The Deities of Hell

Ritsu nervously crossed the bridges connecting building to building.

Pomkichi clung to Ritsu’s leg while trembling.

“Woahhh! We’ll die if we fall down.”

“D-don’t look down.”

Although Ritsu could use his Devil Eye if he fell, he was plenty scared.

As for Pomkichi, although he didn’t seem to have the body or weight to die if he fell, he still thought he would die.

Because he was an idiot, he couldn’t help it.

“I-I can’t take it anymore! It’ll run past from behind!”

“Woah! Wait for me!”

Growing impatient, Ritsu dashed over the bridge.

Although Ritsu had crossed the bridge safely, when he was running over it, the bridge crumbled.

“No way!?”

“Pomkichi!”

“Nooo!”

Pomkichi ended up falling down from the bridge.

Ritsu couldn’t use his Devil Eye on living beings.

Since Pomkichi was judged as alive, Ritsu couldn’t use the Devil Eye to save him.

“Huh?”

“I’m kidding!”

Pomkichi flapped his arms and legs and flew midair.

Besides chattering and moving, he apparently had brains, too.

“So you can fly!”

“I’m just walking, though.”

“Haha! Amazing!”

“A bear that can’t fly is just a bear!”

“You aren’t just a bear, are you!”

“What!?

Seeing Pomkichi return to him, Ritsu smiled out of relief from the bottom of his heart,

“Alright, let’s hurry.”

“Yeah, but… I think it’s better to hurry even more.”

“Why?”

“It sounded like the Bat Bastard is coming, that’s why.”

“Huh?”

Ritsu looked over his shoulder from where Pomkichi was.

There, the Bat Bastard was sticking out its head from a rooftop.

Its four owl-like eyes stared at him.

It was a gaze like it was verifying something.

“H-hello…”

“Chaaaa!”

“Ahhhhh!!!”

“Woahhhh!!!”

The Bat Bastard howled, and Ritsu and Pomkichi screamed as they broke into a run.

Pomkichi jumped into Ritsu’s backpack, and the Bat Bastard spread its wings and jumped into the air behind them.

“Ritsu! It’ll catch up! It’s faster than the Pig Bastard”

“I know!”

“The Devil Eye! You can stop it with your red eyes!”

“It’s impossible! When my red eyes stop a target, I can’t move either!”

“No way!”

Ritsu reached the bridge leading to the next rooftop, but the Bat Bastard was right behind them.

(Even if I fly with my Devil Eye, it’ll catch up! There’s nothing I can do!)

Ritsu had nothing more he could do.

While running, he sensed his own death approaching.

“Ahhh! I don’t know why, but I’m excited! My sword is stiffening! If I had known this would have happened, I would have used my sword with Kaori!”

Ritsu cried while rushing forward.

He shouted incomprehensible things while running as if mad.

In the middle of despair and regret, all he could do was stand still and tremble.

“Don’t give up Ritsu! If you want to use your sword, then use it! Seize the man’s sword! Now is the time!”

Pomkichi clung to Ritsu’s shoulder and looked in front while calling to him and help him stop trembling.

However, from Ritsu’s point of view, it was none if his concern.

“That’s why! There’s no one to use it with! I’ll die a virgin! You, who don’t have a man’s sword, should shut it!”

“I have it! I’ll use a sword on the electric cable in front!”

Ritsu opened his eyes full of tears.

There, a rusty electric cable connected the building to a museum-like building.

His body moved before he could think.

Ritsu jumped at the electric cable on the rooftop.

He hooked the sword on the cable and used it as a cable car.

Because the cable slanted downward, he reached a speed enough to shake off the Bat Bastard.

“As I thought, the world is focused on me! Hahaha! Nice Pomkichi!”

No longer despairing, Ritsu changed his attitude quickly and displayed a refreshing level of arrogance.

He returned to the kind of person who got carried away easily.

“Ritsu! In front! A window is right in front!”

“Wha—!?”

When Ritsu noticed the danger, he was already colliding with the window.

Smashing into the window of the museum, he tumbled into the room while enduring the pain.

“Ugh, what a day.”

“Ritsu! Get up! The Bat Bastard is flying at us!”

“Damn it! That damn stalker!”

Ritsu pulled his injured foot after him and ran further into the room.

At that moment, the Bat Bastard thrust its face into the window.

“Woah!”

A powerful burst of air blew Ritsu into the back of the room.

Confirming that, the Bat Bastard looked at Ritsu in a strange resignation and flew back outside.

“It’s okay. I wanted to give up, after all.”

“W-we’re saved…”

Ritsu breathed a sigh of relief.

“H-hey… No way…”

The sword was broken in half in his hands.

Ritsu felt depressed seeing that.

“Bang! My sword… just broke…”

“If it’s your sword, it’s here,”

Pomkichi said, looking at a sword put on display inside the room.

That sword was a genuine Japanese sword.

“Serious…ly…”

Ritsu lifted the sword up with trembling hands.

Feeling deeply moved and grateful as he looked at the sword, he smiled.

“It’s not like there is anyone else who will use thee.”

Ritsu clutched the Japanese sword in his hand.