Free Digital Devil Story: Reincarnation of the Goddess by Aya Nishitani Page A

Kerberos. From the liquid crystal display, a white mist wafted into the room.
    "Go, Kerberos!"
    As if in response to Nakajima's cry, the mist rapidly solidified, and as if impatient to fully take form, assaulted Loki.
    "You are a beast of the demon world and yet you side with the human!?"
    Flame-like breath burst forth from the fang-lined maw, and Loki let out a cry that shook the very earth. Deftly dodging an attacking tentacle as it gave forth a slimy sound, the demon beast Kerberos bit down at its base and tore it off of Loki's body. Loki's purple blood gushed out and melted the linoleum tiling on the floor. With the two demons letting out roars like thunder, cracks shot up the plate glass window, and the ceiling and walls started to cruble. Despite fighting fiercely, Loki refused to drop Nakajima.
    "Kerberos, over here!"
    As Kerberos lept through the air in response to Nakajima's cry, he was finally caught by a tentacle that wrapped around his body. However, his tail split into half and became two serpents which raised their heads and tore off the tentacle grabbed onto him. Freed from Loki's grasp, Kerberos leapt at the tentacles restraining Nakajima in an attempt to save him.
    As if to thwart the beast's effort, Loki bent his tentacle and smacked Nakajima's head to the floor. The impact was almost enough to crush his skull, and Nakajima's consciousness wavered as fresh blood poured from the split in his forehead, his field of vision becoming drenched in red. With his vision distorting, the ferociously fighting Kerberos seemed like a far-away illusion.
    So this is the pathetic fate of the magician...
    As his consciousness faded and he prepared to die, memories of those strange illusions from before spontaneously appeared in a corner of Nakajima's mind.
    What were those? The woman from them called that man that looked just like him "Izanagi." Did it have any connection to the story of Izanami and Izanagi from Japanese mythology?
    Even if I knew, what difference does it make now...?
    Muttering to himself, Nakajima closed his eyes as if in acceptance of his fate.

    At that moment, unbeknownst to anyone, the heart of the seemingly dead Yumiko started to beat faintly.
    Yumiko, Yumiko! A kind voice was calling her name.
    Who are you? Is that you, Mom? Yumiko asked instinctively in her mind.
    As if recognizing that she had awakened, the voice cut off briefly, then started to speak again in a kind voice.
    Stand up, Yumiko.
    Yumiko did not hear the roars of the demon beast nor the sound of the classroom being destroyed. In fact, she had no sense of the terrible experience that she had had at all. All she could hear was the voice of the woman. Timidly opening her eyes, Yumiko realized that the voice was coming from the red aurora in the warped area in the air.
    Through the aurora, the mirage of a peacful countryside was visible. Blue rice paddies with not-yet-ripened seeds. Rolling hills covered in summer grass. And groups of giant boulders, simple yet mysterious.
    Yumiko had seen that scenery somewhere before.
    Isn't that the Asuka Ishibutai tomb...? As the thought popped into her mind, the woman's voice spoke again.
    When you were Izanami in a former life, that's what you called it.
    My former life? Izanami...you mean the goddess from Japanese mythology?
    Yumiko was confused by the suddenness of the words. But what the voice said had the sense of an undeniable truth to them.
    Stand, Yumiko. This space in the air is connected to Asuka, where I rest. Take Nakajima--no, your dearest Izanagi--and come to me.
    The instant she stood in obediance to the voice, the angry cries of Loki and the roars of Kerberos filled Yumiko's ears as she was brought back to reality. Overwhelmed with a sudden dizziness, she immediately sat down again. But as blood rushed to her head and she saw the crumpled Nakajima on the floor, she was struck with an overwhelming sense of duty.
    I've got to save him!
    It was a feeling greater than love or friendship, but