Present...
The sound of a doorbell ringing was constantly making noise. Suddenly, it came to a stop. Yonuro quickly got up from the couch and went to open the door.
Yonuro- Oh, Samei! What brings you here?
Samei- Hey, Yonuro! I came to ask you a question.
Yonuro- Sure, anything. Come to the living room.
Samei took a step forwards, looked left and right and said "Thank you for having me." (Ojamashimasu).
It was a large, traditional room full of plants and other decorative objects like paintings and vases. There was a big, comfortable sofa that stared the television and in between, there was a small round table made of marble.
As her point of view changed upon sitting on the sofa, she noticed a few photos that depicted Yonuro with her Parents, Kanae and Eiko Tokiyama, and her older step-sister, Yuri, who was currently abroad working in a company.
Samei's space out was interrupted by Yonuro's voice, when she said
Yonuro- 'right so what did you want?
Samei- I was wondering if I could be helpful as an information analyst. I know that your goal is of great importance to everyone so I wanna help you out as much as I can.
You know, I am really skilled with computers and I can provide information about things you would wanna search on the internet. So, I could report anything new on TV or dive into cryptic websites at ease! That's the least I can do to aid you.
Yonuro- Hm, what do you think Ramael?
Ramael- Yeah, I think Samei would be of great help during a time of need, as I don't know anything about computers or how to access information and stuff like that...
Yonuro- Thank you Samei. It's so kind of you to help us. So... You're hired? I guess? Is that even how it works? Anyway.. (giggles*)
Samei then started laughing as well. A couple seconds later though, her laughter was cut short as she remembered something important.
Samei- Oh, I almost forgot! I have also made this bracelet type device that makes a hologram of myself appear when you press this button. In this way, I can give you intel no matter where or when you need it.
So here is the bracelet. You wear it like that on your left hand and voila! You're ready to go. Its small size won't attract any attention, while Its golden colour makes it look like an Angel's Halo. Pretty neat , right? Anyway, we're gonna be late for school again... Shall we proceed?
Yonuro- That's genious, Samei! Thanks a lot! And yeah. We had better get going soon.
As she said that, Yonuro put Ramael in the special pocket Samei had sewn on her skirt a while back and the girls went to school as usual.
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Teknalb High School
They made it just in time, right before the teacher entered the classroom. It was a quiet day at school like any other. They all sat at their desks, brought out their pens and notebooks and waited for the teacher to start the lesson. Only there was a slight difference this time around...
All students tore a page off their notebooks at the same time.
Teacher- Alright everyone, time for the long awaited exam! The questions are here on this digital border. Everythting is pretty straightforward, so give any extra help. Time, starts. NOW! Good luck!
But aparrently, one of the students didn't quite get the memo...
Yonuro- What... day...is ...it? OH NO... I forgor about the HISTORY EXAMINATION!
Yonuro's panicky state of mind made her unable to answer any of the questions. But when all hope seemed lost, Yonuro heard a voice, only she could hear, talking...
Ramael- The first one is B, second one D, third one A, then B , D , D, C , B , A , C, D , D , C and last one A. WE'RE DONE!
Yonuro- WOOO WOO! Hold on sec! HOW THE FUCK DO YOU KNOW ALL THE ANSWERS?!
Ramael- Ah.. In my free time, while you are sleeping and unfortunately snoring a bit, *ahem, I study Japan's history and culture, so have high expectations!
Teacher- Yonuro, could you please be quiet?
Yonuro- Yeah! I'm sorry, sir!
Yonuro- (whispering) THANKS, RAMAEL!!!
Yonuro's excitement levels had reached the limit... She was first to finish and gave the sheet of paper to the teacher...
Teacher- Correct , Correct , Correct..? WHAT?! No Mistakes at all?!
Yonuro had a smug expression on her face while the teacher was trying to correct Yonuro's answers...
Everyone was repeatedly staring at Yonuro and then at the teacher's dumbfounded expression. Yonuro was then extraordinarily confidently , for her introverted personality, heading outside of class... When the door closed, she started laughing.
Yonuro- Hahaha! I didn't know I had the best cheating trick ever!
"That's how you see me? Whatever, Yonuro.." Ramael giggled.
With the history class now over, Yonuro went to Samei's classroom to check in on her exam results.
Yonuro- Hey Samei. How did it go?
Samei did not respond to Yonuro's question at first, as she was really disappointed with something.
Samei- Unfortunately I got half of them wrong.... It was really difficult.. It wouldn't be unbelievable to hear that you didn't get any of them right... So how did you go?
Yonuro- I got them all correct!
Samei- HOW? Did you study? No, you can't have, because we spent all day yesterday making your outfit...
Yonuro- I have natural talent... OUCH*
Ramael pinched her hard.
Yonuro- Ehm, I mean It was due to Ramel of course! Haha. She got all of the questions right.
Samei- Well, at least your grades will improve and you won't have to worry about reattending the class. Ramael saved your ass! Haha!
Yonuro- Yeah... She's the best, haha ----
As she said that, Yonuro was troubled by something. She knew that something was off. But she didn't know where or what it was.. It seemed like there was something unusual happening in the entirety of the High school when...
Yonuro- Samei, WATCH OUT!
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Yonuro decided to use her powers in order to grab Samei and jump off the school's balcony.
While falling down, loud explosions could be heard in the vicinity. When Yonuro and Samei landed on the ground, although really hurt, they didn't mind their injuries, as they were speechless by the sight that they were witnessing. That is because... Teknalb High School was Utterly Destroyed ...
A small amount of a peculiar substance, known as the Dark Essence, was left behind and no other survivor could be spotted. It seemed like a meteor had struck that place but in reality it was the complete opposite...
From below, some sort of crack was made on the floor and for a couple of seconds the Underworld's energy, the Dark Essence, was released onto the Overworld...
Yonuro- Holy crap... Ugh.. what the fuck was that...?
As Yonuro said that, Samei noticed that the ground was healing itself and the crack was starting to disappear...
Samei- Look, I am good at computer science but I don't know a thing about supernatural phenomena like these...
They then realised that nobody else had survived this disaster and they were gripped by a gradually intensifying feeling of despair.
Yonuro- wait--- Where is ...everybody...? Did they--- make it---? No--- NO.... IT CAN'T BE----
Both of them started slightly crying. Then, Ramael surrounded the two as if to hug them...
Ramael- Don't worry... At least you two are safe... I will protect you.. there there... It's okay...
Ramael's thoughts, however, weren't as hopeful as her words.
"But everybody around here is in grave danger because... Another Rift has appeared in the worlds..."
The siren of an ambulance was the last thing Yonuro heard before passing out.
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Yonuro awoke in an unfamiliar bed. It was a medical unit inside a hospital on the outskirts of Yonaga City... A few medical tubes were easily noticed as well as a bed next to her where Samei was sleeping...
As the doctors explained, Yonuro had undergone severe physical injuries and her mental state was unstable.
Faint sounds of people talking were caught by her somewhat numb ears.
Doctor- She seems better now. By tomorrow, I think, She will have fully recuperated.
Also, stress levels have come back to normal so-----
Wait... what happened? She's more stressed out than ever before?!
Yonuro- Ugh...Where... is... Ramael..??
I NEED TO FIND HER! WHAT DID YOU DO TO HER?!
Doctor- What is she talking about? Is it about that weird thing she had around her neck?
Lets give it to her and see her reaction.
Yonuro- RAMAEL!
Doctor- Yeah, somehow it helped. Science has still a long ways to go apparently...
Yonuro was soon asleep with Ramael in her embrace...
A few hours later
Surprisingly, Samei was doing well even from the first day at the hospital. Her painful scars didn't bother her and the shocking event probably didn't do much to her mental image, either. As of Yonuro, though, it was a different story, so Samei went to check on her.
Samei- Yonuro, are you awake? It's me Samei... Are you feeling better?
Yonuro- Mmm... (yawn) Yeah, I'm- I'm fine... Just a headache when I speak... and um...
Samei- I see... It'll go away don't worry.
Yonuro- Ah and my memory is a bit hazy... What happened..?
Samei- Don't force yourself to remember... Rest for now and we'll head back home tomorrow, okay?
Yonuro- Alright... Grnn... (snoring)
Samei- A lot happened... I'll leave her be for now.
The next day
Yonuro and Samei checked out of the hospital and they were on their way back home. Faces down, smiles gone and tones serious, they talked about that event yesterday as well as their future steps.
Ramael- We must be extremelly careful from now on... The Barrier's power is surely weakening and another Rift appeared.
Samei- What's this rift you're talking about? That explosion at school yesterday?
Ramael- Pretty much yeah.. Those rifts are taking place due to the fact that the Barrier is not doing its work properly, which is to seperate the 3 realms. Consequently, the worlds lose "Balance" and violent connections appear that only last for a couple seconds.
They happen in an instant and are really powerful, so that's why one might think of them as explosions. For instance, the rift that we observed yesterday was a violent connection made temporarily between the Overworld and the Underworld, the connection point of which was the ground right next to your school. And my job is to reestablish balance and make them stop for good.
Samei- So let me get this straight. You two need to get back to the Lingering World to somehow stop those rifts from appearing ever again?
Ramael- Exactly. And to be more precise, these are the things we need to stop quickly enough before it is too late and (...) The World meets its demise...
Yonuro and Samei's eyes widened the moment they heard that statement.
The talk went on for quite a while, as they had to walk a long distance to reach the common crossroads... But at some point they had to part ways.
Samei- Well then... See you later!
Yonuro and Ramael- Bye, Samei!
Soon enough, Yonuro and Ramael returned home... When Yonuro stood beside the door, she realised the she had lost her keys somewhere.
Yonuro- Fuck! Gimme a break! I've lost my keys...
Ramael- Nah... How so?
Yonuro- Probably from the long jump yesterday.
She sighed and knocked on the door twice. A few seconds later, noisy footsteps could be heard from the inside, as if the person approaching had been worrying for a long time.
Yonuro's father, Eiko Tokiyama, opened the door. His shiny fair hair and his crystal light blue eyes stood out to Ramael, who looked at him briefly from the inside of Yonuro's elegantly sewn pocket.
Concerned about the incident in Yonuro's school, he stressfully asked her a few questions like any parent would.
Eiko- What happened Yonuro? Are you alright? Why didn't you answer to my calls?
Yonuro- Oh. I'm fine don't worry...
Eiko- So, you didn't go to school yesterday? That's such a relief! The news has gone crazy about a tragic incident in Teknalb High school. Thank the Pha—
Yonuro- Well, how do I put this... I was in school at the time..
Eiko started sobbing and hugged Yonuro.
Eiko- WHAT?! Oh my god, honey... (crying)
Yonuro- Yeah. I was lucky that I survived...
Eiko- I'm so glad to hear that you're safe but please be careful. You're a smart girl. When something dangerous happens, you'll know you have to run away as fast as you can... You mus—
Warnings, suggestions and advice was all that followed. When he finally let her be, she went to her room and let Ramael out of her elegantly sewn pocket of her outfit.
Ramael- Finally out of that thing!
"Yeah, it must be painful being there while we are walking" Yonuro said with an weak undertone giggle.
Yonuro- Anyway, we should relax now and—
Ramael stopped Yonuro on the spot.
Ramael- Yonuro, things are gonna get worse and worse from now on. We have to act or else we'll end up like your classmates and teachers...
In reality, both of them knew that they didn't have the time to remain idle anymore. Yonuro just didn't want to admit it at first.
Yonuro- You're right... We have no other choice but to make progress in our objectives. So, can you explain in a little more detail what's the next step we need to take?
Ramael - Well, as you already know, we must acquire the Pendant of Immortality, a long forgotten Demonic Item located in the Underworld, so that we get the ability to travel to the Lingering world. To describe the whole thing a bit better, I'll have to go back in time, namely 300 years ago.
Since the formation of the Barrier, the Lingering world has been completely blocked off, with no means of getting there, the exception of which being if you have in your possesion a Demonic Item...
However, the same doesn't apply to the Underworld. The Demonic Lords of the Underworld have tried a few times now to create Portals to the Overworld through the use of Demonic Rituals. Despite their greatest efforts, though, none of them have ever been successful.
And that's because when they open a portal and get to the Overworld, they are violently sent back to the Underworld due to the Barrier's Effect, a mysterious property of the Barrier (in past times also known as Worldly Equilibrium) that disallows anyone other than a Human to freely live in the Overworld. When they understood that it was meaningless to get there with their portals, the Demons stopped their efforts...
Nevertheless, as these Portals had actually opened in the past, these instances piqued the interest of some humans, who had witnessed their disappearance and first saw remnants of the Demonic Rituals and the Dark Essence in the Overworld. Consequently, although humans don't really know about us, Angels, they have suspicions about the existence of supernatural powers and some small groups even know about these Portals...
So what we need to do now is to thoroughly investigate about these rituals and portals and get insight on how to open one ourselves. Let's see if somebody has attempted to mess around with the Dark Essence and create these said Portals from scratch. That'd be our best bet.
Yonuro- Hm.. Okay, I got this. Well, I don't-- really got this... but, I know who to ask!
Yonuro then pressed a button on her left wrist. click* A Hologram started materializing before her.
Yonuro- Samei, we need your help! I need you look into anything related to "Demonic rituals" and "Portals to the Underworld".
(Hologram Samei- Should I find information on the matter?)
(Yonuro- No. You should dive right into it! Ha ha ha!)
(Samei- Got it! hahaha. )
Samei typed at the speed of light and discovered a few obscure but really informative websites about what was asked.
Samei- Hm.. there is this article that has to do with Portals to "Hell" and Demonic Rituals from eleven years ago.
Samei then shared-screened the article she was reading.
Samei- As you can see here, in an apartment northwest of Yonaga City, a portal to the Underworld apparently "opened" in the past, but everyone thought of it as a joke.
The culprits of that supposed action had been pursued by the police for many years before this, as they were serious criminals and suspected former employees of an undercover corporation in England.
As stated in here, many incomprehensible books were found in their apartment and as you can see (She zoomed in) this peculiar circle is drawn on the floor of the apartment. Could it possibly be part of the ritual you're looking for to open a similar Portal?
Ramael- Hm... I'm not sure but it sounds like it. Either way, we need to check the apartment out for ourselves and see if we can perform the ritual... Tsk* I can't believe an Angel like me must partake in such despicable actions...
Yonuro- Well, It's settled then. Shall we venture to this abandonded apartment?
Ramael then made a decisive long nod.