Author Notes: This was really the hardest chapter I've written, and I am here just to give you a warning: This one contains scenes of extreme psychical/psychological violence and animal cruelty.


Hiromi's POV

December 23, 2017 – Early Saturday Morning (Hinode Observatory)


"Does this look alright? I managed to place these amulets in five locations around the city, and the government granted me access to anywhere in town. This means we can finally begin our work here."

I was at the Hinode Observatory, the highest point in the city, on a mountain to the west. From here, I could see everything gradually sinking into the spiritual realm in real time.

"Hiromi, I cannot exorcise this spirit."

The one speaking to me was the Deity of Determination, the entity I have worked with my entire life, and essentially the source of my powers. I serve only as a vessel, so hearing something like that caught me completely off guard.

"What do you mean?"

"This entity has attached itself to the planet's spiritual energy, and it's absorbing that energy at a very high pace. If we exorcise her, the entire world will collapse along with her."

"So this is the power of a Superior Demon... But is there a way to sever that connection?"

"There is one way, we must remove the attachments this person had in life. Only someone who understands her story and can convince her that Earth is no longer her place can do that, it needs to be willingly."

I immediately thought of Ken and his friends, they might know of some way to reach that monster's heart. On second thought, however, I hadn't sensed the presence of any living person inside the school since I left.

"I see. Is there anything else you can do to help me? My son is trapped in this spirit's hands... I'm begging you as a desperate mother."

I lowered my eyes, wiping away the tears that had begun forming.

"Don't worry, Hiromi. My mission is to guide all souls back to the Cycle. Even if I cannot do it directly, we can seal her movements temporarily and use the Spirit Devourer to weaken Hana's link to the planet. But for that, we will need…"

Being deeply involved in the spiritual world always meant I was destined to be away from my son, unable to watch him grow or be fully present in his life. What the deity was suggesting, however, made everything far worse.

The Spirit Devourer.

Is a one of the most feared entities in the whole world, it thrives on energy and was the responsible for one of the darkest times in human history, around 1830 it tried to devour the energies from the world itself and was stopped only by sacrifices from my ancestors, they fought the beast for decades.

Unable to defeat it, they bound that thing to my lineage, every generation would be obligated to keep it in check, but we also could use it through binding contracts.

For example: In exchange for consuming Hana's bond with the world, and thus most of her power, it would demand my soul in return.

"This is too cruel…" I hadn't meant to say it out loud, but the words slipped. "Do you think I want to leave him on his own? Watching him grow from afar has been nothing but pain in my heart... When I saw him in the train station and I barely recognized him because he was so much older I felt that all I did was for nothing! And now you're saying I won't be around at all?"

"Yes. All I can do is perform the sealing ritual when you are ready. I can keep her paralyzed for two days. Is that enough time for you to say proper goodbye?"

The Deity of Determination certainly didn't know how to soften its words. Everything around me seemed to spin, but in moments like this, I knew I couldn't allow myself to break down. If I stood idly by, Ken would die. Every passing second weakens the link between his body and spirit.

"All right, I don't have time to feel anything. This is my life in this field: duty and tears, right? Let's get a move on then..."

I am so sorry...

For the first time in my life I wished I'd never awaken to the spiritual world, it took everything from me, and it just hunger for more. My entire life dedicated to it wasn't enough.

But for now, I don't matter.

I moved on and began the preparations for the sealing ritual. There was one crucial detail, though: sealing only restricts the movements of an entity, but it also shuts down the spiritual realm's influence in the area, making it impossible to cross over. That means I have to seal the creature after Ken is safe.

How could I do that?

"Hiromi, do not initiate the ritual yet. Ken's friends are there on the other side right now. They've just entered Hana's domain. We need to trust that they will save him; otherwise, we risk trapping everyone there."

"Then help them!"

"What do you think I'm doing? I just shared part of my power to the girl among them who's the most spiritually awakened."

I tried to smile at that. It was almost unnecessary for the deity to tell me who it was.

I already knew.

I don't even know that girl, but I've already had the foolish thought of asking her to take care of my son when... All I know about her is that Ken chose to get in this mess for her.

"Well, if that's the case, can you give her this necklace? It can store even more of your energy."

"Oh, I remember this necklace. It was the one you used to communicate with me the very first time… Very well. Let us have faith that this girl will succeed in rescuing him."

"Can... You do me a favor too?"

"What is it?"

"Do you think that girl will take good care of him when I'm no longer here?"

"If they make it out of this alive, I think so. Also, her name is Monika, seems like you forgot that".

"Alright, let's get to work then".

This is all wrong, why am I being robbed to even know his first love interest?

I wiped all the tears in my face.

While I continued setting up the sealing ritual, someone appeared behind me. Their presence felt horrible, yet it wasn't a spirit, but someone alive.

Somehow, that felt even worse.

When I turned around, I realized just how much of a problem it truly was.

"Huh? Who are you?"

"Good perception, Ms. Ikeda. It seems your senses are sharp. I'm a representative of the government but my name is unimportant for the moment."

"I didn't want to know it anyway. Did you come to admire our deaths? At least lend me a hand here, couldn't you?"

He smirked oddly at my question, as though my suffering entertained him. He wore black clothes that blended with the shadows, even though he thought he was looking scary, I was honestly having second-hand embarrassment.

"My orders are only to observe the last days of Hinode, nothing more. It's vital for us to record these events so future catastrophes can be prevented. So many people are going to die here on Monday… it's truly a pity. So many condemned souls, and they don't even realize it that yet. I am here to make sure that doesn't happen after your outstanding sacrifice."

"Feeling guilty? Could you observe from somewhere else, at least? I'm working here; try respecting a colleague for a change."

"Of course… But let me tell you something... What a waste of talent you are, seriously. With those senses you could make millions if you were not a good person, but you always was too honest..."

"Well, at least I won't be burning in hell after Monday... But you, I really don't think you are going the same place as me".

As abruptly as he had appeared, he vanished. The government was, indeed, going to carry out its annihilation plan. Yet something told me they weren't exactly aiming to save the world. They probably wanted to wipe everything out so they could seize Hana's power for themselves.

Wait…

If they destroy the city, and consequently the school, Hana would lose her bond with that place. Controlling her after that would be simple.

Unbelievable…

"They're just as ill-intentioned as vultures." I muttered to the deity, who watched with an expression of disdain.

"Focus, Hiromi. We need to be ready."

"Wait... I just want to say something to you".

"Huh?"

"You changed a lot in all those years, you even speak in a casual way, do you remember when we first met? You really did love to talk in riddles!"

"Was just testing you, don't flatter yourself, I'm here just because you are... A good medium".

"I hope we can be friends after my death". I let out a deep sigh.

"Maybe". They said, leaving a soft laughter.

Looking at the school, I thought to myself: I hope you find good friends too, Ken. I will try my best to meet you again.


Ken's POV

Nowhere (Alternate Classroom 3-A)


I can't take it anymore.

78 times.

This is all too cruel,why do I have to see this again and again? What twisted mind came up with this?

I was just in what hell might look like: The same classroom in that hellish version, there was immense and bloody grids instead of the windows, and where the air conditioner was, there was a giant fan spinning.

By that point, that whole place was hopeless, I simply sat on the floor beside her body.

What sick person could design such perversity?

She was brutally murdered by Hana when I got to this classroom, she might had terrorizing seconds before dying, because she was stabbed dozens of times by that monster, her blood still smelled in the whole room, her lifeless body was just... there.

In front of me, written in blood on the blackboard, was the phrase:

"Have a nice weekend."

Time passed: day, night, day, night. I had to endure the sight of Yuri's body beside me, sprawled across the chairs in the classroom. Then, on Monday, Hana would come, bring the girls "back" into the classroom, and begin slaughtering them in front of me.

One by one.

And yet Hana always spared me.

Then this "loop" resets.

Every time, I was taken back to Wednesday, waking as if from a nightmare, and the exact same week would unfold again. I was trapped in a rigid script, with no hope of escape.

No one could hear me.

No one would save me.

Staring at my friend's lifeless body, I found myself thinking…

I hoped Hana would get tired of my suffering and let me die here too, but she always prevented that. There was no escape, dying was far too easy.

Finally, Sunday night ended and another Monday dawned. My head was lowered, just waiting…It didn't take long before I heard screams from the corridor leading to the classroom.

I already knew who was screaming, but hearing it again made me lose my mind, it was so loud that time around. I cried and sobbed as quietly as I could.

Hana was here.

That cursed demon held the girls with shadowy arms, eight dark hands extending from her back. She was now just a mass of darkness, barely human.

She flung them next to Yuri's body; it was always the same scene.

They screamed so loudly, they were crying too.

"WHAT'S HAPPENING? YURI! OH MY GOD, NO!"

Monika was always the first to do so. Soon she'd see how powerless she was. The others could hardly speak, they just screamed and wept in horror, begging not to suffer Yuri's fate too.

"You misbehaved by trying to save him," Hana hissed. "I told you never to set foot in this school again. But your silly attempt to rescue your little friend and your girlfriend is useless, I have eyes and ears everywhere. Now, you will die. Leader first…"

Slowly, she guided her razor-like hands toward the girls to murder them one by one, again.

Over and over.

Again.

Again.

Again.

I already knew the outcome, whether I fought or begged. Nothing would sway Hana from her course.

But by some bizarre reason, maybe Hana was distracted. Whatever it was, I noticed Monika looking at me, trying to mouth something right as those razor-hands skewered her heart from behind.

"I… I am waiting for you… on the other side of this hell, Ken."

The spirit finished butchering them, then eviscerated their bodies with her bare extra-hands, laughing maniacally.

Yet wait… In all the 78 times I'd seen these atrocities, Monika had never said sentence that to me.

Something had changed.

The demon was so absorbed in her sick game that she hadn't noticed the knife used to kill Yuri lying farther away on the floor than usual.

Could this be a glimmer of hope?

I was so used to this horrific script that I knew Hana would take a while, relishing her carnage.

It was a one-in-a-million chance.

I held the knife and charged at Hana, not thinking, not making any plan, I had no time for anything but to try. If she was translucent, I'd be punished for deviating from the script. But I could no longer stand by and watch this madness.

A direct strike to the back of her neck. I felt the blade pierce that demon in one go.

"Argh… What?"

The knife seemed to explode on contact with that rotting spirit. The object's energy was so foul that it infected Hana within seconds. Still lodged in her neck, the blade drew a howl from her:

"HOW… DARE… YOU?"

I kept stabbing, anywhere I could, mangling her face further, overwhelmed by a rush of vengeful euphoria.

"You will pay for this transgression, you fool! Do you really think you can kill me so easily? This is just one of my countless shadows."

Suddenly, I realized I was stabbing the floor. The spirit had already vanished.

I felt relief at seeing that abomination "die," and then my friends disappeared too.

It had all been an illusion.

But for the first time, this seemingly invincible spirit had shown a little bit of weakness. Still, it was only a theory: maybe, if her attention was divided, we might have a chance.

My main concern now was how to escape that locked room. I tried ramming the door, forcing it with the knife, but nothing worked. Perhaps Hana hadn't even noticed I'd deviated from the script, that why she hasn't come here yet, part of me wanted to believe that she is fighting the girls at this very moment and got distracted.


I sat on the floor, my eyes fixed on nothing, my mind wandering through a thousand places and nowhere at all. The giant fan still dripped blood yet continued spinning, filling the place with a horrible stench, mixed with old blood. Even with no tormentor present, this place remained pure torture.

What if Hana has already killed my friends in the real world?

Illusions and reality blurred together, tears streaming down my face while I waited for someone, anyone, to save me.

Was this all that was left for me?

Outside, the red glow of the blood moon was fading, leaving only darkness behind. My only option was to remain silent and hope the real Hana would show up eventually. My mind drifted in and out of that plan, acting like motionless prey.

I started all this believing I'd be some kind of hero, only to end up completely powerless, able to do nothing but witness this nightmare.

It seemed as though every ounce of my strength had been drained. I could barely think or even stand, yet I struggled to my feet, stumbling over the chairs.

I clawed at the doors, throwing my body against them dozens of times, to no avail.

Then I noticed the chair where the ghost used to sit. Even in this purgatory, that spot was pristine, unchanging, like a constant in all this madness. As if mocking me, that chair actually gave me an idea.

What if...

I picked it up and hurled it with all my strength at the blackboard. I began smashing everything I could, not just to vent my anger but also to see whether the classroom would react in some way.

A black puddle burst from the spot where Hana's chair had been. I approached it carefully, and up close I could see it welling up from the floor like water from a well, despite us being on the third floor.

In an instant, the entire scene changed. People appeared all around me: students.

There was an old-fashioned "filter" over my vision, and it felt like I was no longer in my own body. All these students stared with contempt in their eyes. They wore older uniforms bearing the same school's emblem.

Outside, a heavy rain pounded the windows, and a larger figure who seemed to be a teacher appeared. Within seconds, the gruesome scene had shifted into something else entirely, like a stage play moving to its next act.

I looked down at my hands, they were much smaller and more delicate. I glanced up and realized the only open seat was in the back row, and I had the impression I was late to class. That must have been why they were all glaring at me.

"Late again, Hana? I'd rather not have to write your name in my records. Please take your seat, you're disrupting class."

The teacher had no distinct face, only his eyes and mouth were visible, and he aimed those words in my direction.

It clicked for me...

I was witnessing a memory from Hana's past.

I pretended not to hear, since it wasn't really me, and walked toward the last chair.

On the blackboard, it said:

October 18, 2004.

As soon as I sat, a girl spat in my face, and a boy hurled a paper ball that smacked my forehead. I tried to retaliate, but my arms and legs were stuck to the seat and my voice refused to come out. I had no way to respond.

All I could do was remain quiet, observing everything around me.

"Class, get into groups," the teacher said, interrupting my thoughts. I could see a malicious grin pointed at me.

Was he smiling?

I was sure of it.

The school was complicit in the bullying Hana must have suffered.

They grabbed me by my hair. Even if this seemed like an illusion, the pain felt all too real, and I felt my blood boiling. I wanted to punch that girl with the blurry face.

But my arms wouldn't move.

Everything was on a sort of autopilot.

Why they keep laughing? What is so funny about torment this child?

"You're in my seat, Hana."

A tall student said this, clearly to provoke me, and all I could do was remain silent while they tore up my books and snatched my personal notebook.

"Why don't you just stay home? You're useless. You ruin any fun we could have in this class, a total waste of space."

I felt my blood simmering with rage, still unable to answer. I refused to bow my head, though. I tried my hardest to see the features of that person's face.

For a second, the constraints of this memory seemed to crack, and my first instinct was to raise my hand and punch that human-like figure.

But as soon as I lunged, I lost my balance and hit the floor, someone had spilled water beneath my feet.

The impact was so jarring that everything vanished in my sight.

I opened my eyes some time later.

I was outside the cursed school, on the street in front of it, near the parking lot. But I was still in Hana's body. Evidently, there was much more to see, and none of it would be good.

On the ground beneath my feet was an old flyer displaying a poem:


Beautiful
By Hana Ikeda – October 3, 2004

How beautiful you are,
I'm so grateful you're always with me,
The only light that exists in my life.
Your love has always been true and pure,
Your intentions gentle and genuine.
You are my only companion in this life.
You are beautiful.
Daughter.
I will always love you.


I heard screams to the east, so I ran toward them. The sounds grew louder, laughter mixed with something else.

I passed through the city park (the same I had met Monika earlier this week). Amid that seemingly lovely setting, my heart sank at the sound of an animal's anguished cries.

Screaming. Laughter. An animal's whimpers.

Was this what I thought it was?

The flyer was still in my hand. Was Hana writing it for someone? Nothing made much sense, but I ran faster, and by the time I reached the edge of the park, the scene became clear.

I must admit, seeing Hana's death firsthand hadn't truly moved me that much, but what I witnessed next froze me in place. The level of cruelty was just... something impossible to ignore.

Suddenly, Hana's hatred seemed somewhat justified. It was obviously not right, but it all clicked. I might even have chosen a similar path. What else can you feel for humanity, after witnessing this...

"Look, the witch who loves black cats finally made it," said the same tall student, mocking me. "I didn't think you'd be able to get here."

Hana's cat was still alive, but it had been subjected to every conceivable form of torture. It mewled in pain, its screams so piercing they felt like claws raking the inside of my skull. The tall student punched me in the face, sending me hard to the ground.

They forced me to watch it.

I tried to avert my gaze, but they wouldn't allow it, someone was holding my face in place. I still couldn't speak at all.

I wanted to scream to end that nightmare but it was no use.

"Not only you deserve this, little witch, but we also gonna make bank on that! When they offered me that much just to torment your life, It was like actually winning a lottery... because, I would gladly make it for free!".

Hearing those words made everything click, Hana death was not just some cruel fate and all that. It was planned, someone paid people to bully Hana and do whatever they felt like doing. They were killing Hana's pet in a park next to the School.

Why do something like that to her? Even knowing all the suffering she caused us...

When I saw the animal having to get through something like that.

I felt something changed within me, if we ever managed to exorcise Hana, I would go after those guys in person, that's why I did my best to memorize their faces.

When the animal's final screams died out, the memory dissolved, and I woke up.

It was like emerging from deep water after drowning for a long time.

Once again, I was somewhere different from before.

Where is this place?

A hospital?