Eldritch

 

So, this voice clearly just said "mum" to me.
Okay, I might be a tiny little bit overwhelmed right now.

 

"E-Eh-Ehhm, excuse me?" (I)

 

The smoke around us is now perfectly calm.
It still lingers around and you can clearly see that it's emitted from this something clinging to me.
The next moment it looks up and it comes rather clear that this is a little girl.
Or more the seven years old version of someone who would crawl out of the television.
Yet this image gets disturbed with the huge smile plastered on her face.

 

"Finally I could find you, mommy!" (?)

"Mommy!?" (I)

"Yes you are, certainly!" (?)

"C-could you explain this Iori?" (M)

"What in every dimension's hell makes you believe that I have any answers right now?!" (I)

 

Maybe I should stop letting the world quake with my words.

But I am seriously confused here.
Everyone else as well, but no one else dares to ask.
If not for that elder who pulls another glowing talisman out and throws it at us two.
Which gets answered with an accumulation of smoke from that girl, which gets so thick that it looks like concrete, smashing against the talisman.

 

"Wham"

 

There was an explosion on the other side of the smoke, but more concerned I am about the fact that the wall moved further than this.
It dissipates soon after and I see this elder lying on the ground.
Still alive, yet not looking as if he has the intention to get back up.
Concerning is that his green smoke is almost gone.

Is it this?
Can this black smoke wash other people's life aura away?
That would explain why he can't get back up, even if he has no visible injuries.

 

"Leave me and mother alone!" (creepy girl)

 

Alright, there was the domineering voice of a boss monster again.
Her look and the emerging black smoke are a very clear hint of what might happen otherwise.
However, while she had quite an entrance here and obviously has a violent streak, she still clings to me, which somehow leads to a question I really have to ask now.

 

"Okay, who are you?" (I)

"I am I!" (demon girl)

"Okay, second try. I don't know who you are or how I would in any way be related to you, so could you please tell me what you think you are to me?" (I)

"Your daughter?" (demon girl)

"I am absolutely sure I never gave birth! Hell, I never even fulfilled the condition for doing so! God, I'm fourteen! So who are you?" (I)

"D-don't know? I just know I belong to you!" (demon girl)

 

Oh no, her eyes get teary and I can see how black ink assembles in them.
Now I'm starting to feel bad.

Wait!
Black ink?

 

"Uh, it's alright, it's fine! Do you know where you came from in the beginning?" (I)

"From you!" (demon girl)

"No, no. Not that. What is the first place you can remember?

"Don't know. It was dark, and wet, and smelled; long corridors. Crawled there very long. Was smaller then." (demon girl)

 

The sewers?
Wait, the ink I drained down there when it started.

Zika warned me!
It, it became this girl?

 

"W-what happened? Why are you like this?" (I)

"There were little things, swarming. I ate them. Then I grew. Then I ate more. Then I grew more. Took bigger things. Grew some more. Ate what I could find. Many things. Tried to find you. Couldn't." (demon girl)

 

At the last part, she sounds really sad.

Now I feel bad.
This girl is somehow linked to me and I made her end up in the sewer where it ate rats and other critters.
Yet there is another concerning point.

 

"Did you... eat anything like these?" (I)

 

I point a little at the group of monks around here.
I need to find out if she's a maneater.

 

"Similar, but not. They were pale. No color." (demon girl)

"You mean you ate ghosts?" (I)

"Ghosts?" (demon girl)

 

She seems to contemplate and presses her ear at me.

Then she looks up and beams with a wide affirmative smile.

 

"Yes! Ghosts!" (demon girl)

 

Would be cute, if she wouldn't presumably be the most dangerous being I've ever met.

 

"So, no humans?" (I)

"No. Felt bright. Didn't like the feel. Hid in the shadows when there was light. Hunted at night. Somehow thought I shouldn't be seen." (demon girl)

 

Hiding in shadows?
Didn't Zika mention something about shadow demons?
But all this black smoke.
She's more of a darkness demon.

 

"And... how comes you are here now?" (I)

 

At this, she truly beams at me.

 

"Heard your call! Was directly coming then!" (demon girl)

"Call?" (I)

"A really loud shout! "I want to get through here!" I immediately was rushing towards you!" (demon girl)

 

Alright, I now have confirmed that this girl is indeed in some way linked to me.
The first problem hereby is that I have no idea what to do now.
Maybe I could put her in the castle and give her some games, but leaving her completely alone there would be blatant child abuse.
How old is she?
Three days?

On the other side, I can't simply leave her free to roam the city and do as she likes.
But reabsorbing her would feel like killing.
Even more, killing a child.
But how do I deal then with this situation?
I am completely lost on options.

But the most concerning right now would be the masses of black smoke she is evaporating here.
The clouds are right now everywhere and I've got the feeling they irreparable defile this "supposed-to-be-holy" shrine.
So before it can get any worse, and I've got the feeling she wouldn't hesitate to cause an exorcist bloodbath, I take her hand and walk away.
What will they do?
Stop me from bringing the calamity to another place?

 

"Iori, wait!" (M)

"Makoto, you might not have noticed, but I have right now some serious issues! Would you be so kind to let me figure this out?" (I)

 

I don't really wait for an answer and hurry up to get down from this mountain.
The girl is not resisting the slightest bit and instead her eyes are glued on me.

The poor me!