Big Eyes, Small Mouth (BESM): In the Shadows of the City - Holy Ground

[Kenichi]

Kenichi had taken a long while to recover from the Demon Lord's last activity, the attacks by the firemane had not been that bad, it had been his possesion by an unnatural beast as Kaori and Keiko called it.

Kenichi knew all to well that it was anything by unnatural that 'The Beast' had taken over him. Years of praying and begging had kept it under check, as did a deep understanding of the underlaying feelings that triggered it's kind, Pride, Envy, Rage, Fear and Hate.

Those words had followed Kenichi all of his life, he had learned to keep them down, to keep them at a distance and be unable to be feel them, cutting himself short on most ocassions, always giving a grin no matter the circumstances and always saying "It's ok." But here, he was always able to be who he truly was, and that was everything that counted.

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Looking up at the structure before him, Kenichi saw that it was still standing and undamaged, the cross on top of it still heald it's shine and the large crystal doors were unscathed. As he went forward he entered the precint and saw at the far back a large altar decorated by two candles and a large cross occupying the back of the church. Kenichi blessed himself with the sign of the cross after he walked in and kneeled before the altar to pray, for a better day, a better world and the safe keeping of the only safekeepers the city has left.

"Gee, I wonder if father is here still."

[Kenichi]

Kenichi took a while talking to the Lord, had a lot to talk about with him, but after his prayers had been finished, he got up, lit a candle and went to the back of the church, looking for any survivors.

"Hello?" Kenichi's voice carried over the dark rooms on the back, it seemed like they had not been used for a long while, but there were no signs of struggle or a fight, going into the main office Kenichi stopped a couple of steps beyond the door's treashold, moved over to the desk and contemplated a cup on it. "The coffee is still warm, so I know there is somebody else here. Who is it?"

Kenichi turned just in time to see the two by four incoming to his head, clocking him on the temple and sprawling the large teen over the floor, his vision was blurry and wobbly, it was not his first time but the darkness of the rooms didn't help, somebody turned the lights on and the bright flash dazzled Kenichi as he laid face up staring at the bulb, the person that hit him kneeled besides him and he cuold hear him as if he was talking through a thick wall, his voice very muffled.

"Ken? Is that you? Oh Lord, somebody help me put him on a bed!" Kenichi felt very light as a couple of locals dragged him to the bed, and once on the bed conciousness escaped him faster than ever before.

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Kenichi dreamed that night, of howling dogs, of winged people flying across the sky and of fire streaks criss crossing through the city.

[Kenichi]

Kenichi woke up in a haze, his hands and feet were unbound so that was not a problem, but his head was bandaged and he was still feeling dizzy beyond the lack of focus on his eyes....the splitting headache did not help.

He started to incorporate, sitting up in the bed, and getting his legs over the side when he heard the door open. A man, very caucasian looking entered the room carrying a tray with some food, not much but but what they have been getting lately.

"Ken-chan! Thanks to god you finally woke up, I feared we had hit you over the head too hard and had caused some real damage." The man approached Kenichi, and hugged him the man´s Japanese was very good but he had a lot to work on his Keigo, speaking casually and warmly to everyone he met.

"Oi Oi! Father, please stand back. I got this splitting headache and I´m not exactly happy with the person who gave it to me." Kenichi glared at the man. "On top of that, where is my mother?"

Kenichi´s Keigo also had a lot of work left over, and neither of those two things were done by mistake. "Your mother is not here Ken-chan, we have been unable to find her since the night of the first attack. I believe that she is still alive out there somewhere, even if it means that your grandfather came to her rescue."

"Grandpa?" Now there was someone Kenichi did not want to think of in this situation, "Do you really think grandpa is out and about in this situation Father?"

"I don´t know Ken-chan, I simply don´t know at this time. But rest for now, I will come back later, at least the church has been able to hold out against the attacks, it seems the demons can´t enter Blessed lands, and thus are kept at bay. But now, you eat something and sleep, you will need it."

[Kenichi]

A day had passed and Kenichi had yet to see anybody but his father, he had already decided to go back to his friends on the temple the night before and was getting ready to say goodbye to his father, only stopping to pray for the well being of his family and friends.

"Kenichi! Are you going to leave already?" his father stood in front of the main entrance, something about him was amiss as he wore his Franciscan robes. "Your mother should not take long Kenichi, why not wait for a little while more?" The man smiled widely, but there was no warm feelings behind it only a coldness matched by the grave "Why not stay for eternity?"

Kenichi felt an horrible oppressive feeling on his chest, and all around him, the air around him was waving almost like he was on fire and the distance to the door felt unimaginable. "Yes Kenichi, the virtuous souls are the best after all. Stay here with me, we will defend this place so we can keep getting helpless people to come. Can't you hear it calling? The hunger inside you, it's inside your friends too, the hunger for immortal souls breaking the cycle of life and judgment."

For a mere moment, the room darkened as if the lights had failed, and behind his father Kenichi could clearly see a huge demon, western style even, with horns, wings, several tails, goat legs and a huge dragon like head with a serpent tongue. "Stay here forever Kenichi! Stay with me!"

[Kenichi]

Kenichi dove behind the pews as from the demonid figure behind his father at least a dozen spears came directly at him, nailing themselves through the pews and into the concrete he decided this was an unsound tactical choice. "Your friends don't have much time Kenichi, you saw how they were defeated soundly by the Orochi heads. I'm giving you a chance to escape, to leave all of this behind and live immortaly." The man wearing the franciscan robe was no longer Kenichi's father that much was obvious.

Kenichi dove behind a stone wall, rolling on his way as the whip-like spears cracked the floor behind him in an attempt to impale him. "That's kinda hard dad, I trust my friends to not get killed so easily, they are hardy and true warriors with pure souls. Unfortunetly, you just reminded me why I can't really call them friends or Comarades."

Kenichi threw himself out into the open, holding into a heavy metal pole and throwing it to his father, this was swiflty taken care of mid flight and just as Kenichi hid behind another wall he could feel his legs give under him as one of the spears went through the wall and through his left side, covered in blood and puncturing his left long.

"Now Kenichi, my son, are you ready to talk about becoming an immortal?"