Digital Devil Story: Reincarnation of the Goddess (7 page)

Well, no big deal. Besides, it doesn't really affect me anyway...

Even though Yumiko could explain the situation away to herself in such a manner, she couldn't keep her heart from racing whenever she pictured his profile in her head.

It was a morning in July, close to the start of summer vacation.

Yumiko walked to school along the highway between Kuniritsu Station and Hitobashi University every morning. The branches of the trees stretched out to their limits so that their leaves would absorb the blinding sunlight, and as Yumiko walked beneath the lines of gingko trees with their outstretched, pale green leaves, she rubbed her sleepy eyes and thought of the phone call she had received the night before.

That call had come while she was cleaning up after dinner. Her mother casually picked up the receiver, then called to her.

"Yumiko, it's from someone called Yamanaka. Have you got a boyfriend already?"

"Yamanaka...?" As Yumiko cocked her head, wondering if she had a classmate with that name, then had a flash of insight.

"I'm sure he's just passing on a message from school," Yumiko lied at once. While thinking of who it might be, she waited a little bit before gently picking up the receiver.

"Hello, this is Yumiko..."

"...."

The sound of faint breathing was all that could be heard from the other side.

"Hello?"

"Stay home from school tomorrow." All of a sudden, a hushed voice sounded into Yumiko's ear. For an instant, Yumiko thought the voice sounded like Nakajima's, but she couldn't be sure.

"Hello, who is this?"

"He's after you. You should stay away for a while." The tone of the voice became urgent. But that only made it seem more suspicious, and as Yumiko tried to decide how to resopnd, she noticed her mother had stopped cleaning the dishes and was watching her suspiciously.

"We can talk about this at school tomorrow." Yumiko calmly said.

There was the sound of a clicking tongue as the phone hung up on the other end.

"What was that about?" Yumiko's mother asked worriedly.

"It was nothing. Being really popular is really a pain sometimes." Distracting her mother with an unintelligible response, Yumiko tried to recall what Nakajima's normal speaking voice sounded like.

College students in blue jeans and T-shirts passed by Yumiko, discussing their plans for summer vacation. One of them who was carrying a guitar case in his left hand bumped into her.

"Ah, sorry!" As Yumiko looked up suspiciously, the college student smiled shyly at her, but she simply ignored him and looked away.

That really might have been Nakajima...

Yumiko wasn't sure at the time, but thinking about it afterwards, she had the sense that the mysterious person that called her talked a lot like Nakajima.

But if that was the case, what was he trying to tell her? The voice on the phone had been very serious. It was full of desperation, almost like that of someone trying to escape from a pursuer.

What could have happened to him?

After the call, Yumiko had tried to prepare for the next day's class, but even when trying to focus on her textbooks, she kept picturing Nakajima's stare while looking at the typeface on the page, and none of the information in the book stuck. Not only could she not study, but kept up wondering about the phone call, Yumiko had barely slept a wink. Her head dizzy with insomnia, the baseball club members, having finished their morning practice, chatted amongst themselves as they walked by.

Yumiko turned to the left off of University Avenue and through the gates of her school. At that instant, a harsh shiver ran up her spine and her arms broke out in goosebumps. Wondering what happened, she looked around her, and noticed that Ohara was staring at her from the window in the faculty lounge. Her pitch-black eyes had an almost supernatural, sinister look in them, and watched Yumiko's every move. Absorbed in the stare, Yumiko started walked uneasily, and a male student on a bicycle lightly touched her.

"Hey, careful! Watch where you're going!" The bicycle sped up and the student pedaled away.

Returning to her senses, Yumiko looked back up at the window to the faculty lounge, but Ohara was no longer there. As waves of students proceeded inside the school so as not to be late, they turned around and gave quizzical looks at Yumiko, who was standing there as still as a post.

What are you doing? This isn't like you!
Admonishing herself, Yumiko ran into the school.

CHAPTER 2

Yumiko ran into her classroom and managed to make it to her seat before the opening bell rang. Soon afterwards professor Ohara entered the classroom and looked over it with a calm face, just as usual. Yumiko had seen her crazy state that night in the CAI room, but even before that, the two had never gotten along. Looking down as if not to make eye contact with anyone, Ohara directed the students to go to the CAI room.

The CAI room for a classical Japanese lesson? What does she intend to do there?

From Yumiko's experience, the CAI system in Jusho High was only used for science, math, and English. Why would they need computers to teach classical Japanese?

Paying no attention to the dubious Yumiko, her classmates closed their books and stood up, leaving their pens at their desks. Yumiko instinctively looked around to see if Nakajima was in class, but his desk was clean, and it looked like he hadn't arrived at school yet.

"He's after you. You should stay away for a while."
All of a sudden, Yumiko remembered the words from the mysterious telephone conversation the night before. A bead of cold sweat ran down her neck from her temple to chest.

"Hey, are you OK?" Yumiko's friend Kano Miyuki entered her spaced-out gaze. Yumiko's big black eyes were sparkling mischievously.

"Hey now Yumiko, no cutting class."

"No, I really don't feel well...."

"Come on, let's go." Miyuki was oddly enthusiastic as she grabbed Yumiko's arm and pulled her up out of her seat. Right at that moment, Ohara came close to the two.

"Ms. Shirasagi, you look a little pale. Do you need to take a rest in the infirmary?" She spoke in a voice that sounded a little bit too kind.

"It's OK, professor. I'll be with her to make sure she's all right." With a grand gesture, Mikuki patted Yumiko on the shoulder. The other students ignored the exchange as they left the room. But Yumiko sensed that there was something unnatural about the way they moved.

They're not acting normal!

A shiver ran down Yumiko's spine, and Miyuki gripped her hand more tightly.

"I'm OK, Miyuki. I can walk on my own." Despite her confident words, Yumiko's voice was shaking. She was determined to throw off Miyuki's grip and make a break for it as she left the classroom, but the minute she stepped out of the door, a throng of male students surrounded her.

"Come on, let's go." As he urged Yumiko along, Takai's eyes wandered aimlessly through the air. Before she knew it, Yumiko was in the dead center of the throng of her classmates. Miyuki continued to hold her arm tightly. Her delicate frame belied the incredible strength of her grip.

"Please, let go of me." As Yumiko opened her mouth to cry out, a handkerchief was thrust into her mouth to gag her. The students walked in file along the corridor, centered around Yumiko as she tried to escape.

As soon as the class was inside the CAI room, Ohara quickly shut the door.

Click.

As if signaled by the sound of the lock, the students stopped moving. Finally released from Miyuki's grasp, Yumiko looked around the classroom and let out a shrill cry.

It's just like it was that night!

There were no chairs or tables in the classrom; Nakajima sat in a leather sofa in the middle of the room. There was a twinge of pity and regret in his face as he stared at Yumiko.

Nakajima, why...
Yumiko's lips moved as if pleading for an explanation.

Looking straight at Yumiko, Nakajima slowly stood up and pointed at the sofa that he had been sitting in.

"Today, this is your seat." His low murmur pierced Yumiko's soul. The events of that night vividly resurfaced in her mind.

"No, I won't!" Unable to stand, Yumiko slumped to the floor. The many scratches on the linoleum tiles only too vividly reminded her of that evening. That night, Nakajima said that he offered Ohara to a demon. Was that for real? And now, was she going to be the next offering? Unable to run or get help, Yumiko started sobbing, and her tears trailed off her cheeks to the floor.

Black vinyl high heels stepped on Yumiko's tears pooled on the ground. Nervously looking up, Yumiko saw Ohara looking down on her with an eerie smile on her face.

"There's nothing to be afraid of. Come on, stand up." Holding out her hand, Ohara spoke in a soft, coaxing voice.

"No! No!" Yumiko furiously shook her head, and looked to Nakajima as if seeking rescue.

"It's too late now. There's no other way." Nakajima spoke as if trying to convince himself, and Yumiko listened in despair. Nakajima's narrow eyes turned to the host computer beyond the plate glass as their magnetic tapes began to spin. As if in time with the tape, the display in front of flashed in brilliant colors.

"Prepare the sacrifice." There was no hesitation in Nakajima's voice as he gave the order. Yumiko saw several students approach her to bring her to the chair. However, the next instant, a sudden earthquake stopped them.

"STOP!" A gut-wrenching, solemn voice cried out.

"Why did you stop them, Loki!?" Losing his calm at the unexpected turn of events, Nakajima gripped the microphone, his hands covered with cold sweat.

"I don't need your help any more," Loki said.

"What!?"

"Don't you get it, Nakajima? I already have the ability to materialize in the Assiah world on my own."

Nakajima's eyes were filled with shock as right in front of his eyes, the monitor displaying Loki started to ooze a blue haze. Right then and there, a dimensional tear between the demon and human worlds was starting to form. Giving off vibrantly-colored light like an aura, the atmosphere twisted and writed unusually, and a pungent cold air burst forth.

Yumiko just stood and watched the haze billow forth, her mouth agape. She was probably paralyzed with fear at the unbelievable events unfolding in front of her eyes. The haze gradually thickened, and started to move itself into a vaguely-defined shape, much like a hologram. Slowly, the form solidified. The light dancing amongst the frigid gust changed into flowing black hair, and the outline of a handsome face gained bronze skin, its deep black eyes gazing at the students in the room.

"Yod, Heh, Vav, Heh." In an ancient language, Loki declared his own divinity. Ohara, who had at some point fallen on her knees in front of him, put her hands together, looked up at him in awe, and spoke the same words as if worshiping an all-powerful god.

To think that Loki would have affected Ohara this much...
Powerless, Nakajima stared at Loki and Ohara.

I should have considered the possibilty that this could happen. I'd better find a weakness, and soon!

Nakajima frantically pointed a sensor connected to his computer at the nearly-fully-formed Loki. Calling up the ISG host computer, he sent the data about the demon that the sensor gathered to the Craft AI. Meanwhile, Loki extended his hand toward Yumiko, who was rigid with terror. His bronze, naked body was beautifully symmetrical, almost like the Greek Apollo, and his muscular chest was covered in black scales. His black eyes, from which no one could possibly fathom any emotion, paralyzed her.

"Come over here." Pointing his taloned finger at Yumiko, Loki ordered her in a low, cold voice. Yumiko looked to Nakajima for help, but he merely glanced at her and continued talking with the AI.

Nakajima knew he wouldn't have a chance if he tried to fight Loki directly. But Loki could probably not risk doing anything to him so long as he had control of the computer environment. Nakajima urgently knew that he had to find some sort of weakness to Loki while he still had the chance. He also was guessing that Loki would not be able to leave the magnetic field being generated by the computer.

However, just as Yumiko tried to stagger away and flee, a strange sound emanated from Loki's arms. For a moment they looked like they were beginning to melt, and then all of a sudden changed into a giant, jiggling, pink-colored blobs of protoplasm. From their tips, multiple tentacles lashed out and wrapped around Yumiko's limbs like whips.

"No, stop!" The tentacles grabbing onto the crying Yumiko's limbs pulled her up into the air, toward the body of the blob. A new pink tentacle sprouted and grabbed onto Yumiko's body, and the liquid emanating from its membrane melted her clothes, grabbed onto her now-exposed skin and started writhing along her slender body.

>CRAFT, HURRY!

Plugging his ears so he wouldn't have to hear Yumiko's screams, Nakajima frantically kept hitting the keys. Finally the data transfer LED lit up, and Craft sent a response.

>ACCORDING TO THE DATA YOU SENT, THE JELLY SUBSTANCE IS 58% WATER AND 17% ECTOPLASM. THE REMAINING MATTER IS NOT NATIVE TO THE PLANET AND CANNOT BE ANALYZED.

>HAS THERE EVER BEEN A CASE OF SIMILAR MATTER BEING DISCOVERED BEFORE?

> YES. THIS CENTURY, SIMILAR MATTER WAS DISCOVERED IN A MAYAN TEMPLE AND IN NEW HAMPSHIRE.

> WHAT IS ITS WEAK POINT?

> I CANNOT MAKE A HYPOTHESIS DUE TO INSUFFICIENT DATA. HOWEVER, THE MATTER DISCOVERED UNDER A RELIEF IN THE MAYAN TEMPLE WAS REPORTED TO HAVE EVAPORATED WHEN IT CAME IN CONTACT WITH MERCURIC SULFIDE-BASED PAINT.

> MERCURIC SULFIDE? YOU MEAN A MIXTURE OF MERCURY AND SULFUR. BUT I DON'T HAVE THE TIME TO FIND SOMETHING LIKE THAT. TELL ME HOW TO DEAL WITH HIM NOW!

> UNFORTUNATELY I DO NOT HAVE SUFFICIENT DATA TO PROVIDE AN ANSWER.

Angry at Craft's request for more data, Nakajima punched the keyboard.

At that moment, a strange gasping voice broke Nakajima's train of thought. Turning around, he noticed Ohara, who was writhing around at Loki's feet, hugging her breasts with her chest fully exposed. Nakajima did not miss the fact that a fist-size patch of her skin below her breasts was glowing. He immediately reported the situation to Craft and asked what happened.