A Thousand Plus Words

Story 1. Saving a Friend from a Deity

What would you feel if you were about to walk, completely alive and healthy, to hell? The question was very random for some but for Haru and Takumi, it was very not.

Accompanying them is the shrine's old monk, Father Mitsuki and his student, Brother Sho. The four of them are now standing just steps away from what is known to be the gate to Yomi. The land of the dead.

Believe it or not, Daisuki, their ever kind-hearted friend was taken by a spirit to Yomi. Just five hours ago, Daisuki, Haru, and Takumi were enjoying their visit at the Izinagi Shrine. They were buying lucky charms when suddenly Daisuki was swallowed by a black hole. Petrified and totally stunned, Haru and Takumi stared at the air where the black hole emerged before panicking.

They rush to the nearest monk and blabber the same thing but not in synch confusing the young monk. Brother Sho, the young monk who received the complaints of Haru and Takumi, calmed both of them and asked them to speak one by one.

Takumi explained the situation. He told Brother Sho about the emergence of black hole out of thin air behind their friend Daisuki. A pair of long and blackened hands embracing Daisuki and pulling him into the black hole. And the vanishing of the blackhole when it swallowed both the hands that are embracing Daisuki and Daisuki himself.

Knowing the urgency, Brother Sho guided both of them to the deepest part of the shrine where the old monk is staying. There, they meet Father Mitsuki. An old monk with a physique of a warrior.

Brother Sho greeted him and told Father Mitsuki what Haru and Takumi told him.

"Black hole you say? And long and blackened hands coming out of it?" Father Mitsuki said.

Thinking that the father monk does not believe it, Haru and Takumi butt in in their talk, saying that what they said is true and they saw everything themselves.

"Daisuki's our friend! And he's somewhere out there!" Takumi shouted.

"If you're not helping, we'll find him ourselves!" Haru declared.

Brother Sho calmed them down for the second time.

"He's not just somewhere out there, young'uns." He said.

"What do you mean?" Takumi asked.

Father Mitsuki called Brother Sho to collect something from a shed leaving Takumi's question lingering in the air when the young monk left without a word to shed. He comes back holding a sickle and a long staff.

"Seems like an heir has been chosen. Get ready, you two. We're going to hell." Father Mitsuki then stated.

And so here they are at the gates of hell, getting ready to enter. Armed with the bizarre weapon that you only see in manga, Brother Sho sprinkled Haru and Takumi with blessed water while chanting prayers.

"Did your school teach you about Japan's mythology?" Father Mitsuki asked them after. In his hands is the long staff with golden ring dangling.

"Not sure. Can I rely on manga references?" Takumi asked.

Father Mitsuki laughed and Brother Sho smirked.

"Not sure. Are they reliable?" Teases Father Mitsuki.

"Hmph." Takumi huffed.

"Let's go. Stay close." Brother Sho said, securing his sickle on his back with a strap.

He was the first to step into the entrance and instead of just passing it, he was gone like how the black hole vanished into thin air. Haru and Takumi gaped at the gate. Both of them looked back to Father Mitsuki with eyes and jaws wide open. Confused and scared. But the old monk just ushered them to go after Brother Sho.