Chapter Twenty-One: A Prayer for Asia:

Aiguo pulled out his cell phone.

“Yes?” he asked.

“Boss, we have a problem,” one of scientists said on the other line. Aiguo lay back on his bed, sighing.

“What is it?” he asked.

“The gate! It’s getting worse! I don’t think we can stop it!” Aiguo sat up with a serious look on his face.

“How much do you have left?” he asked.

“About half a month! Most of the guards are worn out too. We don’t have much time!”

“Damn it!”

“Where is that key, boss?”

“I found it.”

“Oh, good. When can we begin the tests?”

Aiguo nervously chuckled. “There’s a slight problem with that…”

“What?”

“A young couple got there first. The husband’s a shinigami.”

“So… the key’s dead?”

“No, no, no! The key’s fine. It’s just that said shinigami got emotionally attached to her.”

“What do you mean?” the scientist asked. Aiguo gritted his teeth.

“What do you think it means?” he asked.

“Oh. Oh…”

“Yeah. Although, the wife’s not too keen on the idea of adoption. Maybe I could get her alone and talk to her.” His attention returned when he heard screaming on the other line.

“What was that?” he asked.

“It’s them!” his employee screamed. “They are trying to break through! Ahhh!”

“Shit. How many of you are left?”

“Ten, sir!”

“Ten?”

“Most of the passed out or got eaten!”

“Oh shit!”

“Yeah! Get it back in! Hurry!” The scientist screamed over the phone. It went silent for five minutes. Aiguo’s eyes shifted around.

“Hello?” he asked. “Are you still there? Hello? Hello?”

“Yeah?” the scientist asked, panting. “Sorry about that. We just lost two more men to a giant. Got it back in through. We need the key now.”

“I know. I’m working on it.” Aiguo gritted his teeth as he hung up. How did it come to this?

The concept sounded foolproof. Blood had never been used before. Many of the elder watchman frowned upon this plan.

“You are talking about using innocent humans as sacrifices!” the head elder said. “You cannot do this!”

“We have no other choice,” Aiguo argued back. “People will die if we don’t act now. The old ways don’t work.”

“But they are more humane.”

“We can’t be humane anymore!”

“If you do this, you will no longer be a watchman.”

The young man Aiguo folded his arms across his chest. “Fine then. I quit!”

“But you can’t! You are committed to protecting Asia!”

Aiguo looked over his shoulder. “And I will in my own way!”

“The man is dangerous! He doesn’t value human life! You are following a monster!”

“Maybe that’s what we need.”

“Aiguo!”

The door closed behind the young man. Fifteen years was what it took to produce the perfect key. Aiguo would be damned if she got away without being tested to make sure their hard work paid off. Aiguo picked up his cell phone.

“Tsuzuki, I am coming over for your answer now,” he said. “Change of plans.”