Cast In Foulness

Japan, somewhere in Osaka city, November 2005.

The streets of Osaka city were crowded as usual, noises of chatter and bargaining echoed through the canyons formed by narrow buildings and sleek, modern storefronts.

The chill atmosphere carried the cold breeze of autumn.

It was nearly noon, and the markets were full as always. The masses tore their way through the cramped, shop-lined arteries, each seeking their duties, each living for their reasons, each heading to a destination.

In the corner of a less crowded borough a man was passing by. As his footsteps continuously tapped the concrete ground, he noticed in his peripheral vision a rather pitiful sight.

A black haired young man was lying down at the very back of an abandoned alley. It was engulfed by a sinister, murky aura that pushed all thoughts of aid from the man’s concerned mind.

“Parents these days, give birth and throw ‘em out, huh? Dear God!” The passing man’s figure faded away in the distance.

…

As the cold concrete sucked the heat out of his cheek, Sarai, who had regained his consciousness in nauseating waves, was dazed and tired to his spine.

His eyes opened to the faint sunlight, which embraced his deep dark pupils.

Of course, just the existence of light was an odd addition for him. He, who had been last buried in an obscure cave of corpses, could not grasp the existence of light.

Those dark eyes of his widened as he muttered, “Where the hell am I?”

Drip. Drip.

Droplets of blood plunged into the dirty ground. Sarai grew aware of a small wound his head suffered.

When the fuck did I get hit? How the fuck did I get here? He couldn't help but question the truth behind his current situation. 

He was in a dark, dirty alley; piles of trash rested in the corners, and dirty journals and clothes were thrown all over the filthy ground.

This sudden transition of his environment had left him reeling and extremely confused.

His shock reached its peak when he realized he was no longer soaked in blood, no longer attached to that nasty white uniform. His current clothes, a wide black tracksuit, were a new sight.

This gotta be a joke… When did I even…

The shock turned into terror that seized his heart. He began sweating as if bleeding, and the mental barrier throwing his questions right back at him rose tremendously.

The wound in my neck is gone. This thought flashed in his mind as he began sensing his neck with his fingers, and in that process, he felt strange carvings in his neck, forming mysterious sigils.

Additionally, he noticed the purple pendulum hanging from his neck, the one that shone in the cave and gave birth to a phenomenon he had just remembered.

Oh… I remember… That entity, What was it called? He took a deep moment of thought before the answer came to him.

The Scorpion… It saved me from those pigs, responding to my prayers… 

He recalled the last thing he remembered from being at the cave. His belief in the tiny creature that saved his life, and the forging of a Faith bond between them. For a moment, an ember of warmth embraced his pounding heart. It calmly beat, no longer slamming his ribs.

I suppose I'm a Faithful now… What a mess, Damn it…

Sarai had become Faithful the moment he had placed all his conviction in the tiny creature.

He knew that this phenomenon was prohibited and deemed blasphemous, and acknowledged how troublesome his situation had become, especially that he was cast in the middle of nowhere with no memory of what had gotten him there. 

He was indeed in despair, once again.

Damn it. I have no clue how I ended up here. I’m a Faithful now and the police will arrest me if I were to be caught, plus I'm dying from hunger and thirst. Sigh, one could just die at this point…

Just as he was about to get up, his gaze fell on a letter-like envelope that appeared rather thick. It was placed exactly near him as if left for him by someone.

A letter? He opened it, pulled the letter out and began to read. It was written relatively badly, as if the writer wasn't used to Japanese characters.

“Visit the Third District Public Library in Kakogawa Ward. You will find answers there.”

How about you be kind enough to write down the answers yourself asshole? He couldn't help but silently curse whoever had placed the letter for him.

There is something else in the envelope. He pulled the remaining item.

It was a tiny, old glass bottle filled with a blood-like liquid. It had a peculiar design and emitted a strange smell despite being closed.

Seriously? At least try better… Sarai assumed that the bottle contained poison, and that the letter was simply a spiteful poisoning attempt. 

Though the moment he had reflected on his non importance to anybody, he cast away that pessimistic guess of his.

I’m really thirsty… If it's poison let it be, I can't take this anymore… He swallowed the bottle's contents as if his life depended on it—which, in a way, it did.

What… This taste… The liquid scattered the rusty copper-like taste over his tongue. A shocking, metallic tang dried his mouth, while a cold numbness spread down his throat.

Following that, his vision began to blur, growing illusory and delusional. And for a moment, he felt silenced and less alive.

This fast…? So it really was poison… He arrived at a realistic assumption, but had abandoned it the moment his vision was gradually turning back to the usual. 

What did I just…? Damn it, can't even have a peaceful drink…

He froze there in a daze, not knowing what had happened to him. Eventually, he decided to ignore it all as a form of escapism. The barrier of confusion had long since crushed his rationality. Now, his only compass was his raw instincts.

What now…? He thought, as his gaze shifted towards the inked paper parchment he had found in the envelope.

I guess I could as well just go to that library. Hopefully I won't get arrested before that. Hopefully… Sarai couldn't help but drown in pessimism as his usual self.

Finally, he stood and headed out of the foul alley, which was swallowed by the stench of garbage and overflowing trash bins. He eventually emerged onto the now crowded sidewalk.

…

After circling through different boroughs and districts, asking passersby and shop workers for directions, Sarai finally arrived at Kakogawa Ward.

A neighborhood of cramped, weathered buildings. It wasn't a quiet one, but a different kind of noise dominated here—less chaotic, more subdued than the city's core bustle.

The masses flowed along the sidewalks, cars rolled over the wide asphalt roads, and the homeless hid in the shadows of narrow alleys.

A normal scenery, but deep within it dominated a mystical, magical charm of secrets that resided beneath the social surface. 

After a few more hints and directions, going around back and forth, Sarai’s eyes met a neon flickering sign at the very distance.

When did my sight become so good? Strangely, despite the long distance, he was able to clearly read what was written. 

“Kakogawa Municipal Services Building” that is.

There it is, the building where the library should be. 

He quickened his pace, but could barely maintain it. He was in deep hunger, and his body's energy was collapsing.

The atmosphere grew silent for a moment, and Sarai felt a peculiar awareness as his body froze.

It was the feeling of being deeply gazed upon–of being targeted by a violent intent.

Someone is watching me… For mere seconds, a terrifying sensation struck his mind. His eyes raced all over the road, his senses enhanced and he could tell he was clearly in danger.

He slowed down his pace. Eventually he decided to cross to the other side of the street to blend in with the crowd.

As Sarai stood at the edge of the sidewalk, a suspicious black car passed with reckless speed by his side. There was barely any distance between them.

Its door flew open. Suddenly, a huge, strong arm reached out, violently pulled him inside, and entangled him.

“Wha—?!”

Thump! The door closed aggressively, and the car disappeared out of sight in the distance.

Inside the suffocating car, Sarai’s eyes immediately shut. Once more, his mind was engulfed in a deep slumber.

Barely any of the passersby noticed, and the kidnapping went ignored. Except for an orange-haired man standing warily near the scene.

He watched the car disappear, a slow, deliberate smirk spreading across his face.