================================================================== 1-1.Invitation to phantom. From The myth of the shade. ==================================================================							Contents.
		This, first written in Japanese, was issued in Justnet in 1997 year though it was rewritten several times after that. And, it was issued in Nyfty in 2nd July, 2005, translated into English. This was revised in January 6, 2007. But, I don't know English so well. So, please forgive it for the immature expression. Hiromasa Noguti.
	Quietness in the night supposed to bring the repose sets the nerves on edge strangely. So, Mr. Kageura can't sleep somehow. He exhaled one time slowly deeply as if it sighs. Recently midnight he is in the condition like this always though it doesn't know why. "Damn !". He, when murmuring like that, opened the eyes in the reluctant mood. But, it is strange. It feels the darkness weirdly undulates somehow. Kageura, when turning the eyes away from the weird darkness, turned the body to the opposite side. But, it seems to be hard to sleep at once. He, lying on the face and wriggling, shifted oneself to the right edge of the bed. There is the big wooden desk at the right side of the bed. On its left corner, a lighting stand having the semicircular lamp shade made from stained glass was producing the antique mood. He, still lying on one's face lazily, stretched the right arm toward its switch. But, no problem for searching the switch particularly because this is habitual action. When it pulls the switch easily, bulb at once cast orange colored light on the desk and the floor in a circle from behind his head. A floor in front of his eyes floats faintly into the darkness. Failed papers of writing were scattering on the floor, overflowing out of the wastebasket. Somehow its sight looks to press him to write. So, his brain started to work narrowly slightly. "I know I can't sleep. If so, it is better to work all night". Kageura, in the mood like that, roused oneself a little. However, it feels his body is heavy strangely. And, his brain still doesn't work well. By any chance, would the reason be lack of sleep ? Anyhow, it seems to be hard to write well at the condition like that. "I have to sleep anyway". Kageura, turning the eyes away from the scattered papers on the floor, turned oneself to the opposite side. However, somehow it feels the ceiling gives off a weird atmosphere. He suddenly turned the eyes toward the ceiling. Though it doesn't know why, patterns of the wooden boards of the ceiling look like the demon or other. Of course, it must be illusion. But, as it thought, it couldn't wipe the weird feeling. "Damn ! I shall look at that no longer !". Kageura, turning the eyes away from the ceiling, shut the eyes. However, it is hard to wipe the weird feeling even if it makes effort considerably. A bloodcurdling image crept up on him before noticing and made him feel a unidentifiable uneasiness. "A demon may attack me, coming out of the ceiling suddenly". He often was caught to even the delusion like that.
				But, "the delusion" is his rational understanding persistently. Though it doesn't know why, it couldn't think it isn't the delusion in the depths of mind. Kageura buried one's face in the blanket, not knowing what to do. "By any chance, a mental illness or other ?". Kageura suddenly asked oneself like that. Though it was for denying it after, as a matter of fact, it doesn't know whether it isn't a mental illness really. Unidentifiable uneasiness again had caught him when it notices. But, he no longer knows the way to dodge the uneasiness. He took up Bible from the side of pillow almost unconsciously. This is almost the habitual action any more. When it reads Bible, it was because it can keep the presence of mind strangely though it isn't Christian particularly. Kageura started to turn the page casually.
	But, it particularly isn't deciding the part to read. He was turning the page randomly. And, when he stopped turning the page, it was the chapter 38 in the Book of Ezekiel. Kageura started to read it without concentration as usual. However, he is caught to that prophecy gradually. The prophecy had gone into Chapter 39 before he notices. It is the final prophecy. Kageura, swallowed to the absolute terror, had gone into the horrible world. According to that prophecy, God leads the world into the horrible confusion, making Gog, that is, the ruler of Magog attack Israelite. But, Gog isn't noticing it is God's will at all. He points his sword at Israelite, believing it is one's own intention. And, horrific battle is repeated for times so long that it seems it continues everlastingly. So, it is that the land of Israelite, filled in blood and corpses, goes to ruin. "But, why does God try to make even his believers go into ruin ?". Kageura turned the next page, hurrying. Not until Israelite is about to go into ruin, God starts to do the unexpected action. But, somehow it doesn't seem God is trying to rescue Israelite. God gave vent to one's anger. At least Kageura felt like that. It is that Ezekiel says God, sending violent fire to not only Gog but also European countries, that is, Japheth's descendant, tries to ruin them in the purpose to make them realize God is the Lord for all. (This prophecy seems to be the warning shown against the people not believing God,that is, against the people losing the love for the family and neighbor because of the dissipated life in the too civilized society). So, it is that all of the world is swallowed to the divine fire soon and burned up completely. "What a unreasonable thing it is ! What a mysterious thing it is !" Kageura, when laying Bible to the side of pillow, shut the eyes slowly. It feels sleepy somehow. Fragmentary dreams floated in his mind one after another and went away somewhere.
	Since then, how long would Kageura have slept? He suddenly woke up, noticing telephone ringing. When it opens the eyes, pitch-black darkness is suggesting it is midnight. "Damn! this must be demon's handwork.". This is the murmur unclear whether it is true intention or joke, even for oneself. Kageura switched on light reluctantly and turned the eyes on the wristwatch. But, it still is two o'clock of midnight. It doesn't seem to be good news though it isn't to be from demon. Kageura, feeling troublesome somehow, wriggled like earthworm and pulled up the blanket on one's face. However, it must be pressing matters because it is the telephone coming in midnight. Kageura, when raising up the upper part of body reluctantly, picked up the receiver in the slow behavior.
	Just then, it can hear a man's voice from the receiver. "Hello, Mr. Kageura ? I'm sorry for phoning at the midnight like this. But, this is pressing matter.". It is suspicious voice controled in a low tone strangely. And, it isn't a familiar voice. "What? Who are you? What's your name?" Kageura asked like that the man in the strong tone in maybe the irritation. The man says. "I, I'm sorry. My name is Miyagi. Er, please don't doubt me. Listen to me anyway!". However, since the man speaks in the unnatural tone strangely, it feels there is a hidden intention somehow. "As it thought, this man is dubious". Or else, would it feel like that because of one's twisted mind? "Anyhow, I want to finish this matter at once, making him speaking as fast as he can". Kageura, in the feeling like that, pressed him to speak more quickly precisely. However, the man still falters in speech. It can't understand the man's speech at all. "Hey! what are you speaking? Speak more clearly!". Kageura, saying like that in spite of oneself, blamed the man in the strong tone because of the irritation increasingly gathering. Just then, the man stops the speaking suddenly. Silence for a moment seemed to be everlasting silence for Kageura, being long strangely. The man says. "All right, if so, I tell you this matter simply. As a matter of fact, your life now is in danger". "What? Don't tell a joke!". "A joke? No, it never be as a joke. This is truth! Believe me please!". To all appearances, it doesn't seem he is normal. However, strangely Kageura listened to the man obediently though it doesn't know why. The man says. "But, it is hard to tell you about all in this phone. So, meet me next day. At five o'clock in the afternoon, I waits you in the familiar coffee shop to you. The name was "Bonbon", won't you? Come necessarily. Good-bye". "What? You, Wait!". However, the telephone is being cut off any more. Silence made his uneasiness deep. "Danger of life? Nonsense!". Kageura, when laying the receiver as if it throws it, walked about the room in a circle. "Humph! That's wicked prank anyhow! That fellow must be crazy". Kageura, when stopping walking suddenly, made oneself understand like that by force.
			However, his telephone number isn't in the telephone book. And, the man has known the familiar coffee shop to Kageura. If it considers the thing, it doesn't seem it is mere prank. Somehow, it feels there is a suspicious plan. "But, what kind of plan is it?". Kageura went into the bed in the uncomfortable mood. Next day, Kageura was standing by the neighbouring rice field to Taisha Town in Shimane prefecture. It is because he considerably before was planning to come here in the purpose to watch the recently discovered big ancient mound. So, it dared to come here, though it wasn't that it isn't anxious about the brought matter in telephone yesterday. When it looks over the sight, it can see the mountains of Izumo across the spreading rice field in front of the eyes. And, it could see by the side of the mountains, the ancient mound in question is standing stealthily as if it hides oneself in the mountains. However that ancient mound is stupendously vast though it seems it was created with removing a part of natural mountain. In that reason, it seemed recently it was discovered narrowly.
	However, that shape was different considerably from common ancient mound. Rather it seems it is better to say it is Pyramid. If it stands on the top of the ancient mound, it seemed it can not only view the streets of Taisha Town but also view even Sea of Japan across Taisha Town. And, it also can see the surface of ground like a path in places among the trees of the coppice spreading near the ancient mound. It must be continuing until it reaches the top of the ancient mound. Kageura decided to climb the ancient mound at once. Apparently, it seems to arrive at the top within about thirty minutes. Kageura started to walk toward the ancient mound at once. And, it, when going into the mountain path, started to climb the ancient mound casually. However, when he climbs a little, he notices it can't walk so smoothly. The mountain path is uneven at all different from his conjecture. And, the slope of the mountain path comes to be steep increasingly as he climbs. When he neglects the caution carelessly, he often tottered. Though the top looks near immediately, it can't reach the top so easily. Would it be because the path is winding? Anyhow, he, feeling the legs weary increasingly as he climbs, started to have even difficulty in breathing. It can't view even the sight about around him any more. Only the walking was his best he can do. Or, it may get a illness of something. However, when it looks up at the top a instant, it looks to be considerably nearer than before. He kept on walking toward the top, solely regarding the ground.
			Since then, how long would he have walked ? When it notices suddenly, he had arrived at the top. It can see the various trees are growing thickly there. But, when it sees the about fifty-square meter flat part in the middle of the top, many of the trees had been cut down. Big tree stumps are in the situation left in places on the rough ground taken away of the undergrowth. That sight making a person feel the barbed air rather looked to be pitiful strangely. Kageura, when finding out the tree stump convenient for sitting, sat down on slowly and wiped the sweat. It feels anxious of the down sight strangely though it doesn't know why. He suddenly turned the eyes on the down sight.
	However, thickly growing trees are obstructing his viewing that sight. Kageura stood up slowly, trying to look for the place suitable to see. And, when walking about ten meters toward the edge of the top, it looked at the down sight through the thickly growing trees as if it peeps into the room. But, the down sight all isn't seen at all, wrapped in the suspicious mist strangely. "Why, from when cloudy?". He suddenly looked up at the heavens, falling into the strange feeling. Sunlight at midsummer is reflecting in the endlessly spreading blue sky. "What?". Kageura, bewildered because of the unexpected situation, again turned the eyes on the down sight. Just then, mist comes to be thin gradually as if it answers his expectancy of looking. And, mountains of Izumo started to expose oneself to sunlight gradually clearly under his eyes. It can see the small fields made by burn method are dotted in the surrounding area of the base of the ancient mound. Those fields, like, looked to be swallowed by the thick forest soon. But, it feels strange somehow. Why are the mountains of Izumo lower than this ancient mound? Furthermore, the strange thing isn't only that. The sight composed of the rice fields and streets and so on of Taisha Town supposed to be originally in front of the eyes isn't seen anywhere at all. It only could see the thick forest is overawing the small fields made by burn method. Across that sight, sea undulating with the anger is spreading. It was dark blue sea horrifically. Kageura was viewing that sight vacantly, not knowing what to do because of the too unusual situation. It, because of one's strangely unclear consciousness can't understand at all what's happened. And, though it may be a illusion, it feels the down sight is leaving from him gradually. "But, why?". Kageura looked up at the heavens suddenly though it doesn't know why. But, the sight of the sky is strange. White clouds spreading to the blue sky over his head started to fall toward him suddenly. But, such a thing doesn't seem to happen actually. He looked for the genuine fact desperately, looking about here and there. However, the unusual circumstances don't change at all. While the white clouds continue to fall toward him, the down forest and small fields also kept on shrinking, leaving from him increasingly rapidly. "No, it isn't so! Ancient mound is rising up!". He, getting giddy with panic suddenly, went down to the ground on all fours.
	When noticing, it feels the ground is vibrating slightly. When it pays attention to the surrounding sight, trees are shaking unusually. When the mound gives off the low roar, surrounding air vibrated. It can see the ground of the top starts to crack in places. And, it grew to the big crevasses soon and started to swallow the thickly growing trees. A big tree by the side of him is shaking violently. And, when giving off the weird scream, it fell down toward him suddenly. Though he dodged the tree in question narrowly, other trees and the crevasses also attack him one after another. He, rolling oneself and crawling, kept on dodging the trees and the crevasses desperately. Various sized clods are rolling down the slope of the huge ancient mound, peeling out of the surface as if it bursts open. And, it, swallowing up the falling trees one after another, slid down with great drive as if it is snow-slip or other.
	When it sees, strange structures like stone wall are peeping here and there out of the slope of the ancient mound. And, as the clods slide down furthermore with great drive, the ancient mound changed to one huge Pyramid in brief time. The down sight, already losing the forest, is a only endlessly spreading desert without living things. Sand dunes spaciously undulating were spreading toward the horizon continuously. "What's happened?". Kageura was squirming, holding on to one keenly shaped rock in the top of Pyramid before noticing. It like, looks to be one ant. The Pyramid already was stopping bulging. The vibration of the ground also is stopping. If this condition is kept for a while, now may be the precious chance to get down to the ground for Kageura. Kageura turned the eyes on the down sight timidly. However, the slope of Pyramid is stupendously steep. If it slips down carelessly, it seems it falls head first to the ground directly. Kageura suddenly turned the eyes on the far sight, not knowing how to do. Just then, sand dust rose in the far corner of the desert suddenly and whirled around in a circle. It is a violent sandstorm. It, whirling with horrible force, came toward the Pyramid unbelievably fast. When it notices, the sight all already is being wrapped in the darkness because of the thick cloud of sand. Kageura suddenly was pushed up in the violent wind involving the sand dust. "Damn!". Kageura holds on to the edge of the rock at once. He narrowly escaped from sliding down. When it notices, unusual silence is showing the sandstorm already has passed far. When it looks up at the heavens timidly, gray clouds were whirling in places slowly with suspicious mood in the low sky. And, it changes to dark clouds one after another in the brief time. Whenever the lightning tears up the darkness, horrible rumbling of thunder echoed. Heavy rain starts to fall suddenly. And, a specially large lightning ran by the side of Kageura suddenly. It makes Kageura feel terrible fear. He shrank up in spite of oneself. However, it doesn't seem the huge light it saw a little before is a lightning, somehow. Kageura again looked up at the heavens timidly. Just then, golden colored huge snake having two keen horns is floating, giving off the lightning there. It was covered with the golden colored scales like a suit of armor. It like, looks to be a dragon. It was staring at Kageura in silence, flying through the dark clouds slowly. Golden colored eyes staring at him are horrible. He lost the consciousness because of the sudden giddiness like a storm in a instant. When Kageura wakes up suddenly, he noticed oneself falling on one's face in the bed. It has difficulty in breath though it doesn't know why. By any chance, it may be because it, in sleeping, often stopped breathing. For the moment, Kageura took the deep breath slowly.
			However, was that a dream really? He feels it almost isn't different from real experience though his reason, regarding it as mere dream, tries to deny it is reality. But, since his consciousness still is hazy, it can't think about it so. And, it also feels a strange chill. When it notices, his pajamas were wet considerably. It is terrible sweat. He raised up the upper half of his body suddenly and threw off the pajamas in the irritated behavior. It is said a dream is born of a subjective understanding of the experience sinking in the depths of mind. If so, it may be that one's recent uneasy mind brought the horrible dream, oozing out of something like that. "Certainly, it must be so". He, relaxing narrowly when nodding by oneself with the understanding like that, inhaled a smoke slowly. Just then, he is caught to one image suddenly. "I see! Because of that fellow, recent uneasiness must have overlapped to my image of Cotosiro-nusi. The thing brought the former dream probably". For the moment, Kageura understood like that.
 
Cotosiro