Digital Devil Story: Warrior of the Demon City

by Aya Nishitani

  It was 3:00 PM the same day, in Asukamura, located in Nara prefecture. Bathed in the burning rays of the sun, the green of the trees was bright enough to pain the eyes. Blisfully unaware of what was going on in the capital, the faces of the hikers treading the gravel road were drenched in sweat.

  "Hey, want to head to Okadera next?" The college-age girl with the bob-haircut spoke coaxingly to the man with her.

  "We're still a far clip from Tonomine Hotel. If we make too many detours the sun will go down while we're still on the mountains." Taking off his sunglasses, the man pointed toward the mountains nearby.

  "We'll be fine, the sun is still high in the sky. Ah, a car."

  At the woman's voice, the man sluggishly moved to get out of the way.

  "Hmph, a Cadillac out in the sticks like this? Wish they'd give us a ride." Watching the car kick gravel aside as it drove out of site, the man turned and followed the woman.

  "Can you let me out here?" Nakajima spoke to the black man driving the car as soon as he saw the stone tumulus. Opening the rear door of the car as it slowed to a stop, he jumped out onto the ground of Asuka.

  "Good luck!" The driver showed his white teeth in a smile, than turned around, waving his hand.

  Narrowing his eyes and looking at the far-off scenery with deep emotion, Nakajima sighed deeply and started walking to Shirasagi Mound. The rays of the sun pulled Nakajima into a sense of surrealness, as if his feet were not touching the ground. With effort, by imagining Yumiko trapped inside the fleshy pillar of Set's body, he was able to pull himself from the strange sensation back to the world.

  Will I really be able to find Izanami again? The road between here and Yomi should have been sealed ages ago!

  Nakajima pictured himself standing dumbfounded in the stone room, unable to find the pathway into Izanami's burial chamber. Even the instant he stepped onto Shirasagi mound, he could not seem to be able to convince himself totally that his memory from the month before was not just one big illusion. The traces of Kerberos' passing before had been completely concealed by the overgrowth. Nakajima stepped into the cool air blowing out from the Kumazasa-covered entrance to the tomb. As he saw the small hole from within the stone burial chamber that the cold was flowing out of, Nakajima's eyes finally lit up with a purpose.

  For several hours, he gradually climbed down the long sloping passage. At the end of the long burial pathway, the silver relief marking Izanami's burial chamber was glowing. But the walls bore clear marks telling the tale of just how ferocious the battle with Loki there had been. The shattered fragments of of the pots in the room lay there as before.

  Nakajima stepped up to the side of the white granite dais. Taking some of the pomade from one of the few unbroken pots, he sprinkled it over the human-shaped ash on its surface.

  With a feeling of awe, Nakajima put his palms together and closed his eyes. Shortly, as he sensed the scent of the pomade being blown by a fresh breeze, there stood the unmistakable form of the goddess Izanami before him.

  "I've been waiting for you." Though her voice was laden with the kindness of a mother greeting her child, Nakajima could clearly hear the anxiety in it.

  So Izanami doesn't know exactly what is going on in the human world them...

  Nakajima briefly explained to the goddess about his brief reunion with Yumiko, the battle with Set, and the banishment project that Feed had been secretly working on.

  "I feel sorry for what happened to Tsukuyomi," said Izanami as Nakajima finished his tale.

  "Tsukuyomi...you mean Narukawa? Was there some sort of deep connection between me and him?"

  "Tsukuyomi is the god of the evening light. In an earlier life, he was one of your most powerful children."

  For a moment, the two were silent. Nakajima felt a sense of deep guilt for Tsukuyomi, who had been killed by demons without any chance to be glorified in his reincarnation. But there was no time to be held back by sorrow.

  "Izanami, if Professor Feed's test succeeds, what will happen to Yumiko?" That more than anything is what Nakajima wanted to know.

  "Nothing like that has ever been tried before. Unfortunately that lies beyond the bounds of my knowledge." Izanami sighed softly.

  Without any other sort of plan of action, if Feed managed to convince the American government, the demon summoning program would be activated on the satellite in dead orbit within a day or two. Somehow, Nakajima had to rescue Yumiko before that happened.

  "Please, I beg you, give me the power to defeat Set. Even if it costs me my life, I have no regrets."

  "I have no other power to give you. However...." Izanami, who had hesitated for a moment, was taken aback by Nakajima's concern for Yumiko, and quietly removed her robe, handing it over to him.

  "Wear this robe. With it you will gain the ability to race through the heavens."

  Averting his eyes from Izanami's pure, shining white naked body, Nakajima gently took the robe. It was as light as feathers and had the warmth of human skin.

  "That robe was given to me by my husband Izanagi. It is also my connection to the human world. If you take that robe, then I may never be able to appear in the human world again. Nor even be able to possess Yumiko..."

  Nakajima stiffened at Izanami's unexpected words.

  "But that is also the soul of Izanagi. Truthfully, it would be most fitting if you wore it."

  Izanami's voice became fainter and fainter. Looking up timidly, Nakajima saw her white skin lose its form, as if melting away into the darkness.

  "Now go. Please take care of Yumiko..."

  "Lady Izanami!"

  As Nakajima instinctively extended his hand, it passed through Izanami's holograph-like transparent body and clutched the air. Only a small amount of ash remained in his grasp.

  CHAPTER 6

  It was evening, and the streets of Kabukicho in Shinjuku were full of people. The alleyways leading to Shinjuku Station's eastern entrance were noisy with the sound of various music coming out of bars mixed with that of charming feminine voices. Along the roadside, a young salaryman was patting the back of a drunken woman, stooped over and vomiting. He looked slightly fed up, but seemed slightly reluctant to leave her.

  It was not as if nobody was watching; a taxicab driver was looking at the two with an expression as if he was tired of seeing the same sight for the hundredth time.

  A middle-aged woman with hair dyed red bent over next to the man.

  "Hey mister, you got a light?"

  "Eh? Sure." Not caring who it was, just happy that someone interrupted him, the man looked somewhat relieved as he held out his lighter.

  "Light it for me, will you," said the woman.

  The kindly man showed no sound of anger at the obnoxious request, flipped open the 100-yen lighter and lit the woman's cigarette. Blowing out a puff of smoke, she looked into his face.

  "You're a pretty nice guy. Why not ditch this girl and come with me?" The redhead threw a hostile glance at the woman next to him, who had not finished throwing up. Tobacco fell from her fingers.

  "I can hear the call!" She stood up, her eyes glittering with ecstacy. As if following her lead, the young man did as well.

  "Tatsuya, where are you going?" Wiping the vomit off of her lips, the young woman, still crouched over, looked up at the man.

  But as if her boyfriend had completely forgotten about her, he started walking away alongside the red-haired prostitute.

  "What's wrong with you, you jerk!? I'm never going out with you again!" Her blouse still open and her chest exposed, the woman staggered to her feet.

  Soon her eyes too stared into emptiness.

  To the west.

  The people just silently started walking.

  CHAPTER 7

  Inside the makeshift Capital Defense Base set up underground beneath the Ministry of Defense, a line of people over 10 kilometers long displayed on the video screen. The RPV was relaying t
he situation on the ground near the heart of the city.

  "They've finally made it all the way to Shinjuku!" The voices of the cabinet ministers were full of deep dread.

  "I'll leave how to proceed up to you, Mr. President. Please let me know the results." Ending the latest of his several conversations with President Reagan, Prime Minister Nakasone hung up the receiver, his face pale.

  "The Americans have already entered into final deliberations about the Demon Banishment Project. In case of emergency, they're sending the bulk of the 7th Fleet to Japan, which is already on its way. I've just put the capital under martial law. Both Narita and Haneda airports will be closed off, and I would like to begin directions for evacuating the populace to Tohoku or Kansai as soon as possible. Kurihara, how is the SDF doing?"

  "70,000 ground-based SDF soldiers, including the Ranger units, have already been deployed. They're working with teams of riot police to attempt to split up that strange line of people. Since there's a high chance of catching civilians in the crossfire at the moments, we're having trouble using any heavy weaponry, but we are looking for a chance to come up so that we can attack." Defense Minister Kurihara's description of the situation was calm and composed.

  "The only real problem is that mobilizing the SDF any more rapidly could antagonize the Russians. Sightings of scouts from eastern Russia have notably increased."

  "I've already sent word through diplomatic channels to let them know that neither our actions nor those of the Americans have any hostility, but..." Foreign Minister Hamano's acting substitute interrupted in a weak voice.

  The writhing mass of the tower of flesh, now even larger, was now displayed onscreen. Only Ota was looking at that otherworldly life form, his eyes full of adoration.

  CHAPTER 8

  The data from the RPV was being fed in real-time from the Ministry of Defense via American military satellite to the Space Command Center in Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado.

  "The President has decided on a basic level to support Professor Feed's plan." Aide to the President Richard spoke while staring at th bizarre phenomenon attacking Tokyo onscreen. Opposite the screen, a monitor was set up on the far end of the long rectangular meeting table. Sitting at the table were Aide Richard and Professor Feed, along with General Louis of the Space and Missile Defense Command and Baker, the engineer who in essence was in control of the SDI.

  President Reagan's concerned face displayed on the monitor. The teleconferencing system in Peterson Air Force Base was connected directly to the White House.

  "So, essentially we are faced with the choice of using a satellite in low orbit, one in dead orbit, or whether we should try to fire a satellite out of Earth's gravitational pull entirely when summoning the demon." Baker pushed his thick glasses up his nose with his finger.

  "We only have two satellites currently capable of summoning a demon. The Satellite Early Warning System Satellite Hummingbird at a height of 8,000 kilometers, or the satellite Star Scorpion, which is in dead orbit at a height of 35,000 kilometers. However, both satellites are important for our country's defense, and if anything happened to either of them it could cause great problems in case of nuclear warfare." General Louis spoke disinterestedly. "Of course, this would all be moot if the Japanese Self-Defense-Force were able to solve the problem on their own..."

  Aide Richard pressed a switch by his hand and a map of Tokyo appeared on the screen. Many green dotted lines on it pointed toward a large red cross that was situated a little left of center on the map, an indication of Set's location and the people moving toward him. On the monitor, President Reagan turned to the side, apparently looking at the same diagram being sent to a screen in the White House.

  "In order for the SDF to attack Set directly, they will have to keep the civilians from getting near him. However, according to the CIA's simulations, they will need at least 300,000 soldiers to be able to pull this off. The Japanese government can barely pull together 100,000 soldiers around the capital. They would have to get outside help first." Aide Richard was clearly hinting that the American armed forces would have to get involved.

  "So, gentlemen, which satellite would be most appropriate to use?" The president spoke from the monitor. Realizing that one way or another he would be forced to lose one of his military satellites, General Louis looked up toward the ceiling and sighed.

  Feed leaned toward the President on the display and spoke. "There is only one option. We must use the satellite in dead orbit."

  "Why is that?"

  "A low-flying satellite will pass over other countries' airspace, including those of potential enemies, and the potential for an international incident is too great should any unforeseen consequences come of summoning the demon to the satellite. Furthemore, all satellites in low orbit are fated to eventually fall to earth, and should we not come up with a method to destroy the demon permanently, that would mean summoning it to the surface once more. Launching a satellite out of Earth's orbit would of course be ideal, but it would take too long to prepare. Every minute we sit here, roughly 50 more citizens of an allied country are falling prey to Set's efforts to gather human Magnetite."

  "Very well. I shall communicate to Prime Minister Nakasone our plan to use the satellite in dead orbit then. General Louis, you shall head up the operation."

  "Yes, sir!"

  First a military man, Louis stood to salute.

  CHAPTER 9

  As if to split Tokyo on a north-south line, the riot police, stationed along Loop 7, set up a thick barricade to try and push back the line of people toward Shinjuku. Here and there, young soliders could be seen cowering at the sight of the massive line of over 100,000 people and being screamed at by their superiors as a result.

  "You can use tear gas if you need to. Do whatever you can to push back the flow of people!"

  The duralumin shields futilely attempted to push back the people. Those that fell over after being knocked over by the shields were trampled underfoot casually by the next group behind them. In the face of the meaningless bloodbath, the younger soldiers trembled in fear.

  Furthermore, in the midst of the chaos, some of the army men themselves abandoned their posts and joined the line, enthralled by Set's call. At the same time, the missile launcher teams that had been waiting for the order to open fire left their vehicles and mixed in with the throngs of civilians. Their owners gone, abandoned flamethrowers and portable surface-to-air missiles littered the sidewalk.

  While being enthralled by the visage of the enormous demon tower in their heads-up displays, the Airborne SDF also appeared to have been ensnared by Set's call; unable to attack, they dived the noses of their aircraft without hesitation and crashed amongst the trees of the Soga forest.

  Before even getting the chance to find out whether or not modern weaponry would work against Set, the officers in the Capital Defense Base had no choice but to recognize that there was nobody left to operate it.

  PART 7:

  TO SPACE

  CHAPTER 1

  The Kumazasa was wet with morning dew. As Nakajima left Shirasagi Mound behind him, the calm expression on his face showed not a trace of the worry that had lined it when he came here to ask Izanami's help. Turning around one last time, he sucked in a deep breath and kicked off the ground as hard as he could.

  His body seemed as light as a feather. As if coming to the surface from deep within the ocean, Nakajima floated through the air, his arms pushing in a swimming motion. The wind whipped at his ears. But it was not that of a great howl, but a comfortable sound like that of cloth fluttering in the breeze.

  Using one arm to push the air aside and twist his body, Nakajima started flying parallel to the ground. Below him, the Ishibutai tombs and roofs of ancient temples looked scattered amongst a pale green panorama. Leaving Asuka, Nakajima went in a straight line to the east. Soon, the blinding blue-black shimmer of Ise Bay spread out below him. Further ahead, the Nobi plains and
the peaks of the Japan Alps appeared to be looking up at Nakajima gently flying across the sky.

  Nature gave birth to and killed millions of lives here...

  Ages ago, the gods Izanami and Izanagi had a great fight. That day, Izanami vowed to take the lives of one hundred people per day, and in response Izanagi vowed to give life to two hundred people per day. Whether or not the gods actually had any interest in the lives or deaths of the race of humans, surely there was no conflict over whether any individual life survived or died.

  In ages past, this Toyoashihara might have been the country of the gods. But present-day Japan was created by the efforts of people, and ruled by people. It would be difficult to see any opportunity for the gods to interfere.

  And am I really Izanagi's reincarnation? At the very least, that's what Izanami told me. But I do not want to be a god. I want to live and die as a person...

  If Nakajima could really compare himself with a god, things would have been so much easier for him. Then he would have been able explain away the fact that because the single program he created caused his mother, Yumiko's family, and thousands--tens of thousands--of people to die as a destiny given to the race of humans by the gods. The gods simply would have given a cruel trial to humans who put too much faith in their own power by making them face off against technology-produced demons. It would seem natural for the demons would destroy the human world, and after the people had seen just how powerless they were, then the ever-capricious gods would step in and save them by driving off the demons.

  Even if I really am Izanagi's reincarnation, I could not become a god. I only created that program to get revenge on those who hurt me for no reason. And now I am using all of the power Izanami gave me to save Yumiko, just one person that I love...

  Gaining altitude, Nakajima plunged into the coulds. Crisp, cold air caressed his cheek.

  More than accepting the fact that his attacking the demons was out of stubborn insistence on rescuing Yumiko, Nakajima was trying to hold onto his identity as a person. But ironically, Nakajima had not yet realized that destroying the many in favor of an individual was also a common act of those very same ever-capricious gods. Furthermore, from the moment he had donned Izanami's robe, his body had subtly started transforming from the inside out.