Days later, after what felt like an eternity of dust, sweat, and ringing stone, the monster head was finished.
Kanasei lay flat on his back, arms sprawled uselessly at his sides, staring up at the dull, unmoving sky of this place. His body felt hollowed out. Every muscle screamed.
Nearby, Kōfun had draped himself lazily over the sculpture's forehead, careful to avoid the mouth. He looked almost comfortable there, like the thing was a pillow instead of a massive stone head carved with jagged teeth and hollow eyes.
Kanasei dragged a hand over his face, rubbing his eyes hard.
Urgh… when am I gonna get out of here?
Kōfun pushed himself upright and stretched, joints cracking as he arched his back."Well," he said casually, "now we gotta move this."
Kanasei shot upright.
"MOVE?!" His voice cracked. He groaned and buried his face in his hands. "How are we gonna move this thing?!"
Kōfun shrugged, unfazed. "We can't. Sooo… we'll get some help!"
Kanasei looked up at him, eyebrow twitching. "And… what're we gonna do now?"
Kōfun's grin returned in full force. "What do you think all those workers are for?"
Kanasei paused. Then, slowly, a tired smirk crept onto his face.
-----
It didn't take long.
Kōfun gathered three other workers and barked out quick instructions. Together, they lifted the massive stone head, muscles straining as they carried it beneath a nearby cliff. They laid it flat, facing upward, stone scraping against stone as it settled into place.
Kōfun clapped his hands together sharply."Alrighty! Thanks, y'all! Now get back to work."
The workers dispersed without complaint.
Kanasei slid down until his back hit the cliff wall and sat there, exhausted. "Well…now what?"
Kōfun sighed, already turning away. "Now I leave. Someone else'll take it from here."
He waved over his shoulder. "Bye, for now."
Kanasei pressed his head back against the cliff and closed his eyes.
-----
This feels so unreal…
-----
Footsteps.
Kanasei's eyes opened.
Fuman stood before him.
The demon looked down with unmistakable disgust, as if Kanasei's very presence irritated him."Will you not get up?" Fuman asked flatly.
Kanasei pushed himself to his feet.
Fuman's gaze shifted from him to the stone head. "Move."
Kanasei stepped aside immediately.
Fuman approached the sculpture and produced a normal empty glass vial. Then another—slightly smaller, filled with a thick purple liquid. He uncorked both and poured the purple contents into the empty vial with practiced precision.
Next, he took an even smaller bottle from his waist, filled with a black, viscous substance. He added it to the mixture.
Fuman placed the vial on the monster head's forehead.
From his belt, he plucked several leaves, tore them into small pieces, and dropped them into the glass. He sealed it shut and shook it gently.
The liquid inside began to pop.
Crackle.
Then—
A violent internal burst slammed against the glass, but the vial held.
The mixture settled into a deep, muddy gray.
Fuman lifted it, inspecting the result closely. Satisfied, he uncorked it and poured the contents directly onto the stone.
Kanasei watched, utterly lost.
The liquid didn't spill. It was absorbed.
Cracks spread across the sculpture's surface, stone grinding against stone.
Kanasei stepped closer and knelt near the mouth, peering inside."What's—"
"Do not get so close," Fuman warned.
Kanasei turned toward him—
CRACK.
The sound thundered through the air.
Kanasei whipped his head back toward the sculpture.
Nothing.
He scanned the mouth. The nose. The cheeks.
Then—
The eyes moved.
They locked onto him.
Kanasei froze.
Before he could react, the mouth shifted. Barely an inch.
It stopped.
His pulse roared in his ears.
Am I imagining things…?
The mouth moved again.
Another inch.
Then another.
Then—
"MOVE!" Fuman shouted.
Kanasei barely managed to jerk back before the mouth slammed shut with a deafening BANG.
He fell backward hard.
"Worthless, obdurate fool," Fuman said coldly. "You lack all situational awareness."
The monster's mouth began to open again, slow and deliberate.
Fear flooded Kanasei's veins.
"And what the hell was that?!" he shouted. "That was a sculpture! A stone!"
Fuman scoffed. "It is a torture machine, obviously. Did you believe we forced you to create it for decoration?"
The insult stung worse than the fall.
"Tch."
Fuman turned and walked away, leaving Kanasei alone beneath the cliff. With the stone head breathing.
-----
Kanasei walked back toward his workspace on unsteady legs.
Am I…not dreaming?
His thoughts churned endlessly, spiraling without direction. He barely registered where he was going. He finally sat down, knees drawn slightly upward, his right arm propped on his thigh as he leaned his head into his hand.
Why did I even come here…?It's not like I died…
Something heavy entered his vision. Boots.
Large. Dark. Worn.
Kanasei blinked once.
Twice.
They were still there.
Slowly, his head lifted.
Kinyoku stood before him.
Arms crossed over his chest. Massive frame unmoving. His presence alone crushed the air, his gaze sharp enough to pin Kanasei in place. There had been no footsteps or a warning.
Kanasei's body locked up.
I didn't see him approach…How did he get here?
After a moment that felt far too long, Kanasei scrambled to his feet. He lowered his gaze immediately, eyes fixed on the ground. He couldn't meet that stare, never could.
"S-sorry… sir," he said quickly. "I didn't see you there."
Silence.
Then,
"Help me move the sculptures you made."
Kinyoku's voice was cold and absolute. He pointed toward the first piece: the smooth stone triangle.
Kanasei followed his gaze and nodded. He hurried over, lifting it with both arms. Compared to the monster head, it was manageable—heavy, but not unbearable.
Kinyoku turned and began walking away without another word.
Kanasei followed.
-----
One by one, Kanasei moved the sculptures.
Clusters of spikes were lowered into pits.Jagged forms were placed beside walls.Others were dragged beneath cliffs.
No explanation was given.
By the time Kanasei carried the final piece—a tall, singular spike—his body was screaming. Sweat soaked his clothes. His breath came in shallow pants.
He dropped it into the designated pit and collapsed onto the ground, dragging his hands through his hair out of habit—
Only to remember he didn't have any.
"…Could you please…" Kanasei started, breathless. He swallowed. "Tell me now…why we moved these here?"
Kinyoku didn't answer right away.
He stood still, back turned.
Then he spoke.
"Why do you think," he said slowly, "we placed clusters of spikes into a pit?"
He continued walking as he spoke.
"A monster's head beneath a cliff—positioned to bite anything unfortunate enough to fall."
Kanasei's chest tightened.
"And a single, massive spike," Kinyoku went on, "set within a river—where the current drags bodies into a waterfall."
He stopped. Not to turn back. But to let the words sink in.
Kinyoku walked away without another glance.
Kanasei remained seated, staring at the ground.
They were all...Torture machines?