Sweat raced down Hajime's skin, he and Sayo ran as fast as their feet allowed them, their gasps for air echoing in the dead of night. Despite the constant fatigue that his mind was going through, survival instincts jolted an adrenaline rush inside which allowed him to keep up with his rescuer. A plethora of questions raced through his mind as he contemplated the priestess holding his hand. Where were they headed? Who was she? How did she find him? Why was she interested in helping him thwart Shishima? Did she have any ulterior motives? Could he really trust her? The sweet flowery scent emanating from her clothes assaulted his nostrils yet again, waking him back to reality. Whatever perfume she was using was indeed very strong.
All of a sudden, the nocturnal darkness shifted to a twilightesque crimson. That was impossible, it wasn't even midnight yet. And even if the break of dawn were to approach, the sun's rays would have gradually risen from the East. This was too immediate and way too eerie. Hajime turned around, and to his horror, witnessed two red beams coming out of the college building and penetrating the sky, causing a strange dome to extend downwards.
"What in the world is that?!" he exclaimed in a frenzied panic at the otherworldly sight.
"Calm down, we need to escape this city before Shishima traps us here!" Sayo reminded him.
"What about the others who live here?"
"There's no time!"
Before he could protest, the screams of terrified citizens came out of the surrounding blocks of flats and houses, disturbing his thoughts yet again. Soon enough, people flocked out of their homes, flooding the streets to escape the nightmare.
"This isn't good." Sayo stopped and sat down on her fours. "Quick, get on my back!"
"Are you crazy? I'll only burden you, I can still run on-"
"Stop arguing with me and just get on my back already!" she snapped and Hajime complied, sitting on her back and wrapping his arms around her belly, holding tight onto his suitcase.
In the very next moment, Sayo jumped high into the air, making a precise land into a tree. As Hajime was trying to process what had just happened, she made an even higher jump and landed on a streetlight. The next one brought them in an apartment's balcony, the sudden adrenaline rush making Hajime's heart pump faster and faster. From up there, they witnessed that the dome was about to enclose on the ground in a matter of seconds. There was no way any human could be fast enough to escape.
"Where did you get such acrobatic skills?" he uttered in awe.
Sayo ignored his comment and pulled out a card from her yukata, whispering, "I'm afraid I'll have to use this..." The card erupted with a strong red and purple aura and in a matter of seconds, a large quadrupedal dragon appeared. Its wings and legs seemed to be made of leaves, it had three necks: the one on the left ending in a spiked flower, the one on the right ending in a red water lily, and the one in the middle ending in an actual head which resembled a bud. Purple petals surrounded it from the back and a leaf stood for what seemed to be hair. The creature opened its red eyes and regarded them. "Demonkazura, quick, fly us out of here!" Sayo demanded while dragging Hajime with her on the creature's back.
Heeding the order, the dragon spread its leafy wings and took off at high speed, narrowly managing to escape before the dome crashed into the ground and disappeared, taking the city of Sagakin along with it. Only an empty grassy field leading into an equally empty beach remained behind. The night sky returned to normal, and along with it, a feeling of security. Hajime rubbed his temples and stared in disbelief at the field they were flying away from. After the terrible nightmare he had endured that week, the fact that his grandmother's hometown had vanished off the map only served to push the knife deeper into the wounds caused by that monster.
"Listen, we have to quickly find a hideout, sooner or later Shishima will come after us," Sayo broke the silence between them.
"Come after us? Oh no, Jack and Lori!" Hajime opened his suitcase and took out his cell phone, immediately dialing his friend's number. "Please, please, tell me you're safe. Please, tell me you managed to get out in time," he murmured as the phone rang in his ear.
"Hajime? What's wrong with you, partner?" asked Jack from the other end.
Hajime gave a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness you got away..."
"Got away? You can be sure of that. We saw some strange red fog on campus and Lori suggested we pack our stuff and head back to Tokyo. Sorry to leave you behind, partner."
"Don't worry, Jack. I'm also on my way to Tokyo. If you want, we can meet up there and-"
"A-ta-ta, let me stop you right there. We intend to go to the American embassy and do the paperwork to transfer back in the US. We've both decided that we have too many bad memories in that city, so we want to put it behind and finish our college studies back home."
"I understand you wholeheartedly, Jack. Listen, I'm just glad you're safe and out of his reach."
"What do you mean? Did something happen?"
"Take care for now."
Before Jack could ask any more questions, Hajime hung up. There was no reason to burden the couple with his own quest for justice, they have made their decision and he would respect it. Still, there was one more call he had to make.
"Yes, darling?" his mother answered, the sounds of a shuffling crowd in the background.
"Mom, listen, there's no need for you to come to Sagakin. I've already boarded a train to Tokyo, I'll be there by tomorrow."
"That's wonderful, sweetie! But shouldn't you have waited for us? How are you able to carry your luggage?"
"I only took a suitcase which has my laptop and course papers. I'll get the rest from grandma's house later. Oh, and listen, I'm also bringing a friend over, if that's not a problem."
"None whatsoever, you know that any friend of yours is welcome at our home! I just wanted to let you know that we've arrived in Tokyo and are now waiting for our limousine. Shall I have the guest room prepared?"
"That would be nice. Thanks a lot, mom, see you tomorrow! Don't forget to send my regards to dad as well!"
With the calls finished, Hajime took another breath of relief and focused more on the clear sky filled with stars. Knowing his heart was at ease, Sayo smiled to herself for a moment. They had a long night ahead...
Demon Subaru walked out of the college building, followed by demonized servants and cultists who worshiped him. He found Shinobu fainted on the grass after her defeat at the hands of the mysterious priestess. He bit his thumb to make it bleed, then leaned down and marked her forehead with his blood. Her body twitched, and soon enough, she opened her eyes.
"Master... what happened?"
"You lost and Hajime got away," Demon Subaru passively stated while helping the girl back on her feet. "But worry not, I've isolated Sagakin inside my own pocket dimension. I've also taken the liberty to mark you and the other Spawns of Shishima with my blood."
"To what do we owe this honor?" Shinobu asked as she bowed down to her master.
"I've cast a spell upon this city and each human who doesn't bear my mark will be caught in a hallucination of their deepest inner fears."
"Hehehe, this will definitely make things more interesting!" Bochiborof giggled, making no effort to hide his excitement.
"I now have a new mission, for all of you!" Demon Subaru raised his voice, catching the attention of everyone. "Find Hajime and the priestess, bring them to me... unharmed. Bochiborof, Demon Edo, Demon Sora, you have my permission to sacrifice anyone else you encounter. Spawns of Shishima, whoever you find, you may snap them out of their trance and try to convince them to join you. If they refuse, you know what to do." Each cultist nodded to him, murderous glee on their faces. "But most importantly, you are to first target the authorities and anyone else whom you know would stand in our way. I want them eliminated, no mercy whatsoever. Shinobu, this is your chance to free the other Spawns from prison."
"I will do whatever you say, Lord Shishima!" Shinobu got up, flashing her ritual knife in the red light emanating from the sky.
"Now, all of you, be gone! Our glorious era of bloodshed begins tonight!"
The small group gave loud cheers to their master, then they all ran off, scattering through the streets of the captive city. Finally alone, Demon Subaru retreated in the campus building and headed straight to the dean's office. The room had been trashed, books and documents scattered on the floor, television and computer screens broken; and three bags lying in a corner, the remains of the chosen duelists he had not resurrected left there, one of his trump cards in case of any unexpected emergency. He yawned and sat on the desk as if it were a bed, lazily pushing off the pens and papers which stood in the way of his comfort. Staring at the ceiling, he wondered why the priestess's scent felt so familiar. For some reason, a part of him feared the answer.
Fear, how he hated that weakness. Although it was the fear of others that he fed off of, since it was the strongest negative emotion that all living beings experienced, he swore a long time ago that he would never allow himself the utter shame of feeling it. Now there he was, a demon whose power bordered godhood, being unnerved by a mere flowery scent, no different from an insect. What was wrong with him? He had achieved most of his ambitions: he had a city under his control, and soon enough, he would also have an army to use in his upcoming conquest. The only goal he had left was to successfully invoke All Over The World so he could have full access to its power and regain his true demonic body. But despite all that, this strange feeling kept bothering him like a thorn on his side. Perhaps what he needed was a break from it all, even evil had to rest sometimes, so he closed his eyes and drifted into sleep.
Demonkazura landed in the mountains, the plant creature easily blending in with the forest trees. The two passengers got off its back, and Sayo was quick to bow down in gratitude. The Demon Command Dragon responded by gently cuddling its head against her, after which it vanished into thin air.
"We will be safer here for now, since it's not an open space," Sayo said while scanning their surroundings.
"I agree, but why can't you summon your creature again and have it fly us to Tokyo?" Hajime wondered as he stretched his tired limbs.
"I've used too much of my power today, and trust me, I know my limits. For now we will be on foot."
"Just so you know, my parents have arrived in Tokyo, we should go find a railway and hope a train picks us up."
"I'm not sure about this. Other cities will be targeted soon by Shishima's forces. We should stay hidden in the woods for a while."
"Are you out of your damned mind?! My folks will be worried if I don't show up home tomorrow or if I won't be able to answer the phone! The news about Sagakin's disappearance will spread like wildfire, and this will only cause more problems. We need to go to Tokyo as soon as possible!"
"I understand your position and I am willing to concede, but first we must make sure that our trail will not be followed. Let's hide in these woods for the night and I promise that by morning it will be safe for us to leave."
"And where do you expect us to sleep? On the mud? In the dirt? We're not cavemen, we should have some dignity!"
"Your ancestors could handle themselves in this environment, I'm sure you can, too. Look, there really is no time for us to argue. You are free to go on your separate way if you so choose, but be warned that Shishima will most likely hunt you down if you do."
"Oh, as if we're not already in the same predicament!"
"Your name was Hajime, right? Listen, Hajime, I have done some research on you since I arrived in Sagakin and I know of what happened to both your best friend and your grandmother. I am really sorry for your loss, I know you must have gone through a lot, which is why I want to help you defeat Shishima and put an end to his evil! All that I ask is that we work together." Sayo offered her hand for a fair shake. "What do you say?"
"No." Hajime pushed her hand away. "I'm grateful that you've saved my life, but I can't just go ahead and trust someone whom I've barely known for an hour. You showed up out of the blue and are all of a sudden so willing to aid me in my cause, how can I be certain that you are not one of Shishima's cronies? He already turned two of my grandmother's close friends into demons, he even took on the face of her former lover, most likely just to spite her! What if you are another demon in disguise, trying to lure me until I let my guard down, then you will pounce on me and turn me into minced meat? If you really want us to cooperate, I want you to answer my questions right now: Who are you? Where did you come from? How do you know so much about Shishima? Why do you want to stop him? And if you have a plan, I need to hear it in this instant."
Sayo looked at him in the eye and sighed, saddened that such a determined young man with a strong sense of justice was still so stubborn, even with those who only wanted his good. Shaking her head, she replied, "Please accept my sincere apologies..."
"For what?"
In the very next moment, Sayo punched Hajime in the face, knocking him out, his unconscious body collapsing on the ground. When he would wake up, she would gladly answer his questions, but in that moment she had to find them a shelter for the night. Picking up both him and his suitcase, she headed towards the nearest cave.