Eye to Eye

Inside the room they had grown accustomed to having their meeting in, Konomi and Yuki sat Ichiro in a chair and immediately began barricading the door with whatever they could. The coffee maker went flying as Shingo grabbed the table and drug it to the door. Chairs flew through the air as Takamasa threw them toward Asuka who was piling them alongside the table.

Ichiro climbed to his feet and with blood running down his face said, "It's okay now."

The bustle of the group building their defense overshadowed what Ichiro had said.

"It's okay now!" Ichiro boomed loud enough for the group to take notice and nearly stop in their tracks. "The stopped trying to attack us a little while ago. We shouldn't have to barricade the door. More than likely, they're laying siege to the building right now."

Realizing Ichiro was probably right, Yuki looked to Konomi and nodded. Konomi, with the go ahead from Yuki began pulling the barricade that was against the door away. She looked out into the hallway and confirmed there was nobody.

"It's empty. He's right!" Konomi shouted to the group.

"Check the outside door." Yuki ordered. "Shingo, go with her, be quick but be quiet. Asuka, can we get cameras on this place?"

"I'll try." Asuka answered as Shingo and Konomi moved into the hallway.

"Do we have any weapons in here?" Takamasa asked.

"No." Yuki lamented. "This place was supposed to be a meeting place, not a castle."

Shingo and Konomi returned from the hallway and Konomi informed the group of the situation, "The building is surrounded. Just out that one window I counted fifteen statues."

"She'll be here soon then." Ichiro chimed in.

"Who?" Takamasa asked with urgency.

"WHAT IS HAPPENING?" Konomi shouted, nearly despondent.

Yuki repeated Takamasa's question, "Who is coming Ichiro?"

"The woman in the dress." Ichiro answered.

"She's already here!" Asuka shouted as she watched the camera on her phone. "She's coming in!"

The group readied themselves for whatever could be coming. Sounds of footsteps grew closer and closer from the hallway. The handle to the door turned and the door swung open slowly. There stood a woman in her late 30s who was wearing a tattered and dirty white sun dress with strawberries patterned all over it. Her eyes were black, but more than that, so were her arms from her fingers to her elbows and black streaks ran down her cheeks. It was as if she was rotting from the inside out.

"Interesting." the woman said in a deeper, raspy yet still feminine voice. "You just let me walk in. You're not going to attack me?"

She spoke slowly and with a condescending tone as if she was talking to children.

"What do you want?" Yuki scowled at the woman.

"That's not how this is supposed to go." The woman responded. "You all know how this is supposed to go. You've all done it before. There's an order to things that must be followed."

"What are you talking about?" Shingo spit his words with voracity. "Why are you here?"

"I'm here for the same reason you're here." the woman responded. "Now, when do we start?"

"Start what?" Konomi questioned. "You're not telling us anything."

The strangely corrupted woman leaned forward slightly, looming over them with her presence, and asked, "What day is it?"

Confused and on the defensive, the group fell quiet as they tried to figure out what was happening as well as stay weary of any assault.

Ichiro, battered, beaten, bloody, but still standing, answered, "It's meeting day."

"CORRECT!" the woman cheered. "Oh, I was hoping you'd figure it out eventually. I do hate having to explain every little thing."

"A meeting?" Asuka puzzled.

"Exactly you little...petulant child." the woman said while half containing her contempt for the group.

She raised her arms and the chairs in the room lifted from their places to the position they should have been in for a meeting as if by magic.

"Now, shall we get to it?" the woman said as she began walking over to sit in one of the chairs.

As she passed, Takamasa took the opportunity, baseball bat still in hand, to swing and try to attack the woman. The bat connected with the woman but, instead of doing any damage, shattered into pieces.

"Well that wasn't very nice." the woman said as she paused her walk to look a now shaken Takamasa in the eye.

Continuing on, she reached the chair and sat expectantly as she scanned the room.

Noticing Ichiro's injuries she let out a sigh and said, "With you as injured as you are, this just isn't going to be fun."

With that, she snapped her fingers and a light blue glow appeared around Ichiro. Only seconds later, the glow dissipated and Ichiro was healed, even from his stab wound. The amazement and confusion of the group was palpable as they looked among themselves.

"Well?" the woman stated. "You shouldn't keep your guest waiting. That's rather rude."

The support group realized they had no other option available to them and cautiously took their seats.

"Good!" the woman started. "We're all here! Well, we're not all here but I guess you can't expect the dead to join us so this will have to do. So how do these meetings usually start? Do we talk about how much trouble we've had lately or tell each other that the world is still ours even though it's not really? OH! Is someone going to tell about the world they went to? I'm very curious."

"What do you want with us?" Shingo asked angrily.

"Me?" the woman responded innocently. "I'm just here for the meeting."

"Why did you have Inori killed?" Ichiro asked with subdued rage.

The woman seemed puzzled for a moment before she answered with, "Oh, her! Sorry, sometimes I get confused about the lives and deaths of worthless insects."

The rage grew in the group hearing their friend spoken of in such a way.

"Don't take it the wrong way." the woman continued, "For instance, take this city. How many ants and beetles and all other manner of insect was killed to build this city? How many homes were destroyed?"

"It's not the same." Konomi sneered in contempt.

"OH?" the woman scoffed. "Is it not? Compared to me, you are merely insects and if my boot happens to accidentally crush you, should I feel bad about it? You should have gotten out of the way."

Yuki, having had enough of being spoken down to came up with a strategy and said, "So in today's meeting we'll be hearing about the other world of our guest."

The room fell silent as even the woman was shocked but she grew a large smile across her face and exclaimed, "LOVELY! You're playing along now! And further, you want to hear the story of my world? Brilliant!"

The woman stood and moved to the podium at the front of the room. Unease filled the room like a thick fog.

"How should I start?" the woman began to tell her tale. "I was born of darkness and hatred and strife. I've always had just one goal in mind...kill. I was close to achieving my goal after years and years when my world was invaded by someone who sought my downfall. Luckily, she was weak willed."

"Who invaded your world and what do you mean she was weak willed?" Yuki questioned earnestly while still keeping her guard up.

"Oh?" The woman uttered. "You can't tell? It was this woman that you see before you. Her spirit invaded my world and possessed the body of a young farm girl."

"Her spirit?" Shingo puzzled to himself.

The woman continued, "She tried to create an uprising against me and my forces. She had special powers compared to others of that world so she managed to defeat many of my forces before I caught up to her."

"So, she was brought to another world like us." Konomi realized.

"Yes, but unlike you all, she was worthless as anything other than a vessel!" the woman exclaimed.

After piecing it together, Ichiro asked, "So how is it that you're here?"

"Well, much in the same way that she came to my world." the woman replied. "I have a talent for possession. I possessed her body and when I did so, her spirit died and was replaced by mine."

"So Inori was right." Takamasa mumbled.

"The woman died but still had a spirit in her body so that's the one that came back." Ichiro said.

"Oh, is that how it works then." the woman questioned. "I knew something had gone awry but I wasn't exactly sure how I got here."

"So why do you have powers?" asked Yuki, worriedly.

The woman let out a small chuckle before replying, "My power comes from my spirit and so it came with me. Are these really the questions you have? Pathetic! It's like you really are ignorant children."

"So why did you really have Inori killed?" Ichiro questioned glaring at the woman.

"Clever boy." the woman said. "I must admit, when I first came to this world I was confused and lost. I had a few cohorts I could control, but it wasn't enough and I knew nothing of this world. Then, imagine being the great Demon Lord Satsui and hearing idle prattle about others who invaded other worlds and defeated other demon lords. Now those individuals might pose a threat. So I sent one of my minions to test the strength of one. To my surprise, she was simply a normal person. All of you are normal people. From what I understand, you're no more threat to me than an ant is to you. As such, I wanted to meet with all of you before I started."

"Did you say you're a demon lord?" Takamasa questioned as his eyes grew wide.

"Oh, I'm sorry." Satsui apologized. "I should have properly introduced myself. I am Demon Lord Satsui."

"You also said you wanted to meet us before you started." Ichiro cut in. "Before you start what?"

"Well, I did say that I have always had a singular goal in mind." Satsui replied as she began to grin uncontrollably.

"Kill" rang through Ichiro's mind reminding him of what Satsui said earlier.

The young man began to breath heavy as he began to realize what he must do. The others noticed his subdued rage reach a boiling point. Ichiro stood suddenly kicking the chair he had been seated on behind him. He took two steps forward and lunged with a punch. Though he moved swiftly and with concrete resolve, he wasn't quick enough.

Demon Lord Satsui simply put her hand up and Ichiro froze in place. The other members of the support group sprang from their seats but they too froze in place once Satsui raised her other hand.

"Silly children." Satsui chided. "You should know by now you have no power."

Unable to move, the group watched as the demon lord who stood before them raised her hand slowly and brought it crashing across the side of Ichiro's head. The young man slammed to the ground with force enough to crack the floor.

Yukki cried out, "NOOO!"

"You see, when I first arrived my powers were weak." Satsui explained. "But I've grown stronger and, now, not even you can interrupt my plans."

Tears streamed down Yuki's face as she looked down at Ichiro, blood running from his ear and nose.

"What plans?" Shingo yelled to the absolute power that held them captive.

"I'm going to connect this world to my world and bring my forces here." Demon Lord Satsui boasted gleefully.

Satsui gave a look toward the wall which exploded outward to the street leaving rubble around and dust filling the air. Her feet lifted a few inches off the ground as she began to float toward the newly created opening in the wall.

"Hmmm, it's getting colder." Satsui said. "I've always liked snow. Maybe a lot of snow."

The woman looked up at the sky and clouds formed quickly over all of Tokyo. Moments later, thick, heavy snow began to coat everything.

Seeing the group not moving, Satsui chimed in again, "Oh, I almost forgot to free you. Scamper now little ants."

With that, she waved her hand again, freeing the support group from their invisible bindings. Yuki rushed to Ichiro's limp, lifeless body as it laid on the floor. She cradled him on her lap as the rest of the support group took defensive positions between her and Satsui. The shock and fear weighed heavy on the group, but their instincts won out and they held their ground.

"Is he okay Yuki?" Konomi called out without looking back.

Yuki continued to cry and scream and hold Ichiro's body.

"I'll be leaving now." Satsui announced. "You should be able to see my portal soon. Then you can revel in your absolute failure as heroes as your world dies."

Then the woman, with a slight gust of wind behind her, flew up and out of sight.

Shingo ran outside to see where she went before returning and saying, "She's gone. Is Ichiro okay?"

By then the group had gathered around their friend who showed no signs of life.

Yuki looked up at Shingo, her face was red and puffy from crying and tears continued to stream down her cheeks, and said "He's gone."