Canticle: Code Caligula

Chapter 25: That Long Summer Night, Part 1

Mura and Lilith looked out upon the marvels of the human world while Kirin crossed her arms with a smirk. The summer heat beat down on their skin while cicadas chirped within the dense trees behind them. The trio had emerged from Zozo's safehouse onto a dirt biking path high up on a mountainside.

In the distance was the city of Ema, located within the Monido prefecture. Mura could visibly see many tall skyscrapers from the distance, their windows reflecting the sun's light. There were also patches of green trees littered throughout the city with harbors and ships located near the sea's border. Such sights could easily be found in Yomi, however what surprised the demon was the architecture.

The skyscrapers weren't rectangular structures like in Yomi. Instead, they looked incredibly angular; as if someone had carved diagonal slices off the buildings. Nearly every construction Mura could spot was a different shape. Some were grouped together and linked by sky-bridges while others resembled obelisks and spires.

"Whoa! Hey Captain, what are those floating dots in the distance??" Lilith excitedly questioned.

Mura could several glittering dots hovering between buildings and around the skyline.

"Those are flying vehicles. Humans developed the technology to levitate their means of transportation, so what you see in the distance are human beings commuting via airborne cars," Kirin said.

"Impossible! Flying cars?!" Mura gasped.

"My short time on Earth has taught me humans believe nothing is impossible. Believe it or not, I had that same wide-eyed stare you two have now after seeing this," Kirin smiled. "If you think this is something, wait until you see the Shinizu Pyramid—"

The blue-haired captain was cut off by Mura pointing up at the sky with disbelief.

"The sun is white!!!" Mura shouted in shock. "Why is the sky blue?! It's too bright!!"

Oh yeah, I forgot the sun wasn't black here," Lilith said.

"How could you forget something like that?!!"

"Shut up!!" Kirin snapped. "Gods, how can anyone think with you both around?"

As Kirin grit her teeth and Mura argued with Lilith, a bicyclist rode past them on the dirt path. He gave both demons a thumbs up and a wide grin.

"Hey guys, nice cosplays!" the bicyclist shouted as he drove past them, ringing his bike's bell while kicking up a small dust cloud.

"Cos... play?" Kirin and Mura murmurs in unison.

"It's a human thing where you dress up as fictional characters, guys. Don't you have it in Yomi?" Lilith turned, looking at them both.

"No, that sounds stupid," Kirin said. "Anyways, you'll need to start by investigating the location of the most recent disappearance. The human in question is a teenaged female named Junko Takagi. She attends a school called Sekien Academy."

Kirin unfolded her arms, stepping back into the shade of the tress behind them.

"One more thing. During this operation, I won't assist you in any way."

Mura and Lilith's hearts jumped slightly.

"What do you mean?! We have no idea of where to go or what to do!" Lilith yelled.

"Not true. I've provided you the information you need regarding your target, plus the needed tools to blend in during your time here," Kirin bluntly replied. "I've been tasked to provide these to you. Other than that, I'll keep a close eye on your location at all times. If you wind up dead, I'll escort your corpses back to Yomi."