Kazuo closed the door to his apartment and found himself in the corridor of his building. He turned around, putting his bag on his shoulder, when he passed his neighbor across the street, an old woman carrying a basket full of vegetables.
"Hello, young man!" he said with a warm smile.
"Hello, Mrs. Hoshino," Kazuo replied, a little confused. She gave him a curious look.
"You look tired. Is everything okay?"
"Yes, everything is fine, thank you,"
he replied quickly. he nodded
before slowly walking away.
Kazuo sighed and left the building.
The morning sun's rays illuminated the narrow streets, but they did not erase the strange feeling of tension that had been weighing on him since last night.
As he walked along a familiar street, he stopped when he saw a group of young men standing a few meters away.
It was the Caterpillar Ambulance gang. But unlike their usual jovial attitude, they seemed nervous and awkward.
As he approached, they suddenly prostrated themselves before him, their foreheads almost touching the ground.
"Chief Kazuo, please accept us as your disciple !" one of them shouted.
"Huh? What?" Kazuo asked, completely confused. Another member of the gang looked on, his eyes filled with strange admiration.
"Caterpillar ambulance lost all respect after last night. He should be in the hospital now... We know you beat him, and We want you to be our leader.!"
Kazuo pinched the bridge of his nose in anger.
"Look guys...I don't care about that kind of stuff. Get back to see in your to the hospital. He's your boss, right? Show them some respect."
The gang members exchanged
hesitant glances before standing up, visibly uncomfortable.
"As you wish, boss... But if you change your mind, you know where to find us."
Kazuo rolled his eyes and continued on his way, wondering how he got here. ---
About twenty minutes later, he arrived at the sacred shrine of Kyoto. The place was quiet, shrouded in an almost mystical atmosphere.
The ancient trees surrounding the shrine cast dancing shadows on the ground and the chirping of birds accompanied the rustling of the wind.
However, to his surprise, there was almost no one there. Only two old women were present, busy cleaning the steps of the shrine with bamboo brooms.
Kazuo approached them and greeted them politely.
"Excuse me, have you seen Yoshinori Miyahara?" One of the women looked up at him, her eyelids narrowing a little.
"Yoshinori-sama? No, I didn't see him this morning, young man."
Kazuo thanked the women, but before he could ask any questions, a familiar voice sounded behind him.
"What are you doing here, Kazuo?" He turned to see Asami Miyahara walking up the steps of the shrine, her arms crossed and her typical proud expression.
"Oh, bye, Asami," he replied, feigning nonchalance that he didn't hear.
Asami frowned. "Why are you here? This sanctuary is not a place to wander."
Kazuo shrugged. "Your grandfather left me a message. You want to see ?"
Asami looked surprised for a split second before returning her disdainful gaze.
"That doesn't explain why you're here." Kazuo narrowed his eyes, annoyed.
"I'm just telling you! But, well, since you can see the future, I think you know what happened last night…"
Asami raised an eyebrow, her curiosity piqued.
"What do you mean?" Kazuo looked at her for a moment before shaking his head.
"You didn't see him then?" She sighed, exasperated.
"My power doesn't work like that, idiot. I can't see everything' all the time. It depends on the circumstances and the clarity of the events."
Kazuo grimaced. He had hoped that his power would have given him an advantage or, at the very least, answers.
"Okay, okay. It's just that. .. Last night, let's just say I had a rich evening."
Asami crossed her arms, a smile on her lips.
"And you came here to complain to grandpa?"
"Not exactly," Kazuo replied. "I am here to find out what is happening to me and how to prevent it from getting worse."
His serious tone seemed to disarm Asami a bit, who rolled her eyes before sighing.
"Follow me kazuo, then. If my grandfather asked you to come, it is because he has something important to say."
Kazuo nodded and followed Asami around the shrine, bracing himself for what lay ahead.
Kazuo followed Asami in silence, his footsteps echoing softly on the cobblestones of the shrine.
The calmness of the surroundings contrasted with the inner turmoil he still felt, his thoughts oscillating between the confrontation of the day before and the mysteries that seemed to intertwine around him.
Their path took them in front of a series of statues arranged at the edges of the sanctuary. Kazuo stopped for a moment to get a closer look at one of them. It depicted an imposing monk, dressed in flowing robes, with a calm but solemn expression etched on his stone face.
"Who is ?" Kazuo asked breaking the silence. Asami turned, looking at the statue with a respectful gaze.
" This is the Great Monk Kōsei." Kazuo raised an eyebrow.
"And who exactly should he be?" Asami sighed, as if exasperated by his ignorance.
"The great monk Kōsei is a legend. He was the one who sealed the Beast God in the dark dimension." The name "Beast Lord" made Kazuo tremble. He had heard about this entity in stories passed down from generation to generation and by Iriza, but he had never thought it could be real.
"So... was he the one who stopped this creature from ruining the world?"
Kazuo asked, looking at the statue again with some reverence mixed with disbelief. Asami nodded.
" Yes. He sacrificed his body to create the seal that holds the Beast God captive. His spirit, according to legend, still exists somewhere, watching over this fragile balance."
Kazuo frowned.
"And this dark dimension... What exactly is it?" Asami turned slightly towards him, thinking for a moment before answering.
"It is an inaccessible place. Physically, it is impossible to enter it. And metaphysically, it is not easy to relate to."
"The Dark World, or Yami no Sekai, is a space on the edge of reality, an alternate dimension where time and space do not exist as in the known world. This place is inaccessible to any but the most powerful or desperate entities. Legend has it that the Great Monk Kōsei, after a fierce battle against the Beast God, opened a portal to this space using an occult energy so intense that it nearly destroyed his own being.
The Lord of the Beast, an entity that embodied raw destruction and animal instinct, was imprisoned in this place without light or point of reference. The dark world is described as an endless void, where bursts of mysterious energy swirl endlessly.
The rare accounts of those who have seen visions of this place speak of a blank horizon, pierced by flashes of blood-red light, symbolizing the suppressed fury of the Beast God.
This place is not just out of physical reach. It is protected by conceptual barriers, layers of metaphysical protection that only a divine or cursed power could break through.
Even the most brilliant minds are reluctant to explore the depths of this space, fearing the consequences of prolonged contact with such an unstable energy."
Kazuo shuddered when he heard this description, even though it was given through snippets of information in stories and legends.
"So we can say that this monk... Kōsei, is a kind of supreme hero, right?" Kazuo asked, trying to hide his concern. Asami gave him a piercing look.
"It's much more complicated than that. The seal he created isn't eternal. And if someone were to break it..."
Kazuo felt a strange weight in his stomach.
"Then the Beast God will return, right?"
Asami nodded slowly.
"Exactly." They continued their walk in silence, the atmosphere around them increasing with each step.
Kazuo couldn't help but think about the recent events and the power he had briefly felt within him.
Was this a prelude to something greater, or just a coincidence? He had no idea, but one thing was certain: the Great Monk Kōsei and the Beast God seemed to have left a legacy that weighed heavily on the world, and Kazuo was just beginning to feel the ramifications.
Shadows of the Past and Present Kazuo followed Asami into the Miyahara family home. The place, though modest, exuded an atmosphere of tranquility and tradition.
The walls were decorated with elegant calligraphy and paintings depicting ancient landscapes.
But what immediately caught Kazuo's attention was a large framed photo sitting on a shelf. In this photo, a smiling family: two adults surround a little girl, perhaps eight or nine years old, with a mischievous look.
Kazuo paused for a moment to contemplate the image.
"It's you, huh?" Asami asked with a smile. Asami nodded softly, walking over to the bookshelf to look at the picture.
"Why don't you live with them? he finally asked, unable to hide his curiosity." Asami's face closed a little. She took a moment before answering, her eyes staring at the photo with unreadable emotion.
"My parents... They're no longer here". Kazuo felt a lump form in his throat.
"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know." Asami sighed, as if preparing to tell a story she had kept to herself for a long time.
"My parents were exorcists, like my grandfather. They sacrificed themselves to seal away a demonic creature many years ago. The ritual consumed them, leaving only this shrine as a legacy."
There was a heavy silence. Kazuo wanted to say something, but no words seemed appropriate. Suddenly, the atmosphere changed abruptly. A voice filled with joy echoed in the room.
"So, is that why you're crying, Asami?" Kazuo turned to see an old man, Yoshinori Miyahara, enter the room with a bowl of steaming noodles in his hands.
His walk was slow, almost clumsy, but he carried a mischievous smile that lit up the room.
"Hey, kid, are you staying here or do you want some tagliatelle?" he said to Kazuo with a laugh. Kazuo burst out laughing despite himself, breaking the tension in the air.
"No thanks, I just ate." Yoshinori sat cross-legged, placing the bowl next to him. He pointed to a pillow in front of him.
"Come on, sit down, let's talk seriously." Kazuo obeyed and sat in front of the old man while Asami sat next to him, her cheeks still a little flushed from the previous conversation.
"The succubus beast, Yoshinori began, looking at Kazuo, can you tell me what you know about it?"
Kazuo frowned, trying to collect his thoughts.
"Her name is Iriza. The first time I saw it... it was... in my bathroom."
Asami widened her eyes, blushing heavily.
"Your T-Balja? Why would she be there?"
Kazuo shrugged, scratching the back of his head.
"I do not know. Maybe he was trying to destabilize me or just embarrass me?"
"But this is not the worst. As soon as I saw her, something about her bothered me. A kind of mental pressure. She didn't say anything, but it felt like she was playing with my thoughts. Yoshinori nodded, becoming more serious. "
"Corresponds to his modus operandi. Iriza is a cunning creature." She always follows the same steps to corrupt her targets.
Iriza works according to a precise cycle in four stages.
Iriza appears on her target in a familiar environment, seeking to establish a presence in their mind. Her first manifestations are often silent but deeply disturbing, playing on fear and confusion.
After establishing a mental bond, Iriza applies constant pressure to the target. This stage aims to weaken their will by exploiting their insecurities, fears, and repressed desires.
After mentally breaking her target, Iriza uses her supernatural charm to lure them into a trap, often a situation where they must make an impossible choice. Those who fall under her spell slowly lose their humanity, becoming puppets to serve her purposes.
If a target resists to this stage, Iriza reveals herself in her demonic form. She then uses her brute strength to crush any resistance, ensuring to destroy or permanently corrupt those who dare to resist.
"She follows this pattern with you, Kazuo," Yoshinori concluded. It's obvious. Kazuo clenched his fists, remembering their confrontation.
"I managed to hurt her last night, but she regenerated and ran away." The old man nodded, his gaze serious.
"This is a good sign. If she runs away, it's because she's afraid of you, in some way. But don't get confused. You are not ready to face it completely."
Kazuo crossed his arms, frustrated.
"So what to do now?" Yoshinori gave a smile, but this time there was nothing comical about his expression. "You're practicing, kid. And you're serious. Because Iriza won't give up."
Kazuo exchanged a look with Asami, who seemed to share the gravity of the situation. The road ahead looked long and dangerous, but Kazuo knew he had no choice.