25

Scene: A vast and dark ocean in the Living Plane

Enter: A creature opening its emerald eyes

Shining in dark ocean bed with something arcane

The eyes blink. The creature roars as it makes its rise

A hundred metres wide or more it does comprise

And It is perhaps twenty times that size in length

Onyx blue scales, and sharp teeth that are optimised

To bite anything, maybe everything, to death

It undulates its body and lets out a breath

Shaking away from it, centuries of debris

"Something wicked this way comes" It speaks, quotes Macbeth

"I cannot believe that I am finally free,"

it rises up the surface within seconds three

And transforms itself into a little human

He is now a man with red hair, "Ouch! That damn tree"

He plucks out splinter from finger and keeps moving

He reaches the shore, people stare in confusion

Some even laugh at him, the green eyed naked man

A stare quiets them, from his green eyes of ruin

He weaves a magic portal and then leaves the land

The Midgard Serpent is free, but what is his plan?

Will he bring Ragnarok, and end reality?

From this frightening scene let us move to Japan

Or its afterlife counterpart, past celestial sea.

26

Enter: Hiraku, one of twelve Overseers

He was entitled to things most can only dream

His fief of Ogon No didn’t hold any fears

The whole realm of Uso held him in great esteem

'Uso' means lie, which might be a little extreme

For the Afterlife in which the Japanese stay

They were expecting reincarnation it seems

Or a place with their ancestors in starry bay

In Uso, though ne'er hungry, they still need to pay

for luxuries. They're tired of living the same

life they lived on Earth, this is no true holiday

It's the living world in everything but its name

Hiraku was a samurai of great acclaim

His scars told of battles where he ne'er gave quarter

The real tragedy was that his death was real lame

He slipped on a mango and died in the water

before he could join in the world's biggest slaughter

If the river hadn't killed him he would have been

Hiraku, one of history's greatest authors

The best and strongest samurai this world had seen

When he entered Afterlife he was not serene

Years of training in calming his heart, he forgot

He did not much like this land of the in between

Was this really happening or Ieyasu's plot?

Give me my rebirth, he demanded on the spot

Where he first landed in the realm of Afterlife

He tried to break open his head with a black pot

To release his soul and go back to real world strife

A wandering monk found him and did analyse (him)

His head splitting behaviour was an oddity

(The) Monk was Loong from Shaolin who met his demise

When he slipped on a mango of bad quality

He was legendary for his philosophy

And renowned throughout for his great martial prowess

Led on adventures by his curiosity

The number of enemies he faced were countless

His strength, people said, was very close to boundless

His short stature made people underestimate

him. Wherever he went he battled the foulness

of men. He was a staunch foe to evil's mandate

He knocked out Hiraku and then carried him straight

to his home in mountains so tall and beautiful

In Hiraku he saw a hero he could create

He looked closely, sure he was not delusional

Loong's training methods were all so inscrutable

After fifty years Hiraku bade Loong farewell

He went back to Uso, (his) journey a crucible

Adventures en route made his reputation swell

In this strange Afterlife his dreams he did excel

His many tales attracted the Emperor's ear

He was made an Overseer and did quite well

The golden age of Hiraku was finally here

The people of his fief all thought he was a dear

He brought great prosperity to his Ogon No

He made many new laws and raised his fief a tier

(The) First law proclaimed banned all production of mango

27

Her name was Etsuko, she owned a perfume shop

For brave, strong Hiraku it was love at first sight

The thought of talking to her felt like a sword chop

But Etsuko was his one and his true bright light

Her shop, next to a fish monger's, smelt good despite

Her perfumes were so strong, so fresh and very nice

That even the manure shop next door couldn't stink the site

Hiraku went there everyday to ask the price

of her perfumes, bought them all and gave her advice

On logistic and storage costs, other mundanes

He did everything he could think of to entice

the beautiful woman. Love then finally rained

The whole fiefdom came to bless what Hiraku gained:

A lovely new wife. Marriage feast lasted three days

Eating was a luxury, so many remained

for the entire wedding. It caused quite a craze

Akio was born a year later and amazed

Everyone with his great aptitude and his strength

Feasts were given, and people came with take-aways

To discreetly put some food in, before they went

back to their houses, so full, so well and content

They praised Akio's name to the skies. He was the best

of the best, first in every single event

When he participated there was no contest

The best nannies, best food he had, none did protest

The best of teachers and the best equipment too

He assisted everyone in all their requests

He even learned to fly at the age of just two

He was a chivalrous knight, they said, through and through

Tough as a warrior, and clever as a sage

People cheered for him whenever he came in view

And all this when he was only nine years of age

The fief of Kita bordered Ogon No, they waged

constant battles with Hiraku and his soldiers

Kita now had a new weapon, a battle sage

Sayonara his name, a crafty advisor

Kita soldiers led by Sayonara the Tiger

Rampaged through the wealthy fiefdom of Ogon No

Hiraku caught unprepared, without armour either

He in battle asked, "where's my son and Etsuko?"

"They are both dead by now, and that is all I know"

Hiraku was overcome with sorrow and grief

He stabbed himself with dagger and fell in the snow

And thus did Kita conquer Hiraku's great fief

28

Akio had been playing shogi with his friend

When the sounds and screams battle did reach his young ears

His mother armed with knitting needles did attend

to her son as she imagined her greatest fears

"Son, remember this," she said as she wiped her tears

“Even from the ashes does the great phoenix rise

Remember all your training and make many heirs

I’ll do everything to keep you from your demise

Fly Akio, just like your daily exercise”

She threw open a window and then hugged him tight

"I cannot bear it, mama," he said "please don't cry

Let them come and I will show them my deadly bite"

"No, my love," she replied, "In this you cannot fight

Go now and fly far away, my child, please hurry

Don't come back until you're able to end this plight

Fly away Akio, please don't make me worry"

She threw him out the window, and things got murky

Akio heard the sounds of combat as he fell

One day he would come back here, showing no mercy

To (his) enemies, he swore, filled with vengeance and hell

He flew far away with the sky in parallel

And then reached a colourful desert caravan

They were very impressed by him and let him dwell

amongst them. He took a new name 'Al-Out Katan'