“Did any of them say ‘I’m glad I’m dead because death is better than slavery’? Did any of them say ‘I died for decency and it’s better than being alive’? Did any of them say ‘I’ve been rotting for two years in the earth in silence and darkness, but see how lovely it is to die for your native land’?” - Johnny Got His Gun
* * * *
Yuri Kirisawa leaned against the headrest of her bed, her right arm tucked beneath her head, staring at nothing in particular. She had locked herself in her room for the past three days ever since Miki’s death, and no one had tried to disturb her for which she is thankful.
Not even Ren and Tohya.
She desperately needed some time alone.
If it’s Yuri…I believe that you can do it. If it’s Yuri…
Yuri sighed to herself.
“And you’d think, wouldn’t you, that if you died you’d spend the last few seconds thinking about what you died for, because a life is a terrible thing to lose.” - Johnny Got His Gun * * * * Yuri stood outside Ren’s room and knocked on his door. “Ren, are you in there? Open up!” she called through the door, but there wasn’t a single sound that could be heard. Tohya frowned from beside her. “Do you think that he could be still asleep?” he asked. “I mean, he was back late from a mission last night after all. Maybe we should let him sleep in. We can do the interrogation with just the two of us.” Early that morning, both Yuri and Tohya were in the recreation room of the dormitory building. It was there that they received word from the Elder that one of the Phantoms had captured a guy who is believed to be working for an agent of Raven’s Gate. And the Elder wished for Tohya, Yuri
“These young people, these pathetic sacrifices, did any of them die thinking of liberty and decency and glory?” - Johnny Got His Gun* * * *Yuri Kirisawa grumbled as she stalked through the streets of Kabukicho with her arms folded across her chest, almost pushed by a grinning Selina, with Sunny, Tohya and Ren trailing behind them.‘Why am I doing this again?’ she thought grumpily.It was Friday night, and it just so happened that the five Phantoms do not have any missions scheduled. Tohya had the brilliant idea for all five of them to go down to Starlight’s Hall, as Mizuki usually had Friday Night Specials.And so, before Yuri even knew what was happening, she soon found herself dragged by her friends all the way to Kabukicho where Starlight’s Hall is located. The neon lights of the signboard above the bar were flashing with
“They died wailing for their mothers. They died howling like little children. They died with their hearts screaming for one more look at their lover’s face. They died sobbing, and every single one of them died thinking the same thing: ‘I want to live. I want to live.’” - Johnny Got His Gun* * * *The trees flashed past as Tohya drove at full speed, going as fast as the car would go, stepping down onto the accelerator of the red sports convertible, with Yuri in the front passenger seat right next to him, looking through a map of the Kanagawa prefecture of Japan.It was nightfall, and he had been driving for hours to get to the Kanagawa prefecture which is where Ren was supposed to have been.Riou had filled both of them in on what he had known so far about Ren’s sudden disappearance. When he hadn’t returned from his mission after a week, Riou had sen
And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth. - Isaiah 53:9* * * *The sound of the clock ticking was the only sound that could be heard in Yuri’s bedroom as she sat on her bed, tracing the photo of her uncle, her mother, and a younger version of herself. Yuri’s mind was rather fuzzy when it came to her own childhood memories.And from what she could make out of the photo, it seemed to be taken at a park of some sort. Her uncle had her in his arms, and her mother had one hand on her uncle’s arm. The only thing that Yuri remembered of this photo is that the stranger who had helped to take this photo had mistaken her uncle as her father.Well, he wasn’t exactly wrong as her uncle is the only father figure in her life.Yuri sighed as she focu
O my God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer, by night, and am not silent. Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One, you are the praise of Israel. In you our fathers put their trust, they trusted and you delivered them. They cried to you and were saved, in you they trusted and were not disappointed. - Psalm 22:2 * * * * The skies were dark and gloomy that early Thursday morning when Yuri Kirisawa made her way into the Aoyama cemetery at the break of dawn, wearing her coat. The gloomy weather that Thursday morning only added to her already sombre mood as she entered the silent cemetery. The Aoyama cemetery was deserted, and even the caretaker of the cemetery wasn’t around. The dried leaves crackled beneath Yuri’s feet as she walked over them, taking a path that she could probably walk with both her eyes closed. And at the furthest point of the cemetery, Yuri stopped before a fairly
We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. - Roman 6:4 * * * * Yuri sat up in bed on an early Saturday morning, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes, having been woken by the sunlight streaming onto her face that morning. Something compelled her to look at her bedside table and her gaze fell onto the calendar that sat next to the photo frame on her table, next to her alarm clock. Yuri spotted the red circle around October twenty-fourth. Her face fell slightly when she remembered what that day was. ‘That’s right,’ thought Yuri to herself, glancing at the photo frame, focusing on the image of her mother as she did so. ‘Today is kaa-san’s birthday.’ * * * * The streets of Kabukicho in Shinjuku w
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil. For you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. - Psalm 23:4* * * *A bell tinkled somewhere in Starlight’s Hall as Yuri pushed the door opened, entering the bar.As it was mid-afternoon, the bar wasn’t open yet, but Yuri, Tohya and Ren often popped by Starlight’s Hall then, and Mizuki was used to it by now. Apart from Yuri and her friends, there was hardly anyone before its opening hours.As such, Yuri was surprised when she saw a middle aged man dressed in a semi-casual outfit sitting on one of the swivel chairs at the bar counter, a black jacket draped on the chair beside him, a martini in front of him. The man also wore a pair of frameless glasses on his nose, and he looked like one of the businessmen that Yuri sees everyday on the streets.Mizuki gave
Seek good, and not evil, that you may live; and so the LORD, the God of hosts, will be with you, as you have said. Hate evil, and love good, and establish justice in the gate. - Amos 5:14* * * *Selina sighed for the umpteenth time as she took out her cellphone once more and stared at the screen, but no message arrived, and no call came for her.Yuri who was sitting beside her in the swivel chair at the bar counter of Starlight’s Hall sighed.It was about an hour or so before the opening of Starlight’s Hall, and both girls were having a drink at the bar as they frequently did ever since Raven’s Gate had gone quiet for nearly a month.Everyone was nervous, as they had absolutely no idea what Raven’s Gate was now planning. But knowing how that organisation works, it’ll probably mean trouble for them. A lot of trouble.
Truly, if there is evil in this world, it lies within the hearts of mankind. - Edward D. Morrison* * * *April 2010Shinjuku, JapanIt had been nearly five months after Raven’s Gate’s demise, and slowly, things were settling down, and getting back to normal.Or at least, as normal as it could be.The top officials of the Japan government have somehow managed to cover everything up. And they have also managed to convince the members of the public, as well as their own subordinates within the government itself, that the entire story about Hati being a terrorist organisation under their command was a fabricated lie spun by the Raven’s Gate organisation.Riou Takeshi had also managed to produce proper evidence that proved that Raven’s Gate was the one going around wrecking havoc, and also responsible for
You said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; above the stars of God I will set my throne on high; I will sit on the mount of assembly in the far reaches of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.’ - Isaiah 14:13 * * * * The soft soothing classical music of Antonio Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons: Winter reaches Yuri’s ears the moment that she had stepped through the door, with the heavy door slamming shut behind her, giving her a slight start. The room that she was in was nearly three times the size of the meeting room of the Phantoms back at Hati headquarters. It also seems to have been used as some sort of tea-room by the previous owners of the mansion several decades ago. Heavy blue silk curtains were drawn across the windows of the room, preventing the sunlight from streaming in fully. Several oil paintings of scen
If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it.” - Genesis 4:7* * * *Whilst Yuri was facing her past, Selina was facing hers too.Sunny and Selina got separated when they were attacked by some of the minions of Raven’s Gate, and Selina had somehow ended up somewhere on the beach, in the northern part of the island.And it was there where she currently faced Samuel Ng.Selina clenched her hands into fists by her sides, not taking her eyes off of the guy.“Sam…” she muttered.Sam had a nonchalant look on his face as he met Selina’s eyes. “Hey Selina,” he said with a tone like he was talking about the weather. “I told you that we would see each other again.&rdq
The LORD has broken the staff of the wicked, the scepter of rulers, that struck the people in wrath with unceasing blows, that ruled the nations in anger with unrelenting persecution. - Isaiah 14:5* * * *Dawn was just breaking over the horizon when Terror Island came into view.The island was very beautiful once upon a time, with silver sparkling white sand on the beaches, with several species of plant life growing on the island, and a gigantic mansion built on the island that could easily pass as a castle because of the size of it.The entire mansion was made out of solid white marble, fashioned after an ancient Victorian style mansion, with ivy growing on the walls, and with red roof tiles.There were also several fruit trees growing on the island, and there were many rabbits running wild. One could literally live on this island without having to go anywhere, as ther
For I know how many are your transgressions and how great are your sins — you who afflict the righteous, who take a bribe, and turn aside the needy in the gate. Therefore he who is prudent will keep silent in such a time, for it is an evil time. - Amos 5:12* * * *A bell tinkled somewhere within the hot springs inn of the city of Atami which was located somewhere in the Shizuoka prefecture of Japan.The inn proprietor is a woman in her late thirties. She looked up only to be slightly taken aback at the sight of the customer – a teenage girl who didn’t seem to be older than eighteen or nineteen and was wearing a high collared dark blue coat that covered the lower part of her face, with a pair of transparent purple sunglasses perched on her nose.“W-Welcome.” The inn proprietor stammered as the girl walked up to the reception desk. “W-What can I do for you?
My God, My God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from the words of my groaning? - Psalm 22:1* * * *Things couldn’t get any worse for Hati.And as Yuri had predicted, Raven’s Gate wasn’t even halfway done with them yet.It was barely two weeks after that accursed video had found its way into the hands of the media, when Venar Enterprises or Raven’s Gate, started spreading rumours in Japan about Hati killing politicians under the orders of the government.Yuri had feared initially the backlash that would happen should the civilian populace find out about Hati’s existence. It caused an all-out riot in the streets of Japan, and even within the government themselves, it became a free-for-all for everyone.The high ranking government officials were finding it difficult to curb the riots bre
Seek good, and not evil, that you may live; and so the LORD, the God of hosts, will be with you, as you have said. Hate evil, and love good, and establish justice in the gate. - Amos 5:14* * * *Selina sighed for the umpteenth time as she took out her cellphone once more and stared at the screen, but no message arrived, and no call came for her.Yuri who was sitting beside her in the swivel chair at the bar counter of Starlight’s Hall sighed.It was about an hour or so before the opening of Starlight’s Hall, and both girls were having a drink at the bar as they frequently did ever since Raven’s Gate had gone quiet for nearly a month.Everyone was nervous, as they had absolutely no idea what Raven’s Gate was now planning. But knowing how that organisation works, it’ll probably mean trouble for them. A lot of trouble.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil. For you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. - Psalm 23:4* * * *A bell tinkled somewhere in Starlight’s Hall as Yuri pushed the door opened, entering the bar.As it was mid-afternoon, the bar wasn’t open yet, but Yuri, Tohya and Ren often popped by Starlight’s Hall then, and Mizuki was used to it by now. Apart from Yuri and her friends, there was hardly anyone before its opening hours.As such, Yuri was surprised when she saw a middle aged man dressed in a semi-casual outfit sitting on one of the swivel chairs at the bar counter, a black jacket draped on the chair beside him, a martini in front of him. The man also wore a pair of frameless glasses on his nose, and he looked like one of the businessmen that Yuri sees everyday on the streets.Mizuki gave
We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. - Roman 6:4 * * * * Yuri sat up in bed on an early Saturday morning, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes, having been woken by the sunlight streaming onto her face that morning. Something compelled her to look at her bedside table and her gaze fell onto the calendar that sat next to the photo frame on her table, next to her alarm clock. Yuri spotted the red circle around October twenty-fourth. Her face fell slightly when she remembered what that day was. ‘That’s right,’ thought Yuri to herself, glancing at the photo frame, focusing on the image of her mother as she did so. ‘Today is kaa-san’s birthday.’ * * * * The streets of Kabukicho in Shinjuku w