I instantly jump off Asakawa's body, nearly flipping in the process. Within the same motion, I fall to my knees, and place my forehead on the ground.
"Please forgive me! I really like my face!"
Asakawa gets to her feet, dusts off her jacket, and sheathes her blade. I can see an eyebrow twitch for a moment, but it quickly resolves itself. She then turns around, her coat trailing behind her.
She glances around.
"Hm, it seems we've been stranded." She muses.
"Stranded?" I ask, lifting my head.
"Hm. When entering a Fog zone with multiple people, there is a chance that, if separated from one another, the individuals will end up in different locations."
"Damn it, so we're basically lost?"
Asakawa lifts her sword and takes out a black cloth from her jacket pocket. With a movement akin to sheathing it, she inserts it into the napkin.
"Not exactly. When you are stranded in a Fog zone, you are approximately sent to latitude four and longitude three from zero, which corresponds to the original area you were located."
Oh, so just do the right triangle equation. That gives you twenty-five.
"And the square root of twenty-five is about five." I finish out loud.
Huh, I guess math does really come in handy when you're in a death zone full of devils.
"Which means we're about five notches away. It would take an hour to get back." Asakawa says.
I'm about to ask what a notch is, but she said five of them is equal to an hour on foot. Three miles is about an hour on foot… roughly.
So we're about three miles or four point eighty-two kilometers away from where we previously were.
Asakawa gazes at the air, then looks down.
"Let us get moving. The longer we linger in a fog zone, the more devils will be attracted to our location."
I nod as I stand up.
_____________
"So what exactly is a Devil? Is it like an offshoot of an Aberration, or…?"
We've been walking for about ten minutes in absolute silence. I sure do walk a lot. Anyway, this silence is killing me. So before I inevitably do get killed, let's kill some time.
3x Kill combo.
Sorry.
I'm walking with my head resting on my hands, which are behind my back. My body sways from side to side as well, perhaps bored with the repetitive movements that occur during walking.
Asakawa is the exact opposite. Her posture is straight, rigid, and ready to spring at any moment. Her right hand is resting on her blade's hilt, which kind of confuses me. Why not just have it equipped?
"Sapients are those that can utilize the paths. Aberrations are those that cannot, and as a result, are more beastly in appearance. Both possess hollow points."
She turns a corner, swiftly.
"However, Devils, or Demons as some call them, are completely devoid of Hollow Points."
An eyebrow raises from my behalf.
"Seriously? I thought everything had Hollow Points…"
Asakwawa cracks a knuckle without using a hand. A part of me thinks she's going to use a spell, but she's literally just cracking it.
"Not for things that are caught within the Fog."
"?"
"The fog removes Hollow Points from existence. 85% of the pattern is formed out of Hollow Points, so by removing Hollow Points, you remove a large portion of 'existence'. This in turn, annihilates death. Without death, life will infinitely repeat, losing itself in the process. In physical terms, eyes extend, skin stretches, blood boils, and teeth rot. Those caught within are morphed into beasts beyond comprehension. Most Devils consist of Sapients that are caught within, but in the case of an Aberration, they morph into something that can only be described as disastrous."
Her fingers sway.
"In the case of structures and inanimate objects, the line between them and animate objects blurs, morphing together. Buildings will suddenly resemble the memories of a child that had died within. Doors will form mouths, and laugh. The Fog is not a biological pestilence, but one that affects reality itself. It is the antithesis of the pattern itself, a chaotic amalgamation of something that can be called 'force'."
"The pattern requires sacrifice. But to tip over the scale in favor of pain, only creates destruction."
I find myself reeling back at such an info dump.
But still, I somehow grasp the general concept.
Essentially, everything in this world is made out of the pattern, which has hollow points within. The Fog, removes these little weak spots, and makes stuff essentially immortal. While someone might think that immortality is good, it in fact, isn't, and makes stuff turn all grotesque and nasty because the 'thing' can't die.
For example, you die, and you can still move and stuff, but your body is continuously rotting and eventually forgets what it even is, then turns into something else entirely.
That's honestly horrifying.
"Wait, so how are we fine? We're just wearing stuff over our faces."
"We are Gazers. While you may not be a full Gazer, you still have gained partial immunity to Fog."
"?"
"Ah, you do not even know what the purpose of a Gazer truly is. Miss Kaen has failed you in that aspect."
I imagine Miss Kaen leaning back in her chair, then sneezing.
"A Gazer is one who has gained the ability to 'See'. They see into the pattern, and can see within the fog. If we were normal Sapients, we would have gone insane by simply stepping inside. Our structure is fundamentally different from that of a regular humanoid. However, we cannot use Koho, only functions."
"Got it."
"So, how do you even kill a Devil?" I ask.
"Within the Fog, you may dispatch of a Devil, but it will return to life minutes later. As long as they remain within the fog, their lifecycle will never end."
"So, if you somehow lead them outside, they'll die?"
"Precisely."
"Hm."
….
What about my ability? Death's Detour?
I've never actually thought about it logically. I've always accepted it as a fact of my existence and moved on. As much as I hate it, I can only accept it.
"Asa."
"?"
My hands clench.
"If there was say, an ability, where you can die and go back into time to a point before your death… how would it work? From the perspective of a Gazer."
I'm a bit reluctant to ask. I'm not sure if the Recreant Truth will activate or not if I ask her. That is completely up to her understanding of my question. If I get super detailed with the question, she'll presume I have the ability, and the Recreant Truth will activate. But if I intentionally stay vague, there's a slight chance she'll think I'm just asking a question for the hell of it. That's actually the reason I added 'How would it work' at the end of the sentence.
My teeth clench.
"If it is an ability that has to do with time, or any universal concepts, then it would definitely be a Blessing from a Celestial. If it were regular immortality, where one would simply return to life after suffering a fatal blow, I believe it would be more along the lines of a Thaumite Function, or perhaps even an Aspector's. Though I would imagine the requirements to perform it would be immense."
She answered? She actually answered? What?
I thought the Recreant Truth was going to activate, leading her to either saying 'huh?' Or outright not hearing me. But she managed to answer my question regardless.
Ah. I see.
It's because she doesn't see me as being Votary-level. She's utterly incapable of even imagining me in a position where I'd be in contact with a celestial.
I grit my teeth against each other for a moment, before relaxing my body.
You'll see.
"Oh, that's cool."
We continue our walk, silencing overtaking the area once again.
"Kaito, what happened between you and—"
"Excuse me…"
Asakawa is interrupted by a small voice. It's excessively high-pitched, alluding to the fact that it belongs to a small girl. It's from behind, as well.
However, something sends a chill down my spine.
Yes, it's a simple fact, yet sends chills despite that very fact.
I recognize this voice.
It's the same 'thing' that killed me in the previous timeline.
It's closer to me than Asakawa. If I were to scream its true nature, it'd probably kill me instantly as opposed to if Asakawa was closer.
I glance at Asakawa.
She seems awfully wary as well.
Anyone would.
After all, it's a random kid out in the middle of a random fog zone.
"Huh? A kid?" I say, putting up my best fake voice.
Just glancing at that false imitation of a human irks me to no end.
"Y-yes… I got separated from my mommy…"
Just holding back the urge to vomit takes a significant toll on me. Knowing the true form of this beast sickens me.
The fact that this thing is nowhere near it presents itself as…
The fact that it's hiding its true self…
Well, I'm still going to vomit regardless.
"You can come with us, then! We'll find your parents!" I smile.
The both of us, presenting a false imitation of ourselves to one another. It's an ouroboros, consuming itself from both ends. Well, she's a monster, and I'm not.
The girl nods happily, then skips ahead of us. Her movements are a bit too quick for my eyes to register, surprisingly. No, not surprisingly. This thing isn't even close to human.
I glance at Asakawa, the fear now presents on my face.
Sensing my emotion, she nods.
Hopefully she understood what the situation was.
Alright, we've been silent for way too long. She's going to catch on if I'm in the back with my companion, the both of us out of the girl's earshot. I need to start conversation.
I don't know what the plan is, to be honest. I knew about the existence of 'maria', but I never thought she would appear this early, and at this exact spot. Furthermore, I can't speak to Asakawa without appearing suspicious.
I can't appear suspicious, because if I do, I risk death, or both of us.
Actually, I'm not even sure if that's the case.
If I were to boil down everything right now, it would amount to this:
Due to this enemy showing up out of nowhere, I can't tell if Asakawa has a plan to exterminate this Devil or not. I'm not even sure if she's capable of killing it on her own. Right now, waiting to see what'll happen is my best option.
Either that, or I do something myself—
Asakawa grips my shoulder.
I turn.
She signals me to talk with the girl. She then points at herself, and performs a swinging motion.
Unaware of what she's trying to see, I hesitantly nod my head. She is the one with the power after all, so it's best to listen to what she's trying to say.
"So…" I begin, catching up with the girl. "What's your name?"
The girl gazes up at me. It's like she knows I'm hiding something, but still chooses to feign ignorance.
"Maria."
My hand twitches.
"Maria. That's a cool sounding name. How'd you end up here?"
The girl's gaze drags in front of her.
"A long time ago, I was playing with my friends around here. We got a little too carried away, and I ended up being pushed inside here…"
"I see, do you remember their names?"
This creature is only imitating a girl. It's false memories can only hold so much weight from my questions. I want to see how far this faker can take it.
The corner of my eye captures Asakawa, uselessly swinging at the air. Ah, I see. She's using me to distract this thing while she swings her sword. By swinging it, she's storing the kinetic energy within to release it all in one go. It's the ability of her Thaumite Function: Kamigakari no Kaze.
I shift slightly, obscuring Asakawa from view. I'm not sure on how it's not seeing her. If it is, it's probably just chalking her up to be practicing swings.
"... I remember Bjorn. He was really big, but also really fast. Everyone liked Bjorn. I did too. I remember once, Bjorn tried to carry me by the collar, but we both ended up falling forward."
The girl smiles.
The… monster smiles.
"I also remember Anna. Anna was really quiet, but kind. Anna didn't like hanging around a lot of people, and would get overwhelmed real fast. But I always tried my hardest to help her out at parties!"
The girl bounces.
The… thing… that killed me… bounces.
What the hell is up with it, right now? She, it, wasn't saying these things before. Is she trying to make me feel bad on purpose? Does she actually know what Asakawa is doing, and is retaliating by making me feel bad for her?
You… what are you doing?
"There was also Maria, who shared the same name as me. We all played it into as well. We didn't look similar at all—she had red hair—but we liked to both wear the same clothing. Sometimes Bjorn would jokingly mistake Maria for me. Or the opposite. She'd get really mad too, and jump on me alot."
Her voice is increasingly getting louder.
Stop it… stop it…
Asakawa's swings grow faster.
"Hmm, I think the last one was Fluger. Fluger was really cool. He had a bow and arrow that he really liked using. He would use it on everything he saw. I forgot, but I think it was a gift from his dad. He liked using me as a target a lot, too. The game was called 'hunt', and it would start whenever I ran."
Stop it, stop it, stop it!! Where was this side of you before?! Why is it only appearing now?!
"I like hunting. I think when I grow up, I'll become a hunter. You can wander in forests for as long as you want. I don't know about hurting animals, though. Maybe I'll just wander around endlessely, making friends with them."
I know it's not an act! That's the worst part! Even a monster would put up a better act! Even something that was wearing the guise of a girl would know what you were saying was bullshit!
Because of your skewed perspective, I know you're the real deal!
I know… I know…
BECAUSE OF THAT ARROW IN YOUR BACK!!!!
My hands throw themselves on the girl's shoulder. I squeeze.
"I know you're a devil!! Why, Maria?! Why attack us?! When you're just a little girl—"
"Kamigakari no Kaze."
A black blur formed of steel carves through the neck of Maria. It's incredibly fast, yet I can still see every pore of skin dissected. Red follows the path of the black.
And in the next moment, her head is off her shoulders, on the ground.
"...."
"..."
I fall to my knees.
I glance at the girl's bruised arms.
"She was bullied. She was bullied by people she genuinely thought were her friends. She talked about them with smiles on her face. They chased her into this Fog zone. Initially, I thought she was just a mimic or something, but she really is a girl."
My fists clench.
I strike the ground.
"Dammit."
Asakawa cleans the blade, then sheathes it.
"That is the state of this world. While you had been enslaved, you did not fully experience what everything had to offer. Things like this happen daily. There is naught we can do about it."
She turns.
"Now, we must go, before it regenerates."
"Wait, hold on."
Her footsteps halt.
My hands grasp around the strands of hair belonging to the girl. They cascade along the ground, spilling like blood, despite being blonde. Her eyes are closed, yet a pained expression remains on her face.
I lift the head.
Blood trickles from the stump.
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry you never got the life you deserved. I'm sorry you never got to wander through a forest. I'm sorry those people were the only ones you could call 'friends'."
I place the head in my hands. Using my left, I push a loose strand of hair to the left.
"Maybe one day, we'll walk together, through a forest."
I assume a throwing position with my right hand.
"...Maria."
And I throw it.
Far above the fog, directly upwards.
To you, who wandered in darkness for years uncounted... may the end of your journey be the moment you finally see the sky, and remember how to fly.
….
It doesn't fall back down.
I look at the body.
It's gone.
I get up to my feet.
"Alright, let's go."
____________________________________________________________________________
"Asakawa, why are you unaffected? You just killed a child."
"Because I had detached myself long ago."
"..."
"If you remain rooted to this world's inhabitants, they will surely drag you along the ground. To become truly hollow inside is the true way to live. The need for connection has long been useless since the Fog arrived."
Her eyes are in front of her.
"Hah… you're so existential." I sigh.
"In order to exist, you must be existential."
I smile.
"...Though, despite that, I find you to be honestly super cool."
She stops, for a moment, a slight moment, but continues walking.
"And why is that?"
"You've got an incredible sense of responsibility, rivaling Kors's. Not that it's a competition of course."
"..."
"I knew that we'd have to kill her no matter what. If it were just me, I'd end up being the one killed for my lack of resolve. You, on the other hand, made a decision, and carried it out. You remained steadfast, despite the clear dire circumstances."
"Are you trying to gain something from me?"
I shake my head.
"No, I just want to thank you. I want to thank you for possessing the resolve to actually killing her."
"..."
"If you truly wish to possess strength. Rid yourself of your emotions, Kaito. This world does not treat those that get emotional kindly."
My eyes suddenly glare at Asakawa Meiko.
Her eyes widen as well, due to the sudden intense stare.
"I'm not emotional."
"... I see."
"Regardless, rid yourself of attachments to things. They will all inevitably crumble away, leaving you behind. Some may call this nihilism, but it is true. All things must end, so detaching yourself from those finite things will save the pain."
She's cracking open.
"The same had happened to me. At first, your life will have rays of hope, and one by one, each one will be snuffed out. This world is a carcass of its former self, hosting nothing but parasites on it. If it were up to me, I would have…"
Hmph.
I guess you aren't worth it.
"Then why don't you?" I ask.
"?"
"You talk about being all emotionless and stuff, but you still smile. You still joke around with Arivia. It's like you're obsessed with saying you're one thing, and being the other. You can't make up your mind at all. Someone truly emotionless wouldn't even have this conversation with me right now."
"Make up your mind, Asa. You can't have one foot in, the other out, and tell me to do something. It's really confusing, haha."
She's silent.
"To be honest, it seems like you're just too scared to kill—"
A blade is at my neck, and I'm pinned against the wall.
"Shut your mouth."
"Was this your plan all along? To get me vulnerable then immediately use it against me? Is this what happened between you and the others?"
Her voice drips with venom. She pushes the blade against my neck.
"Hah? What're you talking about? I'm just saying what I think you are, it isn't affecting you in the slightest. You're a mercenary, aren't you? You should be dealing with insults all the time, this is nothing."
"Then why not say it earlier? Why be indifferent to me for all this time, then the moment you hear me discuss my issues, you immediately change your demeanor? Do you only prefer people with clear slates?"
Her hand is shaking.
"Gh! Asakawa, you're choking me!"
"You are disgusting. You are a poisonous flower that presents itself as weak and frail, but the moment you are uprooted, you eradicate your victim."
She's a cross between hurt and angry.
"Please, stop!"
The blade moves away from my throat, allowing me to breathe.
"...We are in a Fog Zone. Had we not have been in one, I would have gouged my blade into your throat. If I am to wait and kill you outside, I'm sure Arivia would have defended you."
Asakawa Meiko points at me.
"Etch this into your brain, Kaito. If you dare speak to me ever again... I WILL KILL YOU."
She turns, and walks away.
I tug at my collar, given that it was being pushed into my neck.
It's only my path, not yours.
____________________________________________________________________________
The Devil roars once again, it's screams shaking the very air.
It raises it's large arm, comprised of hundreds of smaller arms, into the air, above Navi. The silver-haired girl, noticing the attack, rolls to the left. The attack misses.
It collides with the ground, resulting in dust shooting in every direction. Cracks begin to drag along the ground.
We've made it back to the group. Surprisingly, they were only a few meters away from where Asakawa decided to rudely threaten me. I glance over at the black haired girl.
She's dashing towards the Devil, her blade ready to strike.
Well, I guess that's a bridge burned.
I don't know why she showed such a visceral reaction, seriously. It isn't that deep, now, is it? All I did was call out her hypocrisy.
Asakawa's blade meets with the devil's hind leg, causing it to draw a string of scarlet. It screams. Using the momentum from the trike, Asakawa leaps back.
While the others engage the monster, Kors remains in the back, constantly firing off rounds at the Devil's face, which seems to be taking heavy damage. Despite its fearsome appearance, it can't really deal with the sheer power from these individuals.
I drag my hand across my right eye. I'm activating my Gaze.
The colors of the world invert.
Strings reach across everything. The vague outline of the devil is visible. And yet…
It has no Hollow Points. Asakawa was right. This thing is alive and dead, a gross amalgamation of the two. It's lived past it's expiration date, and evolved due to that reason. It doesn't even know what it is anymore.
"Navi!" Kors yells. "Can you activate Blazebane?!"
"One more cut!" Navi responds, dodging under a horizontal strike. However, despite dodging the attack, she is still grabbed. This is due to this respective arm being comprised of hundreds of smaller arms, that all autonomously run on their own.
Navi is yanked to the side the arm is striking in. However, going down this easy is not like her at all. Brandishing her saber, she quickly hacks away at the small arm grasping at her coat collar.
The arm is sliced off at the forearm, and let's go of Navi, who is thrown backwards. Maintaining the momentum, she rolls backwards onto the stone floor.
I look over to where Samuel is.
Is that a zombie?
There's some sort of severely deformed figure pushing against him. It's got a rusty shovel in its hand. It's also covered in dirty, ripped brown rags, which barely hang off it's body. Its skin is chock-full of perforations and signs of rot.
Its face is full of hair in seemingly different spots. Its jaw is hanging, detached from the rest of its skull. A strange growth is also growing out of its forehead. As for its eyes, they're beady and distant. The right eye is lower than the left as well.
Wait, I need to help—
A blade is suddenly erected out its eye. It then twists, and disappears back into the creature's skull.
The corpse falls, revealing Arivia, her white masked stained with crimson red blood. She turns to the next creature, which is shambling towards her, brandishing a lumber axe. It weakly raises its hand, and—
It's head and arm are quickly slashed off, causing it to collapse to the floor.
I glance at the floor.
It's full of corpses.
These are all humans. They were all humans at some point. They didn't ask for this. Now they're forced, endlessly searching around, and killing whatever they see. This world is fucked.
"Blazebane." Navi Highergald chants.
Instantly, red flames erupt from within the Devil, causing it to shriek in pain. A charred, smokey smell reminiscent of rotten flesh sweeps into my nostrils. The devil is now flailing around, desperate to put out the flames.
Said flames form thin-ribbon like formations, and float towards Navi, who seemingly absorbs them.
"Everyone! We need to leave, now!" Kors yells, his head turning in our direction. "They are going to continue charging at us!"
Wait… I need to fight something too…
He suddenly takes aim at the flailing devil, and chants; "DOOM and GLOOM."
The revolver in his left-hand fires.
At the moment of impact, something strange happens. The creature, which had been uselessly tossing its arms about, reverses it's movements. It's as if someone had turned a video back to a certain point. The creature also walks backward, to the position it had initially been when Navi set it on fire.
Then, it freezes, as if paused.
"Now!"
Everyone in the area complies immediately, all running towards the carriage.
Shit! I'm the last one!
"Kaito! Hurry! The Function will not last any longer!"
I turn.
An immensely large hand, on fire, comprised of thousands of other arms is swinging towards me. The creature it belongs to has its tongue flailing about, and its corrupt eyes bore into me, victory within its grasp.
I'm going to die.
"SKREEEE!!"
Huh?
I look up at the creature's face. It's no longer reaching towards me. It's got a sizable dagger imbedded in its right eye.
A hand grabs my forearm.
"Kaito! Let's go!"
Huh?
Was I just saved?
By…
By Samuel?
He drags me into the carriage, the both of us stumbling inside while the rest of the members either hang of the sides, or sit in front. It's shaking from side to side, given that Kors's is frantically going at top speed to outrun the creatures running towards us.
"Are you alright?" He asks, his breaths coming out heavy and labored. His hair is slightly disheveled.
Samuel saved me? The guy on my level, weaker than everyone else, saved me? I'm at the same level as him, yet I can't save myself? Why did he…?
I tear my hand away.
He looks surprised.
"Yeah, I'm good." I say, a serious tone in my voice. I look away.
"Ah, I see." He says. Samuel then turns to the window, trying to see what lies in the road ahead of us. His face slightly lights up, but not too much, as that would betray his default face expression.
He can't even be emotive. He's doing all this with the most deadpan face ever, yet he manages to do better than me. As if this all too easy for him, like it isn't even a challenge. Is he intentionally mocking me? Does he get a kick out of this?
"We're out the Fog Zone!" Kors yells from the front.
I gnaw at my nails.
Don't mess with me!!