Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon, but I have done so much work on this it feels like Digimon is part of my story instead of me being part of the original creator's. Kind of strange huh?
The more I write about Rei Kurenada the more I like him as a character. He has such bravado and swagger. Hardly anything gets under his skin, and he does whatever he wants no longer operating under a moral compass. He is paranoid about the Digital Creator and Homeostasis, but aside from that he only cares about making his dream come true and easily dispatches of anyone else who gets in his way or manipulates them to do whatever he wants. He even did that with the Digidestined falling into his trap to begin with.
Chapter Twenty-One: The Shadow of Apotheoseia
The scene couldn't have been more chaotic. The entire organization seemed to be split shouting at each other across the table about their issues. Their were many loyal to the former leader who were devastated still accusing the other side of siding with the enemy.
The other side declared that his followers were betraying the mission of the founder and that they were seeking to save the world by making the merge happen faster though a small portion of them seemed hesitant to say it.
They were nearly at each other's throats when the doors swung open, Rei Kurenada briskly walking amidst them up to a podium. Fujiwara bravely followed after him, all of the menacing eyes from all parties on him.
Rei glanced at them smiling and waving, a sinister grin covering his face.
"Good evening my servants," he said. "You all seem to be doing well."
"We want the head of the one that assassinated Hasayo!" a faction barked. "We were getting so close to making the world's merging come true!"
"Who is this outsider?!" the other side shouted. "He is not one of us! He has not gone through the ranks!"
Rei nodded his head. "That's very true," he said, "But, unlike you all, I personally have seen what this man can do. He has accomplished more than any of you ever will."
"I don't see it," another replied. "He doesn't have the look of a leader. I don't see any determination in him to accomplish our goal."
"Regardless," Rei said, "I have given Fujiwara free rein. He can do whatsoever he wishes."
The organization stared at him dumbfounded.
"Just who is this guy?" another said.
"Do you obey the tenants of Rei Kurenada?!" someone shouted from the crowd.
Fujiwara immediately snapped back. "I have no need to follow in some kind of death cult," he retorted. "As you can see I am here and I will do as I see fit."
"As you see fit?"
He nodded his head.
"Just what can you do that we can't?"
Fujiwara lowered his head and then glared at them all. "Effective immediately we are no longer seeking to merge the worlds. Not as long as I am the leader of this organization."
The whole crowd gawked at him as if he had lost his mind.
"What we are going to do," he said, "Is make amends. The mission has lapsed since the second leader Hasayo's passing. None of you can agree on anything."
"What of it?"
"Why do you think Rei Kurenada asked me to come? To lead you. Not just you, but all of you towards a better path. You all need to be of one mind and goal otherwise you will split the organization."
"Split!" a man shouted within the crowd. "You are an imposter! Their is no way Rei Kurenada would have allowed-"
-Fujiwara glared at him with ferocity, the man immediately falling to his knees offended by him.
"The instinct of men is to fear what they cannot understand. Even with all of the media, the teachings, the ideas implanted in people's minds do you know what you will have if these worlds merge? Absolute chaos!" he said slamming the wall with a fist while still looking at them.
"What men fear they attack mercilessly to suppress and quell those fears, but if they are the weaker link in the food chain this would inform the digimon that mankind are not only violent and dangerous, but excellent sources of food. What do you think would happen? The organization, me and you, your wives and husbands, your sons and daughters, all of us would be nothing but a source of nutrition for these digital beasts!"
At those words the whole crowd hushed silent as if their eyes had been opened.
"Hey," he said turning to Rei Kurenada who simply perked his eyes up smiling at him. "You said that I could do whatever I want, right? And you would not lay a hand on me?"
Rei folded his hands behind his head and chuckled. "Not a finger," he confirmed. "This organization is in your hands now."
He simply nodded his head and turned towards the organization. "Simply put everyone I am going to ask you to use your heads. Our new purpose of this building is to stop the fire as much as we can, not rush into it and use ourselves as chaff. We will do all in our power to stop the worlds from merging."
"We have already invested the technology and funds into this venture!" a man said in the back standing up in suits along with other heads of industry. "We can't just back out now!"
"We're not going to back up," he replied. "We will use the technology to strengthen the boundaries and not collapse them. For this I will need your aid. As leader of the Watchers of the Periphery, chosen by Rei Kurenada himself, will all of you do this for me?"
They all started clapping, but a lot of them stopped and scowled.
He then bowed his head. "Let us walk together then. We'll preserve the past, cherish the present, and protect the future!"
Amid the applause he waved once and went back down the stage sitting down right across from Rei Kurenada.
"Rei Kurenada," he said studying him. "What dark designs are manifesting in front of those lucid eyes of yours?"
"The elements," he snarled grinning. "Like a diffusion, they will all go to their natural element. Just you watch. This organization...is going to split apart."
And, as Rei predicted, this happened. Fujiwara acted as the catalyst of reform within the organization. The leaders of finances and others conspired against him, but, in a brilliant move, Fujiwara rounded them all up and had them executed on the spot. He used the heirs of those organizations to turn them towards his side. He focused greatly on defense and won outside forces over to his favor.
The organization grew. No longer were they an assassination group, no, they had become something righteous, almost like protectors. He ruthlessly purged the elements that were against him, to a point, where a large faction within the organization broke off from the group. They left under the imposing Hikashi Kanamura, a magnanimous figure who led people in his stirring composed passion.
Fujiwara allowed them to leave on condition they not interfere with their mission.
They all had left begrudgingly, Rei happily enjoying the chaos. Sure, the organization had lost a large amount of manpower, but, even still they were a worldwide force to be reckoned with.
In the meanwhile the Watchers of the Periphery stuck to the shadows influencing the world to protect it instead of rush to change or merge it with alien outsiders. Fujiwara sought to use the desire to protect to overwhelm the powers of fear and destruction.
It would only be a matter of time before things would fall into place. And the show, that grand display would keep away the attention of Homeostasis and the Digital Creator. He mused thinking about them watching this dog and pony show whilst he guided the history of man to the next chapter.
Little by little more digimon anomaly's started to appear. Though the Watchers of the Periphery kept them secret, some of those incidents resulted in unexpected casualties. Rei knew that Fujiwara would be extremely angry about this and only strive forward continuing in his righteous quest. However, as Rei Kurenada had thought, surely these 'surprise attacks', were not without animosity.
The latest attack happened around the third of July. Two digimon, a sea dragon and some type of whale were going at it, collateral damage sweeping across a ship yard. An icicle javelin punctured through a sea vessel causing it to shrink. Yet even still, a tidal wave caused by the whale like digimon swayed and rocked all vessels causing the majority of them to capsize.
Rei Kurenada sat on the bow of one of the heavier vessels not at all swayed by the digimon.
He looked up at them grinning. "I think that's enough playing around," he said holding up his hand. The Digital Structure of both digimon started to shift until he had completely shattered them into digital particles.
The aftermath of the scene grimly decorated the landscape. Bodies from the watchers of the periphery floated in the waters, but in their shadow along the horizon a submarine vessel ascended from the waters. A group of about fifteen men came out of it, one of them having his hands behind his back and wearing a wrinkled captain hat.
"Ahoy there!" Rei said waiving.
The man grimaced staring up at him. Rei did not recognize him or any of these other individuals. This must have meant they had no idea who he was either.
"I didn't expect their to be any survivors," he groaned spitting out of the side of his mouth. "Looks like there is still clean up work to be done."
"Then let's take care of him," one of the men said taking off a rifle from his back. The fool has nowhere to go. An easy target for sure."
He aimed his gun at Rei, Rei smiling only waving.
"The fool is suicidal," the captain sighed. "Ah well, let's not keep him waiting. Silence the target at your leisure."
"Got it!" the man said aiming at him.
He pulled the trigger, but the man jumped off of the boat before he could do so, stirring waters from the previous battle still fomenting the waters.
"He really is suicidal!" the captain exclaimed.
Rei snickered landing on the water, his viral DNA stirring the waters. The particles of the digimon from the battle had permeated into the waters and thus Rei Kurenada could easily maneuver around the surface.
He created a viral digital path with his footprints walking over to the boat, the onlookers gawking in surprise.
"What are you waiting for?!" the captain yelled. "We don't leave any witnesses behind! Kill the bastard!"
"Yes sir!" the subordinates screamed drawing what looked like Kalashnikovs. It had been awhile since Rei had such a good opportunity for target practice.
"Let's see," he said dodging bullet fire running around, even around the boat creating a stir of water around it. "I think we'll do it this way."
With that he hurried around the submarine quite a few times, the weapon fire becoming even more disorderly creating sharp jolts in the water. Rei circled them like a shark, but moving in a spiral.
He moved faster and faster until he had broken the laws of the world and created a suffocating maelstrom underneath them.
"Don't panic!" the Captain cried. "Everyone back into the submarine! We'll escape it and make it back to headquarters!"
Rei smiled back. "I would not do that if I were you," he said. "The more you struggle the greater the pull will be. Your submarine will be shredded as will all of you."
"Screw you!" he shouted. "Men! Back in the submarine! Move it!"
"Suit yourself!" Rei called out both hands over his mouth. "You better put that thing in full gear! But if any of you are smart they will jump overboard right now and I will save them."
"You're nuts!" one of the younger men cried. "We've been trying to kill you and you're saying you will save us?"
"It's really not that hard a choice is it?" Rei said positively. "Any volunteers?"
They all stared at him questionably, but then all but one climbed down into the submarine including the captain.
"Young man!" Rei called out. "Lucky you! You'll be able to be alive for many more years! Jump over!"
"R-right?!" the soldier said jumping over, Rei running over to him and catching him.
He then walked back from a distance with the young man in his clutches.
"Now look at what a horrible fate you have just avoided," he said pointing towards the maelstrom.
He snapped his fingers and the submarine came writhing and twisting out of the maelstrom, burning and crying echoing from within as it collapsed on itself exploding under enormous pressure.
The young man stared at him and swallowed, Rei glad at least one person had the intelligence to survive.
"Now then," he said. "As the sole survivor it is now your obligation to escort me to your headquarters. You will take me to your leader."
With little fanfare the surviving man gave Rei Kurenada directions to his organization's headquarters. Oddly enough the organization had an operation under a mass imperial graveyard and operated in total secrecy. Nearly that is.
The young man entered a password in a grave and they both walked down a flight of stairs strolling in; Torches lit along the way giving a nice eerie vibe.
"Very nice," Rei grinned. "Though if you had the capital I am sure you could have your headquarters in plain sight under the cover of a major business subsidiary."
"I'm sure you're right," the man said hesitantly. He guided him forward toward a man in a hood.
"Good evening," the man said in a creepy voice. "I am grave-keeper Saji-"
"-You're wasting my time," Rei muttered grabbing his face with his hand and absorbing his negativity into him, the guy screaming out as he took on his negativity and form into viral data.
The young man stared at him falling to his knees and started backing up.
"No need to be afraid," he smiled. "But I specifically asked to speak to the leader. How many superiors do you want to have eaten before I actually see him?"
The young man swallowed heavily.
"You best get him quickly. I might suddenly start to get a craving for younger negativity."
In the span of ten minutes Rei had been taken to a super-secret room where the majority of the higher ups had gathered. There in the midst of them sitting on a sofa sat a familiar face comfortably chatting amongst his followers and drinking liquor.
"Hi-ka-shi!" Rei said waving heading over to him, Hikashi staring at him with a look of terror on his face. He instantly dropped his glass of liquor.
"I don't believe it," he said. "As I live and breathe! Rei Kurenada!"
The others in the organization bowed to him, Rei simply smiling and helping them up. "I'm glad to see such respect," he said. "They certainly haven't been treating me with such dignity in the Watchers of the Periphery lately."
"Naturally," Hikashi groaned. "They don't obey your teachings. This is why we separated from them and are taking them out. We are now known as the Destroyers of the Periphery."
Rei scratched his cheek a bit jaded by the name. "The name is as dead as your headquarters," he smirked. "But, I always liked that about you Hikashi. You always did have personality. We're going to be changing a few things though."
"A few things?"
"As of right now your organization, this organization will henceforth be known...as the Cult of Apotheoseia."
"Apotheoseia?"
"Yes," he said said nodding his head. "Those who wish to become Gods must first serve gods. And that's how you will reference me. In your new literature."
"Literature? You make it sound like we are starting some kind of ghost story school club," he frowned.
"That's not a bad reference," he mused putting a finger to his lips. "But things are about to get a lot more scarier for this world."
Hikashi stared at him strangely.
"Fear is necessary to control the masses," Hikashi said folding his arms. "A little bit of fear can lead to a lot of good, but a lot of fear can paralyze others making them little more than useful idiots."
Kurenada clapped his hands and grinned, others in the audience following suit. "A valid point," he grinned, "But, then let me ask you all, as the one who created this organization and the soon to be idol of your worship..."
he added noticing the candles all around them flickering, even chandeliers hanging ghostly from the ceiling. His voice deepened and he manipulated himself to appear truly demonic, with jagged teeth, disturbing green eyes and his whole body covered in scales and wings. All the onlookers stared at him scared out of their minds.
"...We're going to play a little game," he growled. "It's called one sacrifice or mass sacrifice. I can see all of your negativeness festering within each of you. As members of the organization you should know whom among you harbors the most negativity. If you all bring that individual forward I will spare you all, but, if you do not then consider all of your lives forfeit," he said stretching out his hand. "What is it going to be?"
All of the men stared perplexedly at the other, even Hikashi.
"Only one person is going to die today," Hikashi said. "You do know who it is don't you?"
The men looked at each other, back at Hisashi and they all nodded their head.
At once they walked over to a certain individual scowling staring at the ground and grabbed him each by an arm.
"What the hell are you doing?" he snapped. "Let go of me this instant!"
"I'm sorry Futashi. Your negative attitude will be used to save our lives. Take one for the team," Hikashi said watching as they all carried him to Rei Kurenada.
Futashi wriggled and tried to get away biting and scratching at the hands that held him.
"I'm not going!" he snarled. "You all can go to hell and wait for me there! I'll see every last one of you dies a painful miserable,-
-Before he could say anything else they threw him down in front of Rei Kurenada.
Futashi's eyes stabbed into Rei, but Rei stabbed back with his own paralyzing him.
He bent down towards his ear and sniffed deeply.
"A pleasant aroma," he said grabbing him by the face. "You all have chosen well."
"Let go!" Futashi growled furiously scratching at Rei's hands to let go, but Rei paid him no mind.
"Don't you know once a snake has his prey wrapped in a coil there is no escape?" he taunted. "Ah well, you may be a fool, but you're an angry fool. At least the happy fools can enjoy their time, but you have only wasted it. It's such a shame."
"If it's such a shame then let me go! I will prove it to you."
"You have only proven how little you are worth," Rei chuckled. "You may have wasted your life, but I won't. After all..." he said cracking his fingers so he could stare into his eyes, "...Waste not, want not!"
With that Rei converted him into negative energy from the inside out, Futashi's death cries echoing all around as Rei absorbed the particles into himself.
He closed his eyes relishing the meal he had tasted. Futashi must have been basking in negativity for such a long time.
He turned to the onlookers who all fell down, most of their legs weak upon his visage. Others groveled as well copying the accidental weak knees of others until they were all on the ground bowing in front of him.
The sniveling walking bags of meat actually pleased Rei. Humankind had rarely ever reacted this way to him. It was only right for them to know their place.
"You have passed my test," he said approvingly. He closed his eyes for a moment and rearranged his form back to his usual self. "Surely at least a handful of you, perhaps all of you will survive what is coming," he said.
"We are at your beck and call," Hikashi said. "It sounds like you know what's coming our way."
Rei winced staring at him. Hikashi himself was no wimp, but he did recognize those who have authority over him and therefore could show deference. Those that followed his charisma and persona fell right in line. And those that didn't he kept on a tight leash, staring at them whenever one dared to step over the boundaries and isolated them and humiliated them.
"I indeed know," he said walking past him. "But, sadly, the majority of this world will die when they arrive," he said.
"They?" Hikashi said curiously. "Is it truly time then?!" he said excitedly.
Rei smiled back smiling warmly or so he thought. "Of course. However, it's not going to end as you think it will."
"What do you mean?" he said frowning. "All of our efforts sabotaging The Watchers of the Periphery and taking out their numbers has all been to usher in the golden digital age. Mankind has been waiting for their arrival!"
Rei shook his head and stretched both arms out above him. "The truth about all of this is that when the digimon come they will wipe out most of humanity."
"Wipe us out?!" the followers exclaimed.
"Yes. And I have no desire to try to forbid mankind's incredible conclusion."
"Are you saying the Watchers of the Periphery were right? We were not wrong in our actions!" Hikashi said defensively.
"Not at all. You made the right decision to withstand them. And when the digimon come and the dust settles they will be no more, but you, the select few will rule the world with me."
"That sounds all well and good," he said, "But if most of humanity is wiped out how do you expect us to survive?"
Rei put his hand over his pocket and chuckled. "I'm so glad you asked," he said taking out the vial of his endeavors. "Before the world changes forever we will change before it so we will survive the new one."
He held out the vial for all of them to see.
"If you spread the cult of Apotheoseia I promise for all of those whom I approve worthy will receive a body like mine," he said. "A body that will never die; A body that will terrify your enemies, and that will experience the most sensational of pleasures on a level humanity has never seen."
"We will be eternal!" Hikashi exclaimed wondrously. "We will live forever!" He shouted, all of the followers rallying and crying out together with joy.
"Tell us!" he said, all of them turning toward him. "How can we guarantee a spot in this new world?"
"This," he said holding it towards them. "Simply inject it into your flesh and you will awaken to your new nature. Anyone who wishes to serve me will strive to earn this," he declared.
"And that being as soon as their flesh expires will awaken into the new world I am creating," he declared.
"Who among you is worthy of me?"
At once they all shouted in a loud voice The cult of Apotheoseia.
Rei snickered noticing all of them had taken his bait.
"Good. I look forward to your contribution," he smiled. "Await further instruction from Hikashi and the elders."
"Yes, Lord Rei Kurenada!" they shouted.
He gritted his teeth trying his best not to burst out in laughter at how brainwashed they all had become.
"Rei Kurenada," Hikashi said sighing, "Might I have a word?"
Rei closed his eyes speaking under his breath. "Well, almost everyone."