chapter 24

As the group approached the gate, Yama began to walk towards them, opening his arms to them as they approached in a friendly gesture.

“Ah, you’ve come! It's nice to see you all again, Loba, Panka, and Uddi! And little Biji, how nice that you’ve decided to grace us with your presence.”

He spoke with honey in his voice while staring down at Biji, who desperately averted her eyes from the man.

“And you, our all-important guest of honor! It’s a pleasure to meet you, Jason; your brother has told me so much about you.”
Behind him, the three Soldiers’ Hand leaders began to walk into the palace, only Yuzo continuing to stare daggers at the group. Despite that, though, Jason felt shockingly unnerved as Yuzo’s eyes faded into the halls of the palace.

“Where are my proper manners, though? I’m Yama, the Domain Monarch of Naraka. I’d call myself a ‘king,’ but as a once mortal man myself, it feels… wrong.”

Jason, despite his confusion at the man's self-presentation, decided to go along with his performance. “Nice to meet you, Lord Yama. I'm psyched to be sharing a meal with you.” Jason said, engaging his plastic smile.

“That's the energy I like to see! Now, off to the feasting hall!”

…

When Jason walked into the feasting hall, he was immediately dumbfounded by the sheer size of it.

The table that contained the food felt like it went on forever, containing every human food that Jason could think of and a ton of food he couldn't name or even imagine being from earth.

Biji immediately ran towards the dessert bar, filling up her plate with both human and Narakan sweets, as Panka and Uddi seemed particularly interested in some vegetable dish Jason hadn’t seen before. Loba, on the other hand, was already sitting down at the dining table with his meal and had seemingly gotten himself some… ‘Is that pizza?’ Jason’s eyes bulged: it was his first time really seeing human food in what felt like a lifetime, and everyone but him was remarkably casual about it.

However, the choice of what to eat was made infinitely easier when he noticed, out of the corner of his eye, a plastic package. Small and square.

‘Do my eyes deceive me? In Naraka, of all places…?” Jason asked himself, his mouth starting to salivate and his eyes welling up with a light tear.

Fixing his eyes on the ramen packages, Jason quickly ran over in an attempt to grab a few for himself.

However, when he reached out, his hand was blocked by another.

Meeting eyes with Yuzo, even with everything that had happened, both young men couldn't help but laugh slightly to themselves as their hands both went to grab the same ramen packet. Yuzo pulled his hand away before gesturing to Jason to take one.

“I'll let you have your ramen this time, Jae. Consider it an apology for last year.”

Jason swiftly ignored the ebbing pain in his stomach and his chest. For a moment, he had his brother back, and he wasn’t going to waste that time holding a grudge.

…

Walking to the dining table on the other half of the hall, the two brothers sat next to each other, Jason grabbing the ramen along with some water and Rasa.

Yuzo’s plate, on the opposite end of the spectrum, was piled high with all sorts of dishes, both human and seemingly even Narakan.

Jason eyeballed the plate with a bewildered expression, prompting Yuzo to respond, not looking over as he ate.

“I’ve developed a taste for Narakan food. The human stuff Yama makes is alright, but it feels a bit too off from the real thing.’
As Jason tasted his noodles, sure enough, Yuzo was right; while the food didn't taste bad, it was just enough to be noticeable. But after being in Naraka as he had, he still finished the bowl in a matter of minutes, beginning to gag due to how quickly he had eaten.

Yuzo chuckled slightly at Jason's expression.

“I and the others struggled a lot with food when Yama found us, which is why he started preparing human food as well. When Nikolai tried the ice cream here for the first time, he threw up all over Yama’s carpet. Almost got incinerated on the spot. “

Jason chuckled lightly before taking a sip of his water. “I can imagine.”

Jason felt heartachemore the longer he looked at his brother’s gaunt, scarred face; trying to take his mind off of it, he decided to prompt Yuzo with questions.

“Speaking of… How did all this happen? The soldier's hand, Yama, all of it.”

Yuzo took a swig of the Rasa he poured for himself.

“A lot. Too much to talk about now, though. I’ll tell you about it some other time.”

Jason smiled at the implication, but as he turned to face Yuzo, he stared at Jason with blank eyes. Even with a warmth between them, Jason still felt the same intensity he had during their fight in Yuzo’s room.

The same simmering rage behind his eyes.

A few moments later, Yama tapped his glass with a spoon to get the attention of the table.

“Well, folks, I think it's time for the reason you’ve all been gathered here tonight. Come on, my boy, you have the floor!” Yuzo stood at Yama’s declaration, walking up to the front of the room.

“To all of you here, thank you for coming. I’ve asked Yama to gather you all today for one simple reason: unity.”

Jason’s eyes darted over to Nikolai and Ayn; the two were reclined in their chairs, sipping drinks and smiling at each other as Yuzo spoke, which made Jason feel uneasy.

“As you know, for a long time now, Manuyans have been falling into Naraka. I, myself, am one of them, and because of this, I’ve spent the majority of my time here attempting to uncover the truth as to why the plague of Scorched continues. In my studies, I've learned that the reason for all of this suffering is a bet between the highest-ranking among the realms, the Devas.”

The crowd went silent in shock; some Raksha even began to cover their mouths as if they had said something.

“The competition is a simple bet to see who can foster the greatest champion to fight in an upcoming war.” He looked over at Yama briefly before turning to regard the table once more:

“I’ve been chosen as the champion of Yama, ruler of Naraka. All the friends who have been lost, all the lives that have been ruined… It was all over a petty numbers game.”

Yuzo’s tone turned bitter as his speech finished, leaving the room deafened.

“I propose a solution. With enough gathering of Brahman, Devas are fallible. If we send them back into the greater pool of energy, we ourselves can take the reins of destiny and even the playing field for the world. Every being will be allowed their determination!”

He raised his glass triumphantly, met with cheers and clapping from most everyone but the group, as Loba, Biji, Uddi, and Panka all looked on with faces ranging from worry to flat-out confusion.

“With my help, I will bring my brother and the power bestowed upon me by Yama to go realm by realm, removing their despotic rulers from their thrones.”

Jason could only stand in shock as Yuzo continued his speech. Yama grinned widely to himself in the corner, arms crossed as he looked on at the crowd, burning his gaze into each of them as he stared.

“I implore you all, please, join my cause, fight with me! Together, we’ll take back the realms from these tyrants!”

As the crowd roared, Jason stood in silence but had his eye caught by Yuzo, who began to stare at him with hollow eyes.

“... what's wrong, Jae? Don't you want to be a hero? I saw what you did in the lower districts when you arrived; that can't have meant nothing, right?”

Despite the confusion in his tone, Yuzo’s face was like stone, plain and emotionless.

Jason stared at the ground, bitterly avoiding eye contact as he spoke to Yuzo. “So, bro, tell your audience here how you plan to transport yourself into different realms.”

Yuzo coughed before looking to address the crowd.

“My brother speaks the truth. Unfortunately, lives will be lost in the process. But! I believe that, for the greater good of all lives in all realms, it's something that needs to be done!” Yuzo said, raising his arms out wide in front of him.

“You’ve grown into quite the politician, Yuu. It’s funny; you always hated public speaking in school.” Jason grimaced to himself. “What changed?”

Yuzo’s demeanor shifted; through gritted teeth, he now laser-focused in on his brother.

“That’s because I've now seen horrors far outside the scope of a classroom, Jason.”

“... So, was Emma one of the lives that needed to be lost in the process of all this?”

Yuzo’s eyes fell behind his hair as he took a step back from the table.

“Why are you here, Jason?”

“Well, clearly, you invited me. I wouldn’t have come otherwise.”

Yuzo pulled the tablecloth into his hands, seemingly on the tip of rage, as Yama walked towards him and put a hand on his shoulder. He gripped tightly.

“Your brother has a point, my boy.” Yama’s expression turned sinister for a moment.

“Remember why you invited him.”

Taking a deep breath, Yuzo looked up to regard the table. “... Don't you want to save people, Jason?”

Without a moment of hesitation, Jason shook his head, prompting confusion from the rest of the crowd. “I came here; I did all of this to come find you. That’s it.”

Yuzo’s eyes went wide.

He lifted his hands from the table and then walked away.

Seemingly angered for a moment before returning to his cheery disposition, Yama turned to his guests.

“Thank you all again for coming. Feel free to return to your meals, and then please, enjoy the festivities while you consider my young friend’s proposal.”

Yama then started to follow Yuzo in a hurry. Close behind him were Ayn and Nikolai, who had an indescribable look of horror on their faces.

Taking a deep breath, Jason returned to his seat, finishing off his water.