#23: Heavy Imagination

H huge!

A great tower with thousands of stairs are standing in front of him.

Even The Tokyo Tower would be put to shame with this tower!

"Hmph! Do you know what in front of you?"

Ren nodded. "The Ascending Tower of Seiten, a stairway leading to The Great Black Gate, The Entrance to The True Magano".

The Ascending Tower of Seiten, are consisted of 5 different towers that connected with each other with a hub of stairs.

From the smaller to taller tower is: tower of courage, tower of shivering, tower of reflection, tower of grief, and lastly tower of lamentation.

On The Tower of Lamentation, there is another staircase with nothing at the end.

Behind those very towers stood a giant black Japanese gate, and below it hanging a rope that coiled together forming a giant circle.

If you think about it, this towers is similar to The 5 Stage of Grief model.

When humanity would be experiencing grief, they will go through the series of 5 emotions, that is: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and finally acceptance.

"Hmm". Yuzuru nod at his answer.

"Le- Ah, I forgot! Explain the preparations when going to Magano! Starting Now!" Say Yuzuru when start climbing the stairs.

"Eeh? Now? When we're climbing?"

"Did I stutter?"

Ren feel intimidate by Yuzuru remark and start explaining of what he knows when going to Magano.

"Well... personaly I think courage is the first to prepare, then securing talismans, lastly bringing equipment like kariginu, and multi attachments (talisman holder, medical case, etc.)"

"Good. But you forgot one thing"

"What is it?"

"Never go alone" say Yuzuru with heavy expression.

Hearing Yuzuru's word, Ren scratches his head. Truthfully, back in the mainland, Ren always dive to Magano alone for training purpose and doing an exorcism.

And he does it with special Magano gate talisman that he steal from Zenkichi.

"Hahaha" chuckle Ren embarassed.

The two pass the four towers, and finally arrive at the highest level, The Tower of Lamentation.

"Yuzuru-san"

"Good morning Yuzuru-sama"

When those two arrive, they are greeted by the other exorcists from The Amawaka House.

Usually an exorcist team or squad consist of 4-5 peoples, but depending on the mission the number can increase.

"So is this the kid?" say one of the members.

This bald man had a firm and fierce face, sideburns and goatee, also an X-shapescar is etched on his forehead.

Ren's thinking that this man quite resembling Benkei from the folklore.

"That's right Benkei-san"

Ren eyebrow rise,

Wow! Not only the look, buy his name also Benkei

Ren let out a smile, amazed by the person name Benkei.

Benkei then glare fiercely at him, "!?", Ren suddenly felt a pressure like someone is holding his head trying to slam it to the ground.

Ren stands firm like a thousand years tree, and glare back at Benkei.

"!!"

The moment his eyes met Ren, he saw daggers flying and stabbing him right in the eyes.

Benkei step back, then touches his eyes checking on them.

Benkei's action make everyone confused and a bit nervous.

Benkei glance at Ren again, then he saw his empty yet fierce eyes that was akin to a calm water where everything that sail and swim would be drowned.

Cold sweats form and flow from his forehead. He gulped his own saliva, and then taking a deep breath.

Benkei step forward to Ren and extend his hand, "Nice to meet you, sorry bout before".

Ren looking at his hand and then his smiling face decides to take his hand, "Me too" say Ren as the light is comeback to his eyes.

Benkei grip Ren's hand tightly and Ren also do the same.

Just a little exchange, and they eventually recognize and respect each other as a comrade.

Eventually, they both smiles and laughs at each other. The other members still confused, but Yuzuru who notice the comradery that born between them, let out a bit chuckle.

Seeing Benkei, the other members also introduce themselves to Ren and vice-versa.

Kuroki is an average height and build adult male, he had a medium black hair with bang covering both his eyes.

Tsubasa is also an avarage adult male, gray hair and eyes, and he wears a head protector with Manji (Swastika) logo.

Among the 4 of them, Hibiki is the second-tallest member. He had black eyes and black hair that he keeps in ponytail, anda vertical stitches mark that runs across his nose bridge.

When Ren hear Hibiki's voice, he felt a sense of Déjà Vu. Hibiki, who saw Ren, scratches his head.

"You punch me before"

Ren then remember him, he was the masked man that obstruct his path when he went chasing Seigen.

"A- ahaha... sorry about before"

"No biggie" say Hibiki waving his hand.

First Benkei, then Kuroki, Tsubasa, and lastly Hibiki.

Including Yuzuru and Ren, there are now 6 peoples on The Amawaka squad.

After the introduction, Ren saw six peoples on the two platform reciting spell incantation.

"Who are those peoples?" Ask Ren full of curiosity.

"Ah, them? They're The Ujii house technicians" say Benkei.

"Technicians?"

"Yes, their job is to maintain the barrier"

"Barrier? You mean like gatekeeper?"

"Yes... because if something happens to them and the barrier is undone... you know, right?"

Ren nod, "Yeah...".

If the barrier is undone, all the impurities would overflow and turned Tsuchimikado Island into hell.

Ren imagine if something like that happens, many impurities would destroy all the facilities and buildings, fire spread out like sheet covering the bed and smoke would rise high as the sky.

Streets would fill with corpses, blood of the exorcists and the non exorcists would flow and flood the street, the living survivor would be crying for help that never comes and in the end they were crushed or eaten by the impurities.

"Hahahaahaha! Uwaaaaahahaha waa!! Arrggghhh!!"

On his imagination, an image of a little kid laughs and wailing madly seeing his mother eaten by the impurity.

Then the kid stop, slowly turned his head.

"Hey... Why can't you save HER?"

Ren ooen his eyes wide, grits his teeth, and then he shakes his head, trying to forget his imagination.

"Don't think too much" say Yuzuru patting his shoulder to reassure him.

"Yeah..." say Ren dejectedly.

Just when Ren letting a sigh of relieve,

"Hey... why won't you SAVE HER?!"

Ren then hears the same voice behind him. Just like the kid in his imagination, he slowly turned his head.

He saw the kid...

He saw his face...

A face that he won't ever forget

A face that would haunt him for the rest of his life

A face just like him

That's right, the kid he saw in his imagination is... Himself.

His gut feels like it was full of hot water, needles pierced and stuck in his throat, he wants to screams but unable to.

The kid asking him with a depressed look, Ren gze glued to the chikd unable to look away.

"Hey... why-"

The kid walks approaching him.

"..."

When he blinked, the figure disappear.

His breaths becomes heavy and heavier, cold sweats formed on his forehead and back like he had just finished a marathon.

Ren slowly turn his head and scan the surrounding.

But he didn't find the kid.

"Are you okay?" Ask Yuzuru worriedly.

"Yeah... just my imagination" say Ren, turned to Yuzuru showing a thumb up gesture.

"I see, if you're feeling unwell... we can abort the mission"

"I'm okay... really, it just an imagination"

"... A bizarre imagination" whisper him

Yuzuru keep quiet, and only nod.

Seeing Yuzuru, Ren quickly divert the topic, "By the way... why are we still here?" Ask Ren.

"Oh, it's because we're not the only one assign for this mission. Other squad from another house would also join us"

"I see, It seems... they had come" say Ren looking at the other side of the tower.

A group of seven peoples arrived, they are wearing a white kariginu.

Amidst them, there's a girl with blonde hair that she style in twintail that tied with Red ribbons.

She wears a white kariginu that more resembling of a dress.

She's then approaching The Amawaka squad, "Sorry for making you all wait"

Say her with voice so soothing to everyone, except for one.