Demons of the Five Cards

Chapter 2

The shorter girl took a small, but daring step towards the mysterious man who had just appeared out of nowhere basically. Chieko gulped quietly to herself before getting herself to say something, “Who… are you?” Chieko finally had the courage to ask the strange man who looked to be in his early twenties that might have been anybody from anywhere. He had just suddenly shown up, just like the water had after Hanako read, chanted, or whatever she claimed to have saw on the card she had brought to shut Hanako up.

Even though Chieko looked unafraid, staring the man down with her infamous glare –as Hanako would call it, her evil eyes –but Chieko was only glaring at the guy for show. In truth, the shorter sibling was scared to her wits. She didn’t even want to confront the man! There was something in his frozen red cold eyes was what was scaring her. Not only that, ever since she had brought the card from the Flea Market, strange things were swiftly appearing without warning. It didn’t get Chieko a chance to analyze the situation to be able to make sense out of what was happening to her. All that the eldest knew was that she didn’t really like the feel of this.

Something big was going to happen… wasn’t it?

“And how did you get in here?” Hanako added another question to Chieko’s daring question to the stranger. Hanako was just as confused and surprised as Chieko was, and probably, she was just as frightened as her onee-chan was. Hanako faced back at her big sister, giving her a flat look when he didn’t answer them, giving them a blank face in return, “Did you forget to lock the door again, onee-chan?” She questioned, for she had to make absolute sure. Not that she doubted Chieko, but the smaller girl did usually forget to lock the door behind her from time to time.

Chieko looked at Hanako from the corner of her eyes, giving her younger sister a very angry look. Maybe she should have made it more clearly with Hanako. Don’t ever use ‘-chan’ when they’re with someone else they didn’t know! Only use it when they’re alone or just when they’re around their parents and no one else! She hated when Hanako called her that!

Chieko ignored the childish girl who was weeping quietly to herself when the shorter girl refused to reply back to her question. Chieko faced back at the man who just continued to blankly stare at them. “E-excuse me… u-u-um…” She didn’t want to be too rude. She had to sound polite and form her question in the right way so that the man would understand that they were clearly confused.

“Who was the one that brought the card?” The deep voice of the man in front of them asked in a clearer question, seeing that his question from earlier had baffled the girls. It seemed to him that they didn’t understand their current situation at the moment.

Hanako pointed to Chieko without hesitation, simply telling the guy who could have been a rapist for all that they know, “My onee-chan did.”

Chieko wanted to beat up her little sister so bad. Why did she answer his answer so easily and so fearlessly? They didn’t even know the guy; he appeared out of nowhere for god’s sake! He could have been some weirdo! He didn’t even look normal! Violet hair and scarlet red eyes? That was not normal in her definition.

Chieko glanced back at the man, who eyed her completely now. “W-what?” She stepped back one-step away this time, “Why… did you want to know?” If she knew that the card that she had brought just to shut Hanako up was going to bring her trouble, then she would not have wasted her money and energy buying it, especially if she knew that some –good-looking, she had to admit –guy was going to pop into the house.

Suddenly, the mysterious violet haired guy stepped quickly towards Chieko and kneeled down on one knee, bowing to Chieko. “From this day forth, you are my new master… Master…” Both Chieko and Hanako snapped their head at each other, speechless, and then back at him, clueless. He looked up into Chieko’s brown eyes, his cold eyes softened, “My name is Kaijuu.” He finally introduced himself.

Hanako made an exaggerated shocking face at him –upon hearing his name, she quickly questioned him, “Kaijuu? As if for monster?” Why did he have such a weird name? Wait! Wait! Thinking about people and names, names are what described them! What did this indicate? Did this mean that he was a monster? No way! Calm down. Calm down. It just means that he’s like monster. Oh god, she wasn’t making any sense at all.

Before she knew it, Hanako’s mind was flowing with many questions; she felt that she was getting fainter by the second. Why couldn’t she make any sense of the situation she was in?

Before Hanako could ask herself any more questions, the man who called himself Kaijuu replied to the youngest’s question without looking at her, “Yes.”

Chieko raised an eyebrow at the one that introduced himself as Kaijuu uncertainly. She had to question herself: was this for real? Why did she feel like he was calling her his Master? “I don’t understand.” She retorted, trying to control her emotions and calming herself down mentally. Everything did come too fast to put anything together to make any sense. Why was he calling her his Master now? “Where did you come from?” She began questioning. That was one of her many questions.

Kaijuu stood up, his emotionless and blank face still didn’t change, as if he wasn’t affected by the atmosphere that the two girls were giving off. “The buyer of the card, you,” He eyed at Chieko, “is my new Master, thus making me your demon servant who will protect you at all costs on our journey.” The stranger took a deep breath in, getting ready to tell a story to the two girls. The way that the two were acting, he was sure that both girls didn’t get what was going on.

Hanako could feel a long story coming on from the man who claimed his name to be Kaijuu and decided to sit down on the large coffee table, yawning. Being human was easy. They always have to make sense of everything that didn’t make sense to their mind. That was their tendency. However, Hanako hoped she didn’t have to listen to the story too long, it might just confuse her even more. Chieko though, was still standing. She was rather eager to listen to his story.

“I am one of the Holy five Demons chosen by the Heavens that were sealed in the forms of cards to grant our master, who of course has to be a magician, with three wishes if he or she could prove him or herself worthy by the end of the journey. You must be a Spell-Caster, a magician that uses his or her words to cast their magic, to have been able to free me from my card state. You are definitely worthy enough to go on the voyage seeing that you have released me, the Demon of the Dark Water, master.

“To prove the rest of your worth, you will have to travel around the worlds in the universe with me to find the rest of my four siblings, who also were chosen by the Heavens. And by releasing them, you will have your three wishes granted by the end of the journey. If you are able to release them just as you had released me, then you would get your three truest desires to come true.” He told Chieko plainly with an even voice, his never changing emotionless and blank look stare at Chieko.

There was very short silence before Hanako had to say something about what he had just told them, even though she only got half of what he said, “Um…” Hanako began with a soft voice, having the two heads turned towards to the comfortably sitting younger girl, “It wasn’t my sister who had released you. It was me that was the one that had released you… I think.” That’s what she believed so anyways. But, she wasn’t a magician or witch, or whatever. Hanako was sure that Chieko couldn’t have done it for she couldn’t even see the words on the card. She believed that Chieko wasn’t the one that released him. “I was the only one that saw the words and the card that Chieko onee-san brought and read them out loud to her to prove that they were actually there…” Hanako explained, wondering at the same time if that was what really released Kaijuu.

Both Kaijuu and Chieko both gave Hanako a strange and unbelieving look, as if what she had said was not true. She scratched the back of her head, feeling awkward by the duo’s stares. Hanako only said what she said because there was no way that she was going to not get credit in this part of the strange event for no reason. Besides, if she didn’t say anything, she felt that Chieko might get in trouble later on if she couldn’t release the other four demons from their card forms if she did decide to travel around worlds in the universe with him.

However, story or not, to the two sisters, this was almost too unbelievable to believe. A lot was happening and many information was unfolding before them by a mysterious man who had appeared out of nowhere –and note that the card the eldest had brought disappeared just as the water vanished; both girls couldn’t just deny the information simply because of what was happening before them. If they did deny it, that would only meant that they weren’t facing reality if they didn’t accept what was in front of their eyes. Both siblings believed events happens with a reason and if it was happening in front of them, it had to be true.

Kaijuu now stood up tall, facing at Hanako now, shocked at what Hanako had just told him, “You were the one that released me?” He wanted to confirm. Hanako nodded, shifting her brown eyes, wondering if what she had said was wrong or not. She hoped she didn’t get herself into trouble. Her thoughts were broken up by the Water Demon soft mumbling, “…I can’t… this wasn’t…what…” Kaijuu snapped his attention back up at the two girls. “My siblings and I can have only one master to serve… the one that brought the first card, but we can’t be released without a Spell Caster. So that only means… both of you will have to travel through the worlds together…” The violet haired man trailed off, wondering if what he was deciding was correct or not.

Hanako’s face lit up at the sound of what he had just declared to the two girls. Hanako smirked mentally. Now, things were getting more interesting. If she caught on what was going on and what Kaijuu had just told them, the five demons were only meant to have one master, but so it seems, their new Master, Chieko, isn’t a ‘spell caster’. The words on the card couldn’t only be seen by what he called, a ‘spell caster’. Hanako rubbed her chin, thinking to herself again and again. ‘So… this ‘spell caster’ is what can only release him and his four demon siblings, but their master has to be the one that brought the card, supposedly to be a ‘spell caster’.’ Hanako guessed the words on the cards were supposedly to be noticed only by a spell caster and willingly buys the card –possibly curiosity was supposed to get to the spell caster into buying the card. Well, too bad Heavens didn’t realize this had a flaw, that the spell caster noticed the card, but didn’t have the money to buy it and had her sister buy it instead.

Hanako had to laugh out loud though. Even the Heavens couldn’t have expected this to have happened. Who ever heard a person being broke and had her sister buy something that she was rather curious about buy it instead.

Chieko and Kaijuu gave Hanako a perplexed look. They didn’t get what was so funny. Hanako stopped her foolishness and smirked at them, “I’m sorry.” She first apologized, “it’s just that who would ever though this could happen. So tell me, a ‘spell caster’ is a type of a magician, right?” She wanted to know. “Cause I never heard about this kind of thing before. I didn’t think there would be different kinds of magicians out there.”

Kaijuu nodded to her question, “Yes. A Spell Caster is a type of magician. This universe has only two types of magicians. A Summon Caster –a common type magician whom mainly uses elemental magic –and a Spell Caster –a rare type of magician who uses his or her words to take control of situations and to attack during battles.”

Hanako rubbed her chin thoughtfully. To her, this was definitely interesting indeed. She never knew that she could be a rare type of magician before. Then again, she did talk too much for her own sake. A Spell Caster was a kind of magician matched her personality very well –that she couldn’t deny. Hanako chuckled to herself again, happily smiling at Chieko and Kaijuu. Now that she found out that she could cast magic by just talking, she can’t just simply sit around now. ‘Travel around worlds in this Universe with him, his four siblings, and Chieko, huh?’ Hanako slapped her fist on her other hand and determinedly said to Kaijuu with a confident smile, “Then, let’s do it—!”

“Wait.” Chieko interrupted her younger sister with a frowning face. She crossed her arms at both of them and sighed. She definitely didn’t like the sound of this. Five Demons? Chosen from the Heavens? Summon Casters? Spell Casters? Cards? Traveling through the worlds in this universe? What was her sister thinking agreeing to this? Was Hanako nuts or something? The shorter girl had to slap her forehead mentally at her stupid question. Hanako was and will always be crazy; there was no use in asking that question when she already knew Hanako was nuts to begin with. Chieko first turned to Kaijuu with a dry look, “I’m sorry, but I have to politely decline your offer on the journey to get my three wishes granted… or whatever.”

Chieko didn’t care for such a thing. She didn’t have any wishes, nor did she want wishes granted to have her dreams come true within seconds –or whatever. She could easily make them come true if she only worked hard to get them. She rather work for them than to have wishes grant them for her. Everyone worked hard to get to their dreams… and she will do the same thing too.

Before the Water Demon could say anything else to stop Chieko, the shorter girl grabbed her sister on the arm, squeezing it hard to capture Hanako’s attention, “And please excuse us as we talk in the other room about… something.” She told the guy rudely with an upside down smile, literally dragging her younger sister into the kitchen. She could easily guess that Hanako seriously was thinking about going with the demon all around the universe to free these… other Holy Demons.

When Hanako was sure that they were out of hearing range, “Ow! Will you let go now?” She tried to some polite as possible –though it was nearly impossible since Hanako was sure that her own sister was trying to tear her left arm out of her torso. When Chieko did let go, Hanako had to ask, “And why did you have to decline his offer? It’ll be fun!” Hanako’s eyes turned into stars at the thought of travel throughout the whole universe. She could imagine what it was like to travel around and trying to seek out the cards so three wishes of Chieko’s wishes could be granted.

Chieko sighed sadly at Hanako. Hanako had always lived in a world of her own, like most daydreamers. Chieko waited for Hanako to come back from her la-la world so she could explain herself. But when Hanako didn’t come back for a full minute, Chieko grew impatient and slapped Hanako in the face to get her back to reality. Chieko ignored Hanako’s fake teary eyes and turned around coldly, now ready to tell her sister what she thought of the whole traveling thing. “Hanako, will you listen to me?” Hanako stop her acting and nodded once, her whole face turning serious. “I refused his ‘offer’ to travel around the universe because it won’t be fun and it’ll be dangerous.” She emphasized the two words, trying to get her point across to Hanako’s thick head. “It’ll be likely that we’ll die before we ever come back home to Earth. Besides, this journey sounds too long and we’ll miss school.” She tried to reason. She crossed her arms stubbornly, “And I don’t want to lose my dreams that I already begun trying to work for.”

Chieko looked back at Hanako, who was actually thinking about what Chieko said. Not only that, she was expecting her little sister to interrupt her, like she usually did, but never did.

Hanako looked back at Chieko with a bright smile, “When you mean by dangerous, you mean like we’ll die before we know it, isn’t it?” She laughed as Chieko nodded, about to say something else, but she quickly added, “Geez. Why are you afraid to die?”

“That’s not the point!” Chieko angrily shouted at her sister for being so dense. “There’s nothing that I want to wish for and it’s a waste of time! And yes! Maybe I am afraid to die, but it’s only because I have dreams for the future that I made here on Earth that I want to achieve before death!”

Hanako shook her head sadly at Chieko, holding her hands at her back, “But Earth is only one little planet. Don’t you dream bigger than just your boring dreams you want to achieve on Earth?” Hanako questioned. “Besides, many people on Earth doesn’t even believe in magic and it is that belief that made the magic slowly disappear on us, the Humans of Earth. That’s what I believe anyways.”

“What are you trying to say?” Chieko asked, confused.

Hanako rocked back and forth like a child, her hands still held at her back, “What I’m trying to say is that Earth is too boring. Let’s go somewhere else that we can have more fun, more adventures, and more dreams can be made.”

Chieko shook her head, sighing irritably, “Hanako, you’re being too naïve. We don’t even know what’s out there!” She pointed out the window and up at the sky, meaning out there in space. “We don’t even know what’s held for us if we do go out there! Even if we did know, it’s just a waste of time when I don’t have any dreams that needs to be granted. I have better things to do on Earth then to simply go around finding cards so I could selfishly get three wishes granted for myself.”

Hanako pouted at Chieko annoyingly, telling her, “You sound like a coward making many excuses.”

“…What?” She snapped her glaring eyes at Hanako; but her evil eyes didn’t affect Hanako as it would usually do, it didn’t even flinch the younger girl nor did it make her back down. Using her big sister tone, she demanded from Hanako, “Try saying that agai—”

“You sound like a coward making many excuses.” Hanako repeated with the same annoyed pout, making Chieko even angrier than she was before. Hanako sighed at Chieko who just grew angrier, brushing her long bangs away from her brown eyes, “You’re just simply making up excuses because to me, it sounds like what you’re saying is the same thing as not knowing what the future holds for us on Earth. It’ll be the same thing living on Earth or going on the journey to other worlds.” Hanako tried to reason with Chieko. She wasn’t going to back down until her big sister backed down first… until she won the debate between the two of them. “Earth is just as dangerous as anywhere in the universe. We could die the very next minute we step out of the house. Maybe crushed by a car running away from the police or some kind of lunatic with a knife that thinks you’re the enemy, stabbing you to death. We could easily die on Earth, but live a boring life as we wait for death to come seek for us.” Hanako told her, her eyes angered and dark. Sometimes, Chieko annoyed her to no end with her ‘big sister’ attitude. Chieko didn’t need to always think she had to be the one to decide everything for them both, thinking that she knew what was ‘right’ and what was ‘wrong’. “Earth also holds uncertain things for us… just as you described going out there.” She slowly pointed to where Chieko had pointed before, mocking her sister with a sly smile. “We’ll be ‘wasting time’ on Earth just as we’re ‘wasting time’ out there.”

Chieko slammed her fists on the table, making Hanako jump away from the older girl. Chieko glared at Hanako’s stupidity. “You’re so dense! Listen closely! I have better things to do than to go on a wild goose chase around the universe when I have no wishes to be granted!” She gritted her teeth hard together, wondering if Hanako even heard what she was trying saying all this time! She had NO wish to be granted. None! Zero! She had her life all planned out. Earth is the place where she’s staying and she isn’t going to go anywhere any time soon. She was born as an Earthling so she will die as an Earthling… on Earth.

Hanako sighed unhappily at her sister. She didn’t know how else to convince Chieko to go on the journey. Besides, it almost sounded like what Kaijuu was saying that there was almost no choice… that Chieko had to go on the journey. She was their official master after all. She had to take the responsibly as the one for buying the card. Besides, even if her onee-chan didn’t become the master, Hanako doubted that anyone else could become a master since only a spell caster could release the Holy Demons. Wait, if her onee-chan won’t become the master, then did that mean that Hanako was the next qualified master? NO! She refuses to become a master to anything! She had to convince Chieko somehow, some way!

“Onee-chan…” Hanako began slowly after a long silence between the two of them, seeing that her big sister was now shaking from frustration. “Even if you say that you don’t have any wishes to be granted… but everyone always have something that wants or needs to be granted hidden in the back of our minds… something that is very impossible that only wish granting can make it possible. I know that you know you do have some kind of wish that is impossible… even for you to be able to do.”

Chieko’s eyes snapped wide open with shock. She fisted both of her hands together. This was getting too complicated and hard for Chieko to handle. Why did this have to happen to her? All she had was two more years of college! And after graduating from college, she could finally become what she wanted to be! She was going to become big and famous, her name would be known throughout the whole world! She wanted to become a somebody so that her parents and others that had doubted her could be proven wrong! Why was her life not the way that she wanted it to be? Oh, how she was hating life at the moment.

“Onee-chan… maybe going on this journey will be good for the both of us.” Hanako said. “It might help us with some soul searching or something.”

Chieko laughed uncontrollably at Hanako. She was certainly a fool! She glanced back at Hanako with menacing eyes, there were times when she hated the way her sister acted and whatever came out of her mouth, “I already done enough soul searching on Earth and am satisfied of what I have found!” She cried at Hanako, facing away from her now. Why couldn’t Hanako understand that she wanted? “I already know what I want to be and what I want to do on Earth! So I’m not going. That’s my final—!”

Hanako grew sick and tired of her sister’s stubborn refusal and knocked her own sister out with a karate chop at the back of her neck. Hanako groaned as she caught the falling Chieko from hitting the ground. She scratched the back of her head, thinking to herself, ‘Geez, I didn’t think that hit on the back of her head would work successfully. Thank god for my luck.’ She laughed softly to herself. ‘But… I’m sorry Chieko. Even if you said that you done enough soul searching… but don’t be selfish. I need some soul searching. Besides, I do believe that this journey will be a fun one.’ She laughed again, this time in her mind, not wanting the man in the other room to hear her. ‘I do hope when mom and dad come back from work that they won’t freak out when they don’t find their two daughters missing and the living room all wet.’ The taller girl laughed again. What was she thinking anyways? Of course they’ll freak out! ‘Oh well.’ Hanako sighed. ‘This’ll give us both a break from everything on Earth had and is still putting us through my sister.’

Hanako turned her head around towards the living room, “Hey! Kaijuu! Come in here!” She called the demon over. Even if her own sister were to hate her by the time she regain her consciousness, Hanako could not watch Chieko suffer on Earth any longer. Humans of Earth was suffocating them both alive and she loved her sister too much to see her rot slowly everyday –of course, she was doing this for herself too. This journey, a vacation in Hanako’s eyes, will be good for them both in physical and mental health.

Hanako didn’t know how long it took the Water Demon to get to the kitchen, but she could easily conclude from the faint sounds of his footsteps that he was one of the slowest walkers on Earth. By the time he reached into the kitchen, she was sure that Chieko would wake up any second. “Yes…?” He trailed off before he could form his question when he stared down at them. He looked at the unconscious Chieko and then to back to Hanako’s innocent eyes, “What’s… wrong with Master?”

Hanako shook her head worryingly, “I don’t know. She just fainted all of a sudden. Maybe too much stress from what she finally decided to do… that maybe it was best to go after all and travel around the universe to do some soul searching as well as getting her three wishes granted at the same time.” She knew that she was lying, but it was for a good cause. Besides, it was amusing when she lied to another, making them think the way she wanted them to think. However, it wasn’t the best lie, but as long he believed what she said, she didn’t care.

“Oh? Really?” Kaijuu asked to himself out loud. He guessed that was what the long silence was for. This was good. He was worried that his Master wouldn’t accept the journey for real. He couldn’t go back to that card form and seek out another Master. He was sure that these two girls were the last standing magicians on Earth that were worthy to go the journey to release his four siblings. He smiled slightly, relieved, even hough his emotionless eyes were still cold and dark, “I’m glad to hear that. But, should we wait for Master to wake up before we leave?”

Hanako quickly shook her head to his question, “Absolutely not! Our parents could be home any minute.” She told him, glancing up at the window and into the sun-setting sky. “If they find a stranger in the house, especially a man who looks like he’s from college, we won’t be able to leave at all. We should leave now.” She told him troublingly. Though, she soon was curious about one thing, “Oh… by the way… how do we get to the next world anyways?” Hanako inquired. It seemed almost impossible to get to the next planet or world less than a day… seeing that scientists said that it would takes years to just get to Pluto.

Kaijuu slowly picked up Chieko into his arms and faced at Hanako, “The Holy Demons of the Five Elements are the only demons allowed to open up portals to other worlds, but the portals that my siblings and I open up only lead to random worlds. So I’m not sure if we’ll land in a world where my brothers or sister is.”

Hanako rubbed her chin thoughtfully. Though, she didn’t care. She only hoped that there would be a great adventure waiting for her and her sister. She just couldn’t wait for the voyage to begin. She was sure that Chieko would understand somehow when they get to the very first world when Kaijuu does transport them.

“Is there something precious you would like to take with you from this world before we leave?” Kaijuu asked her, seeing that she was spacing off, wondering if she had second thoughts about something. He was sure that this was going to be a long trip to find the other demons and that she’ll bond to miss something from this world sooner or later.

Hanako looked up at the tall man and walked to his side, giving him a bright smile, “No. There’s nothing here that’s very important to me. Chieko is the only person that I need to be by my side.” She told him honestly with a brighter smile than before. She laughed, “Let’s just go.” She threw at punch at his arm.

Kaijuu raised an eyebrow at her. She was a strange one indeed. She didn’t need to hit him to get him to do what she wanted. All she had to do was just tell him. He sighed with a little hint of annoyance. “This will be a rough, but quick ride.” He told her as he closed his eyes.

Hanako looked in front of them for she felt a strong urge of something was trying to suck her in. Hanako saw a very small, but dark hole being ripped open on the kitchen floor. She watched it grow larger and larger and then glanced back at Kaijuu who’s eyes were still closed. She tilted her head to a direction and stared at the hole in front of them, ‘This hole must be the gateway to the next random world. Boy, it sure takes a while to open up a portal.’ Hanako scratched her head, wondering when the portal will be open entirely. It seemed that it was just as slow as Kaijuu walking from the living room to the kitchen.

Hanako soon got her wish when Kaijuu nudged her with his foot, since his hands was full, to get her attention to face towards him. “You go ahead. If I jump in first, it’ll close behind me because I was the one that opened it.” He told her. “And I don’t want to leave the releaser of the cards behind. You and your sister will go through this trial together, however, Master will be the one to get her three wishes granted.” He explained to her. “You sure you still want to go through this even if you won’t get any of your wishes to come true?”

Hanako giggled, glancing at Kaijuu with a smirk, “What a stupid… question!” She told him as she jumped into the hole, her voice echoing, “I’m not like other girls or humans!”

Kaijuu smiled amusingly, “Interesting.” He said to himself, jumping into the hole as well, the portal quickly closing behind him.