Chapter Text
A distant memory, a painting intended to be put in the subconscious mind, came to existence again through a young girl's sleep. The scene brushed with grey scale hues, no intensely saturated pigments at all. It lacked life or vigor. It would seek no fervor inside anyone if they saw the picture. Maybe a sense of uneasiness. That's what filled this dark illustration.
A young girl peeked through a crack in her bedroom. The door ever so slightly groaned, panic rising through her insides. She paused for just a moment, praying to the heavens that nothing had heard her mistake. Clasping her clammy palms together, she closed her eyes, eyebrows furrowed. The gods answered her begging, and nothing happened. She held her breath, not daring to make the slightest sound. She pried her fingers through the crack, pulling herself to a perspective where she could see the situation.
A young man stood in the middle of a dark room. It was dead in the night. Almost nothing visible except for him. He clenched his fists, and he inhaled. He seemed like he was nervous. His stance wasn't confident at all. He had an expression that reeked of false bravado. His hands trembled, and he exhaled.
"Loneliness." the man whispered. Not quiet enough, however, for the kid to not eavesdrop on. A hole opened up establishing a connection between Devil and Humanity. The void swirled around. It didn't seem like there was anything inside, but that was wrong.
“Minori Fujiwara. The Silver Lion. What came up now? Ah... It's so late right now I can hardly see a thing! Oh well, that's okay. I need someone to talk to, anyway. My realm has grown quite barren without someone to accompany me." whatever monster that was inside the space refused to come out.
"How much time does she have left?"
The girl pauses and takes in the information. Her dad doesn't know any other girls. Her mother passed away a long time ago. Sure, he's interacted with female customers, but he wouldn't ask about their wellbeing so late at night. Especially from a devil.
A bird's skull peeked out of the swirling hole, only the beak visible. The flesh underneath furled, and it giggled. It hardly sounded like laughter, coming out as wheezing and raspy coughs.
"Do you wish to know, Minori? If so... hehe..." the skull edged out a little more.
“She dies tomorrow."
Overwhelming silence flooded the room, tension rising. Minori froze in his spot but assessed the future outcomes. He can still rewrite the future. This is just one possibility that can come true if he makes the wrong choices.
In his heart, he knew what the right decision was. A heart-wrenching solution to the problem. The only humane solution to the situation. The only way to assure she has a future.
“I want to make a new contract. I want you to take me instead of her. I want you to take care of her. Nurse her until she's able to take care of herself. And…make her live something… close to a normal life.” Minori was having trouble trying to word his wishes, and was hesitant. He shook his head and exhaled, continuing.
“You will be her protector when she calls you. I want you to let her take over the family business. Give her my sword tomorrow. When I die, she'll be alone. When she lives, you'll still pick off everyone close to her, make 'em drop like flies. And I'm sure that's enough to satisfy you, right?"
The Loneliness Devil sticks its entire head out. The flesh under its skull moved and pulsated with pure excitement.
"Hehe... This is so exciting! I haven't been this ecstatic in such a long time! But oh Minori... you're asking a bit much, are you...? Desperate? I'll add this to our contract. Every time your daughter uses me, I will take a year off her lifespan."
Midori tried to make a noise in protest. This wasn't what he was thinking about. But... she's only five years old. She can't survive on her own. She needs a guardian and someone to look after her.
“Fine. Just let me... let me look at her one last time."
Minori tiptoed quietly to the girls' bedroom. She squeaked as soon as she heard the noise advance towards her. She closed her door and ran to her bed, jumping on it and shuffling around to find a good sleeping position. It was an uncomfortable position, but it served well. Minori walked inside the room and started from a distance. He had a smile as he watched her lay on the bed. The child closed her eyes tight, hoping he didn't notice that she was still awake.
He walked over to her side and put his palm over her face. He made sure he was gentle, making sure not to disturb her sleep. Minori stroked her side, feeling her soft skin bounce back when he lifted his hand. He kissed her on the forehead. She felt warm and fuzzy feelings in her stomach as she felt her dad kiss her. He felt the same, but stood up.
“I love you."
The last words she heard from him. She wished she didn't pretend to be asleep. She could've reciprocated her feelings and had a more heartfelt goodbye. The girl didn't notice it yet, but her world was about to drain itself of color completely. Life seeped out and left only an empty shell of its former self.
Dry as sand and colorless as static, she never saw her dad again.
☀︎︎ ————— ☀︎︎
The office phone chimed, its loud alert blaring throughout a compressed and stark workplace. The sun beamed brightly outside, but curtains and blinds shielded almost every window except for the door. However, through that same door, the star shone its morning rays to wake up any residents that dwelled in this gloomy environment.
From the rear of the department, someone stirred in their pitch-black bedroom, getting pissed off that life demanded her to overflow with preparedness to seize the day. At first, she pulled some pillows over her ears, forcing them over the sides of her skull so she wouldn't have to hear any further indications about how she should get up now. That only woke the girl up more. The dial was a few feet away from her and, not increasing volume-wise, she could sense the alarming grow stronger. With a moan of defeat, she sat up and booted the pillows off of her. Her bedsheet fell off, however, she couldn't get off the bed.
A few attempts later, she makes it out, and drags herself to the bathroom, bringing a black suit and pants. The phone was still ringing as she stepped out of her room, but she'd rather deal with that afterward. She yawned and forced herself inside; the tiles giving her a small jolt because of how cold they were. The girl peered over the sink, still shivering from the tiles, but put her palms on the rim and stared at her disgruntled and groggy demeanor. Grumbling, she combed her long silver hair, tangles littering it to her dismay. She tugged at the brush and whimpered when she felt hairs being plucked out. She kept at it, making a small braid behind her ear and tucking it in.
Then she undressed, pajamas falling to the floor, which she didn't bother to pick up. And then rushed over to grab her work clothes, slipping them on in an instant. She sighed, straightening her tie, and looked at herself in the mirror again. Her sunset colored eyes bore into her soul, refusing to break contact.
"It's still you, Fujiwara."
The hunter strolled out, half awake, and finally answered the phone that had been bothering her for so long. She coughs and straightens out her voice. The girl doesn't want to seem rude to the customer and turn them away by accident. The huntsman was still sleepy, but work is work, and work gets you money, and money gets you somewhere. So she might as well put up with whatever request she needed to fulfill, even if she didn't get enough sleep.
An elderly woman called her in. She returned from feeding pigeons at the park. But... an old woman is an old woman. She had forgotten to lock her house, and by the time she had gotten to her household, the door opened. When she looked more closely, she found a stream of bubbling and sizzling acid; the track leading inside.
Those were the details she had received. In a hurry, she rushed out, wanting to get the job done so she can go back to sleep. She stepped out of the workplace and shielded her eyes just for a moment because of the overwhelming sun. Muttering a small curse, she made her way out, calling a ride to transport her to the scene.
A few minutes after, she arrived at the scene, treading out of a black taxi, and reviewed the old woman's stature. Her frail hands were shaking, knuckles white as she clutched onto her cane. She held onto the pole, leaning onto it and putting all of her substance on the light stick, eyeing the young devil hunter.
Not hesitating to get the job done, the girl headed on inside, ignoring the woman to not assess the situation. She walked inside, following the black burnt trail lead through the doorway. The interior didn't seem to be that bad. Nothing knocked over or rearranged by this devil. The residence was relatively neat, to where it felt eerie. A devil roamed inside the living quarters, and if you ignore the black trail left behind, then you wouldn't know such a hostile and threatening monster entered the building. Good thing the devil leaves behind a trail. At least it'll be a quick job for her.
Continuing to walk towards the trail, she passed by the kitchen and saw two pet plates set on the white tiles. Water filled on the left, food-filled on the right. Ah... she has a pet. Well, there is a possibility it got eaten...
The girl shakes the thought out of her mind, she's seen humans get slaughtered in front of her eyes many times to where she's gotten used to it, and to where no negative emotions stir inside of her stomach to make her feel sick. Inure. Emotionless. Blank. Those are the words used to describe this hunter. Yet the thought of household pets dying still makes her feel unwell. Perhaps it's because of their appearance, and how they have a close bond with man. Seeing a pet that brims with life, living a mindless existence and to eat from the hands that feed them... dead... when they lived a life where they don't have to worry about problems in the future...
Only that exists in dreams. Seeing something that's stereotyped to live such a glorious life only to see that same life end so swiftly is what makes her feel unwell. That same view can apply to humans, but she'd rather not dwell on that. That would make her feel only more miserable than she already is.
She made her way to a sliding glass door, only to see an enormous gaping hole burnt through one side. She steps through the gap, right foot first, and as soon as she bent over to go underneath the glass, she felt a tug at her shoe. Before she could react and put up her hand, something tugged her through the door, her body scraped up against the sharp glass at the bottom. She yelped, glass dug through her upper back, and she could feel some shards getting lodged inside her flesh. Blood dripped from where she got wounded, and before she knew it, her world turned upside down.
Well, literally. She was being held upside down by a sea slug devil. Its antenna grasping onto her leg, encircling itself around her thigh and growing tighter by the minute. The devil's whole body glowed a bright crimson, a hint of vermillion just at the edge of the many tentacle-like flaps that were lined on its back. No... not tentacles, but elongated human fingers that seemed to flow and move as if the slug were in the ebbing ocean. Acid slime coated its body, but on the surface it looked like it was constantly melting, parts of its flesh breaking off and then sizzling on the grass, before evaporating into smoke.
The antenna wrapped around the girl's leg tightened and contacted her skin. She felt a scorching pain, her skin crackling as she feels her muscles melt off. Again she let out a scream, lurching back as the antenna elevated the hunter forward. The devil seemed to adjust its posture, elongating and opening its mouth, filled with sharp and broken human teeth, that also seemed to melt from the saliva the slug produced.
The girl whipped her arm forward and, just before it tossed her inside its drooling mouth, she edged her thumb over her pointer finger. She bent her pointer finger and pressed her thumb against it until she cracked it. The crack echoed into the backyard when it shouldn't have. The slug didn't want to see what future awaited it. A gong sounded as the earth vibrated underneath the creature.
"Loneliness. Do your job."
Someone struck the gong again, and right beside the hunter, entrails swung out of a black portal that had manifested in just one second. Muscle and flesh that hung out from a forearm, and intertwined, almost as if it was using its mass to braid itself. It outstretched towards the sea slug before the muscle had formed a shape resembling a hand. The hand opened, palm showing right in front of its future victim. The slug tilts its head, its lack of situational awareness and consciousness calling for it to not question what fate lied ahead.
The palm closed, and in one swift motion, where the stomach of the monster lied, replaced with a giant gaping hole. The hole had seemed to stay there for a while, as it paralyzed the slug due to shock. But then it exploded, and blood splattered all over the back, launching over the fence. Crackling sounds spattered as the hunter sighed in relief, only to be dropped by the slug shortly after it had its guts spread all over her clients' neighbor's garden.
"You need to learn how to call me sooner, Izanami. Swallow your pride." the devil whispers lowly, despite it using its quiet voice, the girl could still hear her devil's voice ring inside her head. At that moment, Izanami could feel as if her soul was being sucked out of her body. She inhaled the blood-stained air, none replenishing her lungs. Her body grew heavy, no longer feeling like she was alive and reverting to something similar to a husk. It was cumbersome for her to even lift her finger. She rolled her eyes back to look at the void above, only to see the malformed arm retreat into its desolate void, leaving Izanami behind.
The hunter fell to the ground, sharp pain attacking her back. She yelped and turned to her side, only to clutch onto her injured leg. She huffed and looked at it, sitting up slowly and lifting the burnt parts of her pants. It peeled off, and she saw the damage done. Her skin was still bubbling, not as bad as before. Her muscles were still singeing. She writhed in pain, reaching into her pocket to grab her cellphone. She needed treatment fast, hopefully before the acid goes far enough to melt her bones.
Just as she was about to make a call, a few emergency medical technicians rushed in and treated her injured leg. She winced and sat up, seeing the medics treat her leg so fast, then diverting her attention to the side.
In the backyard's corner, she saw the old woman, shuffling in the back and bending over to inspect something. Upon closer inspection, she saw that there was a small burning corpse. She hadn't noticed that the burning smell was coming from that; she had just assumed that it came from the leftover residue the slug produced. Izanami squinted and saw that the rotting corpse was a dead cat. Despite the unsettling sight, Izanami shut her mouth and kept herself quiet, pushing away the fact that her theory was right.
She wished she wasn't right.
The elder made her way towards Izanami; she lifted her cane slightly, and then let it down again to move forward. She looked down at Izanami while she moved her head to look away from her customer.
"... Fuji... wara... devil hunting organization...?" She asks, her raspy voice sounded like she inhaled gravel. Izanami nods and fishes into her pockets, taking out a devil hunter ID. The old woman squinted and leaned forward even more so she could read the writing pasted onto the card. She exhales and slowly leans back in her original position.
"What happened to the nice man? What was his name..." the woman tapped her cane until she arrived at an answer. "Minori? Is he busy today?"
Izanami furrows her eyebrows. This woman seemed to be a frequent customer of her dad. She'd rather not break the news to such an amiable lady. She had just seen her cat decompose in the back. Maybe telling her the unfortunate news would only make her day even worse.
In response, she nodded. "Yes, he's busy. He told me to take your request. I do most of the devil hunting services now, while he does paperwork and bills."
The woman hums to herself, looking to the side. "Ahh... unfortunate. I was hoping to talk to him one last time before my passing comes. I'm frail and old now. My grandchildren come and go sometimes. My children, who are now parents, rarely call and check in on me. But other than that, Minori usually kept me company when I felt lonely. I'm sure he wouldn't deny a request to visit an old friend, would he now?"
Izanami opened her mouth but paused and closed it again. She should have expected this. Her dad always took his time to get to know his customers, which is why the Fujiwara business was popular. Her lie collapsed in on itself, yet her face remained stoic and unchanging.
"Oh dear, has Minori's time come before me?"
Izanami doesn't answer and continues to look at the lady, her eyes wavering with sadness.
"Ah, don't answer. My poor cat, Stroganoff, went up and died. I'd rather have that answer be vague and up for interpretation, hm? This old woman will die soon, anyway. I should spend the last chapters of my life being happy than dwelling on the things that make me miserable. Hmm..." the woman smudged her finger over the handle of her cane again, trying to think up a topic to subvert the tension in this situation.
"You... named your cat Stroganoff...?"
"Who doesn't?"
A few moments of silence filled the outside, before the medical help dispersed from the scene, advising the young hunter to stay off her feet and rest her leg. Some continued to talk to Izanami (she naturally tuned out their useless information that she wouldn't even keep or heed when they leave.) And after what seemed like an eternity, they set her down on a rough and uncomfortable couch. The scene becomes silent again. Izanami turns on her side and faces towards some soft cushions to keep her company. She takes the time to relish this quiet moment, although she really should go soon as possible.
A few minutes after Izanami has that small moment to herself, the sliding door opens. The old woman shambles inside, letting out a deep sigh. She makes her way to Izanami and sits down on a chair to her right. Izanami let out a small groan, but one not loud enough for the woman to hear.
"Dearie, do you need a ride home?"
Izanami doesn't want to be polite and face her generous client. "No. I don't. I did your request, and I don't need another favor on my plate."
"Ah. If you don't need a ride, then I'll give you your pay." she gets up and walks over to the side. A few minutes after, she returned with a wallet, coins protruding at the leathery seams. She stooped over a coffee table that separated the two from each other and turned the wallet upside down. Moving her frail fingers over the zipper sealing the pouch, she opened it, and money and coins spilled out. It rapped against the surface of the slab, metallic noises jingling when the small coins hit the table. Izanami looks up to see what the racket is about. She had subconsciously tuned out the woman's ramblings, which she deemed useless. Her eyes widened when she saw the money spread out on the table, then focusing her attention on her charitable client. She smiled back, creases lining her skin that didn't mess with her appearance negatively, eyes showing genuine interest in the diffident and forlorn hunter.
Izanami sat up, clenching the cushions until her knuckles turned white and pulled herself up. She reached over and delicately slid the money towards her. A second after, crushed the money in her palms and shoved the bills into her pockets. Then she grasped the coins, treating them in the same fashion.
Izanami glanced at the woman and bowed her head. "Thank you for your kindness. I deeply appreciate it. And I assure you that if you continue contacting our business, your money won't be wasted."
She nods back in response. Izanami sees this opportunity to get out of the house. Money collected, small talk scattered here and there, and she did her job properly. A few hiccups, including the fact that she got injured. It's fine. Shrug it off and forget it in the long run.
Izanami huffed and stood up, and lost her footing for a second because she got up too fast. She stumbles but catches herself, regaining balance. Izanami didn't bother to wave goodbye to her patron, immediately strolling out of the house. The lifeless atmosphere greeted her. The sun was setting, and despite how soulless everything felt, the acrylic colors were something that Izanami couldn't ignore.
A beautiful painting with no soul. That's how life always felt like.
Could she ever live something close to a normal life?
But she might as well not dwell on philosophical thoughts such as that. She's a hunter. Wasting your energy thinking about those questions will only end your already brief life even faster. Izanami looked to the right and staggered off to the nearest bus station, the lifeless light illuminating her face.
☾ ————— ☽
"ahh... auhhh..." Izanami moans, dragging herself out of the bus she was just riding. Her leg stung with pain, a feeling of thousands of knives inserted inside shot through her. She winced and heaved herself outside. In the distance, she looked. The road seemed like it stretched on for miles, elongating if she gazed at it more. She made her way back to her dreary office. A confined space she wished she didn't have to go back to. A place where she forced herself to go if she wanted to survive the game of life.
How she dreamed to live a peripatetic existence, meeting unfamiliar faces, visiting unknown places sounded like a Garden of Eden for her. Again she cast aside the ambition, a chill shaking her backbone. The vibrant watercolor of her goal faded away, and to her disappointment, saw the gloomy colors of her hometown. The existence felt lifeless. Oh, to have the spirit of a dog. The luckiness of a cat. Maybe her life could come alive for once.
The sun had already set, dull yellow light shone on the lonely girl. The streets were no longer masked by the beauty of the intricate painting and vibrant hues of the sky. A black night dominated the city. Facilities that were open by day had settled down. Doors locked tight, lights shut down, no indistinct voices heard on the empty roads. As much as Izanami liked silence, she preferred her dose at her residence.
Izanami dragged her leg through the night, agony spiking up whenever she took a step. Sweat beaded at her sideburns despite the chilliness of the dark. Walking was such a laborious chore for her right now, and it made her feel like absolute shit.
About ten minutes passed, and Izanami finally made it back to her office. Stray light illuminated the window. A 'NOW HIRING' poster with poorly written calligraphy taped to the glass. Rather than attracting employees, it just turned them away.
Next to it, she glanced at the paper review she pasted on.
She remembered why she had put that review there; she was hoping to advertise the business so she could attract more customers. Izanami requested for a teenager younger than her to write an examination of her services, and she was hoping it would be something in-depth. A small essay that summarized what the organization offered was what she expected.
The review only had "good service” scribbled on there in a hurry.
To top it all off, her customer drew an enormous penis in the bottom left. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't erase the pencil.
She really should remove that stupid flyer.
Not tonight, though. Her muscles ached, and it was agonizing to breathe.
She limped inside and shut the door. Locking it with the many bolts and chains to the side. She staggered to her bedroom, hopping and taking off her trousers. Wiggling out of her suit and leaving it on the ground. She quickened her pace and jumped on her bed, letting out a small grunt.
She let the stillness ring and closed her eyes. Until thoughts edged to the back of her mind. She wanted to tune them out, but they only grew stronger when she tried to drift off to sleep. She opened her eyes and broke the quietness.
"Loneliness. Were any connections established today?" she asks in a firm and stoic voice.
"Haha, you don't need to be so formal with me, Ms. Izanami. I'm your caretaker, not a stranger. Onto your question. No relationships were established. You dodged a bullet with that geezer today. I have to congratulate you on that." Izanami heard sarcastic slow clapping beside the bed. She rolled her eyes and moved onto the next question.
"How much time do I have left?"
"Do you want to know, Izanami? From what I've heard from a young woman, ignorance is bliss."
Izanami growls lowly. "Cut the shit and tell me.
"Haha fine. Since you asked so nicely," she could feel someone lean on the bed, she tilted slightly to the right because of the weight.
"You will die in 16 years."
Izanami pauses and scoffs.
"Longer than I expected. You didn't need to give me that ominous bullshit if I'm already going to be living that long."
"Still... your father told me to give you advice and guide you. I would love for someone new to join me in the void already, but a contract is a contract."
"A contract is a contract... I guess. Now go away."
Izanami hears the wind blow, and her bed reverts to normal. She turns to her side, looking at the wall in front of her.
She sort of wished that her lifespan was shorter. Yet, she was holding onto the thinning rope that kept her alive. Will her life ever get better? Will she finally be living a life she feels satisfied with? Fall in love with someone without having to worry about the problems ahead?
She just yearned for her existence was simple. All she had sought after was something to make her feel alive. Something to pull her out of existence and make her feel like she was living. To just have someone feed, bathe, and love her... without a problem at all? Heaven on earth.
She thought about those warm dreams, those dreams she knew that would not come true if she didn't try. Meaningless dreams that don't have any value because of the life she chose willingly. Izanami drifted off to sleep, dreaming of the best life she could ever have.
Little did she know, she was about to encounter a certain red-haired dog owner who would set the course of her life forever.