IBHJ 1018

"Where... where are we?" Kiara looked confused at the pitch-black entrance in front of her.

"It's an old air raid shelter from the war, now part of a new underground network," Demonic Bodhisattva said, patting her shoulder with a charming smile. "The Greater Grail is set up here, and that girl's workshop too. We're going in."

Demonic Bodhisattva took a few steps, then realized Kiara wasn't following. She turned back and saw Kiara hesitating. She couldn't help but tease, "What's wrong? Getting cold feet now that your passion has cooled down? It's fine, if you want to back out, we can forget our deal."

"It's not that," Kiara shook her head, looking uncertain. "I just wanted to ask... are we just going to walk in like this?"

"Oh, that's what you're worried about," she said, closing her right eye. "With me here, what's there to worry about? Except for that monster girl who's a bit of a pain, the rest are nothing."

"A bit of a pain?" Kiara looked at her, confused. She'd faced Manaka before, and 'a bit of a pain' didn't come close to describing her.

"Once you've seen the sun, stars don't seem bright anymore. Same thing with darkness—once you've seen the deepest dark, everything else seems just child's play. Come on, stick close to me. Until our deal is done, I'll keep you safe and get you to your friend."

Kiara watched Demonic Bodhisattva walk inside, then hurried after her, looking at her face.

"What is it?" Demonic Bodhisattva asked curiously.

Kiara shook her head and smiled. "I just think you're so nice. Thank you for helping me..."

Before she could finish, Demonic Bodhisattva put a finger on Kiara's lips, stopping her.

"If you're this naive, it's going to be a problem. Didn't we agree? This is just a deal, we both get something out of it, got it?"

Kiara nodded quickly like a pecking bird.

Demonic Bodhisattva let go of her hand.

"But I still want to thank you," Kiara said honestly.

Demonic Bodhisattva covered her head and sighed. "When are you going to stop being so naive?"

Under Shinjuku was a maze of subways. And hidden there was the Greater Grail.

Endless darkness surrounded them, so black you couldn't see your hand in front of your face. Kiara felt scared. She hated the dark more than anything - it made her feel completely alone. She used to hug her mother every night, and in Chaldea, she'd use her phone to bug Ayaka all night, chatting with her.

But here, she was all alone.

Demonic Bodhisattva sighed, then stopped.

"Wh-what's wrong? Are we under attack?" Kiara asked.

"Hold onto my clothes."

"Huh?"

Kiara was stunned.

"You're shaking so much... you're such a scaredy-cat. Hold onto my clothes. I'm still here, I'll protect you, so don't be afraid."

"Ah, this..." Kiara was too embarrassed to know what to do.

"You're really a handful."

Demonic Bodhisattva walked to Kiara's side, took her hand, and led her forward. Kiara followed step by step, like a child being led by her mother while shopping. It made her feel embarrassed but also warm.

"This feels like when I was little, and mother snuck me down the mountain to see the fireworks festival. She held my hand just like this, walking through the crowd. She even bought me a demon mask. Oh, right. It was an ox demon. The horns were just like yours now. But later, father found the mask and got so angry, he even scolded mother... Do you remember, other self?"

Demonic Bodhisattva stopped, turned her head, and glared at Kiara with a gloomy face. "Don't you know where we are?" she said in a low voice. "If you want to save your friend safely, shut up!"

Kiara shrank back in fear, covered her mouth, and nodded.

With a dark look, Demonic Bodhisattva let go of Kiara's hand and turned to keep walking.

Kiara blinked. My other self is in a bad mood. She doesn't seem to like me talking about the past.

But...

"Wait for me. Don't let go, I'm scared," Kiara hurried after her.

Kiara couldn't keep up with Demonic Bodhisattva's angry figure moving ahead.

She regretted bringing up the past, which made Demonic Bodhisattva ignore her. But she couldn't understand why, even if the future was cruel, the memory of her mother taking her to the fireworks festival wasn't seen as a beautiful thing to cherish.

Kiara chased after Demonic Bodhisattva, but the gap between them grew wider instead of smaller.

Just like who they really were - the same, yet completely different.

Different people, different personalities, and different paths.

Finally, Demonic Bodhisattva vanished from sight, leaving only a blurry, huge darkness. Kiara couldn't see the way forward or anyone else.

In the vast emptiness, only she was left.

"Don't leave me alone. I'm scared of the dark..."

Kiara looked around nervously, trying to find any sign of Demonic Bodhisattva, but saw only darkness.

She moved forward nervously, feeling her way through.

Suddenly, a voice spoke up.

"Well, well. Looks like we have a little trespasser. I'm afraid this is as far as you go."

It was Sasaki Kojiro. A sword flashed in the darkness, cold and deadly, aimed right at her neck.

Kiara rolled clumsily to dodge, ending up in an awkward position.

As she got up unsteadily, a huge roar came from behind her. She spun around to see Heracles' massive body giving off a terrifying aura, glaring at her fiercely.

He was too close. Kiara tried to back away, but her heel caught on her other foot. She stumbled, landing hard on her backside.

Suddenly—

SPLATCH!

Two hands burst through Heracles' stomach. They gripped the edges of the wound, fingers digging into flesh. With a violent wrench, they tore outward. Heracles' body split apart, his torso ripping in two from navel to neck. His massive form toppled, crashing to the ground in separate halves.

"Really, I look away for a second and you disappear. Seriously, stay close to me!"

A complaining voice. Kiara looked towards it and saw Demonic Bodhisattva walking over. She called out excitedly, "Other me!"

"Beast!?" Sasaki Kojiro's eyes widened, his body tensing as he stared at Demonic Bodhisattva. He quickly shifted his weight, feet sliding into a familiar stance as his hand moved to the hilt of his sword. "Hiken - Tsubame Ga—"

Before he could finish, the earth beneath him groaned and cracked. The ground split open with a roar, rocks and dirt flying in all directions. Two ghostly white hands burst from the crack. They moved with impossible speed, slamming into Sasaki's midsection. Flesh tore and bones snapped as the hands ripped through his body, separating his torso from his legs in a spray of crimson.

"Thank you, other me," Kiara said gratefully.

Demonic Bodhisattva: "..."

She turned her head and said, "It's just part of our deal. No need to be so formal."

The mangled remains of Heracles and Sasaki Kojiro lay strewn across the blood-soaked ground. Despite being torn apart, the flesh quivered and pulsed, a sickly glow coursing through the severed limbs and organs. The corruption from Manaka's curse fought against death, forcing the dismembered parts to knit back together.

Demonic Bodhisattva glanced at the twitching chunks of flesh. She opened her own stomach, revealing a black hole, and pulled the flesh pieces into it.

"Crunch crunch—"

The hole crushed and erased the flesh chunks. Even the immortality Manaka gave them vanished inside the hole.

This scene made Kiara's skin crawl, her face showing fear.

Seeing Kiara's fright, Demonic Bodhisattva smiled teasingly. "Don't worry, your turn is coming soon."

"U-uu..." Kiara shrank back in fear.

She and Demonic Bodhisattva are two sides of the same coin, Buddha and Demon in one.

Demonic Bodhisattva is the main body. Kiara is just the "past" split from her, born and free after Shirou broke Demonic Bodhisattva's evil heart.

If Demonic Bodhisattva took her back, she'd inevitably be pulled into the black hole. It would grind her body, soul, personality, memories... all to bits, then merge them back into one.

In other words, what just happened to Sasaki Kojiro and Heracles is her eventual fate.

Seeing Kiara's pale face, she smiled and said, "Let's go."

She walked over, took Kiara's hand, and moved forward.

"Are you not mad anymore?" Kiara asked, looking at Demonic Bodhisattva's face.

Demonic Bodhisattva's eyes narrowed. "I was just worried you'd run off again and run into enemies."

Kiara tilted her head, a hint of hope in her voice. "Were you worried about me?"

"Worried about you?" Demonic Bodhisattva scoffed. "I wish I could, but sadly, I only love myself. I just don't want someone else to kill you before I eat you. Cold, rotten meat doesn't taste good."

Kiara shrank back again. "Stop scaring me."

"It's the truth."

"Mm." Kiara looked at Demonic Bodhisattva's face, remembering how scary she looked when she was angry earlier. She couldn't help but ask, "I really don't get it. Even with what happens in the future, wasn't the fireworks festival beautiful? You changed from human to demon, but you have those ox horns. Isn't it because you like the ox-demon mask too?"

"Do you think fireworks are pretty?" Demonic Bodhisattva asked.

"Yes," Kiara nodded.

"Then they're beautiful. Everything is beautiful, except me."

Demonic Bodhisattva let go of Kiara's hand.

Kiara stood still, looking at Demonic Bodhisattva's back. She felt like she was seeing Master Mordred.

After a moment's hesitation, she ran to catch up and wrapped both arms around Demonic Bodhisattva's arm.

"What are you doing?" Demonic Bodhisattva asked.

"I want to walk with you like this."

"Do whatever you want."

Kiara looked at Demonic Bodhisattva's face and suddenly asked, "Other me, when we get out of this past plane, let's go see fireworks together."

"No."

"Why not?"

"You're too annoying. As soon as our deal is done, I'm eating you right away."

"Mm."

Kiara pouted but wasn't scared anymore.

Demonic Bodhisattva: "..."

"Say something, other me."

"No."

"Why not?"

"Bad mood."

"Why are you in a bad mood?"

"Because of you. And where are all these 'whys' coming from? Are you really here to save people? If not, I'm leaving!"

"Weren't you going to eat me? Even if you're not saving anyone, shouldn't you still eat me? Why are you leaving?"

Demonic Bodhisattva: "..."

"Other me, Ayaka said you're hoping I'll defeat you. Is that true?" Kiara inched closer.

"She's lying to you. I'm selfish. I want to eat you, why would I want you to beat me? Ayaka Sajyou is a big liar. You shouldn't be friends with her."

"Then who should I be friends with?"

Demonic Bodhisattva: "..."

"Other me..."

"Shut up."

"Other me..."

"You're so annoying!"

"Other me, you're so nice. I want to know more about you."

Demonic Bodhisattva: "..."

"Is that not allowed?"

"Once I eat you, you'll understand me."

"Oh."

Demonic Bodhisattva: "..."

"Other me..."

"Ah! Ah! Ah!" Demonic Bodhisattva yanked her hand from Kiara's grip, messing up her own hair in frustration. Then she pointed at a distant object. "Ayaka is in there!"

"Huh?"

Kiara turned to see a huge, black, cocoon-like thing stuck in the steep cliff face.