Kenjiro remembered the words Jonathan had uttered. As he walked along the corpse-filled streets of Tokyo, Kenjiro repeated what Jonathan had said in a whisper.

"Just have faith, huh."

Kenjiro took a look around Tokyo, most of the buildings have been completely toppled over. The once beautiful city with towering skyscrapers, enchanting shrines, and historical sites has been decimated into a city that was unrecognizable.

"Faith, sadly, isn't enough when the world has been completely flipped over." Kenjiro bitterly said to himself.

The day he had made the call, reality had become warped, and everything seemed unreal. Kenjiro would never forget the things that happened on that day.

...

The line for the telephones was long, Kenjiro had woken up earlier than he was used to. He remembered Akiko's outline from the blankets that wrapped around him. He quietly got up and went to the designated area. He endured the insufferable line. Kenjiro went through a seemingly long hour of food tapping and a fidget-inducing line. 

When it was finally his turn, his heartbeat was fast and off-sync with the ringing. Kenjiro stood there, and the telephone rang. No one answered. Kenjiro tried again. Resignation crept over his body, his gut felt like it was turning upside down. After a couple more, relief washed over him at the moment his mother picked up the phone. The universe seemed to stab its hand into his heart to wrench it out. Her mother's voice was shaking, telling him about the disasters that she had to go through back at home, in America. Kenjiro carried on, he tried to calm his mother down. Yet, his mom didn't. She had more to say. She told him that her sister traveled to Tokyo, and she intended to surprise him. That's when the line got caught off.

Cold. Kenjiro felt a chill. A loud bang immediately made countless heads turn. Kenjiro clenched hard onto the phone. Gunshots. Gunshots were being fired. Gasps turned into alarmed yelling. One loud bang after the other. People started to run away from the north building, the campus blocked whatever battle was occuring. The evacuees knew that whatever it was, it was taking place at the gates. 

Bang. Bang.

People who ran stood frozen, and loud gunshots echoed from the south gates.

...

Screams and shrills of confusion, shock, and horror surrounded Kenjiro. Gunshots were being drowned out by another. An odd silence came after the onslaught of raining bullets. The ground shook and rumbled. Something big launched itself into the main campus, and the walls near it fell like it was made out of the sand.

Kenjiro's legs felt like jello as he stared at the thing that approached them. A thing that was as big as an adult elephant. A thing that walked like an ape. A thing that had the face of a twisted dragon. A soldier was running toward them, and some volunteers followed as well. The soldier was screaming off the top of his lungs. Kenjiro didn't understand Japanese but he knew what the soldier wanted to say. 'Run away!'

But where should they run?

People frantically ran. Volunteers who were frozen moments ago scurried to help those in need.

Kenjiro was still in a daze. He stared at the bulky creature. A monster. A demon that seems to have jumped out from a book or film now walked toward him. He still couldn't believe what he was witnessing. It felt like a dream. 

His feet were planted firmly into the ground. He didn't know what to do, he could have run. But he knew what the soldier's fate would be, his inevitable death was looming behind him just like the trail of blood that followed the monster.

He watched as the soldier bought time for the others, gunning down the monster. He aimed at the vital parts, its mouth, and its eyes. The monster slowed down and turned its stocky arm to block the ammunition.

Evacuees and volunteers alike took the opportunity to run toward the campus. Some went towards the west building, hoping to escape at an exit over there. Kenjiro wanted to help, he looked around. Something, anything that can be used to distract the monster.

Right then and there, a loud thud and a gurgling sound came from where the soldier stood. Kenjiro turned his head to look at the soldier's mutilated body. Blood spurted out, falling and forming a puddle of blood on the ground where the soldier used to stand.

Tentacles with huge and sharp claws pierced through the soldier's chest, more clawed tentacles ripped the soldier's arms and legs apart. A different monster, smaller and slender, let out a piercing scream. Its disgusting, thin, and, pale tentacles waved the lifeless body hung uselessly in the air, its action sprayed the courtyard's grey tiles with blood. The monster flung the corpse into the air, the body landed on the opposite building.

The bulkier monster growled at the slender monster as if it stole its prey. The slender monster hissed and spread out its tentacles to make itself look bigger. Kenjiro stood still. He carefully tried to make no sound.

The slender monster snapped its head towards Kenjiro. That was the only time, Kenjiro realized

the creature didn't have eyes. It opened its mouth to reveal rows and rows of sharp teeth. It shrieked, Kenjiro shut his ears with his hands and turned away. The moment that the shrieking stopped, Kenjiro turned to face the slender monster, its face was a few inches away. Kenjiro braced himself and closed his eyes. There was no time to scream and no possible way of blocking every tentacle. 

He thought that this was his end.

Rather than dozens of sharp claws ripping him apart, he heard a yelp. He opened his eyes to see a sword pierced through the monster's thin frame. Akiko swung upwards, slicing the tentacled monster's torso and head in half. Black liquid spurted out from its body. The moster's corpse fell.

Akiko glared at Kenjiro, He gave a look that told Kenjiro that he was stupid.

He told Kenjiro to run and hide in the dorms. In a quiet and cold voice, Akiko informed him that they were surrounded, that there were monsters blocking them. Akiko faced the bulkier monster. Kenjiro gulped, as he followed Akiko's command. He didn't dare to look back, so he hid and waited. And waited. And waited until the roars and shrieks died down.

...

Kenjiro was able to live for another day and then another as he traveled along with Akiko and Yumi.

Kenjiro looked toward both of them. His eyes glossed over Akiko, the only person who had successfully fought and killed monsters on his own. His gaze swung over to Yumi. Yumi was one of the only few who survived. Kenjiro saw her running away, her parents had apparently been stomped to death. A monster hoard trampled

over Keio High. Kenjiro insisted to let Yumi tag along.

Kenjiro looked around the district. They have been traveling for hours. 

He turned to ask Akiko a question.

However, he faced an empty street.

What.

Kenjiro did a double-take.

Wait. I can move again.

His thought unchained. Kenjiro broke free from his spell. 

Kenjiro was angry, his memories were played out like an unchanging record. He remembered the perpetrator that made him re-witness the terrors that still haunt him whenever he sleeps.

"Hey, you demon freak! Let me out of here!"

Kenjiro felt something warm on one side of his coat, he fished it out of his pocket. A golden omamori glowed in the palm of his hand. 

A whisper was carried by the winds.

Kenjiro paused, he thought that he heard something.

"Chosen."

His eyes opened wide, he was sure of the voice that came from the lucky charm.

The omamori shone brightly. The small pouch turned into a bright light. Kenjiro squinted and covered the front of his eyes using his hands.

"My Chosen."

A figure formed from the light. Kenjiro faced a tall lady, her skin as pale and glowy as a pearl. Golden armor decorated her tunic and cloak.

A Goddess?

"Go, return to your home."

A beautiful voice chimed in Kenjiro's head.

"What do you mean? Aren't we still in Chiba?"

The immaculate lady shook her head gently.

"No." 

The lady snapped her fingers and the scenery dissipated. They were in some sort of

chamber. Fancy decorations of gold and silver filled the walls. The room looked like it was

taken from a 12th-century royal castle.

Kenjiro swept the surrounding with his eyes warily. He found a familiar figure. The demon illusionist stood at the back of the room. Dozens of golden spears pierced its body, pinning it down on the floor.

Did she do that?

The lady turned to follow Kenjiro's gaze.

"It is no longer a threat."

The glowing goddess faced Kenjiro. 

"You must return now. It is time for the Trial."

Kenjiro found himself mesmerized by the lady in front of him. She was clearly no human being. Kenjiro paused and thought about what to say.

"The trial? May I ask what that is?"

The lady as white as pure snow gently talked. 

"I don't have much time. Let the Harbinger, your friend, explain it to you.

Harbinger? What the heck is that?

 

"Akiko?"

The lady nodded and snapped her fingers once again. 

The light consumed Kenjiro's sight, in a blink of an eye, he stared at a ceiling fan.

A familiar voice filled the quiet room.

"Welcome back."

Footsteps could be heard moving closer towards Kenjiro. Akiko came into view.

Kenjiro tried to turn his head. A soft pillow cradled his head.

"Ah, ah, ah. Don't move. Your mortal body is still weak after all that. That's what happens with interdimensional travel. You might break yourself and turn yourself into dust."

Kenjiro froze.

Turn into dust?

Akiko placed his hands over Kenjiro's chest, the omamori was cupped inside. Kenjiro felt a certain heat. A familiar pain shot out in every inch of his body. The memory of him being injured during the earthquake suddenly intruded his mind.

So it was you who healed me.

"If you're thinking that I'm the one who healed you, no, this Omamori came from the Divine God you just encountered."

She's called a Divine God?

Akiko helped Kenjiro to move into a sitting position. He grabbed a chair and sat facing Kenjiro. Akiko began to talk, leaving Kenjiro with no time for questions.

"The world that you know of has ended." 

Akiko crossed his legs.

"It seems a Divinity has picked you as their Chosen.

A long pause and a pitiful smile formed on Akiko's lips.

"Now, then we have a lot of talking to do."

FIN.