When something unexpected happens to us, we become confused. They become distraught, expose their madness, and find themselves in an irreversible situation.
The reason why Setsuna was able to maintain her composure in such a situation was because she was under the assumption that this was a dream. If it was a dream, she could be at ease no matter what happened. No matter how it ended, everything would be back to normal when I woke up. Nightmares are relegated to the depths of our memories and forgotten in our daily lives.
This is why Setsuna was able to calmly observe the things that popped up to surround them.
It was a very common existence in a certain world. In all the fantasies that Setsuna knew, they were often hostile to humans, attacked humans, and killed humans.
To put it bluntly.
"Monsters!
The darkness that lies beneath the canopy of tree branches and leaves is heavy and deep. In the darkness, there are countless red dots of light glittering. These were the eyes of the monsters, and their countless gazes pierced Setsuna's consciousness with the sharpness of a sharpened blade. She had never felt such strong malice before. She had never felt such strong malice before, even though she hadn't been hurt.
Setsuna gasped for breath. Her consciousness was fading. The killing intent of the many was like a blade itself. The mere touch of them sliced through her, and blood flowed.
Even with the assumption that I was dreaming, I was losing my composure. There was no panic. There was no confusion. But still, I had to admit that my thoughts were becoming less and less sane.
(Even though it was a dream?)
A question mark came to my mind. Is it possible for a nightmare to feel so overwhelmingly real? I noticed that my palms were sweating. There was fear.
"The Imperial Demon Ouma, one calls it.
I heard Azmaria's voice. Perhaps it was because of her voice that the monsters seemed to have lessened their murderous intent. Maybe it was just my imagination. But whatever it was, the air I was seeking slowly passed through my windpipe and filled my lungs. The air was chilly and somewhat distorted. But for Setsuna, it was a relief. Her composure was slightly restored.
The man who had once unified and ruled the continent with his overwhelming military might called himself the Holy Emperor. The man who once ruled the continent with his overwhelming military might called himself the Holy Emperor, Miendia Reignath-Wargran. What he brought was far from peace and tranquility. He had summoned the gods of other worlds.
As Setsuna listened to Azumaria's explanation, she once again looked directly at the monster in front of her. It was exactly what the word "monster" implied. It could be called a deformed quadruped. However, it looked like a beast.
It had a bizarrely streamlined head, with only four eye holes in its flat face. There was no mouth, no nose, and no ear holes. The red light leaking from the eye holes seemed to flicker from time to time. Its entire body was wrapped in a turquoise epidermis, and its long limbs had what looked like machete-like claws at the ends. There were a pair of protrusions on its back. Its tail stretched out like a spiral.
It was a monster that Setsuna had never seen before in anime or manga, nor did she remember creating it in her mind. They were strange and creepy, and made her feel uncomfortable just by looking at them.
These monsters were surrounding Setsuna and Azumaria. There were probably no less than fifty of them. A myriad of eyes flickered in the darkness of the forest.
There was no way for us to know what he was trying to accomplish by using the power of the gods of another world. However, one thing is certain. One thing is for sure: the demons of the other world, dragged by the summoned gods, have drifted to this continent. That's the Holy Emperor's Demon - the Imperial Demon.
It was right after Azmaria had finished her explanation that something like a strange screeching sound violently shook the air in the forest.
The unpleasant cacophony became a tsunami that surged into Setsuna's consciousness. There was no time to cover her ears. No, even if she had covered her ears, the destructive orgy of noise would have reached her eardrums and shaken her brain, even if she had only a small gap between them.
What?
Setsuna was struck by the sensation that the world was becoming distorted. In the midst of the violent sounds of destruction, her vision began to strain and crack. She lost the feeling in her hands. That may have been the first. Then I lost the feeling in my legs, and my whole body shook. I couldn't stand up.
(What the heck is ...?!?)
The situation was incomprehensible, and Setsuna fell forward, helpless to do anything about it. She screamed in her chest as the ground loomed in front of her. She couldn't move her hands. I couldn't even cover my face, so I hit it hard.
I felt a shock on my face, and the pain was intense. It's possible to feel pain in a dream. I tell myself that, but the pain that shakes my skull makes me half cry. It's a very real pain. If it was a dream, I should be able to wake up. But what I hear is not the alarm on my watch, but Azmaria's voice.
"Now, what are you going to do?
I have no idea what she's trying to tell me.
I'm not sure what to do. I'm not sure how much longer I'm going to be able to keep my head above water. If you are safe and sound, you can help me up. Especially if it was a dream. No, even if this is not a dream, you could help me. That's all I could think about as I lay there on the ground. The noise was already deafening.
Do I wait for the demon to kill me, or do I pick up a weapon and fight? Of course, there are more than two options. You can run away from this place... or you can't.
I'm not sure what to do, but I'm going to do it.
I'm not sure what to say. No!
He pulled his face off the ground and jumped up with a shout. The senses that should have been lost in the cacophony had somehow returned to normal. In my normalized vision, I saw the figures of several Imperial Demons approaching towards me. The way they walked, as if they were crawling on the ground, was worthy of a monster. However, their speed is unpredictable.
I'm not sure what to say.
I'm not sure what to make of this. I'm not sure what to make of it. The light emanating from its eye sockets seemed to be killing intent itself.
Setsuna felt a shivering sensation in the eyes of the Imperial Demon. Her body could not move as she wished. If she didn't immediately run backwards, she would fall prey to the Imperial Demon in front of her. This was something that Setsuna could understand, and it was only natural that she wanted to do something about it. However, her whole body would not listen to her.
It was as if she had been tied up in a knot, unable to move.
The demon was only half a step away. The claws on his paws seemed to glow dully.
No, it was not an illusion.
The demon raised his upper body and swung his paws up. The machete-like claws were, for Setsuna at this moment, the scythe of the Grim Reaper itself. It was too late to dismiss it as a dream. From the moment she struck her face, everything became real. The monster in front of me, the monsters around me, the forest, and Azumaria were all real to me.
It wasn't a dream.
The imminent death is also reality itself.
(Move it, ... me!)
Setsuna's heartbroken cry only reverberates in her chest in vain. The body remains bound in fear, awaiting the sentence of death. The footsteps of destruction could be heard.
Then I heard Azmaria's voice.
"Well, if you're going to fight, why don't you just say 'armed summoning'?
Was it the whisper of an angel or a demon?
"Armed summoning!
As soon as Setsuna heard Azumaria's voice, she reflexively shouted. There was no hesitation, no hesitation at all. I'm not sure what to say. A full-body scream. The soul itself was roaring. I felt as if my whole body was boiling.
I was screaming because I didn't want to die.
"That's it.
Countless rays of light ran across Setsuna's entire body - not her black and white school uniform, but her hands, face, and other exposed skin. It drew out a complex, geometric pattern, and the next moment, it dissipated in an explosion of light. The intense and overwhelming diffusion of the flashes temporarily dispelled the darkness of the forest and may have even upset the vision of the monsters that were staring at Setsuna.
In the midst of the comfortable feeling of freedom, Setsuna felt as if she heard a voice. It was a noble and beautiful voice. It was not an auditory hallucination. It was not an illusion. It was not a hallucination, nor was it a fantasy, but she forgot what it said and what it meant. I guess that's okay. I don't know why, but I'm sure of it.
I opened my eyes, which had been closed for some time, and raised my hands above my head. I had to do that. That's all I understand.
A lot of weight was created in her hands.
Setsuna tightened her grip on them and swung them down. There was no need to put any energy into it. All she had to do was swing it down.
The monster, which had gone rigid in front of Setsuna with one leg raised, was easily cut in half. There was not even a response. It was like slicing tofu with a kitchen knife. Maybe the monster was soft, or maybe the sharpness of the knife in his hand was too sharp.
Either way, Setsuna was stunned.
It was the black blood and bodily fluids that spewed out of the monster's body that Setsuna had cut off. The blood and fluid that stained his vision did not splash on Setsuna. He was already in the air, because his body was already in the air. In his hand, he held a jet-black spear. The length of the spear exceeded Setsuna's height, and the tip alone seemed to be long enough. There was nothing special about the long handle. The jewel embedded in the spearhead was filled with clear light.
The light that had flooded Setsuna's body was long gone, and the forest was once again enveloped in darkness. There was no silence. The strange voice of the Imperial Demon is echoing in the air. Is he mourning the death of his compatriot, or is he venting his anger and hatred on Setsuna?
Between the canopies of branches and leaves, he grasped the positioning of the imperial demons stirring in the darkness. The red-eyed monsters were unsuitable for fighting in the dark on their own. There were about fifty of them, their gazes wandering, looking for Setsuna. A few of them caught sight of us. I can feel their intense killing intent. But they don't pressure you like they did earlier.
(Is this how it is?)
As they descended to the ground, Setsuna felt pity for the fragility of the monsters. A single flash of the weapon born in her hand would end their fragile lives. There was no longer any fear. However, the excitement did not make her shiver. I calmly try to grasp the situation. The position of the trees, the movement of the Imperial Demon, and Azmaria's gaze. All kinds of information popped into my head, but I didn't feel confused.
Even though I realized that I wasn't dreaming.
And then...
After landing, Setsuna jumped forward without looking through. A low trajectory. I'm not sure if you've seen this before, but I've seen it before. I didn't have any pangs of conscience. It was a monster, after all. There was no need to hesitate. Besides, it was the other side that attacked first. This was nothing more than self-defense.
(Excessive defense: ...?)
I shake my head. If I don't kill him, he might kill me. In fact, I'm about to be killed. It's not a dream. That's what my senses are telling me. If it's not even a nightmare, there's no reason for me to be killed. Whatever the reason, I don't want to die.
"Hmm.
I'm not sure if you've seen this before, but I have. I'm not sure if you'll be able to find the right one for you.
I'm not sure what to make of this.