Jigoku: The Unknown World

Chapter One - The Strange World

If one could sleep, for how long would they? It felt as though I had been sleeping an eternity times ten. So when I finally awoke you can imagine I was in for a surprise. Lifting my eye lids slowly all I could see was a big, fat face in my line of sight. The smell of sweat and something I wasn't familiar with filled my nostrils like you wouldn't believe.

"Ah, you're awake! About time, I was beginning to think we hadn't gained a new member after all." The man was definitely a stranger to me, but then again, I couldn't even remember anything in that moment. I sat up and howled, grabbing my head as my only attempt at stopping the pounding headache. "Easy now, easy. We all got that headache waking up too, it'll pass. Here have some water." He spoke handing me a flask. I grabbed the flask without hesitation as I could taste the dehydration on my lips raging like a wildfire. After gulping down every last drop of that flask I sat it down, now finally awake enough to really look around. My jaw dropped instantly. Not only was the fat  man before me in some strange battle armor, but the room I was in was quite small, and very strange looking. There were knobs and buttons EVERYWHERE. And strips of lights on the walls, floor, and ceiling going in all different directions. There were also, I'm pretty sure, four other people around the room all looking at me, and they were dressed in some strange outfits too.

"W-Where am I?" I was able to stutter out. Some mysterious looking guy standing in a corner barely looking my way scoffed. He wasn't wearing a shirt, but he had a long black headband that went down to his hip, and he had black armored pants as well as some kind of armored shoes that were also black. He was covered in scars everywhere on his torso and arms, and even one on his left cheek.

"If we knew kid, we'd tell ya" I looked his way with an angry glare but the fat man stopped me.

"That's Shank, don't mind him he's a knucklehead.

"Psh I'm awesome is what I am."

"But where am I really?" The fat man shook his head.

"Shank's right, we have no idea. We all woke up here without knowing anything just like you. I was the first to arrive but the rest came quickly. We weren't expecting anyone else to come though, since it's been about two months since anyone came." Everyone's eyes on me was beginning to make me uncomfortable.

"I think I need some fresh air"

"No problem, here get on your feet. I'm Bonogiri, but everyone calls me Bono, The mysterious one over there with the hood is Kilik, he's what you'd call a genius, or at least he thinks he is. The one hiding behind him is Azala, she's stern but deep down I think she's a real softy. The bright and young one with the staff is Hima, she's eighteen, being the youngest one of us, and then you've already met Shank."

"N-nice to meet you all."

"Welcome! I hope you're not a weirdo or anything!" Hima shouted shoving her staff into my left shoulder.

"Hima! Don't be rude to the new arrival!"

"S-sorry Azala! I was just trying to make a joke."

"Haha, don't mind them. Hima is just exited is all. here follow me, the door outside is right over here." The door was automatic, and opened as soon as me and Bono walked towards it. The light was blinding. I don't think anything has ever hurt as bad as that light did. Removing my hand from in front of my eyes I was almost ready for my jaw to drop once more. The outside looked nothing like the room did. I was on a hill looking at a vast open field with a dirt road leading from the building's entrance to a forest at the end of the field. Woods stretched far and wide with some tall mountains way off in the distance. "It's gonna take some getting used to trust me, but this world here is your new home."