Chapter 15: Isolation
There was nowhere else to go but follow the path forward, a path that seemed to stretch on into infinity, a path that felt almost claustrophobic, as though the red walls and ceiling and floor was closing in on him. It was almost as though he was literally walking the entire way to Ginza.
He should have felt personally grateful for the peace and quiet. He should have been glad that nobody was trying to kill him. Instead, Naoki couldn't help but feel bothered by the fact that he was completely on his own, except for one lonely Preta demon, who was not particularly good at conversation.
So he jogged. And jogged. And jogged.
It's. . . boring, isn't it?
For a second, Naoki forget that Hijiri was still able to talk to him without actually being physically there. The words so perfectly matched his own thoughts that he'd momentarily though they WERE his own thoughts, given voice. But then he remembered and nodded.
Listen – I don't know about you, but personally I think this is taking too long. You want me to try something to break up the boredom?
Naoki paused for a moment to blink. "What do you mean?"
Just watch. I've learned this cool new trick. Nothing up my sleeve. . . PRESTO!
The entire hallway lit up in a flash of light that reflected off the walls and rendered Naoki completely blind for a few seconds. He yelled in surprise, the Preta demon yelping as well. After a few seconds the light faded, but Naoki wasn't pleased with what he saw. The path he was on had been completely sealed off, both in front and behind him, boxing him in a tiny little room.
. . . Well, that wasn't supposed to happen. Are you stuck?
Naoki nodded, then suddenly realized Hijiri might not have been able to see the nod. "Yes, I think so. Something's just blocked the path and I can't go any further."
Well, Blast. I was going to teleport in a hot Lilim chick for you to play with, but I think I messed up instead.
A hot. . . Naoki's eyes widened, tried to put his mind off the subject. "So. . . can you fix it?"
I think so. .. damn, this thing's complicated. Okay, I think I've got an idea. . . let me just try something. . .
Again came the flash. When it faded, Naoki could see that the path was clear. More than that, he could see in the distance that the path went down a set of stairs, seemingly to another level.
Downwards.
How's that, huh?
"You – you fixed it!" Naoki said, greatly impressed.
Beside him, the Preta cheered jubilantly. "Want eat! Want eat!"
Sorry about that. I.. . I think I'm starting to get it now. Odd, this didn't happen before. Hmm, maybe the Amala Network never stays the same shape. Well, if something happens, give me a yell and I'll do what I can.
Naoki nodded. "I'll do that. Thanks for your help."
No problem. Oh, by the way. . . do you still want the Lilim?
Naoki blinked. "No. . .no, I'm fine." YOU DIRTY OLD MAN!
Heh. More for me. Well, continue on.
Naoki obeyed, moving forward and down the stairs, taking them two at a time. This new level was much like the one above – just as linear. Just as boring. He jogged along this path for what seemed like an eternity, but just when he was feeling the twinges of boredom . . .
Oh Jeez – AGAIN?
The flash of light from before reappeared suddenly and without warning, sending Naoki's hands up to shield his eyes. Just like before, the path was blocked off when his vision cleared. Hijiri summed up Naoki's thoughts exactly.
Stupid thing!
Naoki sighed. "Hijiri? It happened again."
Yeah, I kind of noticed. Damnit, why is this stupid network only acting up for you and not the other demons? *Sigh* Whatever, just give me a second. Hopefully it'll be as smooth as the last time. . .
He anticipated the flash this time, although the Preta was once again caught out, so this time he didn't have the blindness from before. Just as before, the path was restored – but unlike before, the path had split in half. One path went straight ahead, the other path veered off to the left.
Panic gripped Naoki. "Hijiri? Hijiri! The path's split up! Which way do I go?"
Calm down, would you? Don't panic – I'm guiding you on the right path, right? Just keep what you were doing before. Go straight head, down the stairs. After that, it should be a completely linear path to Ginza – I hope. Understand?
Hesitantly, Naoki nodded.
Okay? Now, continue on.
"Yeah," Naoki whispered. I can do this. As long as Hijiri is guiding me, I'll be fine.
He turned to the Preta. "Let's get going." The Preta nodded back. Comforted, Naoki took a single step -
SHIT! Bloody hell! Naoki, I think something's gone –
- and in the next instant he was on his knees, hands clasped over his head as a high pitched screeching came roaring through the network, drowning out Hijiri's voice. From his vantage point on the ground, Naoki was acutely aware of the walls beginning to vibrate as the Magatsuhi within them blazed like fire. "HIJIRI!" he yelled. "What's happening!"
No answer, or at least not one that Naoki could hear over the static. The walls began to glow, brighter and brighter until he was unable to keep his eyes open and could only lie face down on the ground, covering his ears. He could vaguely hear the Preta yelping behind him, it's own arms too short to cover its ears or eyes.
For several terrible minutes or seconds or centuries, Naoki's world\ was a roar of static and bright light.
Then, just as suddenly, it stopped and an eerie silence fell over the network. He uncovered his ears, got back up to his feet, looked around.
The ground and ceiling was much the same as it was before, except for the minor fact that the ceiling was now so high that Naoki could barely see it. The walls, however, were completely different – where before they'd been little more than swirling lines of red Magatsuhi they were now tangible, solid things, hundreds of meters tall, now constructed out of some sort of golden metal. There were still lines of Magatsuhi running through the walls, but they were now overshadowed by the golden metal.
As he stared up at it, Naoki couldn't help but feel very small and intimidated. It only got worse when he looked around the path ahead of him and realized the awful truth. Where once there had been only one path. . .
There were now thousands! Left, right, up, down, in the walls, on the floor, in the ceiling, all different shapes and sizes, a dizzying kaleidoscope of choice, and Naoki panicked at the wide choice. "HIJIRI!" He yelled. "Help me! Which way do I go?"
For several seconds there was silence. But then:
. . . .ca. . . . n . . . yo. . . .u . . . hear. . . . e? Say .. . som. . . in. ..
The voice was distant, barely audible, but it was still him. "HIJIRI!" Naoki yelled again. "Hijiri!"
O. . . god . . .am. . . .it. . . . . . . the. . . . conn. .. ection's. . . fail. . . I'll. . . .fig. .. . ure. .. . . out. . . some . . . .don't. . . . okay?
And then there was silence, silence except for the blood pounding in Naoki's ears, the wimpering of the Preta beside him, the breath coming in and out of his lungs in halting, jerky breaths, as his eyes widened and he began to tremble.
No. . . . no. . . .
His mind became a jumble of thoughts and terrors as he realized that Hijiri was going to LEAVE, to ABANDON him all alone, that he was going to be all ALONE, and he couldn't deal with it.
NO! NO! NO NO! NO NO! NO NO! NO NO NONONONONONONONONONONONONONO! DON'T! LEAVE! ME!
He was jumping into the air, stretching out his hands, as though he could just reach up and grab Hijiri and force him to stay. "Don't LEAVE ME!"
He was clawing at the walls, trying to scratch his way through. "HIJIRI! COME BACK!"
"Want Eat!" The Preta whimpered.
Nothing.
I'm alone. I'm all alone. What do I do now?
In his human life, the life he'd been living until all of this mayhem had struck, Naoki Kashima had been somebody who needed others. He needed them to provide him a path to follow, a direction to head, a leader to obey. Anybody. Ms. Takao, his foster parents, Chiaki, Isamu, God, Hijiri – ANYBODY. Without it, he felt completely lost, almost as though he'd lost the reason for living. It was a lost that was almost as painful as losing the ability to breathe. Without it, he didn't know what to do.
The Preta looked at the Demi Fiend as Naoki cowered on the ground. Lacking eyes with working pupils, it was impossible to tell the exact emotion on the demon's face as he poked Naoki. ". . .eat?"
Naoki looked around, focused on the Preta. "Tell me…." Naoki begged.
"Eat?" The Preta asked again.
"Please tell me. What do I do?"
The Preta blinked, barely understanding the question. ". .. eat?"
"No, no. I mean, besides eating. Which way should we go?"
The Preta frowned. "EAT!"
A dry cough erupted from Naoki's throat. "Heh. . . heheheheh. . . . " A smirk appeared on his face, but it wasn't a cheery one – it was the smirk of a boy completely fed up with the world. "Eat. Of course that's what you'd say, isn't it?"
He got to his feet, turned and glared at the little demon with barely concealed outrage. "That's all you ever think ABOUT, ISN"T IT? You good for nothing piece of SHIT!"
The Preta simply stared back at him. "Eat."
"Don't change the subject!" Naoki yelled, his rational mind having gone on a temporary holiday due to his fear. "You think this is funny, don't you, watching me writhe around in misery!" He stomped around, swinging at imaginary foes, as the walls behind him blazed red. He was paralysed by his own ineptitude and hesitations and they threatened to consume him.
"Why. . . why me.. . why did this have to happen to ME? WHY ? WHY DID IT HAVE TO BE ME!" The Preta looked on disinterested as Naoki slipped into full whiny kid temper tantrum mode. "Where do I go? What do I do? WHY WON'T SOMEBODY HELP ME?"
The Preta rolled his eyes. "You. Dumb **** " Naoki didn't catch the last word the Preta spoke – it was completely incomprehensible. What he did notice, however, was when the Preta suddenly pointed down the hall in a completely random direction, not even caring where it was pointing.
"Go that way."
Naoki's jaw dropped, staring at the Preta in disbelief. "Did you. . . did you just –"
"Eat!" The Preta said, pointing insistently. "Eat!"
"Okay! Okay!" Naoki waved his hands. It's better than nothing. Any direction is better than no direction at all. The two of them headed off, continuing their journey.
As they continued to walk, it quickly became obvious that they weren't alone. There were lost souls – ghosts, similar to what he'd seen in Yoyogii Park and Shiniju and Shibuya. As far as he could tell, they were dead people, people who had been killed prior to the Apocalypse. He didn't know whether he could see them now because the Conception occurred, or if it was because he'd been . . .turned. It was hard to tell because both things had occurred at the same time.
What he did know was that the vast majority of the Lost Souls in the Amala Network were not being very chatty.
"GOOOOO AAWWWWWAAAAAAAAAAY!"
That had come from a woman soul, waving about a rifle and hollering at the top of her lungs. It came to no avail, however, as the Preta swallowed her, rifle and all. Naoki could only shake his head, trying to figure out how a zombie could eat a ghost, and continue on their path.
The other ghosts weren't any better.
"Frigging demons, marching around here like they own the place! Go away!"
"LEAVE ME ALONE!"
"Get out of my face!"
Finally, Naoki found one that was more talkative. So talkative, in fact, that it was the one who spoke to him first. "Hey – hey! Are you a demon?"
Naoki blinked. "Uh. . . "
I'm talking to a soul. A dead guy. This is very weird.
"You are, aren't you! Oh, this is so great, I've always wanted to meet you, Mr. Demon! My name's Taichi Tachibana! I'd shake your hand, but I seem to have lost the ability along with my corporeal form."
Naoki blanked. "Well, actually, I'm a –"
The lost soul wasn't listening. "You're so lucky to be a demon. Nobody can tell you what to do, how to act, where to go . . . not like me. You see this?"
Naoki blinked, looked closer, only realizing the ghost – Taichi, apparently – had been wearing a hat when he took it off. Underneath the hat was a skull split open like a tomato, the brain exposed and in several large pieces.
"EAT!" The Preta yelled, pointing. Naoki stared in stunned horror, even as he picked up the Preta to prevent it from trying to eat the ghost.
"Looks awesome, doesn't it?" the ghost smirked. "That's what falling out of a high rise apartment will do to you!"
Actually, now that Naoki studied him more carefully, the ghost reminded him of somebody he used to know, despite the tattered clothing, half amputated arms, smashed ribs, exposed brain. He reminded him of a classmate with black hair and glasses who was the dux of the – wait a minute –
"You're Tachibana. . . from my class. . . " Naoki whispered.
"Eh?" it was the ghost's turn to blink in confusion and look at Naoki more closely. "No you weren't. Sure, there was some pretty nasty bullies, but I'm positive there weren't any demons in the class." He smirked to himself. "That would have been SO awesome!"
Naoki shook his head. "No, it's me! Naoki Kashima! Remember?"
Realization dawned in Tachibana's eyes. "Holy. . . Kashima! You're a demon? YOU? . . . THAT IS SO FUCKING AWESOME!"
He swarmed Naoki, floating in the air and flying around him, bits of brain tumbling out behind him. "You've got freaking tattoos! YOU! You've GOT to tell me how this happened, Kashima!"
Naoki told him.
"A demonic apocalypse?" The ghost was shocked.
"Yes."
"You mean. . . the demonic apocalypse occurred. . . just three hours after I. . . " His voice trailed off for a second. "You mean if I'd stayed alive just a few hours later, I'd have been turned into a demon, too!"
"Um.. . " Naoki was confused. "I don't know.. . .I didn't exactly want this to happen."
"Great, just my luck .. . " the ghost's foul mood lasted for approximately half a heartbeat. "So, you new to this place, or what?"
"Yes, I am. I'm going to Ginza, to find my teacher."
"Well then, let me warmly welcome you to the Amala Network. It's a little tricky to navigate through if you don't know what you're doing, especially for humans – but since you're a demon, you'll be fine. This place . . .it messes with your head."
Naoki blinked. "What do you mean, it messes with your head?"
"Don't worry – it's something only humans have to deal with. I think it's to do with the Maga-whatsit running through the walls. You know, human emotions? According to Kanji – he's one of the old timers around here – the Amala Network is kind of like a magnet to guys like me. We're like a little gang – I call us the High Fallers!"
Naoki blinked again. "Right . . . um, is this the right way to Ginza?"
"Yep – you're on the right track. Oh, before you head off, let me give you a piece of advice." The ghost cleared his throat, then spoke in an official sounding tone. "You always have a choice. Even if you choose to do nothing at all."
Naoki was confused. "What does that –"
"Oh, you'll find out. Seeya!" And just like that, he vanished into nothingness, leaving behind a very confused Naoki and a Preta that was trying to eat the very air.
Shikigami knew it was blasphemy, but he thought of it anyway. Lord Lucifer is truly evil for making me do this.
It wasn't the fact that he was stuck with a demi fiend that didn't quite live up to the hype. No, it was the companions that Shikigami had been stuck with. Primarily, one small fairy clad in a blue swimsuit. It was only made worse by the fact that it was his own bloody fault.
"Are we there yet?"
"No."
".. . Are we there yet?"
"No."
". .. how about now?"
"Hijiri. . ." The paper demon muttered, only remembering to speak in Japanese at the very last second.
Before you ask, no. I am NOT capable of blasting the Pixie into a million tiny pieces, much as I would like to. She's driving me up the wall, as well.
Shiki blinked. "That. . . was actually NOT what I was about to say, but I appreciate the sentiment. I wish to know the status of the Hito Shura."
The Hito . . . Oh, you mean Naoki. I'm afraid I can't help you there. There's a lot of crazy stuff going on with him at the moment – I mean, more so than usual. It's like the Amala Network itself is rejecting him – there's so much interference I can't tell what he's doing or where he is. I don't even know if he's alive or not. . . .
"You don't know where he is?" Pixie scoffed. "What the hell are you good for, then?"
Give me a break, would you? Operating this priceless artefact wasn't exactly part of my nine to five day job, so lay off.
Shiki contemplated involving himself in their petty argument, decided against it. "Hijiri – can you transport us to Naoki's last known location?"
Huh? Oh! Ehehe. . . I didn't think of that. Sorry, Shikigami – just give me. . .a . . .sec. . .
The door appeared.
There, that should do it. Just go down that path, and you should appear in the general vicinity of where he used to be. Just. . .be careful. . . alright?
Shikigami nodded., began to fly down the newly opened path. "Alright. Let's go, Pixie."
The Pixie sighed. "Yeah, whatever."
Naoki Kashima was so stunned that his mouth dropped open. Am I hallucinating? Is this really real?
The two of them had continued past where they'd met Taichi, and nothing much had happened except for being yelled at by some more Lost Souls. But suddenly, just as Naoki was wishing this whole mess had never happened and he was back in the Old World of Normalcy, there suddenly came a bright flash of light.
When it faded, Naoki finally found himself no longer in the Amala Network. Gone were the walls of yellow metal, replaced instead by blue stone and paned glass windows. Gone were the claustrophobically narrow corridors, replaced by a spacious room of pews, of an altar and a large cross.
He was in a building that could only be classified as a church or cathedral, similar to the churches he had attended \in the past, but MUCH, much bigger. But more than that – much more than that – was the fact that it was full of PEOPLE. Living, breathing, existing PEOPLE!
This can't be real. Can it?
Naoki stared down at himself, hoping against hope that the entire experience had just been a nightmare and he'd finally woken up from it into the real world. It was not to be. The markings remained. He could still feel his horn thing sticking out his back.
And I always thought demons would burn to a crisp if they went inside a church. I don't know if I should be thankful or horrified that isn't true.
The church was full of people, indicating a sermon in session. Up at the front was a man who was very obviously the pastor, preaching. . . something. Naoki couldn't actually hear what was being said – he couldn't hear what was being said by any of the people. It was as though he was watching a silent film.
Strangely, this didn't bother him at all.
What did bother him, however – was the fact that he'd lost track of the Preta.
After a few seconds or moments of searching, he finally spotted the Preta – heading towards the front of the church with a silly grin on his face and jaws wide open. Naoki blinked, glanced towards the Preta's intended target, and his faced paled.
My god! He's going to EAT the pastor!
"No,. . ." Naoki whispered, breaking into a run, leaping over church pews, dodging praying people. "NOOO!" He lunged, caught the Preta by its hind legs, sending it face planting into the wooden floor.
"EAT!" The Preta whinged, flailing. "EAAAAAAT!"
"NO!" Naoki yelled at it, grabbing the Preta round the waist. "You CAN"T eat him!"
"No Eat!" The Preta yelled. "EAT! NO EAT! EAT!" It flailed madly, a crazed look in its face, shouting at the top of its lungs.
Bizarrely enough, the people in the church ignored the yelping demon, continuing to silently pray. Naoki had to shove his hand in the Preta's mouth to shut it up.
Once silence had returned, he could study the area more carefully, backing off out of the way in respect. His initial reaction to seeing this scene – a church full of people praying – was to seriously contemplate sitting down on a pew and join in the paying. He certainly DID have a lot to pray about.
Rationality, however, warned him that such an action would be a highly stupid idea. It was just too good to be true. So he simply stood there, watching the scene before him, but unable to help himself feeling a sense of longing. It was bizarre, but it was a scene that invoked in him familiarity and good memories
This is how things are supposed to be. I wish I could just go back to this, go back. . . go back in time.
It seemed so simple back then and he yearned to go back, wanted to go back to normalcy with all of his heart.
But I can't. I can only keep moving forward.
He closed his eyes in an attempt to make the scene fade before him.
In that same instant, someone shouted at him.
His eyes snapped open, hammered open at the sound of a person's voice and he looked around, eyes widening in panic as he realized what had happened.. The church session. had stopped, the people had finished praying, and they'd gotten up to leave, only to spot a pair of demons in their near vicinity.
It wasn't clear who was more shocked – the church goers at seeing two demons in their church, or Naoki himself at the sudden change in demeanour.
"Who are you!" the nearest person asked. "What is that thing? What are those tattoos?"
"I. . . ." Oh hi there, I'm a half demon who just decided to drop in on your little church sermon and oh by the way don't mind my buddy here, he just wants to eat you all –
His voice wouldn't work for a second, old habits rushing at him in a torrent. He found solace in another of his old habits – apologizing. "I'm . . . I'm sorry, I just heard the praying and was curious. . . I'll just leave now. . . sorry for bothering you. . .. "
"Mmmkph Eat!" said the Preta, flailing. Naoki gave it a poke to silence it. He turned around, in an attempt to go out the door and leave – only to find that somehow some of the church goers had managed to get behind him, and were blocking his escape.
The Pastor walked over, his mouth agape in horror. "Demons!" He shouted. "Demons have invaded the church!"
The church descended into chaos, its normal peaceful people transformed into a raging mob, armed with swords and holy water, seemingly in the blink of an eye. Then the chanting started.
"DEMONS! MONSTERS!"
Oh shit oh shit oh shit.
Naoki backed away, very nervous.
The Pastor whipped the church goers into a frenzy. "Kill it! Burn it! We must purify our church! It has been tainted by evil!"
Naoki tried to protest. "No, please – I was just leaving, I'm not going to hurt –" His protests were cut off by a deluge of water that poured all over him, buckets of water that came pouring forth from a tiny – empty? – cup, but that didn't matter because it was BURNING, searing pain!
The Preta flailed angrily. "MMPH KILL!" It snarled, trying to escape Naoki's grip.
Naoki snarled back at it. "NO! I won't let you hurt them!"
But right now it was not the churchgoers who were in danger of being hurt. They were slashing at him now, with blessed swords dipped in holy water, and he could FEEL every cut and slash as they cut through his demonic body like nothing. And now he could feel the searing pain of entering the church, being in such a holy place, anathema to a demon like him.
I'm doomed. It's all over. As it should be.
He was shrieking, of course – IT HURT! But he was strangely calm, strangely serene in these last moments as he watched his body being hacked to pieces – his skin had been burnt off by the holy water as though it were acid. They'd cut off his arms and legs, and any moment now he'd burn down to ash completely, purifiying the church and thus restoring the status quo.
This is how it should be. This is –
"What the fuck are you doing, PERVERT?"
Pixie. OF COURSE. Who else could speak like that in the middle of a church? Naoki would have berated her, told her off, but he was nothing but a pile of ashes now, so that didn't matter. Nothing mattered.
Pixie was still yelling at him – furious, of course. "I don't frigging believe THIS! GET UP!""
"Go away," Naoki told her, despite not having a mouth or head or anything due to being a pile of ash. "I'm a pile of ash. Leave me alone."
"He's a pile of. . ." Shikigami, the paper demon. He sounded surprised.
"He's a pile of SHIT, that's what he is! Let's just leave him and find the exit ourselves. You're just going to have to tell the Lord that his precious Hito Shura's a lost cause."
"We can't do that," Shikigami frowned. "I believe I know what has happened. Hold them off for a moment so I can talk to him."
There was a slight pause, and then came Shiki's voice – louder now, as though he was right next to the pile of ash that was Naoki.
"Open your eyes, Naoki Kashima! See the truth! It's not real!"
Not. . . real?
He was a pile of ash. He KNEW he was a pile of ash. He FELT like a pile of ash. He was a pile of ash because he was an evil demon and he had stumbled into a church and the Holy Power of God had purified his tainted soul by burning him to ash – with a little help from holy water and the crucifixes that –
Rationality and irrationality warred within him. Rationality won.
This is how it should be. . .
BUT IT ISN'T!
In an action completely impossible for a pile of ash Naoki, opened his eyes and saw the truth. And immediately wished he hadn't.