Chapter 26: Second Kalpa – The Scales of Chaos and Law
After they cleared the large room of many annoyed demons, Onkot asked, "Are you really gonna listen to those Mesian fools?"
"No, I fooled him to get out of that area," Naoki said, feeling like his demon was testing him. "With all that chanting and cursed darkness, I don't think any of us wanted to be there any longer than necessary."
Onkot nodded; his soul was shifting. "Yeah, that would have been a drag to find the actual exit. In that case, I suppose I don't have to ditch you." He then evolved, becoming a larger golden monkey. His armor was more elaborate and his sword was larger to match his growth.
"You were going to ditch us?" Yagatarasu asked, not liking that.
"I'm not about to be following somebody who sympathizes with them," Hanuman said, twirling his sword in a showy manner. "That'd be one of the few things I'd leave for when hanging with you guys lets me get stronger. But I still have a ways to go."
If what they said was what they really did, then the Mesians themselves might not be all bad. "It's good you're sticking around," Naoki said. It was true, but he felt what his magatama had been saying about how he changed slightly to negotiate with partial truths. Hanuman was happy with that; anyone would react better when treated positively.
Even himself. Some bits of memory came into his thoughts, but he tried not to get too caught up in them. This was not the place to get distracted, by anything. He led the group through the one door in the place; they ended up in the sprawling twisted halls they'd been in before. While he couldn't see Raziel at the moment, he sensed the wraith nearby.
There was a natural way to progress, a door within sight. But he didn't feel like wandering around until he stumbled back outside the exit. They could use Riberama outside of the exit and finish up any training they wanted then. While the whole structure of the Second Kalpa was a headache to look at, Naoki carefully sensed along the walls to make sure of the layout of this room. He chose to go to the door he'd seen before. It might not lead them back to the same room, but there was something he wanted to do.
Finding the ghost still there, he said, "All right, I'm back here legitimately. You wanted me to listen?"
"Oh, yes," the ghost said, nodding. "Do you mind?"
"Go ahead, I'll listen," Naoki said.
"It's a story about a young man who became a hero," the ghost said. "His world had been in a good state of balance between chaos and law, but scientists opened a portal to the Abyss. He was chosen by the Great Will alongside two other young men who were being closely watched by the opposing forces. One of those men wanted power; he fused himself with a demon and joined the demons of chaos to bring the ancient gods back into authority. Another of them wanted a guiding principle to gain a peaceful world; he accepted being the Messiah of the Mesian church and joined the angels of law to destroy the demons and all who supported them.
"As for the one chosen by the Great Will, he had many big decisions to make. If he went with his friend on the side of Chaos, he'd end up fighting the armies of God along with his other friend. If he went with his friend on the side of Law, he'd end up fighting the ancient gods, their accompanying demons, and his other friend. There was also another choice, to go with neither of them. But that would lead him to destroy everyone of power in his world: the angels, the ancient gods, and his two friends. What do you think he'd choose?"
"How would I know?" Naoki asked. "You haven't told me much about this hero himself, only about his situation. And what sense is there in killing off both sides if he didn't want to go with either side?"
The ghost shook his head. "It's either that or let his world fall to the tyranny of whichever side won. Of course, everyone who was involved in that conflict was someone of power and authority. Picking that path would leave the hero and his loyal companion as the only powerful ones left alive. And when it comes to angels and demons, well, as long as there are those who believe, they can come back into the world with time."
"Does this have anything to do with the conflict of the Mesians and Gaeans?" he asked. "I already spoke with the former. How would I find the Gaeans, if they're here?"
"Uh, that's not how this goes, again," the ghost said, getting confused. "We're supposed to stick to this one story."
Naoki shrugged. "For me to make an informed opinion on it, we'd have to talk for a really long time and I'd rather not do that."
"Oh, well, you are kind of right. The story does include those two organizations, as does this Kalpa." He scratched his head, then said, "I guess… if you want to speak to the Mesians again for whatever reason, go through that door. If you want to speak with the Gaeans, you should be able to reach at least one of them down this ladder. I was supposed to tell you directions based on how you thought the hero of the story went, like searching elsewhere in this room if you decided he was neutral. This doesn't really follow the scale."
"Well thank you for telling me," he said, then went down the ladder.
There were two ghosts down here, already involved in conversation. "Hindu beliefs, Buddhist, Egyptian," the teenaged girl of the pair said, recounting something. "And even the Mesians believe that about their messiah at least. But they and the Jews believe that souls can endlessly be in Hell or Heaven depending on their actions, like the Greeks, um..."
"You're on a good track," the woman said. Then she bowed to them. "Oh, hello Demifiend. Sorry, there isn't anyone to fight in this room. You may join us for this lesson if you'd like."
"Maybe for a bit, I was hoping to learn more about the Gaean organization," he said.
The woman nodded. "I am one of their teachers. Dear, how about you tell him what you're doing?"
"Um, okay," she said, nervous. "We're discussing the possibility of the reincarnation of souls. It shows up in many world philosophies, but they disagree on the notion. Egyptians believed that if their lives and deaths went well, they'd be resurrected sometime in the distant future. By Hindu teachings, every soul goes through many lives, being greater or lesser beings depending on how close their soul is to true enlightenment.
"But then the Greeks believed that souls went to an afterlife they couldn't return from except under extraordinary conditions. The Mesians teach that most souls only have one shot at life, but a few are chosen by the forces of law and chaos to be reborn and sway the hearts of others. But I wonder if it's because they believe they can't be reborn that they aren't. Because if you don't believe you can get good grades, you won't try and will only get bad ones. But if you believe you can, you'll get grades appropriate to your talents and efforts.
"So it might be that reincarnation of humans souls is the norm, but you can believe otherwise and prevent it from happening until your soul forgets everything. If you believe in reincarnation, though, there's a chance that if your will is strong enough, you can remember things in your past life. I hope I can remember some of my life next time, because that'll make things so much easier if I remember not to do certain stupid things."
"That is a good line of reasoning," the teacher said. "Every philosophy has some merit and should be respected. Even that of our oppressors, the Mesians who would seek to wipe out every other school of thought, their ways must have some merit and truth to them or they wouldn't have lasted as long."
"But it's mostly the power of their God behind that, isn't it?" the girl asked.
"Could be," the woman said.
Yes, she's bluffing. Taste the particular mix here; she must have been instructed not to tell you things like that directly, like how you saw through the first question.
'Like you all are meant to guide me in one direction but not overtly,' Naoki thought.
Well, yes. But we are incapable of thinking of much, only within small parameters unless we have your mind to connect to and each other to think with. As Satan, I wouldn't be of much use to you if you had less than half of us. But you must realize, it is to our mutual benefit to work together. We could not be anything without you; I was little more than a power source to Heeho, not a guiding insight. She's asking you something.
"Hmm?" Naoki said, bringing his attention outward. "Sorry, I was speaking with my magatama for a moment."
"That's fine, you're lucky to have such spirits," the teacher said. "What do you think of the myriad of philosophies in the world?"
"Whether or not demons or gods are involved, they're made by humans trying to explain the world," he said. It was something his grandfather said; he was pretty sure that was true. "Different people experience different things, from where they live to what obstacles they have to overcome, so of course their philosophies are going to be different. It doesn't mean any one of them is better than another, they all work for somebody."
"That's a mature outlook for a young man like you," the teacher said, impressed. "I know your way forward, you should..."
"Excuse me, but I wanted to ask about something first," Naoki said.
"It's rude to interrupt someone else, especially your elder," the girl said.
"Well yes, but what is it?" the teacher asked.
Following along with their game was more of an insight into himself, yes, but he wanted other answers more. "I was told that your people had the Scriptures of Miroku that led to the Conception. Why would you keep around something about how to end the world?"
"That must have been a scam from the Mesians," the teacher said, anxious like when he'd questioned the cleric. "All of the rites involved show their methodology, like willing obedience to one powerful authority and the forbidding of any deviations."
"I was told that by Lucifer's servant," Naoki said. Oddly, Satan seemed in agreement with his methods. "And she said that the man who carried it out was one of your people."
"Is that true?" the student asked, worried.
Caught in the lie, the teacher gave in. "I'm not one who could tell you much about that. This isn't the intended way, but if you really want to know about that, go through that door. One of our elders is in that room."
The way she nearly gave us was high chaos for speaking one of the Gaean principles on your own. This way is meant to be for a neutral or uncertain answer when she thinks speaking to this elder will help convince you.
"Thank you, that would help me most," Naoki asked, then went to speak with the Gaean elder.
As soon as he got in, the ghost of the old man flickered red. "Who dares enter my place of meditation?"
"I'm the Demifiend and I want to ask you some questions," he said.
"Even if you are as such, you don't seem to be one of our own. Hmph, I don't have to tell you anything until your prove your worthiness to me. Don't rely on your demons, show me what you can do!" He summoned three demons: Holy Shiisaa, Holy Unicorn, and Avatar Makami. They were all holy beasts of some sort.
And, they weren't that strong compared to his demons. Or himself, possibly. 'Could I use that attack-all skill of yours?' he asked mentally.
Deadly Fury? You could, although the power you have currently is not enough to use it effectively. You'd end up eating an unreasonable amount of your energy and health doing so. But one of those incenses will fix that right up and it won't be enough to kill you in one shot. Go ahead if you dare.
Naoki had been worried about that when Momunofu learned Brutal Slash, but it seemed worthwhile now to get the elder to talk. "If I must," Naoki said, then summoned his energy blade and cut through the three without moving from where he was.
It tasted like when something went horribly wrong and someone else blamed him for things going bad. Whether it had been his fault or not, Naoki had learned to hold back on angered reactions; it was only a moment, he could calm down and be reasonable. It was deliciously satisfying to have a chance to lash out with that hatred and destroy his opposition. But it still wasn't healthy to hold onto that. Use the attack, let it pass.
"Did you mean to present such an easy challenge?" Naoki asked. But the question was a bluff too. Mikazuchi had put a hand on his back to keep him from collapsing and Yagatarasu was already healing his physical wear.
The elder was flabbergasted. Maybe this had been designed with him having his followers along, but perhaps it had also been designed thinking that he'd come here as soon as he could. "Th-that shouldn't be possible, even out of you… oh, forgive me, Demifiend," he bowed low in apology. "I thought you'd be sent my way if you seemed too cautious. What is it you seek from me?"
To make sure he answered, Naoki told him about what Yuriko had said. "How'd you let Hikawa get away with destroying the world?"
"We couldn't stop him, no matter how we tried," the elder said regretfully. "There had been several conflicts around the world between us and the Mesian church, so we thought they were up to something. But our worst enemy was among us and we didn't know it until the Yoyogi Park massacre. We tried to send some skilled assassins into the hospital he'd closed up, but they must have been slaughtered as well. In the hour that the Conception actually occurred, we were trying to organize another effort against that heretic."
"Why would you call him a heretic if you're open to all philosophies?" Naoki asked.
"Most of us don't have ambitions to destroy the world. From many cultures, we have learned to respect and honor our Mother Earth. We don't even have ambitions to rule the world. We'd rather be teachers, to open the minds of others and help individuals reach their personal best. Taking such a grand view of things is important occasionally, but too often leads to people being ignored and left behind. Hikawa went against so many of our general ideals."
"But you kept him around because he funded you well."
The elder hesitated, but eventually nodded. "Yes, that's true. Money is a mundane necessity of reality. We end up with dilettantes who fund us but want to pick and choose what they believe in rather than seek true wisdom. For a long time, we thought Hikawa was merely one of those shallow supporters. We had a section of leadership devoted to satisfying them without letting them know that the real leaders paid them little heed."
It made practical sense. "But you still should have noticed earlier. What were you even doing with the Scriptures of Miroku? Something that details how to end the world doesn't seem like a good thing to keep around."
"Frankly, we didn't realize that we had that in our Great Library. When we started to suspect Hikawa, I was the one who looked into matters with the library. We actually had three copies and the original among a vast collection that was usually kept out of public notice. They were all marked by the Mesian Church, very old stamps, so I sought librarian records to figure out what they were doing there.
"As it turned out, we had those Scriptures from various raids on Mesian facilities. They always figured that they'd be given instructions if their god decided to end the world, but they kept such apocalyptic works at hand in case the specifics were left out. There was a time when our spies decided to remove all such works from Mesian ownership and destroy them. However, the caretaker of the Great Library at the time hated for books to be destroyed. He convinced our leaders to keep at least some copies in hidden vaults, which is how the original Scriptures of Miroku and the few copies ended up with us. There were many texts in those vaults that were largely forgotten about until visitors or staff stumbled upon them in looking for something else."
He didn't like it, but Naoki didn't see a reason to blame them for having the Scriptures of Miroku if that all was true. An organization that accepted all religions and philosophies had to keep thousands of books in order to allow such a broad study. "I see."
"But if all this ends up giving Lord Lucifer a new advantage, we do not mind our own sacrifices," the elder said.
"I mind the sacrifice of the whole world," Naoki said. "Nothing is worth that price."
"The next way you seek is up that ladder," the elder said, directing him on.
He's sending you towards the neutral area because you're not willing to give up absolutely everything. But you've done enough to impress him, so he's not sending you back to the law area. Actually, that door in the middle of the wall to our left will lead to the exit. I'm getting bored with this morality maze too.
"I'll go my own way," Naoki said, then took the door that would get him to the exit.
The elder tried to stop him with, "Um, I don't think you should be heading that way yet. There is much more for you to learn here in the Second Kalpa."
"No, I'm going this way," he insisted.
They entered a large room with a dome for a ceiling. There was only the one door in and a passage downward towards the Third Kalpa. In front of the passage, Anubis was waiting on him. Raziel appeared as well and leaned against the wall, observing. There were a few spots in the floor that reminded Naoki of the hole he'd fallen through to battle Matador. If they meant to train here, he'd have to be mindful that his followers didn't end up on the holes.
"You have changed," Anubis said, "Particularly in losing a respect for your elders."
That was true. In his old life, it was a horrible social misstep to disrespect or insult an elder. He'd known of a few incidents, and been in others, where lying or being silent was preferable to going against one. But demons seemed more lax about it for the most part. Naoki felt he'd still respect Yuko, but he wouldn't do the same for Hikawa. Maybe he'd even be bold enough to disregard that if he brought the world back and became human again.
"Would you like to know my assessment of you now?" Anubis asked.
"No, because this whole thing is dumb," Naoki said. It startled his followers, although Raziel seemed amused at it.
Anubis was baffled enough that his scales nearly slipped from his hand. "That is what you think?"
"How do you think you can accurately judge someone's morality based on a bunch of questions?" he asked. "It was simple to lie for a specific outcome or to completely ignore what the participants suggested. The only answers that had anything to do with how I am were with the gambling cheat and when I got that Mesian woman angered."
"Even the fact that you did not complete this Kalpa as intended shows what's in your heart," Anubis said, although he seemed to be grasping for control of the situation.
Don't let him, you can do this.
Why not take control? "And I think the whole thing is too simplistic to be dividing people into three categories on a single scale," Naoki continued. "It might work for demons because you're restricted to being a certain way. I can say that Hanuman is chaos, Yagatarasu is law, and Mikazuchi is either law or neutral, and I can say that just based on their mythology. I don't know Raziel that well, so I don't know about him."
"Possibly neutral unless being an unrepentant bastard makes me chaos," Raziel said.
Naoki shrugged at that. "And you, Anubis, you're law because you judge those who believe in you to see if they lived in accordance to your belief system. Even if your authority as a god was stolen from you, that will still remain true."
"That is so," Anubis admitted.
"I'm still human enough that a scale like that is too simple," he went on. "My morals can and have changed, and you all might see what I believe as being on various points of your linear scale. But my beliefs can be anywhere on your scale and not be contradictory because I'm human. I have learned some interesting things here, but trying to judge me based off only my actions in this Kalpa is dumb."
Anubis closed his eyes, angered at his words but trying to keep calm. "Hmph, so that's how you see it? The exiting quiz will probably seem dumb to you as well."
"I did listen to who I spoke with, so that depends on the questions," Naoki said.
His jackal ears flicked back a moment. "I have a number I could ask. And something I did not plan but your methods bring it up. You have correctly assessed me as being aligned with law. Why then would I be here assisting Lucifer when he is the master of chaos?"
That was simple. "You explained that yourself at the beginning. You were a law god, but you were a threat as a rival to the god of law that the Mesians worship. He undermined your authority and Lucifer was the one who accepted you and your peers. If you still held your position as the god of the underworld with many who believed in you, then I think you would be against Lucifer because he would corrupt your followers."
Hearing that, his eye twitched. It might not be something Anubis would say within the labyrinth, but it still rang true with him. "You also mentioned that you felt the first question was rigged."
"This whole kalpa is rigged," Naoki said. "I get it, Lucifer wants me to work for him. I don't think the people I met ended up here on accident. The two Mesians were close-minded and both of them would have gotten angered at me if I hadn't lied to the cleric. And then the three Gaeans were people I find agreeable even when the elder sent demons to fight me first thing. There was also the gambler, trying to show me that greater risks are worth the reward. Obviously, the correct solution to this maze when Lucifer set it up was to start in neutral and exit through chaos, with law being a closed in confusing area that would damage us the more time we spent there. This wasn't a test; it was a lesson."
"Your mind's eye is sharp," Anubis said. "Are you going to work with Lucifer?"
"I don't know that yet," he said. "There's still more I need to figure out, and if I got a chance to speak to Lucifer again, I would be questioning him on certain matters. I'd question the angels too if I could reduce my risks in doing so because they've already tried to utterly destroy my soul. However, I am aware that I cannot remain undecided while the rites of Creation are going on. Once the road to Kagutsuchi is summoned, I need to be firm with my decision and not turn back. I will not make any decisions certain until then."
"I don't believe I can argue with the reasoning," Anubis said, then gave him a bow. "Very well, I will allow you to exit the Second Kalpa. If you still wanted to train, the hall past me is the most suitable place. I would even consent to serve you should you find out how to summon me at the cathedral. Good luck, Demifiend." He then vanished into white smoke.
"You seem to have a good perspective," Raziel said, summoning the Candelabrum of Knowledge out. He then tossed it over. "You're in a dangerous game of powerful beings; faith in any of them will only turn you into their pawn. If you can ask those questions, take the chance whatever the risk."
Naoki caught the candelabrum. "All right, I'll keep that in mind."
Coming away from the wall, he added, "I'm an outsider, so I'll do what I want. And right now that's leaving this world."
"You have your own world to get back to," he said, remembering what little he'd been told.
Raziel shrugged. "What's left of it. Maybe that mess sorted itself out, or maybe I'll keep drifting. I'll keep fighting to keep my agency; you do the same."
"Sure," Naoki said. Then Raziel slipped away through one of his spatial tears and was gone.
Now that he had the acceptance of Anubis and Raziel, Naoki brought his followers to the hall winding down to the Third Kalpa. He used Riberama to draw demons to fight them. But this time, he kept himself alert to watch them. Naoki also called on the three fiends he was allied with to see better how they fought under his command. He was already familiar with Matador, who was a powerful and fast swordsman, but was best at supporting himself. Any attempt he made to enchant others was less effective than boosts to himself. Still, he could be relied on to act independently in battle or make quick strikes at dangerous opponents.
With Hell Biker and Daisoujou, they were harder for others to take out. Hell Biker was great for clearing a crowd, slamming his bike into a number of demons and then making the exhaust flare up with venomous fumes. But if any in the crowd was skilled in Fire or Force, Hell Biker could be a risk for making those demons harder to take down. Daisoujou was more of a mage, able to tear right through any demons who were weak to Death or Expel. His healing was the most powerful of any of Naoki's followers, plus he had a draining spell that made sure he never had to run out of magic.
At some point, Naoki noticed that Mikazuchi wasn't running out of magic either, even though he had a far lesser capacity and a powerful spell in Ziodyne. A check of his innate status showed that he'd picked up a passive skill at some point after the second or so Riberama: Mana Refill. "I see what Baphomet meant now," he said to his followers when the battles winded down again. "It's just a matter of if we want to do the sacrificial fusion with you two."
"I don't believe either of us are going to be the actual sacrifice," Yagatarasu said, landing on Mikazuchi's shoulder. "It will be worth it, I know it now. You'll end up with someone far more powerful than either of us could become apart."
"If she says something when she's this demon, then I'm inclined to believe her," Mikazuchi said.
"Of course you would, you're both from the same mythology," Hanuman said, less impressed. "It's the boss's decision either way."
Was this level of sacrifice acceptable? The demons were growing in power slower than he was, so it was starting to look feasible. And since they were willing… but what of the sacrifice? At any rate, they'd return back to the Vortex World as Kagutsuchi would be waning. There was some time before it could be done. "We'll probably go ahead once the conditions are right. Let's head out; I'd like to get to Asakusa."
At the end of the winding hall, they came to a candelabrum room with three pedestals. It hadn't meant much until now, but Naoki realized that each pedestal was meant for a particular candelabrum. None of these three were for the one Raziel had. They wanted Compassion, Insight, and Wisdom. Why were they named as such? Compassion definitely didn't sound much like a valued trait among most demons. They did belong to Lucifer, so perhaps he thought he had such traits. But that didn't quite explain Foundation.
His horn gave him a warning as he crossed the threshold of the room. There were three pedestals, but four in the room besides the two he carried. Three of them did match the pedestals, with Majesty accompanying them. Once his group was entirely in the room, the four fiends holding those candelabrum appeared on the other side of the room. Four horseman, all in obscuring black cloaks, differing in the kind of horse they rode and the weapons they carried. Any one of them was going to be a challenge to battle; taking on all four of them at once at this point, even if he summoned the Fiends he had allied with, would be suicidal.
"You really are stubborn," Black Rider said. "You won't commit yourself yet, but events in the Vortex World are in motion that will change your mind."
"Perhaps, but at this point there's not enough to convince me in any direction," Naoki said.
White Rider laughed at that, his teeth clattering a little. "As long as you make a commitment at some point, avoiding the disappointing fate of the Demifiend you met in the Obelisk. Lucifer has his hopes in you, but we aren't so easily convinced that we need a human to become a leader among us."
"And since you've come this deep, we're now free to challenge you at any time, at any place," Red Rider said. "Now how do you feel about being hunted down with no safe place to hide within the Vortex World?"
"Not that it matters what you might say to that, since that's what's going to happen," White Rider said.
"You might even end up fighting against more than one of us at a time," Black Rider said.
"And our followers as well," Red Rider said. "As you may fight with your followers, so may we. We intend to fully take advantage of that rule."
"Best be wary," Black Rider said, then vanished along with Red and White into black magatsuhi.
For a moment, Pale Rider vanished too. But he reappeared closer to Naoki, causing Hanuman to grumble and step out of the way. "They will be hunting you down, but not I," he said. While the other three had seemed jovial and looking forward to their part of the game, Pale was stern and serious. "I'm still charged with certain duties."
"Like keeping the angels from claiming my soul," Naoki said.
He gave a nod to that. "For as long as you don't anger nor disappoint Lucifer, yes. Go ahead and relish your newly emerged defiance against any else, but not our master. You've been lucky so far that he's willing to indulge you. Should you wish to challenge me for the candelabrum I hold, you will have to find your own way to me. If you have any inclination towards anything but our master's offer, I recommend you simply don't find me." He then vanished with the others.
So he was going to be actively hunted now for this game. "Well that decides what we're doing next," Naoki said. Now where would be a good place to meet with them?
A/N: I really wanted to use Raziel and had some stealth mentor plans for him. But as I got into the last third or so, I ended up not needing him. In any battle scenes I could use him for, Matador fits just as well (and often funnier). It also kept being better using the canon Fiends in other situations, even with their bias. It probably would have ended the same if I'd used Dante anyhow. All well.