Never before had a Friday morning been so tiresome for Hajime. He usually woke up rather eager to finish the remaining few courses he had on that week, after which a weekend of relaxation awaited him. But now everything was different. He hardly got any sleep that night, the worry he had for Tsugumi's safety giving him more bad dreams than the image of Ken's emaciated corpse. Not even the warm water which fell upon his naked body as he showered could help him relax one bit. All those disturbing thoughts kept haunting him and the very thought of the killer coming after him was bone-chilling. Was he putting those two policemen downstairs in jeopardy by having them guard his house? The more he thought about it, the more he wished he could just find whoever was behind his nightmare and bring them to justice once and for all. And if it was indeed Demon Subaru, as his grandmother warned him, then he hoped with all his heart that a duel would have been enough to put a stop to that monster.
In a matter of minutes, he got dressed and was downstairs in the kitchen, preparing sandwiches for himself and his guardians. It was the least he could do for them. Yet he still felt strongly the absence of Tsugumi, without her the entire house lacked that welcoming warmth which he was always used to. Breakfast passed swiftly and he was on his way to college after refusing the uniformed men's offer to accompany him. Despite everything that happened, he still felt that the campus was a safe place for him, at least during daytime. As long as he was a part of the crowd, he could not easily become a victim. Still, he took their phone numbers just to be safe. His morning walk was different this time around. His pace was faster, his eyes were scanning every corner of the street and sidewalk, every person and vehicle he passed by, almost as if his every action was being watched. Only two days ago he had pondered over fear and the power it had over his fellow citizens. Now said fear had taken over his entire being and it finally pushed him to action, something which he should have done much earlier. Maybe if he did, he would not have lost two of the most important people in his life.
Soon enough, he found himself in the safety of the college corridors, searching for course materials in his locker. As he did, Jack walked out of the crowd and caught his attention from the distance, fear and paranoia all over the cowboy's face.
"Good morning, did you find something last night?" inquired Hajime while grabbing all the books and notebooks he needed.
"Partner, we need to talk," Jack replied with an unnaturally serious tone.
"Sure, I'm all ears."
Jack sighed and lowered his voice, "In private, the walls have ears here."
Hajime shrugged, put the materials in his suitcase and followed his friend outside, the two of them going in a corner of the yard where they could not be easily heard by others. "So how did it go? You seem a bit traumatized," he remarked.
"I seem? I just seem?" Jack spoke back, obviously insulted. "Why did you send me all alone in that place?! Do you have any idea what happened to me last night?"
"Obviously I don't. Mind elaborating?"
"They made me stab someone repeatedly," Jack confessed, his voice almost breaking into crying.
Hajime's eyes grew wide. "They did what?!"
"You heard what I said! That group's nothing but a cult, their site's what they use for recruiting new followers, and their final test is forcing you to stab some poor victim to death. Do you have any idea what I've been through?"
"Jack, I-"
"Do you know what it feels like to have a dagger in your hand and have to look your victim in the eye before you stab them? Can you imagine seeing them basically whimper and beg you not to do it? That's what it was like being in my shoes last night, Hajime. They turned me into a goddamn murderer!"
"Listen, Jack, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to-" Before he could finish his sentence, Jack punched him hard in the left cheek, causing him to fall on his back and drop his suitcase.
"This is all your fucking fault! The cult's members are everywhere in the campus, and now that I'm a member, I can only get out if I have a death wish. If you weren't so damn obsessed with vengeance, my life wouldn't be in such a mess right now!"
"Woah, woah, calm down, Jack!" shouted Lori, who had just walked in the campus perimeter and noticed the two of them argue. "I know what happened last night was awful, but you don't have to take it all out on blondie."
"And why not, huh?" he spat back at his girlfriend. "While I was risking my life out there, he was safe and sound in his family mansion!"
"The killer got to his grandma."
That revelation left Jack stunned. He turned to Hajime, who dusted his turtleneck sweater, picked up his suitcase and got back up on his feet.
"I'm sorry, I didn't know…" Jack tried apologizing, only to receive a cold glare. "I hope your grandma's safe and sound."
Hajime ignored his apologies and calmly asked, "What can you tell me about this cult?"
"They're known as the Spawns of Shishima. That's because last night they managed to invoke this demon who calls itself Shishima. The thing claimed responsibility for all the murders which happened this week."
Lori laughed, making the atmosphere even more uncomfortable. "Come on, there's no such thing as demons! It must've been a video projector or something. Maybe your mind's been under pressure and it made you see things."
"No, I believe him," Hajime interjected, catching the attention of the other two. "My grandmother said she faced a murderous demon in her youth. Once the killings started, she believed that said demon had returned. As far as I'm concerned, this is the closest lead we've got to the killer. What did this Shishima look like?"
"If I remember, he was a tall purple figure, glowing in the darkness. I couldn't see his face well, but I saw that he kind of looked like a lion. I'll never forget that piercing look from those red eyes, it's like he was staring into our very souls…" Jack confessed, his body beginning to shake with fear.
"You probably just hallucinated because of that traumatic experience," Lori dismissively replied.
"Will you shut your trap for once? This is serious!" Hajime snapped at her and turned back to the cowboy. "Jack, I want you to give me the address to their whereabouts. Also, I want you to go back there tonight and find out more about this demon they're worshiping."
"No. No can do, partner." Jack shook his head, paranoid fear beginning to take over. "I refuse to be a part of this. I've had enough fear for a lifetime in that place."
Hajime insisted, "Please, if you have any more info on them…"
"Shishima ordered the cult's leader to keep on with the nightly murders till further notice. They intend to take over the college. The one who leads these freaks is Shinobu Matsuda."
"The president of the student council?!" Lori asked in disbelief, her boyfriend solemnly nodding. "No way, she's like the most popular girl on campus. She's so smart and well-fashioned, there's no way she could be behind all this freaky shit!"
"She also hangs out with many outcasts during breaks," Hajime pointed out. "Still, I never expected her to go to such extremes. I guess there's a monster hidden inside all of us. Perhaps the scariest ones come from those whom we believe to be the sanest."
"Whatever, I just don't want to go back there. We've got to do something about it!" Jack insisted.
Lori put a hand on her boyfriend's shoulder to comfort him and added, "Agreed, we should just let the police handle it."
"We can't!" Hajime raised his voice. "If the police busts down the cult, we might lose our trail on Shishima. Do you think we'll be able to invoke him on our own?"
"What's wrong with you, blondie?" Lori also raised her voice in frustration. "Are you so fixated on justice that you don't care about the safety of your friends?"
"If we don't stop this demon, what makes you think there won't be other cults worshiping him in the future? And do you really believe the police will be able to catch a supernatural being so easily?"
"As much as I like this city, I'm not willing to risk my life or Jack's for it and that's final!"
"Would you at least be willing to risk them for our entire world's safety?"
"Look, I'm fed up of arguing with you. Why don't we settle this in a duel?"
As much as he wanted to keep his superior attitude, even Hajime had to admit that he had grown tired of Lori's stupidity and arrogance. He took out his deck to accept her challenge and both of them walked out of the campus, Jack quickly following suit. They went past the bus station and entered the park. The brunette sat on the bench and took off his cowboy hat, watching the other two go to the dueling table, setting up their cards for the match. It dawned upon Hajime that it had been a while since he had a normal duel. Up until that week, he viewed it as nothing more than a card game which he played as a hobby. Little did he know that the same card game would become his only way of attaining vengeance and protecting everyone around.
Lori was the first to bring out a creature on her second turn. "I summon ChuChuris, First Squad."
Hajime did the same. "I summon Crysta, First Squad."
"I summon Magnum, Shortshot. Then it's your move."
That was weird. Last time he saw Lori duel, she was all-out aggressive and did not waste a turn to attack. Did she change her strategy all of a sudden? Maybe she was aware that she was facing a defensive control deck and chose to build up her field first. Whatever the reason, he had to keep up with her.
"I summon Orlilia, Flash of Justice. Crysta, break her shield!" Hajime ordered and his opponent drew a card from her shield zone.
"Shield trigger, I cast Dodonga Roar Cannon!" Lori said while revealing it.
"Labyrinth, since I have more shields than you, Orlilia won't let you cast spells that cost 5 or less."
"Tsh, killjoy. My move then, I summon Dachicco Churis. Now the next Beat Jockey I summon costs 3 less. Then Master Bad Action Dynamite, I summon Bad Brand by paying only 1 mana!"
"What the…?"
"Heh, ChuChuris makes my Beat Jockeys cost 1 less. Dachicco Churis also reduced his cost by 3. Then with Master Bad Action Dynamite, his cost is reduced by 2 more. 7-1-3-2=1. Bad Brand gives speed attacker to all my creatures. Go, Bad Brand, double break his shields!"
"Shield trigger, I cast Justy Luminarie!" Hajime said and was quick to put a card from his hand into the battle zone. "With its effect, I bring out Faywon, Green Knowledge Silver and-"
"Magnum, Shortshot's effect, whenever you put a creature into the battle zone during my turn, it goes into the graveyard instead," Lori interrupted him, enjoying the surprised look on his face. "Magnum, break his shield! ChuChuris, break another shield! Dachicco Churis, break his final shield!" she ordered, and one by one, all cards from her opponent's shield zone were gone.
"Shield trigger, I cast Super Eternal Spark, send Magnum to your shields!"
"I end my turn and due to Master Bad Action Dynamite, I destroy Dachicco Churis."
She was indeed faster than Jack, on that much Hajime had to agree. But if his deck managed to resist the aggressive strategies of those Jokers, then surely, he could do the same with her Beat Jockeys. Drawing a card, he began his turn:
"I summon another Crysta along with two Faywon. I tap both of my Faywon and draw a card. Then I summon Shikyaku, Earth Learning. Orlilia, destroy ChuChuris!"
"One blocker and three tapped reverse blockers. Nice little fortress you're building up there, pal," Lori complimented him, for once sounding genuine. Alas, her cocky attitude returned quickly. "However, that's not enough to stop me! I cast Dodonga Roar Cannon, destroy Orlilia! Bad Brand, todomeda!"
"I untap Faywon and redirect the attack to Crysta!" Hajime was quick to respond. "My turn, I evolve the other Crysta into Heavy Voice, Weaving of Memory. I attack with Heavy Voice and Kizuna Plus, I send the Crysta from under it to the graveyard and it allows me to cast a spell that costs 5 or less from my hand for no cost. I cast Super Eternal Spark to send Heavy Voice to my shields and stop its attack."
"Heh, you're that desperate to regain your shields, ey?"
"Faywon, break her shield! Then I break another with my second Faywon! It's your turn."
Lori smiled as she drew her next card and spoke to him in full confidence, "Play time's over – I summon Dope Double Boarder! He's a speed attacker who untaps, gets his power doubled and breaks one of your shields whenever he wins a battle."
Hajime gulped, all the creatures he could defend himself with were weaker than Dope Double Boarder's 4000 power.
"Dope Double Boarder, destroy Faywon! I untap him and break your final shield. Dope Double Boarder, destroy the other Faywon! I untap him again. Dope Double Boarder, todomeda!"
"Shikyaku, block!"
"Dope Double Boarder untaps again." Lori grinned. "However, I think my main trump card deserves the honor of finishing off your pretentious ass."
"Listen, we don't have time for petty arguments," Hajime tried reasoning with her. "Jack is part of the cult, right now he's our best chance to stop the killer."
"Jack's not your little lackey. If you're hellbent on playing detective, feel free to put your own life at risk. But us? We're going to the police and that's final! Bad Brand, todomeda!"
And with that, Hajime lost. He packed up his cards and watched how Lori went over to her boyfriend, who seemed to not care about the match's results.
"The courses have started," Jack brought up casually.
"Who cares? Let's head over to the police station and put an end to this nightmare," Lori suggested.
"Please, stop being so brash!" Hajime begged. "If you truly want this nightmare to be over, we have to find the demon and deal with him once and for all!"
"You can do that yourself. We're not going to put ourselves in danger to a bunch of cultist freaks," Lori dismissed him.
The couple then walked out of the park, leaving Hajime all by himself. He stared in their direction, a mix of betrayal and concern in his heart, and he hoped that at the very least they would indeed remain safe. Now he was alone on his mission. Or had he always been alone? Cursing the dark thoughts which began to resurface even during daytime, he headed back to college. At the very least he now had a name and was certain that the killer indeed was not a human. The following breaks he would spend searching the internet for answers.
Little did he know that from the shadows of a nearby alley, two glowing red dots witnessed everything.