Chapter Text
“Damn it… C’mon already, same day shipping my ass…”
Currently, Genya is pacing around his top-floor apartment. His heart is most likely pounding because of the anticipation of what’s to come.
At this rate, he’ll only have a half hour (TOPS!) until the stars move out of position!
He sighs before resigning himself to walking to his bathroom and washing off his face to calm down.
The cold water feels almost sobering (is that the right word? Genya’s not sure), and he can finally collect his thoughts about everything going on.
He remembers what got him into eldritch paraphernalia.
It was… Around six years ago, he thinks. When he was still sixteen. Weird things had been happening in his hometown and they were unexplainable. His older brother and himself had fled after most of their siblings went missing.
But, after a while, everything ceased.
And it was only explained by a three-eyed Eldritch God who resembled a sea-creature. His older brother had explained simply that his partner at the time didn’t mean to harm anyone.
But it was the stories of Eldritch Gods that had him enthralled. He was interested the moment he learned of their existence from his older brother.
And now? Here he is, trying to contact one six years later. He’s twenty-two for Gods’ sake and yet still, nothing!
Genya’s not the kind of person who would easily get addicted to stuff or spend recklessly, but he just can’t help himself. The curiosity (and possible attraction to things beyond his understanding) is far too overwhelming to be ignored.
There’s one he heard from his Older Brother’s partner in particular, the Eldritch God that started it all. And Genya has spent so long fruitlessly trying to contact him.
Tanjiro, that was his name.
There’s something he has to do when he sees it.
A knock interrupts the time he had to think, startling him slightly.
Ah, that must be his delivery. He quickly goes to the door, but no one is there. A package is though. He brings it inside, closing the door with a nice and sharp slam.
The money he’s lost to scammers claiming they have the real deal is a little embarrassing (“don’t tell Aniki!”), but as of today, he finally has it.
A genuine Necronomicon.
Or at least… He hopes so… If his Aniki just so happens to learn how much money he’s wasted on trying to get a Necronomicon, he’s getting his ass beat.
Either way, with this Necronomicon, he should be able to summon one of the Outer Gods. Which one, he doesn’t quite know yet.
“Finally, I’ll-”
He takes it out of the packaging only to find that it’s… Much different from how he remembers Necronomicons looking. It’s green with black trimming on the front and a sort of checkered pattern on the back. The symbol on the front is in the shape of what can only be a horn.
What is this…?
Isn’t a Necronomicon supposed to be brown and bigger? It’s supposed to be covered in flesh or whatever… But this looks like it came out of any old supply store.
“Ugh… God fucking damn it!”
Scammed again, it appears. Well that’s more of his money wasted. Genya’ll have to apologize. After all his contributions to rent, he better make up for it. And with how much money he spent, he thought there was no chance it’d be fake…
And there’s no way he’s getting the money back either…
Seriously, he and the club Genya works at are going to have his head.
“I seriously need a new hobby…” He throws the book on his bed with a sigh, resigning himself to the fact the scammer is probably long gone. There’s no getting his money back.
Then he looks back at it. Strange… You’d think the scammer would’ve at least gone for an authentic look. Did they think no one was going to realize that the color was off?
Wait a minute, Genya just noticed something.
He grabs the book again to confirm. Yep, so it appears.
The symbol on the front… It’s embossed. The thing is very clearly made of real leather. Genya would know since his father used to work him and his older brother to the bone and it required him to touch a lot of leather, so he knows the texture. The pages are gilt in gold, too. Not to mention the weight of it.
What was the point of making a knock-off with such high quality materials?
A dinging sound comes from his computer that he left on. It’s probably just the delivery confirmation message.
He walks over his computer to check, and-!
“...DELAYED!? Arriving tomorrow!?”
His eyes widen in shock. It was delayed? But then what is this ‘Necronomicon’ he got at his doorstep? More importantly, who the hell put it there? Was it an accident? There’s no shipping label on the box, anyway.
Even stranger is the inscription at the bottom. It’s written in R’lyehian, the unholy language of the Gods. Not to mention the overwhelming scent of formaldehyde – embalming fluid. It absolutely reeks of death!
Why does something like this have such an insidious aura surrounding it…?
Maybe he’ll take a look inside.
Slowly, he turns the page. The ritual before him is called ‘The Calling’.
“Ensure all possible light has been snuffed from the room. In your room, this means:
- Draw your curtains
- Turn off your bedside lamp
- Turn off your overhead lights
In the dark, light redfire candles. They are for your protection. The dark is dangerous.
Find and put on your ritual necklace.
When all is complete, chant:”
And the chant is inscribed in R’lyehian as well.
Strange… Maybe he should try the ritual out. You never know what can come of it.
So, he gets to work.
He draws his curtains, turns off his lamp, and turns off his overhead lights. His bedroom is a lot less cozy in the dark.
Then he lights the redfire candles (Do NOT tell Sanemi he is in possession of a lighter…).
It’s a good thing he had also bought a ritual necklace among other eldritch paraphernalia. After setting it around his neck, he begins the chant.
Good thing he took the time to try and learn the language…
“Mortal.”
Any semblance of calm Genya felt disappears within the instance. He didn’t expect it to actually work.
He feels an inexplicable dread settle in his stomach.
“For what purpose have you awoken me and brought about the end of humanity?”
He struggles to breathe, let alone respond to this avatar of world-ending calamity. His sanity is teetering on the precipice, looking over the edge.
No, he’s not screwing this up! He spent way too much damn money to lose his chance this easily!
“I-I have but one wish to ask of you…”
“You wish to be the first human to be destroyed, yes? So that you will be spared from the cataclysm that I will wreak upon all life?”
“No, I wanna smooch ya.”
“What!?”
He suddenly looks much less threatening. He’s just as his older brother’s boyfriend described to him once. A hair of reddish hue with matching eyes, black scleras, and a horn covering his scar point. He appears to be wearing some sort of haori over a simplistic kimono. He appears around Genya’s age.
This is most definitely Tanjiro.
“I wanna sm-”
“Don’t repeat it! When did I give you the idea that I wanted it repeated…!?” He appears mildly offended by the suddenness of Genya’s request. “More importantly- How are you looking directly at me without being driven mad!?”
“I dunno, lust maybe.”
“Send me back,” the Outer God insists after hearing the unsure response of the other.
The insistence surprises Genya immensely. “Wh- But you just got here! What about destroying reality as I know it?”
“I-I’ll do it next time… Maybe when the stars realign in the next thousand years or so…”
“But I’ll be long dead by then!”
“Exactly!!”
“Look, I went through all the trouble of finding this damn book. The least you could do is-” he holds up the book as he speaks, but is interrupted by the Outer God.
He leans toward Genya upon seeing it. “Where’d you get that book?”
“Uh… It was just outside my door, so…” He responds, a bit nervous with someone so close to him. Whether human or eldritch being.
“Oh, Big sis Kanroji… Always trying to set me and Muichiro up, aren’t you?” He asks rhetorically and to no one in particular. He can hear the outer God mutter something about how much the previously mentioned ‘loves love.’
“Uh… Kanroji…? Who’s that? Did they make this funny-looking Necronomicon…?”
“It’s not a Necronomicon!” The outer God says insistently, still leaning forward. “And Kanroji is one of my older siblings.”
…Outer Gods have siblings? Wait- Didn’t his older brother mention this a while ago?
“Okay, but if it’s not a Necronomicon, then what is it?”
“It’s a survival guide!” He says with a smile as he begins to stand up. Any negative emotion is completely gone from his face.
“For…?”
“For dating me!”
Genya’s surprised. Someone, who he had no idea even existed, who must also be some sort of Outer God, decided to leave a date book at his doorstep. The Outer God does not wait for a reply before continuing.
“It’s full of rituals that I like. Offerings, spells, and how to protect your sanity while performing them!”
All the money he spent has finally paid off…!
Wait. “...’Protect my Sanity’?”
He giggles, as if what Genya just said was a joke or something silly. “I am a cosmic entity beyond comprehension. No amount of contact with me is safe for a human! Your mind could snap like a reed at any moment, actually!”
…How can Tanjiro say something so dark while sounding so happy? Genya gulps down the lump in his throat. His emotions must’ve made their way to his face.
“Aw, don’t make that face. I can… Make it worth your while. That is, if you understand what I’m getting at.”
He had seemed so opposed to the idea before. Genya questions the complete 180, but is he complaining? Hell no!
“...You let me have a kiss?”
“If you can make it to the end, darling.”
The sudden pet name makes him blush. He’s only been called that by his mother before, never in a romantic light. However, a more scary aura comes over the Eldritch God, which was almost completely unexpected.
“...But if you chicken out or go insane, I’ll end reality right then and there.”
“...Will you spare the world if I win that kiss…?”
“No!” He says happily, the dark aura going away as he leans slightly closer again. “I’m sure you knew what you were getting into when you woke me up, right darling?”
So it appears that Genya’s only two options are die or die without getting a kiss. One of which is very clearly the lesser of two evils.
Don’t they say that if you’ve already eaten the poison, you may as well lick the plate?
Well, he’s done much more than eaten the poison by this point. There’s no other choice but to just do it, he supposes.
“Deal.”
“Excellent! Let’s begin the date then~ Why don’t you start with the ‘Invoke the Depths’ ritual?” He asks, sitting down on Genya’s bed without another thought.
Slowly, he opens the book to the next page. Sure enough, the ritual ‘Invoke the Depths’ is there.
“Do not perform this ritual alone.
Snuff all light from the room.
Turn on your sink or shower to make the sound of moving water.
When all is complete, chant:
(The chant is written here).
Do not look out your window from now on.”
Okay, seems like he’s actually doing this.
Maybe he doesn’t need to get a new hobby. It’s not like he’s going to live much longer in this reality anyway.
First, he starts by snuffing all the redlight candles, since everything else had already been turned off due to the previously performed ritual.
Then he walks into the bathroom and turns on the nearest thing, his sink.
He honestly feels a bit nervous about doing this ritual… He can’t look out of his window from now on? This feels strange…
Whatever.
He performs the chant. Screw all of reality!
“Home sweet home~” The Outer God says suddenly once everything becomes darkened. A sort of clouded light filters in through the curtain.
Genya doesn’t open it.
Lord knows what will happen to him if he does.
“...Uh… What did I just do?”
“You brought the Outer Depths to us! Didn’t you read the spell’s name? Our connection is stronger now!” He appears excited by the information, but also doesn’t open the curtain. For Genya’s sake. “The closer you get to where my true form lies dreaming, the stronger my influence on you and this world!”
“...Am I going to be okay?”
“Just focus on performing the rituals perfectly! You’re good to start doing these rituals on your own, right?” He asks, standing up from the comfortable bed.
“No-! Wait, why’re you leaving!?”
“I’m just still feeling a little icky from the summoning. So I wanted to use your shower. Do you mind?” He asks, beginning to walk to his bathroom door.
Genya’s shoulders relax. “Uh no… Not at all. Go ahead.”
“Thanks~ No peeking!” The Outer God says before his expression darkens slightly. “And I mean it, okay?”
“Y-Yeah, got it…”
It’s not like Genya was going to peek anyway. And even less so now that Tanjiro is basically threatening his life!
“Good! I’ll be back soon~”
And then he disappears behind the bathroom door, the sounds of humming and water running quickly become heard. Genya is left alone in the dark room.
Jeez, he feels a pit in his stomach.
Whatever the case, he swiftly opens the book to the next ritual – ‘Abyssal Mist’.
“Ensure your sink or shower is running to make the sound of moving water, then go outside.
Avoid making eye contact with that which roams the fog. They will know if you saw them.
Turn off your lights before you leave. This one isn’t a warning, it’ll just help lower your electricity bill.”
And then the chant is written.
There’s not really much for Genya to do. With Tanjiro showering, the sound of moving water is already being made. So he walks outside.
All the lights are already snuffed, so he’s saving money!
Then he walks outside into the much more dark world. And he begins to chant.
“...Jeez, it looks like Quiet Hill out here with all this fog…”
Tanjiro’s shower must’ve been quick because he quickly emerges from the home to see the results of the ritual, quickly becoming excited. His kimono is slightly disheveled, probably due to the shower. He gasps. “Darling, you didn’t! I love foggy rainy days by the sea! It’s like my favorite weather on the surface world!”
He leans slightly closer to Genya. “I didn’t know you have a house on the water!”
“...I didn’t five minutes ago…” He responds, confused by the sudden transformation.
In fact, his apartment is miles from the sea. It’s in a pretty vast and large city, even the wildest of hurricanes wouldn’t flood the area. So what the heck just happened?
“Ahh… There’s something just so romantic about standing on a balcony during a storm…” The Outer God says suddenly, as if he’s within a dream, which he is in a way.
“As much as I hate to cut the fun short, can we go inside? Like… Now…?”
“What’s wrong darling? Getting chilly?”
Genya shivers, but not from the cold. “No, not that… It just feels like something is… Watching me out there. From somewhere in all that fog.”
“We can go inside if you like. But it’s not like it’s any safer in there,” he says, stifling a couple giggles, as if what the human just said was really funny or something. “After all, the next page of the book has an unspeakable horror on it.”
Genya bolts for the door after Tanjiro has already gone inside.
What the heck is ‘Unspeakable Horror’ supposed to mean? That’s the name of the ritual. But Genya finds that when he opens it to read the chant, not only are there no instructions, but…
“What the hell- I can’t even begin to pronounce this!”
“Yeah, duh! That’s why it’s an unspeakable horror! Get it?” Tanjiro asks, sitting back down on his bed. “As in ‘cannot be spoken’. At least not by humans…”
“Wait, you can pronounce this!?”
“Of course I can! We all can. Big sis Kanroji, Big bro Tomioka… All of us can! We can pronounce anything!” He says with a happy smile.
…Strange… Genya’s heard the last name there somewhere before. But he can’t remember where unfortunately.
In order to test it, he pulls out the bottle of Worcestershire Sauce that his older brother bought him (to make fun of his pronunciation skills) and flashes it. “Oh really? Then what’s this?”
“Worcestershire Sauce,” he says with perfect pronunciation.
Oh god damn it…
“You are the real deal…”
He lets out a resigned sigh before opening his book to the next ritual, ‘Eldritch Mouth’. That doesn’t sound too pleasant…
“This ritual will allow you to utter unspeakable incantations.
Perform this ritual someplace where gore can be easily cleaned, like a bathroom.
Wear no robes or amulets.
Have a ritual knife on your person.”
Ah right.
Genya hadn’t taken the ritual amulet off at all for the past few rituals.
Carefully, he removes it and places it back on the upper-body mannequin he had in the room. And then he walks to the bathroom, stands in front of the mirror…
…And he chants.
He swears he can hear the sound of a knife slicing when he does.
He most likely should’ve considered the spell more thoroughly before he casted it. If there’s so much as any single scar, he might actually lose his job… It’s his livelihood on the line here. He better not be ruined!
He looks into the mirror and…
His face appears the same as normal. Genya releases a sigh. One full of relief.
But then he feels confused. “...Uh, hey Tanjiro?”
“Nnyes?”
He appears suddenly behind Genya with a smile on his face, startling him. “Ahh-! You scared me!”
The outer God jumps as well. “Eh- You’re the one who called me…!”
A third, much more distorted yell makes itself known. “Who the hell was that…!?”
“What are you talking about, darling? That was you! Look!” He says, quickly grabbing Genya’s wrist and showing him what exactly is on his hand.
On it is what is most certainly a mouth. Right on his hand. With a tad bit of blood coming from it.
“Ah- What the fuck is this!? Can we cut it off!?” Asks a very confused, terrified, and overall slightly regretful Genya.
“Cut it off? It’s your hand now. I’m afraid that isn’t a possibility…” Tanjiro says, a little bit apologetic about not warning him about the permanent body disfigurement.
Yeah, it’s most certainly not a disembodied mouth attached to his hand. It’s an embodied mouth indeed… What the fuck did he just do to his hand…?
He knew he’d be in harm’s way, but he didn’t think… So soon… But still, he’s not stopping before he gets that damn smooch!
“...I’m sure there’s a silver lining to this somewhere…” He mutters.
“Darling…”
Suddenly, a loud knock at the door interrupts the conversation they were having. Who the heck was that!? Did someone catch him? God, this is exactly why he chose a top floor apartment! He hoped that it could minimize the amount of people noticing strange smells and sounds coming from his room…
Was he shouting too loudly? Damn it! If someone interrupts his rituals now, the stars will be out of alignment before he can finish…
And if it’s the police, he is most certainly not going to be able to explain the inhuman entity currently next to him in the bathroom if they want to search around.
“Hello… Are you home? I could’ve sworn I heard shouting just now…” He hears the voice call out from the door. An airy, dreamy tone of voice that only one person could create. Oh no… It’s infinitely worse…! “...C’mon, let me in.”
It’s him.
Is it even safe to go outside right now…? If Tanjiro and him meet, Genya’s done for. Without question.
“Who’s that, darling?”
“It’s uh… Just the mailman probably. I'll make them leave real quick, so don’t worry about that,” Genya responds, gently setting the book on his sink, the water turned off before beginning to leave the bathroom. “Just… Stay here, okay?”
Afterall, even if he were to let Tanjiro handle it, it’d be way too much for anyone normal to handle who wasn’t expecting it.
When he reaches the door, he takes a deep breath and swallows the lump in his throat.
“Hey Mu…! Good to see ya.”
“Ah… It appears you’re alright. How do you do?” He asks, although he is not expecting an actual answer, considering he continues without giving room for one. “I hope it isn’t too… forward of me to call upon you within the privacy of your home…”
Mu. That’s what he calls himself. Fully black-haired and he usually keeps it up in a ponytail from how long it is. His eyes are a blue-green color that are captivating to anyone who sees it. From what little Genya can gather, he’s an old-money rich boy who constantly looks proper and has an obsession with all things theater or origami. Mu had suddenly showed up to the club Genya worked at and started showering him with gifts and the like. In fact, it’s because of his money that Genya was able to afford all this eldritch paraphernalia. And he’s the person Genya was going to apologize to after receiving the ritual book.
However, he doesn’t quite understand that he’s not supposed to contact Genya outside of working hours. But how can Genya complain when Mu practically pays his rent? Even more so, he can’t really complain when someone as cute and pretty as him is showing interest.
Seriously, he’s really cute. Like really cute. And his voice is mesmerizing.
“If I may be so bold… I have a present I’d like to give you. May I come inside?” Mu asks with his proper yet dreamy tone.
Oh god yes. Oh fucking hell yes.
Wait- No! He can’t think that… Tanjiro’s still inside. If those two meet, he’s utterly done for. Damn it Genya, mind out of the gutter!
“...N-Now’s… Not a good time… Would you be able to just give it to me out here…?” He asks, despite how much he wants to let the shorter inside.
“It’s not exactly the kind of present I can give out in the open…” Mu says, expression becoming slightly embarrassed. God, what kind of present does he need to give in private…?
God damn- Genya! Mind OUT of the gutter! Not deeper in! He’s about to lose twice if he screws this up! And then after that, he’ll lose his life!
Damn it… Can he really not help himself with his life on the line here…?
“Ah- It really… Isn’t a good time… Think you could come back later, maybe? Or we could meet up after work…”
“I can’t go out after dark… Remember…?”
Ah right. His weird curfew. He constantly says that he can’t go out after dark. And strangely, he only goes to the club on days that are misty.
His expression becomes slightly saddened and dejected, he pouts at Genya in a way that is almost way too cute. He probably doesn’t mean to do it, but he looks like a sad puppy. It almost makes Genya want to say yes. “...Why can’t we just go inside? I really want to give you your present now…”
“Daaaaarling~ What’s taking so long? I miss youuuu~!”
Oh crap. Tanjiro’s voice.
Is he coming to the door? Oh crap. Oh shit. Oh fuck. This is bad. This is really, really bad.
“Huh- Who was that…? You have company over…?” That might’ve just been Genya, but he could’ve sworn a bit of jealousy seeped into Mu’s voice.
“T-That’s… Just…”
When he finds the opportunity, Genya bolts inside and holds the door closed.
“Hey…!? What do you think you’re doing…!?” Mu’s angry voice makes itself known when he slams the door shut. “No one slams a door in my face… No one…!”
He’s pissed.
Sorry… This is the only way Genya can hope to survive this…!
“What’s going on, darling?” Tanjiro’s voice is somewhat lower and cold, as if suspicious of whatever has been happening outside.
“J-Just a… Door-to-door salesman… They can be real persistent, but they’ll stop eventually…” Genya lies lamely, but Tanjiro seems to buy it and that’s all that matters.
“Let me in. NOW.”
He’s never heard Mu sound anything less than really dreamy and down-to-earth. This shift is almost terrifying. “N-No, I don’t want any…!”
“Want me to make them go away?” Tanjiro asks, slightly threateningly. But not towards him.
“N-No, I’ve got this… Don’t worry…”
After a minute or so later, the sounds cease. It appears Mu has given up, thank God. He’ll have to remember to smooth things over with him later.
He better hurry. Before there’s more interruptions.
His next ritual to perform is one called ‘Metamorphosis’.
“Do not attempt this ritual without performing:
- The Calling
- Invoke the Depths
If you see or hear something strange, it is not your imagination. Be ready.
Proceed in total darkness – no light, no candles.
Ensure HIS image appears in no way, in poster or tapestry.
Wear a ceremonial robe and ritual necklace.
Wear a mask or headpiece to distort your features.
Have a ceremonial knife on your person.
Always remember the second step on the previous page.”
And then the chant is written there as it always is.
Well, this is most certainly the longest, sort of scary-looking ritual he’s done yet… But nothing to it but to go through the steps, right?
Everything in his room is already completely dark, thankfully, so he doesn’t need to worry about that.
Next, he has to worry about whoever the book is referring to. He strangely feels that, just to be safe, he should take down the changed poster in his bedroom.
He does so and hides it under his bed.
Then he takes the ceremonial robe from his closet and puts it over the clothes he’s already wearing. And then he puts on the ritual necklace from the mannequin against the wall.
He does not have a mask, but he does have a head piece. It’s horned, much like the outer God himself. He gingerly puts it on. This thing was expensive and he’ll be damned if it breaks or something.
Then he grips the ceremonial knife and pulls out the book.
Preparations should be complete.
Carefully, he reads the chant, unaware of what the spell will actually do.
“And here I thought you were cute for a human before! Now you’re totally my type…!” Says the Outer God happily.
What about Genya has changed so drastically to garner this reaction…?
Just what happened to him? He can still speak and move and everything, but something feels off… His head specifically.
He reaches up and…
Oh.
He has a horn now.
That’s… Honestly not as bad as he was expecting. So that’s what it meant by Metamorphosis…
He decides to open the book to see the next spell, and he sees one titled ‘Breakup’.
He reads a little bit of it before a hand pulls down the book. The outer God, despite having a smile, has an aura of annoyance surrounding him. “Darling… What are you looking at?”
“N-Nothing…” Genya mutters.
“Nothing… You were looking at ‘nothing’?” He asks, still seeming frightfully annoyed by the mere existence of that page in the book. “...Is that the truth?”
He then lets out a small giggle. “Did I scare you, darling?”
“Good. I know what page you were on,” he says, the frightful aura quickly returning, giving Genya no time to respond. “And if I see you trying to cast that spell about ‘nothing’, you won’t get past the second word.”
He then sits back down and Genya honestly feels like he might just die of a heart attack. This is so scary.
Either way, the next ritual for him to perform is ‘Prepare Offering’.
“Illuminate the room to your comfort.
Collect necessary ingredients from cold storage.
(What looks like a pentagram symbol with an eye in the middle is present on the page.)
Ensure this symbol is present nearby.”
And then, the chant.
Okay… This one should be easier. It looks less gruesome than the last one.
He decides to turn on his lamp and overhead lights. The darkness has been creeping him out this whole time…
Then he walks over to the blackboard and draws the symbol. It’s almost a perfect replica of the one drawn in blood on the book.
And finally, he grabs the food ingredients he’d been saving in his apartment’s mini-fridge.
Now all that’s left is to chant.
“Ah, that already smells delicious, darling!” He says happily, standing up from the bed and slightly adjusting his kimono. “All it needs is a little something and it’ll be perfect!”
Genya nods in acknowledgement. Tanjiro hums.
“...I’m going to take a short walk outside while you finish. See you in a few, love!”
He gives Genya no time to argue or protest as he leaves Genya alone in the apartment. Things suddenly feel a lot creepier.
Either way, he next needs to perform ‘Reach into Oblivion’.
“Wear a ceremonial robe and have a ritual knife in your possession.
Ensure this symbol is present nearby:
(The symbol looks sort of like an eye but with a downturned arrow above it.)
Have another lifeform on your person.”
He really does not like that last one.
The only thing that could count as another lifeform is his turtle, currently oblivious to all the monstrous rituals he’s been performing.
Sorry little guy…
Genya takes the turtle into his hand. He already has a robe and the ritual knife.
Then he goes to the blackboard and replaces the previous symbol with the one on the page.
And then he chants…
Suddenly, things look a lot more gruesome.
Blood coats the container where his turtle had been before the ritual. And there is bloody writing on the wall. The red glow from outside overpowers the lamplight and the overhead light.
He has a new objective this time.
Survive.
He quickly goes to the ‘Escape Reality’ ritual.
“If you can read this, all of reality is doomed.
Once you start this ritual, complete all three pages quickly. You will be vulnerable until you finish.
DO NOT OPEN ANY BLINDS, WINDOWS, OR DOORS. DO NOT TURN ON ANY LIGHTS, SNUFF ANY EXISTING LIGHTS. OR YOU WILL ATTRACT THEIR ATTENTION.
Ensure this symbol is present nearby: (Said symbol is drawn next to the words. The middle looks like a crosshair, with the sidelines extended a bit further, circles drawn at the edges. And then attached to both the top and bottom of the center circle are long swirls.) ”
The chant is there as per usual.
He has to hurry.
He quickly snuffs all the existing light from his room, turning off the lamp and the overhead lights.
And then he draws the symbol as best he can, having no time to be careful about his messy drawing like earlier.
And then he chants, as quickly as he can without mispronouncing.
When he finishes, he sees and hears a tentacle break in. But he can’t lose his nerve.
He quickly turns to the next page.
“He is coming.
Ensure this symbol is present nearby: (This one has a cross in the middle with one large circle surrounding most of it, but the bottom line just barely going through a second, smaller circle on the bottom.) ”
He quickly replaces the symbol on the blackboard, ignoring the tentacle that broke through his window.
He chants again, still trying to ignore everything obviously wrong here.
What the hell has he gotten himself into…? If Aniki were here, he’d beat Genya’s ass for all of this…
“If he gets into your room, it’s too late.
Ensure this symbol is present nearby: (This one is a long cross with two long swirls coming out either side, much more simplistic and easy to remember.)
Repeat this until you believe you are safe:”
And then the chant is written.
He quickly draws the symbol from memory. The tentacles are inky black as they continue to enter his room.
And then he opens the book and chants.
Once… Twice… He can hear banging as he does.
He is interrupted after the third time he chants.
“Darling, what’s wrong? You’re pale as a sheet…” Tanjiro has returned from his walk. Genya’s room has also returned to normal. No tentacle, no blood.
“...I… I saw…”
He doesn’t need Genya to continue, he seems to understand all too well. “You caught a glimpse of the real world now that I’m waking up, huh?”
“Guess you aren’t as sane as you thought, huh darling?” He asks, smiling apologetically, most likely due to the things that are obviously wrong here. “Don’t worry about reality anymore, darling. It no longer has anything to do with you. But it wouldn’t be right of me not to tell you… Everything you saw and heard… It’s still there.”
Genya finds himself going rigidly still, unable to respond.
“What you saw coming through your window… It’s still coming. Very soon, it’ll be impossible to deny its presence. And even escaping reality won’t save you anymore,” he says with a frown. Before his smile returns and he continues. “If you like, I could move you to the front of the line and end you painlessly myself. As thanks for waking me up.”
“...You wouldn’t hear their screams any more. Or feel that chill up your spine where that tentacle is already touching,” he says. But then he comes up with a different suggestion. “Or maybe you’d prefer to be saved for last? Have the whole doomed world all to yourself for a while? Though the things you’d see if you lingered…”
“Being destroyed first, or last? Which would you prefer, my darling?” He asks, though he does not expect an answer, seeing as how he sits down after.
Well now, he needs to perform ‘Dark Communion’.
“Do not attempt this ritual without performing:
- Prepare Offering
- Reach into Oblivion
Let the room be well lit.
Wear no robes or necklaces.
Have the offering on your person.”
And the chant is written below.
Gingerly, he removes his ritual robe and the amulet that he had still been wearing, still incredibly rigid due to the information from before.
The offering… That must be what he got from the ‘Prepare Offering’ ritual. It looks like a cake.
Then he lights just about everything in his room. Redfire candles, his bedside lamp, and the overhead lights. He feels much more comfortable now, with so much light.
And then he begins to chant.
“Delicious~! Just perfect! I wish you could make offerings like this forever!” Says a pleased Outer God. His smile almost makes all of this worth it.
Almost.
He leans in a bit closer. “Well, my devoted darling, there is only one last spell to perform. Pledging yourself to me!”
“Take heart, your pledge of devotion will be the last act of humanity for all of time!” He says with a happy smile, standing up straight this time. “The final words ever spoken by humankind will come from your very mouth and echo into oblivion. The privilege is yours alone.”
“...I may be inexperienced with human emotions, but even I know that it must be painful to say goodbye to your world forever. Take all the time you need to make peace with the end. I’m going to take a short nap before I wake up for good,” he says, taking off his haori and lying in Genya’s bed, who hasn’t been able to find a response. “Could you hit the lights for me, darling?”
Genya does as he’s asked and receives a “Thank you, my love,” in return.
Then the Outer God goes to rest.
…Is this worth it?
Oh who the hell is he kidding, of course it is. He’s gotten this far, he may as well just go through with the final ritual.
‘Final Pledge’ is the name.
“Have a ritual knife on your person.
(An empty heart fills up most of the page.)
Chant five times to fill the heart.”
Well, he already has a ritual knife. There’s nothing left but to do it.
He chants the first time. Blood splatters a page, filling a part of the heart.
The second time, it fills a place closer to the top with another blood splatter.
The third and fourth time, the dread in Genya’s stomach slowly easies. He’s made his peace with things.
And the fifth time, it fills completely.
Tanjiro has already awoken by the time it’s filled. “It’s done. The last ritual. You did wonderfully.”
He smiles and then lets out a pleased giggle.
“...I’m afraid it’s time for the dream, and our date, to end… That look on your face,” he says a bit worried. But he smiles reassuringly. He may be young, but he also had many younger siblings among the outer Gods. “Darling, I had a wonderful date with you and it’s all because of you. ‘So why destroy me? And all of reality? Why not just stay here with me?’ That’s what you’re thinking, right?”
He summarized Genya’s thoughts perfectly.
“Oh my sweet, mortal darling. I’m not doing this out of malice. You’ve had good dreams before, right? When you wake up, you destroy those dream worlds and everything in them. Did you wake up because you hated those dreams?” He asks, standing straight and putting his haori back on. There’s nothing but genuine kindness in those red eyes, even if what he’s doing is far from kind. “No. It just couldn’t be helped that you’d wake up eventually. I love humans. And I’ll miss you sorely. Please let your last thoughts be about that.”
He then leans slightly closer. “...Don’t think I forgot about my promise to you.”
“Pucker up, my darling. You’ve earned it.”
The last sensation he feels is himself being kissed whilst the world begins to collapse around him.