The cold grey pre-dawn light of the last day found Paul standing in a narrow alleyway in Tokyo. Behind him was the Special Wands and Talismans platoon and Shoko. Behind them at the entrance to the alleyway was a short platoon or unit of two dozen ‘specialists’, broken into four fire teams, from the Japanese Ground Self Defence Force, Special Operations Group. They were on loan by direct order of his Imperial Majesty, under the somewhat nebulous cover of their divisions counter-terrorism remit.
Paul and the girls had been whisked away from Kami to Tokyo by the military helicopter that had brought the soldiers from who knew where. Paul and the soldiers had slept during the flight, but none of the girls had managed despite trying. Akio failed to cover a yawn, and without commenting one of the soldiers, a short slightly round faced woman by the name of Kai, passed her a can of coffee. Akio nodded her thanks and gave the self-heating element at the bottom a twist to activate it.
Paul gave his wind-up pocket watch a glance and nodded to himself.
“Ok people, lets get this show on the road. If you’d like to give the orders Major?”
The platoon leader, Major Kaito Tanaka, nodded radioing back to the trucks that were stranded on the edges of the Golden gai district, unable to pass through the narrow lanes. Behind him the platoon hoisted their duffel bags and backpacks, half of them carrying the disassembled electric ATV’s that were to be their transport once they were past the choke point of the alley, half of them carry both their packs and their otherwise burdened squad-mates packs.
Paul strode ahead, only stopping once he reached the mid point of the mist shrouded bridge and it’s guardian dressed in white. Akoi stepped forward and signed to her former comrade.
{Ellie, this is my.. our, sensei, Paul Holmes, Inari’s Herald. He is on urgent business and needs your help.}
Ellie bowed and signed to Akoi.
{I am honoured to meet you Holmes-sama. How can I be of assistance?}
Akio translated for Paul, signing as he spoke in reply.
“Inari has been taken captive by Izanami. We need to use the door in the Akuma temple to pass into Yomi and rescue her.”
Ellies eyes went wide, and she made a burbling sound from the open wound that was all that was left of her throat, before remembering to sign instead of trying to shout.
{Are you crazy!? You can’t do that!}
“We can and we will. Please, we don’t have much time. The diversion will be starting soon, and we need to slip in while Izanami’s attention is distracted. I’ve already worked out how, I just need your assistance in persuading the demon to let go.”
{And what if it won’t cooperate?}
“That would be why I brought a chainsaw as well as a talisman of binding.”
{A chainsaw? OH! Umm… ok I think maybe it can be persuaded then. But… why do you need my help?}
Paul’s expression was grim.
“Simple, the demon won’t let the door open because if it does it’s spirit will be sucked into the afterlife. I can make sure it stays this side of the door by binding it but it has to be bound to something it already has a strong connection to. Which would be you Eleanor Becks. You will have to serve as it’s anchor.”
{What’s to stop me dying and us both ending up in Yomi?}
“A pre-charged healing Talisman created by a Goddess, namely Kiko. You’re technically not dead yet, so with a bit extra magic on top of what’s keeping you alive already, you should be fine.”
Ellie nodded, her shoulders lifting and falling in a silent sigh.
{Well, if it works I shan’t be stuck here then at least. Ok, I agree… even if it does mean having a demon bound to me.}
Once inside the Temple, Paul strode over to the corpse demon, standing on tiptoes to talk quietly directly into the demon’s ear. At the same time the half of soldiers started reassembling the electric ATV’s while the remaining half started setting up defensive fortifications ringing the doorway, facing inwards.
Ellie stood watching the inaudible conversation between the demon and Paul until the demon’s eyes, all four of them, opened wide revealing bloodshot irises the size of saucers. She could sense through her connection to the demon that it was frankly terrified… although of what, or possibly whom, she wasn’t entirely sure.
Still, it eyed Paul nervously, one eye sliding sideways to look at the chainsaw resting on the floor nearby. It licked it’s lips and nodded, slowly.
Paul gestured Ellie forward.
“Ok, it seems we have an agreement. As I understand it, the demons spirit can’t remain in it’s own body, it’s too far gone for that and the only thing holding it together is basically sheer force of will. So, I’m going to combine both the healing rite and the binding together to seal it’s spirit in your body. Not to worry though, I’ve extracted a promise from it that it will remain inactive unless you invite it… umm .. forward, I suppose you could say, and allow it to control your body. You’ll have control over when it’s active. I’ll draft up a contract, which you can both sign, and since that’ll be part of the binding ritual, it’ll have to stick to it. If that’s acceptable to you?”
Ellie nodded, and then signed.
{I’ll draft the contract please. I know how.}
“Fair enough, it’s your body after all. Just don’t forget to include a termination clause, unless you want to be immortal.”
Eliie shook her head, shuddering slightly.
{No thank you. I’ve committed enough crimes against nature for one lifetime as it is.}
Paul nodded, and left Ellie to it, only shuddering slightly as she dipped the nib of her pen into her own blood as she wrote, standing so the demon could see over her shoulder. He checked his pocket-watch and strolled over to the commanding officer.
“A word in private if you would please Major. There’s a small detail I’d like taken care of.”
Major Tanaka nodded, and walked a short distance with Paul.
“We’re cutting it a bit fine for last minute changes Holmes-san”
Paul shook his head.
“I know, but this is important. I’d like you to quietly select four of your best if you would. Ones who you can be sure will follow orders exactly. Then, in the event that things do not go according to plan, I’d like you to order them to do their best to make sure the girls at least get out alive. Shoko is Inari’s daughter, if we cannot rescue Inari, she’ll be essential later on. The three witches know more about the new magic than anyone else alive, apart from me. It’s imperative they survive.”
The major slowly nodded.
“Understood sir… but what about your survival?”
Paul shook his head, looking away.
“I’m Inari’s Herald. Where she goes, I go. If she doesn’t come back out of there with us, I won’t be coming either. That’s not sentiment, but a statement of fact. We’re connected, and if her soul is lost, then I doubt I’ll survive it.”
Paul thought to himself that he wasn’t entirely lying, just bending the truth somewhat. Technically he’d survive if Inari was lost, at least physically. He just had no intention of living without her unless he absolutely had to. The major nodded, then stuck out his hand. Paul took it and as they shook, the major quietly said.
“Then it looks like we’ll have to all make it out alive Holmes-san. Because if I understand our brief, there won’t be anything much to come back to if we fail.”
Paul’s grim expressionless face was all the confirmation the major needed.
Turning back to the rest of their small infiltration force gathered around the reassembled ATV’s Paul called.
“Alright everyone… no time for heroic speeches. Mount up and be ready to roll as soon as the door opens. Defensive fire teams, I somehow doubt your training covered dealing with zombies, but I’m sure you know the protocol. Head-shots and double tap to be sure. Let nothing pass until we return… and make damn sure we’re still alive even then. Ok, lets do this.”
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The sun was not yet risen in Kami town, although the treetops on the hills round the town on three sides were just beginning to be gilded by the rising sun. On the forth side of the natural amphitheatre that enclosed Kami, the ocean stretched, wine dark and hushed, as if nature itself was holding it’s breath in anticipation.
In the still shadowed harbour stood a massive torii gate, constructed overnight by the local tanuki clan had laboured to construct. It stood in the middle of the entrance to the harbour, spanning the central deep-water channel from one side to the other, filling two thirds of the distance from breakwater to breakwater. At fifty meters wide and twice as tall, with three quarters of that height above the water line even now at high tide, it was still just barely large enough for it’s purpose.
The gate had to be that size, in order to accommodate the passage of the living Battleship Yamato.
Heavy conductive cables stretched from the nearby breakwaters that defined the deep water harbour, connecting the gate to two huge blocks of steel, almost the sum total of the remaining available specialised ‘Damascus’ steel produced in Inari’s mine. Those blocks, the mana batteries, were in turn connected to two large mana generators which had been charging them up all night until they were saturated with gigawatts of power.
Out to sea a pair of frigates from the Japanese Maritime Self Defence force waited, their orders were to defend the gate while it was open. Ashore the harbour was ringed with JSDF army personnel with the same orders.
Further away the harbour walls and the beach were lined with ordinary people, despite the potential danger. The crowd stood hushed in the pre-dawn light, the only voice that could be heard was that of Kiko Kobe as she recited the necessary prayer to consecrate and activate the gate.
Just as the top of the gate shone gold with the sunrise, and Kiko’s prayer concluded, a deep thrumming sound filled the air causing the fabric of reality itself to ripple in ways that were more felt than seen, as the gigawatts of stored mana discharged into the torii gate, causing the magitech ‘circuitry’ inscribed in it’s fabric to glow as if filling with molten gold.
For a moment, nothing seemed to happen, then the air between the pillars of the gate darkened, puckering inwards, as if a swirling film of black filled the gate pillar to pillar. Up on the bridge of the Yamato, Katsu stared at the eerie inky black whirlpool for a moment. Then with a glance at Tatsuo beside her, gave the order to cast off.
The Yamato surged forward, keeping all her guns trained on the portal to the underworld as she pointed her bow straight at it. On the foredeck, Suzuka Nakamoto, or the Goddess Suz-metal, was unable to take her eyes off the looming wall of night-black otherness. Blindly she reached out to clasp her Herald Moa Kikuchi’s hand. Realising that in the face of the primeval abyss, even goddesses would be wise to be afraid.
Moa, or Moa-metal, glanced at her best friend and Goddess, and saw the unmistakable signs of fear creeping across her face. Without even thinking, she did what she always did to calm her stage fright. Moa began to sing under her breath…
Suz-metal glanced sideways at her Herald, and smiled slightly as she recognised the opening to their song “Divine Attack”. Joining in she lifted her voice in song, and unbidden, across the water, she heard her words being relayed by Katsumi, and played over the harbours P.A system.
“We approach the long night
Noisy wind is blowing
The powerful gather here
Holding the blade of heart
Oath together, shout together
Let’s start this journey from here” – (lyrics)
Onthe shore her friends, no.. her chosen family, the Hidden Kami band heard the first opening notes, picked up their instruments that they’d brought with themselves in unspoken accord, and started to play.
Lifted by the music being lofted across the harbour, Suz-metal turned, smiling, and looked at the crew standing gathered behind her, both living and dead, and saw them grinning in return… albeit with somewhat baffled looks on the faces of those wearing the long-ago uniforms of the Imperial navy, bemused by the modern music, but understanding the spirit of it clearly enough!
She understood what their purpose was meant to be, to be a distraction, but a cold rage had been building inside her since Suzuka had heard of Inari’s death. Now, in this moment, she decided that somehow she would ‘distract’ Izanami to death! Together with her best friend and Herald, they would let the hosts of unquiet spirits in Yomi know they were there and throw defiance in the face of Death herself!
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Inari stumbled, catching herself against a rock, and paused to breath a moment. Kannon had returned with the former god of thieves Eugenides. Inari smiled at that thought, Eugenides was determinedly optimistic, and refreshingly irreverent. Under other circumstances she’d consider seducing him, but now was hardly the time. She had flirted with him as he’d worked at picking the locks with a scrap of bone, and thrown him into delighted dismay when he’d confessed he was a lover of men, and she’d replied that was hardly an obstacle, or at least, it wouldn’t be once she could shape shift again.
The warrior goddess that Kannon had sent to guard over Inari while Eugenides worked, had tried hard to stifle her laughter, failing rather. The woman had introduced herself as Macha, a lilting accent to her voice that seemed familiar to Inari, although she couldn’t recall why or where she’d heard the like before.
Eugenides had eventually sprung her, and as she rubbed her wrists and ankles, had asked if she would take him with her, since she intended to escape Yomi somehow and evidently had done so once before. Macha had added they’d need a guard, to which Eugenides had agreed, saying he was no fighter himself.
So now they were here, outside of Izanami’s fortress, cowering in a niche-like pocket in the rock.
Although escaping the castle was like exchanging one prison for another. At least the vast boundless cavern that was Yomi had some light even if it was a little more than would be cast by a new moon and a sickly yellowish green hue at that. But still, it was an improvement over the Stygian blackness that filled the insides of Izanami’s labyrinthian prison-like abode… and outside there was more room to avoid the roving gangs of hungry spirits.
Kannon had assured Inari that her memories would return. She had said the trauma of being torn asunder and having her soul’s heart, her Divine pearl, devoured by Izanami was the cause of her amnesia and that it would pass as her essence knitted itself back together.
Inari wasn’t sure she wanted to remember that. Yomi was a realm where the spirit was made solid, the numinous became flesh. So, what Kannon said was no metaphor. Although she wondered how, and all the other former gods and goddesses, could continue to exist in their undead state.
As she and the other three paused for breath some distance away from the collection of twisted spires and jagged black walls, Inari posed that question to Kannon, but to her surprise it was Eugenides that provided the answer.
“In my time and place, fair lady, it was known that the soul was made of several parts. The Ka and the Ba were commonplace and all mortals had them. The Ka was a persons bodily spirit. It was their their memories, personality and animal nature. The Ba was their soul, the gift of life itself. It survived death and was that which existed in the afterlife. But there was also a third part. The Akh, reserved for gods and kings alone. What you call the Divine Pearl.”
Inari nodded slowly, that sounded familiar.
“So, that carrion beetle ate my Akh alone then?”
“It would seem so… she consumes the Ba of mortal spirits, leaving them hollow shells, forever hungering, trying to fill the void inside them. Gods like us, she consumes the Akh of. It’s… not as devastating as it is for simple mortals. We can function afterwards, once we’ve healed. We don’t become empty husks like mortals do, driven mad and mindless by their hunger.”
Inari frowned, looking around. In the distance she could see wandering ragged figures. Although they were little more than charcoal sketches blurred by distance.
“Should we avoid those poor souls then?”
“They shouldn’t bother us. They can sense we have nothing they can consume.It’s the living that needs to fear them. They would tear a living persons flesh apart trying to consume their Ba themselves, aping what the Queen of the Damned has done to them… and failing of course. The hungry spirits cannot consume another’s Ba like she does, but that doesn’t stop them trying. Offerings help abate the hunger, imbued as they are with spirit by the living, which is why they appear here. Once again, I give you my thanks for sharing yours, Oh gracious lady!”
Kannon added carefully, breathless due to her broken ribs.
“What is worse,the souls trapped here cannot reincarnate. They are trapped along with Izanami and us.”
Inari shook her head…
“Damned indeed… cursed by her refusal to pass on after her death.”
Eugenides nodded slowly, a hint of movement in the gloom.
“Exactly, as I’ve come to understand it over the many years I’ve been trapped here. She died, but driven mad by her agony she refused to follow the cycle of death and rebirth and instead used up her own Akh to create this place. Something only one of the Primal beings could do. This place acts as a trap, drawing in those souls of the dead that still retain a degree of life or magical power. It also drains it from those it traps to feed Her. It’s only those like us that she personally attends to, the process is different...more visceral, for us.”
Kannon sighed.
“It doesn’t need to be… but I think she enjoys doing it. She… she has forced me to keep some awake and intact enough that they are aware of what is happening to them, while she ate their hearts. I...I… was too afraid, I couldn’t… I tried to refuse but she… she...”
Kannon stopped, weeping, as Inari enfolded her in an embrace trying to offer the fallen goddess of compassion and healing some comfort. Eugenides quietly slipped away, using the excuse of scouting ahead to give them privacy, while Macha moved some distance away and stood guard, her stoic face turned outwards.
Inari murmured into Kannon’s hair as she rocked the distraught fallen goddess.
“I swear, she will pay for what she has done. We will escape, somehow, once my memories fully return and I recall how I did it last time, and then there will an accounting!”
Kannon nodded, her head moving against Inari’s shoulder.
“Thank you. I..”
Whatever Kannon was about to say was lost, as beneath them the ground trembled, bucking hard enough to tumble them from where they sat and send both sprawling on the ground. Kannon cried out in pain, her broken bones jarred. Inari scrambled to sit upright, trying to protect her, drawing her into her lap and cradling her against any further shocks.
After a moment a breathlessly excited Eugenides scrambled back, swaying like a sailor on an uneasy deck as the ground continued to sake, albeit less violently. Macha gave him a dirty look, but relaxed from her fighting stance as Eugenides mouthed a silent ‘sorry’ to her, apologising for startling her.
“Something’s happened, There’s a hole! I swear on Ra’s name,I saw daylight for the first time in thousands of years!”
Realisation and shock coursed though Inari like lightning.
“Paul! Oh my dear Herald! It has to be him! Oh the foolishly mad, darling man! He’s here to rescue me! Oh.. Oh no! OH NO!! NO!! We must get to him before Izanami does. She’ll kill him and use him to trap my daughter goddesses!! Oh hurry please do, the both of you!!”
Eugenides quickly helped Kannon to her feet, half carrying her as he draped her arm over his shoulder, Inari taking the other. Grinning despite it all he quipped.
“This way! We’ll go rescue your rescuers. I want to meet the man that would dare to storm the underworld in search of you Inari, and call him brother!”