Issei walked down the road, scanning for any form of life. The abandoned town he had found himself in was nothing short of eerie. A modern town that had been frozen in time. People who had suddenly decided to pack their things and leave. Echoes of their former lives had been scattered haphazardly across the street as if they were phantoms storing away the tales of what once was a thriving town. He glanced at the billowing smoke that towered into the sky in the distance.
"It looks like there's a fire in the distance," Issei said.
"I'd be more careful about heading there if I were you. We don't know what kind of people there are here if there are any. Most likely, if there are people in this town, then they'll all have the same idea and head there as well, "Mastema pointed out.
She had been intermittently disappearing and reappearing by his side.
"Where have you been going?" Issei asked, glancing over at her.
"Scouting the town. We're not in Japan that's for sure and I can… I can say with a measure of accuracy that there are people here. And I can say for sure that… there are some near you. Two," Mastema said.
"Two?" Issei raised an eyebrow.
He hadn't sensed anyone. Or was it because he was so magically inept that he was incapable of sensing the powers of others? Issei shook his head. That wasn't it. He was capable of sensing his fellow devils and the Goddess Kali just fine.
"Which direction?" Issei said as he began to walk.
"Are you serious, Ise-chan? We don't even know if these people are friendly," Mastema warned.
"We might as well go. Besides, I'm a Devil. If push comes to shove, I can probably fight my way out of it," he reassured her.
Mastema raised an eyebrow before sighing in disbelief.
"Did you forget that you don't have access to the Boosted Gear?" she said.
Issei stopped in his tracks as Mastema cruelly reminded him of his current predicament.
This town. No, this entire area had prevented him from using his Sacred Gear. There was an odd magic here according to Mastema.
"Well… I can still fight without the Boosted Gear," Issei said, trying to diffuse the situation.
"You and what powers?" Mastema said.
"My… Fallen powers?" he said.
"Yes, because you have a fine mastery of that. I'll help you. Just head to your right, Ise-chan," Mastema guided.
"My right? That's…" Issei turned to his right to see an alleyway that stretched behind a few houses. "That's kind of a sketchy pathway."
"Oh? It's fine. Mastema is here to guide you through it. In place of Ddraig, you can rely on me, ne~?" Mastema said.
"Er… you sure changed your tune quick but… let's see who these people are," Issei said.
Without another word, Issei turned on the heels of his feet and began walking down the alley. It was different from the alleys he knew of in suburban areas in Japan. He didn't know why but the ambiance in this obviously not Japanese town made shivers run down his spine.
The aged wooden fences that lined the backstreet gave off a claustrophobic feeling, especially with the abandoned trash bins that lined the fences. With the few gates that were open, Issei could see the overgrown backyards and the rusted abandoned playsets that used to be filled with children. There was the occasional downed power line that had most likely been toppled by a storm that passed through this town. A few raccoons scurried about, rummaging through trash and the ones he spotted fled upon laying eyes on him. A light breeze blew through and rustled the windchimes that hung off some of the sheds in the backyards, playing a tune that was supposed to be relaxing but came off as eerie.
"Geez, this place is kind of creepy and not in a horror sort of feel. I feel like I'm getting monophobia just by walking through here," Issei murmured.
"Most towns that become abandoned usually give off an eerie feeling even if they don't mean to. There's just something so surreal about being in a place where people once lived,"Mastema commented.
Issei nodded in response and stopped when he felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. He turned around and saw a small shadow darting behind an AC unit by the garage he had just passed.
"Someone's over there…" Issei said.
Mastema turned around and scanned the area. "There's two people over there."
Issei slowly crept over to the AC unit, body tensed and ready to defend himself if anyone jumped out to attack him. He slowly bent down and grabbed a large stick he passed by.
He raised the stick above his head, ready to strike whatever he had found behind the unit when a blur jumped out and struck him underneath the chin.
Issei flew into the air and landed on his back. His senses went haywire as he jumped to his feet and hopped back, deftly evading the sight of someone's boot cracking the ground where he once lay.
His attacker was a girl older than he was. She had long midnight black hair and blue eyes. Her skin was pale and she wore a red button-up shirt with black pants. There was a scrunchy tied around her wrist and most of all, Issei recognized her.
"Wait… Yo-" Issei moved his head out of the way, dodging another rapid jab that was aimed at his temple.
Issei's eyes bulged out of their sockets. Barely thirty seconds in and he, the Pawn of Rias Gremory and wielder of the Boosted Gear, was being pressured by someone who he knew was human.
Was being the operative word.
"Wait! It's me, Isse-"
Her foot connected with his midsection, knocking the air out of his lungs and sending a wave of pain through his body as he felt the heel of her boot digging into his liver.
Issei flew through the wooden fence and crashed into the remains of an inflatable pool.
"Save it," the girl said. "How do I know you're even Issei?"
She took a step through the destroyed fence.
"There's a load of weird shit in this town that has been trying to kill us since we got here," she snarled.
Issei groaned and looked to see her eyes were glowing with an eerie yellow color.
"Crap… I forgot that she knows Krav Maga…" Issei said, wiping some spit from his mouth.
"Issei… she's like you," Mastema said.
"Enough talk. It's time to-" she was interrupted when a pair of small arms wrapped around her waist and held her back.
"Kid, what are you-"
"Lily?" Issei's eyes widened in surprise when he saw her.
"Huh?" the girl turned around and looked at Issei with surprise.
"Lily! It's me!" Issei called out.
Lily peeked around the girl's waist before removing her arms from her. Without a moment's hesitation, she hopped over the broken remains of the fence and ran as fast as she could towards Issei. She leaped into his arms, hugging him tightly.
Issei smiled and returned the hug, stroking her hair and whispering soothing words into her ears. He could feel the small girl's body trembling in his embrace and could feel the wet sensation of her tears soaking through his shirt.
But…
Issei's hazel eyes moved up to see if the girl in front of him would do anything.
Her yellow eyes faded and returned to their usual blue shade as she let out a heavy sigh.
"So you really are that Issei," she said with a relieved expression.
"Yeah, I am that Issei," he said.
By the emphasis, she placed on the word that, Issei knew she was speaking of his reputation within the school as one of the most incorrigible perverts in his year. There were rumors spreading about that Issei was looking to lay his fangs into Koneko, the school mascot.
"You… You are Izayoi-senpai, right? Yozora Izayoi?" Issei asked.
"Yeah, it's me," she said.
"If you are, then what's the name of that one rundown club that no one's a member of?" Issei asked.
She bristled at his statement and her eyes flashed a dangerous shade of yellow. "I… Ugh, the Forensics Club. You didn't have to be that mean…"
Issei relaxed instantly at the confirmation of her identity. "Sorry, senpai. I was just making sure since you brought up that there were people that could look like us just now."
Yozora nodded.
Yozora Izayoi was a third-year student at Kuoh. She was in the same year as Rias and Akeno though they were in different classes. From what Issei knew, she was a member of Kuoh's Honors Society with President Sona Sitri and Vice President Tsubaki Shinra. She was also the sole president and member of the Forensics Club in Kuoh. The reason why Issei referred to it as a rundown club was due to it being on the verge of a shutdown due to only having one member.
"Izayoi-senpai, do you know where we are?" Issei asked, standing up and carrying Lily in his arm.
"I was just about to ask you the same thing just now. I'm surprised I even found you here, Hyoudou," Yozora replied. "Though, judging by the fact that all the street signs are in English and all the cars here have their driver's seat on the left side of the car… we're in the US."
"The US?" Issei asked.
Mastema… why would Beelzebub bring us here to America? This is one of Blacklight's territories, Issei said.
"Why are you asking me? You're the Blacklight agent," Mastema said.
"Hyoudou? Hyoudou!"
Issei blinked when he saw Yozora snapping her fingers in front of his face.
"I thought I lost you for a second there. Don't space out on me like that, especially in a place like this," Yozora said.
"R- Right… anyway, now what?" Issei asked.
"I don't know. I was going to head over to that big coal fire over there," Yozora said.
"Coal fire?" Issei asked.
Mastema lingered between them, observing Yozora's expressions. This girl. She felt so familiar yet she couldn't place a finger where she had sensed that energy signature before. In the end, Mastema chalked it up to it being similar to Issei's.
"This town. Don't you recognize it?" she asked as she began to walk down the street.
Issei grabbed Lily's hand and the two followed her. Her statement surprised Issei. She knew where they were? Is that why she was headed to that plume of smoke? Even more surprising was the fact that she knew what kind of fire it was.
"You… know where we are?" Issei asked in an almost accusatory manner.
"No need to get suspicious. I'm in the forensics club. I study places like this because it's been the subject of a lot of investigations by the government and by different people. Also, this is the inspiration for the backdrop of a very famous horror game," Yozora said, snapping off a branch.
"Famous… horror game?" Issei asked.
"Ugh, is the only thing on your mind horny garbage?" she asked in an almost annoyed manner. "Silent Hill?"
"Er… I don't play horror games," Issei admitted.
"Even still, I'd imagine someone like you to at least know what Silent Hill is," Yozora said.
She held her hand up, causing them to stop as they reached the end of the alleyway. Yozora pressed her back against the fence and peeked around the corner. After a few seconds of looking around, she sighed and motioned for them to follow after her.
Jeez, even in a situation like this, Yozora-senpai still plays the part of the ever-reliable senpai, Issei thought.
He felt the tiny squeeze of Lily's hand. Issei glanced over his shoulder and saw the girl looking around while tightly gripping his hand for dear life. Issei smiled sadly and scooped her into his arms.
Lily wrapped her arms around his neck and nestled her chin in the crook of his neck.
"How long have you had her?" Yozora asked as they walked down the abandoned street.
"A month. Maybe even more," Issei said.
"That long?" she asked.
"She… Her family died and we found her. We decided to take her in but she still doesn't talk. Mitsuki says that it's PTSD," Issei said.
"I see," Yozora said.
"So… how did you end up here, Yozora-senpai?" Issei asked.
Yozora kept silent for a few seconds before stopping. She held her hand out as her eyes flickered to yellow once more. A wispy stream of black and violet energy emanated from her fingertips, causing Issei's eyes to widen in surprise.
"Weird right? I was suddenly able to do this one day. I was studying a cold case from Scotland in the club room and I was getting frustrated. Then, as if my body were responding, this suddenly came out of my fingertips and disintegrated half of the equipment in the room," Yozora said.
She closed her fist, causing the destructive black energy to fade.
"Ever since then, I've been disintegrating and blowing stuff up," Yozora said.
No way, that's the Power of Destruction. The way she describes it is the exact way Pres's power of Destruction works but the color palette is just a bit different, Issei thought.
Mastema narrowed her eyes and began hovering closer to Issei.
"Anyway, I was heading home from the clubroom when this thug came out of nowhere and jumped me. I fought back but he was far stronger than me and then he knocked me out. Then, I woke up here, I found her, and ran into you," Yozora said.
"I see. By the way, the guys that took you, did they happen to have yellow eyes by any chance?" Issei asked.
Yozora raised an eyebrow at his question. It was an odd question to say the least. She crossed her arms and tried to remember more details of her kidnapping. "Well, now that you mention it, he did have yellow eyes."
"I see…" Issei looked ahead as the smoke pillar got closer.
"Anyway, let's keep walking. The smoke pillar's still a good walk away and we should get there before it gets dark," Yozora said.
Issei nodded and followed after her, thankful that he was, at least, stuck with someone he was familiar with.
The walk toward the coal fire became a silent affair after their short conversation. Issei decided not to press Yozora for more information. The aloof, unapproachable vibe that she exuded was what often isolated her from her peers when she was at school. In short, his senior was pretty much a loner. And her detached personality was what contributed to the communication barrier they were having at the moment. Aside from his class and the more supernatural members of the school, Issei had never talked much to girls in his school.
Yozora was a favorite to a few of the boys of his class but this was because they favored the austere, demeaning leer of Yozora over the warm gentle gaze of the Great Ladies of the School.
Issei kicked a can across the street into the wall of an abandoned dollar store. The sight of it reminded Issei of how creepy this ghost town was. And if Yozora was right, then this entire town was the backdrop to an entire horror franchise.
"Wait."
Issei stopped in his tracks. He squatted and placed Lily down.
Yozora stood a few feet in front of them, standing atop the hill that would inevitably lead down to their destination below.
"What is it?" Issei asked, walking up to her.
"There are already people here," Yozora said.
"What?" Issei looked down the hill and saw four people gathered around the smoking fissure. "Only four?"
I honestly thought Beelzebub would have created more, Issei thought.
"Should we say hi?" he asked, seeing the contemplative face of his senior.
"And get killed?" Yozora asked.
"We'll be fine. Besides, I have powers too," Issei said.
"Ise-chan, while I'm happy that you're now using more of the Shevirat Ha-Kelim, I'd also love it if you valued personal safety and tact by not running into a group of super-powered strangers just to say hi," Mastema chided.
It's fine. Besides, I have Yozora-senpai with me. Between the two of us, we can probably take out the entire group, Issei responded.
"I guess we have no choice. If we want to find out more about this place, then we'll have to go down there and see what they know," Yozora replied with a sigh.
She was heavily regretting agreeing with this idea already. Her intuition told her not to head down but if she wanted more answers, she would need to go down there. In the end, Yozora reassured herself that she would be able to protect Issei and Lily long enough for them to get away.
"Let's go but keep Lily behind us, okay?" Yozora said.
"Yeah, I was already planning on it," Issei said.
He turned around and squatted in front of Lily.
"Lils, we're going to head down the hill. There are going to be people down there that we don't know so I want you to stay behind me, kay?" Issei asked.
Lily nodded fervently.
"Ready?" Yozora asked.
"Yeah," Issei said.
The three made their way down the hill slowly. Issei scooped Lily up in his arms, keeping her close to him in the event they needed to flee.
Yozora walked calmly in front of them, keeping her blue eyes fixed on the people before them.
The four had noticed their presence as they got closer.
They were all of varying ages, ranging from a man in his mid-twenties to a woman in her mid-teens. The woman was perhaps the youngest of the group, being of clear European descent as her eyes and blonde hair showed. She was at least a year younger than Issei and wore a black jacket.
The man next to her was of Asian descent like Issei. He had slick black hair and wore a school uniform. He wore a slightly cold expression on his face as he locked eyes with them. Issei saw the man's eyes shift slightly as if he were offended by Issei's very presence. All in all, he reminded Issei of a protagonist from a manhwa.
The girl next to him was the youngest of the group. She had long blonde hair and blue eyes. She wore fashionable and trendy clothing, clearly taking great care into maintaining her appearance. Like Yozora, the girl regarded Issei with very little care though her eyes did linger on Lily for a few seconds. However, after that, she came to the conclusion that Lily's importance was absolutely none and returned to looking at herself in the camera of her phone.
The man next to her was tall. He had dirty blonde hair and blue eyes. A few freckles were scattered over his pale face. Of the three they had met, he was the only one Issei noticed had been watching them keenly. However, his amiable expression contrasted the inquisitive gaze he held deep within his eyes. He wore a jacket and a black shirt, clearly unfazed by the summer heat of America's eastern seaboard.
And finally, the last man in the quartet was rather tall. He was well-built, wearing a military uniform. His gaze was the kindest of the four thus far and he nodded at Issei and Lily in a brotherly manner. He had a buzz cut and dark skin, being clearly of African-American descent. And of the four, Issei noticed he was the only one who was armed. An assault rifle was strapped to his person, along with a pistol resting on the holster of his uniform and a knife strapped to his leg. Clearly, this man had just been pulled from active service.
"Um…" Issei began, trying to find a way to break the ice.
"Mmm?" the girl finally broke her staring contest with her phone and turned to give Issei a dismissive look.
"I'm… I'm Issei. This is-"
"Yozora," Yozora introduced.
"Er…" Issei stiffened at the tone his senior took when speaking to these people before moving onto the little girl in his arms. "This is Lily."
"These people are warier than you are, Ise-chan," Mastema said.
Issei bit his cheek, noticing the lack of responses he received from his introduction. Mastema's words only served to compound the anxiety he felt at the moment. Though, he could not blame them in the slightest. The four were thrust into an unknown situation by a power that had commonly believed to be something born from the words of the illiterate of the distant past.
Issei took a step forward, causing the Korean boy to immediately go on guard.
He made a note to himself not to carelessly approach the Korean as he was still holding Lily. Instead, Issei made his way to the freckled boy and the soldier, noting that their demeanors were far more welcoming than the blonde girl and the student.
"Um… hey, I'm-"
"Issei, you said," the soldier said, offering Issei a reassuring smile. "I'm Mark. Mark Wilson. I'd shake your hand but I'm afraid you might drop the little miss there."
"Oh, yeah. Sorry, she's not used to seeing new people," Issei apologized.
"It's fine. Though, it makes me worry that a little girl is here," he said.
"Yeah, how'd you find her?" the freckled man said. "Oh, yeah, by the way, I'm Lance. Lance McArthy."
Issei felt Lily shift in his arms upon hearing his relatively thick Scottish accent.
"We live together. Our family adopted her," Issei said, stroking her hair in an attempt to get her to calm down.
"Jeez, to think that your sis is here too," Lance said.
"Yeah, our other sister is somewhere out there. She's probably looking for us. I just wish she didn't get dragged into it," Issei said, glancing down at Lily as he said the last part.
"I get what you mean. I have a sister too. She's schizophrenic and has a coagulation disorder. She's fine now with the meds but… I still worry," Lance said, offering Issei a smile.
"By the way, where are we?" Mark said.
"Centralia."
The three turned around to see Yozora inspecting the smoke that escaped the massive rift in the ground before them.
"We're in Centralia, Pennsylvania," she said.
"Centralia? Like the town from Silent Hill?" Mark asked.
"See Issei. Everyone knows what Silent Hill is," Yozora said.
"That's not the point. Why are we here?" Issei asked.
"Your guess is as good as ours," the Korean man said. "Ijin Baek. That's my name by the way."
"I guess I have to introduce myself then. Jennifer. Jennifer. Just Jennifer. I don't want to give my last name to a bunch of strangers," she said, pocketing her phone.
"Er… sorry, she's been like this all day," Lance said, scratching his cheek.
"That's fine. But… we need to find shelter," Issei said.
"Yeah, especially before those dogs come back," Mark said.
"Dogs?" Yozora raised an eyebrow. "You've seen them too?"
"Yeah. Those big dogs with black fur," he said.
"Hellhounds. Dogs that reside within the deeper level of Gehenna."
Deeper level?
"There are deeper levels of Gehenna, the Devil's Region of the Underworld. When the Great Evil of Rebellion solidified her position as one of the strongest entities within Hell, she compartmentalized her region, making it larger than it is spatially without taking up space. This was achievable with her Boundary and thus, Hell is also split into Seven Regions. But enough of the dimensional topography lesson, I think everyone's speaking of moving out," Mastema said.
Issei blinked and saw Yozora eyeing him with a scrutinizing gaze.
"What's on your mind, Issei?" she asked, turning the entire group's attention to him.
"Um… errr…" he couldn't think of a response after being put on the spot like that. "I…"
"Pay attention," Yozora chastised. "In any case, I think Mark is right. I spotted a dollar store on the way over here. We can probably loot the place for canned goods… assuming it wasn't robbed when the coal fire happened. Then we can use one of the houses as shelter since I assume people want privacy."
"She's right. Besides, the smaller the area, the easier it will be to defend. Especially from those demon dogs we saw earlier," Mark said.
"Before we go, we should… probably talk about why we're here," Issei said. "Did any of you happen to spot someone with yellow eyes before you were taken here?"
Aside from Yozora, the four looked at him oddly before Mark ran a hand through his hair with a sigh.
"So you're the same as us," he said.
"The same?" Issei pretended to be surprised.
Mark walked over to one of the lamp posts. He raised his hand and squeezed it, causing the metal to warp and twist significantly.
"Telekinesis?" Issei said.
"No, it only works on metal. I think that's the thing I can do. Control metals," he said. "It doesn't work on things like that slab of concrete."
"Morax's power of Terrakinesis. He can manipulate the metals in the pole because it's not… like concrete." Mastema hummed to herself.
"I don't know mine. I just know that I can do this," Lance said, holding his hand out. A small orb of pure shadow manifested above the palm of his hand.
"Darkness manipulation is a standard ability for demons. Whatever his Unique Power must be different," Mastema mentioned.
"And you?" Issei asked the other two.
Ijin sighed and held out his arm. His arm began to change form, taking on a scaly appearance. A row of spines appeared on the back of his forearm and his nails extended into talons.
"Bune. The Bune Family power of Dragonification."
"I… I don't want to talk about mine," Jennifer said, clutching her arm.
"I mean, we all talked about ours. What about you?" Lance said.
"You… You don't fucking get it! All of you have something normal. Something harmless. I… I… I turned my entire family into gold…" she looked down at her gloved hands before balling them into fists. "So sorry if I can't exactly show it."
"The Berith Family Power of Transmutation. They have the ability to transform material into other elements, mainly gold," Mastema said.
"S- Sorry," Lance said.
"No. It's fine. You didn't know," she whispered.
"Well… let's all get out of here before something comes and picks us off then?" Issei offered.
"Come on. I saw a house big enough for all of us just up the street," Mark said, gesturing for them to follow.
The group followed after them. Issei lagged behind slightly, keeping pace with Lily.
"You're handling this well. You haven't freaked out yet," Mastema said.
I… I'm holding it in. Besides, I have to keep a good face on for Lily and Mii-chan and Ingvild's training helped me a little. Ahahaha…, Issei replied.
"In any case, you've gotten slightly more mature," Mastema said, appearing next to him.
Do you think we can get ahold of Mitsuki? I haven't been able to try because of these people, Issei said.
"I don't know. All I know is that this town is being watched. There are multiple demonic signatures circling around the town, keeping an eye on events here," Mastema informed him.
Multiple? Crap… then, that means that those are probably the hellhounds that he mentioned earlier, Issei said.
"Look, this house right here's locked. We didn't want to bust in because we thought it would make too much noise but since you're all here, I guess safety in numbers is on our side," Lance said.
The house they stopped at was a two-story suburban home. It was the classic picturesque American household with a white picket fence and a small play structure located in the front yard. The mailbox's tail was in the outgoing position yet it was empty and had nothing to be picked up. The group walked up to the house.
Issei kept Lily next to him, getting ready to protect her in case anything was hiding inside the house.
"Should we check first?" Yozora asked.
"Windows are boarded up," Mark said. "I'll take point."
Yozora nodded as Mark walked up to the front door and gripped the doorknob. He twisted it only to find that it wouldn't budge.
"Kick it down?" Ijin suggested.
Mark rolled his eyes and stood in front of the door before kicking it in. The door swung inward violently, scaring Lily and causing her to hide behind Issei.
"Sorry," Mark apologized.
"No, it's fine. Let's just go inside. I got the door handled," Issei said.
"And how are you going to handle the obviously broken door?" Mastema asked.
You're being really mean today, Issei said.
"Oh my dear, Ise-chan~! I'm just making sure you know what you're doing. This is your first time on your own without Mitsuki or Rias to help you through~!" Mastema teased.
I…
He couldn't even find a good counter to that.
The group walked into the house, taking note of the faded photos that were left behind. Issei eyed the picture of the family before shivering inwardly.
This is really creepy, he thought to himself.
"Staring at the eldest daughter?"
He jumped and turned to see Yozora standing next to him.
"Jee… don't do that!" Issei said, placing his hand on his chest.
"Wow, you're jumpy," she said.
I didn't even feel her presence. My god- Ow!
"So, were you checking her out? She has to be at least 40 by now," Yozora said.
"No, I wasn't. Like it or not, I do think of things other than boobs," Issei said.
"Like?"
"What we're going to eat," Issei said.
"Food is a basic human need. Everyone thinks about food so that's not really something different to think about," she said, patting him on the shoulder before walking off.
"Hey! My personality is more than just boobs!" Issei called out.
"Yeah, I know. And stop yelling about boobs. Everyone in the other room can hear you," she said.
A crimson blush spread across Issei's face as the embarrassment began to overtake his body. He sighed in annoyance before turning around to the broken door in front of them.
So, Mastema. Anything about the Shevirat Ha-Kelim that I should know? I don't know any magic. The Boosted Gear isn't working properly. This is all I have, Issei said.
"Well, you can try making a new door but that would take too long since you've never attempted using Olam HaTohu. We can just prop it up and set the furniture the previous family left behind for now," Mastema said.
R- Right. Good thinking, Issei said. He turned to Lily. "Lily, stay here okay?"
Lily let go of his hand and nodded.
Issei walked over to the primary living room and began pushing the couch. After moving it where he needed to move it. He closed the door and barred it with the couch.
"That should hold. For now," he said.
"And now we're trapped," Jennifer quipped.
"Not really. Everyone here has superpowers so blasting the door shouldn't be a problem. At least, it can keep out the dogs," Mark said.
"Guys! Come here! Look!" Ijin called.
"Looks like he found something," Lance said, walking down the stairs.
The group all exchanged glances before finding Lance standing in the dining area.
The sight made their jaws water and their minds run on overdrive.
Before them was a spread. A smorgasbord of food that just sat there waiting for someone to devour it. The fragrant aroma of roast ham coupled with the sight of roasted potatoes, gravy, and a variety of other foods from other cultures were there. The sight of the full-course meal sitting before them made their stomachs rumble. The juicy, roast meat seemed to glisten in the sunlight that crept through the windows, causing their mouths to water. Each one beckoning for them to come and sink their teeth and savor the scrumptious taste of the meat in front of them.
Issei reached out to grab a slice of the succulent meat when Yozora grabbed his wrist.
"Are you insane?" Yozora said.
"Huh? It's food!" Issei said.
"Are you stupid or something? Think for one second. There's perfectly good food just laying around here and it's not spoiled. Don't you find that a little suspicious?" she asked.
"Er…" Issei stopped for a moment. She was right. The food's presence was suspicious. And he had almost given into his hunger and dug in.
Issei saw Lily looking at him expectantly. The look in her eyes indicated that she was also famished and it was understandable. He didn't know how long she had been here but she must have been starving.
"What are you all worried about?" Ijin asked. "It's food! And it's perfectly fine."
"Er…" Mark began.
"Look. I know it looks suspicious but-! What choice do we have? Starve?" he said.
"Look mate, this food. We don't know who laid it out," Lance said, glancing at the ham uncomfortably.
"He's right. What choice do we have?" Jennifer said.
Mark shifted uncomfortably before reaching out and grabbing a piece of ham.
"Hey! What are you doing?" Yozora demanded.
"Look… we don't have any other sources of food-"
"The town has a dollar store. There are probably leftover canned goods that we can use-"
"And if there isn't?" Ijin countered. "Are you just going to let this opportunity pass up? And what about that little girl there? Are you going to let her starve on a hunch?"
Yozora's face turned red as she glared at Ijin. Her eyes shifted to a dangerous shade of yellow and Issei could feel the build-up of demonic power within her.
"Okay, okay, let's just. Let's just agree to disagree. If you want to eat the food, then go ahead but what if it's poisonous?" he asked.
"I'll try it."
The group turned to see Jennifer snatching the piece of ham from Mark's hand. She popped the piece of meat into her mouth, chewing it.
They all watched her warily, waiting for anything to happen. They waited and waited but nothing happened to her. She did not bleed from every orifice in her body nor did her eyeballs melt. Instead, they heard her audibly swallow the food before sighing in satisfaction.
"That… That was good. I think I'm going to have more," she said.
"Hey, are you alright-"
"Yeah," Jennifer said, cutting Lance off. "You should eat. This food is normal. If if was poisoned, something should have happened to me by now, right?"
"Well, some poisons take a while to work so-"
"Okay, Miss Detective. Think of it this way. We're in an elaborate scheme of some sort. That much is obvious. Can they really afford to kill us all on the first day? And slow-acting poison? That's something out of a movie," Jennifer said.
"And said elaborate scheme is something out of a Saw Movie so I'd be warier about eating the food if I were you," Yozora snapped.
"Look, the Asian chick is right. Why don't we all look at this from a different angle and-" Lance was once again interrupted by the sound of chewing. He looked over to Ijin, who had taken a large slice of ham and was beginning to put potatoes on his plate.
"What? I'm hungry. Besides, there's brisket and ham. There's also bulgogi over here," he said.
"I think… I think Yozora is right guys," Mark said.
Jennifer sighed before grabbing a fork and stabbing it into a piece of meat. She walked over to Mark and shoved the meat into his mouth, causing his eyes to widen and spit it out.
"What the hell!?" he said.
"Eat. Or would you rather eat your rations?" Jennifer asked.
"I'd rather eat my military rations than… that," he said.
"Suit yourself, Soldier Boy. Ijin and I are going to eat," she said.
Issei watched the interaction with bated breath. "Senpai, is it really not okay for us to eat the-"
"Issei. Don't be stupid," she said.
Lily tugged on the hem of Issei's shirt. She pointed at the food. Issei sighed and shook his head.
The group watched Jennifer and Ijin devour the meal but they barely made a dent in it.
After a few more seconds, Mark sighed and walked over to the table.
"Mark!" Yozora said.
"I… I'm sorry but I'm too hungry. And they haven't collapsed and it's been 5 minutes. No poison would have been delayed that long," he reasoned.
"S- Still!" she said.
"Senpai, I think. I think there's nothing more we can do," Issei said.
"Aye," Lance added.
"Let's just… Let's just go and see if there are some rooms we can stay in. After they eat, we can begin discussing who gets what shift," Yozora said, pushing past them.
"Jee, who died and made her Queen?" Lance whispered to Issei.
"Sorry about her. Even at school, she barely talks to anyone," Issei said.
"Come on. Let's go get some rest while everyone eats," Lance said.
Issei nodded and followed after him, keeping Lily close the entire way. The entire time, Issei fought his hunger down, not letting the sound of chewing and tearing meat get to him as he continued his way up the stairs with Lily.
After the three had finished eating downstairs, Mark and Yozora devised a watch schedule. The two opted to take the first shift in order to allow everyone some rest. Issei would not have his shift until the middle of the night, allowing him time to look after and tuck Lily in. It was a group consensus that a girl that young should be excluded from the watch.
And as a result, Issei watched Lily sleeping on the bed.
He was in one of the rooms upstairs, waiting for his turn. Sleep was something he didn't need right now and it was something he had plenty of already.
But despite that, the fatigue his body felt was something he could not fight off. Coupled with the pain of hunger gnawing away at his stomach lining, Issei began to feel his eyes grow heavy.
Mastema… I think I'm about to… Issei began.
"I got you. I'll look after her," Mastema assured.
"Thank you…" Issei closed his eyes for a few seconds.
After a few seconds, Issei blinked and opened them. "What the… I can't even sleep?" he said to himself. "I guess I should…. -!?"
He looked down at the bed and saw that Lily was not there. Feeling panic welling up inside his chest, Issei suddenly got to his feet and looked around frantically.
"Lily? Lily!?" Issei said.
He clenched his jaw and rushed out of the room, looking up and down the hallway.
"Lily!" Issei yelled.
He ran down the stairs, hoping that one of them had seen her.
"Guys! Lily's missing…" his words died in his throat when he saw the downstairs was completely empty.
"Fuck. Did they...?" Issei clenched his fist and ran to the front door.
His panic and confusion only grew when he saw that the couch he used to barricade the door was still there.
"Did they climb out a window perhaps?" he muttered. He turned around and ran down the hallway into the dining room.
The food was still there. The half-consumed ham along with the other sides and main dishes still beckoned for him to come and consume them. But that was not what Issei was paying attention to. He walked around the island of the kitchen, up to the window.
It's still closed and locked. Not to mention boarded up. What the hell is going on? Issei wondered.
"Guys!" Issei cupped his hands and yelled. "Guys!? Where the hell are you!?" he asked.
"Ah, shouting. As if that's going to get their attention."
The sound of a voice coming from behind him caused the hairs on the back of Issei's neck to stand on end. The pure malice laced within the tone and inflection caused a primal fear to resonate within the very depths of Issei's soul.
He mechanically turned around to face the source of the voice.
Issei was met with a pair of toxic yellow eyes. They burned with a smoldering sense of maliciousness akin to that of molten gold. His white hair cascaded down his back and he sat at the head chair, hands folded and head on his hands. A disarming, friendly grin spread across his face, almost getting Issei to lower his guard had it not been for the sheer amount of malevolence he heard in his voice and saw in his eyes.
And so, fragments of what happened came back to him upon seeing his eyes.
"You're…"
"Ah, yes. How rude of me. I am the host yet I dare not introduce myself. But then again, what do I care? This is for posterity's sake anyway," he chuckled to himself as if he found Issei's current situation amusing.
And for him, it might as well be.
"Hello, Issei Hyoudou. I suppose introductions are no longer in order since it appears that you know who I am but… allow me to introduce myself. I am Beelzebub, the Lord of Gluttony," he said, crossing his legs.
Issei took a step back when he saw the glint in Beelzebub's affably malevolent countenance.
"What do you want?" Issei asked.
"Now, now. Guests shouldn't stand during dinner. Please. Have a seat," Beelzebub said.
"I'd rather not-"
"No. Please. I insist." He gestured to a chair and Issei found himself forcibly pulled towards it and made to sit down.
"You," Issei growled.
"Wow. Scary look, kid. I'm quaking in my boots right now," Beelzebub said as he conjured a knife and fork in his hands. He slowly cut into the meat, taking his time.
Issei intensified his glare as if he were attempting to burn the man with his stare.
"Ooh, if looks could kill, I'd be dead a thousand times over. Though, kids like you shouldn't glare so much. Your face will begin to have worry lines before you even turn 30 and we don't want that now do we?" Beelzebub said, nonchalantly brushing off Issei's animosity.
"You… What do you want?" Issei asked.
"What do I want? This and that and so many other things. But, let's settle a more important matter. Issei Hyoudou, let's talk, shall we?" Beelzebub said.
To Gotineco: You're much closer to the truth than you think is all I'll say.
I decided to use the town that served as the inspiration for Silent Hill as the backdrop for the "games" Beelzebub has planned. Yes, yes, yes before you all get your panties twisted in a knot, this was inspired by the Hunger Games done by Azazel from Supernatural yada yada. Okay, now moving on, Yozora is a new OC I created and she'll have great significance in the next couple of arcs. Lance is back! For anyone who's new, Lance is an old character from the previous 2 iterations of this... wonderful fic's dark history. Ahaha. Don't worry. This arc is almost over and the deviation from the other two iterations begins after this. There are also some new terms to be introduced so wait and see guys and gals... or whatever crickets are reading this fic. Well, see ya. Remember to like and subscribe and all that fun stuff, you know the drill.