Tsukaima no Monogatari

Part 3

[[THE TIME HAS COME. EVERYTHING WILL START TO FALL INTO OUR HANDS. MAKE ALL THE PREPARATIONS READY IN NO TIME. IT WILL BE OURS. SOON.]]

[In order to break a wall, you have to decrease its support.]

[Weaken the forces of the Heavens. They have many believers after all.]

[[CORRECT. BRING FORTH DESTRUCTION IN THE WORLD OF HUMANS.]]

[[[[[All hail, Dai Maou!]]]]]

They kept on repeating inside my head that it pains me greatly because I cannot do a single thing. At this rate, I cannot protect the humans.

To keep myself away from frustration, I started to roam around the town from one area to another. Checking everything I see. I passed through many high concrete buildings and decided to take a rest from the exploration.

This place is very different compared to the place where I came from. It has a bright sun and palliated blue sky. The air is excitingly fresh unlike to the Underworld, where dark skies and never-ending horizons is the sight. I want to protect this place even more.

I uttered to myself randomly.

"Ahhhh... I finally managed to get away from her. But thanks to her, I was able to have my fill. Still ---"

The woman‟s image suddenly appeared in my mind.

"Hiiragi Shimitsu ... I can see the Aura of Death on you ... does it mean, you‟re going to------"

I was full of thoughts thinking about her case that I didn‟t notice someone passed near me. I startled when I saw it going far-off. I tried to recall everything I gained during my escape. This is ... this can‟t be happening! It‟s all sudden.

"A L-Lost Soul? [3] But I thought ---- no ... the Underworld must have dispatched them faster than I expected. Tsk!"

From the vast dimensions of nothingness, I drew out something.

"Reap, Akatsuki!"

It‟s a scythe. A two-meter pole with curved blade with the shape of a crescent at its end. A typical weapon you find in a Soul Reaper/Grim Reaper. Its name is the same as the red moon or likewise, the breaking dawn.

As my weapon completely summoned, I prepared myself to attack this Lost Soul. Thus, without hesitation, I followed it. I have to bring it down.

"I need to act fast. I need to eliminate all the threats especially the Lost Souls.", I said to myself.

I dashed towards it until it‟s within my reach.

"Die! Lost Soul!", I shouted.

SSSWWWIIIISSSSSSSSHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

I didn‟t hesitate to attack it and launched a set of simultaneous attacks. While attacking, I was having doubts to every action it made.

[This one has a different form from the other Lost Souls I've encountered. It's smaller compared to those I have fought before. It has no scaled wings or sharp claws which commonly resembles those menace. And its size was like of a human and incredibly fast. It stings to admit but, I'm having a hard time while it's just avoiding all of my attacks. It kept on dodging like ... it's only playing with me.]

"H-Hey!!"

I was surprised when it suddenly talked though it didn‟t stop me from attacking him. Normally, Lost Souls don‟t talk nor have any type of communication. They just scream and screech. And only attack everything in sight.

"Stop, will you?!" it shouted.

I stopped and just stared at it with vicious glare. Now that I saw it clearly, it really looked like a human. It was wearing a white yukata with blue strings on its shoulders and on its head, a triangular bandana. What is this?

"Hmmmmmm ... you‟re a ... N-Nekomata [4] ??" it asked me.

I was surprised on what it called me.

"Q-Quit fooling around, Lost Soul!!", I protested.

Without hesitation, I continue to attack it punitively without giving him a chance to retaliate. But it seems that it‟s just messing around with me and waiting to catch me off-guard. It pisses me off but I will not fall for that.

"If ... you‟re ... a ... Nekomata, who ... sent ... you??" it asked me again while dodging my attacks.

I got exasperated as I was called Nekomata again. Damn!

[What the- ! I won't dare to level myself as of a Nekomata.]

"I‟m not!! ... and nobody sent me!! Go to hell, Lost Soul!!", I shouted at him.

I was already pissed off that due to my anger, I focused an ample amount of my energy in the scythe and begun to a small chant. This will be his end.

<COME FORTH, BLADES OF THE UNDERWORLD: DARK ABYSS!!>

I slashed the thin air like a cloth being torn and from the ripped space, a set of huge guillotine blades came out projected to accuse Lost Soul. Yet, he easily dodged my attack as if it was nothing. So fast!

"Lost Soul? What on earth is a Lost Soul?"

He asked me with a confused look on its face but instead I answered back while struggling to kill him with my weapon.

"Shut your heretic mouth!!"

He continued shunning in every attack I do, even my <Dark Abyss>.

"If ... you‟re ... not ... a Nekomata, then ... what ... are you??" he asked with a lively sound while dodging.

"I‟m a Grim Reaper ... from the cold grounds of Nifflheim!!" I answered.

[That's right, I blew off my cover. It doesn't matter to me anymore if this Lost Soul will know that I'm a Grim Reaper, besides; he's going to disappear anyway.]

"Grim --- hmmm ... no wonder. But let‟s talk ab----"

I didn‟t let him continue what he was about to say and launched another attack.

<BLADES OF THE UNDERWORLD: DARK ABYSS!!>

"H-He‟s gone??"

The Lost Soul disappeared into thin air right after I launched the Dark Abyss. Without lowering my guard, I tried searching for his trail.

[Where could he be?! That bastard!!]

I was desperately looking for him above or below me. I also look around but suddenly, I felt someone gently tapped my left shoulders from the back.

"Would you mind having a chat, Grim Reaper-cchi?" he asked me with an annoying smile on his face.

I heard it but I brushed my scythe to its direction at the same time as my answer.

"I don‟t have time, Lost Soul."

I tried to cut my opponent once again but he dodged it and jumped backwards.

"Oops!! That was close!!" is what he said while scratching his head.

Silence filled the air as we stared at each other. Then the alleged Lost Soul started talking again but I didn‟t take interest to listen and just attacked him instead.

"You are wasting your efforts." he added then turned his back to me and floated away.

"Come back here!! We are not done yet!" I exclaimed.

Without looking back, he replied. "I will not fight without reasons ... whoever your enemy is, it‟s not me."

Discontented with his attitude, I asked an uncertain question.

"Then tell me ... what are you??"

He stopped the moment he heard what I said and looked at me.

"I‟m a Youkai."

He slowly left the spot after saying it. I was enlightened by what the youkai had said. It is now clear to me that what I had done earlier, my actions and thoughts, were actually wrong. Who would have thought that I would encounter a Youkai [5] ?.

"Who could that be?" is the only question I had in mind after the confrontation.

The days passed before I realized not knowing what will happen next.