Hyakki Yagyō (Night Parade of One Hundred Demons)

Chapter 5

"Nana...can you promise Mommy something?"

"What's up?"

"Don't tell anyone what your brother did to you... No matter what your brother does to you, you have to endure it, okay? When Nana grows up, she'll forget about these things." Nana's mother smiled, but the smile was kind yet cold.

"Why? Mom, Nana is in so much pain... Nana knows that shouldn't happen... and... Brother is so scary... so fierce..."

"Nai Nai... Mommy is so tired... Can't you just bear with it for Mommy's sake? Your real father is an irresponsible guy. I've already endured so much pressure raising you alone. It's so hard for your current father to not look down on Mommy. Mommy is really tired. Can't you think about Mommy's feelings? Your brother did those things to you because he loves you. Don't worry about losing anything. When you grow up, Mommy will make your brother take responsibility. You two can get married, and that will be very happy. If you tell others... your brother will definitely go to the police station, and Daddy will definitely divorce Mommy. Then we will never be able to live in a big house again, and we will never be able to have such an easy life again. Mommy is really tired... Mommy has worked so hard... Can you just bear with it for Mommy's sake? If you just bear with it, we will all be happy. You haven't really lost anything, have you? Your brother loves you so much, that's a blessing for you, isn't it?"

"Mother……"

A sense of powerlessness. I was stunned.

Seeing Nana's past is like seeing a deep darkness.

The tears that had just stopped started falling again. I didn't know what else I could do but cry.

"It's strange. It was three years ago, but it feels like so long ago. So long that I've forgotten how I felt back then. Zero, didn't I tell you not to let go of my hand? Why did you run so fast? Did you see everything I didn't want you to see? My dirty past..." Nana said with a smile, "I'm so hypocritical! I'm clearly a very dirty person, but I pretend to be innocent and pure."

“No! Nana…you’re not dirty at all…the problem is with those people.” I hugged Nana tightly. Besides holding her close and giving her some warmth, I didn’t know what else I could do.

"You know what? Actually... I always thought I had forgotten... that rainy... somewhat ironic autumn. Maybe it's because the time was so close. So it made me remember again."

"Nana... I'll help you forget..."

"There are some things we can't seem to forget no matter how hard we try. Zero... do you really consider me a friend?" Nana pushed me away and looked at me with a strange expression.

"Of course!"

"Then promise me one thing..."

"What?"

"Stay here with me forever... I won't think about those sad memories anymore. You don't have to worry about dying at 25. After that, we'll both be happy... for both of us. No one will hurt us anymore, this is the safest place. This is our world."

"Nana..."

I secretly held back my tears.

At that time, no matter what,

Always greet people with a smile.

Now it feels so distant.

If our world consists only of pain, why have we persisted until now?

They lived a life of shame.

...Things I'll never say

"Stay in this world with me. No one will hurt us anymore; this is the safest place. This is our world."

"Nana..." Who is speaking these words now? She seems unfamiliar. Her aloof expression is so distant, she doesn't seem like the Nana I know.

"Ah Ling...you'll be with me, won't you..."

The cold sensation started spreading from the soles of my feet.

"Who are you...you're not Nana!" I pushed her away forcefully.

"I'm Nana? I am Nana! Why would you say that? Zero, look, aren't all these strands of hair just like the Nana you know?"

"No! No! Although I don't know what's going on, and although you have Nana's body and Nana's face, I know you are definitely not Nana!"

As I screamed, the scenery around me changed, leaving only darkness. The courtyard I had just left was gone. Little Nana sat blankly at the feet of the current Nana.

"Zero... I'm so sad... Aren't we friends? Why don't you even bother to be with me?" Blood-red tears streamed down Nana's face. I don't know why, but even though she looked ugly, I wasn't scared at all.

"Nana...I'm sorry...I..."

"Don't say sorry... Stay here with me... This world... will follow our wishes, it's safe... I will protect you... There are no vengeful ghosts here... You won't die at 25, you can stay like this forever!"

"You're not Nana!" I pushed her away again. "Nana has no idea I won't live past 25, she knows nothing about my past. Who are you? Who are you? Where's Nana?"

"That's right! She's not Nana at all. She's a Hollow, and this is the labyrinth world she created!" A nasty, arrogant voice rang out from behind. It was that Dao Lian, the guy who only ever shows up to look cool at crucial moments.

“Where did you just go?” I turned around and yelled at him.

“I’ve always been here. It’s just that you’re too immersed in this world to see me or feel me. When I entered your dorm, I felt something was wrong. Nana, who was sleeping, was emitting a strong light, and then I was pulled in.”

"Huh? So that means Nana is really still sleeping?"

"You could say that. Hollows are something created out of human despair. I didn't know that Hollows also had the ability to create another world. We are currently in Nana's memory world. If Nana doesn't wake up, we will be stuck here forever, and the real Nana will die in her sleep. The one in front of you is not Nana at all, but a Hollow that has developed its own will. The real Nana's consciousness may not even have been discovered here by herself."

"Nana's consciousness?"

"Yes! That's the scene she entered into to escape reality. I said, this is Nana's world, so what she becomes depends on her own mood. So... the real Nana is there! It's the Nana from when she was little! This world is full of despair, but no matter how she hides it, I can still smell the real scent on her. Nana, in the end, despair leads to wanting to build an ideal utopia, but that's just a fantasy. You should face reality. You won't find happiness in the virtual world!" Dao Lian pointed to the little Nana hiding behind the virtual.

Little Nana cried. Suddenly, a tremendous force struck me and Dao Lian, almost knocking us to the ground.

Author: Xinxinjun Reply Date: 2005-01-02 0:33:00

"You actually... made Nana cry? This is my world, don't forget... I'm the strongest here!"

Xu Yi reached out, and beside her were two ghosts with their intestines hanging out of their bodies and their brains spilling out.

"Do you remember, Ah Ling? This is the spirit of the person who died in a car accident in your hometown that you used to see often when you were a child!"

My body feels a little stiff, as if I've returned to that past. A big house where I'm all alone...

"Hey! Dao Lian, I don't want to run anymore, and I can't run anymore. You're a psychic, you should have a way to make these two... disappear, right?"

"I'm sorry... I can't do that. Because this is a world of imagination, no spells will work. I didn't see anything. It's just something in your head. Just tell yourself you didn't see anything."

"But... the key point is that I saw it..."

"That's just something you created by exploiting your subconscious. As long as you're not afraid and don't believe, nothing can hurt you."

"Alright! Alright! It's come to this... This is the only way... If I can't overcome this... How can I take Nana away?"

"Close your eyes. Tell yourself you didn't see anything, you're not afraid... but that's a lie!"

"Come on! I'm not afraid of you anymore!"

After a burst of bright light.

His hand loosened, and I fell to the ground.

There was still cold sweat on his forehead from the shock.

I seem to have done something amazing.

Xu's expression was somewhat ferocious: "Nana likes you a lot, that's why I brought you here... It was all that man who ruined it. I'm going to kill him! This is our world! Don't let outsiders destroy it!" She screamed and rushed towards Dao Lian.

"Dao Lian! Watch out!"

"Is this the result you wanted, Nana? Does this world truly bring you happiness?"

Dao Lian didn't even frown, and coldly spoke to Xiao Nana, who was curled up.

"I always thought you were a strong person, seeing your past and then seeing how you live now. I believe that no matter how deep the wound, you can overcome it now. In any case, at least I believe you are truly happy with Zero. But is this really what you want?"

The illusory movements stopped, and Xiao Nainai stood up with tears streaming down her face.

"What's wrong with this? No one will hurt me anymore, and Zero will always be with me. Isn't this wonderful? What's wrong with it?"

"Really? But can you really feel it in your heart? If you're truly happy, why is this world always so dark? And why do those terrible past events keep replaying? If you really want happiness, you have to create it yourself, not hide in this world to escape reality. If you're truly happy, why can't I see your smile? Nana... Zero and I won't hate you because we saw your past... In our eyes, you're still the strongest and cutest Nana..."

The ethereal body began to disappear little by little, while Nana began to grow bigger.

“Even though I’m so dirty… do you still think I’m cute?” she cried.

“…Nana…” I went up to her and hugged her tightly. “…That’s all in the past…Now Dao Lian and I will protect you…You’re not dirty at all…You’re so cute…Let’s go back…It was just a nightmare, I’ll forget everything when I wake up.”

It was that same blinding light again. My vision went completely blank.

When the focus returned to a single point, I found myself back in my dorm room.

Nana slowly sat up from the bed next to me, tears welling in her eyes.

"Ah Ling... I... I think I had a nightmare... a very long nightmare..."

"It's alright... Now that you're awake, everything is over..."

"Back then... I really wanted to die. My hypocritical mother, my problematic brother... My father found out more than a year after it happened and sent my brother to prison. Only then did my mother start to care about me. But I felt she was so fake... Everything was like an indelible videotape, constantly replaying in my mind. So I went to middle school far from my elementary school and lived on campus... I kept dating... hoping someone could truly love me... But every year around this time... the season when that happened... I always think about that terrible past. Every time I think about it, I feel so dirty... If others knew, what would they think of me... I wanted to die..."

"Nana...no one will say anything about you...you still have me...you still have Dao Ren...even though we know everything, but...in our eyes...you're still the Nana I know. Nothing has changed...we're best friends...and so am I...I have a terrible constitution, I can see many things from another world, and people say I won't live past 25. Sometimes I wonder why I don't just die now. But since I'm already alive, I should live happily. No matter how painful...I should live with a smile. Because that's also a kind of happiness. From now on...Dao Ren and I will protect you...no one will hurt you anymore..."

As Daolian left, she gave me a long, unwavering look: "You'll only live to be 25..."

"Yes! I might not even make it to that point! But I'm so glad to have met you all! Really! If I were to die like this someday, this would be the happiest time of my life."

“…You…” His hand touched my cheek, “Girls can be incredibly strong sometimes…” Then, he jumped off the windowsill and disappeared into the vast night.

My cheeks feel a little warm.

That autumn night remains deeply etched in my mind, even now.

Later, Nana, Daolian, and some others experienced many things as the gears of fate turned, but... no matter what, as long as we are alive, even the most painful things are a kind of happiness.

Nana, now when I think back, the only thing that makes me sad is that I didn't protect you properly. I don't care about losing anything else, my only regret is that I couldn't protect you... If I had left you back then... you wouldn't have fallen into my world... and afterwards... we wouldn't have gone through so much pain.

Sometimes, memories are truly ironic; what seemed like painful memories now appear to be sources of happiness.

Our story is only just beginning... We haven't even seen the beginning of the game of fate.

Why is it that now... when I think of these things... I'm moved to tears...?

Perhaps, eventually, I've forgotten how to laugh...

The second part: Nana's wounds are finished.

Author: Xinxinjun Reply Date: 2005-01-02 0:37:00

Zero - The Night Parade of One Hundred Demons, Part 3: The Crimson Stage

"The Night Parade of One Hundred Demons originated from a Japanese legend. On the last night of the 99th year, discarded old objects would have their gates opened to take them to another place. At that time, the garbage dump was a magnetic field, a magnetic field connected to the realm of demons. Evil spirits are represented by dolls. If there is a doll among these old objects that has been abandoned for 99 years, then that doll may be possessed by a demon, because the doll itself is a spiritual field."

"Ah Ling... what's wrong... you're so engrossed in your book," Nana asked worriedly. "I've been calling you for ages and you haven't answered."

"No... I don't know why... I had a strange feeling while reading this article. I'm a little curious about this thing called spirit field. And what exactly is the ghost realm like? Where do those vengeful ghosts go after Dao Lian elevates them? I suddenly became curious about this question."

"You're overthinking it..." Nana said with a pout and a smile. "But I'd rather you spend your time reading the script; that would make me much happier!"

"Speaking of this... Nana..."

"What?"