Kashimo opened his eyes and sat up, confused. His body felt heavy, like it had been dropped into another world. The sky was pitch black, and the ground under him glowed dimly with purple light. Strange mist swirled around his feet, and a freezing chill clung to the air.
Suddenly, a shadowy figure stepped forward — tall, thin, and inhuman. Its face was blank but terrifying, with long horns curling from its forehead and glowing white eyes.
Kashimo gulped. "W-Who are you? And… where am I?"
The figure gave a chilling laugh. "I am not someone to be taken lightly," it said in a deep, echoing voice. "I am the one who destroys worlds. I have blinked away universes without effort. I punish those who trespass in the midnight… and you will not be spared either."
Kashimo's heart pounded. He was sweating now, but he managed to ask, "Where did you come from? What… what's your past?"
The creature paused, its gaze piercing into him. "I come from a religion… called Fujism. Do you know it?"
Kashimo nodded nervously. "Y-Yeah… I've heard of it."
The demon continued. "I was born in 1 BCE. In the religion of Fujism, I was first seen as a divine messenger — a messiah. Later, they called me a god. I founded the religion, spreading teachings of balance, strength, and control."
"For 36 years, I guided people. But the truth was… I had secrets. Flaws. I was not the perfect being they thought I was. Over time, I was accused of dishonesty. My image was shattered. They called me a villain — a false god."
"I died at 50, during a great war against an ancient evil. But death didn't end my existence. I used my power to create this realm — The Midnight Realm. My kingdom. My prison. And from here, I made it my mission to destroy the human realm that betrayed me."
Kashimo raised an eyebrow, trying to lighten the mood. "Your backstory's kinda interesting."
The demon's eyes flared with rage. "You DARE interrupt me, human?! In my realm, no one speaks unless allowed. Interruptions are punishable by death. You are weaker than me — I could kill you in a blink!"
Kashimo froze. "Okay… okay… Sorry."
The demon breathed deeply and calmed itself. "Now, where was I? Yes. Through wormholes — glitches in space and time — two humans were pulled into this realm long ago. They discovered my plans to destroy Earth. Instead of fighting, we made a deal. They would rule the daylight hours as guardians of peace. I would rule the night."
"I became the Midnight Guardian of Earth. This very place, where you now stand, is the capital of my realm. My sacred battlefield. I protect it with ancient weapons — swords, shields, arrows, cannons… everything needed to defend my truth."
The demon leaned forward. "So… why were you here, disturbing my territory?"
Kashimo looked confused. "I didn't know I wasn't supposed to be here. I just… ended up here."
The demon stared at him. "If you want to return to Earth, you must prove yourself. You'll have to defeat a warrior from my realm. Only then will I allow your return."
Kashimo's fists clenched. "Fine. I'll do it."
Meanwhile, Back on Earth…
"Where is he?" Kaguro asked, looking around the school courtyard anxiously.
"I told the guards," Bachi said. "They should be here soon. But for now… let's just hope for the best."
Kamiko scanned the area. "I was just with Kashimo. He was standing right next to me. Then… gone. I didn't even blink."
Alan stepped forward. "Same. I didn't see him leave."
Suddenly, Alan gasped. His body began to lift off the ground, like something invisible was pulling him.
"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!" he screamed.
Kaguro's eyes widened in horror. "W-What is that?!"
Kamiko rushed forward and grabbed Alan's hand. "Hold on!"
But it was too strong. The force pulling him was growing.
Kaguro stared at the swirling energy forming in front of them. "Wait… I've studied this. This is… this is Fujism!"
"What?" Bachi asked, confused.
"It's all connected," Kaguro said urgently. "The teachings. The legends. The disappearances. This pulling force… it's the Midnight Realm. I read about it in one of the oldest Fujism scrolls."
Alan and Kamiko were sucked in. In a flash, they vanished.
Kaguro turned to Bachi. "Go! Run to your room!"
They sprinted inside, heart pounding.
Once inside Bachi's room, Kaguro pulled out his old notes and spread them on the table.
"What just happened?" Bachi asked, still in shock. "How does this connect to Fujism?"
Kaguro pointed to a map. "There's a legend in the Fujism records. It speaks of a realm created by a betrayed god — a realm only accessible through unstable wormholes. It also mentions a capital… a location where time bends."
"And where is that capital?" Bachi asked.
Kaguro swallowed hard. "Right here. The exact playground where Alan and Kamiko vanished. That's the capital of the Midnight Realm."
Bachi fell silent.
Kaguro's voice dropped to a whisper. "I think Kashimo… Alan… Kamiko… they're no longer in our world. They've been taken into the realm of the Midnight Demon."
End of Chapter 8
(To be continued…)