CHAPTER 10: Where the journy begins...

I Shiki Youtaro was wearing a tuxedo and attending a decoration party that was held on behalf of Yuna Korima for taking down a devil lord. It was ordered by the council members of Alsa as to recompense Yuna for her selflessness and immediate act into putting down a danger that would have threatened the lives of thousands…but I on the other hand don’t feel that joyful about it. Not in the least.

Today marks the twentieth day since that damned incident…the old man got himself imprisoned and now the poor Kazehara-sensei is doing all she can to hold this country together.

Next to me was Nassi who by the way could not stop talking trash to me about being friends with a devil lord, he still attended the ceremony and wore formal attire. Although his grandfather was still being under imprisonment he must attend these kind of festivities as the new Head of the blazing fire dragon clan. Kaori on the other hand had very few comments on the whole thing yet surprisingly my sister Haruka was the one that was shocked the most, she cried for days and spoke to no one. Poor kid still believes in Asura being innocent and think that he was framed…I too had my doubts at first but once time passed and footage of the events were released I was able to fully see everything and to truly see the horror that was so close to me.

The party was held at the council’s headquarter that was located near the centre of the capital. As they are responsible for order in the country of Alsa they are also the ones who agreed that the old man should be imprisoned. The ceremony began with a moment of silence for those who had fallen on the hand of the devil-lord.

One man wearing an almost all-white robe with a hat that was decorated with golden symbols that matched with some of the symbols on his robe showed up on a veranda that was overviewing the hall.

He raised both his hands slowly in front of him and casted a Mahojin that was pure white.

A show of light then begun and illuminated the entire hall. Mots of light danced and twirled around the audience submerging them in awe, they say that these motes represent the souls of the deceased and are now making their final show before leaving to the after-world…I say it’s a bunch of crap. The man is clearly conjuring and manipulating these things himself but no one wants to see the obvious.

Once the show ended with all the motes assembling into a spire and disappearing after a firework-like explosion Yuna descended from the stairs that were next to the veranda where the robed man is standing.

She had a light blue dress with white strips that matched her body perfectly. Elegance in her demeanour was showing as she strode confidently. She stopped under the veranda and began to speak addressing everyone in the hall, her clear and serious voice boomed throw-out the entire hall.

“I am pleased that you have all showed up to this gathering. And on this occasion I would like to say a few words. First of all it was not only me who defeated the devil-lord but it was thanks to the masters who had managed to weaken it before I could land the finishing blow. Their sacrifice was not in vain as that dangerous beast was killed thanks to their effort.”

She took a breath and continued

“I also have a revelation to admit. My real name is not Yuna Korima it is in fact Yumina Shimazu.”

The hell? That is the same family name as Kaori…what the hell is going on?

“I had my reasons into why I needed to take my father’s name but I would like to just say that from this moment onward I will be contending over the position of head of the raging water dragon clan.”

Kaori spoke that moment “Yumina… where have I heard that name?” And then as if awoken from a dream into reality

“AH Now I remember…she is the girl that used to play with us when we were kids, I was told she was a distant relative and because we were separated for a long time I could not remember her…the only difference was that the girl I knew when I was young had ebony colour hair and Yuna here has white hair…”

Yuna…or Yumina then continued

“And finally from this stage I would like to announce that I will be participating in the Crucible that will rise the next year” the crowd ignited in murmurs and low whispers most of them were too surprised to even speak.

“Reaching the fiftieth floor was the condition given to me in order to succeed the current head. And I plan on doing it. That is all thank you all for coming…please enjoy the party.”

The hell this just went from very disturbing to totally stupid. I have to speak to this girl.

I walked hurriedly toward Yuna, trying to know if she truly understands the risks she is taking.

She was encircled with a large group of people most were trying to know more about that devil lord and some probably had other reasons in mind.

I still however, dragged her from within the crowd even under the hissing and disapproving sounds that the crowd was making but none wanted to openly disrespect the next to be clan head of the lightening beast clan.

“Am I crazy or did I just hear you go ballistic out there?”

“What do you mean?” she said

I massaged the bridge of my nose because explaining this will be a bit complicated.

“Do you know the other names of the Crucible?”

“The death trap, the impossible maze, the doom doorway, the highway to hell. The staircase to-“

I interrupted her

“Okay-okay that is not my point, my point is that it is named like that because it is not something that you just decide on a damn whim”

She then coldly said

“Do you think that I cannot make it? Should I just go back on my word now that I have said it? Do you think that I am weak?”

Oh god, women and their logic!!!

“No that is not what I was trying to say god damn it. Now listen up, the crucible rises every three decades you know that right? Do you know that some of the best mages from Alsa perished in it and those who had made it to the twenty first floors decided that they would never dare go back to that place again…and you want to reach the fiftieth floor? Aren’t you biting more than you could chew?”

She then shouted

“WHAT CHOICE DO I HAVE?”

I shouted back

“THE ONLY SANE ONE! DON’T DO IT! YOU WILL JUST DIE!”

She roared at my statement and stomped her way out of the hall.

Kaori then walked next to me and said

“What happened? Why did you do to her?”

I said

“Apparently that girl doesn’t like being told to stay alive so she decided that she would end her life in one year time.”

Kaori then said

“You don’t make any sense, is it about her participating in the crucible? I think that is honourable”

God damn it is everyone here so dense?

I said

“There is no honour in death! If she goes there she will die that is final that place is not for the weak of hearts. She is far too young…”

Kaori then said

“You seem to know a lot about that place…”

I then began to tell her why I did not want anyone I know to go there.

“This is something I was told to keep a secret, my uncle was supposed to be the clan head of his generation. He was far stronger than my father and had immense stamina and power. He decided that in order to avoid combat with his siblings and family that if he could prove his strength to all of them at once he will be heir with no trouble. So he decided to partake in the Crucible. It rose almost thirty years ago with its guardian promoting challengers from all over the continent to take their chance and risk their life for the ultimate goal. The one hundredth floor. Although none has ever managed to reach it some were said to have made it to the seventy fifth. My uncle though managed to clear fifty of them. However, when he got out he was not the same. He aged decades while only days had passed, he became ruthless and cruel not recognising his family he even taught that his life was but another floor trial. So he went mad and violent. The entire family was forced to act in order to stop his madness so they ended his life.”

“Oh my god” Kaori said “I never knew of this…isn’t the crucible considered a tower with multiple floors that you have to fight your way to the top? What is this thing about trial? Why did he age? What happened? I didn’t hear this from anyone before.”

“Well according to my uncle before he went ‘coucou’ in the head, and this is something you won’t find anywhere in a library. After the twenty fifth floor some floors might have a test or a puzzle to be solved in order to pass. Some might even take years to figure out. So the tower although in exterior is linked to space the time that passes inside is completely different from here. It’s like another dimension of sorts. My uncle said that he had met entire populations in there…probably descendants of those who had tried to challenge the tower before but failed.”

She then said

“What do you mean by populations? You mean people like living people? How is that possible? The tower cannot contain that much wasn’t your uncle just exaggerating? You did say he went crazy…”

“Well we did consider that at first but then he said that after the twenty fifth floor the rules change, not only the floor get bigger even the enemies you fight inside do not remain limited to monsters. As he was forced to kill thousands of people to leave a specific floor. Every floor as my uncle said, can be an extension of an entire world it is not limited by physical boundaries as you may think, the extension of a floor is in probably another dimension”

“This is too complicated…”

“It was to me at first, you can think of it like this. Imagine a hundred world on top of each other and then this tower is penetrating through all of these worlds. This is one way to interpret all of this.”

She said

“Well it sounds simple like this but to what end?”

I shrugged answering

“Beats me, but one thing I do know. That if someone is trying to take that challenge they are in for some ugly surprises. Not only each floor gets more difficult the people or in this case ‘enemies’ inside had spent god knows how much time getting stronger in order to leave that place. As they were born there their only way of ever leaving is to reach the final floor or so my uncle was told. So they dedicate their lives to strength and power. By the time the crucible opens they will all try their luck. And if someone is unlucky enough to be in their way to freedom they will be trampled.”

“That sounds like complete dementia”

I agreed

“Exactly! Whomever had decided the fate of those people must be crazy in the head”

“And now Yuna wishes to take the same path…I think that if what you said is true she should be stopped…”

“Finally someone who could relate, however please try your luck with her this time I think I had won enough hate points from her to last me an entire lifetime.”

“No it’s not like that” Kaori said, I think she is just sorting out her feelings…she must still be traumatised by that incident and now with all these events happening at once I can relate to her feeling a bit frustrated…she will get over it in time, don’t worry.”

“I do hope so…she is someone I don’t think I would like to see cry…again”

***

“Still so stubborn aren’t we?” said the same man who had been visiting me every time to deliver more pain.

My answer was silence.

“You have been under this for quite a while. Maiming, poisoning organ boiling teeth breaking and even bone shattering were not effective on you. Any normal person would have broken a hundred time over, Just why suffer the agony why not just speak and be released from this torment?”

…

“Damn it. EVERYONE LEAVE NOW!”

He ordered everyone inside the room and those where were watching to squirm away and so they did.

“I will tell you something. You truly are someone remarkable, to withstand this mush pain and for such a long time in order to keep an information is truly commendable especially in our line of work. You know I have been asked to bring up results concerning the eye and I did get a bit close to achieving it. In order to make it work it needs a host that has immense physical endurance…and only warriors do, however we had managed to replicate the same effect even so increasing it. The boy you fought that day was something we worked on for a long time but worry not we have many. The only thing we needed was a pure demon and a host to make a contractor. Those beings if injected with the same solution that Migado had used the day he fought you at school will gain reinforced bodies and the eye will operate.”

Why is he telling me all of this?

“Now the thing is, I no longer need you. As my prime objective was completed however, it is the fact that you regained your sense after being possessed that intrigues me. Although it is not enough to spare your life. This day marks one month since that you have been here with us, and by its end it will be your last. Whether you speak or not is up to you, but one of them will grant you a quick death it’s up to you to choose.”

Then he left.

…

So it comes to this…I have been waiting for anyone…I was hoping that they could probably understand. Why the hell is this happening to me…WHY? WHY? WHY? ...what did I do to deserve this…? Why her of all people did this to me…Damn it, damn it to hell…I was betrayed by everyone…I should have never trusted any of them…even my master, even he did not come to my rescue…why did I have to suffer this…why did I have to live that agony…is it not enough that I have not much to live…to suffer this treatment…why did I even agree to learn magic…why did I even agree to participate to that damn competition? Damn it to hell. Demons? Hah, they taught that I was possessed… damn idiots, Where was Osfor anyway…he could have done something, anything…and now I am back to where I started in life…a lab rat for the same bastards… why did it have to turn this way?…why?

No, it was actually my fault. I should not have trusted anyone. No one in this world is spared from greed, they all want something from you, and they all want what you have. They all wish that only they could succeed, and if it means to step on those who they cared for they would not hesitate. That day I died, it just hadn’t caught up to me yet. If I had known before I would have never let anyone get close. Humans are despicable. At least demons do not stab you in the back…

Thirty days had passed and I had tried everything to release myself from these restraints. They do not budge…my weapon was taken away from. Magic is useless here as these seals drain mana and the tubes that are inserted in my flesh drain my blood so I cannot harness spiritual energy…I had lived a life with nothing but hardship and now I will leave it…perhaps I should have given up long ago perhaps I should not have kept quiet…perhaps…

The man walked back in

I shivered thinking that the time that he spent out was too short did the day already pass? Was this is it?

My heart raced in anticipation to the nearing end

“So nothing…it is too sad to see one such as you leave this world. But rejoice, your gift will change this world long after you are gone. Do IT!”

Once he said the last words the chair lunged backwards throwing me into a hole in the ground that just opened out of nowhere.

I fell a few dozen meters into a pile of junk I probably would have felt the pain from the impact but the drop was eased by this black rotten sludge under me. It smelled of charred flesh.

The only light that shined on this wretched place was coming from where I fell.

Now I understand. This must be a dumpster to those who had been deemed useless and disposable.

The hatch closed leaving me in absolute darkness.

Would this be the way I die…from hunger and disease? Is there something here in this darkness? Perhaps there are gores here? No I cannot sense them…well I probably wouldn’t be able to even if I tried, my mind is all jumbled up right now…

I barely managed to stand up as my body was too weakened to sustain itself. Days of torment and motionlessness can do that to a person.

Wobbling my way out of the black sludge I tried to find something to help me out of this situation.

A lost hope. as nothing seemed to be recognisable. Only darkness and distorted shapes laying around on the ground.

Now released from the restraints I could probably use magic.

I tried however but failed miserably as I could not focus at all. My mana is ridiculously low right now. With not source as my weapon and without the eye I am not able to even produce the feeblest of magical spells.

There is no mana within me and I cannot harness mana from this place.

I cannot use magic here…

Hang on…no magic? Would that work?

I pressed my hands forward and chanted.

“Oh limitless domain…grant me privilege in seeking your attendance... Bath my soul in your bottomless wisdom…and let me see what no man should witness. Give me right to enter the void…”

I waited and waited but nothing happened.

Until few lights began to lit around the room. At first I taught the spell had worked only to understand the true error of my way of thinking.

When I fell from the hatch I had smelled something that resembled charred flesh. Now I know why.

The light coming from the now clear to be seen Mahojins illuminated the area only to show mountains of rotten and burnt corpses. I was trudging in human burnt filth.

These Mahojin were probably a mechanism to ensure that whatever is dropped here is dead.

Flames began to arise and close in rapidly. I was almost in the middle of all of this

It was my time to leave this world.

“I never taught that I would die in a place like this…Well I had a good run.”

“IT IS NOT YET YOUR TIME YOUNGLING!” Said a sagacious and primordial voice.

“YOU ASKED PERMISSION INTO THE VOID. THEN SO BE IT! YOU ARE INNOCENT NO LONGER”

A huge rift opened in front of me cracking the air apart. Showing an obscure world that no one should see.

Two large claws peeked from the fissure and landed behind me. They were large enough to almost cover half the space inside this dump. And then swiftly dragged me and the grime I was standing on into the crack.

I was still too shocked to understand what was happening and many questions arose in my head. But the main thing that was bothering me is…how will I survive this fall? As it turned out the thing that grabbed me tossed me a few thousand meters above the ground…or whatever it is down there as only dark and purplish soil was visible.

The land began to grow wider and the impact grew nearer but right before I reached the ground my speed began to slow to a complete stop and suspension a couple of meters above the ground.

Then whatever was supporting me decided that it no longer wanted to have anything to do with me so I crashed in, face first.

I tried to get up but was too exhausted to move so I decided that the spot I was in was a good place to take a nap.

I mean it’s another dimension what could possibly go wrong? Right?

Few hours later or days. I don’t think my biological clock is still functioning at the moment. And considering that this place has four moons and probably no sun can be a bit confusing.

As I looked up to the sky I witnessed a sight to behold. Grand and magnificent the colour of the sky, it was a deep red with four great moons dangled magnanimously and ingeniously above. Constellations I had never seen before and galaxies to behold.

The place where I fell was near a forest although I was perched and exhausted I decided to move closer to there. A forest would mean that there is a water source although the shape of the trees was not recognisable to me…well I am in a different world…

A walk that should have taken me a few minutes took almost an hour and almost all of my energy. But luckily I found a small pond filled with clear water…probably.

I looked into my hands and noticed that under the now dry sludge and remains of deteriorated burnt flesh were broken fingers…they were no good if used to contain water…I then dipped my face into the pond and drank like if It was no tomorrow. Did I worry that there was something in the water? Yes. Did I care? No. at this point drinking was all that I could think about so I did and did so ravenously.

After satisfying my thirst I decided that I could use this water to clean myself. So I removed my clothes and threw myself in. I had probably contaminated all of the lake and I honestly didn’t care as a forest this big would certainly have more of these ponds somewhere else or at least a river. Now my prime objective should be to find something to eat and a shelter to pass the nights.

I cleaned myself a bit and washed my clothes. My hands were still in poor shape so making a fire is going to be a difficult task.

It seems that this place is almost devoid of wild life. I can’t hear the sound of birds or the crackles of bugs. Only silence except for the occasional wind that brushes the leaves of the standing trees.

It took me quite a while before I managed to set up a camp fire.

The flame chased away the cold but I had forgotten a simple rule that needs to always be taken in consideration when camping outside. Fire is an unusual thing and all unusual things bring attention and sometimes an attention that you really don’t need especially when you are unable to defend yourself.

And this time this fire brought a special gest…well guests. Wolves. Not like any I had seen before. Their red eye shone from behind the curtain of trees and a half a dozen encircled me.

They were black as night and growled and salivated in front of me. One of them got too close to the fire and dissolved like black smoke. However the same smoke rematerialized a few meters in the back and the same wolf was back again growling louder.

One wolf walked forward he had a much larger body and he even had a mane that adorned its neck.

Every wolf made way for this one. As it is most certainly their alpha, I looked around me and grabbed the closest stick hoping to use it to defend myself.

“Don’t be stupid human. If we wanted you dead you would have been dead!”

It spoke… it then added

“Follow us we need your help.”

Well it is not every day that you get ordered around by a pack of otherworldly sentient creatures. So I did as I was told. I followed a talking wolf.