Big ups for everyone who has been following this story so far, and intends to keep on going. You are my biggest inspiration!
Self-Discoveries, Part 3: Silver Linings
The front of the Hanekoma's residence was blocked with caution tape so that a special action from shock troopers could be undertaken to open up their front door. After Shingo's call to the local Police Department, regular policemen arrived at the scene but were unable to pry open the front doors and the windows. Some extra workforce was needed, and even then it was for naught.
"Nothing budges, ma'am, and we are running out of resources," one of the troopers told Chief Superintendent Sakurada, who was overseeing the situation since the first policemen arrived.
"Well, I hate to say this, but we will require extra manpower from the Special Defense Forces. We'll have to communicate with Major Sosuke Urawa."
"Uh, should we really?" the trooper asked. "I mean, his son-"
"I know how his son is, okay?" She retorted more rudely than she intended. "Doesn't mean Major Urawa can't do his job."
The discussion was rendered moot when all of a sudden, the front door to the Hanekoma household opened, and the shock troopers wasted no time in entering it with caution. It was completely wrecked from the inside, with blood inscriptions across the walls and the putrid smell becoming stronger, to the point the agents had to breathe with their mouths to not be moved to nausea and vomit, and even then they could feel a caustic taste of rotten meat and brimstone in their mouths. There was no signal of either Aguri or his mother, and the more they entered, the more macabre the scene was, with the walls taking on a quasi-organic texture.
The scene was already an awful sight, but what really did it in was the crater found in Aguri's bedroom. It seemed like the insides of a creature sticking out, and it emitted eerie gurgling sounds. On the walls of the bedroom, a message inscribed like it was burned flesh with blood flowing down spelled: HELL EXISTS. THEY ARE COMING.
(xx)
The boys from Arisugawa Park came back to their makeshift homes at dusk after a grueling but edifying day of work at Hikawa Temple. By Rei's request, Grandpa Hino went personally to the place to offer them seasonal jobs to help around the Temple's heaviest duties and to repair their guest room, which they gladly accepted.
"Looking great, guys!" Astar commented as they took turns bathing in the farthest corner of the lake.
"The Hinos are excellent hosts, and the miko girls are great cooks, y'know," said Kamina, the eldest member of the group. "Can't wait to go back there."
At that moment, Setsuna appeared once again as promised.
"Oh, it's that pretty woman again!" The youngest member of the congregation said. "Now you can't tell me you aren't dating!"
"Hush it, Akira!" The incubus once again chastised his young neighbor half-jokingly. "Hello there, Setsuna! Shall we go now?"
Though she smiled politely, Setsuna could barely conceal her concern about Astar. She was still haunted by the visions she's been having of the incubus since she accidentally bumped into him. As they walked to the Fruit Parlor Crown, Astar noticed Setsuna was nowhere near as enthused to speak to him as she did the day before.
"Something the matter, Setsuna?" Astar asked.
"No, nothing," she tried to lie. "I'm just a bit stressed out. I don't mean to be rude or anything, it's just that when I'm like this, I prefer to keep it to myself. I hope you understand."
The incubus just nodded but could feel there was something else going on in his friend's head. Setsuna, on her part, could not stop thinking of the visions she had of Astar. He has to...
Eight in the evening when Astar arrived at Fruit Crown Parlor just as it was about to close.
"Good evening, sir," a red-headed girl greeted him from behind the counter. "We are about to close, so I'm afraid we can't serve you anything more elaborate than a bottle of coke..."
"No problems," he answered warmly. "But since you mentioned it... Could I have a bottle of water, please?"
"Sure thing," she said as she went to one of the freezers on her side, eventually handing him the bottle he asked for. "200 yen."
"Thanks, there you go," he said as he handed her a couple of 100 yen coins. "Anyways, is Makoto here?"
"Ooh! You must be the date she was talking about! Just a minute, she's about to leave the kitchen."
Date? Somehow he doubted that's how Makoto described her workmate about their encounter.
As the incubus put the nutrient mix inside his bottle, another man wearing a helmet and a leather jacket came inside and sat by the counter, two stools away from Astar. After taking a few sips and looking at the man's face, the incubus had the impression of recognizing him.
"Eh, what are you staring at?" the man asked in a defying tone.
"No, uh... Nothing. Just thought I'd recognize you from somewhere. I guess I'm mistaken, sorry."
The man did not answer anything else. Soon after, Unazuki appeared from the kitchen. "Hideki!" she affirmed happily.
"'Sup, Unazuki?" the man beamishly said as he embraced the girl. "Day done already, Mrs. General Manager?"
"Yeah, pretty much closed. Shall we go now?"
"Sure, let's go."
"Hey, do you mind if you wait for Makoto inside?" Unazuki addressed Astar. "I'll close it outside so nobody else enters, and she has an extra key. Bye!"
The incubus gave a short nod and observed as the couple went outside, put on helmets, and rode on the young man's motorbike.
"Oh, hi there, Astar." Makoto appeared from the kitchen while taking off her apron. "Sorry... I had to finish packing up some stuff for tomorrow's shift. Since we are all alone and I'm responsible for the closing of the shop, we can talk here if you wish."
"I don't see why not," he replied. Makoto then sat on a stool next to the incubus. "So what do you do here, Miss Kino?" Astar asked.
"Normally I'm a waiter, but once in a while, I help out with the meals. It's a good place, and a good chance to practice my culinary skills with proper feedback. So far, my record is 15-0 in the ratio of compliments-to-complaints."
"Pretty good! Isn't it great to work with what you like?"
"Absolutely! So yeah, earlier today, I spoke to Ami and Rei, and they said you had some great chats with them about what you saw, and what made you enter their minds. I'm certainly curious as to what you saw in my mind."
"Let's see... Your Dreamscape was comprised of an incredibly huge forest, where every tree contained memories of your life."
"Ah, fairly appropriate! I always loved nature and its gifts. So, what else?"
"In those memories, I could see you were a bit of a lonely child growing up. Your only companies were usually of your aunt and another boy, and you only got better at socializing after you met Usagi and your fellow Sailor Guardians."
"Well, yes, I was... You see, I was always being picked on for being tall and lanky, so I was always afraid of reaching out to people. Some were even violent, so I had to learn to fight in order to keep my own ground."
"Well, it seems these experiences helped you shape into the woman you are now. Even the bad ones."
"Haha, yeah, you could say that," Makoto said with a wry smile as she leaned on the counter. "I do enjoy a good fight once in a while, as long as it is for a good cause. But now, let me ask you something."
"Sure, ask away."
"Did you see anything... about my parents?"
Astar felt a bit of sadness about the question. "Yes... I did. I saw the day you last saw them. You and your aunt said goodbye to them at the airport, but they promised they would be back. They didn't... And you cried in your aunt's arms when you received the news." As he spoke, he notice Makoto was starting to feel uncomfortable to the point of tears. "I'm sorry for this..."
"No, it's... It's okay," the Guardian stated as she sniffed and cleaned her eyes with her index finger. "I asked you about what you saw, so I knew well I would get emotional. You know, sometimes I wonder if they were still there next to me, if things would have been different."
"They would have been, of course. But there are things beyond our control."
"You have a point. Thankfully, I still have my aunt Shizune, and she's been a godsend to me ever since then. You don't imagine the kind of sacrifices she had to do to raise me after my parents died. And you cited another boy, right? Yeah, that's Shinozaki, my best friend since childhood. We always did everything together, including fending off each other's bullies. We grew a bit apart since I started acting as a Sailor Guardian, but we have since reconnected, and I'm very glad I did."
Astar smiled. "Isn't it great to have someone like that by your side? I saw this Shinozaki boy in another memory of yours. He saved you from sinking into a pool of self-pity after you separated from a boy whom I assume was an old flame of yours. Speaking of which, care to tell me what happened between you two?"
After a brief sigh, Makoto spoke: "His name is Hideki Tajiri. He was my senpai in middle school. And we... We had a thing going on. It wasn't exactly dating, but still, we were going out, and I thought we were great together, he was the one for me and such. After years of being shunned for being like I was, it felt marvelous to have someone who I thought loved me unconditionally. One day, I called him home and... It happened. We slept together that day, it was our first time, and it was a mix of both pleasure and pain that I simply could never forget. But the next day, he told me we were finished. You don't imagine how floored I was that day! I felt used, I felt dirty... I mean, I literally gave myself body and soul to him the day before, and there he was saying he never really liked me or my type... And the worst part is that I kept pining for him all the same."
Astar pondered for a while. Just as he expected, the man who turned out to be Unazuki's boyfriend was indeed the man in Makoto's dreams. "I think I understand what created the frustration that attracted me. Despite having the love of your aunt and your fellow Sailor Guardians, you still feel lonely in the companionship sense. And the situation with this Hideki fellow left a huge mark in your mind and how you pursue your love interests."
"It definitely did, and I admit it," Makoto sighed.
"I did see you with some other men, but for one reason or another, you were separated from them. For instance, I saw you with Shinozaki once more, in what seemed like a dream romantic scene."
That last phrase surprised Makoto. "I... I did!?"
"Yes, you did," Astar confirmed. "You were about to ask him something, but you stopped, and he grew tired of waiting and left. If he appeared like that, it is because at the very least you considered him as a potential partner at some point in your life, but you hesitated in going further. Anyways, another one was a slightly older guy with sandy blond hair who was always wearing an apron. I recall his name was Motoki."
Makoto flustered once again. "Oh, dear, I had the longest crush on Motoki for quite some time. Unfortunately, he has a girlfriend already..."
"Yeah, I saw you two sharing an embrace, but then he was pushed away from you towards her girlfriend."
"Yeah, and I kept fantasizing about him breaking up with her and such. I mean, his girlfriend Reika, she spent quite some time in Africa for her scholarship, and last I heard, she returned home for good..." The disappointment in Makoto's voice was palpable.
"I see..." Astar commiserated with the Guardian. "Oh, you may be thrilled to know I saw a memory of your past life. In there, you had a man of your own by your side. He wore military clothes, and had long locks of wavy auburn hair."
"I did?" Makoto was indeed thrilled but then started to think about who could it be, based on Astar's brief description. "Oh wait, I remember who that is. I think his name was Nephrite. He fought against Usagi, Ami, and Rei, but I myself never met him. He was double-crossed by Zoisite just as he was starting to see the error of his ways, according to them..."
"I'm starting to see a pattern here," Astar pondered. "Your past lovers became your enemies in this day and age, somehow."
"Yeah, isn't that a kick in the head?" lamented Makoto. "Since then, I never had anything with anybody else. Only silly crushes and absolutely nothing came from them. Not to mention... Whenever I see a guy I find attractive, I still project Hideki's image on them. I sometimes feel I can't be with anyone because of how I look like, or how I act..."
"Well, if you pardon my impoliteness, you filled out nicely. I don't see why you should be insecure about your body and your looks."
Makoto blushed and chuckled a bit. "Thanks for the compliment! I guess those are holdovers from my formative years. Things like that don't go away easily, you know..."
"Heh, I understand that. But really, I see no reason for you to get nervous about your image. Love is important, of course, but all takes its time. You can't lament over things beyond your reach, but what you've done to better yourself has been great so far. All you need to do is to work on the constant need to put yourself down when it comes to romance. If it couldn't happen with Hideki, or Motoki, or whoever else... Well, pity, but use those experiences to strengthen yourself. This may sound utilitarian, but some people are the way, not the final destination."
"That's... an interesting way to see things," Makoto said as her expression started to lighten up.
"All in all, it's a question of learning to move on, leaving the past in the past, and reading cues in the present so that you can follow the future you wish. Also, no more being afraid of being hurt, since it is part of life itself, okay?"
"Okay!" the Guardian agreed.
"Excellent! I must be going now. I hope I was of help."
"You most definitely were."
"Say, can I take some of those over to the boys in Arisugawa Park?" Astar asked while pointing out to the pastries in display at the back of the counter.
"I'd love to let you take some. Problem is, if I gave away anything on display, or even the smallest ingredients in the pantry, I'd have to compensate for them from my pocket. Not to mention we already closed the spendings for today, and adding extra sales on the book would be complicated. Logistics and accountability, you see..."
"Ah, bummer. But okay, some other day when I have some more money in my pockets I'll come over here."
Makoto smiled, then lowered the metallic blinds of the windows and turned off the lights. Both left Fruit Parlor Crown at the same time.
"Hey, Astar," Makoto said with a relieved smile on her face. "Thank you so much for the talk today. You're far more insightful and helpful this way."
"And I thank you for your trust. Your parents would be proud if they could see you today. See you!" He went his own way upon saying this.
They would, wouldn't they? Makoto thought as she looked up to the Tokyo night sky. Mom... Dad... Wherever you are, I hope you are happy with who I turned out to be. Because so far, I haven't for some reason. But that will change. I swear it will change!
(xx)
It's been exact 24 hours of loud rock n' roll that came from Kenzou Bunkamura's apartment, and it naturally did not amuse any of his neighbors. One of them beat on his door: "Oi, Bunkamura! Pipe down there! Dammit man, you've been playin' that crap since yesterday!"
The sole tenant of the apartment opened the door ever so slightly, keeping it linked to the chain lock. All that could be seen were his watery eyes. "Please... You don't understand... This is the only way I have to fend off the demons from Hell!"
"What the... Demons from Hell? Seriously?"
"Yes, I'm telling you!" He resumed in a weepy voice. "They will take me... They are coming! They are coming for us!"
"Ah, fuck it! I'm callin' the cops!" the annoyed neighbor gruffed out as he returned home to call the police. It took about 20 minutes for a police car to arrive, led by Inspector Naitou Kakusareta.
"Well, what do we have here," Naitou said as he entered the block and recognized the song being blasted at full volume. "Ah, Faith No More. A favorite of mine, but not of the other tenants, it seems."
Once arriving at Bunkamura's front door, he knocked twice and called for the young man. "Tokyo Police. The neighbors are complaining. Please open the door and explain yourself."
Once again, Kenzou half-opened his front door. "I'm telling you, sir, if I don't play loud music, the demons will kill me! I saw them... I was one for a while! I still have a blood sigil-"
Rather than hearing Kenzou's excuses for any longer, Naitou managed to open the chain lock and barged in the apartment.
"No! NOOO! Don't do that!" Kenzou shouted as the Inspector turned off the sound system from where the music was being reproduced.
"I'm sorry, sir, but you left me no alternative," Naitou explained.
"YOU DOOMED US ALL, YOU FUCKING PIG!" Kenzou shouted as he tried to tackle Naitou. All the policeman had to do to stop him was to put his hand on his face. He then twisted Kenzou's arms to his back and swiftly handcuffed him. Kenzou did not resist any further afterward.
"That does it, you're under arrest for contempt of authority. You're coming with me to the office, smart-ass."
(xx)
"Miss Aino? I'm a huge fan of yours! Could you give me your autograph?"
Outside the garage where she and her band had finished their weekly rehearsals, Minako recognized Astar calling from the other side of the street. "Ooh, you're the famous incubus the girls told me about! Pleased to meet you!"
"Pleased to meet you too! Say, do you mind if we talk in a better environment?"
"Sure! How about an open-air café here in the neighborhood? It's on me, don't worry. I always wanted to go there in a date."
"Sounds fine," the incubus agreed, preferring not to mention this wasn't supposed to be a date. "I'd have preferred if it was at Fruit Parlor Crown, but it's a bit too far from here."
"Yeah, and it's usually packed on Sundays too. Let's go."
After a bit of walking, Astar broke the silence. "Hey, you wanna know why my magic didn't really work on you? It's because you were the one who approached me first. I mean, damn, girl. I had to sneak out of your Dreamscape and ended up falling in your backyard."
"That explains why I didn't wake up all sticky and horny," she says with a rather disappointed tone, which she promptly changes. "Oh well, I retained my powers, so that's what matters!"
"You have quite a lot of pent-up sexual energy, huh?"
"Yeah! I mean... Can I confess you something that I never told anyone, not even the other Guardians?"
He meekly nodded. "Whenever I feel stressed out, well..." She then whispered in Astar's ear, to which he blushed. "Once I tried something more, ahem... Extreme." Another whisper, another blush, even redder than before. Quite the feat, considering Astar's own exploits.
"Wow, I... Yeah, I know what you mean," the incubus replied. "I'm in no position to criticize you here, anyway."
"Just so you know, I never tried it again," she casually resumed. "I spent the rest of the day unable to walk, and I had to tell my mom I was having a terrible case of cramps. Naturally, she didn't like it one bit, but that's to be expected."
"You might as well face it... You're addicted to love!"
"Well, duh!" Minako said with a smart-aleck face. "I am the Guardian of Love!"
"Someone didn't get the reference," Artemis quipped as he appeared right beside his partner and caretaker.
"Hi there, Artemis," Astar greeted.
"Oh, hello there!" the wise cat greeted back warmly. "Well, I suppose you should not be surprised by me talking."
"Indeed, I'm not. Have I told you already of Bast, the Cat Goddess? I'd love to tell you and Luna the story some other day."
Artemis drew a sly smile as started to deviate in his way. "And we'd love to listen to it. Now if you excuse me, I'm going back home so you guys can talk just fine. Be good to each other now!"
As the wise cat left, Minako had to stifle her laughter. "Don't mind him, he's quite protective of me."
Eventually, they reached the café Minako had pointed out, and they soon sat down one of the few vacant tables left. "Good afternoon and welcome!" The waiter greeted them as he approached their table. "May I take your order?"
"Ah, sure!" Minako said. "I'd like a tall and frosty mocha latte, please."
"A bottle of cool water, please," Astar requested. After the waiter wrote down the order and left, the incubus started to explain what he saw in Minako's mind. "So yeah, your Dreamscape was a mixture of cities and landscapes, but they all looked like they were painted on canvas. In every building, there were memories, some of them pleasant, some not so much. One of those even featured memories of your past life."
"Really!?" Her eyes brightened and she even started bouncing a bit on her chair. "What did you see from my past life? Let me guess, I was a princess and I had a prince by my side, right?"
"Yeah, pretty much that. Except... I saw you tending to a man with a mortal wound. Another man stood there with a bloodied sword, and you were crying. It must have been quite a traumatic experience because I could only see a static image from the window of the house that contained this memory. Your subconscious kept it locked and hurt me when I tried to enter."
The excitement in Minako's eyes made way for concern and some sadness. "Oh, my... It seems even in my past life, I had no peace or love."
Their order arrived before she could moan more about her lack of romance. Astar wasted no time in mixing his nutrient mix in the bottle, and Minako drowned her sorrows in her mocha latte.
"I know it's tough," Astar resumed after a couple of swigs of his bottle. "But as I told the others, everything happens in its due time."
"Eh, I guess so..." After a brief bout of brain freeze, Minako answered. "So, what else did you see?"
"I saw you carrying on your daily duties, and even your daily routine, you were wearing your Sailor Guardian uniform. You did not seem content at all, as if you could no longer discern between your real you and the Sailor Guardian identity you have. And it made me wonder... What could you tell me about how you feel about this?"
"Well, I gotta admit that in a way, being a Sailor Guardian is a tough, thankless job that takes out most of my time. See, when I discovered I was one, I pretty much stopped doing all the nice things I used to do, and as much as I got used to it... It was still painful for me to be away from my friends and the fun activities I used to take part in. After the battle with Galaxia, I was hell-bent on doing all that I stopped doing because of it. I formed my own band, I started playing volleyball again, took lessons in singing and dancing... And now that there is a new enemy in town, I feel like I will have to put it all aside once more."
"Perhaps you haven't made peace with this."
"And how could I..." Minako lamented as she finished her frosty treat. "When I found out I was a Sailor Guardian, I was thrilled. I could be hailed as a heroine, combat crime and injustice, all that jazz. But the praise never came. The peace never came, and it seems it will never come. It sure as hell didn't come in my past life, from what you told me, and I know it won't come in our future. Our life is of pure strife, Astar..."
"But... Does it really have to?"
"Huh? How so?"
"All of you feel like you have something that impedes you from following your objectives, especially when it comes to love. If I really were this all-powerful creature some say I am, I'd make sure you could follow all your dreams and desires, but without relinquishing of your duty. After all, if not you, who will rid the world of these threats? But I digress, the powers you have should suffice, and you are still able to follow your dreams. Hell, you already gave quite a good step forming your own music band. I don't think you should dedicate yourself exclusively to your duty as a Sailor Guardian. I'm sure Usagi wouldn't want it that way."
"Astar..."
"Perhaps your existences as the Guardians should not be just of constant struggle. There is space for everything you want to do, and there are silver linings in even the direst of situations, so why can't you and the rest be happy with the things and experiences you wish to have?"
But as he finished, Minako's eyes widened in fear upon a terrible sight. "Astar...!"
"What, did I say something offensive?"
"No, I mean... Look behind you!"
Astar turned around and saw some kind of tall quadrupedal creature with dark iridescent skin that oozed blood and mucus. Its head, if it could be called that, only had a huge mouth full of teeth that grew outwardly, and had three tongues with spines on each of its tips. And it was not the only mouth the critter had throughout its body. Its appendages spread out more like gelatinous tentacles that somehow supported the body solidly enough. Upon taking such a sight, all the patrons and some of the staff ran away to the closest safe place they could find.
"What in all hells is that!?" Minako screamed.
"A Shoggoth..." Astar said as he recognized the bizarre creature.
"A what!? Ah, doesn't matter, it's huge, it's scary and it wants to kill us!" Since the place was completely empty, Minako felt it was safe for her to call for her Sailor Guardian powers. "Venus Planet Power, Make Up!"
The fearsome creature let out some kind of phlegm-filled roar that did nothing to intimidate the Sailor Guardian and the incubus.
"Crescent Beam!" She called for her attack, only for nothing to come out of her fingertips. The Shoggoth then opened one of its mouths in some kind of creepy smile full of spiny teeth, ready to devour the Guardian of Love. She was too shocked for further reaction.
"Miss Aino!" the incubus shouted as he put himself in the way of the Shoggoth. The terrifying beast bit Astar in the forearm, skewering it with its sharp teeth. He stifled his pained scream as hard as he could.
"Astar!" the Guardian screamed. Instinctively, Sailor Venus called forth for her power again. "Crescent Beam!" This time, the light beam hit the Shoggoth right in its front, before it was able to further damage Astar, removing the teeth lodged in Astar's arm and leaving behind slit-shaped holes that gushed blood down to his fingers.
"Retreat, Shoggoth," a deep male voice commanded. "Do not hurt the incubus any further. I need him alive."
"It's the one called Dis Pater, for sure..." Astar said. The shapeless creature stopped on its tracks as the figure of the villain appeared.
"I said I need you alive," Dis Pater stated as he used some sort of spell that closed Astar's wounds just enough for them to stop bleeding in copious amounts. "After all, not only your Angel powers will be put to good use under my guise... Your presence permits the sealing of the Sailor Guardians' powers."
"W-w-what!?" The incubus could not believe what he just heard.
Dis Pater gave out a short snicker. "Exactly as I said. There is no need for me to lie, or coat the hard pill with sugar as you people say. As long as you live, the Sailor Guardians you like so much will be rendered moot in combat. Is that not the grandest thing?"
"Go away," Astar seethed.
"As you wish, dear Angel," Dis Pater said in a mocking tone as he sank in the shadow of a corner. "Take care of yourself until I come back. And ask Aeon about what does she think of all of this."
The incubus ignored the part about Aeon, since he had no idea who that was, and then turned his attention to the Guardian. "Are you okay, Miss Aino?"
"I'm fine, but... Astar, your arm..." Sailor Venus pointed at his forearm.
"It doesn't matter. What matters is that you are okay. Looks like you were just about to lose your own powers. A delayed symptom of my presence, perhaps... And you only recovered some of it when I got hurt, just like Dis Pater said."
"I... I did..." She realized both Astar and the strange figure spoke the truth about her powers.
"I think I understand what has to be done now," Astar resumed as he used one of the denim jacket's sleeves as a makeshift bandage. "Please, gather the other Guardians at Hikawa Shrine. I... must talk with the boys at Arisugawa Park first. I'll be there in an hour, tops. See you there."
Sailor Venus agreed and then pondered what exactly he was planning to do. She used her communicator to report the attack and call for the others to reunite at the Hikawa Temple in half an hour, and they promptly agreed to reunite there, seeing the gravity in the Guardian's request.
(xx)
"Witnesses said it was a mass of dark matter with no discernible shape. Very little is known about what happened after the creature appeared, only that it did not leave behind any significant damage after it left."
At the Tomoe residence, Setsuna kept herself busy by multitasking, between feeding baby food to Hotaru, typing out some extra data for her doctorate thesis on her laptop, and checking the news on the small TV in the kitchen. But her mind was faltering that evening, due to the constant visions she had after bumping into Astar the night before.
"Hello there, girls!" None other than Professor Soichi Tomoe appeared at home. While he didn't recover entirely his memories from his times as a Death Buster, he still retained his knowledge and expertise in advanced forms of physics and chemistry, allowing him to make a good living as a tenured professor at Keio University's Biology department, as well as regularly writing scientific papers for respected magazines around the world.
Baby Hotaru was visibly happy in seeing her father arriving home once more, loudly cooing and clapping on her chair, and so was Setsuna. For all intents and purposes, they were a couple, but they couldn't consummate their relationship due to Setsuna's strange condition which made her avoid contact with most people. Soichi understood it well and did not mind the distance, so long as he had Setsuna's company.
"Oh, hello there, Soichi. How was your day?"
"Tiring, but gratifying as usual, my dear," he answered in his usual peppy tone, to which the Guardian of time answered with an earnest smile. But as she tried to feed Hotaru another mouthful, her hand trembled and she ended up dropping the spoon.
"You don't seem particularly focused today," he said as he picked up the spoon and put it on the kitchen sink, then drew another one from an adjacent drawer. "Care to tell me what's up?"
Setsuna felt she could trust Soichi with the reason for her rattling.
"I... I touched him."
Soichi's eyes widened in shock. He knew well of what happened whenever she touched people and knew well of who she was talking about.
"The Angel... And what did you see," the professor asked, fearing for the answer.
Setsuna remained silent for a few moments, then finally spoke in a sorry tone. "I saw what is going to happen to him soon, of course. If I knew it was going to end this way, I would have killed him with my own hands as soon as I saw him..."
Even Hotaru remained silent. Despite being physically two years old, her subconscious could understand what the adults around her could speak.
Eventually, Soichi broke the silence. "But you told me he was no demon at all..."
"Indeed, he's not. But he still has the structures of one, and as such, his mere presence upon the Earth is detrimental to the Sailor Guardians after what he inadvertently has done. I thought it would be far more advantageous for all of us if we became allies and friends, but I was mistaken. All of us became somehow attached to him, in more ways than one. The worst thing is that the Sailor Guardians can only recover their powers this way."
"In other words..."
"He has to die. And he will."
Una vez más, gracias a Eddythe, a.k.a. litakino1987 por tus comentarios. Cuenta mucho, aún más de una persona tan talentosa como tú!
Oh yes, this Hell is a mixture of typical diabolical architecture with Lovecraftian cosmic horrors.
Next chapter: The incubus takes an important decision regarding his relationship with the Sailor Guardians.
Best regards from The Hospitaller Knight.