11:53 am
The mist again lingered within the cabin.
Mateo stood there watching through the glass—hiding himself behind the door.
Cold had crept through the whole cabin.
Even the glass was layered in frost.
The door itself was too cold to touch.
He kept his eyes peeled.
"Who am I even kidding? Come on now..."
Mist soon covered the whole view from the glass.
Absolute whiteness stared back at Mateo.
"...Yeah. Wrong cabin."
Rubbing his hands together, he turned away.
He took a step—and heard another.
His own steps stopped.
The sound of footsteps didn't.
Another and another.
The sound rang in his ear.
It grew with every beat.
Closer than before.
His slow breathing became heavy.
Cold air rushed down his chest.
He looked back.
Knock
A pale hand against the fogged glass.
Knock
"Hell, no", he whined.
His frozen step moved again—towards the door on the other side.
The door didn't budge.
Mateo stuck his palm on it and tried again.
Still not an inch.
Moving back and forth, he kicked the door.
Nothing.
Everything in his sight began to freeze.
The pale hand still forcing against the glass.
One door stood frozen—another stuck.
The ice closed in, stretching over everything.
Then he noticed it.
A red tint at the edge of his eyes.
'緊急時のみ使用可' written above it and below it—'EMERGENCY USE ONLY'.
His eyes slid down and there it was.
A red handle.
Mateo rushed to it and quenched it between his hands.
Twisting it with all the force his arms could muster.
Metals screeched out.
His eyes saw the frozen door behind him move and within the gap—the pale hand reached out.
...Rise...can't...
Whispers threaded came through alongside the mist.
The ice between his shoes and the floor shattered.
Mateo's step broke free.
The handle he had been twisting finally moved.
The door was light, even for a metal.
Mateo yanked it open and the cold in his chest vanished.
For the very moment, his eyes were blinded in a light.
Having the cold still piercing his back—he took a step forward, and fell.
He landed on something soft, something familiar.
Blocking the light in his eyes, he saw fur beneath him.
The cold finally died.
But something else caught his attention.
He could feel a huge patch of fur below him, a patch of fur that moved.
Mateo grabbed the fur with his fists and it shivered violently.
"Me-ow?", something squealed.
In the very next moment, Mateo could feel something touching his neck.
Extending his legs down, he jumped down.
As he stepped down, his eyes saw the whole place filled with boxes filled with several glass vials.
Looking around more, there were no walls but clothes supported by a pole in the centre.
Again he felt the furry sensation down his neck.
Turning around, he saw the door with the red handle and an enormous heap of fur.
A heap of fur it seemed to Mateo until he saw a pair huge greenish eyes.
The fur moved around and stretched out and then did Mateo saw the whole picture, a humongous cat sat near the door he came from and it's tail, twice in length, was what scrubbing Mateo's neck.
The huge eyes of the cat stared at Mateo and yawned, it's numerous fangs clawed out for a show just for a second.
"Meow? Meow! Me-ow??", the cat called out and tilted it's head.
Mateo stood with no motion until the cat hissed and it's large hair stood up thorns.
"Good kit—!", something yanked out Mateo from behind.
Being pulled like a fish on a line, Mateo saw the tent he was in.
He was now several feet off the ground, and his belief was much higher.
He over the huge crossroad riddled with many funny looking people—funny people, that's what Mateo could think of.
Among the crowd, he saw a horned-monstrosity arguing with turtle-like creature over a fish stall.
Beside them stood a group of utterly glamorous women with features such as foxes, for some reason, Mateo felt as if he as seen it somewhere.
Just past the street also stood a chunky stone giant with a showcase of blades beside him, he took one the blades from it and began grinding it on himself.
Even the sky was filled with flying creatures that Mateo knew for a fact were too big for birds and too small for planes.
With his eyes still comprehending the tremendous view that he still had in front of him, he began to see that every single creature stopped what they were doing and stared back at Mateo.
The non-stop hustle and bustle of the street stopped at an instance.
"Hsss-that a human?", a creature with an enormous snake-head hissed out.
" A human? Here??", another voice gasped out.
"Where is it?"
"How did it get here?"
"Ask for his name, he could be a spy!"
"Mmmh, it's the scent of flesh and blood"
"How much!? How much is it?!"
"I saw it first! My words shall rise over him?!?"
The crowd burst out once again, but this time, every single creature was staring at Mateo with utter amazement.
One of the bystanders even had seventeen eyes all over its body and they all stared at Mateo.
Mateo slowly rotated on it's own and saw what held him afloat.
Another glazing creature with bare fangs hanging out of its mouth.
Its skin as red as its eyes.
"Save your pitiful words, you imbeciles. This one is not for sale, I found this and I alone shall savor it"
Slowing turning, Mateo met a monstrous face with bare fangs lurking out of its mouth.
A colossal creature with horns had him by its fingers, it held Mateo in the air and examined him then spoke,
"Poor little human, your sight of confusion may add more flavour to your demise".
With a grotesque smile among its fangs, it opened its much wider mouth and moved Mateo towards it as he struggled but with no avial in the end.
Only when Mateo almost saw the end of his feet being engulfed among the hideous linings of the creature's fangs did he realized he had stopped.
"Ergh? what foolish act are you putting up, lady?", the giant creature spoke and looked down at its feet. Mateo also stared down and saw a white figure several feet from him, on the ground.
"Leave, leave him be. He belongs to the living", it was a pale and thin women in clothes as white as the snow.
She began slamming her hands against the gigantic creature's feet with her pale hands.
The creature looked with a disappointing gaze and with just a flick of its huge feet, sent the pale woman flying across the street.
"Such an impotent waste—", before the creature could be finish with its words, it shrieked out a loud roar in agony and held down his feet with his hands. Mateo slipped straight out of his hands and flew out in the open air until he fell down again.
"WHOA! WHO—", the whole crowd of persisting there hovered from one side to another and several of them had their hands and mouth open to where Mateo seemed to land.
"Aside! Aside! This is mine!"
"No it's mine!"
"Human flesh at this hour, what a delig—"
A creature with an enormous mouth was knocked away by a giant furball that rushed out of a tent.
"That icy hag!", the colossal red-giant shrieked out and removed its hands and exposed a frozen wound that peeled out on it's own, then flowed out a stream of blood.
Not even after a minute, several tiny creatures with wings encircled around the puddle of blood.
Although their feast was short lived as the colossal red foot of the giant stepped on them and faintly smirked on its own action.
Then without losing a single second, it swayed around its horned head and looked around the packed street.
He glared at one of the creature that was shaped like an old umbrella.
It signaled the enormous red-monstrosity to an corner with its one eye.
The creature grunted and moved its eyes to the corner and saw a furry creature slowly walking away between the crowd, towards where the pale woman had crashed.
Without wasting a single moment, the humongous horned creature grabbed the long tail trailed behind the furry creature.
"MEEEOOOW!", it lunged back at its tail and Mateo jumped out of its fur and fell among the inexplicable creatures staring at him.
"J-J-Just a bite! Yahhaha!!", cried out a deranged creature looking like crow, in its pitched voice.
It had lunged over at Mateo and he shielded himself over with his arms.
A moment passed by and then another.
Mateo heard nothing but then the whole of crowd around him seem to gasp.
Moving his arms away, he saw the whole crowd of unimaginable creatures had taken several steps away. Riddling with confusion, Mateo saw someone was in front him.
What he could see was a bushy tail with orange and white fur. It whipped around and turned around. What he looked like was a man with his hair tied back like a ponytail.
He forwarded his hand and called out,
"Don't worry. So long as I am here, not a single strand on your hair shall be harmed".
It spoke in utter confidence and Mateo took his hand.
Standing on his own feet now, Mateo felt obliged to ask,
"What the fucl is this plac—".
"—You have questions, yes, but now isn't a suitable time for them", the mystery man with the tail told Mateo.
"It's Aokiji by the way".
And as the man conveyed his name, something could be heard roaring.
Aokiji pulled out a katana that had been impaled down in the deranged crow by it's beak.
The treacherous crow cried out and quickly flew away. He cleaned the blade between his sleeves and sheathed it by his waist.
"This human and his soul is under the wing of O'kami Inari! Touch even a single strand of his hair and you will answer to us", Aokiji declared out and every eerie creature within the sight took a few steps back.
"My, my, what a view"
"Just another top notch show from the great gods of these lands"
"Such hypocrisy"
"If not for—!"
The chattering crowd was once again silent as the ground below them shook.
From a distance a huge furred cat came running and jumped behind Mateo.
Then came another shock on the ground.
"Look, look, what the play of the gods say? Only equality said their words but stench of power do we only see on our way", the growling voice called out mockingly.
"Leave, little fox boy. You have better things to die for".
Aokiji had his hand on the sword hilt, steady and calm, unlike Mateo, he answered the monstrous giant,
"It is not yet the hour of reaping, Togashi. You are very well aware of the decree, and wouldn't be foolish enough to go against it".
He stared right into the fiery eyes of the monstrosity.
"Decree-smcree! It is not I in fault that such a human fell upon in front of me at this time!", the giant thundered down.
Mateo hearing the words out of the monstrosity also lashed out as he saw the man with the ponytail in front of him,
"No one fell on anyone you—".
Mateo silenced on the glaring eyes of the colossal red-creature staring him.
"Whoever is at the fault for the upbringing of this human is not my concern, but right now, he is under the O'kami Inari's protection—under my protection", Aokiji called out and the huge pair eyes staring Mateo again moved to Aokiji.
"Come on, now child of the foxes, we mean no ill to your duty but won't it be a waste for such a soul to got to waste?", the growling voice of the red-monstrosity called out.
Within a few seconds, Aokiji looked behind at Mateo and again turned to the humongous red-giant.
"Yes, you are right", Aokiji replied and Mateo's face dropped down until Aokiji continued.
"That's why I am taking him back".
With Aokiji finished, the red-giant stomped down and growled at him.
"YOU NAIVE LITTLE SLAVE! YOU SPEAK OF FOOLISHNESS! UTTER FOOLISHNESS", the red-monstrosity thundered out and charged towards the man as Mateo tried to run away but a huge fur wall stopped him.
"Meow?"
Ground-shaking steps of the red-giant, Togashi as Aokiji called it, crashed towards Aokiji. Standing still, Aokiji pushed the hilt of his katana and unsheathed it in a flick so fast that wind blew out towards the charging giant.
Dirt among the street rode the strong wind and fell into the fiery eyes of Togashi. Just blind for only a single second, Aokiji saw his chance.
Taking an abrupt leaning posture with bent knee, he flashed away.
Now, standing right above the thick neck of Togashi, he jumped straight up.
Togashi moved its huge arms in a try to catch the fox-like Aokiji but with just one sweep with the katana in his hands—a head fell on the ground, then followed a headless body.
With blood now streaming down the place, even more tiny creatures with wings flew in to take their share from the headless body of Togashi.
"Hahaha! Hahahaha! You think you have made an end to my path, child of fox?", Aokiji stopped his steps towards Mateo.
"No, no, no! My kin will hunt you and as soon as my revelation begins, I too shall join them", the giant horned head on the floor shouted out and laughed in an uncanny manner as its eyes fell out.
"And know this, little fox, our reign is soon to return. One can feel it but none accepts it, but it don't matter! For even the inevitability will bend!", the bodyless head laughed until it was swarmed out by tiny creatures with wings.
A silence filled the the whole market.
...Even the inevitable will bend?...
Aoikiji thought for a second.
Then he shifted his gaze, he saw Mateo still stuck in the fur wall.
He sighed.
Making his way to him, Aokiji pulled out Mateo.
"Tha-thanks I...", Mateo saw as the furry creature purred while being scratched by Aokiji.
"Is this freakishly huge thing really a cat?".
Aokiji sheathed its katana once again and replied,
"Yes, but what do we call it again...ah! A bakeneko, although this particular one likes to be called kehoka".
The seemingly huge cat now moved towards Mateo and licked his head.
It exposed a rather huge forehead.
"You must have several questions, but first, tell me how you came here", Aokiji asked and Mateo looked at a huge tent.
...
"So that is why you saved me from that...thing?", Mateo wailed out.
Aokiji on the other hand was examining the door Mateo had jumped off from.
They were in the tent filled with boxes of glass vials.
"Yes. Fortunately, someone prayed for your protection this very morning. Had they not, you and I would not be having this conversation", Aokiji replied and climbed the door.
He saw the modern build of a train inside and seemed amazed.
"And where did you say is this place? Ricky? Racky?", Mateo also asked as he climbed the door. The huge cat, Kehoka also tried to fit its head but failed.
Aokiji Examined out the glass still layered with frost,
"It's Reikai and although I would love to ease your confusion, Mr.xung. I have to send you back to the mortal realm befo—".
"—That's her! She was the one who freaked me out of this place at first!", Mateo shouted out and jumped away from the door they entered from.
At the door stood the pale and white woman, dressed in all white.
Aokiji pulled his hand away from the sword hilt as he saw the woman.
Instead he helped her get on the train.
"What are doing? Did you just saved me to kill me yourself?! Get your fucking swords out! Get—", Mateo squealed as the pale woman slowly ran her pale hand on Mateo's face.
...Its...
...Cold...
"You have nothing to worry, she just believes she knows you. Very few Yuki-onna has ill intents", Aokiji told Mateo and the pale women stared at Mateo with a faint smile.
She still ran her hand over his face.
"Yuki-onnwhat? she remember me what now?", still Mateo questioned but this time, his heart was beating as normal as always.
He just remembered running away from this very woman moments ago in this very place.
Examining the doors, Aokiji replied,
"No one exactly knows but some theorize it has something to do with their place of origin".
"What?", Mateo asked back.
"They theorize that all that snow has affected their memory in someway and because of that, they don't retain most of their memories. So she could might as well be mistaken you for someone else but—".
Aokiji stopped in an instance and held out his katana.
Several footsteps echoed through the whole cabin.
"Move. Now"
He pointed his katana towards the cabin door.
Mateo quickly walked into the next cabin and the pale woman followed slowly.
Aokiji focused and he still heard the marching footsteps.
Shifting his gaze from one end of the cabin to the other end, he saw nothing for several minutes.
Soon the footsteps vanished in his ears. He breathed in relief.
Mateo look at the relaxed Aokiji and asked,
"And you're suppose to be an angel? of this Kami Inari? Who even is that?".
"You don't need to know", Aokiji spoke and again turned away from Mateo.
But this time, the place in front wasn't empty.
Near the edge of the cabin stood three hideous figure.
Hair as long as any other woman but smile as wide as a its outgrown nails.
All three stood there with overly lavishing make up that made them look more demented the longer one looks at them. Overly applied strokes of red lips and skin as pale as the moon. Lashes long enough to be thorny piercings and all dressed in glamorous Kimonos.
"What the hell are—", Mateo was calling out but his voice died down.
Aokiji looked behind his shoulder and a fainted Mateo in the arms of the pale woman.
"Keep him cool, he's departing from this realm", Aokiji told the pale woman who held Mateo in her arms.
Turning around again, Aokiji pointed his katana towards the hideous creatures in their way,
"What business do you ladies have on this human carriage?".
With these being the last words in the ears of a cold-ridden Mateo, he lost his senses.
∅———————————————∅
12:32 pm
"No, he cannot be that cold, it was just some rain", a familiar voice echoed in Mateo's ears.
"Then what do you think could be it? You don't think it's because of the bento, do you?', another familiar voice fell in his ear.
With a blurry vision in sight, he saw a woman with short hair.
...April?!...
Quickly rubbing his eyes, the view became clear. There was no woman with any short hair, only Brian with Tamamo and her long brownish hair.
"You okay, man? Was it the bento? Or the rain?", Brian asked and Tamamo lightly pushed Brian.
Scratching his head, he replied,
"No, nothing. Just had few winks in, didn't had much last night".
Mateo looked around the cabin and all the other passengers on board were getting off with their luggage.
Tamamo and Brian exchanged looks for a while then,
"If that's that then stop making us worry and get up, we have another train to catch".
Hearing Brian speak, Mateo also got on his feet and followed.
Walking behind Tamamo, Mateo saw himself in a glass reflection.
Something was on his cheek.
Rubbing it off with his palm, he saw that it was a white powder that melted after a few seconds in his hand.
Sighing while looking at his palm, he uttered,
"What the hell..."