Chapter 8: A Taste of Death

Be quiet; talking would do no good now. Futomimi meditated on the lengthy elevator ride, resolving to keep any fear to himself. Other manikins had seen him as Thor led him through the halls of the Mantra headquarters. For a moment, he felt like trembling as they did. His heart ached as he recalled the turn to despair they had on realizing that he'd been captured as well. Maybe they'd see him as he was, not as great as they thought. If only he could protect them better, erase their suffering.

The elevator opened up, bringing them to the base of many more stairs. Wind blew around them; a stronger push might fling him off this tower. Gripping the chain on Futomimi's neck, Thor wasn't going to let him be lost that way. They ascended to meet up with the leader of the Mantra.

Before they got there, they came across the four powerful oni who had led the kidnapping raids. Futomimi looked ahead, not wanting to show shame but not wanting to look in their cruel faces. However, they had strange black treads on their bodies. A closer look showed that someone had beaten them badly. Who was it? Someone who could help the manikins?

No. His inner power knew that wasn't so. The one who'd humiliated Fuu-ki, Sui-ki, Kin-ki, and Ongyo-ki was a fiend of wild power, but it wasn't the same fiend who had some future connection to the manikins.

"What happened to you?" Thor asked sternly.

"There's some crazed biker on the road to Kabukicho," Ongyo-ki said. "We tried to smash his bike up and get him off our turf, but he laughed and took on all four of us at once. He's a menace, we need to set up a massive trap to waste that one."

Thor shook his head. "If all four of you at once couldn't handle one lone biker, why are you even in the Mantra? Besides, your duties were to get the manikins to the prison and nothing more. You lost a good number of them doing that."

Futomimi was relieved that some had gotten away, but bit his lip to not show it.

Thor snorted and tugged at his chain. "You even failed to capture their weakling leader here. Unless you can come up with a good reason for us to keep easily distracted punks like you around, you won't be a part of the Mantra any longer."

"And just who are you to decide on that?" Ongyo-ki challenged. "We're the strongest oni of them all, of course we belong!"

The door to Gozu-Tennoh opened up right then. "Thor, come forward with your captive."

"Do you belong now, if you're having to wait here?" Thor asked, then pulled Futomimi after him.

The four oni grumbled as the door shut behind him and Thor. Futomimi had seen a vision of the leader of the Mantra before. However, it hadn't properly relayed the sheer scale of the war god before them. A manikin in red chains bowed low on the floor before him, looking like her legs had been crushed to keep her to this spot. Even Thor at his proper size had to look upwards to meet with the seated god's eyes. Futomimi was not even a doll before him; he was a mere insect to be toyed with or crushed.

"I have brought to you the manikin said to be a prophet," Thor said. "He's hardly said anything, but the difference is clear."

"Yes, his soul is unlike the rest," Gozu-Tennoh said, his voice beating like drums over Futomimi's whole body.

Keep calm. He felt like he couldn't speak if he wanted to under this suffocating power. But he could show that such power wasn't everything by keeping brave.

"Hmph, his prophecies must be useless if even he has fallen into our hands," Gozu-Tennoh boasted. "But the power of his soul will prove useful to us, extracted for our goals. Take him to Kabukicho yourself and keep a tight guard over him. Then do what you like with those four outside. However, take care when passing by the fiend that trounced them. That one has his own purposes and will not be swayed to our side."

"Yes, my lord," Thor said.

Futomimi knew he couldn't escape on his own. But if he kept praying, the uncertain fiend might still come to his aide.

The Obelisk was guarded by three sisters, all powerful enough to be considered low-tier goddesses. Many demons patrolled the halls; traps and puzzles were set up to confuse invaders. However, someone who could bypass ordinary space altogether could get past them easily.

He entered the top room of the Obelisk without being noticed. The flow of power was strong here, reaching out for the star in the center of this world. Underneath it all, there were preparations to pull even more power to this point. A woman was here, left alone in a deep trance.

"You must be the one they call the Maiden of Creation," he said.

Her eyelids flickered, but she did not wake. "You are the outsider Fiend, a harvester of souls."

"That's one way to put it," he said. "I have some questions for you."

"I have not been forbidden to speak with you," she said.

Good, then she might actually answer unless he stumbled on something she was forbidden to say. "I'd like to know something straight from yourself first. Why did you trigger the Conception?"

"A world that loses its creative energy is doomed to die a slow death," the Maiden replied. "Humanity was consuming more energy than the world could produce, doing nothing new with it. The same battles were fought, the same ideas were redressed and presented as new. The world was doomed and we decided it must be put down early to be remade."

Was that what she truly believed? The fiend snorted. "Really? I come from a world was so far gone that it was ruled by the dead. Your world was in no danger until you put it there."

"Perhaps that is so." In this state, she could not know or feel regret. "I saw a world full of sadness and felt that it must be dying to be that way."

No matter how he rephrased the question, she didn't know much more than that. She was the one who'd been manipulated. But with her supposed abilities, she might know other things of interest. "You are aware that I am an outsider. What do you know of the one who brought me here?"

"He is Lucifer, leader of the demons," the Maiden said.

Perhaps his hunches were true, that what they called demons in this place was different from what he knew. "Tell me more about him."

"Lucifer was once the bright morning star, one of the most highly favored angels under God's command. What occurred in the days before the birth of humanity is shrouded in myth, but Lucifer questioned God and incurred His wrath. Lucifer rallied up other angels to rebel; they were all defeated soundly by the forces loyal to God. Thus Lucifer and his followers were cast down from heaven, named demons to forever dwell in darkness. What angels remained with God sacrificed their free will to Him to assure their loyalty."

"Is your God crazy?" Granted, the gods of his world weren't much better.

"Not then, but He went insane some time after that," she replied. "There were other gods who tried to help or abuse humanity. They were all defeated and cast down from divine power. Lucifer was the one who took in all those abandoned by God and leads them in an ever-lasting war to overthrow the one known as the God of Law. Lucifer has long tried to manipulate and corrupt humanity into following him as well, bringing about a world of Chaos where the fallen ones regain their lost glory. As a result, he is known as the Prince of Lies."

"So I've been pulled in as a pawn in a war of gods." He tapped his claws on his arm. "What does all that have to do with the business of the candelabrum?"

"Your role is to challenge and train Lucifer's new protege, the Demifiend. He is a human boy on the threshold of adulthood who was stripped of much of his humanity to gain the body and power of a demon. Yet he still has the heart and mind of a human, along with the gift of total free will. Should he manage to combine the gifts of humanity and demonic power, Lucifer hopes that the Demifiend will be able to break the stalemate of the ever-lasting war. God has created the cycle of Amala to grind down humanity until we are willing to submit totally to Him. Whichever side succeeds in their current gambits may be able to put an end to this war at last."

"Only 'may be able'?"

"That's correct," the Maiden said.

He grumbled. "I've seen this kind of gamble before. And I won't be able to rely on him sending me back home either. Still, I've seen it all before, been the one key everyone desires. Perhaps that's why..."

"Could I ask you…?" she said, her voice finally showing some emotion in it. "Could I ask you to be on his side, that of the Demifiend?"

It was foolish to make promises in games like these, when those in control would sacrifice their pieces for any advantage. But this Maiden had no control of her situation, forcing her to rely on greater risks like this. There was also the Demifiend to consider, given this news that he wasn't even an adult in a role of these stakes.

Even with all the hell he'd been through, there was still a voice trying to do what right he could. The fiend grumbled. "I'll look for this boy next, see what his situation is for myself. But if I do assist him, I will not be cutting him any slack."

"That is fine, no one else will," she said.

"Oh neat, where'd you pick up that?" Hua Po asked.

Finding himself in another terminal room, Naoki looked at the golden candelabra he had. The white candles were not lit, but there was a shimmering power within them. "Sovereignty," he replied. The power to rule, having authority over your life and others. It seemed fishy. But he was certain now: it was Lucifer who'd chosen him and transformed him. What did he mean by asking this favor? "It was a gift of sorts."

"It seems more powerful than it looks," High Pixie said, looking at it but not willing to touch it. "But what do you do with it? We don't have a base or anything you could use it to decorate with."

"It'd be a waste to only use it for decoration," Naoki said, sending it away to whatever magic space now stored his things. Something that could light the halls of hell wasn't mere décor. "It was an offer that I don't know if I'll take. Never mind it now, we came here to look for Yuko. Isamu too, if he happens to be here."

"Alrighty, and we'll look for more demons to join us too, right?" Hua Po asked, heading for the door.

"Sure, that'd be good," he said. He wasn't sure what kind of demons to look for, aside from those with powers these two did not have. One who knew Zan spells or other Force skills would be an asset since that was a hole in their tactics, but he'd take whoever would join for now.

On exiting the Ginza terminal, they came into a familiar indoors plaza centered around a working fountain. There was more greenery in planters; maybe kodama or similar spirits were active here too. There was a demon in red armor patrolling around on a dark horse. Looking deeper, Naoki sensed that the fountain was relatively mundane, there was a Fountain of Life in this room, some shops and a cathedral were in a connecting hallway, and spirits and demons had some fear here. Some organization kept strict order here, perhaps Nihilo since Mantra didn't seem like the sort.

"What purpose do you have here in Ginza?" the horseman asked, nudging his horse to go near them.

"We're looking for some people, got a problem with that?" Hua Po asked.

"Be respectful, little one," the horseman said sharply, shifting his hold on his lance. "The Assembly of Nihilo keeps order here and you will not act out of line. Any battles or contracts that are conducted within these halls must be done under our watch. And if one of us gives out an order, everyone will follow. Understand?"

Hua Po scrunched her face up and seemed like she'd refuse. Naoki held a hand up to her. He didn't like it either, but they didn't want to cause too big of a fuss now. "Sure, we understand. And if we don't, I'll discuss it with them."

"Good, I advise you take care of your business here and move on quickly." He moved on, back to his patrol.

Once he was out of earshot, Hua Po flew close. "Aw come on, we could've taken him out."

"It's not wise to cause trouble right out the gate," High Pixie whispered from his other side. "We'll see what's what around here and then cause them far more trouble than we can right now."

"Something like that," Naoki said. "It's bad they're restricting contracts too, we might have to leave the building for that."

"Well there might be those who don't mind skirting the rules out of sight," Hua Po pointed out. But they had to find such demons, which meant asking around quietly for now.

There were fewer stores here, although there was a place Hua Po said was a jewel trader. They might have rarer items, but it wasn't useful to him right now with only a single pearl. In that hall, they also found an active bar called Nyx's Lounge. It had a smokey atmosphere lit by a few small lights, filled with the low hush of conversations among the guests. The demon at the bar was an elegant and powerful lady, wearing a black dress with a crazy neckline that plunged down to her waist. Aside from Lucifer, she was the strongest demon that he'd encountered so far.

There was another powerful demon here, at the bar drinking by himself. Naoki felt the man in the white cape wasn't as powerful as the lady, but he was not to be underestimated either. While he only gave them a glance, the lady turned to them. "Hello, you don't seem like the sort to be associating with Nihilo."

"Not yet," he said, going over since she seemed likely to talk. "I'm Demi; we just got here."

"You're not old enough to be hanging around in here," the man said gruffly. "Go on, get lost, they don't serve any milk or juice here."

"Hush Loki, I can serve him tea," she said, making him mutter into his mug. Naoki noticed that it was very old and not made in Japan. "It'd be nice to talk with someone new. I am Nyx; would you like some tea? I have a smoked Russian black that's quite a delight, ten makka for a cup. And despite what he says, I have some soft cider that should appeal to your girls here, two macca for a cup their size."

"Oh yeah, that sounds good!" Hua Po said. High Pixie gave a single nod to that.

That was unexpectedly low. "Yes, I'll try that tea, and get some cider for them."

"Very good, take a seat here and I'll have it ready in a bit." She turned to summon out small mugs suitable for small demons.

Loki looked over at him as Naoki took the open seat next to him. "You smell green," he said. "You better know your place; don't be rude to those of higher power than you."

"So I should be more polite to Lady Nyx," Naoki said. Loki already rubbed him the wrong way, though the smell of alcohol on his breath might account for it.

"Hmph, cheeky brat," Loki said, then took a gulp of his drink. Nyx chuckled at them.

"Well Demi will be awesome and then he'll show you up," Hua Po claimed.

"Pardon her, she has no sense to keep her tongue still," High Pixie said.

Hua Po narrowed her eyes at her rival; Naoki gave her a look to remind her not to cause trouble yet. While she huffed quietly at that, Loki shook his head. "Whatever, fairy girl, he's not got a chance to measure up to me."

"I am not a fairy," Hua Po insisted.

"Doubly so for you," Loki added.

"Do I have to stop serving you drinks again so you don't start fights in my establishment?" Nyx asked with a subtle threat in her polite tone. Naoki admired that. He'd managed to keep peace between his cousins with such questions, but that was keeping a group of kids civil. Doing the same among demons, and to a god like this one, took a lot more charisma and guts.

Loki closed his eyes, but he didn't leave his seat. The tea that Nyx served wasn't like any Naoki had tasted, like an evening campfire. But it was really good and Nyx was willing to speak with him.

"The Reasons of this world are still developing and I see no role for myself yet," she said. "So I thought I'd try my hand here, as something new to divert myself with until someone thinks to ask for me."

"Are you enjoying it?" Naoki asked. He wasn't sure what she was a goddess of, but it was clear that she was one.

Nyx smiled at the question. "So far, it's better than simply waiting around. What about you, what brings you to Ginza?"

"I'm looking for some people," he said. Since she didn't seem strongly for Nihilo, he went ahead and told her. "I survived the Conception with two friends and my teacher. I found one of my friends, but I haven't heard a hint as to where Isamu, my other friend, is. But I did hear that Yuko is the Maiden with Nihilo. I don't like it; I suspect Hikawa's using her, she doesn't seem like the sort for that role."

"So you're going deep into the heart of Nihilo territory looking for her?" Nyx asked. "Hmm hmm, guys will do some crazy things for a girl."

"It's not like that, she's my teacher," Naoki insisted.

"Well, my point still stands," she said. "Nihilo keeps order in Ginza, but they don't meet here. They meet in a facility to the south of here. If you leave this underground area, it'll be obvious. They're drawing a great deal of magatsuhi to them. And the outer area is free of their restrictions, if those are causing you trouble here."

"A little, thanks," he said.

She gave him a thoughtful look, then leaned on the counter near him. "You seem like a good kid. If you get there and run into some trouble you can't tackle yourself, come back here. I may know more about the situation, but you should see some things for yourself."

At that, Naoki wondered how much she knew about him. But there was a taste to her like tea, not this smokey tea but a purer black tea. She was being sincere in her offer. "All right, I'll keep that in mind."

Nyx watched as Demi and his two companions left the lounge. After making sure her other customers didn't want anything, she went back to where Loki was sitting. "That was definitely him."

Loki snorted. "Don't see why he's hanging around little weaklings like that."

"Well he's got to start somewhere, with followers who respect him." He still had a brush of innocence in his gray eyes, which made it hard for Nyx to resist offering him a hand even at this early stage. He definitely wasn't ready to command someone like her. But if he took his destiny to heart, perhaps someday she would answer to him.

"But he's supposed to be Lucifer's pet project now," Loki said, then took another drink. "I was expecting a guy who could properly lead the fiends of the apocalypse as rumored, but he's just some kid with more power than he will let himself use."

"You're supposed to be helping him too," Nyx pointed out.

"Not yet I'm not," he countered. "My part's in the end game, if it comes up at all. I don't think he'll make it that far. Can't believe he's the one."

She chuckled at him "If you don't watch yourself, he could take whatever challenge you come up with and utterly humiliate you with it."

"Hah, I'd like to see him try," he said. "Wanna bet on it?"

The innocent could be lured deep into the night even if they were afraid at the start. The experienced ones would balk more, clinging to rhyme and reason. Chuckling, Nyx tapped the counter. "Certainly."

"You have not yet been accepted as a member of the Assembly of Nihilo. Keep out." The white door glowered with its concentric lights to emphasize the point.

Naoki had suspected this might happen, after other members of this assembly demanded that he acknowledge their rules. He backed off, leading Hua Po to ask, "Are you gonna let them get away with that?"

"I hope not," he said quietly. "Let's poke around the building, see if there's any other way inside."

If his memory was right, there should have been a store here. He was pretty sure he'd been there before. It was now a flat white dome, like the top of a mushroom sitting on the ground. Overhead, the red glow of magatsuhi being pulled inside was highly visible. Aside from the one door, there weren't any openings on the sides. No entrances, no windows, it was all sealed up tight.

Kagutsuchi was waxing again. Was this cycle moving fast? It felt like it. When they couldn't find a direct entrance, he and his demons headed out into the sands to search out others to join them. Many refused him and would rather fight: will'o'wisps, zhens, formors, a lilim, two apsaras, they all declined to listen.

"Maybe I should show off my hidden idol skills," Hua Po said after another demon was defeated instead of recruited.

"You never did prove whether you could sing or not," High Pixie said.

"I can, just listen!" Hua Po put her hands together at her chest and started to sing. Naoki didn't recognize the language she was using, but she put a lot of expression into her melody. However, it was more like an enthusiastic child than a singer who could blow listeners away.

"Hmm, maybe if she had training," High Pixie whispered to him. "A lot of it."

"Could she be fused into a better singer?" he asked quietly.

"Maybe, but her dreams might change then," she said. "She would be more powerful as she wishes, so don't let that stop you."

Despite the roughness of her song, there was a demon attracted to it. The colorful zhen flew in hesitantly. "Sing?"

Hua Po stopped and twirled in delight. "Oh yeah, come sing with me! That's what an idol does, attract all sorts." She went back to her song.

The zhen cawed softly, pleased at that. Then she bellowed out an ill-fitting tone, weaving a spell that weakened all that heard it. Naoki felt queasy at it, thinking for a moment to punch her to make it stop. "Sheesh, she didn't mean War Cry!" High Pixie protested.

"No sing?" the zhen asked, disappointed.

"If this zhen was with us, would that affect us?" Naoki asked.

"Well his wouldn't," High Pixie said. "And we could ward off all the other zhen by allying with this one. However, it's not easy to make a contract with a wilder like him."

"Girl!" the zhen called, clacking her beak.

"Her, okay," High Pixie said.

How did he put this? It'd have to be simpler, like talking with a very young child. "Miss, come with us and sing for us?" Naoki tried.

She puffed up her chest on being acknowledged. "Like, like! Like red!"

"You mean me?" Hua Po asked, giving it some thought. "Well it'd be nice and all to have my own groupie, but if you want a contract, make it with him. He's in charge of our little posse and the better he appears, the better I am for being close to him."

The zhen twittered in confusion. "Huh, what?"

Naoki didn't want to lose this chance. That War Cry could come in handy. "Red mine," he said, pointing to Hua Po to get his point across. "You mine, with red?"

"Hey!" Hua Po started to protest.

But the zhen drowned her out in excitement. "With, with! Me Wilder Zhen, me fly wild!"

While Zhen might get away with that due to her clan, Naoki felt he still had to keep his end formal. "Good, I'm Demi of the Fiend clan, I'm glad you'll fly with me."

"Whoa, how'd you pull that off?" High Pixie asked, impressed. "Most people need an extra skill to communicate with wilders, fouls, or viles at all."

"Just some creative thinking," Naoki said. "Sorry if that offended you, Hua Po, I just had to get the offer across to Zhen."

"I guess, if that puts another plume in your cap," Hua Po said, crossing her arms over her chest. Then Zhen nudged her with her beak. "What?"

"Like red," Zhen said. "Sing, sing!"

"Well, alrighty then!" Hua Po sang for Zhen again, delighting the bird.

When High Pixie sighed, Naoki shrugged. "It's cute, leave them for now."

"She shouldn't get too proud that a wilder likes her voice," High Pixie said.

But Zhen was not the only one who came for the jirae's song. An angel bound in leather and chains showed up next. Even her blindfold was chained in place. But there was a distinct radiance from her divine lineage that Naoki sensed. She might not have needed to hear them in order to find them. "What kind of child is singing here?" the angel asked.

"Don't call me a child, I'm an idol!" Hua Po claimed, disappointing Zhen in how she stopped midsong.

"Do you like the song?" Naoki asked. The angel was around the same power as High Pixie right now, knowing healing and light spells. While the presence of light mildly irritated his horn, he could get used to it if it troubled other demons.

"I am not allowed to have my own opinions," the angel replied. "But hmm, there's something about you."

Oh shit...

"What about me?" Naoki asked, unsettled because his magatama were finally worried about something.

"I have orders concerning you," the angel said.

And blinding light flooded over him, piercing deep into his soul like it could bleach away any trace of sin and darkness. He was agony, as entirely as during his transformation. Then he felt nothing even as his body collapsed into the sand.

Was this death?

"Be at peace, youth," a gentle voice called. He looked up and saw a golden light. Ripples of white cloth, large feathered wings, eyes of holiness. A different angel reached down to him. "Little lost lamb..."

After all the pain and confusion, maybe he could close his eyes now and find peace. He started to reach back…

Another hand took hold, bony and powerful. "Not yet, don't give up yet. Hmm, but you lasted longer than I had guessed. If it hadn't been for that random angel, you might have gone a ways yet without crossing paths with me."

His mind had nearly stopped along with his heart. "What?"

"You died. And it won't be the last time. Take this taste of death and know it, so that you don't fall like this again."

Everything went blank again. Then he felt the dry sand under his bare feet, the light of Kagutsuchi growing overhead, the beating of his own heart. Hua Po was singing and Zhen was cawing softly along. And some distance away, an angel paused to hear.

"She shouldn't get too proud that a wilder likes her voice," High Pixie said.

Naoki gasped, his heart quickening. "Shh," he said, going over to stop her. "Not now."

Although puzzled, the three demons quickly picked up on his mood. "Huh, what's wrong?" Hua Po asked, her voice quieter than usual.

"There's an angel nearby, we can't get their attention," he hissed, waving for them to head back to the Ginza cluster.

After a few moments, High Pixie whispered to them, "Don't angels count as demons within a world like this? We could fight them, or even negotiate."

"They won't listen," Naoki said. But then he wondered about something. Kagutsuchi was bright. "Except, if they get influenced by this light too, we might have a shot at it."

"It's near impossible to form a proper contract at full moonlight," High Pixie said. "Same goes for Kagutsuchi."

"Well sometimes a demon gets so into the light that they'll make a contract they wouldn't make otherwise," Hua Po said. "Maybe even angels?"

Kagutsuchi was bright. His heartbeat turned from fearful to bold. "That would be a delicious revenge," Naoki said, feeling more excited for the idea. "She's still following. Heh, let's face her head on now."

"Bright bright win!" Zhen crowed.

"You get more fun like this," High Pixie said flirtatiously.

By then, the angel caught up to them. "Oooh, I've been looooking for you," she sang.

"What do you want with us?" Naoki asked, teasing her back.

"Iiiii… uh..." the angel ran her hand across her blindfold. "Oh yeah, I had orders concerning you. Lucifer's protege, human turned demon, you're to be eliminated if encountered. Hmm hmm, yeah, that was it."

"Is your god that concerned about me?" he asked. He could knock this one out clean, as she was by herself. But the idea of tricking her with negotiations was too good to neglect.

"I'm not privy to that kind of information," she said, pouting. "Ah, this light is too much, I almost want to ask why. I shouldn't, I can't, it's not what angels do. Is this what it's like to go insane? Ah ha ha ha!" The angel waved for some reason and drifted down to the ground.

"You obey whoever commands you?" Naoki asked, approaching her. She could strike him down in one blow again, but he didn't care.

"Yee-ah, that's what angels do," she sang again, her head wavering.

"I want to command you," he said, smiling darkly.

"Oh, then I wouldn't have to kill you unless you ordered me to?" she asked, smiling drunkenly. "Hee hee, that seems fun. Hoo'kay then. I am Angel of the Divine lineage, at your command." She offered a hand to him obediently.

Far in the furthest depths of Amala…

Reckless. But I have to smile. Using Kagutsuchi to claim an angel and your own wits to beguile one of the wildest, you're more resourceful than anyone would expect. This could turn out so beautifully.

And end so suddenly. That was too close. "Pale Rider, come."

He responds to the snap of fingers. "Master?"

"The Divine clan has orders to eliminate him on sight. They know about him." I can't say how that leaked out; it may simply be that they've recognized what I'm doing. But if someone did say something to the wrong people, I will find who's responsible and reprimand them.

"One of their own is watching him too," Pale says. "I had to move too quickly to know who, but it is an angel of great power."

I nod to that; I couldn't identify them myself from such little contact. If they had touched him, I would know, but that could be too late. "This changes things. Don't let him stay dead unless I condemn him. The four active in the world can stay in place, but let the others know that they are to figure out who else is watching him."

"Certainly, I'll pass the orders along."

You have such promise, Naoki, I can't let them clip your wings too early.

A/N: Some rambling on writing this story... there are parts of this that are based on my first playthrough of Nocturne this year. It includes this death being my initial one, and actually how I recruited an Angel shortly after. Random Divines with Hama were one of the most deadly things to me. And there will be many more deaths.

In trying to emulate the experience of Nocturne while telling a distinct story, there's also the issue of what demons Naoki recruits and fuses. I do have particular ones I intend to give to him, either because I used them or they would help him through certain areas, but then I have to get them into the narrative smoothly. Some demons I do break gameplay mechanics to get them to join at particular points, but most of the fusions (starting next chapter!) should be accurate to the game. Of course, I figured them out manually, so I don't guarantee that.