Digital Devil Story: Reincarnation of the Goddess (9 page)

His long talons gouged deep into Yumiko from the nape of her neck to the middle of her back, and fresh blood poured out from the wound. But as soon as the aurora enveloped the two it immediately started fading. The only thing left behind in space where the aurora was were streaks of Yumiko's blood, and the the room shook with the anguished cry of the now completely summoned Loki.

PART 4:

DOWN THE ROAD

CHAPTER 1

Since the previous evening, it had been drizzling in the Asuka area. There, ancient thickets of cedars blocked the sunlight, making it dark on Ayakashi mountain, even during dayling. A statue deep in the mountains that somewhat resembled a monkey--placed there ages before even the Tenbyo era in the eighth century--looked up at the sky with its huge eyes that almost took up half its face.

The rain falling in front of the statue appeared to become tinged with crimson, and started to waver, despite the winds being calm. Presently something like an aurora appeared between two moss-covered old tree trunks. This phenomenon, called "Ayakashi" by the people of Yamato, was the origin mountain's name. The aurora increased in density, shining a brilliant festival of lights on the normally dark mountainside. A sudden gust of wind blew the light rain aside, and as it appeared to shake the aurora itself, the shapes of two people appeared in midair.

In an instant, the two shapes took form and dropped to the grass below. Just as it had appeared, the aurora gradually lost its light and vanished. As if it had never been there, the drizzle fell through the area where it had hovered a moment before.

According to the traditions of the local people, the gods of Yamato used this "Ayakashi" to travel to China and India. Those unfortunate humans who entered it unknowingly would vanish and never be seen again, so people were forbidden to approach it. Izanami surely had used that power to save Nakajima and Yumiko.

With the feeling of the calm wind through the trees on his skin and the cold rain on his cheek, Nakajima opened his eyes. Next to him, as if buried in fern leaves, lay the half-naked Yumiko.

Where are we?

Not letting go of Yumiko's hand, Nakajima warily looked around at his surroundings. The world he had seen beyond the Aurora had been one of fields and rolling hills, yet the two were currently in a dim forest.

Either way, they were safe. That, of course, was due to Yumiko's courage and remarkable power. Wondering how that sweet expression could possibly hold the power to stop a demon in its tracks, Nakajima put his hand on her cheek.

However, Yumiko's cheek was hard and cold, almost as if she was a doll of ice. Telling himself it was because of the rain, Nakajima took off his shirt and sat Yumiko up so he could to put it around her. However, when he put his hand behind her delicate shoulder, it came back covered in thick black clots of blood. Timidly looking at her back, Nakajima surpressed the urge to cry out and shuddered.

From her right shoulder to her waist, Yumiko's back had been brutally torn open, so that even her bones were visible. Just trying to grab her, Loki's claws had dealt her a terrible wound. As if awakening from a deep sleep, Yumiko opened her eyes. Her calm, pure expression betrayed no hint of pain from the wound as she gazed at Nakajima and whispered "I'm sorry."

"...."

Nakajima did not know how to respond, and simply hugged Yumiko tight. He should have been the one apologizing. Having Yumiko say as much to him hurt far worse than it would if she had condemned him.

But Yumiko's words had a meaning to them. She murmured into Nakajima's ear.

"Sorry...I don' t think I'm going to survive this. But will you wish to bring me back?"

"What are you saying! You won't die just from this wound! Hang on!"

"No, that's not it. Izanami told me earlier. It's not just because of this wound on my back. I borrowed Izanami's power to fight Loki. But her power was far too strong for me to handle..."

"Izanami?"

Nakajima was shocked by the words that came suddenly out of Yumiko's mouth. With his background in magic and mythology, he was able to grasp the meaning of what she said, even if only vaguely. At the same time, he realized the meaning of the strange visions that he had seen several times before.

They had been an exact replay of Japanese mythology. In order to bring back his dead wife Izanami, Izanagi, the father of the gods, went to the land of Yomi. But while there, Izanagi looked at his wife, who had become hideous, breaking a great taboo in doing so. Therefore, he was forced to abandon her and flee back to the surface.

"She told me that I am a reincarnation of Izanami. And that if you desire for me to return to life, you should bring my body deep into her grave, right to the room where she is entombed. If you do so then I will return to life, and this time we can live together." Saying so, Yumiko started coughing fiercely.

As her throat shuddered, Nakajima wiped aside the fresh blood that she coughed up.

"Yumiko, don't talk like that. You're not going to die. We're going to live happily ever after." Nakajima had never opened up to a woman before, but at this clear statement of his feelings, Yumiko's pale face turned into a smile.

"Thanks. Don't abandon me mid-way like Izanagi did in the myth..." Yumiko closed her eyes and as if going to sleep, drew her last breath.

Embracing her body and stroking her wet hair, a fire of emotion blazed forth inside Nakajima. Putting aside those visions, he had never had any contact from Izanami. But he believed what Yumiko had said entirely. Or perhaps it would be better to say that he had decided to believe her. After all, he
had
summoned Loki, the god from the legends of northern Europe. Nakajima had no idea how the mechanism for reincarnation worked, but if Izanami from Japanese myth really existed, then he would seek her out.

"Hold on. I promise I'll bring you back." Carefully laying down Yumiko's body, Nakajima picked up the handheld computer that had dropped to his side and turned on the switch. It fortunately appeared to be working.

If only I can summon Kerberos...

As the white mist appeared from the small liquid crystal display, Nakajima breathed a sign of relief. The fully materialized electronic beast roared once, and looked at his master with fire in his eyes. But the wounds he had sustained fighting Loki had robbed Kerberos of his usual vigor. It even looked as if his entire body had gotten a little smaller. It would probably take at least a few months for wounds that serious to heal. It might be possible to heal him by fixing errors in the data that comprised him inside the computer. But Nakajima had never tried to do anything like that before. Even if he did, it wouldn't be something that could be completed in a day or two, and Nakajima didn't have that kind of time. Patting Kerberos' muzzle as if to encourage him, Nakajima pulled Yumiko's body up onto his back and set out.

After ten minutes walking along animal tracks, they emerged from the trees. Far beyond a steep slope covered in kumazasa growth was the scene of a small mountain hamlet shrouded in the mists from the humidity in the air. On the right was a great stone tumulus, and behind it rose mountains emitting a greenish aura.

That's an Ishibutai grave and Tono Peak. So this must be Asuka!

The scenery before Nakajima matched perfectly with the photos in a book about ancient history he had eagerly read over and over long ago. Maybe it was true that an ancient Japanese goddess had called them to the mountains of Asuka, which were intimately entwined with Japanese myth. But how was he supposed to search for Izanami's tomb without any guidance?

As if to encourage Nakajima, who was standing still staring ahead blankely, the demonic beast beside him let out a low growl.

"Yeah, you're right, Kerberos. That has to be it..."

Drawing in his breath deeply, Nakajima balled his right hand into a fist and touched the tip of the beast's sharp fang to his wrist. In an instant, a sharp pain ran through his arm, and fresh blood flowed out of the wound. In order to find the location of Izanami's tomb, Nakajima tried to use his own blood to power and create a thaumaturgic circle. But as his blood fell to the muddly ground, the rain simply washed it away, distorting the shape of the circle. Even though he was dizzy from loss of blood, Nakajima tried to redraw it.

Though he was well-versed in magical theory, Nakajima had always relied on computers up until now, and this was his first experience trying to cast a spell by himself. But there was no hesitation in his expression. There couldn't be a bit of ambiguity when casting spells using a computer. He was sure that there was nothing he could not do, having mastered the theory to that extent. Deciding on the direction from the Ishibutai and Tono Peak, he used his handheld computer's astrology software to find the position of the stars and phase of the moon, and used it to draw his circle. Completing it and sitting down, Nakajima murmered "Izanami, please tell me where you are," made a sign with his hands, and started to meditate.

Nakajima was far from having any sort of psychic powers, but his feelings toward Yumiko and the unique magnetic field at Mount Ayakashi easily pulled him into a trance. Nakajima concentrated on the silver thread of fate that connected himself and Yumiko. The thread he pictured presently started to glow. Entering a state of deep meditation, Nakajima tried to superimpose the thread that he was picturing on the scenery of the real world. As he focused his spirit to the utmost, deep wrinkles formed in his brow. Finally, in the image he pictured, he could clearly see the silver thread being pulled into two small knolls, knolls that had been plowed into grape fields.

"That must be where Izanami's grave is."

Awakening from his meditation, Nakajima knelt down and looked for something in the scenery around him that matched what he had seen in his trance.

"That's it! That's Izanami's grave!" Nakajima cried aloud.

The two knolls stood in an area to form a perfect triangle between the Ishibutai and Tono Peak. At that moment, perhaps drawn by the smell of blood, several flies crowded around Yumiko and landed on her wound. Brushing them aside irritatedly, Nakajima picked her up and put her up onto Kerberos' back.

CHAPTER 2

At about that time, in the now-decimated CAI room, Ohara faced the host computer, talking with Loki. Even after being able to take full form, Loki seemed to prefer staying inside the computer in a digital form--it was most likely less of a physical burden.

"Damned Nakajima; he fled all the way to Asuka."

"What should I do? Should I send my students after them, or do you have another idea?"

"No, I'll go myself." Loki's voice was full of resolve. He fully realized that the revolutionary technology of summoning demons with a computers was on par with nuclear weapon technology. If only he could master the transfer of the data that Nakajima had developed, conquering the human world would be more than just a far-fetched dream.

But the same thing could be said of other demons. In order to prevent the technology from getting into the hands of other demons and thus ensure his absolute superiority in the Assiah world, Loki could not let Nakajima live.

Loki had servants that could be called spies--flies. Flies were one of the few creatures that could freely travel between the Assiah and Aztiluth worlds, and Loki had the ability to not only talk with all flies, but to sense everything they experienced on the surface as if he was there himself.

And from them, Loki had learned that Nakajima had appeared in Asuka.

"Well then..." Ohara entered a command into the computer.

Maybe it was just part of Nakajima's database, but displayed onscreen were the numbers for City Banks in the Kinki region. Ohara scrolled the screen and pulled up a map of Japan, referencing it with the phone numbers.

"I think that Fourth Kangyo Bank in Inai would be best."

"OK. Then send me there."

As the magnetic tape started spinning furiously, the screen became awash in brilliant colors. Setting the modem, Ohara pressed each button of Fourth Kangyo Bank's phone number carefully, as if not to make any mistakes.

CHAPTER 3

Sinking their sneakers into the gravel of the path, the hikers in Asuka hurried along the trail. The faces of all the nearby tourists displayed irritation at the unwelcome arrival of rain. Kerberos shot through the hills at high speed, Nakajima tightly gripping the corpse of Yumiko on his back. But the extremely abnormal sight didn't seem to phase the hikers.

"What was that just now?"

"They must be shooting a movie here, I guess."

The relaxed voices grew faint behind Nakajima. Presently Nakajima arrived at the hills he had seen in his vision. Nakajima did not know that this 200-meter tall hill was a Kofun tomb known as "Shirasagi Mound." Shirasagi mound was huge for a Kofun tomb, and was deeply shrouded in mystery. It was unknown whether or not it was a zenpokoen-fun "keyhole"-style tomb or just one that took advantage of a natural hill, let alone who was buried there or when it was built. However, it had been passed down in oral tradition that a woman had been buried here, and some of those who had studied the treatise "Gishi-Wajin-den" argued that it was the grave of Himiko, the ancient queen of Yamato. In the modern day, fully half of Shirasagi Mound had been cultivated into fields, and of the original burial mound, only a single stone chamber remained, along with a few Kumazasa shrubs and pine woods.

As Kerberos climbed the hill, his movement became visibly slower, and the spasms of his rough breathing could be felt on his back. As soon what appeared to be the entrance to the stone burial chamber appeared, Kerberos finally came to a stop. Nakajima dropped to the ground, leaving Yumiko on the back of the demon beast. And as if his strained nerves had finally reached their breaking point, as Kerberos' front legs bent, he collapsed to the ground. Perhaps his wounds from the battle with Loki had worsened, or perhaps Shirasagi Mound itself caused pain to the animal, but either way, as if he could no longer take another step, Kerberos stuck his tongue out and started panting, while letting out a low whine. The flicker of fire in his eyes was gone.