The sound of leaves blowing against the wind fills my ears, and the smell of grass fills my nostrils. The feeling of dirt cushions my body, and the sight of a forest greets my eyes. The sunlight is pouring through the canopy above, leaving rays of sunlight pouring on the forest floor.
Without thinking, I place my palm on the floor, lifting the top half of my body up, so I can view my surroundings better.
The green feels almost relaxing, like a soothing calm after a raging storm.
Of course, one question would make its way to my brain. A simple one.
"Where am I?"
This was perfectly justified as a question, as just a few moments ago, I was… I was leaning against the frame of the front door…
I was..
I flinch and furrow my brows, staring at my hand.
I died.
I had perished from the world at such a young age. I failed her. And I failed myself.
There's nothing I can do anymore. If I could go back, if only I could go back, I truly would. I swear it.
Those bastards…
The feeling that I'd never make them pay for what they did makes me split with anger. I strike the ground in anger.
Takeru…
Why..?
I lift my shirt, gazing at my abdomen, where I had been previously attacked, expecting there to be some sort of bleeding wound. However, to my surprise, there's a large scar running from the left side of my lower abdomen to my waist.
I do recall the knife being pulled out quite sloppily, tearing further into my body.
I let the shirt fall and slowly get to my feet, brushing dirt from my hands. I glance around. I hear wildlife — distant chirps, rustling — but I can't see anything. It's like everything is hiding from me.
Okay. Focus.
Where am I?
I can see about five meters in every direction. Beyond that, it's all shadows and tree trunks. I need a vantage point. A high branch, or even a slanted trunk. Something I can climb to get a better look.
Right now, the most logical theory is this: someone found me after I passed out from blood loss. Treated me. Dropped me off somewhere remote.
That's it. That has to be it.
This isn't a fantasy story. This is reality. I'm not the protagonist of anything. This is just some unknown forest — a bad coincidence.
…Right?
Alright. If I treat this like a survival situation, then my first goal is securing shelter. Exit might be days — even weeks — away. I need to conserve strength, stay calm, and not let my imagination get the best of me.
What do I have on me?
A ripped school blazer. A couple undershirts.
I could use the bottommost one for something else, especially since it's already so hot I feel like I'm melting.
I take off the blazer and wrap it around my waist.
I remember something from a survival documentary. Tear cloth from a shirt, wrap it around a rock and a stick, and — makeshift tool Not ideal, but if I need to cut vines or branches…
Next: inventory. A smartphone. Two pieces of gum. Wallet with around 2000 yen.
If it comes to it, I'll burn the… money? No. The clothes. Burn the clothes for warmth.
Judging by the angle of sunlight, it's midday. That gives me enough time to build shelter before nightfall. After that, purify water, secure food. Step by step. Piece by piece.
I take a breath and head deeper into the forest, scanning the treetops for a path upward. A branch. A trunk. Anything climbable.
I may be in decent shape, but I've lived a modern life. I'm not used to scaling trees. Not ones this tall.
Still… I keep walking.
One step. Then another.
Because thinking too long means remembering.
And remembering… doesn't help me now.
__________________________________________________________________
It's been about an hour of searching, and I've finally found the perfect tree. Grabbing onto the branches, I begin making my way up, stopping sometimes to make sure my footing isn't faulty.
Finally, I look out into the horizon, my eyes widening.
There are trees for miles. But that's not what catches my eye.
There's what I can only describe as an enormous statue. It stands on four legs, with a head too obscured to see, shaped more or less like a massive block. Its legs are absurdly long, its body rising high—almost above the clouds.
Its torso is immense.
My mind struggles to process the sheer size. Whoever built this statue had a lot of free time.
I stare at it for a long while, in awe.
Then something happens.
Something that, in all senses of the word, should not exist.
The statue moves.
There is a theory known as the square-cube law, which dictates that large creatures cannot exist in the world, as their bones and overall anatomy would not support the size of their bodies. The larger an animal gets, the harder it is for it to support its weight and to dissipate heat from its body.
However, it seems that this law has been thrown out the window.
Yes, this creature has moved.
It is beginning to move, albeit slowly.
There is a misconception I heard that large creatures would move slowly, as they typically do in movies, but that is not the case, as that simply would not apply in real life. I believe the reason why this creature is moving so slowly is that it is miles away.
Still.
Where the hell am I!?
I watch as the creature walks towards a large, what I assume to be a mountain. Megalaphobia, or the fear of large objects, is something many people possess, however, I do not. And yet, I feel my palms slipping off the hard bark of the tree.
My mind can't comprehend this. Reality is unraveling.
Scattered blobs in the sky vanish as it walks—birds fleeing.
Just when I could not believe this could get any worse, A bellow, like a blue whale's call played through a cathedral organ, is released through the air.
It then disappears behind the mountain, as if it were never there.
Seeing such a sight makes me almost fall to the ground, but I swiftly grab a branch tightly.
No, no, that's just an illusion. The heat and combined thirst in my body is making me see illusions. Something like that should never exist.
Coming to my self-realized conclusion, I make my way down the tree. The feeling of wood lodged in my throat makes me realize I'm quite thirsty. To this point, I've ignored it, but I can no longer neglect it.
I need to find water.
A sudden sound of what sounds like someone sticking their hand in something grotesque escapes through the air.
It comes from behind a tree nearby.
Up to this point, the only sounds in the world were those of birds chirping and leaves blowing. So this sound has rocked me to my core.
The sound of crunching ensues.
I don't want to look behind this tree.
But the curse of humans that has plagued us for eons scratches at my brain.
Curiosity.
My soul screams to not look behind this tree, but my cold, calculating brain does the opposite.
I look behind the tree.
And all color drains from my face.
Ribs splayed open. Blood soaking the grass. Bulbous gas bubbles rising from its flesh. Still decomposing, but the blood is fresh.
Why?
Well, there is a creature feeding on it, its face, or what I assume to be, digging inside the corpse's chest.
Something that defies all logic once again. Something that finally convinces me that I am not in my world.
A white blur hunched over the body, face buried in the chest cavity.
I can't make out its full shape.
That was because every single neuron in my body screamed one thing and one thing only. A collective message comprised of everything in my body.
RUN.
And that is what I did.
I turn fast, my foot snapping a branch.
A roar.
A roar follows. A horrible sound—like chains of bone ringing against a rusted bell.
That is what provokes me to run even faster.
I will never, ever look back.
If I have seen something I shouldn't have, please forgive me.
The sound of rapid footsteps behind me propel me to feel like screaming in terror. I don't want to die. Not again, please.
The surroundings around me are reduced from beautiful trees to green blobs, my eyes not registering my surroundings, just the general area in front of me.
My breathing is frenzied, like if I take a single wrong breath, I'll collapse and choke to death.
The only way to lose this thing is to make a sharp turn.
This is the only chance I have at survival.
I veer left, skidding, pushing off the ground to keep balance.
I continue running.
Desperately searching for anything that could help me, my mind kicks into overdrive.
Ah, this is adrenaline. This feeling of a dry mouth, my energy feeling limitless, and the world feeling numb. Everything feels slower.
It's like opposite of euphoria. A desperate struggle against something that could kill me at a moment's notice.
That's when something hard tackles me.
The world turns over, I have no longer any control over my body.
Something tears into my right arm, the feeling of pain shooting into my body.
I look up and get a good view.
Its body.
It's about the size of a medium-sized lion, with bones scattered all over, like a coat of iron. Beneath the bone-like armor is all black, amorphous, and shifting. Like some kind of membrane.
It has no eyes, and right now…
It's biting down on my arm, shaking its head frantically to tear it off. The feeling of intense pressure and burning is the only thing my brain can register at this moment. I can't move, as its body weight is on top of mine. It employs the same tactics as a lion, yet uses the same movement as a crocodile.
I cry out in pain.
If I stall any longer, this thing's going to rip my arm off! No, it's going to crush it first!
For what seems like an utter stroke of luck, a large rock the size of my hand is located to my left. Wasting no time, I grab it, not taking into account my nails cracking due to the sheer speed I grab the object.
"Khh!"
I slam the stone into the side of its head with as much power as I can.
It moves and releases my arm, to my surprise. But the bigger surprise is…
The stone chips.
However, despite the velocity I struck it with, it seems that it did not do lasting damage.
It tries to bite again. I dodge, then hit it once more.
This time, it barely reacts. Then clamps onto my shoulder.
Blood spills onto me and the grass.
"Ngh!"
I slam the creature again with the stone, but once again, it only chips.
Again.
No use.
Again.
No use.
Again, again, again.
I want to survive.
I want to live.
Again, again, again, again!!
I've hit the creature so many times, the surface of the rock has become like a knife.
If that's the case, I can wedge it between the bones.
I twist right, stabbing the stone into its underside.
It shrieks, collapsing to its side.
Wasting no time, I stand up, backing away.
Then, it stands up and perks its head up, looking around.
A few seconds have passed, and it still remains searching around, like a lighthouse.
Why has it not pounced on me again? I'm not too far from it, so it could simply pin me down once again.
That's when I realize.
It's blind.
Of course, the lack of eyes would obviously indicate the lack of eyesight in this creature's body. If it's blind, I can use it to my advantage, and maybe survive this.
I step back, making sure there are no obstacles that could potentially cause noise.
Of course, I don't know if this creature relies on sound to detect its surroundings, given the lack of ears, but it's working for now.
The creature frantically turns around, letting out low growls. It sounds like a deep rattle.
Now that I get a better look at its general body, it seems more like the skeletal system of a Komodo dragon with a canine gait.
Again, I cannot believe that this creature is a real thing, but Im forced to.
Tall spines line its back, ending in a whip-like tail made of jointed segments.
It suddenly spins, the tail almost striking me.
I bend over, continuing my quiet escape.
In any normal situation, one would immediately run the other way after reaching a certain distance, but I feel if I were to do the same, I would be cut down immediately.
The next few minutes consisted of me moving slowly and calculating every move, despite the adrenaline wearing off my body.
My shoulder feels as if it were on fire, and my right arm feels flatter than usual, with immense pressure pushing down on it, as if it were crushed by a mechanical vice.
My head spins.
Damn it, the blood loss is getting to me.
I need to stop the blood. I have the fabric on my clothes, however, the sound of tearing fabric might potentially attract it.
The creature makes its way towards me, its head reared low, probably attempting to feel around its body.
Only a meter away now.
The sound of growling starts making my heart beat faster. If it can smell my blood…
I'm dead.
A branch that has fallen from a nearby tree is next to me. If I can…
I swiftly bend over and throw it at a bush behind it, the sound of rustling coming shortly after.
The creature wastes no time, rearing its appendage, and faster than my eye can see, stabs at the bush.
Taking the opportunity, I leap onto a nearby tree that looks different from the rest, one that I have never seen in my lifetime. Its surface is bumpy, and the color is a deep green.
Yet right now, I can't focus on that.
I place my legs around the trunk. Using my previously discarded blazer, I wrap it around the tree, leaping up and leveraging my weight. I continue to hop up the tree, using my still undamaged arm only.
The sound of clawing into the tree erupts from beneath me, making me scramble frantically, my gasping breaths coming out in short, wild bursts. It's trying to bite down on my leg, leaping up and down, to seize that opportunity.
Finally, I make it to the top, wedging my feet on the side of a branch sticking upward, the top half of my body leaning on the other side of the Y-shaped split.
It's an uncomfortable position, but it's a far better alternative than being ripped to bits.
There's no time to rest. I need to find a way to get down. If this thing still followed at least basic rules of nature, it would go away after realizing I would not head back down.
That's the case with bears. And most large cats. Trees are the safe haven for prey—a place of peace and solace, a contrast to the desperate, frantic chase.
I take a breath, clutching at my shoulder. I can finally rest for a moment.
Sweat drips down my body, clinging my shirt to my chest.
Biting into my blazer's left sleeve, I jerk my head to the side and tear it apart.
Shit, I made a sound!
Well, it doesn't matter anyway, I'm in a position far from it, so there's no chance it could do anything.
I wrap it around my shoulder, hopefully stopping the bleeding.
Quickly, I try to rip off another part. But the cloth isn't fully separated, and I'm forced to use my left arm to finish the job, stabilizing it with my mouth.
My right arm is functionally useless at this point in time. It is mangled, barely hanging onto the rest of my forearm.
I'd be lying if I said tears didn't run down my face from the pain. But they do.
The desperate tying is interrupted by a sudden scraping sound.
"KHKHKHKH…"
A harsh, grating noise. The sound of bone clawing against bark.
My eyes shoot down.
It's using its tail to cut the tree.
It heard me.
Why!? Why was this thing so desperate!? Wasn't there anything else to eat!? Why was it so fixated on me!?
It continues sawing, like a machine, with a single directive in mind.
KILL. THIS. BOY.
"Khkhkhkhkhk…"
It lets out a groan, as if it were laughing at the expression on my face, despite being blind.
I whip my head around, desperately searching for a way out.
Come on, think, think!
The sawing intensifies.
I grip onto the branches tighter, bracing for what might happen.
Think! Think, Fuck!
Then, before I can even finish my thoughts, with a sudden creak, the tree falls to the ground.
I tumble down with it, slamming into the grass. Smoke and dust explode around me.
I quickly get to my feet, ready to run once again, desperately rearing my head around, my eyes traveling at lightning-fast speeds.
A mass crashed into my body, sending me crashing to the ground once again.
I look up.
The monster's jaws are above me, teeth gleaming, ready to sink into my brain.
Is this it? Dying again? Not even able to figure out where I was, sent to this world, only to die again? Why was this my fate? Why am I faced with this? Why can things never go my way? Why must I suffer? Why?
"Fwip."
The sound of an arrow whistling through the air pierces my ears. The monster goes limp, crashing to the ground.
Then lets out a final groan—air leaving its lungs. Well, if it even has lungs.
I turn my head towards the mysterious attacker.
A man stands in front of me. He wears a hood, tattered at the edges, as well as a cloth wrapped around his nose.
He's also outfitted with a large cloak that covers a majority of his body. A leather chestplate is strapped to him underneath, and his most notable feature, a wooden bow with tentacle-like carvings on it.
He looks like a rogue. Or an assassin. Someone ripped out of a fantasy novel.
"Are you alright?"
He speaks English.
English, a language I haven't spoken in a while. It almost feels foreign.
I can't even respond, as my gasps are in the way of my words. My words themselves are tripping over each other. I want to say so many things, yet cannot say a single one.
I'm in so much pain.
Seemingly understanding, the man nods.
"Hurry, before the rest of them follow."
He's strangely composed.
Without anything I could possibly do, I follow.
We begin running down the forest line, side by side, not uttering a single word.
The adrenaline's still burning.
______________________________________
It's been about 10 minutes of sprinting. I'm currently on the ground on my knees, desperately gasping for air.
Noticing my inability to go any further, the man stops, and reaches into his pocket, taking out a strange plant that bears a strong resemblance to a string bean.
"Please take this, it'll help with the pain. Keep chewing as much as you can and avoid swallowing."
He stands again, quickly turning and firing an arrow behind me—at something I can't see.
"We must go."
He wraps my arm around his shoulder and continues to run.
I'm chewing the plant violently, and can feel my body becoming more and more numb. Despite having my weight on his, he seems to be moving quite fast, something that surprises me.
His face seems to be quite focused, despite a mojirty of it being covered by a mask covering.
"W..What are those?" I ask, my voice dry.
There are so many questions I could ask. Where am I? Who are you? Why was I alone?
But none of those matter more than one:
What were those things?
"Kobolds."
"...Huh?"
I can barely answer back.
"They are Kobolds, part of the Spiritized Beast category."
Kobolds?
I've heard of them before. In stories, they were household spirits in Germanic folklore—small bearded men, sometimes goblins. Then that one franchise came along and made them reptilian humanoids that lived underground. Everyone just went with that ever since.
These, however, were far too different from the standard definition, or at least my understanding.
"Kobolds typically hunt in packs, so we are lucky. This male was alone, so I am guessing it was attempting to start its own. Although I am confused as to why it was above ground."
His voice is calm. Too calm for someone hauling around an injured stranger through a forest. I assume he's been in a situation like this before.
"Where… are we going?"
"There is a small mining village to the west of here. I believe we can make it there."
I'm losing consciousness. Fast.
I'm grateful I was saved… grateful I'm not being torn apart anymore. But this pain—this throbbing fire in my head—makes me wonder if dying might've been easier.
"Please keep chewing!"
His voice cuts through the haze, jolting me back to reality.
Chew. Chew. Chew.
Chew…Chew…Chew….
Chew…Chew…..
Chew….
...….
The world goes dark.
_____________________________________________________
My eyes snap open, and I try to sit up—pain instantly flares through my body.
"Ah, it seems you're awake." A voice calls to me.
The sound of fire crackling fills the air gently. The embers float around, without direction, or any motive. Distorted sounds of what seems like this world's equivalent of crickets ring.
To the right of the fire, sits the man, his hood and mask still drawn. He's sharpening his arrow, using a small dirk perform the action.
Gazing down, I notice my shirt is missing, just a large bandage on my chest area, as well as my arm being neatly wrapped with bandages.
I'm lying on a conveniently shaped rock, my legs dangling off.
It's… peaceful. A strange tranquility hangs in the air.
But then—
The moon.
The moon is black, streaked with golden highlights like cracks in porcelain.
The man walks over to me, carrying what seems like a small fruit. It's full of holes that don't pierce it. I can't see the color, but it's certainly a light one. It's shaped like pear, but with the stem poking out like jagged twig.
"What is that?"
Is all I can do ask questions?
"A Bora fruit. It is efficient in allowing the mind to soothe. I would prep a tea using it, however, I lack the necessary tools at this moment."
He hands it to me.
It's light, almost like an apple.
I grimace for a moment, but I'm starving. I can't wait any longer. Bracing for the worst, I bite down on it.
Chewing, an assortment of flavors fills my mouth. Expecting it to be sweet, I am met with the opposite. It's savory and salty.
The closest thing I can compare it to would be a pretzel. Its texture is like bread that has been left out for a day. Not too tough, but not too soft.
I scarf it down like a starved animal. I'm almost embarrassed by my manners, but I cannot handle it.
Surprisingly, despite it being salty, it quenches my thirst.
I truly am in another world. A world where the laws of logic do not apply.
Finishing the fruit, if I can even truly call it that, given the conventional standards of the word, I glance back at the man.
Creepily enough, he's staring at me.
"I apologize for not letting you speak before. We were in a dire situation. To hesitate would've meant death."
He pauses.
"So now… please ask me anything."
Wait, dammit. Let me process what just happened.
This is the first person I've met in this world. There's an assortment of questions I can ask, so again, I ask him the most appropriate one.
"Where am I?"
"?"
Obviously, he's confused by such a question. After all, if one found someone, said person would not ask how they would get there.
As a result, he asks a question I guessed he'd ask.
"Have you lost your memory? No, wait… You were just attacked by a Kobold."
"No," I answer slowly. "I haven't lost my memory. I've been…"
I don't want to say transported.
This is real life.
Don't say transported.
That's ridiculous. That's fiction.
"I found myself here."
I can't believe how calm I sound. Is it the plant? Did he drug me? Or am I just broken already?
No, I'm being too critical.
The man looks at me for a moment.
"...You are in Soraya, specifically the Nyassareth province."
…
'Haha, dumbass, we're on earth!'
Is what I wished to say.
I'm sure if I were to see my facial expression from a third-person view, I would have died from laughter.
I can't think.
Despite the calmness I had earlier, the facade has crumbled to pieces. I've been transported to another world after dying.
Thinking about it feels surreal.
Most people's reactions to such information would be celebration, that their fantasies have been answered, and they were in a world where the cold logic of reality would not apply. That would have been the reaction for the vast majority. Then, afterwards, they would suddenly be consumed with a strong urge to go back, scared of abandoning the people closest to them.
This was not the case with me.
After rubbing my face, I prepare to utter a phrase so sophisticated, so unorthodox, it would cause even the most seasoned of human scholars to shout in bewilderment. Something that goes against the very essence of any human being. Something that even shocked me to my very core.
A calculating answer belonging to an intellectual.
"Ok."
Am I numb already?!
Without even registering my answer, the man nods to himself and stands up.
"I see, you are not familiar with your surroundings. No matter. When we reach the village, I will provide you with all the information you seek."
"...Why not just tell me now?"
"All you must know is that I cannot right now. Such a long explanation would be too lengthy and we will be attacked by creatures."
Too lengthy?
Can't he just give me a basic rundown? Also, he's set up camp, for what I assume to sleep here, so how is an explanation too lengthy for him?
"Then why set up camp if—"
"Please, sir. You're injured. Don't speak."
"Ah, I'm fine-"
He perks up. A subtle movement, like he's heard something.
"We must go."
He quickly grabs his bow and arrows, slings them over his shoulder, and extinguishes the fire with a boot.
I stand on my feet. I've got a slight limp, but I'm sure I can keep a hurried pace.
He's running even faster than before. Something that surprises me, given that it would be more dangerous at night. Despite that, how is he maneuvering so well, despite it being dark?
"Hurry, it's not much farther than here!" I hear him call out.
Branches whip across my face, unseen things scrape my arms, and I stumble over roots. But I keep going. It's pitch black, and the only indicator of which direction I need to follow is the sound of hurried footsteps.
We break through into a clearing.
He stops.
In front of him, about 10 meters away, there is an enormous mountain, towering over us and almost penetrating the clouds. At the bottom, there appears to be a tunnel.
"I thought there was a village?" I ask. "That's just a hole."
"The village is located inside the mountain. Due to the ample amount of various rare ores, the mayor decided it would be best to move inside the mountain. Such a position also allowed it to step up its defensive measures."
"Now, follow me inside."
The sudden order catches me off guard, however, I find myself nodding.
Before I can take another step, a voice calls out.
"Hey! You two!"
The voice is feminine but packed with authority.
Turning to my left, the figure of a woman wearing a large jacket steps into view. I can't make the tiny details, but I can tell she's wearing armor and wielding what I assume to be a shortsword.
Because of the simple fact that she's holding the sword in her hand and her generally aggressive tone, I step back.
"You two! What are you doing here?! This is Kobold territory!"
I glance at the man, hoping he had some kind of explanation or excuse to get out of this situation, but to my dismay, he seems calm.
The woman's armor clinks as she approaches.
He raises his hands.
I follow.
"Ah, excuse us, young miss. I was just showing this boy around. He seems to be lost."
Wait, didn't he say he would take me to a mining village? Something's not adding up. My suspicion grows further.
"Shut up!"
She closes the distance between the man and her, stopping just a few inches away. Her stare is sharp, despite the cloak of darkness.
"Take off your hood, and come over here."
Her commands have become much calmer, yet sterner in tone. I assume she's realized something.
The man hesitates for a split second before pulling back his hood, revealing a disheveled, short hair.
"And the mask."
Another pause. His fingers brush the edge of his mask, but there's an air of reluctance.
"I said the mask, NOW!"
He slowly lowers it, and then I see a scar, a jagged mark running across the bottom of his left-
"CLANG!"
I can't even process the sight of the woman bringing down her blade on the man's head, splitting it in two. Blood spurts from the top of his head, dripping down.
She quickly dislodges it, stepping backwards.
"You! Get here! Now!"
I'm standing in front of a man who was just murdered. A man who had previously been alive a moment ago.
He's dead.
"Y…You.. You killed him…"
This is the first time I've ever seen a human kill another with my own eyes.
The way he fell. The absence of any kind of melodramatic demise. She simply struck him, and he dropped, like a puppet having its strings cut. This man, who saved my life from creatures, having his own snuffed out so casually, it drives me nearly nauseous.
And his head, oh god, his head, it's split down the middle, his tongue and teeth visible, there's so much blood.
The woman grasps my arm and drags me towards her.
"That's a mimic. If you know what's good for you, get the hell away from it."
I wobbled, barely catching my feet at the strength she pulled me. She's just a couple of centimeters shorter than me, yet in every sense of the word, she is stronger than me.
"Mimic…?"
As soon as I utter those words, the body of the man begins to violently shake and convulse, as if he had been possessed. Any sense of melancholy I had has now been extinguished.
His joints begin to spin. Feet spin like wheels, legs bend in positions they shouldn't be. His limbs contort at impossible angles, joints cracking and spinning in all the wrong directions. His eyes... they melt out of their sockets, twisting and writhing like some nightmare creature.
She's right.
This thing isn't human.
"Iii Wassssssss SOo ClOsssee!!!"
It screams, its voice switching from a human to something that should not exist.
I'm paralyzed, my heart racing as I try to process this monstrosity. The sound of flailing limbs fills the dead air.
The woman stands straight, her blade at the ready. Her stance is peculiar, her right arm raised high, as if ready to thrust despite wielding a short sword.
"I don't have a barrier… shit."
The creature moves—not like a human, but like something that possesses no control over its limbs, just the general body itself.
Its torso opens up, revealing a mess of tentacles that bristle like blades, its jaw no longer attached to any recognizable face.
Beads of sweat trail down my face. My body is paralyzed with fear.
"What the hell are you staring at?! Help me out!" The girl yells, tossing me a small dirk.
I catch it.
It's quite small, no larger than a kitchen knife, yet it has a more symmetrical design.
I can't fight that thing with this. No way.
The woman bites into her finger. And with a quick flick of her hand, she shouts:
"Flash!"
The area is suddenly lit with a brilliant glow, nearly blinding me. In retaliation, I raise my arms, shielding my face.
A loud screech informs me that the attack has been successful.
Lowering my arms, I take note of the woman charging at the creature. She leaps at the creature, her sword poised to strike, but before she can make contact, a tentacle whips toward her. She parries it effortlessly, using her leg to kick into its side. It staggers, and she spins around, sinking her blade deep into its chest.
It's clear she possesses a high amount of skill.
A red hole opens in the mimic's shoulder, to which she yells:
"Thread!"
Swiftly, she pulls out her blade and slices downward at the shoulder of the mimic, presumably severing something vital.
It lets out a screech as it falls down to the ground, collapsing into a heap of flailing limbs. The corpse once again flails around, limbs moving without reason. A mockery of the beautiful gift that is life.
After what feels like forever, it stops.
She stands there, panting. A clear indicator that his feat was no easy task.
Me, however, I'm shaking, the dirk in my hand looking more awe-worthy than me. I can feel my legs buckling, as well as my mouth shaking.
However, that's not an issue.
How.. How had she accomplished such a feat? The pile of questions in my head further increases, reaching higher and higher. The instinct known as curiosity screams to be satiated, yet it cannot.
The woman pulls out a glowing orb from her hand, tossing it over the creature's corpse. Upon contact, it dissapates and melts into the earth.
Sighing, she bends over and picks it up, and stores it in her pocket.
Mind you, she's doing all this, not taking me into consideration.
Sheathing her sword, she walks over to me and extends her hand.
"Mine."
She says, demanding. She's gesturing towards the dirk.
I glance at her hand for a moment, dumbfounded. From the remaining shock in my body, or confusion, I cannot tell.
She grabs the bladed part to my surprise, and attempts to take it, but is forced to pull, given how tightly I'm holding it.
"You've got a horrible sense of danger. That thing was trying to lure you into its nest. Be careful next time, or you'll die a painful death." She sheathes the dirk in her chest holster.
With that, she walks past me, scoffing to herself.
Muttering something about: 'I can't believe I've wasted so much time..'
How can one merely 'walk away' after performing such an action so easily? It's as if she's going home from throwing out the trash.
As she walks further and further away, I realize something. Something that cements itself into my brain. A horrible future that is moments away from cementing itself in reality.
Is she going to leave me? In this forest?
I glance around, the area growing darker and darker the farther she walks. Trees grow faces, glowing eyes stare back at me. For god's sake, the moon is smiling!
If she leaves me alone, something might happen to me. No, something will happen to me.
I'm not going to die alone here, no way.
"U-Um, excuse me.."
She doesn't stop, but she's taken note of my attempt to speak to her.
"Hm?" She glances over her shoulder, still walking.
"Can you take me with you..?"
She stops.
For a second, I feel like she's looking at me like I asked the most ridiculous question in the world.
Then she responds.
"Nope, no way."
"Wait, Why?!"
She stops, turning fully around, crossing her arms over her chest.
"Tell me, why should I help you? What purpose does it serve me?"
She's got a solid argument. Why help a random person you found in the forest? After all, she wouldn't lose anything, as this is a remote place and no one would know she left me.
Well, to her it may seem like that, but to me, it's:
'This is your only chance at surviving this crazy forest, so beg her, please!!'
"...You'd be a good person if you do it…" I say, putting on my best car salesman smile, with a hint of lost puppy.
She turns around and continues her walk.
"Wait! Wait! Wait!!"
"I'll do anything! Please! I'm grateful to you for saving my life, let me repay you!"
Perhaps if I offer her the illusion of some kind of compensation, she'll consider it.
She thinks for a moment, as if she's pondering whether this conversation is worth her time.
"You, what's your name?"
"Ah, it's…"
I think for a moment.
Wait.
I don't remember my name.
What is my name? How can I forget something as important as that? This is my identity.
Did I truly lose my memory?
I obviously can't say I forgot something as important as my name, since she'd really leave me here, so I come up with one on the spot.
I look at the sky.
Sky..
"Uh, it's Kaito."
"Weird name."
Weird?! You just yelled "Flash!" and turned into a portable sun!
"Ya see, I only take things when they have worth to me. Everything else is useless, people included. After all, everything in this world is determined by worth. You understand that, right?"
I find myself nodding. To be honest, I'm tuning out of 90% of the things she's saying.
She smiles.
"Well Kaito, you're grateful to me since I saved your life, right?"
"Yes."
"And you'd be willing to do anything to repay me?"
"Yes, anything."
"Well, congratulations Kaito. My name is Navi Highergald, and you are now my slave."
She says it so casually I find myself ignoring the phrase, then waiting a second, thinking about what she said, and then realize the gravity of it.
"….What."