Coughing, I instinctively covered my mouth with my hands, only to feel warmth and wetness—blood. My eyes fluttered open, and the first sight that greeted me was my own hands, coated in crimson.
As I focused my gaze ahead, I was confronted by a figure straight out of a nightmare—an otherworldly humanoid entity, towering at ten feet tall. Its sleek black skin seemed to pulsate with a disturbing energy, and rows of razor-sharp teeth protruded from its muscular form, varying in size and forming terrifying mouths all over its body. This creature resembled a malevolent force, as though it embodied doom itself, devoid of any trace of goodness.
Its face was equally unsettling—an oversized head adorned with void-like eyes, adorned with strange Kanji letters, and a nightmarish mouth filled with layers of jagged teeth.
My breaths were labored, and it felt like my lungs were punctured. A cough sent splatters of blood onto my hands. Was this the end for me? Amid the chaos, fragments of memories swirled within me, featuring a forest and two girls...
Amid the cacophony of gunshots and terrified screams echoing around me, the blaring wails of air raid sirens added to the chaos. My vision began to blur, a sure sign that my condition was deteriorating. The monstrous entity swung its massive arm downward with immense force, the sound of bone crunching and flesh splattering invading my senses as its fist collided with something—someone.
And then, a voice boomed within my mind, a living presence reaching out to communicate with me.
"Do you desire power?"
My world seemed to shift, as if I was teetering between reality and something else, something beyond. Amid the chaos, a sense of detachment settled in, accompanied by an eerie calm. The voice continued, revealing truths that stirred an unsettling sense of recognition within me.
"This world is nothing but a dream... White Release: Divinae memoriae... To witness my descendant's suffering is a grave disappointment..."
"Who are you?" I thought, my mind reaching out in the hopes of establishing some form of communication.
"You... Will know... When... Time... Is... Right... Now... Destroy... That beast..."
The voice in my head seemed to resonate with a snap, and suddenly, everything was enveloped in a blue hue. An overwhelming crushing sensation swept over the area, and to my astonishment, I felt my pain vanish, replaced by something new, something powerful.
As my senses returned, I gazed at the monstrous entity before me. A cerulean aura surrounded my entire body, reminiscent of characters in Dragon Ball during intense power-ups. The landscape seemed to transform, revealing thousands of distinct auras—including the evil, malevolent glow of the monster itself. The sight of it made my stomach churn.
"This... Can't be..." the beast's distorted voice muttered, its human semblance nearly lost.
"Another Divine child... After I tried to escape the other one..." it continued, each step causing the ground to tremble under its monstrous weight.
"Now... Finish this and go back to reality..." The voice echoed in my mind as a sword appeared out of thin air, its hilt finding its way into my grasp. I flipped the weapon, studying the blade—a vibrant blue, tinged with flickering flames that danced across its surface.
The ground quaked as the monstrous creature charged toward me, its intent clear. Despite its resemblance to the beast I had slain at the fleshling base, I held no fear. Rising from my landing spot, I assumed a resolute stance, drawing a breath as every nerve in my legs pulsed with energy.
In a heartbeat, I sprang into action.
Now in the position where the monster had been, I swiftly turned around. The creature's movement came to an abrupt halt, and its once imposing aura seemed to split in half.
"Curse you... Venidith..." the monster's fading voice whispered as its life force ebbed away. With a final shudder, its massive form slumped to the ground, sending a minor tremor through the area.
Venidith... The name resonated within my mind, triggering a flood of memories and revelations. It all clicked into place, as if I were watching a sped-up film, each frame delivering crucial information.
My consciousness faded, the scene before me enveloped in a blinding light. Venidith's valiant struggle against Ayesha and the titan replayed—her aerial dance, the standoff, and the efforts of Soundriv, the nurse, and surviving villagers to carry away the injured, including the fallen Hannah and Sam.
Clasping my hands together, I whispered an incantation, "Dark Release: Somnia mundi exitium."
A series of cracks resonated, as though reality itself was fracturing. The sound was reminiscent of shattering glass, and I could practically feel the world around me disintegrating. Sabrina, my companions, and the life I had known seemed to fade into a distant past. Yet, I promised myself I would seek the truth from Gustav once I returned.
As my thoughts churned, an abrupt interruption snapped my attention back to the present. With an explosive crack, the dream world around me shattered, and I found myself soaring through the air. Venidith's figure darted about, pursued by the relentless titan—a miniature yet menacing embodiment of danger, its crimson skin, piercing yellow eyes, gaping maw, and bald head creating a nightmarish sight.
Venidith's gaze met mine, and a smile spread across her face. "You've done it!" she exclaimed, her voice carrying a mix of relief and admiration.
Once again, I assumed my stance—knees slightly bent, crouched low, my focus fixed on the titan's head.
In the blink of an eye, the sword I wielded sliced through the titan's neck with astonishing ease, as if cutting through soft butter. The headless body toppled and crashed to the ground, its impact sending tremors through the earth. Strangely, I noticed there was no defiant roar, almost as if the sword's power severed its connection to its aura.
I landed gracefully, sword still in hand, though my grip made it appear more like a knife.
"What... What is this?" Ayesha's voice quivered with fear, her composure crumbling.
Raising my gaze, I observed the light streaks in the air growing more pronounced, intertwining with the threads that now dominated the forest. Amidst it all, there she stood—the orchestrator of this chaos.
"Could it be that I'm looking at a frightened bitch?" I spoke, my tone colder than ice.