War Arc:
Chapter 53: Omen at Xibalba
Evening – 28/11/2012(Wednesday) – Police Department, Konan, Sumaru City
(2 days until War's arrival)
Anima and Animus are a part of Jungian psychology, with animus as the unconscious masculine side of a woman, and anima as the unconscious feminine side of a man, with each transcending the personal 'psyche', the totality of unconsciousness. Each of these two possessed four stage of development. They are the abstract form that formulated all archetype.
Eriko studied these topics for days, desperately trying to decrypt the reason for such words to be included in the prophecy. However, despite being able to connect it to the existence of Sea of Soul, the true meaning behind it remained a mystery.
But now that the truth was in front of her, Eriko still couldn't understand it, no matter how many times he told her. It just didn't make sense in the slightest. What is Prime Anima and Animus? Why her?
"Naoya..." Eriko uttered his name, wondering which emotion that should surge inside her after listening to him. Her eyes had already wandered elsewhere when he spoke it.
Prime Anima and Animus were what she deduced as 'Adam and Eve'. The templates at Father Time's place served a better understanding of the prophecy, but that wasn't enough.
"Eriko, we will be the survivor of the old world, and ruler of the new world."
"You already told me that," Eriko cut him off, "But what I don't understand is... the new world?"
"Garden of Eden is the new place for us in the new world. That's our destiny, that's the seventh seal in the prophecy."
"What about the rest of the world?" Eriko grabbed the steel bar, starling Naoya and forced him to step backward, "If the prophecy was to create a new world, what about the old one?"
"Just like what happened to Tatsuya from the... what was it called? The 'other side'? Yes, that's what about to happen to this world, only worse. Nothing will exist except us."
"So we just leave everyone behind?" Eriko finally raised her voice in mixed emotion, "Then stop the prophecy. There has to be a way!"
"There is no other way!"
Naoya responded with a louder scream. The empty basement was filled with screams from Naoya's anger. It was as if he was desperate in making her understood his point of view. His anger faded away, replaced with concern and cautious.
"Look, we can't stop the prophecy. If we give up on the prophecy, then everybody loses. You know Nyarlathotep. You know Azathoth. At least if we let the Four Horsemen win, then we will survive, and remake the world. But if we give up the prophecy, we lose everything!"
"How are we losing everything?! Just win, beat the Four Horsemen!"
"We can't beat them!" Naoya shouted, "Even if we win, how many lives will be sacrificed?! The prophecy was made for us! Our purpose isn't to win, but to survive! That is our objective!"
"Then, what are we doing all these times?!" Eriko struggled to keep her posture, "Everything we did to prevent them, are all of them for naught?!"
"As much as I hate to say this, yes," Naoya said, covering his face to hide his expression, "The fate of the world will always make sure the prophecy is fulfilled. Even if we try, the consequence of canceling the prophecy is much worse."
"What could possibly be worse than the Four Horsemen destroying the world?"
Naoya paused for a while, "Because if we lose, Azathoth will break free. That's what Conquest told me in Egypt."
"What?"
"The prophecy is the only thing holding down the Nuclear Chaos right now. When he awakens from his long slumber, the prophecy made Azathoth one of the Four Horsemen. That is the truth, Eriko. Azathoth awoke suddenly, after all this time, and none knew the reason for it. The prophecy is safeguarding him from total annihilation, from us!"
"Azathoth is one of the Four Horsemen?"
"Yes. That's why you need to understand."
Naoya reached out his hand towards Eriko, startling her.
"This is not about winning or losing, Eriko. If Azathoth wakes up completely, then Sea of Soul will crumble forever. Our world is but a layer in his range of power. We will lose everything! Eriko, please understand. I'm making a hard choice. We are supposed to be together because that is our destiny."
She couldn't believe what she just heard. There's absolutely no way she could understand. Who was this man in front of her? How desperate was he to beg her? No, this wasn't right. Choosing a lesser evil than true evil was still a wrong choice.
Was this it? The truth of the prophecy? Naoya and her, leaving everyone behind for survival of their own? Azathoth destroying the world was the truth? The Seven Seal was their way of salvation? She couldn't answer. She couldn't even see the line between good and evil anymore. All the 'vessels' and 'sacrifices' were to left to their fate?
"...Why me?" Eriko asked, "How is it I'm the Prime Animus?"
"You did nothing," Naoya's hand around Eriko's tightened, "Conquest, as the first rider, chose who will be the Prime Anima and Animus. Without a second doubt, I picked you. My heart is genuine now. I... I love you, Eriko. I hope you understand."
"You 'picked' me?" Eriko felt her blood boiling, "Is that why my sister was targeted? Because you picked me by yourself? Is that why Nanjo was poisoned? Because he knew? Were all the 'chance' that you gave me before was just to fulfill the prophecy, for you to USE me?"
"Eriko, it was only natural that I would pick you-"
"No!"
Eriko pushed away Naoya's hand in anger and took a step back. Naoya stared silently at her, waiting for her response.
"You selfish idiot! I never ask for this!" Eriko couldn't stop herself from screaming, "Prime Animus?! Remaking the world?! Become Adam and Eve?! I don't want any of those! I just want to live in this world! I don't care about being survivors! You... you did this..."
Eriko covered her face, refusing to let him stared at her conflicted expression.
"...I can't wrap my head around all of this," Eriko answered after gaining her composure, "But I do find an answer I was seeking for."
Naoya was baffled at her statement.
"...I was wrong," Eriko stood straight and faced her first love properly, "This doesn't work. You're not the Naoya I know anymore. I'm sorry."
Eriko bowed, much to Naoya's horror.
"I will assist the Suou to help you free. But the next time we meet, I hope we can put this relationship behind us and move on, Toudou-san. I'm not giving up on this world."
"Eriko?! Eriko, please think this through! ERIKO!"
Eriko walked away, not even bother to look back. A terrible place to move on from her love story, but she couldn't care. She tried so hard not to show her tears.
She was too disappointed.
Katsuya was waiting for her at the exit, wanting to ask her about her meeting with Naoya, but she just wanted to leave this place as soon as she could.
"Kirishima, you took your time. What did he say? Wait, can you slow down?"
Eriko walked past him like he was invisible.
"Sorry, but please leave me alone for now."
"What?" Katsuya grabbed her arm to stop her, "Kirishima, what the hell are you two talking about-"
"Katsuya-san, LET GO of me," Eriko scolded in a strong tone, as she was close to breaking into tears, but she refused to do it in the middle of all these officers.
"...Talk to me when you're done," Katsuya released her hand as if understood from her reaction and she proceeded to storm out of the police department. She only cried out when she reached her car.
She just ended her love life today.
Tatsuya Suou
Afternoon – 28/11/2012(Wednesday) – Rengedai, Xibalba
(2 days until War's arrival)
"Sir, we're here," One of the men showed him a house, where Eikichi's home supposed to be. Tatsuya had no idea how to begin, seeing as he was still lost about his situation. Why was he here? Who transported him here? There's a possibility that it was Apollo who sent him here, but he needed more information.
The men gave one more salute before he entered the room. The interior was unlike the room that Eikichi owned, not the slightest. It appeared more of a storehouse, storing ammo, foods, and pillows for sleeping. There's electricity, but only the light bulb was on. There was no sight of Eikichi in the room.
"Eikichi? Are you there?" Tatsuya called out but received no response. He took a few steps forward but paused when he heard a gun clicked.
"Don't move," A familiar voice said, which came from one of the darkened rooms in front of him, "Who the hell are you? You're not Tatsuya. I know that damn well."
"I am Tatsuya, but not... Please let me explain," Tatsuya raised his hands, "Can you at least come out?"
The moment the figure came out, Tatsuya growled in shock.
He looked nothing like Eikichi Mishina that he knew. The make-up, the blue hair, the punkie appearance; all gone. He looked older than the one in his world, scars covering his face and arms, wearing a military-like outfit, and eyes burning with power and anger.
"Dear god, Eikichi, what happened?" Tatsuya asked, but Eikichi still didn't put down his gun.
"I'm the one asking questions here. Who the hell are you?" Eikichi asked, "Are you a shadow?"
"No, I'm not a shadow. I'm the real Tatsuya, just... not from this world."
Eikichi narrowed his eyes in wonder before he backed away in shock.
"No way... You're him. You're Tatsuya from the 'other side', aren't you?"
"!" Tatsuya widened his eyes, "Right, I came from there-"
"Why did you come here?" Eikichi intercepted his words. He put away his gun and approached him, "Did you have any idea how much we sacrifice to make sure that your world got peace?"
"I'm asking myself the same question," Tatsuya slowly put down his hands, "So, can you please let me talk?"
"..." Eikichi backed away and examined him. He noticed the injuries on him, which he immediately approached a table not far from them and took something out of the drawer. It was a bandage, "Treat your leg and body. We can talk over here. Sit down."
Maya Amano
Cloudy - Evening – 28/11/2012(Wednesday) – Suou Residence, Konan, Sumaru
(2 days until War's arrival)
She didn't like Katsuya's expression when he came to her house. The hesitation in his words really put her on edge. She heard no news from Tatsuya, so she could have guessed something had happened to her husband.
But she didn't expect her husband to disappear without a trace. Katsuya said the search unit was still looking in the forest, although Katsuya didn't believe for a second that Tatsuya would have gotten lost. The worst thing that could happen was he was kidnapped by Babylon, but that was but a possibility.
"Is there anything I can do?" Maya asked, begging Katsuya. But he shook his head.
"No. Get your rest, you need it. Matsuya-kun, go inside."
Matsuya appeared from Katsuya's back, still wearing his school uniform. In truth, Tatsuya was supposed to fetch Matsuya from school, but with his disappearance, Katsuya volunteered to help.
"Thanks, uncle," Matsuya bowed before he quickly ran into the house, bringing with him a large bag, which made her wondered what happened at school. Still, she was too concerned about her husband to asked her son.
Thus, Katsuya left in his car, leaving Maya at the front of the house alone. In the meantime, she might as well check the mailbox and was surprised to see the sheer amount of it before bringing it inside.
"Nothing but spam..." Maya checked one by one the mail, but none of it seemed to catch her eyes.
"Hmmm?" One flyer caught her attention. It seemed to be a school event of some sort, "What kind of event is this-"
Crash!
Maya heard the sound of glass breaking coming from the kitchen. The first thing that came to her mind was Matsuya. Panicked, she left the letters on the table and rushed towards the kitchen.
"Matsuya-kun, are you okay?!" Maya called out. There Matsuya was, standing next to a broken glass cup, with a small scissor in his hand. Guilt and fear crossed his face when he saw her by the kitchen's entrance.
"I-I-I'm..." Matsuya stuttered, shaken so much that he couldn't move his lips to pronounce, "I'm s-sorry... T-There was an extra thread from my uniform, so I wanted to cut it... I'm sorry..."
"Dear..." Maya crouched down to see the broken cup. Sharp edges scattered across the floor, near the place where Matsuya stood. She told him to back away to the entrance to make sure he didn't step on it.
"Matsuya-kun, why didn't you ask me for help?" Maya asked, trying to be as gentle as she could. Matsuya remained silent, trying to find the right reason.
"Y-You're sick, so I don't want to burden you."
He said nothing more after those words. To think even Matsuya pitied her. It made her felt even more worthless than it should. Before, Matsuya stuck to her like a glue, wanting to be pampered like a proper child. She wasn't mad but satisfied to know that her son wanted to stay close to her. But now that he's trying to be independent, it made her felt as though Matsuya was forced to grow up faster than he should.
The fault of young children lies in their parents, or so people said. Then... Was it not right to say that Matsuya's life turned out wrong because of her?
"I'm sorry..." Maya clenched Matsuya's hand and brought it to her face. She had no idea how to stop herself from crying in front of her son, "I'm sorry that I ended up like this... I don't know what's happening to me, why I'm so weak..."
She brought her son closer and wept on Matsuya's shoulder, the same thing her husband did for her in cruel time. Matsuya had a small shoulder, not broad enough to stop her tears, but it was good enough.
Then, she felt her son's small hand stroking her hair gently. Clearly, he knew nothing of the struggle of her life, yet he tried to comfort her regardless.
"I know..." She heard Matsuya whispered.
If only she realized that the scissor that Matsuya took from the kitchen was to make one last adjustment to his theater costume that his classmates made for him. After all, the theater was tomorrow...
And if only they realized that a bad omen was waiting for them the next day.
Tatsuya Suou
Cloudy - Evening – Aoba, Xibalba
It all started three years ago. The 'other side', Xibalba, changed a lot ever since the battle with Nyarlathotep over a decade ago. The death of Maya Amano set a big motivation for everyone to make a change in their lives. As unfortunate as it could be, parallel worlds existed, simultaneously, thus the life in Xibalba continued to exist along with Tatsuya's world. As the last remaining city that flying through the dead earth, many orders were changed on a drastic scale.
The harvest team was formed to populate the trees and animals for food. Rainwater was filtered every day non-stop to cope with the lack of water. The use of solar energy became common. Currency became almost useless, forcing the ministers to change their currency system.
Sumaru City was not a small city. The population, without the regulated food from the outside, led to hunger issues. People fight for food every day when the harvest team barely began to spread.
It was Katsuya Suou and the rest of the police department who assisted in managing the breakout between citizens. Many other figures, such as farmers and doctors, played a major role in rebuilding the broken society.
Maki Sonomura became the head doctor in 2005, Katsuya Suou became head police in 2007. Kei Nanjo was the main funder. Rumormongers became the center of communication between wards, with Baofu as one of them. Educations were maintained well by Seven Sisters High and Kasugayama High, one of them being Jun Kurosu as a teacher. There were lists of friends that Tatsuya recognized among the great people that contribute to the city, but one particular point gained his attention.
"I'm married to Lisa in this world?" Tatsuya paused his trails, forcing Eikichi who was leading him to stop as well.
"What? Don't tell me she's not your wife in your world?" Eikichi chuckled. Tatsuya shook his head.
"Forget about that. Please continued as we walk."
"Listen well, then, to the hard part. This is about 'your' brother."
It was in summer, somewhere around August 2009, that the creature first appeared. Countless Shadows invaded the city, killing thousands and send everything into a state of chaos. Persona users became the sole protector against the shadows, fighting against them and help to recreate a new haven for the people. The veteran persona user rose to power and became commanders. Katsuya Suou became the head commander alongside his brother.
But soon after, along with the Shadows, one man arrived, wearing a white coat and black hat, leading an army of Shadows to invade Seven Sisters High. Katsuya was killed in action for defending the place. Tatsuya replaced his rank, spending months trying to retake the school back from the mysterious man. The school, after all, lead to the heart of Xibalba, and his purpose there was unknown.
Until one day, when the final battle between Tatsuya and that man came to an end, all communication was lost. Only a few fighters returned alive, one of them being Tatsuya Suou. He spoke nothing of what happened, except that whatever the mysterious man was doing was over and he was gone.
"Not the best story you want to hear about your alternate self, but it's the truth," Eikichi said, entering a building after stealthily crossing a quiet road.
"I want to hear more about that guy who takes over Seven Sisters."
"I only saw him one time, and we don't even know how to refer to him. You, I mean the other you, simply called him 'J'. However, I think he often swapped hat for some reason."
There's no mistaking it. That was Karu Juugo.
"I have to critic, though," Tatsuya commented, "Your men don't even recognize their real commander. They need some training."
"How can they recognize you?" Eikichi faced him with a serious expression, "You've been out of sight for months. Nobody saw 'you' except us higher up. 'You' just locked yourself in a room."
"Is there a reason for that?"
"You're about to find out, aren't you?"
"Wait," Tatsuya stopped from climbing up the stairs, "Are you sure I can meet him? Won't there be a time paradox?"
"I'm not sure, but Tatsuya- Sorry, other Tatsuya, said there's nothing to worry about," Eikichi gestured him, "Come on, let's meet Lisa."
Tatsuya's heart was pumping with stress. Lisa almost kissed him in his world, so how should he reacted when he saw the 'other' her? Lisa was already informed of his arrival, but that didn't lessen the awkwardness they will face.
Eventually, Eikichi brought him to a room, where one woman with tied up hair was cleaning the dishes. It was the kitchen, where some of its plates were rusty and old, yet it was cleaned moderately. Tatsuya instantly recognized her as Lisa.
"Ginko, I'm here," Eikichi called out.
"You really won't stop calling me that?"
The moment Lisa faced them, both Lisa and Tatsuya's faces were filled with shock. He could understand her confusion in seeing a man similar to her husband, but what surprised him was her appearance.
Her ponytail hair swayed neatly behind her. She gave off the feminine aura of a married woman, which also, in his eyes, made her seemed wiser and mature, unlike the one from his world. But the thing that made startled him was that her belly was swollen.
"Uh..." Lisa, who didn't differ much compared to her counterpart, stumbled backward, "You... Eikichi told me about you and where you came from."
"Y-Yeah," He had no idea where to look without making it obvious that he was staring at her belly.
"*chuckle* You look like him alright, but he never shaved, so I had to do it for him once in a while."
"Does he really keep a beard that long?" Tatsuya asked in curiosity.
"Not long, but thick enough to make a different," Lisa approached him, "I see that you had the 'other' me to check your look at your world too."
"No, actually..."
'Maya is my wife.' There's no way he could say it. The best he could do was being subtle.
"Actually... 'we' aren't together in that world..."
"Oh..." Lisa backed away shyly after she understood the meaning, "That's a shame..."
Eikichi couldn't break the intensely heavy and awkward atmosphere. He just stood behind and watched.
"C-Congratulations on your pregnancy," Tatsuya blurred out loud and instantly regretted it.
"Our first," Lisa replied, "I'm a bit curious. If you're not with the 'other' me, then who did you ended up with?"
He noticed Lisa was staring at his wedding ring.
"That's too personal, sorry," Tatsuya answered swiftly.
"Then, what about 'me'? Who did I 'end' up with?"
"The 'other' you are still… looking..."
"Oh…"
"Okay, you know what?" Eikichi finally had enough, "Let's just go to Tatsuya's room."
"Right. I'll bring his food. By the way, Jun is in his room too, so don't get panic when you see him."
Lisa brought a tray of food and began leading them to the second floor, where an ominous door labeled 'KEEP OUT' was on their right side. Eikichi and Lisa turned to Tatsuya, where he could feel a strong pressure from the room, but he breathed deeply and nodded.
"Tatsu, Jun, it's me. I brought lunch," Lisa knocked on the door, "And... 'he' is here for you."
There was a long pause before the door was unlocked, and a figure glanced through the gaps.
"Come in," It was Jun's voice. The three of them entered without delay. The odor of that room was almost unbearable, but he tolerated. But strong will as he was, Tatsuya gasped at the sight of the room.
The spacious room was dark beyond words, brightened only by a few light bulbs. There was a bed, a table, a bathroom, and a few chairs near the wall. The walls itself were scrawled with terrible graphics of unknown design, but drawn cleanly to put notes all over it. He recognized some of the design as the same as the one on his arm.
Jun Kurosu was wearing a prosthetic on his right leg, and almost half of his right face was covered with some burned mark, which was hidden with his hair. He was wearing a simple, white clothing, which showed the dirtiness of it. Yet, he smiled with joy when he saw Tatsuya, gesturing him to meet with the man in front of him.
It was the 'Tatsuya' in front of him that shocked him so much. He was physically the same size, but more muscle and scars than one could count. His beard spread all the way to his ears, hair extended beyond his shoulder, wearing only old jeans and a thin unbuttoned shirt, where his chest was exposed, revealing horrifying scene.
The mark of Azathoth on him was nothing compared to his 'other' self. The mark on him was almost lifelike, thick, covering all the way to the palm of his foot and his face. His appearance was nightmarish to see. His eyes were red, gazing at him as he sat on his bed. All marks on him were copied on the walls, though he couldn't even comprehend what he was looking at.
This was him. THE Tatsuya who defeated Nyarlathotep over a decade ago. This was the man who's responsible for the creation of the 'other side'. This was the man Maya wanted to love. This legend, the man of paradox, and also his version from Xibalba, sat before him.
"Hello, 'me'."
The Tatsuya of Xibalba spoke after examining him. Tatsuya was still frozen by the scene in front of him.
"I knew you'll be here sooner or later. The voice in my head told me," He said, "He sent you here, using me."
"Sh*t, you look horrible," Tatsuya responded, "So that's why you don't let others see you."
"Only a selected few. Jun help me managed who to meet and who to keep away."
Jun of Xibalba bowed in honor.
"You have it too, don't you?" Xibalba Tatsuya tapped his right arm, signing that he knew. Tatsuya glanced at his arm when the other him spoke again, "Show me."
He saw no point in hiding it any longer. Slowly, he unraveled the bandage around his arm and exposed the mark underneath it, surprising everyone in the room.
"What's the meaning of this?" Eikichi asked, "Don't tell me this curse spread all the way to the other you?"
"Exactly my thought," Xibalba Tatsuya said, "This thing on my body is too powerful. It won't be long before I succumb to it. I resisted, but it got you instead."
"What the hell's going on?" Tatsuya asked his other self, "What is this? Why is that voice haunting us? Why am I here without overwriting your existence? You took my body in my world, aren't you? Why is it I can't do the same? Say something."
"Because he already separated our world and the 'other side' completely, linking it with one way, Ghadamon use you to make a path to our way."
Tatsuya remembered the scene of Ghadamon Apollo doing something after the fight with Chizuru.
"Honestly, we are as confused as you are about all the things that happened. I can tell you what I know first."
"Then tell me," Tatsuya begged. The other Tatsuya gestured him to sit with him, along with the rest of his 'friends' to savor the simple sandwich Lisa made. He was starving, but not in a mood to eat. However, seeing as Lisa went through the trouble making it, he decided to take his time eating.
"It all started three years ago," Xibalba Tatsuya began, "There was a small earthquake before Shadows invaded the city. Do remember that we already explored the control room for Xibalba in and out, so my brother went there to search for the cause. But that man already took over the school by the time we realized it. After determined the cause of the earthquake from our sensor reading, we found out..."
The rest of the team looked down in fear. Xibalba Tatsuya continued.
"We 'bumped' into something."
"...Sorry, but what?" Tatsuya let go of the sandwich in his hand.
"You heard me. The giant spaceship Xibalba 'bumped' into something three years ago. With the size of the city, added with the low speed its moving, there's absolutely nothing that is big enough to shake the city. Yet it did..."
"What did you bump into?"
Xibalba Tatsuya took a deep breath and closed his eyes before facing him.
"We accidentally hit Azathoth."
"!" Tatsuya jumped from his seat.
"Our world was aligned with the Sea of Souls. In a sense, Xibalba actually travels through the unconscious realm. We saw many traces of Philemon here and there, so we're sure of it. But to cross path with Azathoth is beyond me."
"You have got to be kidding me... You're telling me right now, Xibalba accidentally woke up the eldritch god of creation himself?"
"We can't confirm it, and we told no one, saved for a few persona users like us," Jun joined the conversation, "I don't know who touch the control room, or if it's moving on its own, but Shadows arrived right after the earthquake. It came from below us, so we don't know if it's still there or not."
"How did you know that it's Azathoth, then?"
"I'll get to that part later," Xibalba Tatsuya said, "First of all, as I said before, a man came to the city. He led the army of Shadow to take over Seven Sisters. My brother was killed when he was investigating the control room... Damn it..."
Lisa, who sat next to Xibalba Tatsuya, stroked his back to comfort him. The topic about his brother was a sensitive subject to mention, yet he continued.
"That man wouldn't stop talking about Jungian psychology, so I dubbed him 'J' for Jungian. He touched no other place except our school, so we had to find out the truth. We started operation 'Sister Savior' and brought all persona users with us. Slowly, his force diminished, allowing us to beat him at last in early 2010."
Tatsuya listened, wondering when he should speak of Juugo.
"There he was, at the center of the school, guarding the entrance to the control room alone. Most of our friends were left behind. Jun and I were the only one to reach him. To our surprise, before we reach there, we saw the most unexpected person."
"Naoya Toudou," Lisa said. Once again, Tatsuya was shocked to the core to listen to the overflowing connection.
"He is a friend of Yukino Mayuzumi and Maki Sonomura, and he wanted to help us, only if we can distract 'J' long enough for just an hour. We don't trust him, we don't even see him once after Xibalba took flight, so we assumed he was dead along with the rest of the world. Yet our instinct told us that maybe he was really trying to help us. So, we did as we were told. The next thing we knew, Naoya came an hour later, saying that the 'deed' was done. He told 'J' he already took the 'subject'. Disappointed, 'J' left us to fend off the shadow. As anticlimactic as it sounds, we never saw him again, neither Naoya nor 'J', yet the shadows lingered on the street.
"It was after that, a voice has been haunting me, calling himself Azathoth, slowly overtaking my body. In my dream, I saw a vision of Xibalba and a giant figure that began to roar after Xibalba bumped into it. That's when I found out we just wake the sleeping monster. Apollo's turning mad, too, but not until a month ago that it drastically worsened. Was it the same for you?"
"Yes..." Tatsuya didn't even know where to start from the overwhelming information, "Now, it's my turned to speak. Do you hear anything about Four Horsemen?"
Late Evening - Parabellum, Aoba
"Waiter, another cup..." Eriko raised her empty glass weakly. The bar was quite busy, but she cared not about the stares from the others and just focused on her drink.
"Ma'am, this is your fifth glass. I think you had enough," The waiter said, but Eriko shook her head.
"No! It's not enough! I just... had the worst break-up today~! I'm so tired... I just want everything to be done with~."
"Haha, to think you're having a breakup at your ages! Maybe you haven't found the right guy."
"Hey, waiter..." Eriko asked, face fully reddened by drunkness, "Do you believe me when I said I'm Eve, the first woman~?"
"Hahaha! Well, that is absurd! I really think you needed to stop drinking."
"No, no~! You don't understand~! I'm Eve, but my Adam is not my Adam~! Where's my Adam, waiter~? Why is he so different~? Uhh..."
Eriko nearly lost her balance from dizziness, but someone grabbed her before she fell.
"You really need to quit, Kirishima."
When she glanced up, she saw, despite the blurry vision, the face of Baofu.
"Baofu? Katsuya said you're in the hospital. They say you're going to die?"
"Die? Please don't joke like that. *cough* cough* I ran from the hospital," Baofu laughed as he helped her to her seat and sat next to her. The white patient cloth was still visible beneath his jacket, "What's wrong *cough*?"
"Nothing... *hiccup*" Eriko looked away, "What are you doing here, Baofu?"
"Well, I want to enjoy the *cough* night," Baofu turned to the waiter, "Give me the most expensive and best champagne *cough* you got."
"WOW~!" Eriko said in drunk, "Want to get drunk too?"
"No," Baofu smiled, "I just want to enjoy a single *cough* glass. Ulala might find me here if I stayed long enough *cough*. Who knows, this might be the last time I enjoy a drink this good *cough**cough*. Excuse me."
"Are you going somewhere~?"
"Perhaps."
Baofu smiled, but Eriko couldn't read the sadness in his eyes as he said it, "What about you? Why are you *cough* here?"
"Shesh, because of that stupid Naoya, of course!" Eriko shouted. Baofu turned around to see some eyes were locking on her. Naoya Toudou was still a wanted criminal, despite being in a prison.
"Kirishima, please don't *cough* speak too loud about Naoya here. Takaya's followers are still cursing him *cough*."
"Why not?" Eriko faced the customers there and shouted, "Hey guys, Naoya Toudou is a lying bastard~!"
"Kirishima, sit down," Baofu gently pulled her back to her seat, "What did he do*cough*?"
"He... He knew so much about the prophecy, yet he told nothing. He used me to fulfill the prophecy. He..." Eriko, still in his drunken state, sobbed in her arms, "He said I'm the chosen one..."
Baofu allowed her to cry for a while before she lifted her head.
"Ah, screw it!"
Eriko hurriedly reached for her glass and gulped it down, "I'm going to forget about that guy! Yeah-"
It was that moment, a small earthquake happened.
Eriko and the surprised Baofu crouched down to avoid the fall. The earthquake was short but enough to send panic to everyone in the bar. Eventually, the earthquake died out, forcing Eriko to regained half of her consciousness.
"...What was that?" Eriko said.
Tatsuya Suou
Evening - Seven Sister High, Xibalba
"Karu Juugo..." Xibalba Tatsuya repeated the name in his counterpart's story, "So it's possible that Azathoth is one of the Four Horsemen, and this professor had something to do with it?"
"Something like that," Tatsuya answered, examining at his surroundings. He and his counterpart, along with Lisa and Jun, were at the front of Seven Sister High using a small car, the same exact location where he got his memories from the other side. Looking at it, he began to doubt that it was a dream at all. In this expedition, his counterpart and Jun will be the guide. Jun, despite being crippled, insisted to follow, seeing as he and Xibalba Tatsuya had grasped the location better than anyone.
Xibalba Tatsuya, as if understood his uneasiness, said.
"I'll say it again. Whoever gave you my memories from 'this side', that's not me."
"Then who?"
"If you know Nyarlathotep long enough, it's obvious. Possibly, Nyarlathotep wanted to link this world and your world."
Tatsuya said nothing more but to feel humiliated to be deceived. His counterpart was right, he never knew Nyarlathotep enough, just knowing him from the memories.
"Well, Lisa, this is it," Xibalba Tatsuya turned to Lisa who was standing next to the car, "From here on out, it's Jun and him.*sigh* I really don't want to come back here again."
"You don't have to follow," Tatsuya said, "I'll search for the answer myself."
"Don't be stupid. You don't know the risk here," Xibalba Tatsuya said before turning to his wife.
"Be careful," Lisa smiled sadly, "We haven't decided the name of our kid yet."
"I thought I already picked one?"
"No, we are not naming our kid after Featherman Ranger."
"Who cares? Who dare to judge?"
"Alright, alright," Lisa leaned close to his face and said, "Remember: Mei Ni, Mei Ming."
"I know," Xibalba Tatsuya smiled, and they shared a kiss, forcing Tatsuya to look away. He felt as if he was cheating on Maya with Lisa with the view in front of him. Jun and Eikichi noticed and chuckled.
"Time to go now," Jun said, unlocking the gate to the school, "It'll be some time, so be prepared. I hope I don't slow you down with my leg."
Both Tatsuya nodded and entered. Lisa was sent home by the driver first, knowing that the expedition will take longer than it should.
"What happened to this place after that... 'incident'?" Tatsuya asked.
"Abandoned," Jun answered, "Nobody wanted this anymore after we retook it. Too many students died when the shadows invaded. Everyone was in class, and I was-"
"Okay, I understand," Tatsuya immediately cut him off, not wanting to resurface old memories.
The moment they reached the abandoned school building, Xibalba Tatsuya spoke.
"You're not with Lisa in your world, aren't you?"
"*chuckle* Was it that obvious?"
"Heh, I can tell. Nobody knows you more than yourself, after all," Xibalba Tatsuya turned to him, "So tell me, who's the 'lucky' girl?"
"...Will you be surprised if I told you she's someone close to us?"
At first, Xibalba Tatsuya narrowed his eyes in confusion. But then, he and Jun turned to each other in shock. Xibalba Tatsuya immediately broke into a laugh, an expression he never thought he'll see.
"Haha! You sly bastard! Maya, really?"
"Heh, I'm serious!" Tatsuya smiled in embarrassment, "We were strangers at first, but slowly, we get closer, and closer, and then love."
"That was bold," Jun smiled, "Maya? Did you have a kid together?"
Tatsuya nodded, "He's seven."
They both smiled in a joyful manner. To hear that news from him somehow managed to make them appreciated their efforts and sacrifices years ago, perhaps one of the few things that had ever made Xibalba Tatsuya smiled genuinely.
"Sorry to break it to you, but I stole your first kiss years ago," Xibalba Tatsuya said.
"Wait, what?" It sounded inappropriate from the way he said it.
"I kiss Maya before I left your body."
"Oh, that... Maya told me- Hey, that doesn't count!"
Without they realized it, they reached the garden, where a big crystal stood at the center. Only ashes remained on the landscape around it. From the view, it was clear that something disturbing had happened here.
"Mia..." Tatsuya remembered his dream, "Why was she in the cocoon?"
"You said something?" Jun asked, but Tatsuya immediately shook his head.
"Now, it's time to go down," Xibalba Tatsuya said, "To the heart of this thing."
Night - Yumezaki
Shiori examined the briefcase entrusted to her by Katsuya a few times. Katsuya strictly told her not to read the content inside, and Shiori obeyed it, though that didn't stop her curiosity about Takahisa Kandori's diary inside it. She sighed in bored and faced ahead, where her driver was making a right turn at the crossroad.
Her car was heading for her office, seeing as Katsuya told her to give extreme priority in protecting the diary. She glanced at her watch and sighed in anxiety, seeing as Tatsuya failed to be found, no matter how much they searched.
Suddenly, the car, with only four people inside, made a strong brake. A small earthquake had just happened.
"An earthquake?" Shiori mused, "Ah, it's okay now. Come on, continue."
But the driver didn't move.
"What's going on?" Shiori scolded the driver.
"There's someone crossing the road," The driver responded. Shiori looked forward and saw an old man trolling a food stall. The road was dark, so it was hard to see.
However, Shiori knew something wasn't right.
"I thought they evacuated the ward days ago? Why is there civilian?"
Shiori saw the old man stopped in the middle of the road before slowly taking out something from his food stall.
She was immediately alerted by the incoming danger. She refused to let the same mistake happened again after losing her men today.
"EVERYONE OUT! LAUNCHER!"
Cue to her scream, the old man took out a rocket launcher and aimed for the car.
The car exploded, but her men survived and took cover behind the building. Shiori glanced at the cuffed briefcase in her hand and knew what they were aiming for.
"How many?!" Shiori screamed at one of her men.
"I saw a few guys behind him! 6! There's six of them!"
A few men came from the shadow and fired their machine gun at them. It was a dire situation, seeing as each of them were armed with only a handgun and some flash grenades. Shiori couldn't help but wonder.
"How did they know?" Shiori mused, peeking at the briefcase cuffed to her left wrist, "Damn it, that's why you don't cheat death..."
Suddenly, the firing stopped, followed by a sound of a few men screaming in pain. It happened too fast to be caused by a single man, but after silence overtook the night, one eerie voice called out.
"You can come out now. They're beaten."
Shiori, nodding at her teammates, left her cover and aimed her gun at the man.
He was wearing dark clothes and a mask, standing straight next to a few unconscious men lying on the ground. He raised his hands upon the gunpoint, but he was extremely composed.
It was then, Shiori remembered the description of a man that Tatsuya met days ago. It fitted him too perfectly, based on his mask, his voice, and his body size.
"Answer my question," Shiori asked, still holding her gun, "Are you Kazuma Kaneda?"
"You've heard of me?" The man answered, "I was called with that name for a long time."
"Why are you here? Do you want this too?" Shiori shook the briefcase on her other man. The man, however, shook his head.
"I'm making sure the book is safe, that is all," Kazuma Kaneda said, which she was convinced that he was smiling beneath that mask, "I guess I should take my leave."
"Wait!" Shiori stopped him, "Your daughter, Mia Kaneda, don't you want to see her?"
"I played my part long enough. It's time I put a stop to this. Besides, she won't be long..."
In a blink of an eye, the man disappeared without a trace, leaving Shiori and her men to widened their eyes in shock. In the end, no one knew who Kazuma Kaneda was.
After a while, not far from that location, Kazuma Kaneda stopped his track and turned to the dark alley on his right. There, in the shadow, two figures were seen staring back at him. The man spoke to them in a familiar tone.
"Nameless, Belladonna, it's almost time. Be prepared."
Tatsuya Suou
Night - Control Machinery Floor, Xibalba
"How did you build all this?"
Tatsuya asked in awe when he saw the interior of the floor. Hallways and air-conditioners were installed, rooms were made, stairs and normal engines were everywhere. Nothing of it seemed unnatural or alien. Unfortunately, power supply was cut off long ago.
"We had a lot of time," Xibalba Tatsuya replied, "We had a group of engineers rebuild the place, made it more convenient and easier to travel. When I said a group of people, obviously it was a close project by the government. We harvested some of the resources here and shared it with people above. Though after the mad professor took over, shadows infested this place like a beehive. Nobody's been here in years."
"You weren't kidding..." Tatsuya turned around behind them, where a group of shadows previous attacked them, but they wiped the floor easily with their experience. Tatsuya continued to follow them deeper into the giant maze. But the heavy tension forced Tatsuya to speak more.
"Sorry if I'm asking, but... When we're at the front gate, what did Lisa mean by Mei Ni, Mei Ming?"
"That huh?" Xibalba Tatsuya said, "It means "There's no life without you"."
"Sometimes, life is worthless without a certain someone, like your Maya, for example," Jun intercepted the conversation, "So tell me, how did you convince her to love you?"
"Hmmm?"
"Being together with her should undo the spell that Philemon cast years ago. Yet you managed to avoid that risk and get together with her."
"I don't even know why the spell was still intact. I guess I don't love her as the 'me' from 'this side', but I love her as myself from 'that side'. I'm still surprised by how I managed to have her, seeing as she loathed to see me at first."
"True, that will trigger bad memories," Jun nodded slightly.
"But one day... There was a gas leakage accident at a building. I was a rookie officer, and my task was to monitor the people and let the firefighter do their works. Then, I found out Maya was inside the building, and she hasn't exited yet. Like a madman, I rushed inside and be a hero for once. My brother was so mad at the time because I nearly died, but I save Maya's life. And then, she began to open up to me."
"How romantic..." Xibalba Tatsuya commented, "I remembered saving Lisa's life from shadows for so many times, we might as well get married, and we did not long after."
"I know this sounded like it came from nowhere, but have you contact Philemon and Igor at all?"
"Not once after our fight with Nyarlathotep. I hate to break the mood, but we're here."
They stopped in front of a huge door, colored black and red unlike the rest of the walls There was a keypad on the right side, but Xibalba Tatsuya ignored it and pulled open the weak door. Inside was a world so different from the rest of the dungeon. It was eerier and darker, lacked many hallways but wider room, and lots of lab equipment.
"This place had been modified by Karu Juugo," Jun said, "When we're last here to find that professor, this place was literally Shadow's haven, which is why we stopped looking for stuff here. Keep an eye out, I heard something."
True to his words, a swamp of Shadows filled the place from all direction. The two of them put themselves on standby, but Xibalba Tatsuya had a different plan.
"Ghadamon Apollo!"
With a fiery blue flame, Ghadamon Apollo, corrupted beyond recognition, burned all Shadows to dust. The marks on his body glowed brightly, forcing him to kneel down in pain.
"Why did you do that? You could have stayed behind," Tatsuya said.
"My body is wasting away, so this much is nothing. Come on, now that we're in enemy's territory, let's move fast."
Killing Shadows and mapping the new zone put a lot of stress on them, but they moved forward to the main control room, based on the original map that they mapped together before the change. Tatsuya could see that night was fast approaching, though until he saw the sky, he couldn't be sure. Xibalba Tatsuya was weakened by the use of his persona that he had Jun to support his pace.
"There, that's the control room. This is where we stopped," Xibalba Tatsuya pointed at the white steel door at the dead-end hallways. Like the rest of the room, it was locked, but it was not something that they could break in with force. This was probably the most secure room by Juugo, seeing as even the metal used for the door was different. There was a small slot on the left side, but they had no idea what to fill inside.
"Damn it!" Xibalba Tatsuya cursed as he knocked on the door, surprising Jun and Tatsuya.
"Tatsu, we will find a way," Jun comforted him, "Don't get too work out."
"No, you don't understand..." Xibalba Tatsuya shook his head, "I'm reaching my limit... His voice in my head, it wouldn't stop! It's too loud! I saw my face changing last night, he already has my soul, Jun! He's just waiting!"
"The voice?" Tatsuya leaned close to him, "Is he that loud?"
"You heard him too, don't you? I was planning to die, but he won't let me... I don't want to hurt Lisa. I don't know what to do..."
From his pocket, Xibalba Tatsuya took out a small gun and lent it to his counterpart, "If I succumb to that monster, then kill me."
"Tatsu, that is-" Jun widened his eyes, but Tatsuya instantly paused him.
"I won't swear," Tatsuya answered, "Don't let your child suffered what we suffered as an orphan. Besides, maybe that's what the Nuclear Chaos wanted. I will do what I must, but I will find another way. So, keep your gun."
"Thank you," His counterpart smiled, "If only I can break into this room right now."
"...Wait," Tatsuya examined the slot at the side and was surprised to see that he recognized the pattern on it. It was a cross shape slot with the size of a palm, "I know this shape! Give me a moment..."
He remembered the cross-shaped pendant that Juugo wore and how he came to possess it on the previous night in Narumi Ward. Yes, he snatched that pendant from him before he ran away. He still kept it in his pocket, knowing that it's the safest with him. If the Kandori's diary was smaller, he would have Katsuya hid it instead.
"Guess I wasn't always unlucky," Tatsuya revealed the pendant from him, "A pendant key, no wonder he kept it close to him."
As he expected, the moment he inserted the pendant into the slot and turned it counter-clockwise, a loud sound was heard before the door slowly opened from below. Jun crouched slightly to see the interior, where he narrowed his eyes in bafflement.
"What is that?" Jun commented the moment the door fully opened. The scene was too bizarre.
There were a few large tubes around the circular room. Lights were automatically switched the moment they set feet inside. There was a table at the far end of the room, with some papers on top of it and a huge monitor in front of it. There were also a few wardrobes next to it. Inside them were masks, watercolor, makeup set, mascaras, clothes of female and male alike, and of course, hats. Some of the tubes in the room, however, were shattered, while the rest of them were abandoned and untouched. At the center of the room was a warping point, but it was inactive.
"What is this place?" Tatsuya asked.
"The entrance to the heart of Xibalba, right there," Xibalba Tatsuya pointed at the circular warp point, "But the machinery around them had already been removed."
"There's seven of them," Jun counted the huge tubes, "Three unused, four was shattered apart."
"What is Juugo hiding in here?" Tatsuya mused before he shifted his attention to the table at the far end of the room, "I'm going to take a look."
The papers didn't offer much, but when he examined the table carefully, he realized that the black color of it was odd. He cleared out the table and saw another slot for the pendant, which he wasted no time in slotting it.
Instantly, a keyboard appeared on the surface of the table along with a tracking sensor acting as a cursor. The monitor switched on, revealing a few files, gaining the attention of the other two.
"A hidden file... He really is secretive..." Tatsuya said, checking the folders one by one but was disappointed to see that it was blank. But before he gave up entirely, one file, which set to be auto-delete in two days, was found.
"He set all his files to auto-delete in a set amount of time, this one will be deleted on this Friday," Xibalba Tatsuya said, "His secrets are untraceable."
"Juugo updated this file last week. He was here regularly!"
"And we never noticed..." Jun said sadly.
"What are you waiting for? Open the file," Xibalba Tatsuya urged him to open the records. Impatient himself, he clicked the file. It was a recording of a voice.
Record #189
"...I did my best. I am proud to say that I did exceedingly well beyond my capabilities. Hundreds of years, all for this. This is probably my last record here. But before I packed everything and go, leaving this place totally before the city collapse with the revival of War, ancestor of Nyarlathotep's blood, I will speak my mind, as my own ego, my own consciousness that I harvested consistently."
"What?!" Tatsuya gasped, "The city's going to collapse?!"
"When?!" Jun wondered, "Don't tell me in two days just as the record auto-delete itself?"
"He's awakening something," Xibalba Tatsuya said.
They paused their conversation to listen to Juugo's record.
"Each of my subjects contributes greatly to my research. Nyarlathotep did everything for himself, but I am now feeling gratitude towards him. Regardless, the 'Seven Seal of Gods' prophecy was beyond my expectation. To think someone used the power of creation to make this prophecy... Who is it? Who made this prophecy? For what purpose?
"But that is other matters entirely. My times run short. Subject #445, Sho Minazuki, also my last subject, should perfect the Limbo Recall Type D. All that is left it to watch him take over the other 'him' and my confirmation are set. As much as the 'emperor' betrayed our pacts, I still honored our request while letting Takaya Sasaki make use of it to make himself a false prophet. Killing two birds with one stone.
"Naoya was unintentional, but Conquest is taking care of him. I have nothing to worry about. The 'sacrifice' for War, on the other hand, along with Strife, made me concern. But it is a useless concern. There is nothing to worry about myself. The 'sacrifices' will be saved with Limbo Recall in hand. As much as I am part of this prophecy, whoever wins, in the end, means nothing to me... That should be it. Farewell."
The record ended, leaving the three in silence as they tried to comprehend the meaning behind those words.
"Limbo Recall is made to 'save' the 'sacrifice'?" Tatsuya stared at the screen in confusion. All this time, the drug that he tried to stop spreading, was made to save his wife?
"I can save Maya with Limbo Recall?" Tatsuya mused, "I don't understand... It only disables your persona's ability, but how does it save the 'sacrifice'? Did Naoya know about this whole time? So all I need to do is inject Maya with that drug? Ha... Hahaha... It's almost laughable. Can I save this file…? Damn it, there's no slot."
"There's not much time," Jun said, "The city is going to collapse."
"We should reuse that ships," Xibalba Tatsuya responded, "We should activate the Ark."
"The Ark?" Tatsuya turned to his counterpart in confusion.
"An airship. We had an idea to build a set of airships to land on the dead earth, finding any habitable spot below the city. I planned to ship away half of the population, but the project was halt because of the Shadows that roamed the city. There's not even half of us anymore."
"How many did you make?"
"For now, 40; one is enough to carry 5000 people, but one ship was stolen two years ago, probably by Karu Juugo."
"Have you thought of moving the people with the rest of the ship the moment the Shadows invaded?"
"Where should we go? It was too risky," Xibalba Tatsuya returned the question, "There's not many of us, anyway. The original purpose of the Ark had failed. That's why we abandoned the project. But now that we have no choice, we should use it, as much as we can."
Tatsuya nodded silently in agreement. Azathoth will be revived here, and he had no mean to activate the city power. Even War...
"There's something bothering me..." Tatsuya deduced, "Maya of my side was a 'sacrifice' to Azathoth because she's from my world. Then... If War was summoned here in two days, with Azathoth waiting to be revived, then..."
Tatsuya faced them and gave his idea.
"No, it's all connected. Azathoth is War, the red rider."
Xibalba Tatsuya and Jun turned to each other.
"I am- I mean 'you'- (point to his counterpart) are the 'vessel' with 'my' Maya as the 'sacrifice'. Based on what Naoya told me about Conquest, this city is the ceremony place."
"So, in reviving the Azathoth as one of the Four Horsemen, he will in return destroy this city?" Xibalba Tatsuya replied.
"That is my conclusion. Right, we should activate the Ark quickly," Tatsuya said like giving orders, "You got two days, until Friday. Make sure you'll do everything in your power to bring everyone out. Anywhere is fine. Just... fly to wherever safer-"
"Urgh!"
But before he could continue, Xibalba Tatsuya suddenly screeched in pain. The mark on his body glowed in blue before turning red. Tatsuya himself realized that his own mark was glowing in red, and a voice invaded his mind.
"…The 'sun'… The 'sun'… Give me my 'sacrifice'! In your world! MINE!"
"You heard it too, don't you?!" Xibalba Tatsuya shouted with Jun couching down to calm him.
"What did he want?!" Tatsuya responded until he noticed one strange thing about himself.
His body is fading away.
"What's happening to me?" Tatsuya asked.
"He's sending you back..." Xibalba Tatsuya said, "The voice, he wants you back to your world!"
"Damn it!" Tatsuya cursed, stumbling backward as his legs completely disappeared, "I guess this is where we part, guys! But I promised I'll be back! I'll find a way to save this city!"
"You should think about your world first! Urgh!" Xibalba Tatsuya replied, "Two more days, I'll be seeing you here! Take care of Maya!"
"I will! And..." Tatsuya saw his hands fading and hurried his last word, "By the way, if your kid is a boy, Matsuya is a good name!"
And Tatsuya left the 'other side', returning to his world.
Late Night - Revelation's Base
"What's our plan?" Adachi, who was waiting at the door, asked Tatsuya Sudou, who was sitting menacingly at his chair. Whenever he needed a time for himself, this private room was always Sudou's favorite, seeing as the window in the room showed the status of the base stunningly. Adachi thought it would be nice to greet him, but Sudou clearly disliked his presence.
"What's the f*cking problem? Just stick to the original plan," Sudou answered rudely, "That dumb*ss boy should be returning from Inaba tomorrow. Go fetch him."
"Why are we still keeping him? He's worthless. Hahaha- Aw, man!" Adachi quickly gulped down his medicine upon losing control of himself. He saw a small pool of blood on his palm when he coughed, something that had frequent that made him anxious.
"I'm sick of relying on this thing. When will Juugo complete this drug?"
"I can kick you out of this place if that's what you want," Sudou glanced at him in disgust, forcing Adachi to look away to avoid a fight.
"So... Takaya is in Mount Iwato, completely cut off from the city. Care to explain?"
"Because we don't want Babylon to know. We know she can eavesdrop on his conversation."
"Oh, so we can't trust her."
"Damn f*cking right we can't. That b*tch is a friend of Tatsuya, after all. I don't give a sh*t about her one bit."
"Well, that sucks..." Adachi sighed before changing the subject, "By the way, it's tomorrow, huh?"
"Yeah, big day," Sudou chugged the liquor next to him, "Koukai Ward is not a big place and not well developed. Easy to take over. By the way, you know an interesting fact I heard? Tatsuya's kid is studying in Koukai's Ward."
"Oh..." Adachi widened his eyes, "You're not thinking of taking him hostage for fun, are you? *cough**cough* Excuse me."
"Me? Don't f*ck with me. It's not gonna be me to take him," Sudou rubbed his chin, "I was planning to have that boy on Friday, but maybe tomorrow should be fine. I should check with Babylon soon."
"Babylon? Why her?"
"Heh, why of course!" Sudou gulped down his liquor again and finished it before he said, "Babylon is already keeping a close eye on Tatsuya's kid all this time!"
Rainy - Late Night - Suou Residence, Konan
"A-And then, daddy just disappeared again..." Matsuya said on the phone alone at the front hall. His mother was fast asleep, as she was tired. Matsuya took this time to use the phone.
"Yeah, I heard about what happened. I'm so sorry to hear that, Matsuya-kun."
Matsuya nodded to himself, "My theater is tomorrow. Will you come to my play as you promised?"
"I won't miss a moment for it," The voice sounded happy, "Matsuya-kun, do you want to come with me?"
"Eh? But where?"
"Anywhere is fine. Just the two of us. Don't worry, I'll take you somewhere no one will disturb you. You will be free to do whatever you want without worrying about your parents. You can be yourself, and I can be your mommy."
Matsuya chuckled, "Really? When will you take me?"
"How about tomorrow, after the theater?"
"S-So soon?"
"The sooner the better."
This was it. Matsuya refused to back away now. He had thought long and hard about this, and this was the only choice he had.
He will run away from home tomorrow, after his theater. Hopefully, his parents will not find out. He was glad his parents never mention anything about the play, yet at the same time, he was disappointed that his parents didn't find out.
If that's the way it is, then they never have to find out.
"Thanks, Aunt Lisa," Matsuya said. He heard a short laugh from her side.
"You're welcome, dear."
Late Night - Revelation's Base
"Now that is smart," Adachi said before his voice turned again, "But why don't we kidnap him earlier for fun? To have him so late... That's stupid, isn't it?"
"The f*ck you said?" Sudou stood up, which immediately made Adachi panicked.
"H-Hey, that wasn't me, that's the 'other me'. I'm just a temporary experiment boy, remember that."
"...Get the f*ck out of my sight," Sudou said, walking towards the door, "I want to check on our prisoner."
A/N: This chapter is extra long to make up for the previous short chapter, perhaps the longest chapter I've written so far. War, the red rider, is Azathoth? What is the secret that Juugo is keeping in the control room of Xibalba? Who is Babylon? What will happen on the day afterward? How will Limbo Recall save the 'sacrifice'?
Please wait for the slow update.