Just as I was about to resign myself to fate, a barrier like a compass suddenly protected me.
I could feel that this was interference from outside.
Was this the 'surprise' Clarissa talked about from earlier? Preparing to help me awaken my Gift?
Why was she so sweet…?
Fuck, I love that bitch. She messes with me and screws around with me at times, but I can't help it.
She's…
SHE'S MY GODDAMN HERO~!
"He's mine! Don't you dare touch him!" Just as my mood got good, the snake lifted out of the darkness. It had shiny icicle scales and a look that seemed to scare even the most horrifying entities.
…I'm screwed.
Will 'Hungry Wolf' help me?
"Not if I eat him up first!" The wolf man lunged at me, but bounced off the second barrier appearing.
The magical formations shook violently.
Fuck, he was also after me?!
Both of them clashed into my barriers and sent me flying. Trying to rip them apart to get to me.
This wasn't like Clarissa said…!
Where was the 'negotiation' in this chaos? They were just trying to devour me and digest me whole.
Was I a mouse to them or something?
I wasn't sure how long I would've held out.
Why was I so helpless?
Didn't I change so I wouldn't be killed?
So my life would be better than before…?
…Know what?
Fuck you all as well…
I suddenly became calm in the face of impending doom. The Elemental Hexagram, Taiji Diagram, and Fengshui Compass Magic Formations rotated into armour around me. My fists prepared for combat.
The fact that these creatures were otherworldly and vicious suddenly didn't matter to me anymore.
Nor the fact that they somehow knew me.
I used the Magic Formations as both a defensive barrier and foothold. Launching myself at them.
The first one to go down was the 'Hungry Wolf'.
A precise fist thrusted between the gaps in his muscle fibres. Hitting directly on his throat.
Defence didn't matter anymore.
The neck was the weakest joint in the body. Simply hitting it with a straight corkscrew punch blocked it. The wolf man momentarily found it hard to breath, which was a moment I used to turn myself.
Dropping towards the giant snake.
My fist crashed into the icy scales of the reptilian monstrosity, and I felt the thickness crack bones.
*Ptchk!*
The skin on my knuckles were scratched off, but that didn't make me cowardly enough to back off.
I wanted to change.
And this wouldn't stop me!
My body wasn't human anymore. I didn't have to fear death or crippling injuries, so it was alright.
I pushed my entire weight into the punch.
My arm was screaming for me to stop. The pain was so strong that I would rather have just died.
But I chose to continue my retaliation.
Driving my fist downwards until the scales broke apart, and a heavy impact threw the snake away.
"…He already has Gifts?! Why?!" There was an ear piercing shriek that came from the icy monstrosity.
It reminded me that I wasn't 'weak' anymore.
"The fragment of the Imaginary God is mine…!" A greedy look appeared on the wolf man's face.
He dove down towards me while widening his mouth in an exaggerated manner. Trying to swallow me in one gulp. An attack that was hard to dodge due to its unexpected and unsophisticated nature.
I couldn't strike properly.
There seemed to be a black hole at the centre of the mouth. The moment it touch, then I would be…
"Eat this!" For the first time, a light of savagery awoke in my eyes while remembering Clarissa.
All her thoughts and exquisite sword movements.
A projection of her overlaid my body while unveiling the 'Toxic Blade'. I slashed four times in one swing.
Cutting the 'frames' around the black hole, which were also the lips of this wannabe Grimm fairy tale.
"Agh..!" He closed his mouth, which gave me time to switch opponents and stamp down violently.
The hands that had been secretly approaching me under the cover of darkness had vanished.
The light of Insightful Savant appeared in my eyes while looking down on this thing with composure.
They finally stood down for a moment.
Recognising that I was no pushover for them.
"What are you all up to anyway?" I decided to take the initiative and ask, but they told me nothing.
A dark figure ejected out of the body of the giant frost snake. Shedding the useless vessel herself.
Three figures stood atop of now lifeless corpse.
The first was me, who had awakened my Gifts and was ready to fight for my life at any time now.
Second was 'Hungry Wolf'. His mouth seemed to have healed up faster than my own regeneration.
Last was a woman who gave the same familiarity as Hungry Wolf. She wore a dress with no stitches.
That was to say that the form of the dress wasn't handmade, but naturally fitted her body itself.
Despite being made of blue leather, it seemed to be worn like a top class dress seen in high society.
There was a leg revealing slit in her skirt, and her feet wore two black high heels of similar material.
Like black painted teeth of a giant serpent.
The woman had black hair like my own, and a cold face that couldn't hide the animistic vibes in her.
Especially the red iris cut with black slit pupils.
All of these features went well with her smooth and untouched skin. Unlike the form she had fought in.
"What?" After seeing my stare, the woman glared back. Seemingly ready to continue the battle again.
But I also felt something different from hate.
What she expressed was nothing other than killing intent. With no annoyance or rage in her eyes.
I felt like we were similar in that aspect.
Not seeing each other as obstacles or anything.
The only thing we saw was whatever we wanted to see. Whether that be food… or someone to kill.
"Stop there!" Hungry Wolf barged right between us before we scuffled: "We really shouldn't be fighting like this. Don't we all want the same thing? How about to calm down and talk things out again."
Only an idiot would believe that's what he wanted.
A part of me wanted to cut his mouth off, but I also knew trying to fight them was too much for me.
Nodding my head silently, I backed away until both of them were in my view. We stood in a standoff.
"We need something from you." (Hungry Wolf)
"He's mine…!" (???)
"Can't you introduce yourselves? How am I related to you both?" I asked them without hesitation.
This time, it was the snake woman who responded to me. She seemed to dislike all this talking.
"Do you even know where we are?" When she asked this, I kind of remembered some details.
"The… realm of 'Imaginary Spirits'?" (Adam)
"Exactly. This is the place where all stories in the universe are recorded. The God who created this Realm and his successor are dead, but all we need is the fragment to hope for a better future." (???)
"What's that supposed to mean to me?" (Adam)
"Nothing… I, Python, the child of Gaia, should naturally inherit Godhood. Tales meant to scare kids shouldn't interfere." She pointed at the wolf man, who seemed offended by her insults.
"Python, even if we both originally had the same name, that doesn't mean you can speak freely. And here I thought you wouldn't come out after losing your physical form." Hungry Wolf snarled while extending the long talons from each of his fingers.
"Little boy, even without my physical form, I can still destroy your existence." She hissed at him.
"Hey, are you two forgetting about me already?" I found it amazing how they disregarded me.
Sure, from the fact Hungry Wolf had no injuries and this 'Python' woman looked stronger than in her huge form, I knew they were really stronger. Maybe even strong enough to overwhelm me at this point.
But who gave them permission to ignore me?
Did I look easy to disregard…?
"Anyway, we just want your Gift. Pick one of us and we will exchange it with you. Me specifically. Offer me a Gift, and I shall grant you a Miracle. If you don't want to, then I'll grant you a Curse." Hungry Wolf raised his claws and looked at me viciously.
I'd understood something useless at this point.
"I just have one question." (Adam)
They focused their attention on me in response.
"Which is…?" (Hungry Wolf)
"Are the both of you me from different worlds?"
"…Does that really matter?" The wolf man raised a brow, and I also nodded when he said it like that.
"You're right. It doesn't." I placed the Toxic Blade on my shoulder, then continued: "Curse me all you want. I'm no pushover or coward. Let me tell you this beforehand though. I'm a ridiculous person."
After finishing my words, it felt like they wanted to say something in response to my crazy statement.
But soon realised it couldn't be more accurate.
The three of us fought with our lives on the line, all which made no sense considering the situation.
There was no way for me to win the war.
Unless I gave in and compromised a little, these bastards would leave a curse on me after I died.
…Such a thing didn't matter.
I'd already promised myself that no matter how people hurt me, I wouldn't run away from their curses. Those weren't frivolous feelings. I wouldn't have been able to kill someone without that will.
Time went by excruciatingly slow…
When the sounds of battle died down, there was only one person left standing in this battle royale.
I stood while holding both of them from their necks. Ready to cleanly snap them at any time.
There were wounds all over my body, but I had managed to save the Magic Formations from breaking. My breath was ragged, but the two who were in front of me were in worse conditions.
Cuts mired their flesh.
Just as I was ready to kill them, Hungry Wolf stopped my fingers from tightening and howled.
"Awoooo!" It seemed like a call. An action that made my heart jump. Making me look around.
From the furthest reaches of this starry space, it looked like countless 'spirits' had awoken.
Beasts, heroes, demons, legends… Every story ever told in any universe came as a stampede.
My heart was struck by fear at the sight.
There were too many, and I was fatigued.
This wasn't a fight. All that would happen now was that I'd die from a one-sided slaughter from them.
'Fine…' I had no choice but to curse inwardly, then used the card that I'd held and didn't want at all.
A light erupted from my body as I called upon my helper fairy, but the result wasn't as I'd expected.
Four figures stood in front of my body.
One man in particular with an eyepatch lifted his hand, and the roaring beasts of legends went quiet.
I sensed unfathomable fear from their silence…