Chapter 1: The Visitor and the Demon

A man stood near cherry blossom trees as the warm sun shined down upon him, lost in his own world while reading about the tall castle before him.

“So this is Tsuruga Castle impressive,” he said as he looked up and around the area.

Alex Kristoph, a man in his mid-twenties with brown hair and blue eyes, was visiting Japan for the first time as a tourist. Looking back down, he continued reading about the history of the castle from a pamphlet he had received. When he finally looked up, the white castle stood tall in the distance. It was his first destination, Tsuruga Castle.

Standing before its massive stone walls, he gazed up at the structure towering high above him. Reaching into the pocket of his brown leather jacket, he pulled out his phone while standing in front of the entrance and called out.

“Sir, can you take a picture of me?”

A Japanese man nearby smiled and replied, “Yes.”

He took the phone from Alex’s hand and activated the camera, then adjusted it for the perfect shot before speaking out,

“Hai, cheese!”

The phone’s camera flashed, capturing the moment. Alex gave the man a quick bow before retrieving his phone and looking down at the picture.

All of a sudden, there was a massive BOOM!

The shockwave struck Alex, knocking him off his feet and slamming him hard against the castle’s stone foundation. Luckily, he didn’t take too much damage, as his backpack cushioned the impact, if only slightly. Alex took a deep breath and looked to the sky, where demonic, twisted-looking creatures with wings were locked in an intense battle. Then he noticed their opponents, angelic warriors radiating light.

“This can’t be real... what is happening?”

“A... A... Angels?” Alex stuttered, staring upward as the sky burst like New Year’s fireworks. Magic of every color exploded across the heavens.

He quickly thought about all the people around him, especially the kind old man who had taken his picture. Panic filled him as he pushed himself up and ran forward, but then he came to a halt. Something was terribly wrong. Everyone was gone. The once lively tourist destination was now silent, empty, and lifeless, like a ghost town.

Then from the exploding sky of colors, a black meteor streaked through the sky and crashed into a nearby tree, sending chunks of wood and burning leaves flying in every direction. Dust and smoke flowed from the impact as ash began to fall from the sky. Alex cautiously approached the crater, the air growing hotter with each step. Flames burned hot from within the crater, and from the center, a dark figure slowly began to rise.

As it walked through the fire with inhuman steps, Alex stumbled backward, eyes wide with fear. The demonic figure turned its head, its gaze locking onto him. Without a second thought, Alex spun around and ran as fast as he could.

Alex ran as fast as he could, entering Tsuruga Castle in a panic. As he rushed through the museum halls, he climbed the nearest stairs reaching the second floor, looked around, and found a corner to hide. He quickly sprinted there and ducked down to catch his breath.

“Huff... puff... I think I lost it,” he muttered.

“Come on, Alex, keep it together. Just breathe.”

He glanced around the dimly lit museum, trying to calm his racing heart. “I... I think I lost it. I better stay here until that battle is over,” he thought to himself.

Then he heard it, heavy footsteps echoing from around the corner. Each step made the floor creak. Alex held his breath as the footsteps drew closer, then they suddenly stopped. The silence was suffocating. When the noise didn’t return, he slowly exhaled.

“Man... that was close,” he thought.

A few moments later, when Alex thought it was finally safe, a drop of something wet his jacket. He looked down, touching the spot with his fingers. The substance was thick and black, like tar. His stomach tightened. Slowly, he looked up.

The burnt demon was clinging to the ceiling above him, its scorched body dripping molten darkness. Alex’s eyes widened as terror coursed through him.

“What the...” he whispered.

He quickly dashed forward just as the demon descended, its clawed hand smashing through the floor where he had been moments earlier.

He sprinted down a corridor lined with samurai armor and swords behind glass displays. The demon gave chase, its screeches echoing through the hall. It was fast, too fast. Its tail lashed out, slamming into Alex and sending him crashing into a display case.

Glass shattered, and armor pieces scattered across the floor. The demon turned toward him, towering and snarling as it raised its clawed hand. Alex stumbled backward, grabbing whatever he could. His hand found a samurai helmet, and he threw it at the demon. The demon swatted it aside as the helmet bounced across the ground, slamming into the closest wall.

That brief distraction gave Alex time to grab a katana lying beside him.

He swung with everything he had, the blade slicing clean through the demon’s approaching clawed fingers. It screamed in pain, black blood spraying from the severed fingers as they fell to the floor.

Alex stumbled backward, finally getting to his feet and running again, his heart pounding as the enraged demon gave chase through the ruins of the ancient castle.

Alex climbed and climbed the stairs, forcing his exhausted body forward as his heart pounded violently in his chest. When he finally reached the top floor, his relief vanished. A black streak shot up from the staircase and landed in front of him. Alex knew he could no longer run. Tightening his grip on the katana, he took a stance.

The demon’s hand ignited with fire, heat radiating through the demon’s hand. The demon was preparing to attack as it pulled its arm back, but Alex decided to act first. He swung the katana with the last of his strength, trying to split the demon’s head wide open.

But before he could, the demon lashed out, its burning hand catching the blade mid swing. The demon’s hand burned brighter as the katana began to melt and warp. The demon grinned, letting out a laugh.

Pain seared through Alex’s hand as the heat spread from the hilt. He cried out and dropped the sword, the molten blade clattering against the floor. The demon struck back with a slash so fast Alex barely was able to react in time. Its claws tore across Alex’s chest, blood spraying as he fell backward onto the balcony, falling against the railing.

Alex gritted his teeth as pain burned his chest. He knew he wouldn’t last much longer, but he refused to give up just yet. As the demon licked the blood from its claws, something in Alex changed. His mind became more focused as adrenaline pushed him forward, the pain fading from his body.

He stood up and turned, spotting the roof below.

“I can make it,” he thought to himself as he prepared.

Climbing onto the railing, he leapt down from roof to roof, desperate to escape.

But before he could reach the bottom, the demon dropped in front of him as its clawed feet sank into Tsuruga Castle’s roof, causing tiles to shatter and pieces to fall to the ground below. Alex stumbled back until his body came in contact with the wall. The demon smirked, finally ready to end this chase. It raised its clawed hand high, ready to deliver the final strike.

“Is this it...?” Alex muttered weakly.

Alex closed his eyes, too weak to move, accepting his fate. The air burned hot as the demon’s hand descended. But the blow never came.

When Alex opened his eyes, the demon stood unmoving before him, black tar like blood pouring from its mouth. A radiant light pierced through its chest. The demon convulsed, then was lifted into the air, impaled on a shining spear.

An angel was behind it, wings spread wide as divine light filled the area. With a flick of the spear, the angel hurled the demon’s lifeless body to the ground below.

Alex stared at the beautiful angel. Before his consciousness slipped away, he shakily forced out one word to the approaching figure.

“Th... thank... y... you.”

The last thing he saw was the angel drawing closer before his heavy eyelids finally shut, and everything went black.