Adventure Love Dream Island

Gate (Torii: ⁇ ) Red

[3 August 2011 - 10:40]

The next target is the Red Gate (Torii: ⁇ ) which is our final destination in the third challenge with flowers. The inscriptions on the map show that the Red Gate (Torii: ⁇ ) is located in the heart of the forest. That's why we keep walking into the woods.

It is still unknown what the Red Gate (Torii: ⁇ ) actually looks like. The map does not visualize its shape, only in the form of large writing in the middle of the forest image.

“Maybe it's the gate." Kouga pointed to the northeast of our current position.

We all shifted our gaze, following the direction designated by Kouga. I removed a few small branches in front of me, wanting to see more clearly the gate in question.

The gate (Torii: ⁇ ) is red, resembling a traditional Japanese gate often found at the entrance of Shinto shrines. There are no door leaves, only two parallel bars, which are supported by two vertical poles, and the whole is red. Between the two parallel bars is a painting of a white fox.

"White fox .. I don't see any Inari temple." Rei patrolled the surrounding area.

Inari ( ⁇ ) is one of the Gods in Japanese belief. They have honorific vocations: Inari no Kami, Oinari-sama, or Inari Daimyojin ( ⁇ ). While the white fox (kitsune), is considered a messenger or companion Inari.

"The flight is very suspicious. Seen at any rate, the location is like being in a different realm," Natsu thought.

"You're right, the environmental conditions are clearly different, anyway," I added trying to lead to positive things.

Natsu. "I don't mean the environment, but the world is different" he whispered, making my hair successfully bristled.

"D-basic stupid Natsu!" I snapped into hiding quickly behind Rei. I've realized it too. But the other side of me is trying hard to deny.

"Rather than bothering my partner, help your partner knot the rope," Rei scolded without removing his eye shot from the binocular lens. He is still focused on finding the possibility of another gate.

The red gate that was now in front of us, stood firmly right in the middle of the basin of land that was like a large bowl. There was no water at all, similar to a dry lake. Even raindrops only reach the edge of the basin.

The soil texture is barren, with small pebbles spread evenly covering the bottom surface of the basin. There were no plants growing around the gate, not even the grass seemed able to stop by.

In stark contrast to the plains above it—where we stand— which seems wetter and moist, until the moss and crust became part and parcel.

Tukh!

It's sleepy!

Pluck up!

Kouga threw a small rock at the bottom of the basin. Nothing strange happened. The little rock fell down and gathered with the other pebbles down there.

"Are we ... going down closer?" I pause, convince myself to hear the worst answer.

"Do you want a different answer?" reply Rei. "We obviously have no choice" he continued.

I-i know. Very know. But somehow ... I have a bad feeling.

Heartbroken.

Kouga went up, "I'll go down first to check on him."

Earlier on?

Do you always want to die first?!

My mind is acting emotionally.

"Wait!" spontaneously screams. All eyes were directed at me. "L-better we go down together, right?" my proposal is to vent.

"No, you guys keep an eye out of here." Kouga tied the end of the rope he had wrapped around his waist.

"Tali? Do you mean to be bait?" fret me worried.

"So, relax." Kouga. "As a friend and team leader, I have no intention of leaving you. We're going home together. So, all I did was plan for us to win. You have to support me." A gentle smile ended his long sentence.

My heart cries, but not for sadness. The knot on my chest seemed to be detached, hearing Kouga still needed my support. And his remark that we're going home together, I look forward to it.

"Hm." Let's just say you understand. The words in my head suddenly disappeared.

Natsu elbowed Kouga. "You made everything go glassy," she chuckled slowly.

"I'll admit you were almost crying. Well, please hold the rope roll," Kouga said.

Natsu stalled a roll of rope on the other. "If anything happens, we'll pull you right away."

"Yes, I'm entrusting you." Kouga.

"Be careful," I said back to Kouga's smile earlier. My facial muscles are feeling light again.

Kouga nodded and slowly descended the slope of the basin. The rope moves in his steps. With the others, I focused on watching Kouga. While Rei monitored the surroundings with his binoculars.

Kouga walked closer to the gate. To ensure safety, he threw a pebble into the middle of the gate. Again, nothing strange happened. The pebble landed normally after sliding through the gate.

"No change to the map. A sign that we have not yet completed the challenge in this forest" Rei said.

/All are safe, you can get down now. Slowly./said Kouga through earphones.

As per his instructions, we prepared to go down the slope. Basin slope about 45°. In order not to slip down, Toru tied the other end of the rope to a large tree. In addition, the rope can be useful such as we have to go back up the slope. The width of the basin is approximately 20 meters with a depth of 3 to 4 meters.

***

This 12 meter high gate with a width of 6 meters still makes us confused. For almost 15 minutes we sat in front of the gate, having previously tried to go back and forth through the gate. There was absolutely no clue coming up, about something we should do next.

Natsu got up, stretched the muscles of his hands and feet, “Is it possible that we found the gate wrong? Maybe what is meant by a regular gate without white fox painting.”

"If in front of us is indeed the gate of Inari Temple, then where is the statue of Kitsune– Ouch!" my cry suddenly ended the unfinished speech.

"You why?!" ask Kouga and Rei simultaneously. My other friend approached as well.

"Give me your face." Rei lifted my chin. "Tch! Please watch around!" furious Rei gave the order.

"Get it on him." Kouga gave Rei plaster.

"Hold a little. Your scratch wound's back open." Rei put the plaster on my forehead.

Though the scratches on the forehead that I got during the labyrinth challenge have begun to dry up. If injured again, it could even leave a mark on my forehead, right! Aishh, suck!

"Paddy seed?" chirp Rei picked up something concerning in my ponic hair. "Oinari-sama is believed to be the God of Agriculture ..." he seemed to be thinking of something.

. . then where is the statue of Kitsune–

At first glance I remembered a moment ago, "Don't ... Kitsune!" I shouted curious.

SWUSSH~!!!

The wind was blowing in all directions. But the green environment outside the basin still remained peaceful. Can not deny, almost completely this self to agree, the difference of the two realms that Natsu said. The rest is just an unsubstantiated presumption that I find hard to ignore, about the use of abilities beyond reason—magic.

I along with the twins—Akiko and Yukiko—s clasped hands linking fingers on the chest. While the men focused on watching the situation, forming a circular position like a shield ready to protect us.

"It turns out a little girl called me."

Suddenly a strange sound without the form of—was made for me—was heard from the direction of the gate. Between fear as well as pleasure, it seems like I managed to summon a very famous holy fox spirit!

Rei looked back, looking at me with a glare of anxiety. "Make sure you hold on to Akiko! Don't let go!"

"How to deal with a real God's accomplice? What's your plan, Rei?" Natsu's out of his mind.

"How about a good talk with Kitsune?" my advice is thought.

"After you yelled at him unprepared?" timpal Rei looked back, his fingers massaging his forehead.

"Where do I know that Kitsune actually answered him!" I'm a little upset.

Rei picked up the toolbox, "Toru, can you make a fox out of gravel?"

"Give me 5 minutes" replied Toru who immediately went to sort the stone.

I want to talk to Kitsune. But first I have to apologize. I didn't mean to yell at him.

I was also curious, how many tails does Kitsune have? The more tails he has, the stronger he will be, right?

"I have good eyesight. And I see you, little girl."

"About the number of my tails, it's a secret."

Three seconds of silence.

"HEHHH?!" I was surprised at the maximum.

Rei turned to look at me, "When have you been talking to each other?"

"K-kitsunenya can read minds!" point me towards the gate.

"Only to the humans who have managed to call me."

"So it's just me, yeah. But ... it doesn't feel fair, because I can't do the same thing" I chanted.

Tukh!

Rei dropped his little fist on the top of my head. "Don't provoke it."

"Then, do you not intend to stop the wind? So that we can talk to each other comfortably," I bargained with Kitsune.

"Depends on how fast that man makes my container."

Instantly our gazes turned to Toru who was almost finished making a gravel sculpture in the shape of a fox, with a position that was sitting like most other statues.

Natsu held onto Rei's two shoulders, "From now on I will worship you," he looked at her seriously.

Rei brushed off Natsu's hand, "Stop talking nonsense. After all, the idea of stone sculpture is 100% pure just guessing."

"There is no Kitsune statue around the gate, and Karin has already called Kitsune, so that what comes out of the gate is some of Kitsune's power that can not be controlled. But, why does Kitsune need a container to get out of the gate?" justin's question represented our curiosity.

"That's the condition if you want to survive in the human world."

"The human world??" ulaku.

"Little girl, you must not forget, the gate is the boundary between our holy world and the human world."

Yukiko tightened her grip on me, "If this land basin is a human world, then .. which is beyond the basin boundary ...."

Glug.

Suddenly the fine hairs all over my body responded to something unpleasant. My reflexes froze in place, responding tightly to Yukiko's grip that hadn't even loosened. I saw his face turn pale, shortly after circulating his gaze. As long as there was curiosity, the weight of my heart forced the swivel joint around my neck to move following Yukiko's sweep.

"Don't look at."

Akiko hurriedly lowered my head. Instinctively, stimulating my defensive soul to immediately close the eye patch. Burying deeply curiosity, which turned out to be not worth it, with anxiety about scary things. Instead of being curious, my body trembled.

"Now you see it, the frontier world."

Are we on a spiritual journey ??!

inner protest.