Chapter 20: The City of Fire

We are running. We are not running like humans anymore. We are blurring the lines between physical forms, moving at a speed that tears the air apart around us. Kasukabe is a blur of grey concrete and panicked screams, but we do not stop. We cannot stop.

Above us, the sky is a bruised, swirling vortex of violet and black. The sun is gone, replaced by a jagged hole in reality that pulses with a sickening rhythm. It looks like an eye. An infected, hateful eye staring down at the Kanto plain.

"Keep moving!" Yoshi roars. He is leading the formation, his boots cracking the asphalt with every step. He is using his geomancy to flatten obstacles, creating a smooth path for us through the gridlock of abandoned cars. "Do not look at the sky! Look at the road!"

"The pressure", Inoe gasps. She is running beside Muji, her face pale and slick with sweat. "It is crushing. It feels like swimming in mercury. Every step is heavy".

"Focus your aura inward", Kenuji commands. He is running at the rear, constantly checking his laptop which is strapped to his chest with duct tape. "Reinforce your internal organs. If you let the atmospheric corruption in, you will hallucinate. You will see things that aren't there".

"I am already seeing things!" Muji yells. He slashes at the air with his claws, cutting through a smoky tendril that tries to grab his ankle. "Shadows are grabbing me!"

"Those are real", I say, summoning a sphere of light to hover over us as we run. "Burn them".

We leave the suburbs behind. We hit the highway. It is a parking lot of stalled vehicles and terrified people.

"We cannot run on the road", Yoshi says. "Too many civilians".

"The barriers", Muji points to the sound barriers lining the highway. "We run on top".

We leap. We land on the narrow concrete edge of the sound barriers, fifty feet above the ground. We sprint along the thin line, balancing perfectly. To our left, the chaos of the traffic jam. To our right, the rice fields turning purple under the cursed light.

We are heading back to Tokyo. Back to the Hoshi house. Back to Hajime and Naomi.

"Kenuji, status!" Yoshi barks. "How bad is the city?"

Kenuji taps his glasses, which are syncing with the data on his screen. "Catastrophic. The spiritual pressure released from the G-Cans has settled over the 23 wards. It is acting like a lens. It is amplifying negative emotions. Riots are starting in Shibuya. Fires in Shinjuku. And..."

He pauses. His face goes grim.

"And what?" I ask, jumping over a gap in the barrier.

"Tsukiji", Kenuji says. "The Outer Market. There is a massive energy spike. It is not just panic. It is a manifestation. A Class S entity".

"Class S?" Inoe nearly trips. "That is... that is God-tier. That is a natural disaster".

"Why Tsukiji?" Yoshi asks. "It is just a fish market".

"The water", I realize. "It is right next to the Sumida River. The corruption spread through the waterways. The market uses tons of water for the fish. It is a conduit".

"It is on our way", Muji says. "We have to pass it to get home".

"We go around", Inoe says, shaking her head. "We cannot fight a Class S. Not after fighting Mercury. We are running on fumes".

"Look", Yoshi points.

We are cresting a hill. Tokyo spreads out before us. It is a nightmare. Smoke columns rise like black trees from the skyline. But near the bay, there is a fire that defies logic.

It is purple.

A massive pillar of violet flame is rising from the Tsukiji district. It is spiraling into the sky, feeding the Eclipse clouds. It is screaming. We can hear it from miles away. A high, shrieking roar of burning souls.

"That fire is consuming spirits", Kenuji says, his voice trembling. "It is not burning wood. It is burning life force. If we let it grow, it will consume the entire district. Thousands of people".

"Hajime's factory", I whisper. "It is near there. It is just across the river".

We stop. We stand on the edge of the highway barrier, the wind whipping our clothes.

"We cannot go around", Yoshi says quietly. "If that fire crosses the river, the factory burns. Hajime burns".

Muji clenches his fists. His knuckles crack. "Then we put it out".

"We are tired", Inoe says, tears welling in her eyes. "Yoshi, we are so tired".

"I know", Yoshi turns to us. He looks exhausted. There are dark circles under his eyes. But his gaze is steady. "But we are the Guardians. We don't get to be tired. Not today".

He looks at me. "Haruka?"

"I have enough light left for one fight", I say, tightening my ponytail. "Make it count".

"Let's go", Yoshi commands.

We jump from the highway. We hit the rooftops of the outer city. We run harder. We run faster. We run toward the fire.

Tsukiji Outer Market is a war zone.

Usually, this place is a bustling maze of narrow streets, smelling of fresh tuna, tamagoyaki, and sea breeze. Now, it smells of sulfur and scorched meat.

The purple fire is everywhere. It does not act like normal fire. It moves like liquid. It flows down the streets, sticking to buildings, melting stone and glass.

But it is not just the fire. It is the people.

A group of men in dark suits-Yakuza-are running through the streets. But they are not fleeing. They are attacking.

"Burn it all!" one of them screams. He is holding a Molotov cocktail. His eyes are glowing with the same purple light we saw at the festival. "The Master demands ash!"

"They are possessed", Kenuji says as we land on the roof of a sushi restaurant. "The corruption has taken over the local gangs. They are feeding the fire".

"Where is the demon?" Muji growls, scanning the chaos.

"Center of the market", Kenuji points. "The old auction hall".

We see it.

Standing on top of the ruined auction hall is a monster. It is a giant made of charred bones and magma. It stands twenty feet tall. Its head is a skull wreathed in violet flames. It holds a whip made of fire.

"It is an Inferno construct", Yoshi identifies it. "A fire elemental corrupted by the Eclipse. It is feeding on the chaos the Yakuza are causing".

"We have to stop the Yakuza first", Inoe says. "If they keep setting fires, the monster keeps growing".

"Split up", Yoshi orders. "Muji, Inoe-take out the gangsters. Non-lethal, but make it hurt. Kenuji, Haruka, Yoshi-we take the big guy".

"On it", Muji drops from the roof. He lands on a possessed gangster who is about to throw a torch into a shop.

"No littering", Muji says. He grabs the man's arm and twists. The torch falls. Muji kicks the man into a pile of trash bags.

"Sleep", Inoe lands beside him. She sends a psychic wave through the street. "You are all very tired. Nap time".

Half the gangsters stumble and fall. But the ones closer to the fire demon are resistant. The demon's aura protects them.

"We have to kill the source!" I yell.

Yoshi, Kenuji, and I charge the auction hall.

The demon sees us. It roars. It swings its fire whip.

"Scatter!" Yoshi screams.

The whip hits the street where we were standing. The asphalt melts instantly, turning into a river of lava.

"It is hot!" I gasp, feeling the heat singe my eyebrows. "Too hot!"

"Geomancer Arts: Tsunami Wall!"

Yoshi slams the ground. He pulls up the pavement, creating a wave of earth to block the heat. The rock glows red, melting under the demon's intensity.

"It is burning through the rock!" Yoshi grunts, sweat pouring down his face. "I cannot hold it!"

"Kenuji! Distract it!"

Kenuji focuses. He reaches out with his mind. He grabs a nearby water tower on top of a building.

"Psychic Grip!"

He rips the water tower off its supports. He throws it at the demon.

CRASH.

Thousands of gallons of water hit the fire monster. Steam explodes outward. The demon hisses, its flames dimming for a second.

"It barely felt that!" Kenuji yells. "The water evaporated before it hit the core!"

"We need to get closer", I say. "I need to hit the skull. That is where the seal is".

"I will make a path", Yoshi says. "Haruka, ride the slide".

"What?"

Yoshi stomps. The ground beneath me lifts up. It forms a ramp, shooting straight toward the demon's chest.

"Go!" Yoshi yells.

I run up the stone ramp. I am sprinting directly into the fire.

The demon sees me. It raises a massive, skeletal hand to swat me out of the air.

"Oh no you don't", Kenuji grunts. He holds out both hands. "Psychic Bind!"

Invisible chains wrap around the demon's arm. It struggles. Kenuji's nose starts to bleed. "Hurry! It is strong!"

I reach the end of the ramp. I jump.

I am flying through the purple smoke. I am eye-level with the burning skull.

"Divine Light: Exorcism Blade!"

I form a sword of pure light in my hand. I swing it with everything I have.

CRACK.

My light blade hits the skull. It chips the bone. But it does not break. The skull is harder than steel.

The demon laughs. It opens its mouth and breathes a torrent of fire at me.

"Haruka!" Muji's voice cuts through the roar.

Suddenly, Muji is there. He has climbed up the demon's back while it was focused on me.

"Open wide!" Muji yells.

He jams his silver claws into the demon's jaw hinge. He pries the mouth open, forcing the head back. The fire breath shoots up into the sky instead of hitting me.

I fall past the face, landing on the demon's shoulder. My shoes are smoking.

"It is armor!" Muji shouts, struggling to hold the jaw. "The bones are reinforced!"

"We need to crack it!" I yell.

"Yoshi!" I look down. "Break the legs!"

Yoshi is on the ground, surrounded by a pool of lava. He looks up. He nods.

He claps his hands. "Geomancer Arts: Sinkhole!"

The ground beneath the demon collapses. A massive pit opens up. The demon stumbles. Its leg twists.

SNAP.

The bone leg cracks under the strain. The demon topples sideways.

Muji jumps off. I jump off. We land on the roof of the auction hall just as the demon crashes into the street.

"Now!" Inoe screams from the street level. "While it is down!"

Inoe focuses her power on the gangsters. "Wake up! Look at what you are doing!"

She breaks the mind control. The gangsters blink, looking around at the fire, at the monster. They scream. They run.

With the source of its chaos removed, the demon flickers. Its flames turn from purple to a dull orange.

"It is weakening!" Kenuji yells. "Haruka! The skull!"

I stand on the edge of the roof. I look down at the fallen giant.

"Muji, throw me", I say.

"What?" Muji looks at me crazy.

"Throw me! Fastball special!"

Muji grins. He grabs my waist. He spins. He launches me like a projectile.

I fly down. I aim my feet at the crack in the skull.

"Divine Kick!"

I impact the skull with both feet, channeling all my remaining light into the sole of my sneakers.

CRASH.

The skull shatters.

Inside, a black rune stone is pulsing.

I grab it with my bare hand. It burns cold, like dry ice.

"Purify!"

I crush the stone.

BANG.

A shockwave of white light explodes from the demon. The fire vanishes instantly. The bones crumble into ash. The purple smoke clears, leaving only the grey, ominous sky of the Eclipse.

I land in the pile of ash, coughing.

"Haruka!"

My siblings run to me. Yoshi pulls me out of the ash. "Are you okay? You crazy idiot, you kicked a fire demon?"

"It worked", I wheeze, checking my shoes. The soles are melted. "I need new sneakers".

"We did it", Kenuji says, looking around. The fires in the market are dying down, turning into normal smoke. The gangsters have fled. "We saved the district".

"And the factory?" I ask.

We look across the river. The factory stands untouched. Dark, silent, safe.

"Safe", Muji breathes a sigh of relief.

But our relief is short-lived.

A sound echoes from the center of the city. A bell. A deep, resonating toll that vibrates in our bones.

DOOOOOM.

We turn to look at the Tokyo Tower in the distance.

It is glowing. Not orange. Purple.

The corruption is climbing the tower. It is forming a massive spire of dark energy that connects the ground to the hole in the sky.

"The beacon", Kenuji whispers. "Kuro moved the ritual. He is using the tower as an antenna to broadcast the corruption".

"It is not over", Yoshi says, tightening his fists. "It is just getting started".

"We have to go", Inoe says. "Home first. We check on the family. Then... we go to the tower".

"I am tired of running", Muji growls.

"One last run", Yoshi says. "One last fight".

We turn away from the smoking ruins of Tsukiji. We run toward the west. Toward home. The city is groaning around us, metal twisting and shadows stretching. The Eclipse is deepening.

But we are still here. We are still fighting. And now, we are angry.

"Hey", Muji says as we run. "If we survive this... I want sushi. The expensive kind".

"If we survive this", Yoshi says, "I will buy you the whole damn restaurant".

We sprint into the darkness, five sparks of light in a city that has forgotten the sun.