The light was spiraling.
A torrent of light that painted my retinas. It swirled violently and dyed my consciousness. I felt as if my entire body was being torn apart. My hands and feet were torn off, and every single blood vessel was frayed and disintegrated.
My mind went completely blank. Unable to think of anything else, I fell into a silent blackness. In the darkness, I felt painfully alone and irresistibly afraid.
However, there was no despair. There was no way to hold on to hope, but I guess hope was not lost.
Things that had been disconnected and scattered were slowly but surely coming together and connecting.
What comes back is the sensation.
An unimaginably terrible pain rampaged in and out of my consciousness. There was no way he could understand what had happened. It was all outside of his understanding.
He was screaming, anyway. He was screaming with his mouth wide open, in pain as if his whole body had been cut open. If he didn't do that, his head was going to explode. No, actually, I was in a half-crazed state. It was crazy. Everything was breaking down, staggering, and screaming.
I felt as if I were emerging from the depths of darkness, and light returned to my vision.
"...?
Setsuna was more surprised by the disappearance of the intense pain than by the view before her. The pain that had been tormenting her entire body until just now had vanished as if it were a lie. It was a truly exhilarating feeling. He felt the urge to start running right away, but the sight in front of him suppressed it.
He looked ahead again. No, he had been looking ahead for a while now, but something didn't quite make sense to him. There was an indescribably strange feeling.
It seemed that Setsuna was in a forest.
There were countless trees lined up in front of her. The distorted trees, the names of which she did not know, stood there as if they had a gloomy expression on their faces. There was no sunlight in the dense forest, and the shadows created by the canopy of branches and leaves seemed to be a warning against the entry of unknowing people into this forest.
However, the warning came too late. Setsuna had already stepped into the forest. Or perhaps I should say that she had already stepped into the forest before she knew it.
She shook her head. I don't know what's going on. Setsuna must have been on her way to school just a moment ago. I can't even find a shadow of the familiar town around me. There is a forest in that town, too. However, I didn't remember Setsuna running into the forest.
No, there are things that I do remember.
She witnessed a gate falling from the sky. I witnessed the descent of a huge gate and touched the door. At that moment, I was unconscious.
"A dream.
Setsuna thought to herself. If it was a dream, this situation would make sense. Anything can happen in a dream. If it's a dream, anything can happen, you can meet dead people, you can even become a superhuman. If it's a dream, it's not strange to wake up in the middle of a forest like this.
"It's a dream.
Setsuna decided wildly and looked around again. The trees were lined up in a 360-degree perimeter, leaving only the area around Setsuna as a plaza. It seemed to be an artificially created space, but there were no stumps in sight. Not a single ray of sunlight fell through the trees overhead, probably because the branches and leaves of the trees were intertwined to form a solid roof.
The forest was so quiet that I could not hear any animal sounds or noises. The chilly air flowed as if it was sinking heavily.
"If this is a dream--
The voice suddenly sounded, and Setsuna reflexively turned around. In the forest, where no one else was around, the sudden voice was definitely directed at her.
"Would you rather it was a dream? Boy.
It was a low female voice. It was a low woman's voice, not young, not old, but it sounded ageless.
"It's a dream.
Setsuna countered, observing the person who had appeared from the depths of the forest.
The first thing she thought was that it was red. Her hair was as red as a blazing fire, and the robe she wore was as red as blood. Next, I could confirm that she was a woman just like her voice. She was a taller woman than Setsuna, and boasted a fleshy body. I'm not sure what to make of it.
"How can you be so sure?
The woman's eyes seemed to shine with a mysterious light. The beautiful golden irises were out of this world. Even in the darkness of the forest, they shone like the moon cutting through the night sky. Her long eyelashes framed her eyes, and her well-shaped eyebrows, nose, and white skin enhanced her beauty.
This is what I mean when I say that she is an exquisite beauty. Setsuna admired her as if she were someone else.
What makes you think this is not the afterlife?
The woman gave her a provocative look as if she was testing her, but Setsuna could not answer immediately. I just admire it. The sensational limbs and overwhelming good looks seem to exist only in the dream world. If it were not a dream, I would never have met such a beautiful woman.
What's wrong?
The woman looked at me suspiciously. I'm not sure what to do. I'm not sure what to do, but I'm sure I'll be able to do it. It's a great way to get yourself back in the game. It's not a good time to fall in love, no matter how beautiful she is. You can't help but think that if it's a dream, whatever.
It's nothing.
"Hmm. ...
I'm not sure what to make of this. In the beginning, the distance was about five meters, but it gradually came closer. There was a thick smell of flowers. Not like perfume, but a very natural flower scent. I could tell it was coming from the woman, but there was nothing I could do about it. I have the illusion that my consciousness is not my own. The woman's eyes seemed to be seductive. She is inviting me.
Setsuna took a step toward the woman's eyes, as if she was inviting her, and then gasped. She held up her right hand and refused the woman's approach. It would be a blessing to chat with a beautiful woman in a dream. It was just like a dream. But something was wrong. There is something strange. The back of my head warns me that I must reject her.
The woman stopped, and a satisfied expression appeared on her face.
I'm glad.
She didn't understand the meaning of the words, but Setsuna realized that her heart didn't flutter at the smile of the immensely beautiful woman. If it had been her earlier, she would have been dropped with a single blow. It was a smile with that much destructive power.
What is it? What the hell?
Setsuna looked at the woman again. I don't know what's going on. I'm sure this is a dream, but what is this situation? It is possible to have such a clear sense of self in a dream? A vague uneasiness hardened Setsuna's consciousness.
I've taken the liberty of testing you.
The woman said to him without hesitation. The smile had already disappeared, but the beauty of the woman was incomparable. The beauty itself has not changed since the beginning. However, it would be reasonable to think that something other than her beauty had robbed Setsuna of her ability to think. It might have something to do with the woman's words, "I tried.
"What?
Setsuna felt a vague uneasiness growing in her. She felt a heavy pressure. She felt a strange sensation as if she was confronting someone completely different from the woman she had just met. I admit that my whole body is bubbling up. The sense of discomfort is growing rapidly.
"Isn't it only natural to find out if the person you summoned is usable?
The woman didn't even laugh. I guess it's just a matter of course for her. I don't mind that. But it was a word that Setsuna could not fully understand.
"Summon ...?
Of course, the meaning of the words was not lost on her. It's not hard to understand what she's trying to say. However, there was no way I could immediately believe everything she said. There was no way I could convince myself. This is a dream. It has to be a dream.
Yes, it is. I have summoned you. "Yes, I summoned you to this fantasy realm. To Ilsa Valle.
But the woman's powerful assertion was so vicious that it seemed to shatter Setsuna's desire. A sense of defeat accompanied the feeling of being cut in two. Setsuna still tried to convince herself that this was a dream. If it was a dream, anything could have happened. If it was a dream, what this woman said would make sense.
However, there was something about the woman in front of me that made it impossible to say that it was a dream. She was very real. Her existence and her attitude. There was not the slightest hint of falsity.
I am Azmaria Artemax. And you are?
There was something about her - Azmaria-Altemax's question that I couldn't resist. It might be magic power, for example, or it might simply be power and intimidation.
Setsuna had opened her mouth.
I am ... Setsuna.
He had to answer - such conviction had taken over him.
I am Kamiya Setsuna.
It was his birth voice in this world.