*
" We'll keep raiding until they give the actual numbers. I mean at this pace, they'll run out of bases eventually. "
I said resolutely, whether it was to convince them or convince myself didn't matter... I have to do it, so that there will always be a path in front of us. So that we can arrive at the future we desire.
"... That's the problem, we won't be able to keep up this pace if we can't find the next target to destroy..." (Myuu)
Her eyes had hints of doubt as she scanned through everyone, making sure we all digested reality properly. Just like earlier in the afternoon, we were sat around a circular table of an inn again.
"..."
Under the unbearable pressure, I kept silent as I continued to observe the others. My eyes wandered causing my mind to get heated up and sweat to flow down my temples. So I immediately shifted my gaze down onto the table. Damn, I really got more conscious of weird things...! But it should be fine like this if I don't look at anything! I slowly turned my head up only to see that everyone's gaze was now on me.
Some puzzled, mostly they knew what I saw so Barius gave a knowing smile while Myuu and Paridia gave harsh looks of disappointment. A blush crept up immediately. Mhmm! It's not my fault! It would have been easier if I just never found out I was a guy! Then my brain would stop doing the funny everytime it saw cute girls! It's not my fault they are all really attractive! The magical girl transformation really enhances someone's looks.... Even my own... Huh.
Perhaps the previous Kaori was very indulgent on looking at herself instead of the others, it was a weird theory for sure, but it seems like something she would do after hearing stories about her from Myuu. My impression was that she was very heroic and reckless to an extreme fault, but it was Kaori and I was not Kaori.
She had something which I was missing. Perhaps it was her memories that make us deviate so much, perhaps there was something else she saw but didn't tell Myuu and the rest... After all, all Myuu had was the memories they shared. Not the memories exclusively and personally experienced by Kaori. She saw something that I couldn't. Because I don't think a living thing could be as reckless as her, unless it was absurdly idiotic, or if it had an unknown and profound reason.
When I try to look at Kaori's memories, it was like looking through a super thick kaleidoscopic glass with everything blurred out inside it. I couldn't recognised anything in it, and it didn't make sense since the memories were supposed to be 'deleted' not sealed. Killing the perpetrator that did this didn't resolve the problem, this was due to the nature of her magic 'physically' erasing my memories. It was not a magic that induced a state similar to lost memories, but the memories itself were actually lost in reality.
After our dinner together, we weren't in much of a rush as the coordinates of the next base still needed to be deciphered. Around two thirds of the cult's bases have been annihilated, some of the remaining one third was actually in independant remnants that acted outside this faction. So we were closer to completely destroying their forces than it seemed. Their all powerful progenitor hasn't come to stop us once, I suppose the bases aren't as important as her life. Or that... They were dispensable. Yeah, it was more likely this were just her forces in Central.
Not that I thought about it, she could clearly teleport... She could be in anywhere on earth. It was a dreadful thought... We had no way of locating her, so how would we rescue Gerald? That's it... I was so foolish, but there is a single lead.
"We had one concrete lead the entire time but didn't think to use it."
"Where?" (Paridia)
"The Eye God. There are numerous rumours surrounding them working together. Maybe she would give the progenitor's whereabouts... If we plead as her subjects..."
Not a single person uttered another word. They sensed that the situation was getting desperate too, so an oppressive silence had taken over the dining table. After a bit of silence, someone finally muttered to break the silence.
"Thank god... I thought we just lost due to our lack of information. This means we have a way... Even if it sounds unrealistic..." (Myuu)
Looking over at me, there was an odd gaze in her expression that felt too complicated for me to decipher. I didn't know what to do about it, but I subconsciously gave off a little smile knowing there was a path for me. When looking closely, it had only been around 2 weeks since we've been attacking bases. Maybe it had been longer with Kaori but I wouldn't know. All I can do is move forward.
It didn't take long afterwards, we went straight to where The Eye God was in the next morning. As the highest governing authority of this faction, there was a large castle like structure that wasn't hard to spot. It was of a gleaming snow white hue that was nearly as bright as a lit light bulb, if one were to haphazardly go into the structure they would get disorientated. It didn't take much to tell that something weird was up with the structure, I didn't need a sense of magical particles to trust the instinctual fear stirring up my stomach acid.
"... That's just a front, the gate likely leads to a different dimension. Depending on The Eye God's whims, she could leave us stranded in another dimension." (Myuu)
For a moment it felt like the entire world was on top of my body as I dropped onto the floor like a salted fish, before that feeling disappeared.
***(?)
"HahaHAHaHA!! That never gets old!" (?)
***
Pulling my body up, the rest were able land on their knees or knelt down to break their own falls. With no one able to stay standing straight the whole time, we looked like a bunch of drunks struggling to walk down the street. I moved my hair out of the way as I pull myself up, it seemed to be some kind of psychological attack instead of a physical attack. If it was physical, I could have at least begin resisting with my strength the moment I start falling down. Instead I faceplanted into the ground due to having no sense of touch to give me feedback, it delayed my reaction heavily due to having to process what was happening first before moving.
But this wasn't enough to deter me, I dragged my posture back up with unyielding strength. I dusted off the dirt that got onto my clothes as everyone else finished their preparations. Without another word, we all stepped in one by one only to be greeted with pure white. So many special pocket dimensions that we've encountered are covered completely in white, maybe it's just the default look for magical extra dimensions.
Before long, the whiteness cleared up like a fading mystical fog to reveal a queue of people leading to a lobby counter. It looked like a hotel lobby even if there was only 1 queue as the counter stretched beyond the eye could see. At the front of the queue, people could be seen disappearing into sparkling particles, supposedly reaching their destination. Most of them here were magical girls that were working for the Central government, one could say they were just returning to their office to retrieve something, since they can report through magical long distance communication.
When it came to our turn to reach the front, it didn't take much time at all as the receptionist was a fast worker. Maybe security was laxed due to the nature of this place, seeing us made her narrow her eyes as she seemed to have some idea of why we're here.
"If you're here to pray to the The Eye God, go do so at one of her shrines. She won't entertain wishes without anything in return." (Receptionist)
"So we just have to give her something?"
"Yeah. It must be of equal value though, so be careful..." (Receptionist)
Seeing as we had no objections, we proceeded with what we were originally doing. The receptionist was kind enough to give a little warning as her eyes hesitated for a second, before she fulfilled her role and teleported us to the requesting chamber. Our bodies materialised at the beginning of a large snoe white hall. The floors, ceiling and walls emitted a similar amount of light as the outside, as if the entire building was a massive light bulb.
The walls were about a hundred metres long and the corridor were a hundred metres wide, making it somewhat squarical buy extremely large at the same time. I would have believed it if someone told me this was meant to fit dragons instead. Due to the light, it was similarly disorientating if we stare at the same spot for too long, even the corners have blurred and become vague in our vision due to the light being emitted.
As there was only 1 direction to walk towards with our backs to a wall, we proceeded without pause and continued our way to the main room where we could see The Eye God. Well, 'see' is very subjective in this case because we don't know what we're looking at... Despite the glaring brilliance of the surroundings that threaten to burn our retinas, at the end of the enormous corridor was a giant wall of pitch black... Is it even a wall? It was writhing like a living thing and squirming around as it never stopped moving, as if something was either rotating around or was large enough to keep moving and fill up the entire cross section of the corridor at the same time.
Before long, we arrived at it, some of us resuming our respiration as we forgot to breath before this menacing sight. Just... What were we looking at? Usually magical phenomena with such powerful psychological effects, we can ignore with our will stat and pretend it's not there to preserve our sanity. But this... It feels like it's forcing itself into our heads! What is this? How does it exist? When did it appear? What will it do next?
Questions and more questions arrive in a destructive deluge that ate away at my mind, forcing it to comprehend something that couldn't be comprehended at out level. Tch, was this what that receptionist meant? Did we have to become S grades first before being able to deal with something so terrifying? I can't... Understand. My head hurts like someone dropped the moon over it, my saliva ceaselessly leak through the two edges of my lips as I grit my jaw together with all my strength.
The Eye God... Was she in cahoots with the progenitor after all? If I were to describe myself, strong would never be the word... I think myopic is closer... Because I couldn't see anything in the grand scheme of things... Why The Eye God would want to partner up with such a criminal... Surely a god wouldn't covet riches... They could just make some come into existence... What the hell is the whole point of opposing us... Why....
I feel my bones slowly creaking as my body was continuously being forced onto the ground, I turned my eyes up against my eyelids to catch a glimpse, peering intently at the swirling black mass. The others were resisting as well, some on all fours, others with their legs collapsed on the ground. But no matter how long we tried to resist, we were in the grey zone between not being strong enough to resist the mental attack and not being weak enough to immediately collapse.
"You are too weak to learn anything. The revelation you seek will only bring about your collapse, all right before you can even touch what you yearn for most." (@#$?@$#)
I... I want to retort, but I'm too weak to do so. I can't even speak. My body can't lift itself up, as it is especially hindered by its lack of the sense of touch. It can't feel the feedback of going against the ground, ordinarily it was only standing by relying on my sight to tell that it was standing. It was also carried by the momentum generated by my aggressive movements, that was why I never stood still when I fought.
If not, there was a chance I could simply collapse onto the ground, presenting an opening to the enemy. It wouldn't be too far to say it was akin to being strapped to a bicycle without the assisting tool for balancing when it's not moving. If I closed my eyes, I could get pushed down by the wind.
My aura flared up, I continue to resist by aiming my skill at the ground. Pushing high pressure wind to force myself afloat. I... Need to stand... I... Need to face The Eye God in the eye.