An unholy ritual

Four years had passed since the old man took me in. Currently it was spring, and we were in the month of April. I was in highschool now, the old man enrolled me at the local middle school from which I graduated, and now I was a first year in the highschool everyone attended. Although, 'everyone' might be a stretch, since there were only 11 of us in my class. 6 boys, and 5 girls. Which means if we all decided to hook up, we'd be one girl short. So someone would be left single, wait... What am I even thinking. Why am I playing matchmaker, geez, I guess this is what happens when you get too close to the old geezer. He just kinda rubs off on you. His perviness that is.

By day I'd attend school like a normal student, and after that, I'd train at the dojo. I found his dual welding style attractive, so I eventually swallowed my pride and asked him to teach me. He also taught me basic exorcism. All things considered, life here was pretty good.

I'd just come back from school and I was hanging around the front yard when a girl walked in. She had brown hair tied in long ponytails, and brown eyes. She also had a nice hourglass figure. She seemed to be dragging a large bag full of foodstuffs into the compound.

"Junichiro-chan, come help me carry stuff."

"No thanks."

The old man came out of the house, and walked up to me. He took a seat just beside me and his expression changed. He was serious, or so I thought.

"Junichiro my boy. We need to talk."

"About what?"

"There comes a time when a man-"

"Are you talking about puberty? Cuz if so, I'm way over it. I'm not some brat who enters a rebellious phase just because he got his pubes."

He looked at me in the eyes, and then gave me a chop.

"That's not what I meant."

"So, what did you mean?"

"I'm talking about women."

"Huh?"

"What's your taste in women?"

"Hmm, I guess I never really thought about it, but if I had to say, she should have a nice hourglass figure, with a nice round ass, and big boobs of at least D-cups, or maybe E."

"That's my boy." he said, slapping my back.

Meanwhile, the girl in front of us was twitching nervously as she blushed. The old man was also quick to pick up on her signals.

"Do you like Yuko-chan?"

"Huh?" I said with a straight face, without even a hint of embarrassment.

"She does meet all the specifications, doesn't she?"

"I guess."

Sure she's hot, but I don't really see her in a romantic way. To me, she's nothing but a child.

"so?"

"Um, Toshio-sama, you-"

I could tell she really wanted to hear my reply, so I was just going to give it to her straight.

"I won't lie, Yuko-san, you've got a really hot bod, and a cute face, but I don't really see you that way. You're like the little sister I never wanted, so, I'd be weird if our relationship took a romantic route."

And besides, she's too good for me. When I look at her, I don't see the darkness coming off her. She's the polar opposite of me, if she was a kind, innocent young girl, I was a cruel, rotten bastard. Loving me would only bring her a life of misery, and she deserved more than that.

Her eyes began to tear up, and I was starting to feel bad, like I'd just rejected a confession.

"Tell me, what do you really like about me?"

"Huh?" she said all embarrassed.

"Come on, don't be shy."

"Well, if I had to say. It's because you're strong, kind, smart, and well... I guess you're cute too."

I came down from my spot on the floor of the veranda, and walked up to her, then I patted her head.

"You think too highly of me."

"Come on, quit acting all grown up."

That's where you're wrong. I'm not acting, I am grown up.

"Do you think I'm a good person?"

"Mm-hm."

"Then you're sorely mistaken."

"Huh?"

"I'm not a good person, in fact it's the opposite."

"You're a bad person?"

Bad is an understatement. It doesn't even begin to quantify my cruelty. I'm wicked, malicious. I'm malevolent. I'm evil, but for her sake, let's just say I'm bad.

"Yes."

I ended up helping her carry the foodstuffs into the house.

My daily routine continued, I trained with the old man, practicing spearmanship along with other styles of fighting, and basic exorcism. I played games on the console till midnight, before finally going to sleep. I slept on the floor in the living room for a couple of hours. After some time, I woke up. I kept hearing loud rumbling noises, so I proceeded to find the source. I walked out of my room, then out of the house. The rumbling seem to be coming from the dojo, so I proceeded to enter. Upon entering, I discovered the rumbling was coming from the floor. When I looked closer, and knocked on the spot, I discovered it was a false floor. When I managed to pry the floor open. I found a large black box the size of a treasure chest. There were no huge chains or locks on it, just numerous strips of paper. They were talismans. They were similar to the ones I saw in the room where I almost starved to death, but had more detailed inscriptions on them, or at least more detailed than anything the old man had ever taught me, I couldn't really tell. I kept wondering what was in the box. Maybe something like a cursed sword? Boy would that be cool. My curiosity got the best of me, and I began to peel the strips of paper off the box. After several minutes, I'd peeled off all the strips of paper except for one. As I was about to take it off. The doors of the dojo swung open, and the old man appeared. Behind him, was the lady.

"No, don't do it!!!" the old man said.

But it was already too late, I'd taken off the last talisman. The ground box trembled violently, then it swung open. I couldn't see it at first, but the paper talismans were seals. That's why I couldn't notice the darkness pouring out of the box. When I did notice it, it was already too late. Darkness spewed from the box, it wasn't like the soot I saw coming off the old man, it was much more frightening, it was an eerie black goo like tar that continued to endlessly seep out from the box.

Before I knew it, it had spread across the room and had engulfed the entire building. It had begun to engulf me too. It had covered my entire body, slowly making it's way to my head. It felt cold and suffocating, but at the same time it also felt hot and endless. It hurt, it hurt a lot. I couldn't begin to describe the pain in words, it felt like I was being devoured. It felt hot, burning hot. My skin began to melt off my body. It was unbearably painful. At my moment of despair, I called out to my light.

"Old man, help me!!"

"I'm coming, just hang on."

"Ahhh!!!" I screamed.

It hurts, it hurts, it hurts.

He brought out a silver cross and began chanting.

"Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.

Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;

And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;

Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.

And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God!"

The dark goo began to part on the spot he stepped his feet. He moved closer to me, and touched my head.

My mind was going blank, and I was losing consciousness.

"Old man."

He touched my head and chanted:

"He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned."

The darkness began to disappear from my body, but the injury it left in its wake was frightening to say the least. My entire body was burned severely. My muscles were visible on some places, and on others my bones could even be seen.

"And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;

They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover. "

Immediately, my wounds began to heal, but I could still feel pain. It was still burning hot. I passed out from the pain.

...

It was under the cover of the night, in a traditional Japanese dojo, a building for practicing martial arts, but what was inside the building said otherwise.

The moon hid itself being the clouds as if to say it couldn't bear to witness the abhorrable sight.

Inside the dojo stood multiple silhouettes. Upon closer inspection, it could be noted that there were four figures. A lady, a boy, an old man, and a large lump of flesh with a single giant eye and numerous tentacles several meters long.

The lady behind the man glared at the mountainous lump of flesh with visible disgust.

It looked around the room with it's single massive eyeball, then it spoke.

"YOU ARE A DEMON, ARE YOU NOT?"

"..."

she continued glaring at him silently.

"WHY DO YOU NOT ATTACK HIM, HAS HE PERHAPS ENSLAVED YOU?"

"Grrr!"

She growled loudly and charged straight at the blob of flesh.

"Ehlaos, no!"

The old man tried to warn the lady, but it was too late. The abomination swatted her her away with one of it's many tentacles. Although the tentacles were only made of flesh, it didn't make the impact it had on her body any less painful. She managed to stand up again, but she clearly didn't have the strength to fight.

"Toshio-sama?"

"Fine, do it."

After that, the clothes started burning off the lady. Her body began to transform. A short horn grew out of her forehead. A pair of wings emerged from her back, and she grew a tail.

"Hurry!!"

Immediately, she carried the boy who was lying unconscious, and spread out her wings. She was flying straight up, even though there was no exit there. When she got close enough, a pressurized burst of wind hit the ceiling, and it burst open.

When they had gotten out of harm's way, the man took off the top of his yukata, revealing his chest ridden with scars. He stretched out both of his arms, revealing two paper talismans in his palms. Instantly, the talismans burned to ash, and metal naginatas appeared.

"Legion."

"TOSHIO."

Legion, that was the name of the floating blob of flesh. It sent out 6 tentacles at the old man, but when then got within range, he spun the naginata in his left hand with his finger. The rotation created the illusion of a black shield. One that cut through the six tentacles with ease. He then stretched out his arms in a hugging motion, took a deep breath, and the darkness began to envelope his blades. He breathed out a breath of steam, and swung his arms inward. It all happened in an instant, but in that instant the walls of the dojo were cut in two, and there was a big gash on the eye of the blob, and it was bleeding profusely. It was in pain, but it didn't scream or cry, soon It's eye began to heal.

"Geez, why do ya have to make this difficult for me?"

"I COULD ASK YOU THE SAME THING."

The old man charged in headfirst with the blades of his naginatas faced back. The blob also sent tentacles out of it's body, this time, they weren't just six, they were thirty-six. They were shot out of it's body towards the old man at incredibly speeds. The old man jumped on one of the tentacles and ran on it. The other tentacles zeroed in on him from all direction, but he kept running. Eventually, the tentacles got too close for comfort, and we're about to impale him, but then his halberds moved. He swung his arms in a wild manner like a child throwing a tantrum, and a black light flashed around him like a sphere. After that, all the tentacles were severed. He continued to make his way toward Legion neglecting the tentacle he was running on. When he got close enough, he jumped as high as he could, and thrusted the naginata in his right hand as hard as he could. The halberd pierced the blob's, firmly lodging itself deeply in its eye.

"And ye shall let nothing of it remain until the morning; and that which remaineth of it until the morning ye shall burn with fire."

Instantly, The blob burst into flames with burned with great intensity. The old man wanted to back away, but then he realized there was still one tentacles unaccounted for, but by the time he realized it, it was already too late. The tentacle burst through his chest, and lifted his feet off the ground.

The old man's eyes widened as he coughed out blood.

"GIVEN THE LONG HISTORY WE SHARE, I HATE TO DO THIS TOSHIO, BUT I'M AFRAID IT HAS TO BE THIS WAY."

Even in the face of death, the old man still had a snarky remark.

"Huh?! What are ya talking about, I should be the one apologizing."

"WHAT?"

When the blob looked around, he saw talismans everywhere, on the ceiling, the floor, the walls, his tentacles, and even his body.

"NO. NOT AGAIN, NO!"

Even with a large tentacle in the old man's chest, he winked and said:

"Deal with it."

He threw the silver ring in his hand at the blob, and all the paper talismans began to glow a bright gold color. The talismans all spread out multiple gold lines, linking theirselves with the others, a complex network of lines were formed in a web like structure. At the points where two or more lines converged, a golden spike was sent out in the direction of the blob. In a matter of seconds, hundreds of spikes had impaled the Legion.

From ones point of view, it would seem like the blob had been trapped in a prison, but that was not the case. The golden prison forged from light wasn't going to hold forever. It soon began to crack.

"YOU CANNOT STOP ME!"

the old man simply corked his head and said:

"Hmm, I must be getting senile. Oh well."

He tossed up a plain silver ring with no engravings, and it began to float. He tossed his halberd aside, and began to work with both hands. He began to move his fingers in strange patterns.

"Write ye also for the Jews, as it liketh you, in the king's name, and seal it with the king's ring"

Each time he swiped his finger, a gold line was drawn on thin air. In a matter of seconds, he had drawn a number of intricate symbols.

"For the writing which is written in the king's name, and sealed with the king's ring, may no man reverse."

"NO, NO, NO!!!"

The silver ring was thrusted into the golden prison which began to shrink.

"Deal with it."

Instantly, the gold prison shrunk and all the darkness was compressed into a single point: the ring.

Upon compressing such a large amount of energy, a large shockwave was released. It blew away the walls and roof of the dojo, turning it into an open space.

What was left at the spot where the giant blob once stood or floated, was a ring. It was glowing red-hot.

The old man then took a look at the gaping hole in his chest and realized his time was up. In fact, it was a miracle he'd held out for this long, his heart and lungs had been damaged beyond repair.

"I guess this is it for me, huh."

Just as his eyes were growing dim, a person flew into what was now left of the dojo. She had a pair of wings on her back, and a horn on her forehead. Her hair was black, and she had red eyes.

"Toshio-sama, his wounds..."

The boy she held in her arms was in a terrible state. His body was slowly charring like wood. His legs had already burned up to his thighs, while his hands were burnt up to his shoulder, and it was spreading fast.

"Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.

In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil.

It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones."

The wounds began to heal slowly, but then the embers consuming the boy began to smolder even more violently.

"Thou hast made the earth to tremble; thou hast broken it: heal the breaches thereof; for it shaketh."

At the end of his chanting, the boy's body began to burn even faster.

"Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed."

When he finished, the boy who was unconscious, woke up and burst into flames.

"I guess there's no other way, huh?"

"No you can't possibly be thinking of doing it, can you?!"

The lady had a worried look on her face.

"Yes, I plan on performing astral-binding on him."

"No, I won't allow it. Why are you so fixated on helping the boy?! Besides, if you hurry, there's still chance we can heal your wound."

The old man took a deep sigh and headbutted the monstrous looking lady.

"You ask why I'm so fixated on helping him. To be honest, there's no real reason. I showed you the light when you were at your lowest, so now that someone else needs that light, wouldn't it be selfish to keep it all to yourself?"

She stared blankly at the old man, then gave her answer.

"ok. I understand, let's do it."

...

I was sleeping, sleeping peacefully, free from the troubles of the physical world. It felt like my mind was melting away into the limitless void of my dream. If possible, I wanted to stay in this place forever, but alas, I was denied that.

I felt a rush of intense pain waking me up from my sleep. When I woke up, I realized I was on fire, I felt intense pain as my flesh burned. It was excruciating.

"grryyyyeeehhhh!!!!" I yelled.

I yelled and squirmed violently trying to put out the flames, but then I realized; I couldn't feel my hands, or my legs for that matter. All my limbs were gone. I yelled loudly as that was the only thing I could do, I was in so much pain, I couldn't even think.

"Junichiro!" the old man yelled.

At the sound of his voice, I managed to calm down.

When I looked around, I found a monstrous looking lady beside me.

She scared the living daylight out of me.

"Don't worry Junichiro, there's a way to help you, but you have to be strong. You have to fight it, don't let it consume you, ok?"

"ok."

He put a burning hot ring on the center of my chest, and began chanting. With the help of the lady, he began to perform an unholy ritual. He created a what looked like a magic circle on air. It was a complex geometric structure which contained six cardinal points, from which other smaller circles emerged, the cardinal points branched out lines which joined together and created a hexagram, at the center of the hexagram was another circle, with another circle inside it. Each circle had numerous engravings on them, and by the time he was finished, there were thousands of said runes. When they were done, the multilayered ring of light, which was levitating, fell on my chest. It burned into my chest, engraving the inscriptions on my flesh.