The Devil Been Isekai

 ”Of Man’s first disobedience, and the fruit,

Of that forbidden tree whose mortal taste,

Brought death into the World, and all our woe,"—Paradise Lost by John Milton

The sound of fluorescent lights buzzed over top of us; the sound was only made apparent through our silence.

I was bored by the silence, so I started up a conversation.

“Almost got hit by a truck on the walk over here.”

“Huh.”

“That’s it, Steve?

Just a huh.”

“What do you want me to say? I wasn’t driving the bloody thing.”

“A human response would be fucking nice.”

Silence fell upon the two of us as we stood next to the damn water cooler.

The sound of water drops dripping mixed with the fluorescent lights buzzing. As if my surroundings were trying to create a band.

Steve's face contorted in a way that showed his confusion. And spoke,

“Don’t you own a motorcycle?

Why were you walking?”

“The roads were icy, and I didn’t feel like breaking my neck to get to this fucking place.”

“Oh yeah, forgot about that…”

Steve took a look at a calendar hanging on a cubicle.

Hey… Isn’t it your birthday today?”

“I believe so. If I remember it right, I’m thirty-two years; getting old, aren’t I?”

“Yeah, I think I’m seeing white hairs starting to pop up.”

“ha.

You're a dick, you know that.”

“You would have said the same thing.”

“Want to grab something after work?”

“If you're paying, then I’m in.”

“What about half?”

“Fine.”

I took a glance at the clock and pulled out my pocket watch to check that the clock was right.

“Seems like it’s time to get back to work.”

“Well, see you at dinner.”

“Yeah, see you later.”

My mind starts to drift while pushing papers.

I never been too fond of winter. Whether it comes from my birth residing in it or something else, who's to say?

Well, I guess winter starts on the twenty-fifth, not the fourteenth. But do facts matter when people don’t believe in them?

If enough people believe in something, doesn’t that thing become reality…

Well, that’s just human history in a gist.

Probably should think of where to go. I’ve heard good things about a Korean buffet place nearby; we could go there.

Korea and Japan have never had a good relationship. I've done my research on the topic. Saw Man Behind the Sun; even though it was a Chinese film, Koreans were still killed by Unit 731. Japan was a real bastard in the Second World War.

My mind continued to drift from one topic to another till a good five long hours passed.

The workday had ended, and Steve and I went out on the streets of Tokyo.

Screens lit up the skyscrapers, trying to sell you something.

“So where are we going?”

“There’s a Korean barbecue buffet nearby; I am hungry and feel like drinking a lot.”

“On a Wednesday.”

“Yeah, being hungover isn’t too bad if you just force yourself not to feel it.”

“That is not how pain works.”

“Well, I'll make it work that way.”

“Man, you are such a crazy bastard.”

“Yeah, well, let’s get going. I haven’t had a damn thing all day.”

The sun was setting over the country of the rising sun. I chuckled a bit over such a stupid joke that always crosses my mind.

We entered the restaurant, and we were hit with the smell of cheap booze and good meat. With the lingering smell of stale cigarettes, but that goes for any good bar here in this city.

A waitress took us to an open table, and we took a seat.

We looked over the menus and ordered our food and drinks.

While waiting for our saké and meat, we struck up a conversation.

“So how have the pits of hell been?”

“Same old, same old.

Feel like I’m stuck in Tartarus rolling up a damn boulder.”

“What’s with you and Sisyphus?”

“I read The Myth of Sisyphus by Camus, and it never left my mind.”

“You must imagine Sisyphus happy.”

“Yeah, yeah, that's the one.”

Our booze and meat arrived at our table, and with a sizzler, we started our feast.

While we threw back our drinks and food as much as our stomachs dared to hold, and even more after that, I asked Steve.

“What have you been doing over there in Tartarus?”

“Same as you, but I’ve been reading about these weird disappearances in my free time. See, these reports say that throughout time, there have been these lights that just appear out of nowhere, and the person under them just vanishes.”

“What the hell have you been smoking over there?”

“Just the Devil's lettuce.”

“Well, what did they lace it with?”

We took a glance at each other.

And had ourselves a good chuckle.

“Still pretty goddamn weird though.”

“It’s probably just some people lying for personal gain.”

“Such a cynic.”

“Just the way I am.”

We continued to talk, drink, and eat.

My pessimism about my own birth grip loosened a bit.

But nothing good stays too long, so they say.

And our meal finished, we walked out with a good buzz.

I pulled out my pocket watch and checked the time.

10:40.

“Let’s call it a night, my friend.”

“Yeah, have a good one.”

We waved far away and went our separate ways, returning to our homes.

A city is never quiet, but tonight seemed like I was the only man on Earth.

The sky that was clear only a bit ago was now covered in a layer of clouds. Nimbostratus clouds (the dark/grey clouds), I believe that's what they're called.

Snowflakes start to fall upon me. I always like the day after a good amount of snow, the beauty of it all, before I have to go out there and freeze my ass off.

I put on a song for myself to fill the silence.

“The past seems realer than the present to me now,

I've got memories to last me,

When the sky is gray,

The way it is today,

I remember the times that I was happy.

Same old sun,

Same old moon,

It's the same old story,

Same old tune.

They all say Someday soon,

My sins will all be forgiven.

Gentle rain,

Falls on me,

All life folds back,

Into the sea.

We contemplate eternity,

Beneath the vast indifference of heaven.”

—(The Indifference of Heaven live at by Warren Zevon at Biskuithalle, Bonn, Germany.)

Good old Warren Zevon, the best that ever was.

My eyes were once more drawn to the sky. I wasn’t sure why; I just knew I should look.

Well, there was a bright light that cut through the gray of the cloud and the black abyss of the sky.

In total, three formed across the city, and then there was one on me.

“Well, Steve, I guess you were right.”

A feeling that I could only explain as if a thousand cuts all over my body happened within a millisecond. They all felt so familial but distant at the same time. As if they were echoes of the future.

My mind couldn’t comprehend what had happened, so instead of a screech or a yell, I just stood there in immense pain.

The blinding yellow that seemed stolen from the sun surrounded me.

In both my pain and confusion, I stood there like a deer in headlights (excuse the cliché simile).

With that, an explosion of white light surrounded me; the next thing I heard was that of a bird chirping, and the taste of dirt filled my mouth.