Short stories submitted to the contest

WF contest

or

World Fantasy contest

there

in the topic

A train that can travel across time or space. The conditions for traveling are...

The writer has set the conditions that Must be a spirit.

As for what the story will be like, please read it!

Rabbit with wings

Last express

The last express train

A car sped through the darkness on the road. It's now 3:00 AM and I'm exhausted. Sleepiness and stress all crept into the driver's mind. His eyes were closed like a sleep deprived person who was still lifeless even though he had only just reached the age of two. The young man let out another sigh, as if to drive away his stress.

...Why is my life so bad? It would be better if I died...

He yawned again before stepping on the gas pedal even though the traffic signal was still red. The moment I fell asleep was at the same time as a car driving into the middle of the intersection and at the same time as another car coming in the opposite direction. A loud honking sound woke the young man to his senses.

Both sides slammed on the brakes, but it was no use. The two cars crashed head-on into each other. The force of the blow sent the young man flying out of the car. Swooping down the street Rolled several more times... turned and regained control beautifully.

oh?

The young man examined himself and found that his body was spotless. There wasn't even a scratch on his work clothes. His black eyes flashed with wonder. His hand scratched his black head in confusion before a thought arose that made him so happy he couldn't help but shout out. “I am a magician!!!!!”

trap!!

The young man's shouting stopped. A steam locomotive quickly came to a stop in front of him. The force of the wind carried the young man's body down and he was stunned for a long time. This train is completely black. The difference is that you don't have to run on tracks! While the young man was considering the train The door to the carriage in front of him opened and a boy appeared.

On his short golden-brown hair was a black driver's hat. His youthful face was adorned with a pair of big green eyes that were staring at the board in his hands. What's more strange than normal people's ears are slender and pointed like those of elves in fairy tales. He was wearing an indigo shirt. Khaki shorts, slightly above the knee, and shoes were completely black.

“Alright, Mr. Kohei, welcome to the last express train. I must express my condolences because you all have passed away... This train is free to ride, free to sleep, but not free to eat. Good seats everywhere, no premium If you step up within one minute, we will give you protection for the entire journey until you reach the pier to the hereafter...will you come up?”

When words like commercials on TV end The boy looked up from the board in his hand and locked eyes with the young man.

“You're still delaying. Hurry up, Mr. Kohei,” the boy urged, but

“My name isn't Kohei,” the young man replied with a stern voice before continuing, “So you didn't come to pick me up because I'm a mage?” The boy was silent for a moment before looking around and speaking. Come slowly.

“My train doesn't accept things like that... Even if you're not really an ordinary person, I won't accept it if you don't meet the conditions. But I think first you can help find Kohei. If you leave him there any longer, it will definitely be bad.” But the boy's voice called out for him to stop before he turned around fully.

“Hey, you…before you turn around, I suggest you do something kinder. Don't freak out. Don't forget that we need to find Kohei quickly.” The young man frowned in confusion and immediately turned around.

I went from not understanding to understanding everything. A body covered in blood lay in a heap in the middle of the road, a body that when the young man saw it for the first time, he immediately recognized who it was. Behind the figures were the remains of two cars, which had been completely destroyed by the force of the collision. The truth in front of him was like a sledgehammer that struck the young man's face until he felt numb, like a knife stabbed into his chest.

It was like a punch to the middle of the stomach. So stuffed that I can't speak.

“Don't just stand there stunned. Come help me find Kohei first...er. And stay away from me.” The boy's voice called the young man out of his trance. In fact, he didn't want to walk in there at all if that kid didn't run back and drag him in. He ran past his own blood-covered body lying on the ground and immediately turned his head away.

...Strange, even though before this I had complained that I wanted to die over and over again, now I saw my own body lying on the ground like this. I felt scared to say the least. Something in his heart rejects the truth in front of him even though it is something that every life has to face...

“Ah, Mr. Kohei,” the boy's voice sounded again. The strange man standing next to the wreckage turned around and looked confused. “Hurry and get in the car before they come.” Regardless, the boy grabbed the hand in front of him and dragged him back into the car immediately.

“Hey, what kind of people are they?” the young man asked.

“So they are soul eaters. How can we have a meeting that doesn't allow us to reappear and be born again?” The boy replied in an impatient voice. Suddenly, a terrifying roar sounded from behind. The boy cried out and picked up his speed. “It's here!”

The young man and Kohei turned to look behind him. A large shadow was moving slowly, many eyes filling in disgustingly. On the ground below, dozens of hands crawled over, carrying rotten bodies with them.

“Whoa!” Both the young man and Kohei sped up at full speed until the young man was the one being dragged... It was even more terrifying than a ghost movie like this. If he didn't run, it would be worse! On the road behind him, a black giant was picking up a ghost crawling on the ground and putting it into its open mouth, creating a sight beyond description.

The three of them quickly reached the train. The boy quickly grabbed the handle and propelled the train forward at speed. “Hold on tight!” the boy shouted before pressing the red button and the entire train disappeared into thin air. The three of them sighed together first. The boy will invite “Let's talk in the bogie. It's uncomfortable in here.”

“So you don't have to drive?” the person named Kohei asked.

"Oh, no need for that, there's an automatic system." With that the boy walked out. The box is cream colored. On the ceiling there was a chandelier giving off a warm orange glow. On both sides there are rows of wooden framed windows. The windows are decorated with a long strip of carved wood. The floor in front of every window was a soft red sofa.

In the center of the room is a walkway that leads to a door connecting the carriages behind. The boy gestured for the two of them to sit on the sofa before taking out the amplifier attached to the wall and speaking.

“Well, welcome to the last official express train. The destination is the river of death at the last pier of memory. The travel time is one week...and my name is Kalen Klein, but you can just call me Kalen.”

“My name is Kohei...uh. Actually, you guys already know?” The man smiled teasingly. He was a normal-looking person. Brown hair, black eyes, two-toned skin, not outstanding facial features, but not so bad that you can't look at them. “So, I really died, right?”

Kalen nodded in response, causing Kohei to lower his eyes and fall into a trance. Kalen turned his eyes towards the young man, indicating for him to introduce himself.

“My name is Pres, and what were those things just now? Aren't they the same thing?”

“That black thing is called a soul eater. is evil It is caused by a soul that has been in suffering for too long and has fallen into darkness and cannot return. The part that crawls on the floor is the interview. Sampawesi is a spirit too. It wouldn't be strange if they were caught and eaten. Oh! But you don't have to be afraid because this train has a protected boundary,” Kalen explained.

“Why don't you bring them on the train?!” Press asked further.

“I've done it before. But they chose not to take the train. Some people jumped and ran away... because they still mourned for their lives. Some were angry that staying there would not actually make anything better, but would only drag themselves down into darkness.” Kalen's voice was slightly dull, causing the atmosphere to become dull as well.

“Uh, where are you going now?” Kohei said, breaking the silence, causing the boy to act like he remembered something and immediately took out the board from his pocket and looked at it.

“We still have to go receive many souls. It would be another seven days before we could go to the River of Death...that's true, Press. You're not dead yet. The only person who died was Kohei.” Kalen smiled gently.

“This cheater is dry! You're driving against traffic laws." Hearing that, Kohei shouted and looked like he was about to rush in and slash his neck, but Press interrupted him first. “But my soul has escaped?”

“When a spirit comes out, it doesn't mean it's dead. You can still return to your body because it's not your time to die yet... but for your safety, I think it's better to stay on the train until you return to your body.” Kalen gave a bright smile.

“I'm not going back.”

“Why?” Kalen narrowed his eyes and Kohei looked at him suspiciously. Pres locked eyes, anticipating the answer from the two of them before exhaling and answering honestly. “I don't see anything good going back. A terrible life like that would be better if you fought and died. Besides, I was the one who caused Kohei's death, I must take responsibility.”

Kohei suddenly rushed forward and snatched Pres' shirt up by the collar. “I didn't ask you to take responsibility! If you have the opportunity to continue living your life, why not go back and make it worth it? Think about it, you still have a chance to live your life. I have fulfilled my dream. Meeting the person you love, but I…” At this point, Kohei slowly shed tears.

While Pres still had a neutral expression and refused to respond, a small hand reached out and grabbed Kohei's shoulder and smiled.

“Calm down, Kohei. Since the press has made a decision, we have no right to stop him.”

“But…” Kohei tried to argue but was interrupted by Kalen.

“Those who do not have the will to stay in this world are wasting their words.” Just one word was like a splash of cold water that calmed everything down. Kohei let go of Pres and walked over to sit on the other sofa while Press looked out the window without speaking as well.

...What are they going to know? In this world, no one understands me. No one saw me in plain sight. No one would have noticed if I disappeared from this world!... Press clenched his teeth tightly.

“Then I'd like to go set my next destination first.” With that, Kalen walked out the door. After a while, the train soared and disappeared into the air again. The speed made the two passengers close to the sofa, almost merging into one before feeling dizzy.

In my stomach, the surrounding scenery changed to a large city. The lights from the building shine like gems. The music was loud and lively from many disco clubs, and many people filled the commercial area.

“Whoa!” The two of them shouted in unison unexpectedly.

“This is Las Vega, the city of entertainment. In this city, gambling is above the law. The government is divided into four parts as agreed upon by the four powerful mafia gangs.” Calen, who had walked in at no time, suggested eloquently. “Most of the people who die here are either killed or are penniless and starve to death.

For example, this time there were several mafias who killed each other.”

“Is the train faster?” Press asked.

“We must focus on speed in this work because there is not only one place for people to die.” At the sound of Kalen's voice, the train suddenly screeched to a halt. Both passengers fell out of their seats and onto the floor at the same time. The carriage door was opened by the boy, who was unfazed by the force of the brakes. He walked out, gave a smile to the group of people in scary suits, and quickly said a welcome sentence.

“Welcome to the last express train. I must express my condolences because you all have passed away... This train is free to ride, free to sleep, but not free to eat. Good seats everywhere, no premium If you step up within one minute, we will provide you with protection for the entire journey until you reach the pier to the hereafter...

I suggest you hurry up if you don't want to get eaten by those guys.” With that, the boy pointed towards a large black shadow that was creeping closer. According to Press's estimation, this black creature was several times larger than what was initially seen. When the Mafia gang saw the sharp teeth lined up in their mouths, they immediately jumped onto the train. And the train started to take off.

"I'm free now. Hey little guy, what was that thing from just now?" one of the rough-faced mafiosi poked Press and asked. This caused the curious eyes of the remaining people to stare at the black-haired young man.

“It's a soul eater,” Press replied shortly.

“Actually, it's not over yet. There are still more people dead in this city.” Kalen's voice came from the speaker. “A lot of people died here. Isn't it strange that Soul Eaters gather together?”

“Does that mean we're dead?” said the little Mafia in a frightened voice.

“Yes, we are dead,” Kohei replied, secretly glancing at Pres, who still had a neutral expression on his face. Immediately, the entire mafia group let out a collective sigh of relief.

“Sigh, it's finally over with this stupid mafia life.” The stupid-faced mafia who asked Press stretched his legs and leaned comfortably on the sofa. The others looked just as comfortable. During their lives, they were exposed to danger every day. I had to do a lot of things I didn't want to do.

But what you have to do is for what is called money and survival in society. If you don't kill, you must be killed. Once they were free of those things, they were all at ease. It's like being freed from chains, except for the smallest person in the group.

“Hey man, aren't you happy that your dangerous life is over?” Press noticed the first person to ask.

“I'm happy, it's good. But I haven't said goodbye to the person I love yet.” And that little mafia sighed again.

"Hey, same thing. Come on, I bet you're not the only one who hasn't done all the things you want to do before you die," Kohei smiled. Causing a small smile from the little Mafia. The brown-haired person immediately turned to talk to the cruel-faced person.

“Look, Uncle, tell me some stories about your life.”

“Bah! Can you just call Uncle? Hahaha, yes, come closer, come and sit next to this dark-haired brother.” The fierce-faced mafia beckoned, but the brown-haired man still hesitated. I just went and tugged on his shirt collar to get him to sit next to him, and he felt awkward. But his hesitation disappeared as soon as the black-haired man moved his body to the window and gave him a look of displeasure.

Press looked at Kohei who quickly moved himself to sit next to him with a friendly smile before turning to talk with the brutal-faced mafia uncle in a fun, friendly manner... really good human relations...

While Uncle was frantically telling his biography, the train's speed doubled and it turned left and right and almost crashed into a tall building. This caused Uncle to stop telling stories and turn to cling to the sofa instead.

“Where is that youngster going in such a hurry? And this train is a ghost train, why doesn't it just pass through the building?” Uncle asked casually, but a voice answered from the speaker saying, “If you hurry, you won't catch the soul eaters. And this train, although no one can see it and only accepts spirits aboard, is actually made of real steel.

The car's components are all made from real things. If it crashes into a building, it will definitely destroy both sides.”

“Is that kid an esper or not...?” the ruthless mafioso whispered to Kohei.

“It's not an esper. I have a listening device.” With that he laughed happily before suddenly becoming silent. The train suddenly braked in mid-air causing the Mafia to jump from his seat and land on the ground like Kohei and Press had been. An impatient but decisive voice came from the speaker. “Everyone must not come off the train!”

“Look,” Press called out, causing the people in the carriage to look out the window. A small figure jumped out of the train and flew towards the black mass that was chasing the group of spirits. Kalen appeared in front of them. The killing intent that radiated out caused everything to stop, even the Soul Eater.

He chanted a long spell, but it was as quick as speaking a short word, before drawing his hand away too quickly for the eyes to follow. Suddenly, the black figure was torn in two, as if it had been slashed lengthwise. When the situation calmed down, he smiled as if nothing had ever happened.

“Hello, I'm Kalen. Driver of the last express train I must express my condolences because you all have passed away... This train is free to ride, free to sleep, but not free to eat. Good seats everywhere, no premium If you step up within one minute, we will give you protection for the entire journey until you reach the pier to the hereafter...will you come up?”

“Dead? Are you crazy or what? What train isn't on?!” said the crooked-toothed Mafia.

“Really? In that case, please go have an adventure with the black one for a moment. I don't have time to persuade you. If anyone wants to get on the train, please follow me. But if you ever change your mind, make up your mind that you want to get on the train for the last time. Go.” The boy turned around and kicked himself off the ground and floated up to the train. Two or three people followed, and the remaining one chose to stay with the Overbite Mafia.

“We're about to depart, hurry up and take your seats,” came a loud voice from the loudspeaker before the train started moving at speed. He quickly flew into the sky and left the city.

“That kid has a really bad heart,” the tough-faced mafioso tried to whisper as softly as possible to Kohei. Pres suddenly stood up and walked towards the door connected to the driver's cab. “Where are you going?” Kohei shouted, but the only answer was the sound of the door slamming. Bang!

At first, the dark-haired young man thought that crossing from one carriage to another would not be difficult since even young Calen could move back and forth like he was walking around the house. But it seemed like he was seriously wrong. The train moved at speed several feet above the ground.

The distance between the bogeys was not small, and the cars were still rocking back and forth, which was terrifying. But it didn't take long for the young man to banish his fear because he now had more things to say to the people in the room than he was afraid of. He decided to jump over to the other side and quietly opened the door.

"...visit! Today there was an hour without any deaths. The car will have a chance to rest,” he muttered before slowing down. Even though the train is a steam locomotive But the control handle is like a modern train. The coal stove on the right side of the control room that was supposed to be hot was not radiating any heat at all.

Even though there was an orange-red light coming through the lid.

“Mr. Press?” A boy's voice called out, causing the young man who was surveying the control room to turn and look. The young man cleared his throat once before saying the story that made him bravely jump over the bogie.

“Why don't you think about trying to get more of them onto the train?”

“Then I would like to ask again. Why don't you make any effort to live?” Kalen narrowed his eyes and smiled an arrogant smile that was unbelievable for a child to smile.

“...The response was very painful.” The young man let out a breath before changing the subject. “Tell me your story.”

“Shall we exchange?” The boy changed his expression back to a casual smile while Pres nodded in agreement. “Alright then, let's go talk over there. In case the people at the door right now can listen as well.”

Hearing this, Pres rushed to open the door immediately. This caused two figures to swoop in and land on the floor of the control room. He is the friendly guy, Kohei, and the ruthless Mafia uncle who has never even mentioned his name. The two of you who were eavesdropping gave a wry smile while still lying on the ground.

Not enough, they also sent laughter and laughter. After that, they jumped across and returned to the passenger carriage.

"Then let's take the matter of Mr. Press first. I bet everyone wants to know why you don't want to go back to your life again even though you still have the chance." The boy smiled brightly at the young man who was now watching. to the people in the cabin before flicking his deadly gaze to the jolly-faced person who was trying to hide behind the ruthless mafia.

“Alright, I'll tell you... Actually, when you think about it, there isn't much to it.” As soon as the young man started speaking, the atmosphere in the room immediately became quiet. All eyes were fixed on the young man, making the person who was already unable to speak well tense even more. But in the end he chose to speak out.

Press described his life as being very bad. He studied hard until he received first class honors, but when he actually came out to work, he turned out to be just an ordinary employee. The work that I wanted to do was taken away by people with career degrees because the company wanted people with more real experience. Plus, when I actually went to work, I was beaten in various ways.

Because he saw that he was very talented. And because he wasn't good at talking, he didn't have any friends even though he had tried to approach other people many times before. The person he likes also likes this guy from a professional background. In the end, he had to pass his days in bitterness. When he escapes, he doesn't know where he will escape or how to continue his life.

When Press finished telling the story, everyone was silent. It was as if time had been stopped for a moment. Before Kalen blurted out, “Just like this?”

“Is it just like this? You don't understand how much I suffer every day.” Pres said loudly in dissatisfaction.

“I don't see how serious this is?” said the brutish Mafia. earning a displeased look from the black-haired man. But the brash-faced man was unfazed and continued to speak. “If you think your life is the worst in the world, you are seriously mistaken, kid.

From what you've told me, it still can't be compared to a part of my life... If I just give up on that, what's the use of fighting against bigger problems?”

The black-haired young man was silent for a while before speaking. “Because then, wouldn't it be better to just fight and die? All problems will be gone.”

“Death is not the end of life, Mr. Press,” Kalen spoke up. “In case you don't know. After death, every soul must go to the afterlife. Before being reborn again...when you are reborn, new problems will keep coming without ceasing. Life is like this, a cycle that repeats itself over and over and can never be stopped.”

Press was quiet again. Of course, the young man was well aware of this matter, but he had already made his decision and would definitely not change his decision. Even though death doesn't truly end the problem. But at least it allowed me to escape for a while.

“It seems like there's no use in talking,” Kalen smiled.

“Never mind my business. But please tell me your story.” Press demanded of the boy as soon as he had the chance. All eyes immediately changed their focus.

“I can only tell my story after I die. Because the memories of my life had been erased when I sailed down the river to the afterlife… The only thing I knew about my life was that I was A. lf That's it.”

“Elf!!!” Both Bogeys shouted in unison.

“Yes...in this world, besides humans, there are also elves, gods, demons, mermaids, many magical creatures, and mages. This world is much bigger than you think.” What the boy said caused the passengers in the bus to faint. Everyone gasped in unison.

“Actually, I should have been reborn a long time ago. But because Satan has entrusted me with this last train, So I got a little privilege.” Speaking at this, the boy lightly scratched his cheek. “In the beginning, I wasn't very good at doing things. In those days I tried very hard to get spirits onto the train.

He once tried his hardest until he was attacked by soul eaters. At that time, he almost didn't survive, and other souls were also harmed. It's good that officers stationed in that area came to help, so both sides were safe."

“After that, Lord Satan set up a protected area for us. I also gave my elf powers, powers, knowledge and abilities during my lifetime to protect myself from soul eaters. Then I never again wasted time on people who refused to get on the train. Because it will cause other people harm.

But in order not to be too cruel, Satan wrote a mantra that if you think of a train and wish to ride it for the last time in your life, The spirit will appear in the train itself.”

When the story ended, the room was silent. Now they understood why the boy had left those people behind without a second thought. Then I realized that this child had been through many times more than them.

“...How many years have you been dead?” Press asked, causing the young but inexperienced young man to smile with laughter.

“Let's just say that if you add up the ages of everyone in this pokies, they wouldn't be half my age, heh heh,” he said, laughing mysteriously in his throat.

“More than a thousand years, I think,” Kohei commented after a long silence.

“Or maybe more than a hundred thousand,” the brutal-faced Mafia said in a serious tone.

“Is this what you call a 100,000-year-old child?” Kohei teased, causing a fair amount of laughter from all the passengers. Including Kalen.

“So you are the angel of death,” Press said, but Kalen shook his head lightly and explained.

“The god of death is used to refer to demons who are regular officials. One angel of death can only carry one soul at a time. I am just a person who collects souls and takes them to the pier.”

“And did you get paid?”

“Eat well and sleep is enough for me,” Kalen replied, thinking of the various foods Satan had sent.

“Can spirits eat food too? How are you able to digest that!?” Kohei asked in a startled voice, his face clearly showing surprise...how could he not be surprised? Everyone knew that spirits can't come into contact with objects just by picking up a spoon. What to do, the young man still couldn't figure it out. If food were to be eaten then it would definitely fall to the ground. Oh, what a pity I would die... The brown-haired person made an extremely sad face.

“Where were you thinking?” The brash-faced Mafia slammed the distracted man once, regaining his senses to fly back into his body safely.

“The spirit must eat. Otherwise, what are the relatives doing to make merit? Items that are donated are transformed into energy before forming into a shape that looks like the item that was donated. That's all we can eat now.”

It turned out that the issue of the afterlife was a main topic. With Kalen answering questions from everyone. Whether the afterlife is like Is Satan scary or does he even have a copper pan? But the answer he received from Kalen left everyone stunned and amazed every time, because the real afterlife was completely different from what they had heard about in the legends.

“My rest time is over. I'll be going first." Kalen stood up and walked towards the door. But a voice called out first.

“Where are you going next?” was the question that Press asked.

“The place I like the most is Koh Saba Sam Phop.”

The first time they heard that there was life other than humans, they half believed it. Until I came to see fully with my own two eyes on the island of the Three Worlds. Many races crowded the cream-colored brick streets. Whether it's half bird, half fish, half dog, half cat, elves, gods, and many other races.

But there weren't any demons.

The buildings are equally amazing. The city is built in a classic, orderly style. There is city planning. The roads are very good. The important thing is that there is a large, clean white building, a mountain standing prominently near the hill next to the sea. At first glance,

It's like the palace of a king of a country. The building is decorated with exquisite carvings. Silver sequins and gold sequins In the middle of the empty square in front of the council house stood a white gold statue of a woman with an elegant figure and a pure and beautiful face. It is a place known as the headquarters of the Council of the Three Worlds.

The Three Worlds Council is a large organization that accepts all races to work. It will work on peace between the territories. Changing tribes, etc. This council was formed to stop the Three Worlds War that occurred because of the conflicts of the Heaven Worlds. The human world and the demon world thousands of years ago

The founder was only a female elf. What was even more strange was that the female elf was still alive and her appearance was no different from when the Three Worlds Council was founded.

The train passed by the council house and towards the church not too far away. At this time a ceremony was being held to mourn the dead. The train slowly stopped in the middle of an empty lot that seemed to be specially prepared for trains. Calen walked in and said to wait in the train before putting on his uniform and walking out onto the ceremony grounds, looking a little different from Calen's usual expression. The tense atmosphere relaxed until he felt like he was just an ordinary kid. only one But what was more strange was that everyone saw Kalen and greeted each other like close people.

The priest greeted Kalen like an acquaintance. Sometimes the relatives of the deceased will come to bury the spirit. But the boy's heart was not here at all. His eyes searched for someone. Someone that the boy couldn't help but feel attracted to. His face fell as he found no sign of that person. But there was a voice that made my heart swell.

“Kalen,” a sweet, gentle voice came from behind the boy. When he turned around, he saw a beautiful woman. The face is pure and beautiful, like a sculpture. Golden hair as fine as silk Elf-like pointed ears Gentle blue eyes were staring at the boy. The boy bowed to her before greeting him respectfully.”

We haven't met each other for a long time. Lady Cynthia.”

“We haven't seen each other in a long time. You are still the same and haven't changed at all.” She smiled fondly.

“Well, I am a spirit. You won't grow old, you won't die." The boy replied, causing a small laugh from the woman in front of him.

“Indeed, do you know any news about the Hereafter?”

“Not at all. I live on the human side of the world and have no contact with that way. Did something happen?”

“It's nothing serious. Just at the beginning of the year, Satan received an angel from heaven to stay in the Hereafter for one year... and Satan also warned you that during this time the Soul Eaters would become especially powerful. Please be careful,” Lady Cynthia warned in a concerned tone as the boy's expression deepened in thought.

“Actually, tomorrow is Halloween too. Plus, this year is also the year that evil forces gain power.” Thinking about it, I became extremely worried. The more souls gathered in this train, the more it would attract the attention of the Soul Eaters. If something went wrong, the Soul Eaters would definitely eat a huge buffet.

The boy thought back to when he first started working, when he stubbornly tried to get souls onto the train, not knowing that standing still for a long time would call the soul eaters together.

“Give me your hand.” The woman stretched out her hand in front of him, waiting to take the boy's small hand. When their hands touched, a warmth that hadn't been seen in a long time flowed into the boy's body. The voice of the great woman's blessing made the boy sound as if he were listening to his mother's words.

“May you be safe, don't let any danger get in the way. If there are any obstacles, I hope they will pass smoothly. May you be the light that guides souls out of darkness and into the world they belong in. Good luck.”

“Kalen, your soul has come out of your body,” a priest's voice called out. A figure broke through the crowd. “Are you talking to someone like that?”

Kalen raised his eyebrows suspiciously. He was sure that no one would not know the lady in front of him. When he spoke to that priest, When one came and touched the shoulder first The boy turned to follow the hand's touch and found the lady kissing his mouth with a finger.

“I am talking with an acquaintance. I will go now.” The boy turned to answer the priest before turning and bowing to the lady in farewell. The boy walked up and met two more ghosts. One is from the Wilar tribe. The outward appearance is that of a cat, but the body is human. The other one was half human, half fish, but not a mermaid...

But this was a man who looked like a fish's head had been cut and pasted instead of a human's head. The clear black eyes of the fresh fish stared at the boy before moving his mouth as if to say something, but what came out was

“Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle. Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle.”

"...?" The boy smiled sheepishly as if he didn't understand what he was saying.

“Darling, he said. Please take care of me,” the cat-faced girl said when she saw the boy's expression.

"darling?"

“That's right, darling,” the cat-faced girl replied, wrapping her arms around the fish-headed man who was making non-stop shrieking noises, while the cat-faced girl's face suddenly turned red. "Oh, he's embarrassed," she said, twisting. I twisted around embarrassedly.

After picking up a new passenger The atmosphere inside the train immediately turned pink. Rays of love spread from a newlywed couple. They said they were going to have a honeymoon off the island alone, but the boat they had prepared for them leaked in the middle of the sea and they both drowned.

“Wait, the fish drowned?” Kohei said with a look of utter disbelief on his face.

“Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle, wiggle, wiggle, wiggle,” the reply from the clear-eyed fish caused quite a bit of worry in the interlocutor.

“Actually, it was my fault. Because I brought my beloved to live on land for too long. Darling, I've forgotten how to breathe in water. I'm sorry, darling.” The cat-faced girl looked deeply into the fish's clear eyes and the two hugged each other gently, not caring at all about the eyes of those around them. Each of them looked at the scene in front of them with a feeling of confusion.

"How can we fall in love? I don't understand... I think deep down, that cat girl must always want to eat fish." Kohei turned and whispered to Pres and Uncle Mafia in front of him. unwise But he couldn't escape the cat girl's ears.

"I heard that! I don't plan on eating my husband...he's so attractive he'll die. Both eyes are big and clear. Beautiful gray scales Its skin reflects the sparkle of glittering. "The cat's face is tucked away by the shoulders of the fish head that is now changing to red and noisy.

You can change it into a ruby ​​fish too!

Pres stopped paying attention to the greasy atmosphere around him and turned to the boy. “But why can the people there see you? How is it that no one can see a ghost?” This question caught the attention of other passengers besides the sweet couple.

“In fact, humans are the only species that cannot see spirits. Because humans have very little or no sixth sense. While other races all have this sense.”

“Why is that?” Kohei asked.

“...Only God knows,” Kalen replied with a smile before walking towards the control room.

After that, this train picked up passengers at many more places. The entire city of the moon wolf Fairy Fountain District, Unicorn Forest, Arundel, Land of the Elves Or even the trash cans on the side of the road where people leave dead animals. Until now, this train is full of creatures from all over the world.

A steam locomotive moves in the moonlight. By now all the passengers were asleep, even the boy had fallen asleep from exhaustion. Dealing with creatures of many different races was indeed not an easy task, so the boy spent a period of time without anyone dying. That will be the only time that no one will die while resting. But the rest period was short.

Bang!

Suddenly, the train was hit by something and veered off into another direction. The boy woke up and hurried to control the train so that it wouldn't tip over. All the passengers slid along with the momentum of the train. before trying to look out the window to find out the reason Outside the window, a large black figure was forming a wall surrounding the train. Eyeballs all over their bodies rolled back in horror as the largest eye in front of them stared intently at the train.

“What happened?!” The boy cursed as he checked the system. and encountered the most shocking thing in centuries. Satan's defense boundary had disappeared and the black creature was emitting a disturbing wave that made the inter-dimensional system unusable!

“Everyone stay calm. You mustn't get off the train. Hold on tight, we're going to speed away.” A startled voice came from the loudspeaker. Urge everyone to hurry up and find a place to catch each other immediately. The train swerved before taking off into the sky and accelerating to catch up before the Soul Eater completely blocked the escape route. The train speeds up

Just a little more and they would be free from the soul eater's encirclement, but something unexpected happened. Dozens of black hands stretched out from the Soul Eater wall. He grabbed the train and pulled it down and slammed it on the ground. Calling out screams from passengers. The train crashed to the ground and lay on its side in the middle of the forest as evil crawled around it.

“No matter what happens, you must not leave the train.” A solemn voice came from the loudspeaker. Before the owner of the voice went outside the train to face the evil creatures that were surrounding him and swarming him.

“Don't expect to be able to poke even the tip of your soul's fingernails. You disgusting creatures!” The boy's voice trailed off. A flash of light formed above his hand before it spread out in a wide area. Attacks and devours incoming souls.

In truth, all Kalen could do was temporarily disintegrate the Soul Eaters, and they would soon reunite. He was not a demon whose methods of dealing with soul eaters were to decompose their bodies and eat them or store them in a container. The boy could only pray that he would not run out of energy before the sun rose. Soul-eaters are allergic to sunlight.

It went from being just a hand standing out, pretending to grab something. At this time, the Soul Eaters began to split into individual units and attack together as a group. It was as if he had learned how to fight and improve himself over time. Kalen was panting until he threw up. The boy created another ball of light before releasing it towards the Soul Eaters who were rushing in.

Kalen dropped to his knees on the ground. Right now, he had almost no energy left and it was still several hours until the sun would rise... he couldn't give up here. If he gave up, everyone would be eaten and there would be no chance of rebirth. But even if you think like that, your damned body won't listen to your commands at all.

Several black figures rushed over as the boy clenched his teeth. A figure jumped up from behind and kicked the Soul Eaters, causing them to topple one after the other.

“Don't act like you're the only one who's cool. Do you think other people don't have the wisdom to protect themselves? After all, I'm an old Mafia guy, kid.” It was a bad-faced Mafia uncle who jumped in to help. His strong back made the boy feel strangely at ease. A rough hand reached out and grabbed the boy's arm, pulling him to his feet.

“Please do not forget that there are passengers of many different races gathered on this train. And each race has quite a bit of fighting power and experience. You are not alone.” A young elf stepped forward. Behind them, all kinds of races walked together in a procession.

“This kind of friendship scene with words like this is like something you've seen in fighting cartoons, right?” Kohei whispered to Press, successfully earning a small smile from the young man.

The friendly scene ended immediately as the large black creature gave a loud roar that reverberated throughout the forest before dividing up into an army. It roared again, signaling the start of the battle. A swarm of Soul Eaters attacked and snarled sharp teeth as if in greeting.

A mafia uncle with a stern face sends his face full of love.

The young elf sent a punch up his chin.

Cohey picked up a nearby bat and hit a beautiful return home run.

Even though the spirits were unable to use the power Kalen used, But it greatly reduced the boy's burden. He looked at the battlefield around him before flicking his deadly gaze towards the largest black guy.

“Mr. Press...can you drive a train?”

“I've never driven before. Why?” the young man asked, but the boy didn't answer and beckoned for him to come closer. The boy put his hand on his forehead. Heat traveled from the boy's hand to his forehead along with a new knowledge.

“You know what to do, right?” The young man nodded in response. The boy turned around, ready to face the enemy in front of him. He waved his hand once and the train was back in good condition.

“...Wait, what about you?” The young man's voice was filled with fear and concern.

"I'm fine, believe me." The boy turned around and smiled. before yelling out, “Everyone, I will distract the Soul Eaters. In the meantime, let everyone get on the train first...don't worry everyone. I will definitely follow!” At the sound of the voice, the boy jumped out to fight, not paying attention to the voices of the people below.

He jumped up and stood on the top of the tree. He looked into the big eyes without feeling afraid. Confidence from an unknown source inspired the boy to create a large ball of light and shoot it towards the Soul Eater in front of him. The ball slammed into the center of his eyeball with full force, causing the giant to writhe in agony before sending over ten more minions.

...Why do you feel this need to protect me so much? I don't understand it either. I only know that if I don't do something, I will definitely regret it...I don't want to see something cruel like that again...

Wait, what kind of cruelty is this? Hell, there's no time to care about that.

The boy shot several more balls of light energy at the Soul Eater, repeatedly pumping it in until the giant fell down. When the opportunity arose, he rushed to pour his energy into the wall, opening a gap for the train to pass through. The timing was flattering as the train pulled up at high speed with the shouts of a brown-haired young man emerging from the control room.

“Kalen, come up quickly.” Kohei held out his hand, hoping to grab the boy. Meanwhile, the boy stood ready to jump on the train. But the moment the two hands touched, the boy's body was pulled down and slammed to the ground by the giant Soul Eater waiting below.

The shouts from the people in the car were the last thing he heard before he hit the ground and lost consciousness. The boy lay motionless. At the same time, the Soul Eater crawled in ravenously. Its mouth opened, showing a mouthful of sharp teeth before it rushed towards its prey!

“That name is me. who dispels evil things With the power that resides in this soul, dissipate it, you evil creature!” As soon as the person who spoke shook his hand, the Soul Eater screamed loudly before instantly disintegrating into a gray-black mist in the air. The figure who had come to help walked towards the boy with immediate concern.

“Oh shit, I should have used this power from the beginning. If only I had realized this sooner…” The young man cursed in pain.

“So you're not an ordinary person, just...Mr. Press.” The boy tried to pronounce his voice with difficulty. “You are an Exorcist.”

“If it was before then yes. But not now,” the young man said in a gentle voice before scooping the boy up. “Let's go back.”

The boy answered tiredly in his throat.

But I still haven't trusted much. The Soul Eaters had also begun to gather from the mist. An angry scream could be heard throughout the area. The young man clenched his teeth. Both he and the boy had no strength left.

“As a spiritual guide to the hereafter, I will never allow anything to happen to you. Let me fight,” the boy said even though he had no strength left to stand.

“As an Exorcist I myself won't allow you to fight in this state... You've protected so many others, you might as well protect others, little one!” His serious tone, unlike his previous expression, drew a wry smile from the boy.

“I don't know how many times older than you.”

“Never mind that!”

The Soul Eaters that had taken shape leapt in from all directions. Both the former Exorcist and the Spirit Guide closed their eyes, waiting for their fate.

Shock!

A sound like something being cut rang out along with the appearance of a man. He wore a straw hat to hide his face. The outfit she is wearing is made from Mohom fabric. At the waist was a loincloth. His right hand held a rice scythe that was thought to be a weapon, while the other held what looked like a collarbone...er. Probably not. Who would be crazy to carry a jar around in the forest?

But it's a penalty. It was really a jar after the Soul Eater had disintegrated. The farmer's father (?) opened the lid of the jar and sucked in all the gray mist, then sealed it with a plastic bag and immediately tied a rubber band around the mouth.

“I'm sorry I came so late and caused the situation to get worse and you got hurt, Kalen.” The man turned to reveal his face clearly. He was a man in his thirties with a slight beard on his chin. Dignified blue eyes stared at the boy.

“Coming is good. Thank you for helping me once again.”

“Uh, who is this?” Press, who couldn't hold his tongue in time, asked, interjecting.

“I am the angel of death. A demon clan belonging to the second patrol unit named Moji. Nice to meet you.” A man dressed like a farmer introduced himself. Meanwhile, Pres tried his hardest to hold back his laughter so that it wouldn't come out. He put on a solemn expression with difficulty before replying. “My name is Pres.”

“Let's go to the train. My friend sent a telepath to say that the people in the car were worried about things getting worse. And you can release the power that makes the train run, Kalen. My friend took care of me and it's okay.”

"yes"

After that, the train had to travel to the final pier of memory ahead of schedule. The angels of death slowly transport the souls onto boats to travel down the river of death. The moonlight shone softly white and spread across the entire area. It makes it seem like both the water and the forest are emitting a blue glow.

Glowing fireflies flutter above the surface of the water. The atmosphere was quiet, the only sounds being the sounds of insects and the rustling of trees as the wind blew past.

“And will Kalen have to go down the river?” Press asked Mochi, glancing at the figure lying motionless on the bed.

“Oh, you don't have to. If you go towards the river, your memories will disappear. And he has no need to go to the Hereafter now. You can wait until he recovers and the train is repaired before using the dimensional crossing system to the hereafter to allow Satan to establish a new protection zone.”

“Is that so?” The young man felt even more at ease. “Why did the Soul Eaters attack the train? Where do you say there is a protected area?”

“Just in the Hereafter, a little incident happened. Thus causing Satan's territory to become chaotic and disintegrate.” The angel of death in farmer's clothing scratched his head before quickly changing the subject. “But what are you going to do? Do you want to go to the land of the dead or do you want to continue living?”

“You know?” Press raised his eyebrows.

“You can tell at a glance.” The other party rubbed his chin like a tactful person. The young man glanced at the boy's body one more time before turning his eyes towards the last pier of memories where the spirits of his companions were stepping onto the boat.

“I think I will go back to living my life. This trip has made me see many things and learn that the world is actually not as bad as I thought. There are many things I have to learn. There are many things I haven't done before I die. When I have the opportunity to continue living my life

I would like to go back and use that opportunity to the fullest.”

“That's good. Opportunities like this don't come around often,” Moji said, pressing a finger to the black-haired young man's forehead. Immediately, Pres' body slowly faded away.

“...Please tell Kalen that thank you very much. Hope we will meet again.”

"Alright...I wish you good luck in your new life, Exorcist."

The young man regained consciousness. He looked around and found himself lying in a clean white room. Surrounding the bed were cords and many medical tools. His breath eased as he realized where he was. before casting his eyes on a figure lying on the sofa to the right of the bed.

His appreciation for his family's love made the young man hold back tears and had to turn his head away to cry. He felt indescribably relieved, both happy and overwhelmed, and grateful to fate for allowing him to still breathe.

...Thank you, really thank you....

“So, what did you dream about just now...?” the young man muttered. Even though I can't remember what I dreamed about But there was one thing he felt in his heart. He doesn't want to die anymore. I don't know where the encouragement to live this life comes from. But he was happy to feel this way.

Several days later, Press was released from the hospital and met with police after his traffic violation led to his death. But they were spared heavy punishment because the other party was drunk and drove and ran a red light as well.

The young man's life returned to normal again. But something has changed. He began to approach other people more. Smile more often and perform better. He also comes back to work as an Exorcist every day off. One thing that was strange to the young man after the accident was that he could clearly see ghosts when before he could only feel them.

One day, the young man was walking back after finishing an Exorcist mission. A gust of wind passed through his body. It's a warm breeze. Reminiscent of something familiar Unfortunately, he couldn't think of anything. And then he walked on.

Above the head of the black-haired young man, The boy sat and looked at the black-haired man who was smiling without realizing it...maybe he should have realized how good he looked when he smiled... The boy had just recovered from his injuries and the train had been repaired. He had to take the train to the Hereafter to allow Satan to land in a new protected area.

When he recovered and received news that Pres had returned to life again. The boy was worried about how this pessimistic person would continue living life. But he seemed too worried.

“May you live a happy life. When the time comes, we will meet again,” the boy wished before walking into the control room and starting the engine to take the train across dimensions to the afterlife.

The train sped along the tracks through the darkness of the tunnel before exiting into a city he had not returned to in a long time. European-style houses are lined up in an orderly manner. People of different races lived together, as if the conflict between the tribes was forgotten. This was the afterlife realm and it was the same realm as the Demon Realm. The supreme ruler is Satan.

Here, demons are policemen, merchants, doctors, nurses, etc. Spirits are citizens, people who do not have any occupation because they only have two weeks to live in the world of death. Then you have to be born again. What the soul must do during its stay in the world of death is to be good.

In this afterlife, souls must use what is called good values ​​to survive. If we have to compare it, good deeds are the currency here.

One could call it Satan's strategy. It seems to force everyone to do good deeds, but it's not directly forced. It's just that if you don't do it from the heart you won't be able to survive. Then the need to make good deeds into a tool of exchange instead of money is partly to prevent theft, but partly is to be the wages of the demons under their command.

In fact, demons can eat both dark and light energy. Plus, eating light side energy had a much better effect on the demon race's mind than dark side energy.

The train continued to roll along the tracks until it saw the white castle that was Satan's residence. The train made a detour behind the palace and stopped at Satan's private station. There were already people waiting. He is a tall, slender man. On his jet black hair were two horns. His left eye is purple and his right eye is red.

His face was incomparably handsome. His skin color was bright white, contrasting with the black uniform he was wearing. Next to him was a boy around the same age as Kalen (when he died), with a youthful face and large, bright aqua eyes. Short golden hair looks soft. White, pinkish skin, cute and adorable All around her body radiated a soft radiance like that of a high class angel...

If he grows up a little, there will definitely be girls screaming at him.

Kalen stepped off the train and bowed to the person in front of him. "We haven't seen each other in a long time, Lord Satan."

“That's a long time ago...I heard you were injured. Are you already well?” A soft voice asked with concern.

“I'm fine now, don't worry.” The boy raised his head and smiled as assurance that he really was fine.

“I must apologize to you...there's been a bit of chaos here. You are in trouble as well.”

"nevermind You don't need to pay too much attention...I'm not seriously injured.” The boy tried to calm the people in front of him. Sometimes he wondered how someone with such a kind-hearted personality could be viewed so negatively by others.

“Actually, I forgot to introduce you. This is Ezel, an angel from the heavenly world. Come study the workings of the afterlife for one year.” Satan extended his hand towards the small figure beside him. He bowed to Kalen.

“Hello Mr. Kalen. I've heard stories about you too.” A look of admiration flashed from the boy in front of him. Kalen didn't understand what he admired.

“Alright then, this time I will strengthen the boundary. And I'll change the new energy core as well. So I can run faster, is that good?” He gave me a kind smile before walking into the train before shouting out. “You two, let's play together first.”

The angel from heaven and the spirit guide looked at each other.

“How are you? Is the Land of the Dead like you imagined?” The boy asked first.

“Completely different from what I thought. Even I thought that I didn't want to go back to the heavenly realm... Everyone here has been very kind to me. Especially Lord Satan.” The boy's eyes looked towards the train as if he could see the people inside.

“I'm glad you like the afterlife.”

“What about you? Why did you come to act as a spiritual leader like this?”

The blond-haired boy hummed slightly before answering. “Maybe it's because I don't want to be reborn? Oh, I'm sorry, it was a long time ago so I don't remember what I was thinking at the time... Actually, this job was suggested to me by Satan-sama. He says that demons are not fit to do this job.

Then he said that if you do it you don't have to be reborn. So I agreed.”

Afterwards, the blond-haired boy told the blonde-haired boy about his travel experiences. Both the earliest stories and the most recent stories that just happened a few days ago.

It didn't take long for Satan to provide protection for the train. Kalen waved goodbye to the two before driving off to do his assigned duties. Our next destination was a village in the desert. The train picked up speed and disappeared into a dark tunnel before reappearing. An old man was standing, looking left and right in confusion.

trap! In the blink of an eye, the train appeared in front of the old man. Kalen got out of the car and quickly spoke a catchphrase.

“Welcome to the last express train. I must express my condolences because you have passed away... This train is a free ride, free sleep. Good seats everywhere, no premium If you step up within one minute, we will provide you with protection for the entire journey until you reach the pier to the hereafter.

Will you come up, Mr. Passenger?”