the Olympian next to her. What she couldn't smell, however, was a lie. "The youma said something similar. She saw you attempt to free Doctor Akagi," with the woman in question dead, her name was no longer a source of concern, "then she saw you recoil…with concern."
"If I pulled any harder, I would have torn her arm off." Rubbing two of her fingers together, she shook her head in irritation. "These animals do not abide by the Laws, my sister."
Mizore began to snap, "I am…." Stopping herself, she realized that she wasn't sure what she would say after that.
"We both wish for him to gift us with an apple." Hera did not speak to her like an enemy. Did not toy with her words or thoughts. Looking across at the pale woman beside her with empathy and an offer of peace, she set out as she meant to continue. "There is no shame in admitting the crimes my supposed husband committed, as I was not party to them. Had I the strength, I would have killed him then and there. But I was bound," she looked back down to the floor that looked for all the world as if nothing had happened to it, "and now that I am free I do not intend to bring dishonor upon myself by fighting pointless battles against those who have lost just as much as I have."
"…I can't feel him."
"Neither can I. He had love in his heart for this woman, to what end we will never know…but right now we are lucky that he does not include us in whatever it is he is feeling. I have been the object of many emotions in my long years, as have you I would wager." Reaching over, she gripped Mizore's shoulder and shared her own worries. "I do not wish to add his hatred to those I will experience…and I would appreciate it if I never had to feel your own again."
Mizore side-eyed the taller woman, grudgingly impressed at the honesty she had been gifted. "We'll see…peacock-brain."
+++++ Azabu-Juban, Japan. (Monday + 9)
The Silent One stood in the ruins of a bookstore comparing maps of the local area with one another to develop a better idea of what he should be looking for as far as likely destinations to find something capable of communicating with the rest of the world. He made mental notes of important government buildings, hospitals, and the closest military bases, always with an eye towards limiting the amount of back and forth he'd have to do.
Frowning at the idea of possibly visiting some of the local colleges and universities to see if their science or engineering departments might have something, he allowed the being approaching him to come closer without tipping it off that he knew it was coming. It was doubtful that it wanted to attack, owing to the amount of noise it was making. If it was attempting an ambush, defeating it wouldn't overly challenge him. If it was simply curious, he didn't need to do more than ignore it. He had his plan, and anything else was an unnecessary distraction.
"I wonder…what motivates it?" An androgynously feminine voice preceded an equally ambiguously gendered face peering around his arm to look up at his eyes. "It seeks information, perhaps it desires knowledge?" Soft, grey-white hair adorned a face that, despite seeming human, clearly belonged to someone other than a human. "It is certainly adept at shielding its motivations."
Contemplating the odd being for a few seconds, he had to fight down the sudden urge to murder whatever it was. The sensation itself was irrational, illogical, and certainly not born of the hatred boiling in his veins like so much liquid fire. Turning back to his study, he decided to continue to ignore it. It wasn't threatening him, and it wasn't being bothersome beyond existing around him.
"Interesting…very interesting indeed." Sitting down on the table next to where he had his maps open and revealing a brightly colored blue cloak with a deep hood that draped down its back, the new creature looked at the various routes that showed signs of Unit-01 tracing a finger along them. "It seeks to communicate? But to what end, then? A Silent Man cannot speak, and yet it desires to manipulate electromagnetism to send a message beyond the Groaning Wall."
Once again, the concept of recreational amateur plastic surgery offered itself as a way to silence the voice that seemed eager to exist in his presence. Once again, he dismissed the idea as pointless and petty. He hated, but that hate need not manifest as unrestrained violence.
"So unlike the Gallow's Burden. Perhaps that is why he sought it out?" Reaching out with one small hand, it touched the armor jointing at the knuckle of his middle finger. "Moonlight and blood, not royalty and sickness, does it carry meaning? Three rings, three women, three worlds. But why?"
He had enough to go off of, and there would always be gas stations or other places to find another map. Turning away and leaving towards the closest fire department, the Silent One continued to ignore his latest irritant.
Walking upside-down, with its head even with Unit-01's, its cloak and hood ignoring gravity despite flowing as the air and wind played with it, the irritant chose not to ignore the Silent One. "There will be more deaths, more pain. Even the best path to tread upon hosts legions of tombstones and oceans of flame. Does it understand necessity? That a choice to not choose is still something chosen by the chooser?" Its hand gestured for him to not lash out as his irritation swelled. "Please do not. It is not the wishes of it to do so, but the desires of the False Chance instead. It will find an ally here, if it will show kindness and patience for a little longer." Righting itself, sitting on the silver machine's large shoulder armor, it smoothed a finger over the jagged protrusions that remained from the broken segments of Unit-01's shoulder stabilizers. As it did, the shards melted away to leave only smooth, featureless, metal where there had been proof of war before. "I am named something that you cannot say, for to remember my name would be to remember his and that simply must not be done."
The Silent One paused in mid-step, setting his foot slowly down and looking over to the being on his shoulder, Amaterasu's warning sounding in his mind: 'and you must never remember his name'. There was something vaguely familiar about his passenger, but nothing that was obvious enough to truly haunt him.
"It should not worry, I am no 'his' to fear the naming of." A tiny smile of understanding was partnered with a cute seated bow. "I am a she, but not who it will never remember. I ask only that it does not try to pair a name with my presence, instead it can choose a name for my person."
Something told him that it would be a terrible idea to go against his initial instinct of not speaking to anyone except the three ladies he had earlier that morning. That what he didn't know was more than capable of harming him seriously. That giving the creature on his shoulder a name would be something he couldn't take back. Looking away and setting himself back into motion, he accepted that he now had another life that had entered his own. He had to find a way to contact the outside world, had to find other humans that could answer questions for Kyoko. He didn't have time to play twenty questions with a woman less than half his size.
+++++ Cà Mau, Việt Nam. (Monday + 9)
Maria stood atop the sloped peak of a local restaurant, watching madness consume yet another city. Everywhere she looked there was another cluster of abominations tearing into themselves, civilians, vehicles, buildings, and anything else they could reach. Tentacles, pincers, claws, fangs, there was nothing that wasn't on display. The beings themselves made little sense, seemingly random mutations of flesh and bone into mindless creatures intent only on inflicting as much suffering as they could. The weapons of humanity had done little to slow them down, the wielders of those weapons were far too vulnerable to infection by bites, or stabs, or torn flesh. She had seen more than a dozen cities fall already, all along the path she'd taken from Japan on her way to Antarctica. She had little doubt that it was not limited to just the areas she'd seen.
"He didn't cause this," Inari stated with firm conviction. "He was given to us to stop this. He is our chance to save what we can of our world, of our plane of existence. Come on, watching people die isn't going to help us help him."
Her desires seemed so petty, faced with the reality before her. She had been ready to flee to the domains between the Earth and Forever Lands, had been ready to abandon humanity to…this. To let Chaos win. When he'd told her to sit down and shut up, she'd become angrier. When she'd seen the first town being devoured on the western coast of Honshu, a little hamlet that didn't even have an actual name, she'd thought that by torching the monsters she'd solved most of the problem. She'd done enough to redeem herself in his eyes. Flying after the kitsune matron, she began to doubt that there would be anywhere they could go to escape what was consuming the world.
+++++ Hikawa Shrine, Azabu-Juban, Japan. (Monday + 9)
"Yes, yes, I get it." Minako wanted to throttle Suzuhara, but forced herself to keep her hands clenched at her sides. "But he's out there," she gestured out towards the ruins of Tokyo, "alone. You can't even tell me which direction he went? It's not like you're telling me where he is, you're just limiting the directions he's not."
"Lady, you're not listening to me." The male kitsune was tired, sore, and not in the mood to deal with demi-humans at the moment. "If you leave, you're going to piss him off. Not because you're going to go after him when he told you to stay away, that went out the window when that Angel showed up. It's because right now, you're one of very few people who can defend this position until he gets back with whatever he's out there to get. You have a casualty on your own team, several non-combatant humans, a lot of injured allies, and no earthly idea where to begin searching for him! None of us can feel his presence. He's hidden. He might as well be invisible. If you go blundering out there and get yourself killed, what do you think that's going to do to him when he comes back? I'm not asking you to not fight, I'm asking you to play defense while he gets his head right."
"He's not going to get his head right if his head is no longer attached to his body!" Lifting one hand enough to point to the apartment building, she pressed her point, "He should be back here helping defend our wounded, and that's what I'm asking you to help me make happen."
Hera approached openly, motioning for calm from the blonde powerhouse. "He is most likely seeking a way to improve our situation, Daughter. I do not like him walking about unaccompanied any more than you do, but I am at a loss for a plan I would declare as 'better' than his own. He is nigh-on invincible when enraged, and even his seeming day to day tranquility is merely a thin veneer of calm over a maelstrom of rage. The malformation of his brain has led to a much different outlook than he might otherwise have had, and we must accept that it is a part of who he is to require these moments of solitude. To love only part of a man is to love none of him, after all."
"I am not your daughter," Minako snapped, "and his brain is not…whatever it was you said!"
Remaining unshaken despite becoming the target of Venus' wrath, the Olympian gave a self-deprecating smile and inclined her head in apology. "A poor choice of words, perhaps. You exist as the exemplar for the planet dedicated to my former stepdaughter, and I see in you what I wish she had become in life. I chose the appellation as a compliment, but will refrain from its use in the future."
The admission of fault was enough of a surprise to allow the admission of fact room to work its magic in calming her temper some. "Well…that's fine, then…but his brain isn't really broken, is it?"
"No, no, no. Not broken, malformed." Urging Suzuhara to take the chance to flee, she stepped closer to Minako and placed her arm about her shoulders to walk off the rest of the displeasure that was clouding the young blonde's mind. "Perhaps even that is too harsh a word, but I must admit I lack a better to use in its place. Each brain is different, of course, otherwise we would all be the same person would we not?"
"Yeah, that makes sense." The simple act of being held by another human, of receiving validation from a clearly powerful woman, soothed the hidden fears and anxieties that had begun to build in her heart. The motion of their feet as they moved along the circumference of the tent village helped her expend some of the excess energy she'd built up. "Is there a way we can…I don't know, fix it?"
"There's nothing to fix, really. He has turned into a fine young man, though perhaps with a few quirks that irritate from time to time, despite his disadvantage from birth. He views the world differently, views human interaction differently, but he still seeks to improve both, doesn't he? He still wishes to do 'right', for whatever qualifiers you wish to place upon that term, for those he prefers the company of." Hera herself would happily admit to enjoying the chance to play 'mother' to someone, if asked at that moment. "He loves us, in the way he is capable of loving anyone that he's uncertain of."
"He…he does?"
"Oh yes, very much. This is why I say that his brain is malformed, though. It is his opinion that everyone is angry with him, despite even positive interactions. He has matured into the person he is now despite having to navigate a society that sends aggressively confusing messages to him every minute of every day. He hears our words, that we care for him and wish for him to recognize the offer of our hearts, but he sees our facial expressions, or body movements, and translates it all as a hostility that sparks a defensive reaction in him. He is guarded at all times, never allowed to relax that guard for fear of harm to his heart. Imagine living like that, if you would. Now think upon why he might need time alone right now to do what he can to keep those here in this camp alive."
Rubbing the thumb of one hand against the palm of the other, Minako rocked her head side to side in grudging acceptance. "I don't like that he's alone. I don't want him to start to think that we're against him, or that we don't need him. I want to help him because I want him around to help us."
"And because you wish for him to accept your love," Hera squeezed her shoulder to take away any sting from the rebuke, "let us not talk falsely now. There is no reason for us to be at odds on this, we both wish for the same things."
The insecurities of youth compounded by the unending string of rejections she'd experienced in her school years caused her to look askance at her conversation partner. The term 'statuesque' was often ascribed to women such as Hera, owing to their height and proportions. The problem in this case, however, was that there were literally statues around the world of her, none of which managed to capture even a tenth of the true physical beauty she possessed. Minako was under no illusions that in a contest of physical wiles she would most likely lose. "That's not really comforting, you know that right?"
"Why should it be discomforting?" Genuine curiosity flowed naturally from her. "I am quite positive that he will find ample time to spend with a woman of your fiery passions and kind nature. I certainly would be overjoyed to provide attentive care for the children of your union while he dotes on you as he will, and I have no doubts you would be an excellent aunt to the children he shall give me in turn as he and I enjoy a quiet meal from time to time. He is a limited resource, true, but we need not fight over him. Our sorority will be limited, and I would see that it becomes a point of strength for us rather than one of contention."
That stopped her dead in her tracks. "Wait," she slapped Hera's arm away from its grip on her shoulders, turning to face her with her anger rising anew, "you want to create some sort of demented manga harem? I know he sure as hell didn't come up with this! What are you thinking?!"
Hera's feathers were unruffled. She had anticipated there would be some who rejected the idea at first, and had prepared to help them overcome what were natural, society-driven, aversions to sharing a husband. "That would not be how I would describe the idea, no. We are facing a situation where there is only one way to restore entire species to this planet, and it is not one singular species that requires replenishment. Without him, there will be no more such as I. No one to restore the Elysian Fields to honor. No one to restore Olympus to its rightful standing as a beacon of hope and strength. Without him, those that you would call an Elder will never walk this world again. They will never restore the fertile grasslands, refresh the air you breathe, or remove the taint from the waters you drink. Without him, humanity itself will never progress past their present plateau. They will never become what they otherwise might. What I propose is not some mockery of love where a single man gloats over us as if we were little more than cattle, but a gathering of truly dedicated women uplifting one another, unified in love for both him and one another."
"So, it isn't us you want to enslave, it's him." Backing away a few steps, glaring at Hera with growing venom, she declared, "I am not going to let you or anyone else treat him like some…some…." Turning about on one heel, she stormed off after not finding a word to use, leaving the statement hanging there.
Letting out a small sigh of frustration, Hera looked up at the sky in thought for a few moments. Expressing her thoughts to the woman she knew was nearby, she looked over to see the pale-skinned yuki-onna she'd begun forming a friendship with, "I would treat him as a beloved husband, his chosen few as cherished sisters."
"She's more human than youkai," Mizore offered as she approached, having observed the exchange from hiding. "The fact that she didn't attack you means that there's at least a chance of her embracing the idea eventually."
"She might. But would Tsukune Aono have?" The look of compassion she offered tempered the puff of anger she received in return. "We must have unanimity before approaching him with the idea, or we are unlikely to succeed. One woman, such as her, offering themselves and themselves alone will hold far greater sway in his heart. You know that far better than I."
"He isn't Tsukune…and I don't say that as a negative."
+++++ Jinnan, Shibuya, Japan. (Monday + 9)
Unit-01 stood outside of NHK's broadcast center for the second time in his life. Damage from the spate of fights recently was plainly visible on one of the large buildings, with a number of floors crumpled in on themselves. The structure bearing the larger antennae, however, seemed largely intact. The lack of life, more than anything else, was what stopped him from proceeding towards that building.
"It raises a good point," the entity on his shoulder agreed. "If there is no one here, where there is equipment designed to broadcast across long distances through terrible conditions, what has caused this?"
He'd grown accustomed to the entity speaking her mind, and despite his desire to remain alone for a time welcomed many of her observations. He still hadn't said anything to her, nor would he, but he'd decided not to eject her from his presence. So long as she remained neutral at worst, she was not as grating as his mind seemed to be telling him she was. Cautiously approaching the vacant gate guard's shack, he scanned the area for anything troublesome.
"It might wish to consume something, should we come across anything worth consuming. The shell draws strength from the flesh inside it." This was not the first time she'd mentioned food or water. Never once had she mentioned such with a tone of chastising, or even a hint of disapproval. Each time was as if she had just thought of it, and was sharing the information with him without forethought.
As much as he didn't want to accept the advice, he had often looked around from time to time for someplace that might have edible food or bottled water, he agreed that the pain in his stomach and his parched throat needed tending to. He'd stopped using his abilities, minus Unit-01, when doing so began to cause the pain to worsen. Magic, it seemed, had the same limitations that applied to any other form of exertion: energy in, energy out. Unfortunately for him, that meant he couldn't just make himself some food to eat. The energy to make it would be the most he might get back from eating whatever he'd made.
The guard shack had come and gone, the parking lot within stood mostly emptied with only a few burnt out shells of wrecked vehicles remaining, and no motion could be seen from within the visible windows. It was only an odd series of musical notes that managed to draw his attention towards the aberration that he'd created by destroying the spire Lithion and Osmius had been building. He'd been so focused on completing his mission that he'd forgotten about that new addition until it called out to him.
"It should exercise caution. Magic must not be applied to that, unless it is tired of freedom." A cautioning hand touched the side of Unit-01's neck by the shoulder. "The shell is fine, strength is fine, nothing of magic is fine."
He hadn't used any magic the day he'd broken the pillar. Another hundred and three such structures, at least, just like it dotted the world if Lithion was to be believed. Moving over to the hemisphere of solidified chaos, he reached out with his right hand and discovered that it was no longer permeable to anything physical. That was concerning enough to warrant further contemplation.
The entity on his shoulder once more agreed, "This does not bode well. This is technology that comes from places far beyond the reach of your star. Something is meddling beyond the Boundary."
"Silent One?" A small voice, coated in trepidation, called out from near a mound of broken rubble, "Silent One, is…is that you?"
Unit-01 turned its head to consider the new speaker, swiftly recognizing the akaname that had given him the coin he wore with the others around his neck. The youkai still resonated with him, its position in society and its treatment by society drawing too many parallels with his own to do otherwise. Stepping away from the oddity that was the demi-orb of chaos, he dropped to one knee to indicate that he was who she'd once met. This was an opportunity to gather intelligence, if nothing else.
Creeping out from cover, she slowly approached the first being to ever truly show her great respect. "You…uhm, you changed colors. Wasn't so sure that it was you."
"It is, but it is not." The entity on his shoulder considered the creature casually, analyzing it without intimidating it. "It, like many other things, has changed with exposure to unwanted variables."
The akaname frowned at the entity, then looked back to Unit-01. "Not sure what your new friend means, sir. You still smell like the Silent One, even if you is a lot more silent now."
"I meant no offense, nor was I indicating that your presence was unwanted. Perhaps you might share what you have seen here?"
"Hmph…still don't much understand you." Shaking her head, she gestured to the oddity that occupied most of the recessed road's area. "That thing's been drawing a lot of attention of late. After all the killing were over, had a strange yellowy-green lady that almost smelled like a youma, but weren't quite it, came and seemed awful interested in looking at how it sat on the ground there. Measuring the distances and angles and the like."
A 'yellowy-green lady' would likely indicate Khlorya, and anything she was that interested in was probably something he didn't want to remain as it was. He'd been given more than he'd hoped for, and owed payment in his opinion. Knowing the feeding habits of the akaname, and the abilities he had, he braced himself for a little pain in service of honoring someone who wished to help. Setting out his hand, palm up and fingers splayed, he summoned a stone plate that was the size of her torso then filled it with a variety of molds and fungi. His stomach clenched hard at the expenditure of energy, his head pounding as if he hadn't had water in days, but he offered it with a steady, smooth, motion.
Her eyes widened, her hands shook, and she reverently accepted the plate from him. It was evident that she could smell what to her must seem like an impossibility, and her tone reflected how much she worshipped him for the offer, "I…I ain't never seen that much in one place. Thank you, thank you so kindly."
"The plate will refill itself as you eat, it made certain that the gift would be as ever-present as its gratitude for the assistance of those who offer it freely." The entity once again laid her hand on the back of his neck, gently squeezing in silent approbation. "Please, do not endanger yourself further. A place of safety may be found further east and slightly south. Many of your distant cousins have gathered there, which should help you find it. When you arrive, draw the attention of one of the Tengu without alarming the humans. The Tengu will assure that you enter unmolested." Making a calm shooing motion, she urged the akaname on. "Please, there will be danger here ere long, and the last thing it wants is an innocent harmed."
"R-right." Taking a firm grip on the large plate, supporting it with both of her arms, she bowed again in gratitude to Unit-01 and then scampered off as fast as her tiny legs would carry her.
When Unit-01 stood back up and turned its head slightly to look at the pale-haired entity on its shoulder, she smiled patiently. "All military encampments generate filth, it is the nature of warfare to be dirty. Where there are gatherings of humans with poor sanitation options, there will be food for an akaname. Would it not behoove it to recruit a few to assist in maintaining the health of those that would fight on its side? They benefit, the humans benefit, and the enemy cannot lay siege while expecting that sickness will rob the army of its strength."
The explanation was satisfactory, and the motivations in line with those of someone that was thinking pragmatically. It kept the akaname that had helped him safe, gave it a task that allowed it to feel helpful, and lifted the burden of anxiety about both facts from his shoulders. A number of things could still go wrong, but that was true of almost anything they did. It was a ray of hope in a dark mind, but somehow it failed to be painful to him. Nodding once, in both agreement and gratitude, he made to destroy or remove the chaotic half-sphere. If Khlorya wanted it there, he didn't.
"If it would wait a moment before acting?" The entity hopped off his shoulder and floated down under her own power, examining the ground just outside the dome. After finding a particular spot that showed nothing special about it outwardly, she measured out a deliberate number of steps before stopping again and looking down towards her feet. A few nods later, she pointed to the dome and said, "This has been reinforced. There are…it might see them as anchors, tethering this to the ground. If it pleases, I will mark where the anchors are so it can destroy them first? That would prevent significant damage to the buildings nearby."
Shinji approached close enough to kneel down and look at the spot she'd analyzed. Nothing he saw indicated anything was different than any other patch of asphalt, the only major thing of note was that the song the barrier played had become louder the closer he came to it. There was a sense of unease beneath the notes now, as if it understood he was not looking on it with benevolent intent. Suddenly his vision was full of the entity's face, her eyes contemplating the eyes on Unit-01's mask.
"Very interesting…you switch back and forth between concepts in your mind so smoothly." Tiny hands reached up and removed his helmet, considering him face to face with concern. "It must not sway you to believe it all you to be. You are more, far more. You give of yourself, despite pain, despite your own needs! Let that be what you are, not it."
Something inside of him told him to crush her against the barrier. To throttle her until night fell. When he reached out with his hands, she did not flinch. When he carefully set them on each side of his helmet, she let go without her concern fading. Allowing his hands to pull the helmet back, resting it on his upright leg, he contemplated whether or not to violate his silence. Nothing this tiny being had done thus far was even remotely hostile. Nothing in its bearing triggered his natural aversion to people. There was nothing he could think of that truly bothered him, save for that odd desire to obliterate it for no reason. He felt like the proverbial child that saw a beautiful sandcastle and immediately had to stomp it until there was nothing left for no reason than because it was there. It made no sense. Because it made no sense, he decided against changing what was happening. His helmet returned to its proper position, and he resolved to speak with the Triplets before doing anything at all. If he couldn't trust himself, then someone else needed to be consulted. Anything else was just adding misery onto his world.
Concern changed towards something more positive in her bearing, and she floated back up to sit upon his shoulder once again. "A wise decision, I believe. I often don't trust myself either and frequently seek outside opinions to be certain that I will not embarrass myself."
"Why is it that every time I see you, you're with a different woman?" Khlorya stood atop the dome, frowning down at the entity he'd allowed to ride on his shoulder. "I mean, I understand that none of them are incredibly satisfying…I mean, they're not me." Spreading her arms wide and turning her hips just so, she presented herself to the world. "I know I'm the only woman that could fill your needs," her good humor drained, "but that doesn't mean it doesn't hurt to see you dallying around with sub-par materials."
"It would not be wise to engage in lustful activity with her," the entity on his shoulder quipped, "mucosal membranes do not react favorably to high concentrations of chlorine. Such a mixture produces an acid comparable to that of the lining within your stomach, which I must imagine would not feel pleasing on genitalia."
Hidden by his helmet, Shinji smiled grimly at the quick-witted retort. He had no intent on ever doing something like that with the creature responsible for killing Minako's father, for distracting him while Ritsuko and Tsuruko were murdered. The problem he was facing, however, was that all he'd been able to do so far was damage her slightly and force her to retreat. His passenger was in danger, and his ability to abrogate that danger was limited.
Khlorya's teeth ground together, "That's real cute, bitch. Real cute. Who the fuck are you, then? An albino midget?"
"Enough, child." Yet another new voice preceded a distinctly demonic male descending slowly from the sky, "We are here to make an offer, not to engage in juvenile banter." Two and a half meters tall, with leathery wings and a long tail reminiscent of a western dragon, as well as pronounced red horns framing an Oni's face, the four-armed monster was exceptionally violent in appearance.
Outnumbered, at least from his perspective, Shinji prepared to do what he could to buy his shoulder angel the opportunity to flee. Khlorya was at least twice as tall as she was, if not three times, and the demon had the height advantage on Unit-01 to boot. He did not feel any anxiety facing the fight, though, merely a morbid acceptance that while he might die in the battle he would be certain that at least one of them did as well.
"Deals with you are unlikely to be upheld, I feel." Moving from a seated position to a standing position on his shoulder, the entity no longer felt quite so vulnerable. An aura of power no longer restrained enhanced her opinion, "I doubt that this is where you wish to have your grave placed. I will ask politely that you leave, or I will invoke your name and we will see what comes of it."
"And if I swear to uphold this bargain? Are you now his keeper to make his decisions for him? The one to hold his leash for all eternity?" The way the demon looked at Unit-01 made the latter statement a challenge to his pride.
A fight at the moment would prove costly. He didn't know the capacity of the woman on his shoulder, though he did now know what Minako was telling him when they went to try and save her parents. He had unknown weapons acting independently, and that was a grave risk. Listening cost him nothing if it would earn a peaceful withdrawal to avoid getting someone else killed. Shinji raised one hand, silently asking the entity to be patient. With the other hand, he pointed at the demon then held up two fingers. If the deal couldn't be summarized in two minutes, it was unlikely to be something he'd accept anyway.
"My thanks," the giant inclined its head in respect. "My offer is twofold. First, I offer you a seat at my table. I will grant you control over this planet without any interference or subterfuge on my part. You would serve me in the loosest meaning of the term as I bend the cosmos to my desires, free to act as you would so long as you do not directly act against my will. Second, should the first be unsatisfactory, I offer you my cooperation in ridding this world of the beings you call 'Angels'. Until they all lie dead, I will not send my forces to attack you or your allies. Afterwards, I will provide an armistice for five days so that you might consolidate your position or reconsider my first offer. Past that…I will knock you down."
The offer was mostly what he'd expected: a threat wrapped in the pretty paper of an offer. He felt like he'd been beaten about the head and shoulders for a week. He was hungry, he was thirsty, and he was tired. Lowering the hand restraining the being on his shoulder, he squared himself up for a fight. If this was going to be where the pain ended, then at least the pain would end with him on his feet.
"…I see." The winged demon turned away, opening another portal to its own realm. "I will give you a week to reconsider. You have my word that nothing I control will attack you during that time. Khlorya, that does include you whether you believe it does or not." Stepping through the opening, he seemed to expect that his subordinate would follow along.
"Don't listen to the midget, toots." Khlorya thumbed her nose at the entity. "You and I can have all the sex you want, it won't hurt you a bit." She winked and added as she moved through the portal, "Unless you want it to, of course."
A low growl came from Unit-01, disgust and contempt mixing with the anger that had grown ever hotter as he'd continued to fail. Lifting both fists in a double-axe handle with an unsubtle roar, he smashed them down atop the anchor that had been pointed out to him. The violent reverberations caused by the colossal impact sent what he'd thought to be a dome of chaos upwards, revealing it to be a sphere. In the split-second that it hovered above the ground, he punted it with what would have been the laces on a normal boot sending it screaming on a trajectory to escape the atmosphere, the gravity well of the Earth, and eventually the solar system itself within minutes. The relief valve on his anger re-secured, Shinji glowered at the enormous hole in the clouds his actions had created.
As the buildings around them crumbled, buffeted by the violent change in air pressure caused by his display, the entity on his shoulder sat back down and smoothed her hand along the top of Unit-01's elongated crown. "Neither it nor you are as powerless as it or you fear," her voice was firm and compassionate, "though I do now understand why you absent yourself from others. Let us return to the fledgling Gemstone Bastion. I will speak to the others of what has been learned, you may do as you will without their interference."
Shinji hated himself for his weakness. Loathed that he couldn't contain or control his anger. Detested that he always made things worse for everyone by simply being there. When he reached up with one hand, grasping the woman on his shoulder's knee, he nodded in agreement with her. The long walk home would be done with him securing her in place by that hand, and her humming the tune generated by the sphere he'd just ejected from the planet…the entire tune.