When Yuji finally roused from his slumber and slowly opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was Hecate's face just right over his.
He simply blinked, then after calculating the distance of her lips to his own from the feeling of her warm breath, and registering all the information in his brain, his face turned a deep dark red.
"H-H-H-Hecate?! W-What are you doing here?" he exclaimed in a mad fluster.
"Good morning," Hecate said simply as she stood straight and headed out the door. "Come, I don't want us to be late."
"Late?" the Mystes blinked again as he got up. "What's going on today?"
Having spent the night in a hotel in Tokyo, the man with brown spiky hair and a business suit spent his morning at a small round table just on the outside of a café. Lifting the newspaper in one hand up to his eyes and sipping his coffee with the other, he read through the articles.
"'Rumors of a terrorist organization operating in Japan', that doesn't sound too good," he said aloud.
Just out of his vision, he noticed an elderly gentleman at the table across from him try to get up from his seat. Just as he was about to leave, it seemed, he sat back down again slowly, his movement hinting at reluctance. Not too long afterwards, he was joined by a man and a girl.
The male had the appearance of one in his thirties, with brown untamed hair. He was garbed not unlike an old-fashioned cowboy gunman, complete with a soft hat and trenchcoat. The lass, meanwhile, had red eyes and long light brown hair that was tied to an arrowhead-like accessory on both sides. Along with her elegant yet simple pink dress, the top of her head was adorned with a gold headband and a necklace of the same precious metal hung from her neck.
"Puppeteer of Devilish Skills, Sale Habichtsburg and Archer of Aurora, Chiara Toscana, to what do I owe you two the pleasure?"
"It wasn't easy tracking you down with all your illusions around Tokyo, but I'm glad we managed to find you," Chiara said sincerely.
Before either of the three could speak more, a barista interrupted them, and the girl turned to him with her order.
"Ah, a chocolate frappe please, I'll have it to go," she said with a cheerful tone.
Her partner glanced towards her and decided there was no harm in going along. "Black coffee for me."
As soon as their server left, the trio continued their conversation. By this point, the man at the other table had long lost interest and went back to reading his paper.
"Corpse Collector Lamies, we mean you no harm, but Outlaw has issued an order to all Flame Hazes to account for every Denizen in the world, including you," Sale told the Denizen with as much professionalism as he had tact.
"I suppose that the Evoker of the Demon Horde influenced that decision. Normally, Outlaw would not bother with Denizens who abide by their rules," Lamies replied with composition.
"So you've noticed his presence already?" Sale said, unsurprised. He just arrived last night."
"But what could have possibly brought on such a decision?" Lamies inquired.
"War is brewing on the horizon," Sale answered him. "We know our enemy, the Bal Masque, is operating in secret. They couldn't hide it forever, in spite of the fact that they have still managed to keep most of their operation in the shadows. But we've recently discovered that many false documents continue to be written by Flame Hazes who are already dead or missing in order to throw us off, and besides that, Denizens have been witnessed flocking towards several certain locations around the world."
"I see, but I suppose there is more to it besides simple registering of individual Denizens," Lamies noted. "Such a simple task would not require two of the more notable Flame Hazes when their skills could be used elsewhere."
"Please cooperate, Mr. Lamies," Chiara spoke up. "We don't want you to become another enemy for Outlaw to hunt down."
"We are aware that you have been to Misaki City several months ago, at the same time that the Supreme Throne Hecate had established her headquarters there, and around the time that the Chanter of Elegies Margery Daw defected to the side of Bal Masque," Sale explained. "We need all the information you can provide us with regarding the both of them, as well as anything you can tell us about the Mystes of the Reiji Maigo, Yuji Sakai."
The man at the other table nearly choked on his coffee as soon as he heard that last name.
Yuji? What could my boy have possibly gotten into? Whatever the case, these people seem dangerous, and might come after him in the future. I'll be a little late coming home, but I should definitely keep an eye on them.
Episode 10: A Hindered Return
Shortly after leaving the Sakai residence, Yuji and Hecate met with a certain Flame Haze on the road, completely by coincidence.
"Oh, good morning Shana," Yuji greeted her while Hecate simply acknowledged her presence with a nod.
"Ah... oh, morning," Shana replied.
"What's the matter? You seem a bit listless today," the Mystes asked.
The Flaming-Haired Blazing-Eyed Hunter looked at the both of them and recalled the conversation and subsequent tale from the night before. "I-It's nothing to be concerned about!" she said with a pout.
"But you're acting a little weird," Yuji tried to say.
"Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!" Shana yelled, frowning even more. "I said it's nothing!"
"She just had a lot to think about last night," Alastor told the boy. "We all have those times, do we not?"
"Yeah, I suppose," Yuji said a bit sheepishly, remembering his own internal struggle. Upon that recollection, he was made even more aware of Hecate, and glanced at her.
Love could blur the boundary between the Denizens of that world and this one, that's what the ones who created the Reiji Maigo believed. Could humans and Denizens really have children together, or was there some kind of complication preventing that because they were from different realms? Has it ever been done before? From what Johann said, it didn't seem so. If that was the case, then it's no wonder that he would be so determined to make it happen at any cost. Would it also be something Hecate would want in the future?
The Priestess blinked at the motion and turned her eyes up to meet his. The boy immediately blushed and faced forward again, his heart pounding wildly.
"S-So, Hecate, you didn't tell me what you're so excited about yet," he said.
"She doesn't seem so excited to me," said Shana.
The Priestess let a small smile show on her face and answered. "Hayato told us that we would be deciding what we would do for the Seishu Festival today."
"That's right, he did tell us that," Yuji said.
"What is that all about anyway?" Shana asked them.
"The Seishu Festival is a cultural festival our school puts on. What makes it special is that us students get to parade around in costumes from popular tales like Alice in Wonderland and the Snow Queen."
"You would consider playing dress up fun?" Shana said, raising an eyebrow.
"I suppose so. You've never done it yourself, have you?" Yuji asked, and the Flame Haze shook her head.
"But that was a week ago wasn't it?" the Mystes turned back to the other girl. "You've been looking forward to it since then, haven't you?"
Hecate nodded happily.
When Yuji, Hecate, and Shana arrived at the classroom, the bespectacled Hayato Ike approached them with a box in his hands.
"You're just in time, we were about to start drawing for which roles we'd each have in the parade," he told them. "If you were a little earlier though, you could have protested against the class voting you guys and the rest of our little circle to take the main stage."
"I don't think I would have anyway, since Hecate really wanted in on that," said Yuji. "But why us in particular?"
Ike glanced at Hecate and Shana and briefly explained with a smile. "Mostly because of those two, the Snow Princess and the Meltdown Witch; they have quite the presence in the school. Plus, they're already plenty cute by themselves, don't you think?"
Yuji chuckled. "That seems fair."
"Our theme was the Wizard of Oz and Romeo and Juliet, right?" Hecate said.
Ike turned to her. "Yeah, ever read them?"
The Priestess nodded, her lips in a tiny smile. "Forty-two times each since you announced it. They are wonderful stories."
"Forty-?!" Ike laughed in disbelief, thinking she was exaggerating. "You must be a ridiculously fast reader," he joked, although it was lost on the incredibly capable Supreme Throne.
He extended the box to her. There was a hole on top of it, revealing several folded papers within the container.
"Since you loved them that much, you get first pick," he said, and the Priestess reached in eagerly.
"Dorothy," Yuji read aloud from over her shoulder when she had unfolded her little slip.
"The girl thrust from the mundane world to a magical realm," Hecate said, and giggled. "Ironic, isn't it?"
Yuji chuckled, sharing in their little inside joke. He took his turn to draw, and was followed by a neutral feeling Shana.
"The Wizard of Oz himself."
"The Tin Man..." Shana gradually turned her eyes downwards until they reached her own body. "If I recall that character's design... HEY!"
Ike, Yuji, and Hecate burst into laughter simultaneously.
The man who had eavesdropped on Lamies and the two Flame Hazes expertly tailed the trio, blending into the crowd without attracting suspicion, and keeping a regular pace. He also kept himself at a distance, frequently stopping to feign interest in other things in his surroundings, such as the books displayed behind a glass window, or entering a shop for a few moments before reemerging to make sure he wouldn't lose the trail.
After a good while of stalking, it was evident that the Flame Hazes and Denizen were headed towards a bus stop just a couple of blocks away. A window of opportunity had finally presented itself, and the man took a moment to glance at his surroundings and found a bargain store for clothes, right across the street from a convenience store.
Picking up his trolley bag and unlatching it on the way, he quickly made his way into the nearest dressing booth within, grabbing a couple of hats along the way.
"I understand that the two of you have only good intentions to protect the balance and the citizens of this world," Lamies said to the Flame Hazes as he walked in-between them, "but does the arrival of one of the Four Gods of the Earth not concern you? From what I know of him, in contrast to his colleagues, he would not concern himself with the affairs of other nations unless there was great battle to be fought."
"Maybe you could ask him yourself when we get to Outlaw headquarters?" Sale replied as he took point. "But if I had to guess, maybe he just wants to be the first to take some swings at Bal Masque when war does break out."
"But a war hasn't even really started yet, just rumoured skirmishes here and there," Chiara said doubtfully, taking the rear behind the Corpse Collector.
"In any case..." Sale continued, oblivious to the man quickly making his way over to them from behind at a rapid pace.
Just before they reached the bus stop, Chiara suddenly saw only white as a hat just a little larger than her head was abruptly forced right onto her.
"W-What?!" she exclaimed blindly, just at the same time as a person shoved Lamies aside while passing a scrap of paper onto him. Before Sale could turn around, a man wearing the same grey coat and hat worn by the Corpse Collector dashed ahead right in front of him.
"Corpse Collector! Come back here!" Sale yelled as he gave chase. Behind him, Chiara managed to lift the hat up from her eyes and followed suit calling "Please don't run!" after the supposed Denizen.
Unnoticed by the Flame Hazes with his rear on the ground, Lamies could only watch in confusion. As he picked himself up from the pavement and dusted himself, he saw the note that had been slipped into his possession. Reading it, he found three hastily scribbled words:
"Nearby convenience store."
"And that leaves Satou as the Scarecrow," Ike said as he wrote his classmate's name along with his decided character.
"Just as long as I don't get a stick literally up my ass," Keisaku said, grinning.
"No promises. It's Nakamura-san and the other girls who are in charge of costume design," Ike told him.
The group of friends, gathered before the class, reviewed the roles on the blackboard with their own eyes.
Fumina "Hecate" Konoe - Dorothy
Yuji Sakai - the Wizard of Oz
Yukari "Shana" Hirai - the Tin Man
"Don't worry Shana, I'm sure the girls will come up with something," Yuji tried to reassure her.
"Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!"
Kazumi Yoshida - the Cowardly Lion
"I already have a great idea we could use, Yoshida-chan," Kimiko Nakamura said with a wink. "It'll be much better than just a plain old animal suit, I promise."
Hayato Ike - Toto
"Why am I getting a bad feeling about this?" Ike said as he read his own name. At her desk behind him, Harumi Fujita pushed up her glasses and already began making a checklist in preparation for the festival.
Eita Tanaka - Romeo
Matake Ogata - Juliet
Upon reading their own names up there again, the two teens glanced at each other, their eyes meeting momentarily, and turned away blushing. Keisaku nudged Eita with his elbow teasingly, and his best friend felt even more embarrassed.
Keisaku Satou - the Scarecrow
"Oi guys, I'm serious about the stick. I absolutely refuse wearing one."
Sale and Chiara weaved past obstacles both organic and non-living in nature, even running across traffic, as they continued to chase down who they presumed was the fleeing Corpse Collector.
"He's more athletic than he makes himself out to be," he muttered to himself while huffing. Strange, no one had ever reported witnessing the Denizen actually run or perform any physically strenuous activity before, and here he was sprinting with surprising agility.
It was inevitable, however, that the physically superior Flame Hazes would eventually catch up to the runner. With a lunge, Sale grabbed onto the man by the back of his coat and spun him around only to discover that he had been chasing a human in his thirties, a far cry from the aged male who had been with them just moments earlier.
"What's the big idea?!" the human male reprimanded them suddenly as he slapped the astonished Sale's hand off his person, and continued to speak like a stressed and embittered Japanese salaryman. "Can't you see I'm late for work?! Do you like holding up people for fun? I bet you have no idea what it's like to have to feed a family of six with such meagre income! To scrape the bottom of the barrel of this economy...!"
As the two stunned Flame Hazes allowed themselves to be scolded, they noticed that while this person may have been dressed in the same grey as Lamies, his clothes were not exactly the same, except from behind. How could they make such a blunder? The real Corpse Collector must have given them the slip in that moment of misdirection.
"We have to go back and track him down," Sale said with urgency as he spun around with Chiara in tow, ignoring the seemingly temperamental human.
Left alone, the human smiled in satisfaction and briskly walked down a shortcut.
As the two Flame Hazes headed back, Sale glanced at his partner and the new white ladies' sun hat on her head. "By the way, that hat suits you."
"Huh?" Chiara said, and realized what she was still wearing. Realization soon dawned on her, and she quickly whirled around, but the human who had served as the Corpse Collector's double was already long gone.
With all the roles settled, the actors-to-be were scattered amongst their classmates, each talking about the days they would be looking forward to. Even Shana found herself swept into a conversation against her will.
"I'm really glad we got the three of you to parade for us, if it's you guys, I bet at least one of you could win the grand prix," Harumi Fujita said energetically.
"Grand prix?" Shana asked.
"It's an award for whoever has the best costume," Kazumi explained.
"Yours might be a bit of a challenge, but you're already pretty cute as it is, maybe they'll forgive us for being a bit creative," said Kimiko Nakamura. "But more importantly, if you manage to win and get up on stage, it can be a good chance for you girls to confess your love to Sakai-kun."
Kazumi immediately flushed and Hecate tilted her head, while Shana's response was much more blatant.
"Wh-what?! W-W-Why the heck would I do something like that?!"
"Ara, aren't the three of you rivals for his affections?" Nakamura said.
"That's right, just before the Misago Festival it was pretty obvious that the three of you were head over heels for him," Fujita coined in. "Although, I have no idea what happened between you to make you so hostile to him, Shana-chan."
"But at least they're starting to get along again," said Nakamura.
"Who's getting along?!" Shana said, internally blaming the Torch she was wearing for her predicament. The two teasing girls just giggled.
"The tsundere aside, what about you two?" Nakamura said, turning to Kazumi and Hecate now. "Either of you gonna go for it?"
Kazumi pressed her index fingers together as she replied shyly, her face beet red. "Ah, well, um, that is... I already confessed to him... back during the Misago Festival."
"I have already kissed him," Hecate said with incredible monotone bluntness and zero change in facial expression, which stunned all of them. Simultaneously, they each made their reaction.
"Ooooohh!"
"Whaaaah..."
"Was that why his face red that time?!"
"No fair Hecate-chan!"
Little did they know that Ogata was listening in on them. She took a peek at her beloved Eita Tanaka, who had been conversing with Keisaku and Yuji. Her cheeks felt hot again. Her heart also began racing as she continued to think about them and their roles.
Eita and I as Romeo and Juliet? Would that have been fate? No, that's silly. But I get to be by his side. Yet, that'll only be for the parade. But... I really want to be his Juliet. Maybe I should confess to him. He is a big dense idiot after all. But how would he respond? I'm not exactly girly or charming or mature. I'm not anything like a Juliet. There's no way I'm suited for this role either way... but I want to. But what can I do?! Perhaps I can call Margery-nee-san later and ask her for help.
The moment she thought that, she recalled one time when the buxom blonde held Keisaku in a headlock and smashed her boobs against his face while messing with his hair. Whether she was drunk or not at the time was ambiguous to the girl who had just arrived to witness the scene.
No, wait, maybe that's not such a good idea. But who else could I turn to at a time like this, since my mom's too busy taking care of grandma? I just hope I'm not that much of a lost cause. Uuuuu...
"Hoooo, you're really bold Heca-tan," Nakamura said to the expressionless Priestess, grinning like a cat.
"Hecate-chan, what was kissing like?!" Fujita asked with an excited tone as she bent forward and adjusted her glasses. Silence reigned in the room now, and everyone leaned in closer to listen.
"I only did it when he was inside of me, and we were together as one," Hecate said, smiling with pinkish cheeks as she recalled the sweet memory of their Synchronization. "I've never felt such contentment in my whole life as his warmth spilled into me."
The entire classroom turned red upon hearing her words, even the wholly inexperienced Shana.
"A-A-AAAAAAAh! Hecate!" A thoroughly embarrassed Yuji yelled as he ran over and clasped his hand over the Supreme Throne's mouth. But it was too late, the damage had been done, and the whole class turned to him now.
"Sakai..."
"You bastard."
"I thought we were friends!"
"Pervert!"
"I knew there was something going on!"
"How could you do someone so pure and innocent?!"
"Kyaaaaaa!"
"Die traitor!"
A hand clapped onto his shoulder, it belonged to Ike.
"Sakai... I've misjudged you."
"Oh COME ON!" Yuji cried.
No longer able to contain the urge, that very same class erupted in laughter, enough that even their victim had to go along with them. When it died down, however, Hecate tugged at his sleeve and spoke up, still smiling sweetly.
"Yuji, I'm glad you were the first," she said, meaning he was the only one she had shared her lips with.
All glares were on the young Mystes once more.
"Hecate, you're doing this on purpose aren't you?"
The Supreme Throne simply blinked and tilted her head.
Lamies waited in-between a couple of aisles in the convenience store, bending down to avoid notice and pretending to browse the stock on the shelves. After some time, a man dressed similarly to him approached him, pulling the trolley bag he had left in the care of the cashier of the bargain store across the road.
"I see you got why I picked this place," he said to the Denizen, glancing towards the full glass entrance of the store and noting how the shelves obscured the Corpse Collector. "The last place someone would look for a fugitive is the very same spot they lost him at. But they'll be back soon, so we have to move quickly."
The Corpse Collector stood up straight and faced his rescuer. "I appreciate your help with my predicament, although I was planning on eluding them myself later on," he spoke as suited for a proper gentleman. "Forgive me, but I don't believe we have met before."
"I suppose not, but you know my son Yuji. My name is Kantaro Sakai."
"You may call me Lamies." The Spiral Organ allowed himself to chuckle. "It is clear to me now where he gets it from."
"Excuse me?"
"Your son possesses a rare gift of insight and completely open understanding, but that is something that does not come from simple nature. You nurtured it in him as well."
"Really? All I did was teach him to think differently from most people," Kantaro said as he led the way out of the store. "Now come on, those two might come back here."
Sure enough, Chiara and Sale stood between them and the bus stop. Kantaro and Lamies immediately pulled back inside the convenience store.
"I have an idea," the human told his ally. Bending down, he opened up his trolley bag. "You were lucky I happened to have a suit with a color like yours, but a disguise won't work a second time." He pulled out a yellow hoodie jacket meant for casual days and handed it to the Denizen. "Would you mind having to run for a while?" he asked as he approached a rack full of black umbrellas for sale.
"I could manage a brisk walk," Lamies replied, and Kantaro laid out his plan in a low voice.
Having scanned the area for about five to ten minutes from their spot, long enough to require a different course of action, Chiara turned to her partner.
"It might be a good idea if we split up," she suggested. "I can still feel his presence nearby, but it wouldn't be long until he gets away."
"True, only an idiot would stay at the same place where he-," before Sale could finish, his eyes caught the Corpse Collector walking towards them under the shade of a black umbrella purchased from the convenience store.
Their eyes met, and the Corpse Collector immediately spun around and began walking away quickly.
"Over there!" Sale urged his partner and they both sprang after him once more. But why did he have an umbrella? Was it a futile attempt of evading their awareness? They pushed these questions aside for later as their bodies took action.
Just before they could reach him, the Corpse Collector stepped into a store at the very corner of the block and slipped in-between the shelves. The two Flame Hazes followed from different aisles in an attempt to ensnare him, but as they did, they noticed a black umbrella in the passing crowd across the street from the other entrance of the store.
"There he is!" Chiara directed her partner and sprinted out. When they got close enough, they realized that the person underneath the umbrella was just a simple human teacher in slacks and a suit.
"What the?" Sale muttered in confusion.
Some ways away, his partner's eyes spotted another black umbrella in the distance. "There!" she said while pointing.
Sale put a hand on her shoulder before she could take off. "No, wait," he told her, and peered a little longer to notice that the person bearing it was a woman in a checkered orange dress. His suspicion raised, he scanned the area with his eyes. To both sides of the road, a few black umbrellas were scattered amongst the traffic of citizens on foot. Finally realizing what was going on, he approached the first decoy they had been tricked into following.
"Hey, where did you get that umbrella?" he inquired.
"Ah, there was a guy just a few minutes ago handing out several of these for free, saying it was excellent shade for the bright sun today."
The two Flame Hazes listened and faced each other with a look of understanding. There was no way the Corpse Collector could have pulled this off without help. When they turned back to continue the hunt, they began to feel his presence become fainter and fainter.
"He got away," Sale said with a voice of resignation.
"We can fly after him, right?" Chiara asked optimistically.
"We can try, but his presence is so faint for a Denizen, it'll be difficult to track him down a second time."
"Yeah, the first time was kind of a nightmare," Chiara said with an awkward smile. "But we can try, right?"
Sale shrugged and followed his comrade. "Why not?"
On a bus gradually gaining distance away from its previous stop, Kantaro sat together with Lamies, who was now wearing the yellow jacket with its hood over his head.
"Sorry I had to make you leave your coat behind," Kantaro apologized, "but hiding the hoodie under it was your best chance of changing out quickly enough."
"That was nothing compared to the amount you spent on those hats and that bundle of umbrellas," Lamies responded humbly.
"I suppose," Kantaro said, grinning. "You'll owe me then. I want you to tell me everything that's going on."
Lamies had expected that ever since the man had introduced himself. "Fair enough, but only once we are in the clear. We still have to make it out of Tokyo."
The Mystes of the Reiji Maigo sighed. "Haaaaa, I'm just glad no one actually took you seriously. I never would have lived down an accusation like that."
Yuji, Hecate, Shana, and Kazumi made their way home beneath the orange sky together. While one persisted that she was simply going in the same direction as the others, the fourth member was with them for a different purpose.
"Is it really alright if I can stay at your place so we can work on the costumes, Hecate-chan?" Kazumi asked the Crimson Lord.
Hecate nodded. "Bel Peol was not against lending us some help and materials."
"I never would have imagined the Judge of Paradoxes, of all people, to take interest in such activities," Alastor said from the pendant around Shana's neck.
"She would prefer if no one noticed, but I believe she wants me to feel more like my own existence as well," Hecate told the Crimson deity. "She is more caring than most people believe her to be, as they see her as merely a manipulator, yet she likes it that way. But there was a time, many, many years ago, that she acted more like an older sister to me and was openly nicer to her subordinates. Passing time changes people, whether greatly or minutely, and she had to bear witness to my loneliness when the Snake of the Festival was sealed away."
"Do you still miss him?" Kazumi asked. Unlike several weeks prior, she too had been entrusted with knowledge of her Crimson Lord friend's past.
"Sometimes," Hecate said solemnly. Yuji felt her delicate fingers tug against his sleeve.
"If I ever had to be separated from Alastor like that, I don't know what I'd do," Shana muttered.
"He's like a father figure to you too, right Shana-chan?" Kazumi said, and the Flame Haze nodded without going into detail.
"Now that I think about it, I have not met your father yet," Hecate told Yuji. "I have seen him only in your memories, but even then, it is not as much as your mother. He is away frequently on business, yet you never seem to be lonely without him around."
"Well, it helps that I know he'll be back someday," Yuji said. "He tends to come and go, but whenever he does return, it's always a time of gladness for me and mom."
Hecate smiled, content with the happiness of the one she loved.
Yuji returned the expression. He recalled, however, that he still had not told her of the fact that he had already met the Snake of the Festival at least three times now. Was he still afraid of how she would react to him being able to reach what she struggled for?
As the bus neared the train station that would finally lead them out of Tokyo, the Corpse Collector felt the presence of a strong entity in the very place they needed to escape through. It was too late to turn back now to find another way and risk encountering more Flame Hazes.
"I suppose this move was somewhat predictable," he muttered to himself.
"What was that?" Kantaro said, turning away from the window towards his ally. The Crimson Denizen turned to him with a serious expression.
"From this point on, things will become extremely dangerous," he told him. "I advise that you keep away from me for now."
Kantaro replied offhandedly, but his eyes were just as serious as those of Lamies. "What are you talking about? We just happen to be two men making our way to the same city with some very interesting things to chat about on the way."
Lamies considered the brave human before him and conceded to his cryptic answer. Conjuring a small white feather from his sleeve, akin to those of a dove, he entrusted the object to his newfound friend. "If you truly are determined to leap into the rabbit hole, then do not let go of this."
Kantaro nodded, and the two stepped out of the bus when it finally stopped.
The two men stayed on high alert in spite of their outward casual demeanor. Nothing seemed to lay in ambush when they entered the station, and even buying tickets turned out to be peaceful; but this only served to make them more vigilant. It was only after they had come through the waist-high electronic gates were they finally intercepted.
A Native American wearing a distinct fedora and poncho came between them and the train just as the passengers had alighted.
"The guy on the plane," Kantaro muttered.
"The Evoker of the Demon Horde, one of the Four Gods of the Earth, Southvalley," Lamies said.
"The two of you put my colleagues on quite the wild goose chase. Even now they're still flying above Tokyo to spy on every passing bus, but I know just where you would be going," Southvalley said with a cocky tone and raised his hand. "Fuzetsu!"
Time stilled and the world turned crimson. Nothing stirred in that sealed area, and everything that had once been animated turned grey. Only the Evoker of the Demon Horde, the Corpse Collector, and the Sakai patriarch retained their ability to move.
Kantaro's reaction was a simple blink before looking around to study this strange new environment. "You're taking this much better than most humans," Lamies told him.
"Well I would be lying if I said I was expecting something out of Lovecraft, but in a situation like this, keeping your cool is essential."
Southvalley made a loud clap, fixing their attention on him. Just outside of their field of view, three zombie-like creatures made of clay with intricate golden masks for faces emerged from the ground.
"Ok~ay, enough chit chat," the Flame Haze said, his eyes on the Corpse Collector. "You were once considered a neutral party who has aided many Flame Hazes throughout the centuries. But with war just around the corner, many of us are starting to see you as a threat and are questioning your real motivation for collecting the Power of Existence of all those 'dying' Torches for so long. Even more suspicious is the fact that you have hardly absorbed any of those little embers into your own being; is it all meant to power some dangerous new spell? As a measure of security," he said as he opened his hand, gesturing his demand, "I'd like you to hand it all to me. Then you're free to go on your merry way."
He was spewing complete and utter bullshit, that was apparent from the tone of his voice, but it was excuse enough to encourage his coercion. And as annoying as his boastful tone was, he did hold their life in his hands.
Lamies took a moment to consider. Could he really surrender all the Power of Existence he had gathered throughout the years with so much effort to this person who would probably have his own ulterior motives for it? But what else could they do? They were outnumbered, and the other Flame Hazes were very likely aware of their position, so fighting or running was no option. Added to that, Lamies wished to not have to endanger the humans nearby should he have to fall back on his absolute last resort.
Reluctantly, he held out his hand. A ball of bright flame materialized on his palm, the concentration of all the Power of Existence he had obtained.
"Are you sure?" Kantaro whispered. "You do realize he isn't really going to let us go."
"It's the only chance we can take," Lamies answered sadly.
One of the clay Dead approached him and halved its golden face to reveal a large and grotesque mouth. With its widened jaw, it snapped up the ball of fire, and would have chomped off the Denizen's hand had he not been quick enough to withdraw it. With its ethereal load stored in its being, the clay zombie melted back into the earth, but the other two remained.
"You have your Power of Existence," Lamies said, maintaining his calmness. "May we now pass?"
Southvalley grinned sadistically. "Why would I? You ran away when you were supposed to cooperate. That makes you an enemy of the Flame Hazes. No..."
The two Dead beings stepped closer towards the two non-combatants as Southvalley continued his statement. "...the moment you set foot on my beautiful Earth, you became our enemy. Kill and feast, my cute Dead!"
The two zombies leaped forward with their hideous mouths wide open, but were shoved back by a flock of shining doves that had come out of thin air.
As the birds of light dissolved, the person who had generated them stepped forward. Lamies no longer stood by Kantaro's side, and was replaced by a young girl with fair skin, purple eyes and short purple hair. She was barefoot and wore a simple white dress and a long white ribbon around her neck.
"I wished it didn't have to come to this," she said with a solemn tone, and lifted her hand.
Southvalley raised an eyebrow, intrigued enough by her action to mentally command his Dead not to push their attack just yet. "What do you think you're trying to do in this hopeless situation?"
"Do you not know?" the girl said while smiling sadly. "It was I who first invented the Fuzetsu in a moment of desperation at the end of the Great War, and it is I who can undo my own creation."
Her hand glowed in a dark green light and the red veil suddenly faded. Color returned to the world, with the clay Dead still manifested in the mundane realm. The humans, panicked at their sudden appearance, began to flee out of the station or into the train. The former group attracted the attention of local police officers, and Southvalley knew it, while the latter gave Kantaro and the girl the opportunity to hop into the train just before the doors shut and the transport took off.
"Tch," the Evoker of the Demon Horde clicked his tongue as he made his way out of the station. Behind him, his useless Dead crumbled into dust and faded away into the pavement.
"Control your anger," his contractor, residing in the engraved stone medallion in the shape of a diamond tied to the bottom of his suit, reminded him with a voice meant to be booming. "They are out of our reach now."
"I know Tezcatlipoca," the Flame Haze said. "By the time we catch up they'll be on Bal Masque's turf, and the Supreme Throne would be all over us and the war will start a lot sooner than we would like."
He passed by four police officers rushing into the station with their guns drawn, but they would find nothing. "Besides, we still have some business to take care of here in Tokyo," Southvalley comforted himself with that fact. "We're going to have to use some resources to cover this up though," he grumbled.
The moment Kantaro had stepped into the train with his ally, the girl was gone and had retaken the form of the wizened man, Lamies.
"Let me guess," Kantaro spoke as the two of them found their seats and the human put away his trolley bag, "that was your 'true' form?"
Lamies nodded once and took off his hat in greeting. "Pleasure to make your acquaintance. I am the Crimson Denizen known as the Spiral Organ, Leanan-sidhe."
"Just call me Kantaro," her travelling partner said as made himself comfortable. "Well, it's going to be a long trip. I suppose you have a long story to tell me?"
Lamies smiled slightly. "Quite."
Yuji lay in bed, eyes wide open. Having woken up too early, he found himself having difficulty falling asleep again. Checking his alarm clock, he found that it was already 3:30 in the morning.
He sat up from his horizontal position and turned his eyes towards a book on his desk. It was another work written by the group Revolution in the 19th Century, detailing their beliefs and doctrine of open coexistence between humans and Crimson Denizens.
Switching on his desk lamp and taking up the bound writings, he opened it and began to read the foreign text, having learned to use Tatsui no Gen subconsciously now. He started off from where he had left his bookmark
'Crimson Denizens and human beings of the Earth; both creatures are as hideous as they are wonderful. They both laugh, they both cry, they both fight, they both die, they are both extremely selfish creatures, moreso than the most vicious of animals, and yet they are both the most capable of compassion and empathy. Origins aside, the only thing that would truly separate them from one another are the misconceptions that widen the gap between them like a wall of scalding steam; to one side, those they rely upon in order to exist are part of an inferior species, no less than chickens, whilst the other beings view the aliens as monstrous demons bent on the ruin of their souls. This is not the case, for both of them, but the unavoidable nature of the otherworlders does not help matters. However, this can be overcome if both humans and Crimson Denizens can set aside their differences and come together in genuine unity for a solution.'
While the Mystes read on, he failed to hear his door slowly swing open, and was not aware of the bare feet creeping up on him in the dark.
'Alas, this may never happen so long as the masquerade stands. As long as the humans of this world know nothing of the Denizens, and the Denizens in turn will have to live out lies, then neither side can truly understand the other and acknowledge their existence. Humans will continually be preyed on for the power to exist, and Crimson Denizens will forever be doomed to a fate of being hunted by the very people they should share this reality with...'
"Interesting, since when did you learn to read French?"
The surprised Yuji instantly turned his head around with widened eyes, but his expression was one of gladness.
"Dad, you're home!"