The Return Crusade

Masayuki sat in the dark with the angels and the others in the living room. Part of him wondered who was going to talk first. He clinched his fists in his lap.

“I messed things up, didn’t I?” Masayuki asked. All eyes fell on him, but no words came out. He drew his mouth closed.

“So… how do we fix it?” he asked. Izumi gave him a cold look. She opened her mouth to speak. Natalia held up her hand. The other angel closed her mouth. The lead woman took a breath.

“You are going to have to go back in,” Natalia said.

“Okay…” Masayuki said. He half-expected this. Izumi whipped her head around.

“You can’t be serious,” she said. “We used up everything to send him the first time. How are we supposed to pull it off again?”

“There is one way,” Natalia said. Liz frowned.

“You can’t be serious,” she said.

“We don’t have a choice,” the lead angel said. She pulled of a small brown leather book from behind her back. Natalia slammed it down in front of her. The angels stared at her.

“What is that?” Taro asked.

“The Death Ledger,” Natalia said.

“What?” he asked. The angels looked grim as they tried not to look at the book on the floor. The top might as well have a huge snake sitting on the top.

“It’s just as it sounds,” Yoshiko said.

“It will drain the life out of whoever uses it,” Natalia said. The lack of emotion in her voice made the boys tremble.

“Then why--?” Taro began asked.

“We don’t have a choice!” she shouted. Everyone went quiet. Natalia took in another breath and rubbed her forehead.

“Before we do this,” she said. “I need to know that you are serious about this. We can’t afford to have any half-assing it this time. We have to be fully committed to this. Can you do this?” Masayuki didn’t have to think twice.

“Yes,” he said.

“Taro, Makoto?” Natalia asked. Masayuki turned to his friends.

“Yes,” Taro and Makoto said at once. Their friend didn’t know how to respond. The angel looked at the rest of the group around them.

“That goes for all of you too,” she said. “Are you in or are you out? You have to say it now.” The adults, angels, and Michio didn’t have to hesitate.

“Yes,” they all said. Natalia reached her hand for the book, but she stopped with her hand hoovering the top.

“Alright,” she said. “There here is what we need to do. You all will have to listen to every single word that I say. One little slip could cause these kids to be trapped in the dreamscape forever. Do you understand me?”

“Yes,” everyone else said. Natalia lowered her shoulders.

“Okay, then we will begin,” she said.