8th Night: Incarnation
The two hunters panted, out of exhaustion from the battle they had just survived. Their target, the demon known as Andras, had been eliminated. Their demons were tried from the battle as well.
"Well, doesn't this place host nice parties..." Karasu Tengu commented.
"Kitty-cat!" Napaea called, rushing towards Kabuso "Are you all right?" She looked at it, and was relieved in seeing that it appeared not to be hurt anywhere on its body. The cat demon simply nodded, with teary eyes, and then leaped at her.
"Napaea!" it called, as it pinned her on the ground and nuzzled its head against her "You could have died there!" The little fairy was surprised, but then her features melted in a sweet smile.
"Kabuso..." she sweetly said, as she began patting it "There, there... I'm here..."
"I'm so glad you're okay!" Kabuso cried out, as it began licking Napaea's face, making her giggle.
"H-Hey, stop it! It tickles!" the fairy demon protested among the laughter. Meanwhile, their master, Tetsuo Asakura, slowly lowered his gaze top his hands, the last words of the fiend still ringing in his mind.
"There is a god behind this power of yours..." When he decided to rush to the aid of his demons, he felt an energy flowing inside him. He knew it was that energy that had allowed him to destroy the bat-winged demons in one cleave and take on Andras.
"Asakura-kun!" Rinne called, noticing that something was on the youth's mind. Her stern call snapped Tetsuo out of his thought train. "I would ask you what you're thinking about, but this isn't the place. We need to get back in neutral territory. There, we will talk." He took in his fellow hunter's words and nodded in response.
With that, the two hunters headed towards the ground floor of the palace, followed by their demons. Their path was not devoid of demons to fight, but there were much less, since the majority of the creatures populating the building were distraught over the disappearance of the fiend controlling the area. Upon reaching the ground floor, the hunters got out of the structure, and noticed that the screens had stopped going static and were restored to their normal state.
"Look at the colorful screens!" Napaea exclaimed, in joy "They're back to normal!"
"It seems that Andras's influence on this area has definitely ceased." Angel remarked, smiling warmly at the fairy demon's excitement, to which her master nodded in response.
"So, what was on your mind, back on the palace?" Rinne asked her fellow hunter.
"Oh, that..." Tetsuo replied, thoughtfully "I was thinking about Andras's words… It said that I was that strong because of a god..."
"It probably meant that you're the incarnation of a god." the mysterious girl concluded, crossing her arms, much to the amber-eyed youth's disbelief.
"Is that… Why I was able to fight like that before?" he uttered.
"Can't really say." Rinne replied "I would need to know how you felt as you fought, from the moment you began showing that ability." Tetsuo nodded in agreement, more than willing to comply.
"Well..." he began explaining "As soon as I saw my demons in trouble, I rushed to them without a second thought. It was then that I heard a voice in my head. It said "I'll help you", and then I managed to protect my demons." In hearing his explanation, Rinne's eyes widened in disbelief.
"Have you heard that voice again as you fought?" she asked.
"No, not really..." the amber-eyed youth replied. The huntress considered the words she had heard from him carefully, as she put her fingers under her chin, pensively.
"Hmmm..." she mused "I've never given too much credit to such tales until now, but..." Then, she gave an explanation of her own to her fellow hunter "I had heard that there were some people out there which were actually incarnations of great deities of the past, and, judging by what you just told me, I would say that you're one of them..." Her words shocked the amber-eyed youth.
"So what that demon said was true..." he said, breathlessly.
"I'm surprised just as you are, Asakura-kun." Rinne replied "Do you think you can guess which god you're the incarnation of?" Tetsuo thought about it, before finally shaking his head.
"...No. I saw that there was wind around my blade while I fought the demons, but I haven't noticed anything else..."
"Your magnetite production rate spiked as you fought..." Angel remarked.
"Further signs of it might be coming to you any moment." the girl warned "Stay alert, and if you see anything strange, tell me about it." The youth nodded in response, showing his understanding. Napaea and Kabuso, who were intent to look at the restored screens of Shibuya, went back to their master's side.
"How's it hanging?" the cat demon asked.
"What are you guys talking about?" the fairy added.
"Oh, they are discussing the reason behind the mysterious power Tetsuo used when he had protected you..." Angel explained.
"So, what now?" Tetsuo asked his fellow huntress.
"Let's head back." Rinne replied, to which the youth nodded in agreement. In that moment, Napaea had an idea, and quickly turned to Kabuso.
"Hey, kitty-cat!" she called "Do you mind if I ride you?" Upon hearing the request, the cat demon blushed slightly, and eventually nodded.
"Yay!" the little fairy squealed in excitement as she sat on the cat's back and brushed her face against its head, laughing cheerily. Tetsuo couldn't help but smile at the fun his demons were having with each other.
And so, the two hunters headed out of Shibuya and back to Kichijouji, along with their demons.
"What did you tell your dear ones?" Rinne asked, while she and the young man under her wing walked.
"Huh?" Tetsuo replied, clearly confused.
"What did you tell them when you headed out to meet me?" she asked again, more clearly.
"Oh, well..." the amber-eyed youth earnestly replied "I told my parents that I'm hanging out with a new friend, nothing more."
"At night." the girl continued "Did they say anything about it?"
"Not really..." Tetsuo answered "It's not uncommon for me to hang out at night..."
"Is that so?" Rinne inquired, curiously raising a brow.
"Yes." the youth replied, lifting his gaze to the night sky "Ever since I was a little kid, I've always loved the night. Besides, nightly strolls are a good way to reflect on things and recollect your thoughts." Then, he let out a sigh as his gaze shifted downwards "Of course, my perception of the night has not come out unscathed from the day I learned of demons..."
"You feel freer at night, don't you?" the girl asked, the corners of her mouth turned up into her signature ghost smile.
"Y-Yes, that's it..." Tetsuo replied, taken aback by her statement, which completely matched his feeling "How do you know? Have you felt the same?"
"Yes, that's one way to put it." Rinne replied, earnestly, with a thoughtful expression, as she rose her gaze to the night sky as well. Then, her face took her usual stoic expression once more "Asakura-kun. From now on, you'll need to be careful when you stroll along the streets at night. Check your message log in the Program for any directions from me or S, tell me whenever you see something weird, and, most importantly, be wary of your surroundings, and watch out for "strange" people." Keyword being "strange", the amber-eyed rookie hunter understood the meaning of his fellow huntress's words, and showed that understanding with a nod.
As they chatted, Napaea and Kabuso followed them. The little fairy, sitting on the cat's back, petted its head and scratched under its chin, making it purr in joy and giggling sweetly at its reactions.
"You should check the fusions you can make." Rinne suggested "Do it whenever you get a new demon."
"Oh, thank you, Enomoto-san." Tetsuo replied, opening his portable computer "I'll check it right away." He then took a look at the Demon Fusion page of the program, and noticed that Kabuso and Napaea could be fused in a new demon. According to the program, the resulting demon's name was Ame no Uzume, with the ability to teleport objects and living beings alike from one place to another with little effort. However, there was one problem…
The fusion couldn't be done, since it appeared to require more experience with the use of the program.
"What does that mean?" Tetsuo couldn't help but wonder "Does it work only after I've spent enough time hunting?" Curiously, Napaea flew away from Kabuso's back and closer to her master's face.
"What are you looking at, Tetsuo-kun?" she asked, to which the youth felt embarrassed to reply, as the thought of Pixie's reaction flashed in his mind. Eventually, he answered her question.
"I was looking at the fusions I could do..." Just as he had feared, anger became clearly visible on the fairy's face as she pouted.
"You were planning to fuse me, weren't you?" she retorted "Who did you want to fuse me with, huh?" Tetsuo sighed in response, before giving his reply.
"K-Kabuso..." Hearing that name, all of Napaea's rage rapidly vanished, as she looked at her master with stupor, and a twinkle in her eyes.
"Really?" The hunter found himself confused my his demon's severe mood shift.
"Um… Yes..." he replied.
"Yaaaay!" the fairy exclaimed in joy, before darting towards a confused Kabuso "You heard that, kitty-cat? We're going to be fused!" The cat's eyes widened in stupor, as Napaea happily cuddled it.
"Wow… She really took a liking to it, didn't she?" Tetsuo couldn't help but think.
"Well, not right away..." he clarified "Looks like I'll need to be using the program more, before I'll be able to fuse you..."
"Awww..." the fairy whimpered, in slight disappointment, while her master looked at his fellow huntress with a gaze that asked for some explanation.
"The Demon Summoning Program tracks the time spent using it." Rinne said, quickly understanding the youth's concerns "So, basically, by hunting and increasing the power of your demons, more options will be unlocked."
"I see..." Tetsuo mused, having some degree of understanding.
"They put some kind of progression in the program..." Karasu remarked "How clever..." Meanwhile, Napaea kept happily cuddling Kabuso, who didn't fail to notice an object, and quickly collected it, before heading back to its master's side. It was a stone which bore a vivid red color.
"Oh, that stone looks amazing!" the fairy exclaimed, looking at the object with sparkling eyes.
"It's a little hot to hold in the mouth..." the demon cat replied. Eventually the two hunters were a few blocks away from Kichijouji's residential area.
"Well then..." Rinne said "This is where we part ways. Do you have any questions?"
"Just one." Tetsuo quickly replied, as his cat demon stepped next to him, holding the colored stone in his mouth "Kabuso found this stone, not that different from the Life Stones I've seen until now, at least shape-wise. What is it?"
"That's a Maragi Stone." the huntress explained "It'll unleash a wave of fire upon use. Should you find yourself cornered, resorting to it would be a good choice."
"Understood." the amber-eyed youth nodded "Thank you, Enomoto-san." The girl nodded back in reply.
"Take care on your way home, Asakura-kun." she recommended.
"Thank you, Enomoto-san." Tetsuo replied "You take care, as well." With that, the two hunters went their separate ways. The youth stored his demons, his items and his weapon in the Program as he walked, heading to his home. Upon seeing him arrive, his parents were flooded with relief as they went to greet him at the entrance.
"Welcome back, Tetsuo." his father was the first to speak.
"Thank you, dad." the amber-eyed youth readily replied, with a reassuring smile.
"Are you all right, dear?" his mother couldn't help but ask, out of concern for him.
"Don't worry, mom." he replied, with a nod "I am." The three of them entered the house.
"So, how did your nightly walk with your friend go?" Soichiro asked.
"Oh, it went fine, thank you!" his son readily replied.
"I hope you didn't get yourselves in shady places..." the youth's mother added, fearful of what could possibly happen to her son during his nightly strolls.
"Don't worry, mom." Tetsuo smiled, with the intent to quench the woman's worried "I've been careful, and I'll always be. My friend thinks the same thing."
"That's good to know." his father said "Hopefully we'll be able to see this new friend of yours, one day..."
"Maybe, it'll be sooner than you might think..." the amber-eyed youth replied, scratching the back of his head, eliciting a chuckle from both of his parents. However, he knew that he could not guarantee that his words would have become reality. With that, Tetsuo saw his parents off and headed to his room. After changing for the night, he laid in his bed and looked at his portable computer, checking the chat log of his demons.
"Angel-san..." he typed "Maybe Enomoto-san will not contact me tomorrow night. What do you suggest to do in that case?"
"Tetsuo..." was the demon's reply "It is you who should make such a decision. Do you have an idea about it?"
"Well..." the hunter wrote "During the morning, I'll keep an eye on Shibusawa-san, and in the night, I'll try going on a nightly stroll on my own, to see if I can find any more information… How does that sound?"
"It does sound like a solid idea." Angel replied.
"Of course, if there are findings, I'll have to report them to Enomoto-san and, maybe, to S-san." the youth added.
"Excellent." the winged woman replied "Perhaps we could meet other hunters or people with high magnetite, this way..." It was then that Tetsuo heard the sound of a notification. Another demon has messaged him. It was Napaea.
"Tetsuo-kun, can't you let me out?" she had asked "I want to play with the kitty!"
"Sorry, but that's a no can do." the youth replied "Both of you are small demons, but still, there's no telling to what could happen while you play..."
"Awwww…" was the fairy's reaction.
"Well, since we'll be going out tomorrow night, you can play with Kabuso then." Tetsuo typed, in the hopes of lifting his demon's spirits, and it seemed to work.
"Really? Great!" was her reply "I'm holding you onto it!~" Tetsuo smiled at the message and then, after seeing his demons off, closed his personal computer and tucked in for the night.
In his sleep, his well known dream visited him again, evolving, and showing him a new truth.
"Tetsuo… I can sense you..."
The young man found himself flying over the path of toori gates, tossed about by the wind, as he heard that strong voice.
"You're coming to me..."
Eventually, the wind moved Tetsuo towards the ground, making him land in a garden. It was filled with cherry blossoms, but he could tell that it was bigger than the one his dream had started from. In its center, a gray figure with long, white hair, was sitting.
"Come closer, will you?" the amber-eyed youth heard that voice again, and, seeing no other options, decided to obey the voice and stepped closer to the figure. He could see that it was a quite muscular man, with dark gray skin, almost as if it was an ancient bronze statue, and long white hair. His forehead was covered by a golden headpiece, and he was wearing ancient Japanese warrior pants. He held a seven-branched sword in his hand.
"I've been waiting for you for quite a bit." the imposing man said, with a smile, looking up at him "You sure took your sweet time."
"Were you the one calling out to me?" Tetsuo asked in disbelief. "Who are you?"
"I'm Susano-o." the figure simply replied.
"Susano-o?!" the youth exclaimed in utter stupor "The Japanese god, ruler of storms?"
"The one and only." Susano-o replied, confidently. Tetsuo processed the situation and quickly understood the meaning of that encounter.
"So..." he exclaimed, in realization "You're the god that has been granting me his power!"
"Of course." the statuesque man replied, still cordially "You're my incarnation, after all. My blood runs in your veins." The youth took in the god's words with wide eyes.
"How does it feel, to know that you have a god in your belly?" Susano-o asked.
"It feels… Unreal..." the still thunderstruck young man uttered, eliciting a chuckle from the ruler of storms.
"Don't worry about that." he said "In time, you'll understand, and get used to it." His tone gradually became serious "For now, all you need to know is that you're my incarnation, and that I give you power." Unable to say anything else, the youth simply nodded in response. The statuesque god looked up at the night sky, in which an half-moon was shining, cornered by an ocean of stars.
"I'm afraid that our time is over." he said, before turning his gaze back to his incarnation "Hopefully we'll have more time to talk in the next bout, and you will know all you'll need to know before you awaken..."
As he finished speaking those words, lightning flashed and thunder crackled, marking the end of the dream.