I wanted to make a Devil Survivor 2 version of what happened before the game, but… I wanted to use the anime version. I also got influenced once more with vocaloid songs…. OTL

Tearing the flickering image into many pieces,

A three year old tries to reach the sky, grasping not the clouds but the air. Frowning at the clouds, the raven decides to look for other things to play with. Mother isn't here to tell him off anyways. The roads are deserted, the walls are crying dust, and the grass are creeping at the corners. There are also huge red things flying in the sky… Where did they come from?

"Run for It! THAT THING is a monster!"

The raven stares back, looking at the crowd of children screaming and running away from the playground. Curious towards the cause of commotion, the boy enters the area only to see a frog-like creature. The frog must have created the mess on the floor using red paint. Splashed and blotted across the floor, its art have a scent of metal - the same metal smell of the door used in his house. He scratches the back of his head, wondering whether the similarities of the two objects – one which is a red liquid while the other a solid grey, are a coincidence when both have the same smell.

Since I know, even if I close my eyes

While thinking of the answer, sounds of laughter can be heard from the frog. Ducking down, the boy hides under the bench to see two glowing eyes and bits of red on its lips. With its back turned, the boy goes near the creature to ensure that it isn't a fake. Reaching his hand out, the creature's skin feels very warm and wet like the damp hands of mother. Now that the he thinks about it, mother has never been out from her room for four days straight. Oh~ There are also rough areas and bumps as he rub the skin-! The creature have noticed him, showing its surprised eyes. With its mouth opening wide, the boy realizes that the frog is really huge when its mouth is open that way. Unfortunately, Fear is a forgotten emotion to the boy.

THEY are always by me.

Before the creature can attack, a huge tiger pierces its tender muscle located at the mouth of the frog using sharp claws. This act is repeated by the albino tiger, allowing blood to spurt all over the park. The blood didn't faze the child, but it did make the child cover his face because of the tossed carcass bits. After the death of the frog, sharp sapphire eyes face the child. With a full grown tiger with white fur and black stripes tainted with corpse bits staring at him, the raven wonders if the tiger is angry at him.

I do not care for THEM one bit.

Touching the face of the tiger, the raven pets it gingerly. The fur tainted with red paint is still soft to the touch. Scratching the tiger's ears, the boy continues to move his hands to its back as the tiger purrs with content. Scratching extensively, the raven sees the tiger as a pet kitty. A guardian that father must have given him and mother as a compensation for his long period of absence. The tiger has been taking care of him for quite a while, bringing food and toys while mother remains in her room.

That's why I dislike THEM.

The child stops, hearing a distant sound from the west side – it's the place with a huge wheel sticking out. Removing his hand from the tiger's fur, the boy begins to move towards the painful sound, hoping to see what made the sound to go that way. Before he can even make a move, the boy gets picked up by the hoodie. Feeling the deep breath of the animal, the boy realizes that his guardian didn't want him to go. Lifting the boy's body using its mouth, the tiger heads to the south where there is a spring five streets away. While walking, the boy looks back, seeing the place with a huge wheel start burning, loud sounds are no longer heard.

I dislike everything about humans.…

Rays of Hope deceived my eyes,

Mother isn't responding to his cries anymore and Byakko (his friends' name for the tiger) isn't coming so often to check up on him... Thus, the eleven year old raven decides to venture out again. This time, his goal is to find people like him. The books at the shelf gives a vague direction to where people usually go. 'Father must be there, surely' the boy thinks. Ever since Byakko left, more guardians came to the backyard like rabbits, frogs and deer fishy things. In fact, a huge red bird is following him as he walks out to search for an inhabited shelter. Up in the sky, the kid knows the bird is stalking him since its shadow is covering him from the rain. So strange, the ground seems to be filled with bumps, he can't walk properly with all the squishy rocks.

And as usual

Hearing sounds from within the huge house, the child goes to the entrance and taps the door several times. Each knock he make is accompanied with a dull metal clang, he then waits for a response. Everyone in the house suddenly becomes quiet, making the boy wonder what they are celebrating about... With the door opening slightly, the child sees dozens or more pairs of eyes staring at him. The boy blinks, realizing that these people are as thin as mother. Some of them are holding long sticks, while others huddle together for warmth (maybe). With empty stares, the boy notices that some of the children are crying.

THEY cover it with darkness.

The boy moves back a bit as several hands try to reach out to him. Worried as to why they look that way, the boy hears a shrill cry from the crowd. People don't cry when they're celebrating... Right? Ah! Their hands are so different from mother… It doesn't feel right having these hands hold him.. So rough and clammy. Their clothes also look different from his neighborhood. Why are they so different from what he imagines them to be? Their eyes quivering with joy (?) and hands shaking with unknown experience, what are they talking about? As the door slowly close from behind him, the boy wonders if this is what he wants? The last familiar sound the boy hoped not to hear is the call of the Phoenix... Calling him to come back outside.

The bitter words and their meaning…

The raven's sapphire eyes flickered into a brighter shade of blue, eyeing the ground via the third floor window of the evacuation center. It had been five months since the child left home. Having been accepted within the community, he kept things to himself. The adults wanted to know where his parents went yet the raven refused to give any information. He strived to get to know his fellow age mates better, but that notion was shot down with scared faces or blank stares. However, right now… Something caught his interest. There was a brown haired adult running down the path, holding a box with the grave look on his face. The golden scarf made the child remember something… Was it something about his family, the raven didn't know but he's chasing after it. This place was getting boring after all.

It's so close to me and it won't stop

Having walked to the same metal door that greeted him to a new world, a hand held on to the raven's shoulder. Turning, the raven saw an aged women with desolate eyes and lines on her forehead etched well like her cheek muscles. If the raven remembered correctly, this was the same woman who shared a liquid container with him. Maybe she wish to have all the liquid containers back, they were all still with him. Handing the containers, the boy realized that this wasn't the right action as the women kneeled on the floor, hugging him. The boy just stood there waiting for the woman to stop.

"Why are you leaving?" The woman muttered, making the boy give eye to eye contact. Opening his mouth, the raven mentions a one-liner, "I don't belong here." And it only led to the woman to cry. Confused, the raven pats her on the back, hoping to stop her from crying. It took a long time before the woman let go of him, tears dampening his hoodie in the long run.

"Stay safe okay?"

The woman whispered to him as she let go, making the raven tilt his head a bit. Nodding slowly, the raven turned and headed to the scarfed brunet's presumed destination – the huge white building. There were a lot of people wearing yellow heading in there as well. The raven wondered if he, an eleven year old child, may enter in such a huge building. The place also felt gloomy and not as vibrant as his home but oh well. Entering the facility, he notices the scarf boy talking to a woman with dark hair. Hiding behind a pole, the raven looks around to his new surroundings. The woman was probably the leader since she was ordering some people around. Both of them looked very tired…? Oh, a new person came. The person has white hair and is wearing a very unique black outfit. Is he the head?

"If this continues, resources will eventually dwindle. According to Fumi, all neighboring countries together with their land mass have completely been wiped off from Earth."

"Don't we have volcanoes to create the lands? People can't all live together, especially when Japan has become densely populated."

"Shijima. Might I remind you of the consequences of creating false land when within an earthquake prone zone? After the ordeals, the continental shift has altered drastically, we can't let the citizens be exposed to anymore false hope."

The boy blinks lazily at the conversation. This is so boring. Looking around, the boy notices a shiny room up above. This became the main priority for the boy as he headed directly towards it. Fortunately, everyone was too busy to notice the child walking up the stairs into the top floor. Upon reaching the top, the boy sees a small orb bobbing about in a container.

In all my life living in eternity… Humanity is the sole perpetrator to have left intense scars that won't heal. Yet still, THEY won't stop with such torment.

'Oh it talks.' The raven thought, going closer to the transparent container to see whether the thing will react. No reaction. How about closer? Close enough to touch the screen and watch as the orb stop moving. After a few seconds, both entities made a connection. Placing his face close enough to make smoke, the child hears the sounds of a clock ticking from the shiny thing which reminds him so much of father.

There is no smile in those sad eyes,there is no joy in your broken heart… I whose voice lingers in every mind untainted, I who have long lost my pride to your putrid race. I have been calling out to you through various means. Will you not help me, child of man?

The boy tilts his head, watching as the orb lead him to another direction of the container. A threadlike light stretched from the orb, pointing at the screen. The boy followed it, seating on the chair of the command panel.

Type these words will you? Yes. Excellent performance, child of man. Now then.

The raven looks back to see the container open up like an egg, releasing the entity inside it. Standing up to talk to the creature, the boy is greeted with a cellphone being held by the white glowing thread.

For your kind gesture, I will finally be able to curse humanity to an endless state of entropy. However, I am a being of fair judgement. For you, child of man, will be part of another system as an observer of the administrator's judgement. By accepting this, I will transport you to another realm similar to this dimension. If Humanity succeeds, you will see prosperity for your world. Fail and be stricken with sorrow as the curse of entropy grow within every source of life. You who will witness both sides of the system will regret being born in the same race as Humanity…

Looking up, the child wonders where the mouth of the shiny thing was. Touching the now-turned huge thing, the child looks up with a curious face. Having the cellphone being smashed to his face, the raven grabbed the cellphone while rubbing his face. "Who are you?"

The past administrator of worlds from the heavenly Throne, Thuban. Basing on Humanity's perception of time, Kawkab has successfully inherited the throne.

"What will happen to you?" The raven asks again, his sapphire eyes filled with interest. Understanding that thrones relate to royalty, the child thought the person he was talking to is part of royalty. Yet the only response he had is Thuban's dissipating body and the sound of the clock echoing louder and louder.

I have lost purpose for my existence… Thus this is farewell child of man… Perhaps our meeting is not of mere coincidence, supposing that this is all part of the celestial movement. Hmm… Very well then. There is still one last task that I must perform.

The child covered his eyes, blinded with the intensity of the light. The ground had also begun to shake under his feet, making the child fall to the ground by the butt. Something was happening to Thuban and the child couldn't see Thuban because of all the light. Aside from the time ticking in a higher frequency, the sounds from the alarm system had turn on.

I, Thuban will grant you a title. A title linked to the concept of time and space. Let your presence be known in the cosmic system, child of possibility…

*WHOOOWHOOOWHOOO!*

"!" Jerking himself awake, an eighteen year old raven sits up with cold sweat covering his body. Looking around for the source of the sound, the raven sees his blue cellphone vibrating and emitting the weird noise. Turning the function off, the raven opens his closet and places his phone in the pocket of his soon to be worn blue pants. Turning his head at the calendar attached behind his closet door, he frown. Oh right. Exam time. His friend must have done an overnight, judging from how nervous he was yesterday.
'Guess I have to walk up to his house again and pour him with freezing cold water, just like in elementary.'

Time is projected so clearly, it's everywhere at any moment

Facing the mirror, the raven is greeted with messy as well as dripping black hair. Combing it to the best of his ability, the raven's annoyed blue eyes stared menacingly at his problem. After five minutes, the teen gave up with his hair and started to dress up for school. Wearing his school uniform underneath his white hoodie, the raven connects and secretly secures his mp3 within his attire. Can't have the teachers confiscate his only means of entertainment can he?

This function is the same with space, having these concept come in full circle.

'Now that he thinks about it...Will the proctor be okay with him wearing his jacket to the area? Not that anyone knows what this hoodie can do and all… No. He does not cheat. Hopefully, if the proctor is suspicious, he can reason out that this is some sort of aesthetic trend…' The raven wondered to himself as he came out from his room. Having bought the hoodie on Grade 6, his classmates think his going into that phase of depression. As if they knew what depression is like since experiences can't be shared… Or can it? But in truth, he doesn't understand depression in a real sense either. In reality, he only bought the hoodie to block out his parent's continuous ranting of disapproval towards his actions. And… The thing just got stuck to him. Instead of wearing headphones or earphones, all he needs to do is wear the hoodie and connect the (secret) wire to his mp3. Freaking useful, if someone asks him about it.

What then is infinite if Time and Space is considered finite?

Seeing a note on the fridge, the raven ignores the message written on it as he opens and grabs a hold of a carton of milk and cereal. The raven then goes to the kitchen for a spoon and container while still holding the stuff. Placing everything on the table, the raven flops down on his chair and pours the cereal and milk in the container. Stabbing the content with a spoon, the teen brings out his phone.

FROM: Daichi Shijima
SUBJECT: The Test

Hibiki… Did you just forget our promise of reviewing before the exam in the testing site?

"Maybe?" The raven now known as Hibiki said to himself. Scooping some food in his mouth, he scrolls down to continue reading further.

But never mind that. You have twenty minutes before our exam starts so bring: your exam slip, writing material and yourself to the testing site. Find the guys wearing a black attire and nametag, they'll lead you to your room.

"Darn. No freezing water for you then." Hibiki flipped his phone back to its normal state. Back then he used to have a black flip phone, now he has this epic blue model with a cyclone feature. Upgraded to match his sheer awesomeness, Hibiki nodded to himself in approval. Before heading out to face an exam he didn't study at all, Hibiki absently checks the wall clock's arm tick clockwise. Putting his hoodie on, Hibiki locked the door and ran off to the testing site. There is something nagging his conscious, something bad that will happen, but he won't listen. Right now, he has to pass this exam for his college life.

Will history repeat itself…?

Let's survive.

EXTRA – Io and Daichi refuses, Hibiki accepts

"If you were, let's say, blessed to survive and watch the world suffer repeatedly? Will you rise to take a stand or end everything with your bare hands?" Hibiki asked, looking down at his fallen companions.

"Oh? You're asking the goddess of night and fear that type of question?" The lady smiled, looking down at him as she floats. Hibiki didn't respond, fiddling with his friend's tainted yellow scarf. "You must be that lonely to talk to a tyrant."

"Right back at you. How do you know me anyway?" Hibiki asked, fiddling with his companion's now-bloody scarf with his fingers. Why didn't any of the two accept the offer? Maybe because of how creepy those two AIs were. Sighing, Hibiki stood up and walked further within the station. The lady who proclaims herself as the goddess Tzitzimitl followed him with her arm like hair outstretched.

"I took care of you my dear. Having you isolated from those creatures using a graveyard was the perfect idea of a home." She hums, twirling the multi-colored orbs using her hair(?) Hibiki shook his head, not believing on her one bit. "Learn to accept things as they are. Sage of Time will be coming soon whenever you need another universe hopping."

"Can it be done now?" Hibiki turned which made the deity laugh. Crossing his arms, Hibiki doesn't know why his past life (whatever timeline he was in) accepted this psycho to begin with. At least the bald guy seems more legitimate into looking like a human. "You must be the Sage of time."

"Ah. Child of man. Have you remembered how simplistic yet complex of time travel will be for a being such as yourself?" The man asked in a joking manner, fluttering his wings with his old jokes. Hibiki frowned while looking down. "Ha… Oh right. You want to travel correct? That is the will perceived by the cellphone Tzitzimitl?"

"Don't talk that way to a deity, aging sage... But yes. That is the child's wish." Hibiki suddenly wished he wasn't part of this weird family unit, just hoping that there will be no talking during the travel. Seeing the portal be opened by Tzitzimitl, Hibiki requests to both of them. "This is my last time alright? Even if I ask you to come, don't come. I'm going to save the world now…"

"Good boy." The female coos much to Hibiki's annoyance, while the elder merely stared. Motioning both to enter the portal, Sage of Time exclaims. "Come along now, Time waits for no one."