King of the Yōkai (draft)

いち — 父なる炎 I — The Father Flame

The game was finally over; they didn’t win but it was a good match and it wasn’t a complete loss. His team was down by only 3 points. If only Thomas had more time, he might’ve scored a few more hits. He and rest of the lacrosse teammates would have to work harder during this week.

Thomas Felice was the last one in the locker, getting all of his gear into this sport-bag. It all fit snug and organized, he adjusted his glasses and looked everything over one more time. He had his typical equipment and spares, a canister of balls, some armor-padding, then some personal items like his cellphone. There were also some snacks but he’d be fine for now; the team was going out to his favorite pizzeria for dinner.

He zipped up the bag and lugged it over his shoulder.

Before he exited out of the lockers, Thomas took another glance at the nearby mirror to check and fix his appearance. You never know who he might meet at the pizzeria at this hour:

He had average build and height, perhaps a foot taller than normal, but relatively ordinary. Thomas was training harder after getting a taste of competition, so there were subtle hints of body amassing here and toning there. He was even getting help from a trainer from the school on top of his father, a retired military veteran. Based on his looks, however, he was subjected to minor bullying at first. That is, until the students found out he had learned legitimate self-defensive fighting styles. In this aspect, he almost appeared like a nerd than a jock. Thomas re-adjusted his glasses again; their frame was too big and were constantly slipping past his freckled nose. He flashed his brilliantly light-blue eyes, brushing his sweat-mopped brown hair which began to twist at the rim of his pale forehead. Thomas frowned with his small, pinkish lips, scowling at the whole mess of hair. He could never get it the way he wanted.

Nothing was going his way tonight, he thought to himself.

“Tom-Bom! Your mom is here in the car! If you take too much longer, they’ll start without you!” spoke the assistant-coach from the entrance.

“Oh no they won’t!” disagreed Thomas with a hearty laugh.

He wasn’t going to lose that first, hot slice!

With everything settled, he placed his hand over his lacrosse stick and the other on the bottom of the bag, shifting the weight to his first step. Thomas dashed out of the locker room, carrying the heavy load, and past the entrance. While running out, he forgotten to text the others. Maybe he could convince Mac and Chase to save him some pepperoni and bell-peppers?

Thomas managed to pull out the cellphone from a pocket of the sports-bag, and tired texting to their team’s message-board. But he saw there was no service. That wasn’t… right.

“We’re nearby the school… even their crappy internet has a few bars-”

As he peered at the phone, Thomas had to stop in his tracks, and there he had noticed a blanket of white covering the once-green lushy ground. He moved his phone from his sight, lifting his foot for a wet crunch.

… snow? In June… in Virginia Beach!?

But the wind picked up in a roaring gust, and it chilled him to the bone.

“Welcome to the New World…”

Thomas looked around and saw he was surrounded by snow and dark forest. He thought… he thought he heard a voice… but now, the wind drowned any sound…

Snapping back to reality, he didn’t see his school’s palm trees and sandy patches, nor the scent of the ocean or cawing of seagulls. Instead, there were rough-looking pines, their grayish-green needles covered by the frost. A scent of ash and ice could be tasted upon the palette. There was the wailing of the wind and what Thomas thought was the shrieking of bats? Thomas turned around, and he was a massive snow-capped mountain-range. He was no longer at the school, and he saw the entrance to the stadium was now the rocky entrance of a dark cave.

Thomas turned frontward, hoping for some sign of civilization. But the ground bore no roads that he could see. If he could see… there were no streetlamps anywhere. In fact, it didn’t seem any light could be seen in the far distance, in the middle of nowhere. Only the vibrant night-sky with its Milky Way stars in the horizon, shining more brightly than Thomas ever witnessed before in his life.

All the same, it was still too dark and it felt like a snowstorm would befall on top of him. Through his mind was racing, he knew he had to find shelter first, even if albeit temporarily…

Looking behind again, Thomas began to huddle towards the cave. Using the cellphone as a miniature light, he was able to traverse deeper into the cave with minor to no trouble. And as he crept deeper, Thomas could see it was uninhabited, a stroke of luck for him. He could even feel some permeating heat steam from the surface as the cave grew bigger. So why weren’t there any animals taking refuge already?

It was fortunate for him, but he still had to be careful. Thomas had to be ready for any beast lurking so he crept quietly, feeling the interior walls for any vibrating movement.

Thomas stopped; the shining light could not penetrate what must’ve been a vast expanse. His hand trailed off, the wall had curved out of the corner and his palm felt a warm pocket of air in front of him. This would have to do, it was far enough…

He placed his bag down for a moment, unzipping the bag and using his cellphone as a constant torch. It wasn’t too long ago he had packed his belongings, but he had to check for his own sake. Plus, he was still struggling to calm himself, anxiously trying to find an answer. What could he use in this situation?!

Even through it was warm inside the chamber, he couldn’t continue to rely on an electronic light with limited battery-life. In the best case-scenario, he should keep the cellphone on reserve, power-mode; Thomas could find service to call for help or someone might pick up his active signal…

But without flint and steel, he wouldn’t be able to start a fire for illumination or warmth. Thomas put the cellphone to the side against a rock, then picked up a strange stone. It felt peculiar as it had a coal-like texture which was rough and grainy, but it resembled like a cube with smooth sides. An ore of some kind?

Regardless, he pulled out wads of late homework papers into a crumpled heap for a make-shift firepit. Thomas took another rock, and this felt more like a glazed fragment like obsidian glass.

Great, he thought, maybe it could be used as substitutes. I could strike them together, hope they don’t break, and they might spark ignition…

Hovering the stones over the crumpled paper, Thomas began striking the two and indeed, sparks DID begin to pour out. It didn’t seem like either would break easily too. With some renewed confidence, he began to relax but if he was being honest with himself, it was still a frustrating process. His efforts seemed to only produce small sparks, what was he doing wrong? Shouldn’t they be catching the paper on fir-

A crack resonated, followed by a burst of flames that flew up in his face. There was no severe explosion, but the fright of the sudden flares knocked him down onto the ground. As he got up, the paper-wads caught on fire and burned in a frenzy, growing stronger and stronger into a roaring bonfire.

“F-finally…” stammered Thomas.

“You are the first to create fire in the New World…” spoke a voice.

“W-what?”

Thomas stumbled up, looking around for the voice. But he only saw shifting shadows.

It sounded robotically-monotone yet feminine, but even with the rising light of the bonfire, he didn’t find anyone with him in this large cavern. All the same, he had to try and reach out:

“Is anyone there? I’m lost and… I don’t know how I got here!”

“You have discovered the Hōju/Sacred Jewel…”

“Wh-what jewel?”

The glazed shard had fallen from his hand, but he still had a tight grip on the cubical rock in the other. Thomas looked down at his hand, opening his whitened knuckles to find the black-dusted stone crumbling in his palm. But from the ashes, he found a diamond in the rough.

As dictated by this mysterious voice, it was a rather prominent jewel as if a dark-red ruby but a sharper clarity that shimmered in the light. Although its size was reduced by nearly a half, it was still a large shape resembling an eyeball. It was also flawlessly cut that it seemed it was done by a master artisan. But this meant he had a bargaining chip for his rescue!

“I-I’ll give it to you! Is that what you want? Just- please- let me go…”

“Basic requirements met, initiating candidate for processing…”

“I-I… I JUST WANT TO GO HOME!” pleaded Thomas.

The crust broke apart beneath his feet, jets of sulfur burst from cracks. Thomas tried to get out of the way, but already, he was sinking into what he thought was an earthquake. But he heard the bubbling hiss and the abundance of light from the ground.

And then he saw the sweeping red magma surround him.

All around the cratering basin within the caverns, it continued to break. He tried to scream out, hoping that mysterious lady could save him, but he was already knee deep in the lava. And before he knew it, his face was submerged past and disappeared completely.

While the magma has high viscosity, allowing people to ‘grip’ on the mass, the sudden change caused a suction that plunged Thomas into a smoldering vacuum. In the end, his body was completely squeezed by all sides with iron-clad lava… many feet deep and unable to climb out in time…

.

..

…

There was only silence for some time, the lava continued to fill the cave until it slowed down. In the end, it was almost like a wading section that dove deeper in an incline. It is presumed that Thomas’s body had been swept into the bulky current of the magma into this depth. Normally, no one could crawl out from those depths in time for the lava to burn everything up…

It is known in the scientific world that lava can reach up to over 3000° Fahrenheit to which organic flesh would burn in hours.

But immediate death would result within 1.5 to 3 seconds of exposure as the heat only would destroy any vital organs like the soft-malleable brain…

Against all odds, Thomas found himself crawling out of the lava-pit and onto the border of the rim.

His mouth spilled out chunks of magma, cooling on his tongue, heaving for air. He continued to crawl out with his bare hands, pushing himself across with his feet. Nothing was left of him in terms of clothes, but he still had all functioning organs and muscle-tissue.

Thomas, however, was deep in shock, shuttering and shivering as if he were cold again. When he was a few feet away from the magma’s reach, he began to quiver, holding himself by the arms in an embrace. Unable to stop convulsing, he allowed the sporadic seizure take over him.

The pain! thought Thomas. The fire! The magma! The burning-

Actually… he did not feel any burns… in fact, he didn’t feel any burning sensation.

Thomas began to calm down, the seizure ebbing away and he could think straight. He didn’t feel any pain, and from what he recalled, the magma didn’t feel hot to his touch at all. From the ground, he moved his arms away from his shoulders, and began to examine one up to his face.

He extended the arm and looked closely at the fingers. A dollop of magma was still on his fingertip, which slowly descended down the finger, then plopped off onto the dirt-covered ground.

It sizzled, burning the dirt underneath, with a small trail of smoke escaping from the sides of the tiny puddle of lava.

But he could hardly feel any heat come from it.

“It’s real… but this… is impossible,” muttered Thomas.

“Initiation successful…” interrupted the voice. “Hōju/Sacred Jewel integrated into candidate… transformation complete…”

“… WHAT DID YOU DO TO ME?!”

Thomas jumped up to his feet, overtaken with rage, he looked around the cavern. This time, he could see everything clearly in the lake of burning fire. But still, he found nothing but the wide expanse, the floor was entirely lava and the size of a football field. He was alone.

He approached the lava, and still couldn’t feel any penetrating heat. It was almost comforting, and with the light, he wouldn’t be taken off-guard. But nothing prepared him for the next peculiarity.

Under the light of the fire, he looked at his hands again and saw his skin had turned bright-red. As he ran his fingers against the skin, it felt like normal skin, though he did seem to emit more heat, more than what he might’ve felt against the fiery pit. Thomas inspected his finger. The nailbeds to the tips were now black and sharp, he took a look down at his feet. So were his toenails.

That’s when he remembered… his clothes were burnt off… and he had that stalker watching and speaking to him. Somewhere, out there!

He couldn’t wait; Thomas turned around and saw the bag was untouched. So, he ran over and started taking out the spare clothes. As he quickly put his undergarments, jersey and shorts, he also took the time to put on his spare lacrosse equipment. With everything equipped, he shoved the helmet onto his skull and took out his lacrosse stick. Thomas turned back to the cave, looking around and waving his stick like he was trying to swat a fly.

“You’re not going to get away with this! I AM leaving, and when I found my way back, I-I-I get the police and-and PRESS CHARGES! ON… on… ON HUMAN TRAFFICKING AND-and… EXPERIMENTATION!”

Assigning attribute… Fire…

“AH!”

Thomas felt the voice in the back of his ear, and instinctively, he spun around and flung his lacrosse stick. He was able to catch the sight of a fireball shooting out from the netting. It sped out like a comet, and once it hit the wall, it exploded into a powerful blast. The very interior of the caverns shook violently, and Thomas was afraid it would start a cave-in or topple on top of him.

Thankfully, it subsided with only a plume of smoke filling the ceiling for a few moments…

He looked across the room, the smoke clearing out. A gaping hole where the explosion occurred and continue to melt what was left. It dripped onto the floor into a bubbling pool of liquified ore. Thomas side-eyed the lacrosse stick, finding it had caught on fire and currently burning the top:

“AH-AH, STOPSTOPSTOP! I JUST GOT THIS TODAY!”

The flames evaporated instantly, and the lacrosse stick appeared undamaged by the incident altogether. Thomas stared at his ‘normal’ lacrosse stick, then back at the wall, still melting slightly from the intense heat. He looked around the room, whatever was in the cave, maybe he could escape its sight?

He turned and ran out through the cavern tunnels, and found himself outside in the snowy fields again. Thomas looked around, he wasn’t certain that he had escaped completely so he continued to run across and deep into the forest. All the while, he noticed that the freezing frost and snow, the chilling winds that blew across his face, made no hinderance for him. He didn’t feel any of its cruel icy embrace. Thomas still felt warm and hot in this new skin, seemingly impervious to ice now…

As he pushed through the frost-covered trees, he began to rationalize his thoughts better:

What if he was kidnapped from the school? Maybe someone drugged him and he couldn’t remember it. Then, they may have taken him by some vehicle, and he was under for more time than he realized.

Now, he’s in some type of… testing ground… for human experimentation? It had to be something illegal, and it had to have been administered without his knowledge. Perhaps he was injected with some new chemical?

The idea of a ‘shadow government’ conspiracy was always a popular favorite amongst society, but it didn’t seem as far-fetched to believe the government was testing for super-human abilities. At the same time, however, was he a super-human?!

Was he supposed to be afraid, anger, or could he geek out over this discovery?

His thoughts were halted by the sound of animalistic screeching. Thomas stopped and ducked down into some shrubbery, trying to see past the foliage. Beyond a few yards from where he was squatting, some trees parted to make a small clearing. He looked closer and heard a stream, and below, there was a frozen riverbed that had broken into a large hole.

That’s when Thomas saw it, a creature of bizarre and grotesque form. It had waddled on two legs like a humanoid-monster with green slimy, scaled skin. The body was bulbous with a large shell like a black-tortoise with spiked ridges on the back. Its arms were in front of the creature, snapping its claws and webbed-fingers at its prey. Finally, the face of the creature was a distorted mix between a snapping turtle and reptilian lizard, a neon-purple forked tongue slipping out of its beak. Past its water-logged black hair, streaming down like wiggling slick adders, it hissed at the other creature.

This creature was smaller by a greater degree, flopped down on the ground and covered in icicles. What was it? Another monster?

It poked its head out from the snow, and this creature appeared almost like an oversized fruit-bat. However, as the snow shifted off of its head, Thomas saw it had a white wild mane like a lion that trailed down its spine. As expected, it had wings that were freakishly large, outstretched in the snow. That was where Thomas saw what appeared to have happened, its wings were weighed down by forming ice on its red wings.

The turtle-monster seemed to grin along its beak; a glob of water consolidated around its webbed paws. But despite it being water, it didn’t slip past its fingers. Rather, it appeared to be forming into perfect spheres. The monster bounced the spheres of water in its hands like it was a juggling act, laughing clownishly at the bat-creature.

Was this another test-subject? Were they all super-powered?

Thomas peered down and it didn’t seem the bat-creature was able to fend itself, so he couldn’t know what ability it had. But it’s just water, how bad could it get?

Then, it threw the orbs like water-balloons, splashing down on the bat-creature. The result was another pained screech of the bat-creature, it started to sizzle and boil like it was oil across a heated pan. But it didn’t stop there, the large volume of water seemed to be freezing at an alarming rate. This water was now a prickling cage of ice across the bat-creature’s wings and overheating body.

冬の間に再び眠りにつく前に、素晴らしい食事を作ってくれることだろう、小さなノブスーマ！spoke the turtle-monster.

Wait… that sounded like… Japanese? AM I IN JAPAN?! thought Thomas.

The bat-creature’s large ears perked up, and it looked up to where Thomas was hiding in the bushes. It seemed to know he was there because it began to claw at the ice, drawing closer to him. During that time, it seemed to cry out, getting closer and closer, but weaker and weaker. Its cries becoming whimpers, then slowly into raspy breaths…

… I… I really shouldn’t get involved, thought Thomas. I could alert that… stalker again…

He knew this was the right call to make, wait until it was all over and he could disappear back away. But… that would mean… he’d have to watch that turtle-monster… eat that little guy.

誰に泣いてるの、小さな食事？ 誰も君を助けてはくれないよ！laughed the turtle-monster, pointing its claw at the bat-monster; it was obvious whatever it said was in a mocking tone.

… I do have the element of surprise-

Thomas jumped out of the bushes, imagining the fire and reigniting that sense of urgent danger. From the lacrosse-stick, another ball of fire erupted and shot across, just like before in the cave. The river-monster didn’t have time to react, caught off-guard completely as the fireball smacked across its shelled underbelly. It exploded into a fit of flames, and flung the river-monster out of the smoke. Its body was catapulted across until it smashed through a cluster of trees, breaking its momentum. The flames had caught on the river-monster and began to burn through some of the broken lumber around it.

“LET’S GOOOOO!” screamed Thomas as if he had made a winning shot.

The river-monster pushed a burning log out of the way, struggling to pull itself up. Amidst the flaming rubble, it managed to crawl out, then it could slowly rise from the evaporated snow. It coughed some blood, then looked up to see Thomas.

あ…鬼？croaked the river-monster.

It sneered, but when it reached out in a threatening manner, Thomas expected to see more of that ‘water trick.’ He prepared himself in a wide stance and lowered the stick, but… nothing happened.

Even the river-monster was shocked, but then its eyes widened and it shakily reach to the top of its skull. Oddly, it seemed to be more worried with some type of injury than the flames or burned scars. It was clawing at the top of its cranium, some steam was evaporating off of its head, perhaps water being burnt into vapors. The river-monster continued to claw at… well, now that Thoams could see more clearly… a dish-bowl on its head? Then, Thomas could see a few drops fall out of the dish, right in front of the river-monster’s shaking eyes.

And just like that, the river-monster lost all interest in Thomas. Now, it was slowly trying to crawl towards the frozen riverbed.

But before the river-monster could reach the waters, a burning tree fell on top of the river-monster, silencing it swiftly. And Thomas could see an overwhelming stench of roasting flesh.

Kappa (Lv. 20) has been defeated… Leveling up in progress…

It was over…

I can’t believe I did that… I can’t believe that worked… what was I thinki-

“Oh… OH RIGHT, THE BAT!”

*第一章の終わり* End of Chapter I**

に — 封建制の崩壊 II — The Feudal Fall

Thomas didn’t have to move too far, the bat-creature was nearly at his feet. He placed the lacrosse-stick to the ground temporarily, kneeling down and slowly inspected the bat-creature. But as he reached down, Thomas saw the snow around the bat-creature melt rapidly around him. It took a moment to realize it, but perhaps it was his body?

He hovered his hand over a patch of snow, and as he did, the ice-covered snow melted in a puddle. Thomas placed his hand closer to the puddle, and the water soon vaporized into humid-hot air. He turned back to the bat-creature, still struggling against the ice across its body. It was breathing shallow, its eyes becoming dull as it tried to stay alive.

Carefully, Thomas lowered his other hand over the bat-creature. He was afraid he might burn the poor beast, but on the contrary, it worked perfectly. The snow and ice had melted off completely, and it appeared this bat-creature was not harmed in the process.

Even better, it seemed to almost recover. With its large wings, it alofted up like a it was light as air. It began to chirp happily, facing Thomas:

“Well, at least I did something rig-”

The bat-creature lunged itself onto his face, wrapping its massive wings around his head. It was resembling like one of those science-fiction, alien genres. And instantly, he began to freak out like one of those scenes in the movies…

“MMMPH-UNGH!?”

With his face hidden completely by the bat-creature’s grip, his screams were dampened in guttural gasps. His arms flailed to the sides, forcing himself onto his back and rolling in the grass. He tried to pull it off his face, but the bat-creature had sensed his discomfort, slipping down and rested on top of his chest instead.

Thomas gasped for breath, then stared down at his chest, eyeing the bat-creature with a glare:

“WHY?!”

The bat-creature bleated out with woeful eyes, almost apologetically. Up close, it was cute as a small puppy and cuddy even. Thomas could feel warmth build inside of him; it was almost comforting in spite of these horrid circumstances. All the same, he needed to move and find a way home.

Thomas got up from the ground, and the bat-creature remained clasped around his torso, its wings locked into the fabric of his jersey. For now, it wasn’t too much of a bother.

“Be weird about it and I’m prying you off…” warned Thomas.

The bat-creature seemed to smile, its distressed complexion vanished and it bleated once more.

You have chosen the Nobusuma as your deity-guardian…

“OH MY GOD! Are you observing me through a camera-drone!” screamed Thomas.

For good measure, he pulled up the middle-finger, blasting it quite literally around him in the air. The result was a flaming torrent from the extended fingertip.

“HOW ARE YOU PROJECTING THAT AUDIO?! Just stop it and take me home already!”

But he could tell where the voice came from, and it didn’t appear to be answering back. The only one watching him now was this ‘Nobusuma,’ which tilted its head and eyed Thomas awkwardly. Thomas sighed, there was no point in screaming out into this ‘mountain’ or wherever he was in truth.

He also knew it wouldn’t be that simple. And if whoever or whatever took him and transformed him into this thing, they wouldn’t be cooperative to his benefit.

Thomas looked at his hands, they were still the color of bright-red and fingernails blackened. Oh… but what about the rest? He didn’t have a mirror, but-

He remembered the frozen riverbed, and with that river-monster dead, it might be safe to go near it for a bit. Thomas walked over, kneeling down, trying not to get too close to the ice so it wouldn’t melt in his presence. Luckily for him, it held its shape and luster for him to use the sheet of ice as an improvised mirror.

Now, he could fully see what he had become…

From the surface of the ice-mirror, gilded by the light of the burning forest, Thomas saw more than just red-skin across his face. He lifted the helmet, and saw he had snow-white hair across his scalp instead of his chestnut-brown color. His eyes were dark with blue irises that appeared demonic, glowing with an eerie energy. He even had black horns, two on each side of his forehead, how did he not notice or feel them before?

Or how did he not notice the jewel embedded into his forehead as well? It drew his eye as it sparkled against the fire and onto the ice like a spotlight in the sky. His finger felt around the gemstone; it was the jewel that he had discovered previously. But that was in his hands, how did it get there? Was it stuck?

With his sharp, black nails, he tried pulling it off of his forehead. However, it did not budge, and when he tried harder, it felt like it was anchored into his skull. As if it had become a part of the… bone structure?

He brought his hand away, and stared into his reflection. Did he resemble what he was before? Could someone make the connection to this ‘demon’ and Thomas Felice, the Lacrosse Player of Virgina Beach?

He had enough. Thomas stood back up, the fire was dying out and the snow picked up again. He looked around, where could he go now?

Where could he go now that he knows he’s still being followed? Was it worth it to venture further or return to the cave? What was the point…

“I… I should just sleep it off, decide what to do in the morning or… late afternoon,” spoke Thomas out-loud, talking to himself.

And my parents would’ve called the police; they might be out there trying to find me… thought Thomas.

But he didn’t want to think about that. Not now.

“You can come along as long as you don’t cause me any problems…”

He was referring to this bat-creature, the ‘Nobusuma’ apparently. And it seemed to understood as it nodded its head, brushing up against his jersey for warmth. Together, they made their way back into the cave. It was already getting late, more than before as hours may have passed since coming here. He couldn’t find a way to block off the cave, and part of him didn’t want to as he may miss a chance to hear someone or a rescue-team stumble in his abode.

In the end, he had to rely on the safety of the active volcano within the cave, the heat of the magma warding off any predators. At first, however, he was worried the Nobusuma would not find it livable, but it seemed happier to have more warmth, cooing loudly.

Thomas moved his sports-bag to the edge of the entrance, creating a small, temporary blind-spot for anyone that might enter. But before he slept, he ate some of the snacks his mother had left behind, thankfully that he had something to eat.

The Nobusuma crawled up on Thomas’s shoulder pad, looking curiously at the bag until opened a zip-locked bag to eat his peanut-butter sandwich. It reached out with its clawed wing at the bread, but Thomas started biting into it already. With his mouth preoccupied with the sandwich, he pulled out a wrapped granola bar, hovering it over the bat-creature.

It sniffed a few times, and began biting into the treat. When the blueberry jam inside passed down its throat, it mewed joyously, taking the whole bar into its claws and devouring it.

This left Thomas to enjoy his small dinner without interruption, slowly chewing at the sandwich with an apple and juice-bag at the ready:

“My brother made it for me… he always had a weird talent for making the peanut-butter the smoothest on the slice…” said Thomas, thinking out-loud rather than speaking to the Nobusuma.

It was too busy chewing on the granola bar to listen, licking its lips off of the blueberry jam stuck to its mouth. Thomas knew he shouldn’t be thinking about his family… about home… because he knew it would only lead down to one emotional road to disaster. But he couldn’t help it now…

He tried eating fast, putting the waste into the zip-lock bag for now. Thomas has turned on his cellphone to low-battery mode, but he made certain it wasn’t on silent. He shoved the cellphone into the bag; the cellphone would be up to the fabric outer wall. So, when he used the sports-bag as a pillow, he could hear the cellphone ring and wake him up. Hopefully, someone or something would reach him and he could call for help.

As he prepared to sleep, despite it being warm without any need to cover for the cold, Thomas couldn’t help but feel odd, not sleeping without a blanket…

“I wish Dad had packed a blanket to sleep in, but it wasn’t an away-game so-”

As if answering Thomas’s call, the Nobusuma hovered over Thomas as he laid down. It descended on top of him, wrapping its wings across him like a folded blanket, covering from neck to toes.

“… thanks…”

The Nobusuma chirped, nestling its chin across the jersey and began to sleep soundly and quickly. Thomas was left to his thoughts, exhausted but still dreading it all. Finally, it seemed that images of his father, mother, and his older brother flashed in his minds. He didn’t realize how much he loved them when they were out of his reach, truly beyond reaching in his current state. And then the thought occurred to him:

What if I never see them again?

He was never proud of crying, Thomas had believed it was unbecoming of a boy trying to mature into a man. That’s what he had grown to believe having watched his father teach him to be strong. And yet… he couldn’t help it… after so many years… he cried himself to sleep…

In the morning, he woke up to some kind of sound. Fumbling up, Thomas shot up and reach into the sports-bag with the Nobusuma darting up, screeching worriedly. But it saw Thomas pulling things out of the bag and it began to whine, having been woken up hastily and nastily. Thomas didn’t pay attention; he found his cellphone and-

Nothing, it wasn’t ringing or vibrating. Thomas looked around, then saw the light of the morning sun spill into the room from the cavern’s entrance. He listened closely, and it sounded as if birds were making the noise from outside the cave. At least there weren’t any other monsters he could hear or see of…

This time, however, he would look around the area in the daylight. Especially since he had no food remaining, what he had brought was the only snacks he had brought; there was no use of saving them for so long either.

“Let’s go out Bonusuba… Noboosum-”

He tried to remember what that ‘stalking voice’ had referred this bat-creature, but Thomas couldn’t formulate the words. Especially in Japanese… if he was in Japan…

“I’m going to call you Berry for now on, is that cool with you?”

The Nobusuma flew in circles merrily, chirping and nodding its furry head. It would now refer itself as “Berry.”

“Okay, good… I’ll just put on some padding and the helmet, and we can venture out.”

With the equipment on, they trekked up and exited out of the cave. Judging from his cellphone, it was roughly mid-morning, the sun shining in east; he was able to check quickly with a digital compass. He put the cellphone into his pocket, still surveying the scene.

It had stopped snowing, and the temperature in the air wasn’t as severe as it was last night. With the sun’s warmth, he could see more of the forest in a better light. Using the direction pointed by the cellphone’s compass, Thomas began totting north. His hope was that he’d either find some enclosure and meet the edge of the cage. Or, he would find some type of civilization that was trapped with him as well.

Anything was possible.

They continued to walk through the forest, Thomas checking the digital compass to remain on route and Berry provided aerial surveillance. Berry seemed intelligent and may be able to warn Thomas of any suspected threat. The bat rose and dipped in the air, swirling left and right, but always coming back around over Thomas.

And for some time, there wasn’t anything that jumped out at them. A few hours passed, and Thoams eventually reached the frozen river which curved north. It was there that Thomas decided to collect some river water into his empty canteen. Luckily, it was a gift from his father, an army canteen with a built-in sand filter.

Once filled, all he needed to do was heat the metal canteen with a gentle touch of his bare red-hot hands. But as he was finishing the process and capping the canteen, he heard Berry chirp quietly but aggravatedly.

Thomas looked behind, and saw the bat-creature was in the bushes. Beforehand, he thought Berry was resting on a rock, waiting for him to finish his business. But Berry had moved into the shrubs, using the leaves as cover but Thomas saw the bat winged-claw motion to him. Was Berry actually telling him non-verbally to… hide with him?

“Smarter than he looks,” whispered Thomas; but he didn’t argue or hesitate further.

Thomas dipped down, and softly moved over to Berry’s hiding spot, careful not to disturb the snow. He was able to get into the bush without causing too much noise, then Berry pointed with a claw over to the side. Thomas looked in that direction, but he couldn’t see anything.

What am I supposed to be looking for? thought Thomas.

Then he heard a low growl, something that was big and familiar…

“That sounds like a tiger,” whispered Thomas, remembering his visit to the zoo during a class-trip.

And indeed, he saw its black stripes appear from the shifting snow, seemingly camouflaged with the white coverage. If it was a normal tiger, then maybe he could take it down using these super-human powers. Even so, he still had to be careful and wait for the opportunity. Maybe it was better to flee?

-SNAP-

Thomas peered down, and saw he had broken a tree branch that had fallen under the snow’s blanket. He looked up, and the tiger’s head was fully out, slunk down to the ground and its electric-blue eyes poised in his direction.

“So much for that,” grumbled Thomas, but before he could crawl away, Berry had flown out of the bushes.

Berry rose to the air, above the tiger as it growled menacingly, not taking its eyes off of the bat-creature.

“Gaa-GAA!”

Berry let out a scream, and it seemed to carry a powerful surge like a sonic shockwave. It plummeted against the tiger, the beast roared in a mix of anger and pain, struggling to keep itself up on all four paws. Berry was creating an opening for Thomas!

“Nice work, teammate/Berry!”

He jumped out and flung a fireball at the tiger, thinking it was going to be an easy target.

In a flash of light, however, the beast had disappeared. A crack of thunder was heard, and Thomas tore his eyes to the left as sparks flew past him.

“He’s… bigger than I was… expecting,” mumbled Thomas.

Unfortunately for him, it was NOT a normal tiger. It had black-white stripes down its body like those rare albino Bengals, but it was far bigger than any normal tiger. If Thomas had to describe it, this tiger appeared to be the size of tank! But it was certainly not as slow as one…

An aura had surrounded the beast, crackle of electric-lightning tore through its claws from down its neck like a collar and sleeves. And along its paws, wisps of cloudy-vapors seemed to levitate the beast like winged heels.

Before Thomas could ignite another fireball, the white-tiger shot across and pounced on top of Thomas. From the energy it consumed, the tiger had bypassed the laws of inertia: from the resting position to instant acceleration, the force of mass caused Thomas to break the earth’s crust, shattering the ground like an earthquake. And with the electric discharge, it ripped through Thomas’s core, he could feel a pulsating charge of lightning driven through his body. It was like being submerged into a fathom of water, then a streak of thunder tore through the water, electrocuting him severely.

If that wasn’t bad enough, Thomas could feel its gigantic claws begin to break through his lacrosse armor, putting even more pressure on him. He could practically feel his guts being compressed into blood-sausages.

The white-tiger seemed to be looming over Thomas, snarling with a crackle of lighting escape its maw. Its eyes flashed, and it felt like the sky was darkening in its mere presence.

But miraculously, against all odds or reasoning, Thomas didn’t feel like he was close to death. With all this compiled damage, he felt his muscles resist and his skin toughened like metal. He wasn’t invincible, but he was feeling stronger than he could ever imagine. What if-

“GET OFF ME!”

Thomas threw a punch across and hit the face of the white-tiger. He felt a burst of energy; fire sprang out from his knuckles into a fiery explosion. His elbow emitted a torrent of flames, acting like a missile in flight. And when it connected onto the tiger, it felt like he ignited an atomic bomb.

The white-tiger couldn’t dodge in time, being so close to Thomas, and unprepared for what came next. From its fiery blast, the white-tiger was sent flying, its massive fangs broken off of its dislocated jaw. It continued to fly across the land, breaking through the forest until it penetrated a mountain wall, the rock crumbling over the blast-site.

There was a moment of silence as the dust settled, but then another flash of lighting erupted from the distance. And from the outraged roar, Thomas could tell it was fired up even more. Still, it gave him enough time to get up to see the tiger sprinting towards him.

“Okay… SO YOU WANT TO BRING DOWN THE THUNDER!?”

Thomas egged the white-tiger, and it seemed to hear his taunts which only accelerated the beast further. As the tiger galloped, gaining speed, Thomas tore off the shreds of his jersey and dismantled armor. He imagined the same sensation he just felt before, trying to pool whatever had ignited his flames. Thomas concentrated this feeling into his feet, and began to run but his feet burst with a flaming spout that began to resemble like rockets. This propelled him as such, flying mid-air and collecting heat-emission across his skin.

“WELL HERE COMES THE BOOM!” shouted Thomas, summoning all of the fire that burned inside of him.

He felt Berry in the dust and smoke, and the bat-creature was left coughing out its lungs. When it cleared up, Berry wasn’t certain what it should do, fluttering in the air nervously.

It only had ONE idea…

The two, the white-tiger and Thomas, collided with each other. Thomas threw his flaming fist downward across the tiger, while the white-tiger swiped its electric-claws upward across Thomas’s chest. Their attacks met, and the force of the blast blew the forest apart in bouts of disintegrating-lighting and explosive-fire.

The blast-radius practically cleared the forest area into a smoothed-out stage for them to continue their fight. But Thomas couldn’t feel anything from the blast, it really seemed like he had higher than average durability.

Even the white-tiger seemed to be exerting more energy than it anticipated, breathing heavily and showing signs of battered bruises across its body. But it wasn’t ready to give in.

The white-tiger braced itself, digging its claws, and opened its jaws. As it did, Thomas felt a surging whirlwind sweep past him. From this distance, he could see the tiger’s eyes glow with its jaws filling up with a light. And he could tell what it was planning next.

He could only think of one move, positioning himself to brace for impact. It seemed from the tiger’s perspective that Thomas would take the blast head-on. But Thomas was waiting for the right moment…

With the skies darkening with the conjuration of storm clouds, it marked the dawning of the tiger’s finishing move. It roared, and a gigantic stream of concentrated lightning shot from its mouth. But before it could reach Thomas, nearly splitting it by a second, he launched himself up as far as he could with a big burst of firepower. Barely avoiding the edge of the harrowing thunder-beam.

As Thomas spun off the beam, he could see its power demolish everything, atom by atom, and in the end, there was nothing but a smoldering crater. The forest, the rivers, even parts of the mountain were left in a vertical, sloping hole.

Thomas had to make it count!

As he spun forward, Thomas saw he was right above the beast. So he too would deliver a concentrated attack. Concentrating, he placed his hands together, cupped by the wrists and formed an orb of fire. Imitating the white-tiger, he tried to imagine his flame growing but condensed… he would release it as a pin-point stream… which would lessen the area of effect but make it faster and add more destructive penetrating power. He would slice the beast in half!

Thomas aimed his hands at the ground, and once he saw the tiger, he’d… he’d-

… where is it?! thought Thomas.

Suddenly, he felt a breeze behind him and a clap of thunder. Before he could change directions, he felt the claws slice into him and push him down to the ground. Only this time, the power behind the blow was stronger than before.

Thomas was sent to the ground, devastating the area around him, and it had a greater effect. He could barely breath, struggling to move from the broken earth, far deep underground than expected. It felt like his bones were shattered. And if only that was his least of his concerns-

The white-tiger was now hovering a few stories above him, the storms in the sky were now collecting energy around the beast. It was going to send another attack?!

It was descending fast, the energy crackling beneath its paws, and as soon as they landed, it might be over for Thomas…

No, I’m not dying… I’m going home.

It was a long shot, but he didn’t have much alternative. Thomas saw that the white-tiger was gaining power from its natural… affinity… so he too would summon his strength. He imagined the lava, deep within the core of the world, the fire beneath him. Thomas tried to imagine some connection to the core as he heard the wind howl and thunder intensify in the air. Then he felt it, he felt something connect to a power far greater than his-

All around him, flames began to sprout…

第2章の終わり End of Chapter II

さん — 壊れた失敗 III — The Fractured Failure

The white-tiger could sense something was wrong, and so he sped up the fall. Faster and faster, it began to descend, right above Thomas.

And as this happened, Thomas grew hotter and hotter, the dirt around him turned to coals until he was submerged in bubbling lava. He felt himself growing stronger, his fire from his palm became a white-flame circulating into a single point at his fingertip. He positioned this like a rifle, aiming at the white-tiger.

“One shot… but one K.O.,” laughed Thomas.

Thomas could feel the static charge from the white-tiger’s lightning, it was nearly a few feet away. He wouldn’t wait any longer. With a mental image of a released trigger in his mind, Thomas fired the shot. Trapped within the horizontal crater, the white-tiger couldn’t escape, and the exploding ray of flames erupted like a volcano. The intense heat maintained its white flare, nearly 3,600°F, was burning through the white-tiger’s body and sending it out in sky-breaking speed.

In addition, the enormous firepower had torn through the ground, splitting the crust into cracks that bellowed out walls of fire. The area around the crater had become a burnt husk, the surface resembling like a bed of hot coals.

He could barely see it past the outer ring of the hole, and the white-tiger disappeared from his sight…

Minion of Byakko (Lv. 49) has been defeated… Leveling up in progress…

“I guess… that’s one way… to confirm victory,” muttered Thomas; almost grateful to hear the stalker’s eerie voice again.

It would take Thomas some time to climb up. As he crawled out of the lava-pit, he became fatigued instantly. A possible after-effect from over-exertion or leaving his fiery domain? He was familiar with going beyond what his body was meant for, btu he always believed he could push through it. But this was worse than lacrosse training, this may be worse than what his father went in military training. Every muscle seemed to be ripping itself apart, and then liquifying into a mushy paste. He couldn’t take more than three (3) steps before collapsing onto the cold ground.

He stared out into the sky; the storm clouds had parted from the blast but there was a large amount of smoke in the air. Thomas could feel himself getting colder and colder, his vision becoming darker and darker:

“I think… that I may be here… a lot longer… than I thought…” gasped Thomas before passing out.

It may have been hours or even days, but finally, Thomas awoke but no longer in the crater from his earlier fight with the white-tiger. Instead, he was in his cave again with Berry nestled on his chest. But… how did they get here?

あなたには素晴らしい仲間がいます。彼は常にあなたのそばを離れることを拒否しました。

Still weakened, Thomas lifted his head and saw someone else was inside the cave. At the side of the cave, the figure appeared to be a crouched man, bent over at a fire. He was wearing traditional-looking orange robes, slightly singed at the hems, hinting at a life lived beyond normal, quiet confines. The fabric seemed worn, old, and tattered from weather, and around his neck, polished wooden prayer beads gleam like bloodstones, a silent testament to spiritual devotion. Finally, the bald scalp and the Japanese accent told Thomas that he was some kind of monk. But why was he here?

あなたの仲間が私をあなたの洞窟に導いてくれました。私の侵入をお許しいただけると幸いです。

“I’m… I’m sorry. But I don’t understand you,” replied Thomas.

Language acquisition in progress…

“あなたは何語を話hanashi te i masu ka? I have never heard of it?”

“Wh-what?”

“Oh, I must’ve misheard. My apologies, but it seems you are still confused?”

“… yes, is there… anyone else besides you?” asked Thomas, looking around the cave.

Did he not hear the voice? Or was he part of the stalker’s scheme?

The monk stopped, and slowly turned to face Thomas. He was expecting someone older, but it appeared the monk was in his thirties (30’s) with only some slight wrinkles around his eyes. He had angled eyebrows that were thick at the brow but thinned out. Over his lips, two oval whiskers sprouted into an odd mustache with a scruffy, five-o-clock shadow around his chin. The monk stared at Thomas with dark-brown, slanted eyes, then smiled broadly. It was strange, but something told Thomas that he may be genuinely kind. Perhaps that was why he was a monk? Even so…

“No, I was the only one to have discovered you. Your secret is safe with me, oni.”

“Oni?”

“… yes, oni. That is what you are, aren’t you?”

“… maybe. What’s an oni?”

“Heh, you’re a strange fellow. Perhaps we could talk over dinner?”

The monk turned around, pulling out into view sizzling slabs of meat that were roasting at his fire. It was then that Thomas could smell the salt and herbs drizzled on the meat, and he only realized that he had not eaten for SO long. He was desperate, nodding and not even questioning it further.

The monk laughed, getting up from his spot and moving over to Thomas. As he approached, Berry heard him coming with its heightened hearing… and sense of smell. It popped its head up, licking its lips and taking flight as Thomas rose up slowly.

“Wait your turn, Berry. I haven’t had anything since… well… you know.”

“Ah, Berry, so that’s his name. An odd but fitting name, he seems to take a liking to fruits and berries.”

“Where did you get this meat? I thought monks swore an oath not to kill any creatures?”

“Ha, you know what a monk is but not what an oni is. You ARE a strange fellow. Do not worry about me, I already ate some rice I had prepared. I simply used the spoils of your victory against your battle.”

“That tiger? But… I thought it was completely destroyed, that last attack-”

“Ah yes, I witnessed your power myself. But if you truly do not know what an oni is, then you do not know the power of the Byakko. It’s hide is strong, so much of the fire you expelled had been nullified… but it seemed it wasn’t enough to save its life in the end.”

The monk handed the skewer to Thomas, and before he could take a bite, the monk closed its eyes and grasped his prayer-beads into his cupped hands. His mirth was gone for a moment and he began to pray underneath his breath. It was out of place for Thoams, but he couldn’t help but pray himself. Before he ate, he clasped his hands together and began to pray like he was at Thanksgiving dinner with the family…

“Oh, I’ve… never seen an oni cry before, are you well, my child?”

Thomas opened his eyes and stared at the monk, he had finished his prayers and noticed what came over his face. He wiped his tears away, and started eating a mouthful before answering:

“No… I was brought here against my will… and I don’t know how or why or who it was. Now I’m this… ‘oni,’ and I don’t even know what that means.”

“You mean-” asked the monk, trying to make sense of it. “-mean that you were human before?”

“… yes…”

“That… explains a few things then…”

“What’s an oni?”

“Oh… OH, right,” stammered the monk, breaking his train of thought. “An oni is a demon of fire and destruction. And what I see and what I’ve witnessed in your battle, there can be no mistake of that.”

“Then… why did you rescue me? If I’m a demon, I know monks and priests try to… exorcise demons, don’t they?”

“Normally yes, but… be it divine province or way of the world… or simply a gut feeling-”

He patted his stomach, winking slightly as his belly jingled with fat; Thomas couldn’t help but snort. As the monk continued to speak, Thomas continued to eat his fill:

“I sensed you were not evil; it is not uncommon to find a good-natured Yōkai. And I see you have been blessed by a sacred jewel.”

The monk pointed at Thomas’s forehead, and Thomas remembered he still had that gemstone stuck on him.

“There are very few sacred jewels in our world, and for those who are destined for a greater purpose, it shall bestow the powers of heaven onto that soul-”

“Yeah… when I grabbed it, all of this started happening to me,” answered Thomas, gesturing to his transformation.

“I see… I will need to mediate on this. But for now, I come baring a gift! A token of our new friendship,” laughed the monk, and he scurried over to the bonfire.

“Wh-what?”

“Well, while you were recovering, I saw your strange clothes were torn. And with the spoils of the Byakko still available to us, it would be a waste to discard them. It would be an insult to your opponent…”

The monk handed a folded bundle to Thomas, it seemed he had been working on this for some time. As it was transferred to him, Thomas noticed cuts and pricks on the monk’s fingers and palms.

“Oh, forgive me, but we never introduced ourselves properly. May I ask your name?”

“My name is Thomas… Thomas Felice.”

“Hm. A strange pronunciation and accent you use for that name; you must not hail from our world. May I call you Tōmase?”

“Oh, um, sure?”

“Thank you, my friend. And you may call me Hikari-ta Akimichi, Zagen of the Hōkō-ji Temple. And I am here on my journey for enlightenment and guidance…” answered Akimichi, bowing to Tōmase.

“Oh, then can I call you ‘Aki’ for short?”

“Ha, you certainly may!”

And with that, Tōmase bowed in respect and having recovered completely, especially with the fires warming his soul, he decided to try out his new garbs graciously.

Switching his burnt school attire, his new outfit resembled a stitched kimono robe woven for the chest. At the waist, however, a sash made of the Byakko’s skin, tanned with its fur washed, tied around like a belted kilt that swung at the sides of his legs. This covered his feet partially, but he was given wooden sandals to replaced his destroyed shoes. What was impressive, however, was how the monk had made some modifications to his old lacrosse equipment that had survived the fight with the Byakko. Without a blacksmithing forge, it was just leftover hide that coated along the shoulder pad, down to his right arm with leather plating. For dramatic effect, the skull and its fur of the tiger was plated on the shoulder blade, more as a decoration and badge of honor than for protection it seemed.

And what remained of his helmet was fixated with a wooden mask covering the bottom-guard, carved into a demonic face. Its eyes were large and drooped down like some wailing spirit while the mouth had more of a grotesque grin with curved tusks in stark contrast.

Tōmase looked over to Aki before putting the wooden-masked helmet on, and the monk could see the puzzled expression on the oni. Aki laughed, lowering his hands apologetically:

“I meant no offense, but I felt no one would ask questions about your appearance if they assumed it was a costume rather than an actual oni.”

“Ooooh, that’s low-key smart,” remarked Tōmase, putting the helmet on at last.

“… pardon, ‘low-key?’”

“Ah… it’s… an expression from my… homeland.”

“OH, I see! Is that also from your homeland? I’ve never seen such light yet durable armor before.”

“Oh, yea-yes… it was made for special training under my… sensi and father,” half-lied Tōmase; it wasn’t untrue entirely.

“Ah, how noble. Well, shall we ascend, my friend?”

Berry flew circles around Tōmase before plopping onto his shoulder pad, using the Byakko’s taxidermic skull as a perch. Tōmase marched up the slope leading up to the cave’s entrance with Aki following him beside his side. Aki had reclaimed his holy staff, a long wooden pole with a golden ornate top, its looped rings jingled as it tapped against the rocky earth. With his walking stick to aid the monk, Aki was able to keep up the pace with Tōmase…

As they ventured out, it seemed the snow was melting and nature was blooming around the mountain range. The grass had sprouted from the snow in patches of green, the ice melted off of the pine-trees, and Tōmase could almost see some flowers were budding across the bushes. He could even hear the sound of birds in the distance and running water. Was winter already over?

Hikari-ta Akimichi stopped, turning to view the mountain that stood above the cave entrance. Tōmase stopped as well, looking at the monk and then up at the mountains.

What was he thinking? thought Tōmase

“I have a proposition for you, Tōmase. Will you hear me out?”

“Sure,” answered Tōmase but a bit unnerved; what could it be?

“Thank you… I have traveled on a pilgrimage to find my purpose to serve the gods and the greater good of our people. And after meeting you and your home, hearing of your story, I feel that I could do a great deal of good while starting a monastery to house converts, here in the mountains. Would you permit me to stay here and create such a temple in your mountain?”

“I can’t or won’t stop you, these aren’t ‘my’ mountains to begin with,” answered Tōmase.

“Perhaps, but what has happened to you, and how you have come to defend your home, surely you feel that this is a part of you?”

“… no, not really. I have a home… with my family. And all I want to do now is go back, that’s all.”

“I understand. Then may I extend my guidance in your pursuits to journey home, my friend?”

“How?”

“It may take some time, and may require some meditation and divine intervention, but I may be able to find the answers you seek.”

“W-would you really try and do that?”

“Yes, and would you help me construct our temple in exchange, my friend? I would also take care of you until you are reunited with your family safely, if you wish it…”

Tōmase had to think about it for a moment. It didn’t seem like Aki was being deceptive towards him but could he be trying to manipulate him? The monk seemed too trusting of a monster he just met.

At the same time, however, could he really do this alone? He had Berry, but there seemed to be only so much that he could do on his own, and a bat wasn’t going to offer much aside from company and minor security. Tōmase didn’t know who long he’d be trapped in his strange, new world, and he can’t afford to make any more enemies further… he needed allies.

“I’m not a stranger to volunteering community service. I’ll be happy to help you…” answered Tōmase with a shrug.

“Ah, another expression of your homeland, this ‘community service?’ Wonderful!”

Aki patted Tōmase’s arm with a hearty laugh. Then, he motioned Tōmase to follow him up the mountain further around the rocky slope. Slowly, they began to climb, ascending towards the summit. As they rose, it began to grow colder, even Tōmase could feel the difference against his hardened, durable skin. The snow remained on the slope and Tōmase was losing his footing against the ice while the monk kept climbing without any hinderance.

“How skilled are you in woodcraft or other trades of profession?” asked Aki, patiently taking his steps securely.

“Um, I’ve ne-” began Tōmase, but stopped when he almost slipped down. “I’VE… never done any building before in my life…”

“Ah, do not fret, you must come from a family of warriors. I shall teach you what I know, and with any luck, once we descend into the town, we will recruit disciples to aid us. But I may need help carrying lumber…”

Tōmase would normally hate doing chores, often trying to avoid the work as much as he could at home. To the irk of his parents and brother, of course. But things were different, he was built different now. With his super-human strength, it wouldn’t be considered a chore at all.

“I can manage that,” answered Tōmase confidently.

Wait… town? thought Tōmase.

“Thank you, Tōmase. Ah, here we are-”

Aki stopped at the icy peak, Tōmase struggled but caught up alongside to the summit with the monk. To keep from slipping down, Tōmase developed a way to melt just enough of the ice to make a foothold like an indented step-stool. He looked up at Aki, and the monk motioned with his staff below with a smile.

As some misty clouds parted in the prevailing winds, Tōmase realized there was more to these mountains than monsters and magic:

From the craggy peaks of the mountain, where the thin air bit with an icy kiss, the world stretched out below like a meticulously crafted miniature. The mountains, now a familiar silhouette against the dusk, revealed the sprawling valley below. It was not fully established, but it was the making of a village within the feudal era of Japan with whispers of ancient magic and mythology.

The first signs of human endeavor were almost imperceptible from this height- tiny, ant-like figures swarming at the river’s edge, sparkling like a silver thread. They were pioneers, clad in simple, rough-spun garments, their tools and lanterns glinting occasionally in the setting sun. Patches of forest began to recede, not with the haphazard destruction of fire, but with a methodical, almost ritualistic clearing. Trees, being felled by axes, were painstakingly dragged to central clearings, where they were stripped of branches and bark, their raw forms destined to become the bones of future homes.

Tōmase could also see a series of large tents, temporary lodgings for the citizens. It was also there that he heard the sound of children and families walking through the constructed streets and roads. With their lanterns, they seemed to dance and play joyously as the work continued with the fair weather of the approaching night.

Those who were not building, there were fields being tilled and sowed into farms by other workers. Tōmase recognized some from his history and foreign-culture books from school, rice paddies, defensive palisades, shops and black-smitheries, and sentries posted in log-erected fortifications.

With approaching night, the lights, the colors, the sounds, the smells, it was a carnival of delights. It was like witnessing history rather than learning or being told by someone with no true depth of knowledge and experience.

It was also there that he realized that this wasn’t as a simple kidnapping or experimentation… there was something more to this. Something he wasn’t prepared for…

“Welcome,” chuckled Aki. “-to the Hoshigami Village. Or at least, that is what I was informed of what it shall be named, by my studies.”

“Do… do you think I’ll be able to… enter?” asked Tōmase, becoming nervous now.

“Do not fear, my friend. I will handle those affairs; I’ll speak with the guards before we go through the gates together.”

“… okay.”

Tōmase was still unsure, still concerned that his ‘condition’ would not be as accepted as the monk made it sound. And it seemed evident to Aki, who had a response to Tōmase’s inner thoughts:

“But we don’t have to go tonight. It would be best if you recovered a few more nights. Perhaps it would be better if we made the shrine and build our home too…”

“… thank you, Aki.”

Aki placed his hand on Tōmase, a smile of calm benevolence shone on his face. Berry yawned, nearly falling asleep on top of Tōmase garments. Aki laughed softly, stroking the bat’s mane, and taking this as a signal to go back into their cave. Steadily, he assisted Tōmase in climbing down the mountain.

By the time they had reached the cave entrance, the night had fully engulfed the sky. This time, however, knowing that he had super-human strength in the palms of his hands, he made a make-shift door by carrying a massive boulder. To him, it was almost like lifting ten (10) pound weight, and he placed it behind them to secure their home from invading enemies, now that their party had grown to another member.

As they came up to the cavern chamber, Tōmase noticed that Aki had made some other provisions to their homestead. Where Tōmase had previously slept was absconded with some straw and a Japanese-style futon mattress with a blanket. There was another for Aki and his belongings resting on an earthen-dirt wall. By his futon, Aki had also dug a small altar with a brass figurine that Tōmase assumed was for Aki’s prayers.

But instead of evening prayers, Aki had reached out for an instrument that resembled like a guitar or banjo. It had a long stem where three (3) plucked strings were set, running down to what appeared to be almost like a drum. The drum had animal skin tanned and stretched over. Aki knelt down, crossing his legs with the drum of the instrument between the opening, one hand on the top to adjust the pegs. The other hand pulled out an ivory pick, but not for traditional guitars, this one seemed more board and shaped like a blade of a chisel.

“Ah, this is a shamisen. I thought it would lighten the mood and make it easier to sleep if we had some music… will it trouble you?”

“No… I think that’d be perfect. I’ve been having trouble sleeping…”

“Ah, then rest easy, my friend.”

Tōmase rested his head on his bag, Berry’s nestled against his chest as it slept along. Immediately, he heard the sound of the strings. It was like the thumping of a heart, then slipped into a soft hum across a cool lake. Over time, it resembled like a lullaby, singing of tender percussion, both resonant and delicate, simple and flowing. The warm, gentle whispers quiet the storm of Tōmase’s mind… drifting into a peaceful slumber at last…

But even with the soothing stimulus of auditory music dwelling inside his mind… he was plagued with nightmares of that voice…

The voice of his kidnapper…

You shall not leave… until you have saved the New World…

第3章の終わり End of Chapter III