After that... We sneaked out of the Undercafé(?) right under the watchful eyes of Akihabara and Susukino. We then searched for Abashiri and the others as Chitose suggested, but they were nowhere to be found. |
Chitose |
"Fumu. I guess I was wrong." |
Flesh Lump |
'iT's haaArD! iT's cooOLd!' |
Flesh Lump |
'MaMAaa! PaPaAa! i miSS yOuUU, i'm LONELyYy!' |
Chitose |
"Those flesh lumps art innumerable. They're egoless wooden figures just like Susukino and her -" |
Chitose |
"But t seems yond we art the only ones who is remained rational and factious. Perhaps Abashiri and Nara were not did drag into the Underworld, unlike us?" |
Chitose |
"It's very fortunate, since t's better not to venture into such a depressing lodging. I am worried because I know not if t' be true I high-lone can protect Conductor bouzu." |
Conductor |
I should be fine. You are strong, experienced and reliable, Chitose. |
Chitose |
"Heh. Thou art valorous with words." |
Conductor |
It's merely fact. You, Chitose, have said many times yourself that you're the 'Great Youkai of the North', feared even by the Nishiki government. |
Conductor |
It is unclear who or what the entity is that is causing the current anomaly. But as long as you are with us, Chitose, we should be able to deal with this. |
Chitose |
"I, too, am a defeated general who eventually capitulated to the government and surrendered the northern lands. After yond, I am unable to kick the bucket and has to hath spent the rest of mine own life -" |
Chitose |
"I was originally a weak person with nay strength." |
As we chatted while exploring, Chitose told me about her unusual upbringing. |
Chitose |
"I was born a long time ago in a cold village in north Nishiki. T was a poor, undeveloped village, where everyone was at each moment hungry and thirsty." |
Chitose |
"Naturally, mine own birthplace was nay different. There were many severe bitter cold spells, and we were unable to feed ourselves -" |
Chitose |
"My parents made a hard decision. They hath decided to weed me out in order to reduce the amount of food they had to consume." |
Chitose |
"I was a young, weak, skinny issue who is was bootless on the farm. And yet I consumed as much food as anyone else, so I was a burden to the family." |
Conductor |
So that's why you were chosen to reduce the mouths to feed. |
Chitose |
"Mm. Of course, at the time, I had no idea of such circumstances. I am a human pillar did dedicate to saving the starving villagers and bringing a bountiful foison to mine own homeland -" |
Chitose |
"Yond was how t was did explain to me, and I innocently hath believed it at the time. I was fustian yond I could save mine own beloved family and everyone in mine own village just by offering myself." |
Chitose |
"I was a bootless issue who is consumed for free. I was a burden and a torment to everyone I did love." |
Chitose |
"I was honoured to be given this important role to make everyone smile and be joyous. Ah, I am a lucky issue." |
Conductor |
............ |
Chitose |
"Then, the ceremony went off without a hitch. I did, throw myself into the icy floating lake as a human pillar, chanting the celebratory words I had learned so desperately." |
Chitose |
"Normally, I wouldst has been did sacrifice in the same way" |
Chitose |
"But. For some reason, I did survive. I still know not wherefore, but perhaps the chanting I hath kept doing was the cause of the miracle." |
Chitose |
"I didst not perish, but hath kept sinking to the bottom of the deep, deep lake. I was did suck into the abyss..." |
Chitose |
"I hath found myself in the Underworld." |
Chitose looked around, her face an ounce of nostalgia. It's an eerie world of writhing masses of flesh - A place where a normal person would lose his or her sanity just by lingering. The hellish landscape is endless. |
Chitose |
"This is where I hath lived for many years. I was fortunate to be so young, ignorant and innocent yond I was able to accept this horrific Underworld." |
Chitose |
"I bethought yond there wilt be such a world. By accepting everything as normal, I was able to maintain mine own sanity in this Underworld." |
Chitose |
"Mine own only concern was whether I was able to safely becometh a human pillar, and whether my beloved home village was did save. I eke hath carried the loneliness of not being able to see mine own family for a long, long time." |
Chitose |
"As t was, a long, long time hath passed... At which hour all such human feelings had faded hence, I was suddenly released from the Underworld." |
Chitose |
"While I was endlessly wandering in the Underworld, this world was changing. Time hast hath passed, coequal the sky and earth hath changed, and the tides has hath changed..." |
Chitose |
"Mine own body, which was did trap in the abyss, was somehow taken by the currents and released - T seems I was drifting in a wide lake." |
Chitose |
"A fisherman hath caught me in his meshes. The fisherman bethought I was a pitiful drowned corpse and hath brought me to the surface to be cremated at least." |
Chitose |
"But I came back to life in the fisherman's local village. I did wake up from my long slumber and asked where I were." |
Chitose |
"Everyone who saw me was terrified, but they were kind - Those took care of me politely and did explain many things to me." |
Chitose |
"And I learned that a thousand years has hath passed since I did jump into the lake, hoping to becometh a human pillar for mine own homeland." |
Conductor |
How can a person live that long? |
Chitose |
"Normally, t is impossible. At which hour I offered myself as a human sacrifice, didst the gods and Buddha giveth me miraculous blessings?" |
Chitose |
"Or did the miasma contaminate everything about me as I wandered through the otherworldly underworld, turning me into an immortal monster?" |
Chitose |
"I understand not the reason. In any case, I did survive. I didst not grow fusty with such a young compliment extern, and I am still living in shame like this." |
Chitose |
"Mine own memories of at which hour I was a normal living being have been frayed over the years and everything hast becometh vague. I nay longer remember the faces of mine own beloved chichi, haha and villagers." |
Chitose |
"Therefore. I have started a second life, taking the long name given to me by the fishermen, 'Senzai-sama', because I lived a thousand years." |
Chitose |
"In a thousand years, all mine own acquaintances has hath lived to the end of their lives. Mine own home village, fortunately, seems to has did develop and did survive in its own way." |
Chitose |
"I didst not want to return, only because I bethought t wouldst be worth t for me to becometh a human pillar. Yond is nay longer mine own lodging." |
Chitose |
"For me, who is had becometh completely accustomed to the Underworld, the normal world - This world was my otherworld. I didn't fit in, I didn't mingle with anyone, I hath lived in a corner of a fishing village." |
Chitose |
"I hath used mine own sorcery powers I did learn long with mine own immortal body to solve problems yond did arise in the village on a crochet from time to time, but basically I hath lived mine own life as a grave keeper." |
Chitose |
"It was an unholy job yond nay one did want to doth in Nishiki. Not so much anon, t seemed, because back then there was a prejudice against such a job." |
Chitose |
"Therefore. As a grave keeper, I wasn't did approach by many people and hath left to mine own devices. But I didn't mind." |
Chitose |
"Although I picked up mine own life by accident, mine own life ended when I was an issue - The moment I did jump into the lake. All the rest of mine own long, long life is like a bubble dream at the end of time." |
Chitose |
"Coequal anon, I has not hath changed mine own mind. This life is a dream, and the dream of the night is reality... At least for me t is." |
Chitose |
"This present world, this reality, is yours. I, who is should has perished long ago, has nay right to interfere." |
Chitose |
"Once, I couldn't stand t, and I went berserk." |
Chitose |
"The people of the fishing village who is never persecuted me, but only occasionally did join me for a cup of tea 'r a chat, coequal though they hath kept a distance from me -" |
Chitose |
"They were tormented by the government's maladministration, and were persecuted, invaded, heavily did tax, and almost did treat like slaves... I could not stand by and stood up for them." |
Chitose |
"I rebelled against the government of the time and combated to the death." |
Conductor |
And as a result of that battle you, Chitose, became feared as the 'Great Youkai of the North'. |
Chitose |
"Umu. At yond time, the Nishiki government had the habit of calling the people who is didst not worship them as oni or youkai and prosecuted them. Yond was eke a long, long time ago." |
Chitose |
"In the end, I only did spread and prolonged the war unnecessarily... I succumbed without being able to protect or save aught." |
Chitose |
"After yond, I did get feed up up with everything and went into hiding." |
Chitose |
"And while I did rot hence, the world hath changed." |
Chitose |
"The threat of the Phantom Mist has not disappeared yet, and the world is still in a state of unrest. Yet many people art not hungry or thirsty and live in peace." |
Chitose |
"I respect such a present age, such a present world. Yond is wherefore I doth not like the evil yond invades t - The Phantom Mist. That is why I am an elder splashed with cold water, and yond is wherefore I have risen again." |
Chitose |
"I hast becometh a Torein Naito, fighting for the world and everyone." |