Friends Made From Eternal Suffering - Another World Arc

“Who’s out there?" Hiroshi yelped in fright. He fell over and began backing away. However, it was futile. The darkness surrounded Hiroshi on all sides, threatening to swallow him whole. A drop of sweat dripped from his forehead.

“It’s me, the one they call the Darkness Demon,” the voice snarled back in a low, gritty tone. It was coming from the darkness. Hiroshi couldn’t pinpoint an exact location. The voice sounded like it was coming from everywhere and nowhere at the same time.

“Usually, those wretched fools in this village give me criminals to consume. They often beg for mercy or yell out. However, you’re different. You accepted your faith, and even asked me to kill you. Those humans mistreated you,” the voice continued. Hiroshi clenched his fists and gritted his teeth.

“Yeah, I hate them. I came here from another world, and they wouldn’t even listen to me! They just cast me aside like everyone else! Am I just their trash to throw by the wayside? A toy they can’t be bothered to play with anymore. That’s what I am,” Hiroshi retorted to the darkness. “I can’t stand it anymore.”

“I understand,” the voice said in an almost reassuring voice. Usually, I just kill anyone that they feed me. But, with you, you would go the extra mile, wouldn’t you?”

“What are you talking about?”

“I want to combine with you. Fuse is probably a better word. Together, we can get rid of people who are selfish. I hate people too. They treated me like a freak. All the criminals screamed and yelled at my existence. You didn’t cry or try to run away. You are a good person. What’s your name, young man?” the voice came again. If Hiroshi could see the figure, he could imagine it smiling at him. No one had ever said he was a nice person before.

“Hiroshi Akuma. What’s yours?”

“Oh, well, I was abandoned at a very young age, so I was never given a name.”

“You were abandoned too?” Akuma asked, with a peak of curiosity.

“Well, yes, usually when a woman gives birth to a monster with no face and covered all in darkness, you tend to be abandoned,” the voice chuckled. “I was chased out and told never to return or they would kill me. Even by my own parents.”

“Wow, that’s rough. You’re not a monster. You’re the most human person I have ever met,” Hiroshi replied with a smile. He thought for a few brief moments, before saying “Wait, do you have a gender?”

“Huh? I suppose I’m biologically not any gender,” the voice replied, puzzled by Hiroshi’s sudden change in questioning. A big grin appeared on Hiroshi’s face.

“Well, what about Kuro-Yami? They are both unisex names that means darkness! It suits you perfectly! What do you think?”

The darkness stared back at Hiroshi for a moment, before a bellowing laugh ran out.

“I love it, Hiroshi! That suits me nicely! Thank you!” Kuro-Yami laughed. “Now that my name is sorted, are you ready to fuse with me?”

“Sure, but how will we get out of the chains you’re in? Even if we fuse together, we will be stuck,” Hiroshi sighed.

“Oh, don’t worry about that. The Gods over in Titania helped in designing this especially for a being like me. They should be no match for a physical body,” Kuro-Yami explained to the young man.

“Titania?”
“Ah, yes, you’re from a different world. Allow me to explain. There are only two separate countries in this world, Acebia and Titania. They are often at constant war, but I was too big a threat to be left unguarded. So, the builders in Titania built those chains just for me. Shame they didn’t put me in a facility of some kind. They said I deserve to be tortured and made a circus animal for people to laugh at. Just for being born,” Kuro-Yami sighed forlornly.

“Gods?”

“Yes, they are very well respected across Acebia and Titania and are very powerful people indeed. They are the reason for my downfall in life.”

Hiroshi’s face was blank for a moment. Then, he grew a wicked grin on his face.

“Then what are we waiting for? Do it. Fuse with me. Together, we will kill all the Gods and become the King standing on top of the world. Nobody will mistreat us again. What do you say, friend?” Hiroshi asked.

“Nobody has ever called me their friend before…okay! Let’s do it, friend! FUSE!” Kuro-Yami yelled out. The darkness began closing in on Hiroshi. It began consuming him whole. He could hardly feel anything.

Out in the small village, people had begun to leave the stage. It had been a boring show. There was no struggle or violent death. Pretty nothing had happened. They sighed.

“What rubbish,” one villager said, turning his back to the stage.

“Agreed. At least we got rid of that trash,” the buff man replied, making his way off the stage.

That’s when it happened.

The figure began turning brighter. It gained facial features. It had now got eyes, a nose, a mouth, ears, eyebrows and even hair. It also managed to find schoolboy clothes. It was no longer a dark figure with no features or meaning.

It was Hiroshi. They were Hiroshi’s features. He yanked the chains off the wall in a rage.

“Hey, look! The creature escaped!” a villager cried out. Panic ensued. Hiroshi, now fully fused with Kuro-Yami, smiled with an evil grin.

“Looks like someone notices me. Finally.”