A Demon's Tale

Countless pillars of different sizes were all formed as one to create a single building. This very building had once been a sacred place. A place in which the previous gods of the world had once resided in. Following the ascension of the eight new gods, this was merely a facility that the previous eight had stayed in. However, after ten long years, a mysterious individual who presented the same appearance and face as the white succubus goddess herself, Shiro Fuloreen, had mercilessly killed the previous gods within the building. At least, that had been the story, before the true murderer, Nero Virtuoso, was discovered. Shiro herself had only arrived at the scene of the crime some time after, which provided all the necessary evidence to show that she was there after she had puked onto the floor.

Now, the very same Shiro was standing in front of the door, with three other individuals behind her. Three who would assist her with the task at hand.

Lost in thought, the goddess continued to stare at the front door with her somber crimson eyes. Her pondering was soon halted by the words of an angel behind her.

Hidari: [Are you alright, Lady Shiro?]

Turning to face the angel, Shiro was met with a man in the same colors as her, with the only difference being his sparkling orange eyes. Placing a hand on her own chest, Shiro closed her eyes and released a deep breath before answering.

Shiro: [Yes. I’m sorry for keeping the three of you waiting. I… feel odd returning here, because of the broadcast I mean.]

Puzzled, Hidari raised an eyebrow in response.

Hidari: [Broadcast? What do you mean, Lady Shiro?]

Migi: [You weren’t aware? Some scumbag decided to mimic Shiro’s image and voice, and placed the crime of the previous gods being killed on her. They then told every incubus and succubus in the world to start doing it with humans until they’re shriveled up and dead.]

After the bombastic incubus, Migi, answered Hidari’s question, a terrified look washed over the angel’s face.

Hidari: [What?! That’s terrible! How could someone do such a thing?!]

???: [More importantly, there’s restrictions on abilities, right? How do we know that it wasn’t n’ya in the first place?]

Interrupting the conversation was a yellow cat girl who was much smaller than the two beside her. As Shiro turned to face her, she noticed an odd look in the girl’s eyes. It was sharp, yet there was not a hint of malice behind it. Lowering her voice, Shiro provided Bachi with a question of her own.

Shiro: [... Do you believe I was the one who did it, Bachi?]

Migi: [O-oi! We shouldn’t ask her a question like this! She doesn’t really have a good opinion of you to begin with! On that note, Bachi, you should be more trusting of Lady Shiro!]

Hidari: [I hate to say it, but she’s correct…]

The orange eyes of the angel moved from the incubus on the other side to the goddess in front of him. His saddened eyes were clearly laced with suspicion.

Hidari: [I would not want to accuse you of anything, Lady Shiro. However, the information at the moment leans heavily towards you. I would like to know more about the situation if that is al–]

Bachi: [–My answer is I don’t.]

The two standing beside the girl quickly turned as she gave her annoyed response.

Hidari: [Bachi, I understand that Lady Shiro is kind, however–]

Bachi: [N’ya don’t understand a thing if n’yar jus’ thinkin’ ‘bout her bein’ kind. She has a husband and kids, don’t she? Why the hell would she risk their wellbein’ for a shitty little stunt?]

Much like Hidari had done before, Bachi moved her sharp cat-like eyes back to Shiro.

Bachi: [If n’ya had no one around n’ya like I did, I could see it. But as it stands, Schmiro, someone is pullin’ some real heavy shit jus’ to set you up.]

Hidari: [... I suppose you’re correct, Bachi. Please forgive me for what I’ve said, Lady Shiro.]

Bowing to Shiro, a calm hand was shown in response by her.

Shiro: [It’s quite alright, Hidari. I’m rather unsure of the details myself or how something like that could have been created. I don’t blame you for having your suspicions.]

Finally, her eyes moved back to Bachi. A sincere kindness was displayed behind her crimson gaze.

Shiro: [... Thank you, Bachi. I mean that.]

Bachi: [Hmph.]

A beet red blush appeared across Bachi’s cheeks as she turned to face a different direction.

Migi: [Well, now that that’s all cleared up, let’s get going!]

Shiro: [Right. Let me unlock the door and we’ll go from there.]

Moving her hands into her pocket, Shiro pulled out a key that was then placed in the door. With the door now unlocked, the four entered the building. A disgusting smell filled the air as they entered, making it clear to Shiro that nothing had changed.

As they moved down the halls, they focused on their primary objective of the information they sought. Somewhere, within one of these many rooms, the goal of the journey would show itself.

Endlessly, they continued to search and search to no end. Countless minutes passed as they scoured the rooms. Dust was now the new main contributor to the air around them as they kept pulling books off of shelves to view the contents. With each of them separated by the doors of the hall, they answered the calls of one another.

Hidari: [Anything over there, Migi?]

Migi: [Nope. Can’t find a single thing about any tablets or immortality or the like.]

Hidari: [What about you, Bachi?]

Bachi: [Ha? I can barely read shit, so I’m jus’ keepin’ watch!]

As they continued searching, Shiro gave a commanding shout to them.

Shiro: [Hidari! Migi! Come to the main room with me! We’ll search the books there! Bachi, stay on guard here!]

Bachi: [Yeah, yeah. Not like anyone is comin’ anyways…]

Exiting the rooms, Hidari and Migi swiftly returned to Shiro’s side and entered the large doors at the end of the hall. With their entrance into the main room of the building, the display of eight corpses were now in front of them. Pain latched onto the faces of Shiro and her subordinates as they saw the dead gods.

While Shiro moved over to the immensely large bookshelves nearby to continue searching, Hidari and Migi slowly moved towards the bodies.

Shiro: [Alright, while I check these, you two can check the other side. We’ll meet up in the middle which will probably take a while. However, we’re bound to find it if we keep searching.]

Migi: [Lady Shiro… That Nero guy was the one to kill them, right?]

Shiro: [Huh? Yeah. The fake me tried to say it was her, but if Nero required divine chi laced into the blood in order to obtain immortality, then it had to be him.]

Migi: [... And before that, did your group hear anything about the previous gods?]

Shiro: [No. We didn’t hear very much, but we were told that the trials we took were handpicked by them. They were odd trials to begin with, especially since they didn’t benefit the choices for gods very well, but the eight of us were ultimately good… is what I want to believe. Anyways, we should focus on the book stuff for the time being!]

Migi: [... Lady Shiro, I should probably tell you this given how important it is… but telling by their faces, even before they died, they weren’t conscious for a long while.]

Shiro’s searching came to a chilling stop as the words echoed through her mind. A terror like no other was shown across her appearance as she turned to meet Migi and Hidari, rushing over to their side and looking at the table of the eight dead gods.

Shiro: [N-No… There’s no way that… The fake me! That’s right! The fake me said she drained them, so that would mean–]

Hidari: [It was Nero Virtuoso that took their life, correct?]

Shiro: [Y-Yeah, but she might have taken care of the rest!]

Migi: [If they were drained, they would also be shriveled up, Lady Shiro. Despite having a hole in their chests, their skin is only pale in color.]

The confusion within her mind could not rest. More and more questions started to sprout like seeds of a plant. The answers she desired could not be found no matter how hard she looked nor from the evidence that she was aware of.

Shiro: [I… I don’t understand… What–]

???: [HEY! DON’T FUCKIN’ RUN!]

A familiar shout of a brash girl ripped through from beyond the large doors. Taking quick notice of it, the three inside quickly turned as they recognised the sound.

Migi: [Something happened with Bachi!]

Hidari: [It seems that we might not be alone–Lady Shiro?!]

Migi: [Woah!]

Before either could move, Shiro zipped past the two and slammed open the doors as she continued to fly. A sound similar to that of the wind being torn played out as she drew close to Bachi, who was focused on a mysterious intruder. While the two charged side by side, the cat girl filled Shiro in.

Bachi: [Schmiro! That bitch was hiddin’ in one of the rooms!]

Shiro: [Understood! Let me take care of it!]

Suddenly, Shiro’s speed heightened to an even greater level, causing Bachi’s eyes to widen in shock. Blasting past the hall, she swiftly slowed her pace as she grabbed the left shoulder and right arm of the woman in a suit, before placing her on the floor and applying her arm onto her back.

Shiro: [Don’t move or I’ll be forced to apply more pressure!]

Woman: [Ghk!]

After a few seconds, Bachi quickly caught up to Shiro. She continued to watch as Shiro placed the woman’s other arm behind her back, before creating handcuffs made of electricity around her wrists. Now, with a moment to rest, Bachi spoke to the goddess in an irritated voice.

Bachi: [... N’ya really were holdin’ back durin’ our race. I knew n’ya were… but…]

Shiro: [Do you not wish to have a rematch because of it, Bachi?]

Bachi: [Don’t get the wrong idea. I’m still gonna race n’ya and I’ll win when I do! For real this time!]

Shiro gave a light smile in response, providing no other words to Bachi. Instead, she kept her focus on the woman in front of her, before realizing–

Shiro: [Wait a minute, I remember you! You were the one who welcomed us to the school!]

The woman then looked over her shoulder, only for a quick rise in fear that made her body sweat.

School Guide: [I-I-I swear I told no one! I said nothing! I promise!]

Shiro: [What?! What do you mean–]

School Guide: [I PROMISE! PLEASE! PLEASE, JUST SPARE ME!]

Though Shiro was confused for a brief moment, her answer soon arrived within her mind.

This woman had seen Shiro before. Rather, the version of “Shiro” who had taken the lives of the previous gods alongside Nero Virtuoso. Due to unknown reasons, the woman was likely kept alive and threatened to stay for safety measures.

In order to reassure the woman, Shiro calmly shouted as best as she could.

Shiro: [Calm down! I promise, I’m not going to hurt you!]

School Guide: [PLEASE! I DON’T WANNA DIE!]

The tears that streamed across her face made it evident that she did not accept Shiro’s words. Furthermore, two more people walked down the hall and spoke of another reason back.

Migi: [It’s no use, Lady Shiro. She probably thinks you’re the same as the person who was here, and there isn’t much to prove otherwise.]

Hidari: [Migi is right. It will likely prove difficult to tell her that the you she met and the you she’s screaming to now are different. Given the circumstance with the mimicry, it might even prove to be impossible.]

Shiro: [I can think of something! Let’s see… Ma’am! I was a student here ten years ago! My close friend, Kōkatsu, changed her last name to “the Almighty”! She and I caused a lot of trouble outside of the dorm grounds when we were training! What else…]

Bachi: [S’pointless if n’yar askin’ questions like that. She already knows n’ya, doesn’t she? Why would any of that help?]

Shiro: [Damn it… You’re right… What the hell can I even say to gain her trust…]

School Guide: [... Your face…]

Shiro: [Huh?]

After moving her head down in despair, Shiro looked back up to the terrified woman after hearing an odd set of words leave her lips.

School Guide: [The last time you were here, your left cheek started drooping… You fixed it shortly after, but now it isn’t drooping anymore…]

Now, the means to prove it was clear.

Her face now lighting up, Shiro gave a smile as she excitedly shouted back to the woman.

Shiro: [That’s it! I can prove it with that!]

Her hands then quickly moved down to the handcuffs, before stopping halfway. Shiro’s crimson eyes looked back up to the woman and she continued to speak in a low voice.

Shiro: [... If I unlock these, I need you to promise you won’t run. This is extremely important for us right now.]

School Guide: [... If I do so, how do I know that you won’t hurt me…?]

Shiro: [That’s easy. We’ll use an old trick that a friend of mine taught me. A friend who we falsely reported about those same ten years ago.]

Moving her right hand back down, Shiro formed a mysterious pen which she used to write along the woman’s own right palm.

Shiro: [From this point forward, I, Shiro Fuloreen, promise to bring no harm towards…]

Haruka: [... Haruka. Haruka Edo.]

Shiro: [... I, Shiro Fuloreen, promise to bring no harm towards Haruka Edo. Do you agree?]

Haruka: [... Yes.]

Shiro: [Very well. Then I shall remove your handcuffs at once.]

With a quick snap, the cuffs were released. Haruka looked towards her hands and grasped at the freedom she now felt along her wrists. Then, in front of her, Shiro pointed to her own cheek. Haruka moved her hand to the very same cheek and lightly tugged at it… only for Shiro’s face to stretch with no drooping alongside it.

Shiro: [See? I’m me!]

Haruka: [... You are indeed correct. You are not the same Shiro Fuloreen I had met. I’m greatly sorry for the confusion, ma’am!]

After accepting who Shiro was, Haruka performed a bow with her hands placed along her knees.

At Shiro’s request, the woman stood again and they moved back into the main room.

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Haruka: [I was fairly new to the job at the time, so I had only received the words of others who were passed down. I can’t say everything was for certain, but I will trust the information I was given. For quite some time, the gods themselves had no longer been well in their health. The most adequate way to put it was that they had been beyond the point of being senile. A vegetative state if you will.]

Somberly, Haruka explained her story.

Shiro: [How long were they like this for?]

Haruka: [Several decades. From what I understand, it was not since two rulers before, Morina Bloodfire, that they could move or even speak.]

Shiro’s eyes displayed all the shock that Haruka could imagine.

Shiro: [Then… that means…]

Haruka: [... When the time came to choose the next generation of gods for the world, we were unsure of what to do. Rather, those before me were. The system in which they would do so was not established by the gods in a note, so it was only up to the attendants to do so. From there, we created the exact trial system you experienced. It was faulty, incredibly so. I, along with many others, were aware of this. On top of that, we were unsure of what to do with those who could rise into the position. As a result, a much more carefree life for such a job was created for you and the other seven. It was a complete mess, but we couldn't help it in the slightest…]

Shiro: [If this was the case, why did none of you speak to the Bloodfire’s about this?]

Haruka: [... We felt as though it was far too late. Should information regarding it be provided, there was also the chance that the same set of info could be leaked. Something as terrible as this could not be released into the public. It would only cause more turmoil for those struggling.]

Shiro: [It’s because of that hesitation that my friend’s daughter had to lose her entire family. Were you aware that an entire village near the capital had moved ten years ago?]

For the first time, Shiro spoke with a chilling voice to her.

For one of many times, Haruka casted her head down.

Haruka: [... I was not. I’m sorry for our own foolishness, ma’am. At the time, we believed that ignoring the issue of the gods had been the right call. With each passing day, it was obvious what we should have done.]

Hidari: [You mentioned a note, or rather a lack thereof in regards to the details of what the next set of gods would do. Was there perhaps a note of something else?]

Haruka: [There were two things we were told about. One of those things was this, the divine keys.]

From a shelf nearby, Haruka pulled out a large oddly shaped key.

Haruka: [It is the very same tool we used to test who was compatible with divine chi. A means to unlock the hidden potential of a being, was how they worded it in the note. Due to the unexpected difference ten years ago, many of us were unsure of what to do. However, now that you are here, I ask that you please take one, Shiro Fuloreen.]

The key was handed to Shiro, who clutched it in her hands before moving it to her pocket.

Haruka: [Much like the instructions of the gods before, these keys shall be the means to choose the generation after you, along with those who follow from there. The second involved a book they had written, one that Morina Bloodfire had assisted with.]

The eyes of Shiro’s team quickly lit up in response.

Shiro: [The book! That’s what we’re looking for!]

Haruka: [Then I must apologize, for we could not find it. Perhaps the details of the book were far too great to keep visible to all who entered, but we were left with a riddle that had been passed down. “From the stars of four shall come a fire of two, nine thunderous roars shall bellow into the night, for that is where the madness shall end.” Supposedly, it was an extension of what those higher than them had told about. We were unable to confirm that, however, so it is best left forgotten, much like the book itself. Nero Virtuoso had searched for such a thing after killing the eight and recording the broadcast with the fake Shiro Fuloreen, but even he could not find such a thing.]

Shiro fell to her knees in despair.

Shiro: [Damn it… We were so close… We were so damn close…!]

Bachi: [... Hey, god lady.]

Haruka: [Yes?]

Bachi: [I don’t know ‘bout Schmiro’s friend or whatever, but that shit with the gods sure made my life a lot more hellish as well. If n’ya took a little bit more action, I probably wouldn’t need all the scars on my body that I now have.]

Haruka: [Once again, I’m deeply sorry. There are countless others across the world that I wish to apologize to. Some may not even accept my words. But I can only hope that they listen to them, at the very least.]

Bachi looked down to the gloomy succubus beside her, before looking back up at Haruka.

Bachi: [Regardless, I assume Schmiro will want to bring n’ya in so the blue lady, Drebi or whatever her name is, can talk to n’ya. N’ya really went overboard, n’ya know?]

Haruka: [I am aware. If it means speaking to Lady Devi about such a thing… assuming that is who you are speaking about, and receiving a sentence as punishment, I am ready to accept this.]

Shiro continued to clench at her pants with her long black fingernails.

Shiro: [This can’t be the end… There has to be something… Some way to stop him… That hint… There’s something to it and yet I can’t figure it out… Damn it! DAMN IT!]

Her fist struck the hard floor.

The answers she sought.

The book with all the details that were needed.

None of it was here.

It was nowhere to begin with.

The gift Kaoru had given her had now become useless.

The will of the kitsune's family was now in vain.

There would soon be no more.

Not a single mortal left to save, as Nero Virtuoso would soon eviscerate every last one of them.

There was nothing they could do but struggle against him.

Both Hidari and Migi casted their eyes down to Shiro’s position, sharing her despair.

However…

Bachi: [Schmiro.]

Shiro: [Not now, Bachi…]

Bachi: [Schmiro.]

Shiro: [I said not now, Bachi…]

Bachi: [Schmiro!]

Shiro: [WHAT DO YOU NOT UNDERSTAND ABOUT THE WORDS NOT NOW, BACHI?!]

Though Shiro had furiously erupted, Bachi’s annoyed face remained unchanged.

Bachi: [I’m tryin’ to ask a question! She said nine, right?! How much is that?!]

Shiro: [W-What…?]

Bachi: [I don’t remember my odd numbers that well, I kinda get them mixed up, but I wanna know. What’s the number before nine?]

Shiro: [E-Eight, but that doesn’t matter right now… Please don’t ask pointless questions at a time like this, Bach–]

Bachi: [Alright, see. Now we’re gettin’ somewhere. So that makes two… four… six… eight, and then nine. Nine of those big book holders.]

Shiro: [... What…?]

Raising her head, Shiro looked around the room. Those around her followed suit.

What Bachi said… was indeed true.

Nine immensely large bookshelves surrounded them.

Haruka: [That is certainly true…]

Migi: [Wait! Oh man, is this one of those puzzles they always do in movies?! I bet there’s a bunch of specific books we need to pull out! Let’s see… So if there was a four and a two in that whole sequence, and the four was first… then I’m gonna take a guess and say it’s the fourth row of each!]

Hidari: [In that case, that then means the second would be the books we would need to pull out, correct?]

Migi: [Exactly! Now you’re picking up what I'm putting down!]

From her knees, to a crouch, then to a hunched posture before standing tall, Shiro gazed at the room around her.

Slowly, she made her way to a shelf from the air and pulled the second book from the fourth row out further than the rest.

She then moved to the next and did the same.

In tandem with her, the three behind her moved to shelves nearby and performed the same action.

With five books now pulled out, the three moved to another set and pulled out the books again.

Now, only one shelf remained.

The three stood nearby, smiling at the goddess in each of their own unique ways.

A calm smile from an angel.

A gleaming display of teeth from an incubus.

A smug grin from a cat.

As Shiro made her way over, they provided their reason for why they had not pulled the book.

Migi: [This one’s all yours, Lady Shiro.]

Hidari: [It would be wrong to rob you of such a thing.]

Bachi: [So hurry up and do it so we can leave.]

Shiro took a deep breath, before moving past the three.

Ascending again, her hand glided down to the fourth row.

The second book was pulled.

… The result was nothing.

Deep sighs were released from Shiro’s group.

Migi: [Well, it was worth a shot. I guess we need to try other solutions. Maybe if we reverse the four and the tw–]

Haruka: [No. Your actions were correct. I have never seen this in my entire life…]

The quartet turned to face Haruka, who was now viewing a tablet with a handprint on the table.

Quickly moving over, they looked at the unknown words on the stone.

Shiro: [This is the same type of text that was in Kaoru’s village…]

Haruka: [Due to what we were taught, I am able to translate this if needed.]

Shiro: [Please!]

Haruka: [As you wish. “Only those Born by the flame and etched with Virtue may obtain what they seek. Those who have Trained and seek further Rapid growth shall not find the answer here. If you contain that sacred blood, place your hand along this tablet.” Those are the exact words that are written.]

Migi: [Born by flame, that implies Devi and her family.]

Hidari: [Virtue would imply Nero Virtuoso.]

Bachi: [Guess we’re shit out of luck for now. We’ll jus’ go get that blue lady before that guy has the chance to come back and… Schmiro?]

Despite the several comments around the room, Shiro moved her palm closer to the tablet’s handprint.

Placing it on top…

Beneath Shiro’s hand…

A bright light illuminated from within.

Those who were in the room quickly jumped back as the tablet started to shake and crack.

Until eventually, all that remained…

… was a book.

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