Tsubaki open his eyes. All of his body seems heavy. His vision is slowly recovering from blurriness. He was sleeping on a cold stone floor. In front of him there is an altar made from stone. It was supported by multiple sculptures of weeping creature of many kinds, human, fairies, beast, troll, you name it.
‘Where am I? I remember I was inside the café then…Ugh…”
His head hurts. He quickly get up and assessed the situation. Right now he is inside a ridiculously huge circular hall. Even calling this some hall is an understatement. It was like a colosseum. Multiple torch and candelabrum is adorning the wall for the source of light. The room is surrounded by twenty meter twelve giant door that reach the ceiling of the room. Each door has different style and color, even the ornament around them. The ceiling itself is painted with an exotic color resembling a night sky, so realistic, people will mistake it for a real one first time they see it. And in the middle of it was Tsubaki and the altar.
‘What is this place? Is this a dream?’ He thought as he moves toward the altar to check it.
“This place is as real as you want it to be, my guest.” The soft voice of a woman echoes in the silence of the hall.
“Huh? Who are you? Show yourself!” Respond Tsubaki to the woman.
“Fufufu. Don’t be wary. You are the one who summoned yourself here.”
A huge crack appears in the air behind the altar. Slowly from the darkness beyond, a woman is walking out from it. It was a beautiful woman, even when she wears a mask on the half of her face. Her golden hair fluttering beautifully as she walks like a sunlight poured into the night sky. She wears a white suit and pants that’s shining dimly like a moonlight.
“My name is N. I am the guardian of this place.” The woman bowed her head down a little and lift the side of her suit gracefully to greet him.
“My name is Fukurei Tsubaki. What is this place? How did I get here?” Ask Tsubaki with a worried face.
“This place is the ‘bottom of the well’. It has gone by many names for many times. But you may call this room ‘The Amala Router’.” The lady moved closer towards Tsubaki.
“What the hell are you talking about? From what I remember I’m not even here before I passed out.”
“Easy my guest. Don’t worry, you’re not really here per se. What’s been here of you is just a piece of yourself, your soul in other words.”
“My…Soul?”
“Fufufu. Seems it still hard for you to believe me. But let me tell you one thing. The real world beyond here, the one that you and your friends are, is no more. As destiny calls it, you’ve been brought to bring change to it once more. And all of your rings will become great asset in your journey. It will protect you and yourself in the meantime.”
“Huh? Can you talk more seriously? How did I get here?”
“Our meeting ends here for now… Until then….”
With a finger snap, Tsubaki was sent back to the real world. His body feels lighter than ever and his vision fading. He experience what they call as flying in a dream.
~~~~***~~~~
Hath thou ever seen the world so barren?
So malicious?
Indeed it no mere coincidence
Human soul it such rotten, it’s obvious
Hundred days after their annihilation
Their stench and uncleanness lingers on
Weeping as we are,
We have dreamt a future so far
Tell me young men
Your dormant power
Is it for thyself?
Or for whom?
Thirteen rings that bind thy finger
Doth your fate too, bound by that?
~~~~***~~~~
“Tsubaki! Tsubaki!! Wake Up! TSUBAKI!!”
Tsubaki feels like he just wake up from a long slumber. Beside him lined Akira, Karen and Aoki. They smiled widely as he get up and tried to stand.
“We thought there’s something wrong with you. How can you stay unconscious like that?” Ask Akira.
‘It seems I returned to the real life.’ Thought Tsubaki.
“Where is this? What happened?” Ask him.
“Well…It’s a little bit complicated.” Answer Karen.
“You’re the last one to wake up. Come, we’ll explain what we know so far.” Add Aoki.
Tsubaki tried to get up by holding on to the cabinet along the wall. He really struggling since his head didn’t recovered yet from dizziness.
Aoki help him get up and they move to the main room of the café. The café now is ruined. Everything from the shelf to the table and chairs turned upside down and become impossible to salvage.
Yuuji are busy digging through the mountain of his ransacked properties, trying to find something valuable. Mikoto on the other hand is sitting on the corner with Eriko to ease her pain, it seems her leg is hurt by the impact. And sitting on top of the bar table is Tanaka, trying to get signal on his phone.
“What just happened here?” Mutter Tsubaki.
“We don’t know what just happened before we get here. What do we know is we are stranded in the place entirely different from our world.”
“Here? Stranded?”
“Even if we told you, you won’t believe it. It best for you to see it with your own eyes.” Akira answered.
Aoki lead Tsubaki past them and went to the front door. He stop his hand before twisting the knob and turn his face to Tsubaki.
“Get ready.” Said Aoki with a serious face.
Aoki twist the door knob and open the door. A humid and hot air quickly gushing into the café from the opening, followed by a blinding sunlight that’s painful to the eye. As their eye adapts, the scenery become clear and Tsubaki gasped loudly.
“Did my eyes playing trick on me? Is this Tokyo?” Yell Tsubaki towards the Aoki and Akira.
His respond is unavoidable. Beyond the café is what they calls a post-apocalyptic world. A café was stranded in the middle of a desert filled with ruins of building that he knew well. The building was well buried by the sand so the only thing that could be seen is just its rooftop. Only the large and tall building that still stand even when half of them is buried. Relic of car and distorted traffic sign could be seen here and there, adding the feeling of abandoned place.
“We don’t know how we get here. The only thing that we remember so far is the earthquake hit this place and we were unconscious after that.” Said Akira
“To think that we would stay unconscious when the accident happen. How many lives is lost when it happened?” Karen said with a sad face.
‘It’s really true. That masked woman words was true. Wait, then that mean the old lady words was the truth too. They both are talking about our ring. How is it all connected?’
“Hey? Are you okay?” Ask Karen.
“Uhm, I’m okay.” Answer Tsubaki with a slow nod.
They closed the door and return inside. Karen and Akira move to the corner to help Mikoto. Aoki and Tsubaki then sitting at some of the chairs that still intact. Aoki is silent and Tsubaki could only turn his attention at everyone around the café.
“Hey, not all of us are here.” Said Tsubaki as he realize Saki, Nara, Ai and J.J. wasn’t around.
“Ai-chan, Nara and Saki left to explore the city. For Jessica though, we were distracted for a moment and she already gone. We tried to contact Nara’s group to search for her too, but the phone is not working at all.” Aoki ended his explanation with a sigh.
‘Should I tell them about what the masked woman said? I think there are a bigger picture for what happened to us here.’
“Everyone…” Said Tsubaki as he stand up to get everyone’s attention.
“I’ve got something to tell you.” Add him.
Everyone quickly pause their activity and put their ear to listen to him.
“What is it? Did you know something?” Ask Yuuji as he put away the broken things on his hand.
“I didn’t really know anything. But there are some things that I just happen to, yeah….know.”
‘Well, I’ll hide the fact about the masked woman and that huge room for now. Let see if they would believe me.’
“I think…We are not get unconscious and survive the apocalypse.”
“Wait, so there really are apocalypse happening before we wake up?” Ask Mikoto.
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“I don’t know… But, I know that we’re really being here before something happened. We were sent to this world after the thing is already happened.”
“Wait a second, where did you know all of that? What is the purpose of sending us to the time after the apocalypse? And who did it?” Ask Akira.
“Like I just said before, I just know it. I can’t get into the details since I didn’t really know much. But I think I know what made us experience the time-lapse while it happened.”
The group is silent, giving permission for Tsubaki to continue while they whispering at each other occasionally.
“You all wear the custom-made ring that we made long ago didn’t you?” Said Tsubaki as he lift his left hand and show them the black ring on his middle finger.
“Yeah, but what’s about it?” Ask Mikoto as everyone lift their hand and looking at their ring.
“I believe this ring is the one who sent us. I think, the ring is special and must be the key to our survival here.”
“Cut the stupid joke, Tsubaki!” Shouts Yuuji breaking the silence and shock everyone, especially Tsubaki.
“Special? Haha… Can’t you see that this is a real world here? Don’t get too carried you fool. This isn’t anime or game! Stop being delusional!” Said Yuuji angrily as he keep pointing his finger to him.
“Yuuji! What happened to you? Calm down!” Said Karen.
“Karen-chan…I really hate people who get delusional like that! There are real lives here! Special? What kind of word was that?! This situation was too good for him and his delusional mind!”
“Yuuji-kun, calm down! Can’t we at least listen to Tsubaki? Did you really sure that he didn’t said the truth?” Add Mikoto.
“To say the ring is special at time like this, even saying the ring is the one who sent us here…. I wonder what he will say after this, we are the chosen one?!”
“Yuuji-kun, Stop!!” Shout Karen.
“BOOM!!”
The ground suddenly shaking as the sound of loud thumping could be heard from afar.
“Earthquake again?!” Said Aoki.
“BOOM!!” “BOOM!!” The ground keep shaking with a momentary interval with same rhythm as the loud thumping.
“Hey…Didn’t this remind you of something?” Ask Eriko.
“Don’t say it…” Said Aoki.
“BOOM!! BOOM!!”
“Is this the sound of giant footsteps?!” Said Akira.
“I said don’t say it you dammit!” Shout Aoki.
The group quickly move towards the window to see what happened outside. Akira’s the first one to peek through the curtain and closed it instantly.
“What’s out there?” Ask Yuuji.
Yuuji slowly peeks through the curtain too and it instantly baffles him.
Exactly 100 meter from the café a 5 meter tall giant creature is walking slowly, making the ground shaking with each steps. It has a human-like body, but with an elephant head. It skin was thick and had a dark blue color. It wears a bronze armor that brilliantly reflect the sunlight. It green eyes was filled with evil and stares right into the soul of people who oppose him.
“Monsters…” Mutter Yuuji.
“Boink! THUMP!”
“Whoaahh!”
Suddenly, a small creature as tall as a toddler jumped from below and hanging on the window frame. Its purple skin shows a rotten scars and fungus, with a face resembling a demon. At first it’s only one, but suddenly many of them is violently knocking at the door, window, even the wall. It surprised Yuuji and made him fall. It’s not long before all of the window is covered by the body of that small creature.
“Is that a Preta?!” Said Akira.
“I don’t care! It’s disgusting!” Said Mikoto.
“THUMP! THUMP! CRASH!”
“Kyaaa!! They breaking the window!!” Shout Mikoto.
Unable to hold the weight and the pressure of the small demon, one by one the window of the café shattered and all of the small demon starts to pour in like they shared a same mind.
“wE Haunt Preta... HuMAn sOulS TAsTyyy…GIMMEEE!!!” Said the small demon almost simultaneously, creating a wicked echoes to the ears.
“The back door!” Said Aoki.
Aoki run to the back door and open it to let everyone escape. The girl come out first followed by the boys. They quickly escape the building and run as fast as they could but to no avail. The Preta quickly catch up to them and starts jumping here and there, trying to latch to anyone they found. They then starts scratching at anyone with their sharp claws.
The first to fall are the girls, especially Eriko and Mikoto. The boys quickly help by throwing the Preta away from them.
“Go away you demonic shit!” Said Yuuji as he throw the latching Preta from Akira and Karen.
But it made the Preta more furious and targeting the boys too. Tsubaki, the only one who’s still free slipped down and fall
‘The ring…’
“You are special aren’t you?! Help us! HELP US!” Shout Tsubaki to his ring.
“Fyuuuu!!”
A black fire suddenly bursting out from his black ring and swallowing Tsubaki’s left hand. It quickly spread to his body and starts burning him whole.
“Graaahhhh!!” Shout Tsubaki as the fire burns him.
“Tsubaki!!” Everyone almost yelling at the same time at the sight of their friend burning.
“NEEEEIIIGHHH!!!”
A loud neighing sound of a horse comes from the fire. As the fire burn bigger and bigger, a figure of a big, scarlet horse is galloping from it. The fire is sitting on the top of the horse and slowly making another figure. The black fire turns into ragged black robe that flutter in the wind as the horse running about. And inside the robe is not Tsubaki, but a living skeleton that laughing menacingly while swinging a huge broadsword in his right hand.
“I am Fiend Red Rider. Rider of the Apocalypse, the one who bring wars and bloodshed. You who wish for blood to be spilled, I will borrow you my power!” The heavy voice of the skeleton is echoing through the desert.
“FiEnD! A fIEnd iS HerE! WHYY?” Shout the Preta as they turn their back and running away.
“No escape!” Said The Red Rider.
The rider quickly swing his reins and the horse starts galloping. As fast as the wind, the wicked rider quickly catching on to the Preta and starts slashing his broadsword. At the first swing, three Preta are already sliced in half and flying into the air. He swing it once more and now five Preta fall victim to his sword.
“What…The…Is that Tsubaki?” Ask Yuuji as everyone tried to stand up.
The rider speeds up and passing through the Preta. When he is ahead of them, he then stops in the front of the running Preta and swings his sword in a diagonal motion.
“Deathbound!”
“Slash slash slash slash.”
Magically, with only one swing, multiple trace of slashes is drawn on the air, slicing the group of escaping Preta into blocks of rotten meat. But still, some Preta managed to survive while some didn’t hit any of the slash at all.
“FieND is STRong. CaNT EsCaPE…FIGHTT!!!”
The remaining Preta starts rushing towards Red Rider, baring their claws and their rotten fang. Unfazed, the rider only lift his swords upwards and made his scarlet horse majestically lift its front legs.
“Flame Breath!”
A torrent of fire suddenly shot from the skeletal face of the Red Rider. The fire gushing rapidly like a flamethrower and burning all of the Preta that tried to jump and attack him. The Preta quickly turns into ash and cinder while the horse is once again neighing loudly.
“He is telling the truth…. Tsubaki….” Yuuji said as he clench his fist watching the magical fight of the demon.
“sTrooNG! FieNd Is ToO strOONg! cAlL Vetala! VeTalA hELps USSSS!!”
Now there are only five Preta remaining. Seeing their kin burned to ashes made them lose the will to fight, but their stupidity is stronger and they tried to run back and contact help.
“Watch out Tsubaki! They try to bring that elephant demon to help them!” Shout Yuuji.
Upon Yuuji’s warning, the rider starts to move his horse again and run as quickly as possible to kill all the Preta. Scared by Red Rider attempt, the Preta spread out and begin desperately run to save their own live.
“Annoying Pest!”
The Red Rider stopped and once again lift his huge sword to the air.
“Prominence!”
A huge fireball, as big as cow formed on the tip of the rider sword. It burns so hot, some of the traffic signs around him starts to melt.
“Hyaah!”
The rider swings his sword to the front and the gigantic fireball follow it to the same direction. Like a yoyo detached from its string, the fireball keeps moving in the same speed and finally it reach the ground. The fireball quickly dispersed upon impact and turns the land in front of him into the literal sea of fire. The heat from the fire kills all the Preta and even made the sand at the ground harden, almost turning into glass.
“He did it!” Shout everyone.
“BOOM!!”
Suddenly, the elephant demon appeared behind the Red Rider and lunged himself towards him. Caught by surprise, the Red Rider quickly maneuvers his horse and almost get hit by the humongous body of the elephant demon.
“I AM HAUNT, VETALA!! WITNESS MY POWER! BE MY FOOD!” Roars The Elephant Demon.
“Neigghhh!!”
The Red Rider responds the battle call with his horse. Without cue, the rider starts moving and circling the giant Vetala. Running about, it also swings his sword multiple time and made Vetala almost lose it balance.
“GWAAAA!! YOU BONES! DIEE!!”
Vetala quickly swings his fist and punched the ground, creating tremors and multiple cracks around him. It also made a wall of sand covers the entire area.
“Tsubaki!” Shout everyone as they run to take cover.
“HUAHAHAHA! BONES NOW DIE!” Laugh Vetala loudly in the middle of the blowing sands.
“Foolish!” The heavy voice of Red Rider interrupts the laugh of the elephant demon.
“HUH? BONES STILL ALIVE?!”
“Tsubaki!!”
“Neighhh!!”
Galloping in the air, the rider and his horse literally flying above the Vetala. When the sands clears out, the figure of the rider swinging his swords to the Vetala became a beautiful scene with the background of the deserted ruins and the bright sun. It clearly like a painting of the end of the world.
“Fatal End!”
The Red Rider swing his sword in a downward motion, right in the middle of the Vetala head. It slicing him smoothly from the head, to the body, and finally split him into two.
“GUAAA!! ME LOSING!! IMPOSSIBLE!!”
Vetala cried out for the last time before he dispesed into a black pudge.
Red Rider standing on the top of the black pudge, swinging his swords and pulling the reins of his horse, making it majestically lift it front legs.
“DEATHH!!!” Cried The Rider.
His cry is so loud, it shakes the remains of the building and junks around him. It echoes seems would reach the entire desert. And when he finished his shout, the black fire quickly enveloping its body. Burning him entirely in a black flame.
“Fufufu. You’re strong o human! It’s such a thrill to fight alongside yourself! Make sure you summon me again. We will bathe this world with the blood of our enemies!”
The fire subsides and getting smaller. The figure of Red Rider disappears and by the end of it, returning into the figure of Tsubaki. Like a snail retreating into its shell, the fire quickly getting smaller and smaller, and finally returns to the ring on its left hand, completely extinguished.
“Ugh…”
“Tsubaki!”
Unable to stand down, Tsubaki fall to his knees. Everyone quickly runs towards him and lift him up. Tired after summoning the Red Rider, he couldn’t even move his body and needs to be carried on Yuuji’s back.
“I’m sorry Tsubaki… For saying all of that before…” Said Yuuji with a soft voice, careful to net getting heard by the others.
“Hmm. It’s okay. As I said Yuuji, we are friends. You don’t need to apologize like that.”
“It isn’t fair is it? I used to be the one who dreaming everyday about getting special and be the chosen one. And in the end you’re the one who get all the fame.” Yuuji said with sunken face.
“Yeah… I guess I kinda understand why you mad at me back in the café. You can’t stand seeing myself become childish like you used to be. I’m sorry.”
“Yosha! Now’s not the time to be negative! With my café gone, we need to find other place to live. I’m worried about everyone who went away too. How should we contact them?” Slapping his cheek, Yuuji turns the topic of the conversation.
“Hmm… Let’s find place to sleep first. I’m tired after all those action.”
“Che, Showoff.” The two laughs at Yuuji’s answer.
“Hey you two!! Walk faster! It’s almost night time!” Yell Akira quite far from them.
“Yeahh!! Wait a bit! It’s hard to walk while carrying this punk!”
The night finally came. Unable to stand the cold wind, they decided to stop at one big department store. They snuck in from the window since the doors are buried by the sand. Somehow, the heater is still working and they decided to rest there for the time being.
Status
Fiend Red Rider
Str : ******** 32
Ma : ******* 28
Vi : ***** 21
Ag : ******** 30
Lu : **** 18
Skill:
- Fatal End
- Fire Breath
- Rebellion
- Prominence
- Deathbound
- Mamudoon
Weak: Light
Null: Dark, Fire
Repel: Curse, Nerve, Mind
Strong: Phys
Haunt Preta
Str : * 6
Ma : * 2
Vit : ** 7
Ag : * 4
Lu : * 1
Skill:
- Feral Claw
- Lunge
Weak: Fire, Ice, Thunder
Strong: Dark
Haunt Vetala
Str : **** 18
Ma : ** 10
Vit : **** 18
Ag : ** 9
Lu : * 6
Skill:
- Drain Life
- Lunge
- Gigantic Fist
Weak: Light, Ice
Strong: Phys, Dark