Eldritch

 

"Okay, who the hell was this girl? And what's up with that invitation?" (I)

"That? That was just Hanako." (Z)

"Hanako? As in "Hanako of the toilet"? She's real!?" (I)

"Did you even pay attention to anything I ever tried to teach you? Of course, she's real! Because there is a rumor revolving around her. The classics are more likely to manifest in a school because they're more popular among the students. She's lower on the food chain, hence why the others use her as an errand girl to deliver messages to an entity which is very likely to eat the messenger." (Z)

"I am not that bad." (I)

"Do they know? As far it concerns them you're a foreign occupier of unrivaled power who will swallow any opposition and spit it into a pit whose nature I don't even want to imagine." (Z)

 

Zika has always so colorful ways of describing how I might commit malicious atrocities.
Then Chiaki who already was on the way to her seat comes back.

 

"Iori, What happened there? That girl was weird. Do we even have a grade school department on the campus?" (C)

 

Chiaki isn't the only one to perk up at this situation.
Unfortunately, Zika didn't use her mind-altering powers to prevent everyone from noticing.

 

"Who was this girl?"

"It looked like a confession."

"Iori has a lover?"

"How sad for that girl that she chose the eternal sleeper."

 

Sometimes I'd really wish for having any proficiency in mind magic to stop such gossip before it starts.
But I would surely feel too guilty for having used it afterward.

However, this nickname is unnecessary.
Only because I tend to fall asleep during classes.
Or rather tended as now it's the complete opposite.
On the other side, now I always get absorbed in my thoughts.
So from an outside perspective not too much changed.

 

"What was it now?" (C)

"I've got apparently invited to discuss who the school belongs to. Now excuse me, I need to get ready for class." (I)

 

I try to speak somewhat quietly, so I won't be overheard and don't draw more unnecessary and unwanted attention.

 

"Iori, not fair." (C)

 

Then I ignore my hyperactive friend and wait for the teacher to finally start class.
Once again full of unnecessary thoughts which have nothing to do with the lesson.
What I find odd is that Makoto is nowhere to be seen.
It's not like him to skip classes, but I guess he might just have caught a cold.
Eventually, classes end, and I have to deal with the problem I tried postponing with all my might.
Well, not with all my might as that would be bad for the world.
Naturally, Chiaki won't accept any excuses anymore now that the others are gone and pesters me about Hanako's message.

 

"Fine. It seems like the most powerful demons of our school want to meet up with me. So I think I'll now go very fast to the bus station,  avoid thinking about this any further, and hope that this all will come to nothing." (I)

"Is this really the best way to proceed?" (Z)

"Why not? What would be wrong about this?" (I)

 

I seriously don't want to deal with any demons.
Sorry, Kuri.

Anyway, nothing good will come from this.
If anything, my calm school life will only get more complicated.

 

"You know, it might not work the way you imagine it. Those demons are by their nature territorial. Their main problem is that they have no real idea what you even are. As I said before, without proper experience you can be somewhat sure that "outer god" isn't the first thing coming to their mind. All they know is that you're highly aggressively intruding. Now they want to negotiate. If you abstain they might believe that you're not interested in negotiations and out to crush them. This could drive them to conduct drastic actions." (Z)

"I think Zika is right. It's not nice to ignore someone without reply." (C)

"You're funny! It's not like you're personally invested Chiaki." (I)

"In favor of your calm school life I'd suggest you settle things now so you don't have to worry anymore. The great ones know they need to get their egos deflated." (Z)

"Okay, okay. I'm going. Damnit." (I)

"And I'll accompany you" (C)

 

Chiaki says this with the brightest possible smile.

 

"Chiaki, no! It's too dangerous." (I)

 

One of them already targeted her.
Also, she's brimming with lifeforce.
It's like ringing for dinner knowing that she's the meal.

 

"Nah, I trained and where would I be safer than close to you?" (C)

 

My personal dream dimension might be an idea, and for a short moment, I consider storing her there so she's safe, before she does something reckless and will get hurt.
But I decide against doing so.
It's still her decision to make and if nothing else I never want to become someone who meddles with the free will of others.
As long this freedom isn't harming someone else.

 

"God, I can't help but worry about this." (I)

"If it helps, sunshine girl is around their level. She couldn't fight all of them at once, but against the lower ranks she might stand her ground." (Z)

"What about you?" (I)

 

Does she again not want to get involved?

 

"I think I'll join. It bothers me that they excluded me from this, as shown by the fact that no one informed me that this was planned. I should remind them of my existence." (Z)

 

Why do I get the feeling that she intends to use me as the bringer of her wrath?
So we get on our way.
While we're walking I decide to ask.

 

"Has anyone an idea why it's the cellar?" (I)

"Because one of their strongest has their realm there. So it's no surprise they want to negotiate on their grounds." (Z)

"Realm?" (I)

"Strong bound demons can claim a certain place as their own. Turning it into their space. It's not too different from your dream which is a cut-off dimension. Just that your's is in power not comparable. Theirs only grants them a small home ground advantage." (Z)

 

I remember Kyumi's oyster-locker hall.
We expertly dodge the remaining staff and reach the stair to the lower level of the school.
Surprisingly the door, there to keep students from entering, is open.
Maybe basic courtesy from our hosts.
I take the first steps downward.
However, when I look down the badly lit passage leading to an ominous domineering metal door I get a little queasy and slow down.

 

"Is there a problem Iori?" (C)

"I... don't like cellars." (I)

"Are you for real?!"(Z)

"What?! They're dark and scary, full of all kinds of stuff which create ominous shapes and unrecognizable sounds one can't retrace!" (I)

"Oh, yes sure. There could be monsters hiding in the dark. Great ones beware, you might have to perforate them with a thousand tendrils, squash them with your mass, rip them apart from the inside out, or simply swallow them whole. How terrifying." (Z)

"I know I can defend myself, but scary things are scary!" (I)

"Great ones! And that's the one I have a pact with." (Z)

"I can understand Iori. It's not purely logical to be afraid of something. Even if I, on my side, had a real reason, different from her." (C)

"Yes, yes. I get it. You're better than I am." (I)

 

A bit to escape from that talk and to prove myself I take the last steps down.
The first moment everything looks like a normal cellar.
Machines whose purpose I don't know about and some random stuff.
But it feels a bit warmer than usual.

Suddenly I perceive a shift.
The environment changes and promptly I find myself in front of something that resembles a court.
Several figures on some kind of pedestals are on the other side of the room.
None of them looks too happy to see me.
Should've seen that coming.