5th Night: First Day
After their hunt for Slimes, Tetsuo and Rinne were outside the abandoned building, with their demons by their sides.
"You're learning fast, Asakura-kun." Rinne couldn't help but remark.
"Thank you, Enomoto-san." he replied, with a slight bow. "Again, if it wasn't for you, I wouldn't be learning at all..." At that, Rinne looked away for a moment, in slight embarrassment, before looking back at him with her usual serious expression. Angel couldn't help but chuckle out of amusement.
"You should know that when you fuse demons, the result always has the combined powers of the demons used for fusion." she explained "In the case of your Angel, the powers of Centaur and Pixie could combine easily, but when the powers of the demons you use are more complex, the combination is yours to decide." after Tetsuo showed his understanding with a nod, the girl then typed something on her portable computer. In mere seconds, a sound of notification came from the amber-eyed youth's own computer. He checked it and noticed that there was a chatroom in which he could talk with Rinne. The only message in the chatroom was from the mysterious girl.
"Check."
"There's a chat feature in the program?!" Tetsuo couldn't help exclaiming.
"Yes, there is." Rinne replied "This way, Hunters can communicate with one another. Also, S uses it to send messages to us." Tetsuo listened with eyes wide in stupor, taking in the information.
"We demons can talk with you from your device, as well." the youth's Angel added, catching her master's attention "For clear reasons, you will have to keep us in your program for most of the time, but we will still be able to talk with you." Tetsuo listened to her words and nodded in understanding.
"Ok, now it's best for you to return home, Asakura-kun." Rinne recommended "Tomorrow night we'll be doing another hunt."
"Yes." Karasu Tengu added "We'll be going for something a little tougher than those stupid Slimes. But don't you worry, with your Angel, you should be able to handle it."
"Thank you, Tengu-san!" Tetsuo replied, albeit with a little uncertainty, before looking back at the winged demon's master.
"I'll see you tomorrow night, then." she said "Remember to store your katana in the program inventory before heading back. I'll be counting on you."
"Same here. I'll be counting on you, from now on." After hearing this reply from him, Rinne turned her back and walked away. While Tetsuo was heading back to his house as well, after storing his weapon in a sort of digital inventory provided by the Demon Summoning Program, he still dwelled on the events of that night. Now he commanded demons, just like that mysterious girl. She had saved his life, and now she was teaching him what could possibly be the only way to survive in that dark underworld. He found himself wondering who she was, and how she entered the world of demons and gained the knowledge she was now sharing with him. His train of thought was interrupted by a notification sound coming from his portable computer. It was a message in the chat that, much to his surprise, was sent by his demon, Angel.
"What is on your mind, Tetsuo?" he read.
"I'm still trying to wrap my head around what has just happened..." he typed, replying earnestly "I can understand it, but I still find it hard to believe..."
"It is completely normal." Angel replied "No common human would be able to process what you have just seen."
"I guess that my passion for mythos is the only thing that has helped me digesting this..." the youth typed.
"And what do you think of the young woman who is helping you?" his demon asked, perhaps a tad too boldly. The amber-eyed youth couldn't help but blush at the question, and eventually typed back his answer.
"I'm grateful to her, of course. And, I can't help but wonder how she got into all of this..."
"Do not worry." Angel reassured "In due time, you will know everything. Even the true form of what you call "passion"." That ambiguous message left the youth doubtful, but he decided not to ask his demon more about it. Before he knew it, he was in front of the entrance of his house, with his parents waiting for him.
"Tetsuo! Are you all right?" his mother asked, worry clearly audible in her voice. Understanding her feelings, Tetsuo gave her a reassuring hug.
"Don't worry, mom. I'm all right." he answered her question in the meantime.
"Where have you been?" his father inquired.
"Well..." the youth explained "I was walking around. Eventually, my steps led me to the park, where I've met a girl that, oddly enough, I had met this afternoon, as well!"
"So you've been with her for the night?" the man couldn't help but ask.
"Yes." his son replied "We just chatted." Thus, he gave them the answer he was most comfortable with. It wasn't the truth, but it wasn't too far from it, either. However, it still backfired. Soichiro couldn't help but smirk.
"Oh, our boy is growing up so fast..." he said.
"H-H-Hold on! Don't misunderstand, dad!" the youth immediately replied, blushing beet red and waving his hands in front of him nervously "We're just talking, that's all."
"For now." the man insisted, making his son's blush intensify.
"Will you be going out with her again tomorrow?" Soichiro's wife asked. Immediately, Tetsuo looked at his mother, knowing that she is worried about his safety.
"Yes mom, I will." he earnestly replied "Don't worry. I'll be careful." he then added, to reassure her. The woman silently sighed in relief as her son walked in the house, followed by his parents in tow. After saying his goodnights, he headed upstairs to his room and got changed for the night, then he laid in his bed, his portable computer in front of him. On it, he could read another message from Angel.
"You have a very loving family, Tetsuo." The youth couldn't help but smile at the comment as he typed his reply.
"Thank you, Angel-san." however, his expression was filled with concern as he sent another text "I must protect them from all of this..."
"I can understand." he could read the reply from his demon "You wish to fight for those dear to you. Is that correct?"
"Exactly." Tetsuo immediately gave his answer "Now, I see threats that they don't see, and that's why I must protect them from those threats."
"Now you dwell in a world of darkness, devoid of certainty." Angel replied "But you can count on me to protect them. This certainty, I can grant you." The first part of her answer was ambiguous and disheartening, but nonetheless, Tetsuo was relieved in reading those words from her.
"Thank you, Angel." he typed back. It was then that he received a message from a new contact. His eyes widened in reading the ID of the server.
S.
A single letter, which bore a great weight. Knowing that it was none other that the man responsible for the managing and distribution of the Demon Summoning Program, Tetsuo read the message.
"Hello, Tetsuo. Thank you for downloading the Demon Summoning Program. I am not the creator of this program, but I have managed to take possession of it, and now I'm updating it. The program is linked to the device of the user, and that's why I know your name. Please, don't be frightened. This program has most likely been given to you by someone who already possessed it. Demons of legend and myth surround us and live next to us, unseen by many. However, we can counter them and protect ourselves from them. This is the purpose of this program, to use the power of demons against them. I shall give you advice and answer any of your doubts. Please write any questions you have in this chatroom, and I will do my best to answer them. S."
Tetsuo was startled by the fact that this mysterious programmer knew his name, but he put that aside. He began typing his first question for S.
"Greetings, S-san. There are still some questions plaguing my mind at the moment. Now, the most appropriate matter I think I should address is: How are you capable of communicating with us and taking care of the program's maintenance? I've managed to come to terms with this new reality I have been thrown in, and, thanks to the guidance of the person who has given me this program, I'm learning how to use it at its fullest, but I need to know everything about how this came to be, if I wish to really be able to do something about it! Hopefully my questions and your answers will help me in finding the source of this situation. Thank you in advance. Asakura Tetsuo." He sent the message, and then quickly returned to Angel's chatroom.
"Was it S?" his demon asked.
"Yes." Tetsuo replied "I've asked him a question about how he keeps the program up. Of course, I can't expect him to reply right away."
"Indeed." Angel confirmed, then, she advised her master "Now you should get some rest, however. A human cannot bear to stay without sleep..."
"Yes, that's true..." the youth replied.
"Do not worry about your parents, Tetsuo." the demon added, to reassure him. "I can wake you up through this device, should the need ever arise."
"Understood. Thank you for your concern." he replied. "Goodnight, Angel-san."
"Goodnight, Tetsuo." After reading Angel's reply, the fledgling demon hunter turned his portable computer off and put it on the bedside table, then tucked in and drifted off to sleep for the night.
"A world of uncertainty..." he couldn't help but think about Angel's words, however "Did the human world ever have certainty to begin with? That's the question to which we've always strived to find an answer..."
His slumber, however, was to be troubled by his recurring dream.
Tetsuo found himself tossed about in the wind, flying above the familiar garden with cherry blossoms.
"Tetsuo..."
Suddenly, he heard that strong voice again.
"I can sense you..." it spoke "You're getting closer to me..."
Tetsuo wished to ask who was speaking, but found himself at a loss of words.
"Soon, you'll be here..." the voice continued "I'll be waiting for you..."
And then, lightning flashed and thunder crackled.
Tetsuo immediately opened his eyes, waking up from that strange dream. The morning sun rays passing through the window touched him as he sat up on his bed, bringing a hand to his head.
"Why am I having that dream again…?" he couldn't help but wonder. But there was not too much time to spare. It was his first day as a member of the Newspaper Club.
"For now, I need to focus on school and on my new club..." he thought as he got off the bed, ready to begin his morning routine. As usual, he saw his mother off at the door of his house and headed towards school. His neighbor Ayumu was there, ready to walk to the bus stop with him.
"Hey there, Tetsuo!" he greeted him warmly, like he had always done.
"Hello, Ayumu!" he greeted back, in kind, and the two walked together.
"Today's your big day in the Newspaper Club!" Ayumu exclaimed excitedly.
"I know!" Tetsuo replied. He couldn't help but smile at the thought.
"Nervous?" the youth asked his amber-eyed friend, with a smirk on his face.
"A bit." he earnestly replied "But I'm also excited!"
"That's the spirit, my man!" Ayumu exclaimed, patting his friend's shoulder as they arrived at the bus stop right on time.
Like the day before, Tetsuo's eyes wandered along the bus, looking for any signs of abnormality. Everything seemed to be tranquil, however. Once the bus reached its destination, the two youths hopped off of it and headed to the school's main gates, where their friends, Hideaki and Izumi, were waiting for them.
"Good morning!" Izumi was the first to greet their two friends.
"Good morning, Hideaki! Murakami-san!" Tetsuo replied in kind, with a smile on his face.
"Yo!" Ayumu grinned as he raised his hand in greeting.
"So, Asakura-kun." the red-haired girl stepped towards her classmate "Today is your first day in the School Newspaper Club, isn't it?"
"Yes, it is." the amber-eyed youth replied.
"Best of luck." her smile broadened as she patted his shoulder.
"Thank you, Murakami-san!" he replied, feeling encouraged by her words.
"Take your time in getting used to the place." Hideaki advised his friend.
"I will, Hideaki." Tetsuo replied. He had been given the same piece of advice before by his father, and was more than willing to put it into practice.
"Oh, and if they don't recognize your ability..." Izumi added, a mischievous smirk creeping up on her face "I have just the right thing that will set them straight..." Knowing what her friend was capable of, the youth braced himself for whatever she had in mind.
"Tetsuo, be careful!" Hideaki warned his friend, who was already tense. Just as he had finished speaking, Izumi pulled out a ball which could open up, as if it had a mouth. It was colored as if it was an unsettling demon face, and a screech could be heard coming from it once it opened. Tetsuo jumped back, even though he was expecting such a stunt from her.
"Say hello to my little friend, Onidama-chan!" she exclaimed in triumph, giggling.
"Izumi..." he sighed. "You're gonna make someone have a heart attack, one day..."
"Oh, come on!" his girlfriend whined "Pulling such pranks not only is fun, it also sits well with the theme of our club!"
"Say, speaking of which..." Ayumu added "Kyoko-chan is the one who gives you all of these horror goods, right?"
"You got that right, Hirabayashi-kun!" Izumi excitedly confirmed "I can't help but wonder where she gets them from… I sure would like to visit it, if it's a shop!"
"Er, guys?" Hideaki reminded everyone "As much as I would like to keep chatting, we still have lessons to go through!" Tetsuo nodded in agreement, while Ayumu scowled.
"Why did you have to remind us?" he whined. As they were speaking, Kyoko Shibusawa watched their banter from a distance, giggling at Izumi's antics and at the reactions of her friends.
The morning lessons went on smoothly. Tetsuo was on guard for any possible demon which could appear at a moment's notice. Fortunately, the classroom seemed to be peaceful as well, and Tetsuo always made an effort to stay on track of the lessons.
Then, lunch break started.
Tetsuo strolled about in the hallways, which were already beginning to fill with life.
"Hello, Tetsuo!" a gentle male voice called him. As the youth turned, he saw his classmate, Kojiro Soma, with a smile on his face.
"Oh, hello, Soma!" he replied, politely, smiling in kind, to which the youth chuckled.
"Please, feel free to use my first name." he said, adjusting his glasses "We'll be colleagues from now on, right?" he then extended his hand for his classmate to shake.
"Thank you, Kojiro." he replied, shaking his hand "I'll be counting on you from now on."
"I'll be glad to be of help to a fellow journalist who shares my passion for mythos." Kojiro added. And so, the two classmates began walking along the hallway together while chatting.
"So, what has brought you to accept our offer?" Kojiro asked.
"Well, I think that old lores are taken too lightly in this day and age." Tetsuo explained "My place in the Newspaper Club will allow me to give my contribution to fixing that. A journalist's job is to unveil truths, after all, and I've got many truths to put into play." His classmate listened to him with genuine interest.
"Well said, Asakura Tetsuo."
The two members of the Newspaper Club immediately turned to the source of the voice that had spoken those words, which turned out to be none other than Kyoko Shibusawa.
"Ah, Shibusawa-san!" Tetsuo exclaimed, surprised to see her.
"What brings you here, Kyoko-chan?" Kojiro asked.
"I was just passing by, when I heard you two talking." Kyoko replied, with a smile on her face. "It's always nice to be in front of people who share our beliefs, isn't it?"
"That's true, Kyoko-chan." Kojiro replied, with a smile. Kyoko, then, moved closer to the amber-eyed youth.
"Did you like the little demon I've presented to your friend?" she asked, still smiling.
"It's unsettling enough." Tetsuo replied, scratching the back of his head "Much like all of the stuff you've given to Murakami-san in the past few months." His answer made the petite girl giggle.
"Well, demons hide under the surface of our world, even in ways that are beyond suspicion." she explained "With my gifts, Izumi shall surely teach you to beware." Tetsuo chuckled, and then let out a sigh.
"If she doesn't overdo it, that is..." he commented. Kyoko took a small marble of dark chocolate from her pocket and unwrapped it, before putting it in her mouth to eat. She found herself pleased with the taste and, after swallowing it, she turned to Kojiro with a bright smile.
"I can see now why you like these so much!" she said.
"They're a favorite in my family!" Kojiro replied, scratching the back of his head.
"I will definitely try them out again!" Kyoko said, before stepping away. Once she was at a certain distance from her fellow students, she turned back to them and waved at them "Bye-bye!"
"Bye-bye!" both waved back at her.
"So those really were Sanshiro's favorite chocolates!" Tetsuo observed, having recognized the marble that Kyoko seemed to be trying for the first time.
"Yep!" Kojiro confirmed, with a nod. The amber-eyed youth had met Sanshiro Soma, Kojiro's little brother, multiple times while hanging out in the arcade with his friend Ayumu.
"He was always keeping a small stock of those marbles to keep himself energized for games..." he thought.
"I think we should head back to class now." Kojiro remarked. His classmate nodded in agreement, and so they settled for heading back to the class. The afternoon classes went on peacefully. As Tetsuo followed them, however, something was bothering him insistently.
"Shibusawa Kyoko-san… Is she really aware of the existence of demons?" he thought "And if she is, what is she planning to do with her knowledge? In any case, I mustn't betray my possession of the program… Not just with Shibusawa-san, but with anyone..."
After the afternoon classes came to an end, club activities for the day started. Tetsuo headed to the Newspaper Club's room. He had been told its location by Kojiro, so he knew where to go. As soon as he opened the door, he found himself showered with confetti.
"Welcome to the club, Tetsuo!" Yousuke Miura, head of the club, cheerfully greeted the new entry, with Saki by his side.
"Wow..." the youth murmured, blushing "When you said it would have been a "party cracker" you weren't lying, Miura..." Yousuke laughed in response.
"No need for such formalities! We're colleagues, now!" he said. "And besides, new members need to be given the warmest welcome possible!"
"Understood, Yousuke." Tetsuo replied, with a nod and a grateful smile. "Thank you."
"Don't mention it, pal!" the head of the Newspaper club replied, with a huge grin on his face, then he turned his gaze to two fellow members: Kojiro Soma and Takehiko Kuki "Given your area of expertise, you'll most likely be working with Kojiro and Takehiko for most of your time here." The amber-eyed youth showed his understanding with a nod, and then sat next to his fellow myth lovers.
"Welcome to the team!" Takehiko exclaimed, tapping his new colleague's shoulder.
"Thank you, Takehiko." Tetsuo replied with a smile.
"With your help, folklore inserts will surely catch more attention." Kojiro added.
"You can count on me!" the amber-eyed youth exclaimed.
"It's just my first day, and yet, it feels like I've been in the club for a lot of time!" he thought, grateful for the warm welcome he had been given. That was the start of his days in the Kichijouji Seijou High Newspaper Club.