Chapter 17: Don't Bring Swords to a Fist Fight
When Isamu woke back up, he found himself in what appeared to be a classroom. The desks were empty and battered, some busted up completely; the markerboard was covered in Amala characters and complex calculations. Cold blue light filtered through the barred windows. On the wall, the clock ticked as heavily as it did when the room would be silenced for tests. Someone was watching him.
His eyes flew open and he turned around. No one was in here with him. Still, he had a sense that he was still being watched. There was a camera in the corner with a blinking light. Rubbing his head, Isamu said, "Oh great, exactly where I don't want to be."
There was a lunchroom tray with a bowl of curry rice and a glass of water on one of the better desks. But he didn't like eating in the classroom; he'd rather be out of a place like this as much as possible. He tried to leave and found that the door was locked. Was somebody trying to make this a prison? As much as it annoyed him, he was hungry. Well, he could eat at the teacher's desk for a change.
Once he picked up the tray, he noticed there was a note under the bowl. 'A world is nothing without power. A person is nothing without power. You cannot do anything without power to assert your rights. You should be well aware of this now that you've been captured by us twice. In spite of that, you do have a power of your own: the ability to create a Reason for the new world's foundation. You should make a Reason that gives the world the strength to truly thrive. Until you do, we will be steadily draining power from you as fuel for our new world. Think over your Reason carefully.'
"Do I really have to go along with this nonsense?" Isamu said. "Hmph, I don't have to make my Reason for you. I don't have to make my Reason for anyone. In fact, I don't have to make it at all."
That was true, but then what else was there to think about? He was at a dead end with trying to find Ms. Takao, made even worse since he didn't have the laptop or a terminal. Maybe he should simply restore the world like Naoki wanted. That would be easiest. Still, Isamu had often felt like he didn't fit in. He could try as hard as he could and still fail in that old world. The only times he succeeded at anything were when he was playing video games. Yet if he tried multiplayer games, he'd end up failing because of cheaters and jerks. Nobody saw him as anything special and the few people he saw as special saw him as nothing. Maybe even Naoki was the same way now.
Why did his best friend think their friendship was failing? They had always hung out together; Isamu had cheered Naoki up when he'd been down over his grandfather's death a couple years back, keeping him from being too dismal. He said something about not listening, but that couldn't be the problem. After all, that was one of those vague complaints that people told him when they couldn't think of anything specific to nag him about. Maybe Naoki really had a crush on Chiaki? He didn't understand his tastes in going after that girl, but he was the only reason that Isamu would willingly be around her.
That wasn't helping. After finishing the lunch left for him, Isamu went over to the markerboard. The equations were boring, but the Amala characters were ones he understood. "Instructions on how to summon the drums?" he read aloud. "No way, this is how I get them anywhere? Heh, let's see this school hold me now; I just have to call on one and then I'm gone. Wish I could've had that ability back in real classes."
The lock on the door clicked. He turned in time to see a pale man with a snake body below his waist come inside. Over the snake man, a huge snake made of nothing but water slithered in through the air. "You're finally awake, boy," the water snake said, coming his way. "Welcome to my mirage. Did you find our note?"
"Yeah, what about it?" Isamu asked. And what was he talking about with a mirage? Everything in this classroom seemed real.
"We're here to speak with you about our world of true strength," the snake said. And before Isamu had realized it, the creature had curled itself around to corner him near the wall. "You need to stay alive, but as long as you do, it doesn't really matter how we convince you of the validity of our cause."
Recalling the pains of being electrocuted twice, Isamu felt like he knew what kind of arguments these demons would have.
Kashima Naoki, see what the future may hold…
A busy street of Tokyo, people moving from place to place. There was a strange hush to it all. While people glanced at others, they did not greet any. Not a word was said. Even the vehicles moving along the road were barely audible. There were no pigeons cooing on the sidewalks, no animals at all. At one corner, a worker was patching up a small area of weathering on a building. Other than that repair, everything looked pristine.
Look deeper. There's no one sad here, no one angry. No one is uncertain of themselves or their place in the world. No one is happy either, no one hopeful. These people go from place to place on their necessary routines. A woman stops by a food stand and offers payment. In response, the worker gives her a simple meal. No eye contact, no smiles, no thanks, no words. The transaction is completed with total efficiency.
At a corner, an Amala drum whirs to life.
No, this isn't total efficiency. There's too many people for the jobs that are absolutely necessary. We don't need teachers, the Amala teaches what's necessary. We don't need entertainers of any kind: musicians, sportsmen, writers, artists, actors, all of them and more can be cut out of the world. Besides, they all disturb serenity. They lead to unnecessary thoughts.
No one gets old. No one is born or killed. There is no need for doctors. Everyone knows their place. There is no need for priests or counselors. No one disturbs the order of the world. There is no need for lawyers, judges, or policemen. Farmers are needed, repairmen are needed, cleaners are needed. Children are not needed.
With so many who would disturb the serenity of the world gone, there is far less need. Even the necessary workers can be pared down to improve serene efficiency. But that means there's an excess of structures, buildings, roads, and cities. This was all meant to support the inefficient population. What's not used can be eliminated. What's inefficient can be replaced with what's efficient. Waste is contrary to the world's ideal.
But why stop there? What was the force of humanity doing now? They were existing without pain and worry, with nothing more to do but keep existing. They wanted for nothing and so wanted nothing more. Isn't that a waste too? They could be eliminated easily and the world would go on, serene and peaceful.
A fading image of Hikawa watched over an expanse of grassland; no other evidence of humanity was there. "I know I do not belong to the world of Shijima. This is a perfect world returned to innocence and my hands are stained by sin. But I don't care about that. I am proud enough to be the one responsible for bringing this world about; few people can claim an accomplishment like that."
And I am ecstatic and vindicated with the death of the old world; few people can claim an accomplishment like that either. I am more powerful than so many of the gods to have done so. Even as I died with the Vortex World, my soul was still blissful as a bringer of death.
Will you allow this future to come about?
No. That was even worse than how Gozu-Tennoh had spoken of the potential of Shijima. Naoki licked his lips to clear the vision, then looked at Hikawa. Yes, there was still a twisted satisfaction at destroying the world within him. It was a taste that Naoki couldn't quite describe. Disturbingly, there was something enticing to that. One would be more powerful than the gods by murdering an entire world. It should taste as horrible as it was horrifying, but strangely it wasn't.
He couldn't get distracted by that. Or by Anathema; the leopard demon accompanying Hikawa was audacious enough to be wearing the sealed magatama as an earring. Both of those were stirring at his demonic body, as well as a deliciously sour tang of fear coming from Hikawa. The man fiddled with his paper charm again. Naoki could tell that he was doing something, but the magic kept falling off him like loose threads.
"I will not allow your Reason to be used for Creation," Naoki said, bitter tastes of his own losses coming to him. Hikawa was just as responsible for what was happening to his family as the angels were.
While Hikawa narrowed his eyes in anger, his heart was beating faster out of fear. He tried his charm again. "It seems like we won't be meeting each other eye to eye," he tried to threaten. "But you alone won't amount to much in the process of Creation."
Something was off about that statement. Naoki took a step closer, getting the leopard Ose to move in front of his summoner. "You're bluffing."
Hikawa tensed further. From his poise, one would think he was still composed when he wasn't. "You won't be able to participate directly," he claimed. "Your right to compose a Reason for Creation was revoked when you became what you are now."
"What?" That didn't have the same taste as the earlier statement. Even though he was willing to risk a counter from Ose, Naoki held off on his anger a bit longer.
Even though it had failed him several times now, Hikawa kept trying whatever ward he had in mind. "Only humans can bear the seed of Reason; that is an unchanging law of Creation. Your demonic sponsors wouldn't tell you that either. All you can do as a half-demon is support one of us. If you're going to be angry at anyone, it should be the one who stole your humanity."
"Or you, who destroyed the world I loved," Naoki said, feeling himself snarl. Ose shifted his swords.
Kill them now.
This time, he really wanted to listen to the magatama. But some part of his restraint held taunt, giving Hikawa a moment to step back. Hateful panic radiated from him, grabbing for whatever could give him control of the conversation again. "You are making a mistake. I am the Lord of Creation and I will not allow myself to be struck down easily. Here, let me show you the power I wield: I will awaken the Nightmare System!"
The Amala drums making up this core spun rapidly to his words. A complex web of instructions filled the air, given in characters Naoki could not understand. Even so, they filled his awareness, drawing spiraling trails through the air and forcing the dense pool of magatsuhi along its designs. It crashed into Naoki like a tsunami, breaking up his awareness of everything else. So much pain from the deaths of billions; all their fleeting thoughts and emotions at the Earth's dying breath.
All that pain burst out of this silo, blazing through the interior air towards a tall skyscraper standing proudly among the ruins. No demon there was as sensitive as he was, but they felt the crushing weight of so much energy striking at once. While they were stunned, another tower in the Vortex World activated. The black Obelisk shimmered red briefly.
Yuko was there, trapped in a trance and being used to direct this nightmare.
The Obelisk pulled on the flow of magatsuhi in the Vortex World. Aiming at the same target, it withdrew all energy to take within itself. That immense blast was taken away immediately, followed by what magatsuhi had been there already. The Mantra demons had been drinking and carousing in celebration; now they were quickly becoming exhausted as the energy that gave them life was stolen away. Weakened and unable to flee, they crumbled to nothing.
At the very top, even Gozu-Tennoh was not immune. "What wicked sorcery is this?" he murmured. His body was that of a stone statue, immobile and now helpless. "Why does my very life flow right out of my body? It's… it's Nihilo. Cowards, you should have the honor to fight face to face! I will not forget this, Hikawa. My body may crumble, but my soul will persevere on this hatred. I will find a way to dethrone you just the same."
"Demi!"
"I don't see how you can be the Demifiend when you crumple that easily," someone closer to him said. Fallen Ose, mostly physical skills based around having a weapon, he could counter. Hikawa had already fled the room. And somewhere in the Nightmare System activation, he had collapsed to his knees.
Naoki took a deep breath, then licked his lips to make sure he was alert. Ose was about to attack, thinking he was slaying a weak opponent; the wards had done nothing to him, but the remnants were keeping his demons from coming close. Among the magatama, Kamudo and Gaea were trying to guide him. Shift his legs carefully, brace himself with his hands…
"We of Nihilo will not let even you stop us," Ose said, readying his twin blades.
Immediately, Naoki sprang forward, throwing all of his weight into a tackle towards his unguarded stomach. Ose lurched over, caught breathless. That wasn't enough, not by far. Next, Naoki went for the leopard's chin, getting himself steady on his feet as he did so. He grabbed one of Ose's swords, snatched it away, and threw it into the wall of this dome. "Don't you be bringing swords to a fistfight," Naoki said, weaving Taunt into his words.
Ose stumbled back, bringing his arms into a defensive posture to compose himself. After a couple seconds, he smiled. "Heh, if that's how you want to go." He threw his other sword away, then lunged for him. Black claws flashed on his hands, ready to dig into his skin.
This wasn't a time to worry. While he would be snatched from death, this should be dealt with quickly. Take it like he would face a final death, follow Gaea and Kamudo's lead because that was the only way he could fight like this. He got grazed on the shoulder by Ose's claws, which let him know how swift he was. Naoki couldn't match that, not yet. Sensing that too, Ose went for his throat next.
Good, he's making long moves, make short moves. Catch him on the overswing and counter where he's vulnerable.
Somehow, Naoki punched Ose's fist out of his attack, then followed up by kneeing him in the groin. Don't stop there. When he was bent over, Naoki slammed a fist into the side of his head. There was a sickening crack of the skull and Ose completely collapsed. "You see me for who I am now?" Naoki asked.
He was fading, but Ose smiled at that. "Heh. Make Lucifer proud." Then he accepted the death.
"I'm being a monster and it's not even full Kagutsuchi," Naoki mumbled to himself. Still, he crouched down to pick up Anathema where it had dropped. It could be more monstrous to give Nihilo any room to win. He would not want to live in that awful interpretation of serenity.
Behind him, his demons cheered. "That was one hell of a match!" Sarutahiko called.
"Only problem was that it was over so fast," Arahabaki said, amused and proud of him.
Anathema was still inactive from the earring seal. Naoki got up and started back to them. The four of them: Matador was out again. "You brought popcorn?" Naoki asked.
"Why not?" Matador asked, idly tossing a piece in one hand. "Perhaps you passed through those wards like they were nothing but silk curtains, but that man is a proficient summoner. These three had no chance to advance until that magic faded. So I thought I'd at least help them enjoy the show, which was very well worth it."
"We did save you some," Uzume said, offering a small bowl to him.
"Thanks," he said, accepting it from her. There was a shudder in his mind, briefly wondering how they could take it all like a show. He knew exactly why: life and death had different meaning for demons and a good fight, no matter how brutal it was, was something to enjoy. The same thoughts led to Ose's parting words and admiration. In fact, his feelings of guilt would be as alien to them as his feelings of joyful pride in that victory would be to a normal human.
"It's too bad we couldn't find that Yuko here," Uzume said. "What now?"
"She's in a place called the Obelisk," Naoki said. "I saw that when that Nightmare System went off. Any ideas of how to get there?"
Uzume and Arahabaki couldn't know; their origins were from Shinjuku and Ginza. And being from the Amala Labyrinth, Sarutahiko had no clue either. Matador shook his head. "Sorry, I have a vague idea of where that place is, but none on how to reach it."
As for himself, only one idea seemed strong. "This place basically sucked most of the magatsuhi from the Mantra headquarters, but that assault should be weakened now. Let's go to Ikebukuro; Isamu might have better luck finding a route to the Obelisk with the terminals. While I think Raziel left when we did, Daisoujou would have been rather close to the attack."
"That was an immense attack, but don't count on it weakening the old monk," Matador said. "Raziel is what that outsider calls himself? He looked rather pitiful for an angel of death."
"You can't deny that he nearly wiped us out while barely trying," Naoki said. "Let's get out of this room. I need a moment for Anathema, then we'll use the terminal to get out."
"For what?" Arahabaki asked. When he showed them the awakening magatama, he chuckled. "Oh, that's why you took that fight like a madman."
"One reason of several," he admitted.
"I still need to speak with you about the angels," Matador said. Naoki let him explain.
In the captive sky of the Vortex World, a winged figure was barely visible as a ripple in the air. He was pacing, thinking. There were angels to watch.
Admittedly, this was far from the first time that Lucifer had attempted to raise a Demifiend. Their efforts had failed thus far, some spectacularly so. Only a few had gotten far in their training. Even fewer had made it far enough to challenge him, Trumpeter. Several of those had failed then and there. Yet, those very few that triumphed over him had still failed Lucifer. Hybrids were an unpredictable breed, but the demon lord saw enough potential to focus his efforts on this plan.
Trumpeter wouldn't say so aloud, but he didn't see the point of it. The Fiend clan did well enough as independent agents; they didn't need a central leader. Whenever they needed an organized effort, it was always Lucifer directing them. The Apocalypse Riders worked as one, but they didn't care to direct the other fiends, nor did the rest want to take orders from those four. And to be asking such a child to direct ancient fears like themselves, it wasn't going to help any. Maybe if the successful Demifiend operated as independently as the rest of them, it'd work out as always.
No matter what he thought, the angels trying to stop Lucifer's plans were still a problem to deal with. They'd wisened up finally to what had been going on. Half-truths had been added to the prophetic writings of Miroku, things that the divine side had observed of them. And that led to the problem of the current incarnation of the Demifiend being a target of the angels while his powers were still developing.
They had the powerful Seraph Michael watching over Demifiend personally, trying to snatch his soul away every time he died. To make matters worse, Michael had the authority to direct other Seraphs and the lesser Divines into assisting his efforts. Trumpeter felt like he should head to Ikebukuro since the Demifiend was. Daisoujou's orders had not changed as far as he knew, making this time a greater risk than when the child had been challenging Matador. Even so, that plan should not change; it was a lesson that had to be learned.
Even with all this struggle over one half-human's soul, Lucifer was leaving this up to the whims of human will. That kind of audacity was to be admired, even as much as it frustrated Trumpeter about how this might all end up for naught. Was this child worthy? He wanted to mock him, but at the same time wanted him to actually succeed. Next time, the angels might stop them before they even started.
A flutter of motion caught his eye, someone equally hidden from ordinary sight. Then she appeared, white wings shaped like his own and brass chains trailing from her waist. "Don't think you've gone unnoticed," the Divine Trumpeter warned.
Something was different about her, or perhaps it'd just been so long. Her radiant smile seemed to mock him. Letting himself appear, the Fiend Trumpeter growled, "You! What are you doing here?!"
"I have a duty to carry out," she said, waving the apocalyptic trumpet she carried. Was her presence a declaration of open war in this Vortex World? "I imagine you do as well?"
This was strange. "I heard you'd joined a bunch of crackpots; I thought it was just a rumor. But I'm thinking it's true if you're speaking to me so casually."
She chuckled at that. "That depends; I serve how I see fit. Have your musical skills tarnished as much as your body?"
"Oh no, I can play with far more passion than you ever could," he said.
He didn't need to play his part just now. As it turned out, neither did she. The challenge was on.
The Scriptures of Miroku claimed that if the Demifiend opposed a Reason, that Reason was as good as stillborn. This Demifiend was passionately against Shijima. He explained nothing of why and would not listen to why Hikawa's world should be. Maybe he'd seen something under trance that he didn't like. Maybe he couldn't see past the necessary death of the old world.
However, Hikawa wasn't about to give up. Demifiend had some vulnerabilities; something in activating the Nightmare System had overcome him when Ose and the other demons in the core room weren't affected. It could be the ability to use a trance to see things out of normal knowledge. If so, then controlling him would be much like controlling Yuko. He also wasn't that powerful yet. Cutting him down soon would end the threat to Shijima, but then it'd remain a mystery what he was truly capable of.
And the Scriptures of Miroku could be mistaken as well, exaggerating the Demifiend's potential influence. The uncertainty of that passage, the different use of language; Passage 13 might have been written outside of a prophetic trance, or even by someone else. The theory was coming true, but couldn't be taken as completely valid yet.
Now that he was in a completely different building, Hikawa smiled as he watched over the events in the core through an Amala drum. It was alarming that the warding charms did nothing to Demifiend; what might actually block him should he turn violent in person? His fighting style was all physical there, more experienced than that boy should be. And not just anyone could persuade a demon to give up their favored weapons like he had gotten Ose to toss aside his sword. What kind of contact did he have with Lucifer? The demon lord was said to be very persuasive, so it wasn't too surprising that his chosen heir might be the same.
He should dismiss Ose, given his parting words. Hikawa tapped his fingers against his arm. While Ose had served him well, he had lost that battle and shown admiration for a person that was clearly their foe. It would not do for someone important within the Assembly of Nihilo to have conflicting interests.
It wouldn't be a big loss. Many demons had been attracted to Nihilo even before his Reason had been named. With promises that they would be reborn in the new world, the demons were happy to support him. He'd not yet told them that his vision of Shijima did not actually include demons in the new world. They'd be too disruptive even if they agreed to a life with less passion. Fools. Magatsuhi was born of emotions, the stronger the better. Even if Hikawa included the demons in his plans, there would not be enough to sustain them.
However, he should replace Ose as his bodyguard before breaking contract. Hikawa could take care of his own water and food within this world, but he still needed to block any of Kagutsuchi's servants from forcing themselves to his side. He didn't need their empty praise or redundant guidance. Who should he call on? It needed to be a demon who could effectively guard him from his one true threat, Demifiend.
Based on some other footage of Demifiend fighting through the cube maze, Hikawa decided to call on the strongest demon he could control. If he was to be honest, it was one he barely controlled and he'd have to take care in dealing with it. It should give Demifiend trouble, though.
Hikawa didn't want to deal with the full ceremony of that summoning, so he sent himself to Shibuya. There was a Cathedral of Shadows there and it was less likely that he'd run into Demifiend using that one. When he entered, the minister was waiting attentively. "Welcome, what is your business here?"
"I need your Demonic Compendium," Hikawa said.
"Very well." He waved an arm and grasped the hefty tome from nothing. "Who are you looking for?"
"Vile Samael." They'd not fulfilled a formal contract yet, but Hikawa had made a deal with the dragon once. That had been completed in a timely manner.
"Give me your hand," the minister said. That kind of action wasn't strictly necessary; Hikawa preferred visual means of scanning. For the convenience of their services, he went along with their methods. "I can summon him for you, but it will not be an automatic contract between you both."
Hikawa nodded and passed over the summoning fee. Keeping the book in hand, the minister turned to his pillars and began murmuring a long incantation. If he was doing this himself, Hikawa would need a blood offering, precisely made magic diagrams, and an effigy to send his request into the Abyss. The ministers must have had some contract with a higher being, given that they could call upon and fuse demons, angels, and even gods. There was no point to asking them for specifics; they were silent on their dealings.
A couple minutes later, dark smoke gathered within the pillars. The crimson serpent emerged, stretching its six wings audibly to announce its presence. "Ah, it's you."
"Hello again Samael," Hikawa said, giving him a small bow. "I'm seeking a formal contract this time. My former bodyguard for this world failed me and..." even with study, it was difficult to tell where Samael's true loyalties lay, whether he was an angel hiding in a demon form or a demon bluffing an angelic demeanor. However, he did favor those who spoke truth. "...I have angered the Demifiend. I need one of the best to counter him."
"You ask me for a difficult task," Sameal said, flicking his tongue out. "Are you willing to help me prepare to face such a foe?"
Hikawa nodded. "He's still learning his powers, but yes, I'll help you attain the power to stop him."
Chuckling, the winged serpent replied, "We must be ready for anything from that creature. Very well, for the honor of battling the Demifiend, I agree to a contract to protect and serve you."
It was a risk when Samael's stated intention was battling their enemy. But just like the high risks in angering Demifiend, it gave Hikawa a thrill to increase the stakes more. He finally had a good opponent to toy with; maybe he'd even become a worthy one.
Flashes of colors and feelings, escaping impossibly from his mind. Choking on water and never being allowed to drown, splinters from the desk that had broken when he got thrown into it, the faint slither on the tiled floor. "Come on, someone whose been 'chosen' shouldn't be crushed so easily." Bitter medicine had been forced down his throat only to keep him alive, as they needed him. He'd had some bad run-ins with bullies, but they'd never had magical powers before.
Crumpled on the ground, Isamu quivered and hoped they weren't coming back. He didn't care now how it looked. It was clear he wasn't going to have a chance at being a hero or doing anything glorious. Why did everything have to be so unfair? He hadn't asked for this! At this point, he'd take his normal old life. It was better than this insanity. Nobody was going to help him. As usual, he was going to be ignored while others got all the attention for no good reason.
But he had a power the demons did not: the ability to make a Reason for a new world.
That was a real power.
Realizing that, Isamu opened his eyes. His mind felt numb and his body ached. A patch of blue starlight had settled over him. Ignoring his condition, he pushed himself up and looked out the window. Kagutsuchi glimmered like any other star even though it appeared larger than the sun. You could wish on any old little star, which might be fun for a moment but it'd never come true. But that star did grant wishes, as long as you obeyed its rules. You didn't get wishes if you broke the rules.
"Fine, I'll play by your rules, Kagutsuchi," Isamu mumbled. He got up and glanced around. While he knew he'd been used to break at least one of the desks, the room looked exactly as it did when he'd first woken up here. That included the lunchroom tray with curry rice and a glass of icy water. They would want to keep him alive in case he did go along with them.
That also included the markerboard with the instructions on how to summon an Amala drum. Did they realize that? Isamu doubted it; the Mantra brutes didn't seem like the sort. His throat was dry, so he gingerly walked over to get the glass before studying the markerboard.
There was a certain feeling to using the network to transport yourself from one terminal to another. That feeling had to be grasped, the character of the network. While some of the instructions seemed magical in nature, Isamu tried to will them into working. That was how magic was, right? You willed what you wanted to be to be. There was some magical spark, but how did that work in reality?
Something seemed to pull at him, much like how they pulled the energy they called magatsuhi from him. It made his insides squirm at the reminder. But no, he didn't need to fear this. Isamu needed to pull that magic to do his will. This was not the world of the mundane; this was the world of the extraordinary and he had been chosen to exist here. No one else mattered.
Around him, strange lights danced into rings. They condensed in two places, one beside him and one close to his hand. Isamu held his hand out and a tiny tin version of the terminals dropped into it. Closing his fingers over it, he knew that this was his key. He'd taken a step closer to being a master of the Amala Network. To confirm that, a terminal manifested in the classroom with him.
"Yes," Isamu said, some of his spirits returning through his weariness. He touched the top ring of the terminal. This was his alone, it would appear whenever he called it. All of its knowledge, all of its power, all of its freedom… they couldn't keep him here in this prison.
But there was something about this place. The way the blue light filtered through the bars was strangely stimulating, fueling his thoughts when his body was still struggling to keep up. He'd never felt this way before. Being here, he felt like he could defy his captors and find his destiny. And with the terminal, he had all the knowledge to make sure that his Reason would create the absolute best world for himself. Yes, the truth was within him. He didn't need to listen to any others.
Still, things he had wondered about drifted through his mind. Perhaps examining these things would help clear up his ideals. "Amala drum..." his throat felt dry, he took a drink before asking. "How did Ms. Takao and Naoki get separated from us at the Conception? They had to be in the hospital to survive."
The drum wound backwards, revealing what it knew. The two of them met up in the basement and headed for the elevator to reach the roof. Ah, no wonder their paths hadn't crossed. Naoki asked if they should get him and Chiaki to join them. However, Ms. Takao said that there was no time for that and that the Amala drums interfered with cell phones. They talked about the Conception like they both had expected it. Ms. Takao accepted it without concern while Naoki was troubled on finding out it was real.
Then she said something shocking. "I know that you will find your way in spite of what's to come. Still, we all may be separated by the chaos. Look for me in the world to come. I can be your strength. When that time comes, I will tell you everything, including my true feelings." Moments later, they wished each other good luck and the world ended.
"No way," Isamu said, momentarily forgetting what he'd meant to do. "Play that last bit again." He watched it a few more times. There was no mistaking those words: their relationship was something special. More special than Isamu had with either of them? "Is… is that why he kept trying to dissuade me? Because he already had her? Dammit!"
After a moment, he realized that some characters under his hand were flickering, trying to get his attention. What they had to relate was very peculiar. The Amala Network believed there was zero chance of Ms. Takao and Naoki having a romantic relationship. Ms. Takao held firm morals on the subject and would never date a student (meaning his chances of being with her were also zero). And Naoki… was an asexual? So he had barely any interest in having a relationship.
"Man, that can't be real," Isamu said. "Nobody could not want sex, it's weird enough when it's gay. He's always been a nice guy and that sounds more like someone who was apathetic to everyone. That's unnatural, something weirdos claim to be different when they've got nothing."
The network disagreed, stating that it was a small portion of the population that existed. Well, one of the weirder things with Naoki was that he never flirted with girls (or anyone, really) and was not interested in porn. Isamu had always figured that he was just sticking to the image of a good guy and never hinting at what he was really interested in. That made sense of something he'd want to talk about. But why hadn't he? Isamu would've listened, weird as it was. Of course, if it hadn't been for the Amala drum's insistence, he wouldn't have believed it.
"Maybe I am a really bad friend," he said, then shook his head. "Nah, he's just repressed and this demonic infestation is turning him crazy. I never did anything wrong, never. I get shafted by everyone else no matter what I try."
What was even the point of being around other people? Isamu loved the thought of being popular. But the light of Kagutsuchi illuminated things in his mind. He never had a chance at being popular. While it was horribly unfair, he didn't have whatever it was that popular people had and he'd never get it. People just didn't care about him, didn't notice him.
Why did he have to notice or care about them anyhow? He thought he knew his best friend, but then it turned out that he had some weird orientation that Isamu hadn't thought possible. Naoki had even thought that their friendship was failing for a long time. It made the whole friendship worthless and he didn't need to care about that anymore.
In fact, why did anyone need to care? People constantly got in each other's way, causing each other problems. It counted for this process of Creation too. When he tried to work with Naoki, their ideas didn't do anything. When he tried to figure out what other people might like and praise him for, those ideas didn't do anything. Isamu knew what he would love in a world, but Kagutsuchi claimed it wouldn't work.
There were only a few people chosen for the process of making a new world, but did it really have to be that way? What if anybody could make their own world, just for themselves? Everyone would be happy, no one would get in another's way. The only limitations would be what the person themselves accepted. They would have anything they ever wanted without being troubled for it. The name of this Reason was…
"Musubi."