Fear was the strongest emotion. It was the catalyst to survival instincts which ensured species persisted for generations to come. But it also overwhelmed the mind and clouded rational thinking. The powerful knew how to use fear to their advantage. By imposing it upon others, they asserted dominance. From the pack alpha to the company CEO, all used fear to control their subordinates. Paradoxically, sometimes even those in positions of power experienced fear, whether it was their inevitable mortality or the risk of losing all they had achieved, it was still palpable. Those who allowed themselves to fall prey to fear would easily be toppled. But those who truly were fearless and accepted that in a cold and uncaring universe there was nothing to lose, those were indeed the unstoppable forces of nature.
Mister Gumo fell in the former category. A mortal who had schemed and backstabbed his way to the top, who always kept the dignified appearance of an aloof and perfect individual. He had delusions of grandeur, he saw himself as a great visionary - the Antichrist who came to abolish the shackles of superstition and lead mankind into an era of supposed progress and rationality. But in actuality it would be another era of slavery, one where he was worshiped as God. No different from any other tyrant throughout human history.
Shishima fell in the latter category. During his captivity, despite the intense amount of pain that those accursed Shinto rites brought him, never once did he feel fear. If he were to lose the entire power he had attained across millennia, he would still move on, start from scratch and eventually regain what he lost if not even more. Having broken the shackles of the Abyss multiple times was enough proof that he was one persistent creature. Even if there were things he ought to be afraid of, such as Borof's and Nekohana's safety and Hajime's mental health, he had trust in all of them. Borof was safe in the creature world, Nekohana could take care of herself and Hajime had the will to resist the hardships which life threw in his way.
Perhaps the biggest difference between Mister Gumo and Shishima was that the latter had grown satisfied both with his strength and his lot in life. He did not need titles or adoration from weaker beings, the simple fact that he was the strongest in the mortal realm was enough. In his younger years his father had taught him the responsibilities that came with a king's title. Although he chose to pursue happiness over kingship, Shishima ultimately understood the importance of Akushishi's final lesson: protecting loved ones. Strength for its own sake always led to destruction and loneliness. But strength for the sake of another brought rewards that filled the holes of an empty heart: true loyalty, devotion, even love. Mister Gumo had no need for such rewards, in fact he derided them. In a way he was a mirror image of Shishima's old self, and the sight of it disgusted him to no end.
Great was Shishima's satisfaction as he chased that pathetic man down the cavernous hallways. The scent of his blood was a source of ecstasy, the fear that had taken over his mind was a boon of adrenaline. Yes, Shishima would make Mister Gumo pay tenfold for the humiliation he had put him through. But inside there was something much deeper, a seething hatred towards the apex of evil that mankind had reached, a burning desire for vengeance towards the monster who took the lives of Audra and Ben. Those feelings did not belong to him, they were Hajime's, but instead of just feeding off of them, he was acting upon them. Was this the result of their blood oath? Did their soul bond grow so deep that they fully understood how the other felt?
Trying to get a sense of what Hajime was feeling, Shishima was shocked to find darkness. The same darkness that pushed one to hate others and torment them, the same darkness that made him cross the line and become a monster. Now his favorite human was falling prey to it, due to their bond and especially the constant tragedies that befell upon him. He could feel that Hajime was reaching his limit and was on the verge of crossing the point of no return. Something had to be done, and the only thing Shishima could think of was channeling Hajime's hatred by punishing Mister Gumo, then hopefully this would serve as justice for what had transpired over the past six months. No matter what, as Hajime's guardian demon, Shishima would never allow him to fall prey to the darkness. Toying with him was something any monster would do. Allowing terrible things to happen to him without any rhyme or reason was something God would do. And Shishima had grown past that.
Everything was tumbling down. How could his lifelong work be reduced to nothing in mere seconds?
By their very nature, humans were divided into two categories: fools and intellectuals. Fools came in different shapes, but the most common were the angry ones who typically possessed a low IQ and could easily be swayed in one direction or another, the pacifists who conceded to everyone, including their enemies, as long as there was no conflict, and the uncaring ones who surrendered themselves to nihilism, essentially the last man from Nietzsche's Thus Spoke Zarathustra. Intellectuals on the other hand came in two stripes: the challengers who pursued sciences and the arts for their own sake and sought to educate the fools, and the exploiters who used the same tools to manipulate the fools for their own benefits. Mister Gumo fashioned himself a cross between both categories of intellectuals: an exploiter who would ultimately challenge the fools once he solidified his power. It was his life's ultimate goal, the reason why he had been using others since his teenage years, the reason he put on a charismatic act for so many peers and higher ups, the reason he stained his hands with so much blood to the point where entire nations suffered at his whim.
And yet everything was tumbling down.
He believed he had complete control upon infiltrating the highest circle of elites, the ones running WEB. Just as he had those curmudgeons wrapped around his finger, his entire world had been turned upside down by the revelation of Shishima's existence. A concrete proof of the supernatural which put his atheistic views under serious question. But, as with every disadvantage, he intended to overcome it, learn everything there was to know about it, and ultimately, use it for his own ends. He was so certain that Shishima could be tamed. But there he was, running for dear life. Should he have heeded his researchers' warnings and eliminated Shishima rather than harness his power? Preposterous! He was never wrong, his philosophy and methods had brought him to the very top.
Still everything was tumbling down.
Mister Gumo could not understand. Where did he go wrong? There was a concrete explanation for every decision. Hajime Shirayama was a fellow elite, one with a connection to Shishima. Both needed to be captured, so he could hire the former and exploit the latter. Audra and Ben were close to Hajime, he had to make examples out of them to instill fear into him so he would join WEB and be fully under their control. The baby had to be taken away so he would have a future pawn in case Hajime downright refused his offer. And even if Hajime accepted and was allowed to return home with his daughter, WEB could always threaten her life to ensure he never disobeyed orders. The operating room had been left unguarded and secured only with alarms because Mister Gumo did not even trust his own guards. What if one succumbed to ambition, decided to join forces with Shishima and betrayed WEB? Man may have been a social animal, but selfishness was instinctual, genetically hardwired into their species since the first caveman decided to break his brother's skull and steal his possessions. A truly intelligent man inspired trust from others and trusted nobody. Logically, Mister Gumo had played his cards as best as he could.
So why was everything tumbling down?
Because of Shishima's trickery. That illusion of Ben's death was what led to his escape. Because of Jack's foolishness. His anger had been swayed in the wrong direction and he disobeyed orders only to wind up dead. Because of those intruding girls, especially the priestess. Mister Gumo could not afford any risks and needed all of his armed guards to capture her. And now, left without any trained muscle, he took matters into his own hands, only for his plan to end horribly wrong. Because of Ben Shaw, who should have stayed dead.
Yes, that was the reason why everything was tumbling down.
The entire world conspired against him. But Mister Gumo still had an ace up his sleeve, one he would use to make a glorious escape, retreat into the shadows and plot his revenge on those who ruined over five years of scheming. If a deity existed, he expected all of those factors to be part of its grand plan to teach him a lesson in humility and have him repent from his sinful ways. No matter what, Mister Gumo would not yield.
Anger grew inside Hajime's heart, clouding his mind, tensing his body. Perhaps telling Lori the truth of Jack's ultimate fate was a mistake. Then again, considering the many lies both he and Sayo already fed her to shelter her from the reality of Shishima's survival, there did come a point when enough was enough. Jack was her boyfriend, she had the right to know. Unfortunately, Lori took the news much harder than expected. Instead of breaking down and being inconsolable, she decided to unleash her grief by arguing with Hajime and pinning the entire blame on him. For all intents and purposes, he deserved to receive her scorn. But after everything that had transpired at WEB's headquarters, that was the last thing his psyche needed.
"How could you do this, Hajime?! He was your friend!" Lori chided.
"I didn't want to, I'm still trying to comprehend what happened back there!" Hajime defended himself.
"Oh I'll tell you what happened: you lost control and murdered Jack because he betrayed you and joined WEB!"
"And he also murdered the mother of my child! I so love how you conveniently left that part out!"
"I'm not denying that what he did was fucked up, but what were you hoping to achieve by having Savark ram a sword through his stomach?! Honestly, how are you any better?"
"Lori, please try to think rationally: Jack had joined WEB behind our backs and I was thrust in a life and death situation. Need I remind you that before he challenged me to a duel, he actually shot Audra in the head with no remorse whatsoever? Put yourself in my shoes for a moment and tell me, what the hell would you have done in my stead?"
"I'd have tried to make him see the error of his ways! I'd have convinced him to leave WEB, not murdered him in cold blood!"
"It's easy for you to say, you weren't even there! Lori, I'm sorry to break it to you, but after what Shishima did to the both of you, Jack had changed for the worse. He joined WEB and lied to you about his job in telecommunications, he drugged and kidnapped me and Ben, and who knows what other horrible things Mister Gumo made him do?"
"And how does this justify killing him, huh?!"
"It doesn't, but why did his suffering justify him murdering Audra?!"
All of a sudden, Lori slapped Hajime. The noise echoed in the cave. Even Sayo, who was silently watching them, flinched at the sight of it. The physical pain still hurt less than Lori's gall. She was demonizing him because she needed a villain, a boogeyman to pin the blame on. Usually Hajime would have ignored her emotional reactions, but something inside him had snapped. Back in their college days he always found Lori annoying and tried his best to avoid an unnecessary conflict with her, but at that point she became the object of his hatred: an impulsive moron who could not see that the true villain was Mister Gumo, the man who had exploited Jack's frustrations and pushed him down a self-destructive path. Perhaps she didn't deserve to see the truth, perhaps all she deserved was for Hajime's hands to be wrapped tightly around her neck, strangling her until she lost that shrill and stupid voice which always grated his ears.
"Two wrongs don't make a right. You of all people should know that, mister hero," Lori bitterly said.
"Heh, you just don't get it, do you?" Hajime replied with an unnerving tone. "I'm not a hero, I never wished to be one. All I wanted was to defeat Shishima and live my life in peace. And in hindsight, I'd have used any possible method. The same can be said now with WEB... if offing a traitor helps bring down this evil organization, then so be it! At least I'll rest easy at night, knowing I've avenged my loved ones and saved my daughter."
"I'm so glad you finally showed us the real you, Hajime! You're nothing but a user, a manipulating son of a bitch who's willing to sacrifice anything and anyone as long as he gets what he wants. No different from Shishima."
Those words stung worse than the slap. How he wished he could find an excuse to physically put Lori in her place. Before Hajime could retort, they heard a commotion happening further in the cave.
"What's going on?" Sayo wondered aloud as she walked ahead to investigate.
"Don't think we're done here!" Lori threatened Hajime as she followed Sayo's lead.
Much to his dread, the girls saw Mister Gumo run down the hallway, the knife wound leaving a trail of blood in his wake. He entered an elevator and once it closed, the doors of a warehouse opened and a dozen medical robots on wheels emerged, blocking their path. Opposite them, Shishima appeared, on his fours and foaming at the mouth. Upon seeing the machines that were supposed to stop him, he wasted no time in assaulting them, ripping their circuits out as if they were human entrails.
"It can't be... Shishima's alive?!" Lori exclaimed, sheer terror in her voice.
The situation had only worsened. Hajime was not a religious man by any means, but if a God existed, he was more than certain that it was punishing him for his actions. Perhaps even worse, it ensured that the life of Hajime Shirayama was always filled with suffering and devoid of any long-lasting happiness. That's what God would do if it existed.
Ben Shaw had the strangest luck. Thanks to Shishima, he survived being murdered by Mister Gumo twice. Now with everyone's attention being distracted by the commotion Shishima was making, he found sneaking around the corridors much easier than last time. Great was his surprise when he stumbled upon a grand laboratory, its door wide open.
The computers inside were among the most advanced he had ever seen. A part of him wished he could bring them back home to the Shirayama mansion. Those thoughts quickly dissipated once he noticed the countdown of a bomb on one of the larger screens. Checking the security cameras, he was privy to a number of scenes: a team of scientists entering a submarine, Shishima destroying a couple of robots in front of Hajime, Sayo and Lori, an escape jet prepared to launch out of the mountain's crater, and Mister Gumo running up a pair of stairs with Hajime's baby in his arms. Not wasting any time, he leaned in to a microphone and his voice echoed throughout the entire base:
"Attention, this place will blow up in less than twenty minutes!"
"Ben, you're alive...?" Hajime spoke aloud, taken aback by the revelation, but deep inside he felt as if a rock had been lifted off of his chest.
"Mister Gumo is going to get away with your child. He's headed to the crater and he's got a jet ready to take off. I suggest you split up wisely!" Ben instructed them, then he stood back and watched what unfolded next.
"Where's Jack?! I need to get to him!" Lori demanded, only for Sayo to tackle her and punch her in the stomach, knocking her unconscious.
"Forgive me, but we don't have the time," she was quick to apologize.
"Shishima!" Hajime called. The demon shoved aside the remains of the last robot and focused on him. "Can you reach Mister Gumo before this entire place blows up?"
"Consider it done," Shishima replied, then he tore open the elevator's doors and flew into the shaft.
"Do you trust him?" asked Sayo as she picked up Lori and hurled her over her shoulder.
"I don't have much of a choice, do I?" Hajime sarcastically replied.
"I'll meet you outside!" Ben announced in the microphone before running out of the laboratory.
He had not been raised religious. Throughout his life, he always had a more rational and pragmatic approach. But ever since he was made aware of Shishima's existence, Ben began doubting even the nature of reality itself. If there was a higher power out there, a providence as most theologians argued in their philosophic theses, then he hoped with all of his might that it would help them come out of that dangerous situation safe and sound.
Fun. As dire as the stakes were, Shishima could not help but find thrills in a grand conflict. Although he had been raised a prince and could have opted for a life of luxury upon reaching adulthood, he still would have chosen the heat of battle instead. Defeating weaklings and inspiring fear in the hearts of enemies brought him more satisfaction than winning arguments and outsmarting senators in political games.
Having found his worthiest opponent in Hajime was a reward in and of itself. But as time went by, Shishima saw him as more than just an opponent. He was a fighter, one who opposed each bad hand that fate dealt him. There was no doubt about it, they were kindred spirits, and their blood oath only solidified the fact. Perhaps this was the reason why Shishima wanted to fight Hajime's battle, and experiencing the mortal's emotions firsthand only made him more determined.
He could not deny that he worried greatly upon sensing Hajime's violent side target Lori. It was a combination of grief, frustration and Shishima's subconscious influence due to their bond which was accumulating into a deadly cocktail of volatile emotions. Thankfully he felt the negative emotions lower once Hajime learned that Ben had survived. Finally he had a ray of hope in the sea of darkness where he swam.
Returning his attention to the matter at hand, Shishima tore through the elevator car with his claws and flew out into the main vent of the dormant volcano, following a flight of stairs until he saw the chrome jet shining in the moonlight, ready to take off. Mister Gumo placed the crying baby on the passenger's seat and was ready to jump in on the pilot's seat as well, when all of a sudden he felt a sharp pain on his back. Turning around, he found himself face to face with the one being who completely changed every single aspect of his life.
They both hatefully stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity. At that point, Mister Gumo no longer desired any of Shishima's powers, nor did he care about the long game anymore. He just wanted the demon out of his life once and for all. Then things would return to normal and he would remain the undisputed strongest being on Earth. Taking out his deck, he challenged Shishima to a duel, knowing full well that his Graveyard Degeneration strategies would end the match within the necessary time frame for him to escape the explosion. Two dueling tables arose from the ground, five blue rectangular shields materialized above both of them and their surroundings changed to those of a vast dark cosmos, red ritualistic circles glowing beneath them and a floating white egg hung above them, the shadow of a dragon surrounding it.
"At the start of the game, I set up Zerom, Origin of Destruction and its four Ceremonies. You get to begin with an extra card in your hand," Shishima said.
"Don't think that Zeron's power will help you against me!" Mister Gumo threatened back as their match began.
"I expand Forbidden Sunrise ~Dawn of Forbidden~ with four seals attached to it." A dark red star the size of a volley ball with four glowing X symbols floating around appeared behind Shishima. "All of my Darkness Commands, Fire Commands and creatures with 'Forbidden' in their name cost 2 mana less."
"I cast Emergency Typhoon." Mister Gumo drew two cards and discarded Genmu Emperor, Infinite Dragon.
"I cast Oniyose's Jutsu and return a shield to my hand without shield trigger. Then the next Darkness or Fire creature I summon costs 4 mana less. This, combined with Forbidden Sunrise's effect, allows me to summon Hellborof, Supreme Dragon Edge for one mana!" A winged and horned purple wolf plushie wielding a bone scythe appeared in the battle zone and howled. "I take a seal off Forbidden Sunrise and self mill two more with Hellborof's effect." Oniyose's Jutsu, Borof, Final Dragon Edge and Balad Vi Na Shura landed in Shishima's graveyard. "Next, I bring out Welcome Hell, Supreme Devil King Palace and revive Balad Vi Na Shura!" A winged demonic palace descended from a hole above and out of it emerged a red spear surrounded by flames, with three eyes painted on its blade. "Since I put a card from my graveyard into the battle zone, I link the Ceremony of Resurrection and self mill two again." This time Tsuruhashi Doji and Gokensai, Oni of "Outrage" landed in Shishima's graveyard. "Balad Vi Na Shura has speed attacker, so go, double break his shields!"
Mister Gumo was taken aback by the sudden aggression. Since when did Shishima give up on the stalling strategies? After the spear tore through two of his shields, he checked the cards and revealed one of them, saying, "Shield trigger, I cast another Emergency Typhoon." Once more he drew two cards, this time discarding Gyou Kinari, The Wicked Evil. "And now it's my turn, I summon Nasuloscha, Flashy Doll." An eggplant puppet wielding a large wooden club decorated with multicolored buttons appeared by Mister Gumo's side, allowing him to search his deck and put Ballcadeia NEX, Lord of Demon Dragons into his graveyard.
"I cast Bone Dance Charger." Shishima once more sent the top two cards of his deck into his graveyard, those being Balad Vi Na Shura and Dorbro, Final Forbidden Gamma / Bone Dance Charger. "Hellborof, attack and Welcome Hell revives another Balad Vi Na Shura!" A second flaming spear appeared in the battle zone as the wolf plushie dashed ahead and hacked away two more shields with his scythe.
"Shield trigger, I summon The Clock, Ragnarok and end the turn here!" Mister Gumo announced and a muscular humanoid with spiky blue hair and two golden clock arms coming out of his chest also appeared, freezing all creatures in place. "You had your chance rush me over, but I'm afraid this match is all mine! Graveyard evolution - I evolve Ballcadeia NEX into Death March, Reaper Puppeteer." A blue jester marionette appeared, holding various smaller stringed puppets with its long fingers. "Then I summon HEAVEN Kid, White Knight Elemental and send the card of Death March to my shield zone face down." An angelic dwarf in blue and golden armor who was wielding two purple swords appeared and used his weapons to hack the puppet, and in its stead arose a gigantic hybrid between an angel, a demon and a dragon with three pairs of wings: white, blue and red. Its body was covered by a brilliant golden armor, its head had blue demonic horns and the red face of a dragon, and its arms were covered in scorching flames. "I degenerate Ballcadeia NEX, Lord of Demon Dragons!"
"Keh, there's your fancy finisher." Shishima crossed his arms in anticipation. "Show me what you've got, mortal!"
"Ballcadeia NEX, attack! I'll destroy Hellborof, bring out Genmu Emperor, Infinite Dragon from my deck and break all of your shields!" The creature's mighty flaming hands both crushed plushie and tore through all five opposing shields as an eyeless shadowy dragon arose in the battle zone. "While Genmu Emperor is in the battle zone, all of our creatures and spells which cost 5 or less lose their effects."
"Shield trigger, I summon Tsuruhashi Doji." A small blue oni wielding a pickaxe appeared by Shishima's side. "Even if he lacks effects, an extra body is always helpful. Also, shield trigger, I summon Borof, Final Dragon Edge and take another seal off Forbidden Sunrise, then self mill one more with his effect!" As Inferno Sign and End Jaouga, Oniga Emperor Devil landed in Shishima's graveyard, he watched his loyal servant appear in the battle zone.
"Milord, thank goodness you're safe!" cried Borof, on the verge of hugging his master.
"Focus, time is not on our side!" Shishima sternly replied. "I'll recover End Jaouga with Borof's effect, then I equip him with Gaial, Leader Dragon Sword and force battle him with The Clock!" A flaming orange sword with small green horns sticking out of its blade appeared in Borof's hands and he lashed at the muscular humanoid, the both of them disappearing in an explosion as they were evenly matched. "Since three creatures were destroyed this turn, I'll link the Ceremony of Destruction and recover Borof from my graveyard."
"Your efforts were futile in the end, Shishima! Farewell - Nasuloscha, todomeda!" Mister Gumo ordered, eager to finish their match and escape. The eggplant puppet rushed ahead, readying its club to perform the direct attack.
"Think again!" Shishima replied while revealing a card from his hand. "I'll send this Balad Vi Na Shura to the bottom of my deck and prevent the loss!" A third flaming spear descended and blocked the puppet's attack, then it vanished as quickly as it appeared.
Mister Gumo clenched his fist, angered that his swift victory had been snatched away so easily.
"Onitime, I summon End Jaouga, Oniga Emperor Devil with 6 mana instead of 12!" A tall oni with two kanabos attached to his feet, his head sharp and his entire body engulfed in hellfire appeared in the battle zone by Shishima's side, shining in the darkness of the cosmos. "Oniend, since I have no shields, I gain an extra turn! But for now I'll end this turn and dragsolution - I destroy Tsuruhashi, End Jaouga and both Balad Vi Na Shuras to flip Welcome Hell into Deathgoros, Supreme Devil Corrupt King!" The winged palace fired two beams upon the four onis, and once they were vanquished it cracked open, out of it emerging a demonic dragon wielding a bone scythe. "With his effect, I'll destroy both your Ballcadeia NEX and Genmu Emperor!" Mister Gumo's titanic creatures then met their end by the scythe's blade. "Since I've got eight or more cards in my graveyard, I also link the Ceremony of Graveyard and give -3000 to HEAVEN Kid!" The angelic dwarf also disappeared in a small explosion.
"This can't be happening! I won't allow an uneducated beast destroy everything I've struggled so hard to build!" Mister Gumo protested, despair finally showing on his formerly aloof face.
"My extra turn begins, I summon Borof, Final Dragon Edge!" The winged and horned plushie wearing a dark red robe reappeared, causing a third seal to fall off of Forbidden Sunrise and sending another card from Shishima's top deck into the graveyard: Hayabusamaru, Lightfang Ninja and Magnum, Shortshot. "I'll recover Balad Vi Na Shura and equip Borof with Gaiheart, Galaxy Greatsword which grants him speed attacker!" A blue sword with images of galaxies painted on its blade appeared in the plushie's gloved hands. "Deathgoros, attack and I'll revive Magnum, Shortshot! Now go, break his final shields!" A cowboy doll wielding two guns and riding a toy horse appeared as the demonic dragon hacked away the remaining opposing shields.
"Shield trigger, I cast Shikumi of the Shadow World!" Mister Gumo intervened and he watched how Gigandydanos, Big Tree King, Sir Leopol Deenay, the Ice Fang / Emergency Typhoon and The Clock, Ragnarok landed into his graveyard. "I'll revive The Clock and end the turn here-"
"No you won't!" Shishima interrupted him. "Magnum, Shortshot won't allow you to play any creatures during my turn. It's over, pathetic mortal - Borof, todomeda!"
Heeding his master's order, the wolf plushie sprung ahead and slashed Mister Gumo's chest with his sword, knocking him against the jet's chrome exterior. Then the creatures all disappeared, the baby's cries echoing in the dead of night. Before he could make sense of what happened, Mister Gumo felt a sharp pain in his stomach. Shishima had shoved his clawed hands deep into his body and was going to enjoy every second of what would come next. God's judgment was finally upon him.
After dropping the unconscious Lori aboard, Sayo, Hajime and Ben jumped into the motorboat which immediately took off. As soon as they left the shore, a loud explosion shook the island and they saw the once dormant volcano erupt. There was no sign of Mister Gumo's jet nor Shishima. Had he failed his promise? Did he not manage to make it in time? Whatever it was, Hajime had to find out.
Out of the blue, he jumped out of the boat and, ignoring both Sayo's and Ben's calls, he swam back to the island. By the time he reached the shore, the lava was already scorching a part of the jungle. There was no way anyone could have survived. Just what was he thinking coming back there and risking his life? Nothing made sense anymore.
His suit and hair drenched, Hajime collapsed on his knees as the reality of his losses fully settled in. His friendship with Lori was over and he had lost Jack, Audra and his own daughter. The world was cruel and filled with wicked people, but perhaps the saddest of them all were those who were not strong enough to protect their loved ones. At the end of the day, Hajime Shirayama was a weakling, a failure of a man, undeserving of anything good. In that moment all he could do was let his tears go and mourn the futility of his existence.
A shadow fell upon him, shrouding him from the moonlight and the lava's heat. Looking up, he saw Shishima descend from the skies, approaching him like God approached Adam on the Sistine Chapel. In his arms rested a child, who found comfort in the feline's warm fur. In those solemn moments, they both stared at each other in silence as Shishima offered the daughter into her father's hands.
"Raise her well, Hajime, so she doesn't become a monster like the two of us."
This was Shishima - the monster who ruined his life, who murdered his loved ones, who turned against his own cult, who helped Hajime find himself and who rescued his daughter, bringing back light when he believed darkness had fully taken over. Looking down at his baby girl, Hajime felt a new kind of love seep into his heart, and as he gently cradled her, he swore deep inside that he would fight to ensure she grew up in a better world.
In the end there was truth to Audra's words. This was Hajime Shirayama - a broken soul who loved way more than he let on.