New Lease In Life
Hi. I'm back and with a new chapter.
Whoa...it's been four years since I last updated, and I stopped updating due to lack of reviews, which I thought that no one is interested, but surprise...a new review, and after re-reading the three chapters, my interest has been reinvigorated so I'm going to give this fic another try and see if it would attract more readers, which I hope it would, since Takuma is one of my favorite, if not tragic, characters besides Enma Ai.
A request is made urging me not to send Takuma to Hell, but that would depend on the story, but for now, I'll be giving Takuma some screen time as well as lifting his spirits after the events at the end of last chapter. More romance, but tension would arise as someone develops a hatred for Takuma and will be making some "drastic measures", which I'm sure you would guess where this would lead to.
Well, here it is…chapter 4, so expect more romantic moments coupled with some suspense.
Disclaimer:
- Jigoku Shoujo is owned by Aniplex and Well-Think
- Fate/Stay Night is owned by TBS, Crei, Type Moon and Fate Project
At the Emiya residence, Rin, Shiro, Sakura and Ilya heard this and they could hear Takuma sobbing and despite Rin calling his name, Takuma did not respond and she was forced to hang up the phone. The four of them are getting worried and Ilya told them that the information she discovered is in fact real, and Rin is starting to understand the boy she met. She wondered what she could do to help and ponders on getting info about this Hotline to Hell and what connections it has on Takuma.
"Takuma's not answering..."
"I can hear him crying..."
"That girl...is she really scaring him...?"
"This looks serious...This Hell Girl and Hotline thing...is it really true...?"
"Shiro...Rin...what should we do...?"
"We can't do anything for now...we need to know for now what we just heard and how to help Takuma without having him spooked..."
"Rin's right...we don't know where to start..."
"Ilya...you seem to know...can you tell us...?"
"Okay...I have the info to back up my claim..."
The trio then glanced at each other as Shiro asked Ilya for more info about this "Hotline To Hell" and why Takuma would be targeted, while Rin asked how Ilya know much of this fact. Getting to the point, Ilya motions the rest to follow her to the dojo where she would bring some "evidence" in showing her proof that what she told them is in fact real, and told them to be prepared as the information she is about to give would be "disturbing" and may cause some emotional discomfort among the listeners.
"Okay...let's assemble at the dojo...and Shiro...prepare the laptop...I have some video which would give you some clear view..."
"Okay..."
"This better be good..."
"I hope we would learn from this and help Takuma..."
And so everyone head for the dojo as Ilya went to prepare her "visual and verbal" aids in preparation to tell her friends what they are about to hear and how this would affect them and Takuma.
After some five minutes…
The scene shifts inside the dojo where Rin, Sakura and Shiro are sitting down as Ilya prepared some "materials" and there she gives each one to them as she prepares to tell them what she found out but before she could tell, Rin asked how she got hold of this info and where she got them from.
"Okay...is everyone ready...?"
"..."
"Hey, Ilya..."
"Yes...?"
"Where did you get all these...?"
"Secret..."
"Grr..."
"Okay, okay...it's like this..."
Ilya told Rin that three years ago, after the end of the fourth Holy Grail war, one of her maids happened to be passing by at Lovely Hills and witnessed some mass disappearances, and told Ilya by cell phone about this and there she is told to find out more about this and the maid used human, and supernatural means in finding out and there she told Ilya about this, and in turn the former master of Berzerker did some research of her own and there she got the info. Not wanting to prolong it, she finally gives the info as the rest listens on as she opens the projector.
Hell Correspondence
The medium through which a client contacts Ai Enma has changed over the centuries. Initially clients would write the names of whom they hated on an ema, which later changed to sending a letter to the address appearing in a three-column newspaper advertisement only visible to those with enough hatred. Once the internet became available, people could access the Hell Correspondence website, otherwise known as the "Hotline to Hell". Soon after, the site was adapted into a mobile version that could be accessed from cell phones.
Each medium can only be used at midnight by one who harbors a desire for revenge against their object of hatred. Should someone submit the name of someone against whom they bear a grudge or immense hatred, and their request is accepted, Ai Enma will take them to a realm of perpetual twilight where she offers them a straw doll, one of her companions, with a red string wound around its neck and describe to the client the details of their contract; should the client pull the string tied around the doll's neck, she will ferry the target of the revenge straightaway to Hell. However, once the client's life has ended, he or she, too, will go to Hell, and a black crest-shaped mark appears on the client's chest to serve as a permanent reminder of this and their decision to send someone to Hell. However, this mark is no guarantee that the person themselves won't be sent to hell by another client.
After seeing the info, verbal and visual,Rin and Shiro glanced at each other, as they never heard of this before especially when told by Ilya that some regarded this as an "urban legend", but she then told them that some have accessed it and stated that the mass disappearances are the result of the person, or persons, using the "Hotline", and even showed to them the video Ilya's maid took, and there they saw Enma Ai for the first time, talking to one of her clients. This produced reactions from Shiro and Rin.
"That's her...? That's the so-called emissary...?"
"Looks spooky..."
"I couldn't tell if she's an ordinary girl or a supernatural one..."
"Ilya...any info about her?"
"Yes..."
"You researched about her...?"
"Yes...and here it is..."
"Okay..."
By then, Ilya began to explain her research on Ai.
Ai Enma (閻魔 あい Enma Ai?)
The main "protagonist" of "Hotline To Hell", who is arguably an anti-heroine as well. With long, straight black layered hair with a fringe, ruby-red eyes and pale skin, she is a spiritual entity with a tragic past, who lives in a place frozen in time as it basks in eternal sunset, along with her grandmother. There are 3 dolls visible near the computer, which are her companions. With an old computer inside their house, Ai is able to receive the names of the clients who have used the website, and delivers their revenge. She normally wears a black school girl uniform, but always wears a black kimono with floral designs when delivering the vengeance of a client. Whenever a contract is fulfilled, after the targeted person suffers the hellish hallucinations which exploit their flaws and crimes, she appears to the condemned and recites the following rite, before rowing them to eternal damnation:
闇に惑いし哀れな影よ (やみにまどいしあわれなかげよ Yami ni madoishi awarena kage yo, "Oh pitiful shadow lost in the darkness)
...人を傷付け貶めて (... ひとをきずつけおとしめて ... Hito o kizutsuke otoshimete, bringing torment and pain to others)
罪に溺れし業の魂 (つみにおぼれしぎょうのたま Tsumi ni oboreshi gō no tama, Oh damned soul wallowing in your sins)
いっぺん... 死んで見る？ (いっぺん... しん で みる？ Ippen... shinde miru?, Perhaps… it is time to die?")
Ai began her career as the Hell Girl by her own act of vengeance on the villagers who sentenced her to a sacrificial death as part of their village's tradition. Her eyes, once a deep brown, turned red arguably at the point where Sentarou (her childhood friend and cousin who gave in under the villagers' pressure to bury her alive) gave the first shovel of soil onto her face. She broke out of her grave after a while, and took revenge on the entire village with her wrath, burning it to the ground. Her task of fulfilling other people's vengeance and ferrying people to Hell is her punishment, a task which she had performed for 400 years after that incident. A Spider, which is later revealed to be the God of Hell, gave her new life again and made a pact with her; in exchange for her immortal form, she cannot enter Hell and must remain on the shores of Hell, acting as the deliverer of people's hatred and vengeance. In order to serve these tasks, the God of Hell demanded that Ai forget her own hatred, numbing herself to the sufferings of others and becoming a mere observer of any happenings. If she hadn't accepted this punishment, the souls of her beloved ones would have to wander in Hell forever. Having no other choice, Ai agreed with the God of Hell and became the Hell Girl.
Although this task is presented as atonement, it is unknown whether she will ever be freed of it. It is noted she still had feelings, though, although she did not express them strongly, and it was later revealed that Ai had been ordered to close her heart by the Spider. But the experiences she has with the Shibatas made Ai express anger towards them. When enraged, Ai demonstrates the ability to hurl great blasts of energy, as well as the power to create elaborate illusions and teleport.
According to Ilya's research, in her subsequent exploits, Ai becomes more expressive and shows more emotions, being more willing to interact with her "clients" and victims. She even puts up a "V for Victory" sign in front of her target by way of mocking him as he/she is dragged to his/her doom. She had also been seen reading from a fashion magazine while her compatriots watch over their client, and had showed concern towards a mother who willingly ended her life so that her daughter doesn't have to send her to Hell. As she witnesses Takuma Kurebayashi's disheartening persecution, Ai recollects her emotions pertaining to her own wrongful persecution and she defies her 'employer', the God of Hell, and becomes restored to human life, and killed shortly thereafter, when saving Takuma from his tormentors. After Ai's self-sacrifice, her body dissolves into sakura petals and drifts into the sky.
Rin, Shiro and Sakura were silent as they started to understand Takuma's situation yet they still had some reservations about Ai Enma and the "Hell Correspondence" system, even after seeing the footage that Ilya's maid took in secret, but after seeing the secret footage of the mass disappearances, and how the straw dolls were used in "punishing" their targets, they started to have an idea, and now they are starting to think of a way to help Takuma, seeing that he is targeted, and how to make him cope or overcome this situation.
-x-
Much later, at the Kurebayashi house, Takuma finally stopped crying after several minutes, slowly resigning to his fate that someone will eventually send him to hell, and with Kikuri as the new "gatekeeper", it is definite that he will be ferried there without mercy, and he can even guess that the bullies at his school might have heard of the Hell Correspondence and use it to send him there. He has, however, no idea when will it be, so he decided to brace himself for the eventuality.
"Guess this time I will be sent there regardless of whether I do good things...I guess I won't be able to join mom in heaven...maybe I am made to be cursed..."
-x-
A few days later, Takuma's dad left for an overseas commitment and Takuma is left to fed for himself for a month and he ponders on what would happen if he comes back and sees that his son has "disappeared", and this made him depressed even more, as his chance of living a normal life is about to be taken away again as he is again subjected to taunts from the school bullies who even chanted "Devil's Child" and stated that a Hell Girl will take him away.
His depressed musing was interrupted when a doorbell chimed, and when he answered it, he was surprised to see that it was Rin Tohsaka, waiting. He is again in a fix, as he has no idea what to tell her, especially when he left her hanging a few days ago due to Kikuri showing up. He had to think of an excuse as he is sure that Rin would not believe in the Hell Correspondence and the Hell girl situation he is in, believing she would just laugh at him, unaware that Rin is aware of this, in fact.
"Hello, Takuma."
"Um...hi."
"You left me hanging...is everything alright here?"
"Ah...yes...sorry for leaving you hanging...I...I..."
"May I come in...?"
"Uh...sure..."
"You're alone?"
"Yes...my dad is at overseas...he's a movie producer...he got a deal with an American film director..."
"I see..."
After letting her in, both Takuma and Rin had a normal chat while he is trying to avoid giving hints of what really happened, though Rin could see right through him, and decided to give him hints that he is never alone and told him that if he has any problems, all he can do is ask for advice, which Takuma is hesitant, fearing that if he did tell her, she might get dragged and ends up being the recipient of the Hell's correspondence.
"Takuma...if you're having problems...all you can do is ask me for advice...I can help you."
"No...I don't want you to get dragged in this...Seri being sent to Hell is one thing and I managed to get over with...but if you get...no...I don't want you to get killed because of me...just when I'm about to fall for you...why this...what if I decided to let Kikuri take me...? Will it appease her and those bullies and no one else gets dragged...?"
"Takuma...?"
"I'm fine...nothing to worry about..."
"Are you sure...?"
"Yes..."
"By the way..."
"Yes...?"
"This Saturday...it's my school's fair...and I'm inviting you to come over..."
"Eh? Are you sure...?"
"Yes...unless if you have other plans..."
After some awkward silence, Takuma decided to accept the invitation, if this would help him get away with the problems he's facing right now, and he hoped this would help ease his worries and torment, and he hoped that Rin's school haven't heard about the Hell's Correspondence and about the Hell Girl.
To Be Continued…
Hope this chapter's worth the wait after a long hiatus…
Takuma sure had a hard time dealing with this, yet he managed to persevere and tries to get over what Kikuri said to him...but expect her to pop out sooner than expected...
While the Fate/Stay Night characters got some longer screen time, it's part of the story, since this is a "partnership" between the female heroine of Fate/Stay Night and the "Lonely Boy" from Jigoku Shoujo season 2.
Preview:
The next chapter shifts to Rin Tohsaka's school where Takuma will be given a tour, but someone will ruin his day, not to mention that someone has taken hold of a straw doll and will be targeting Takuma himself...…