The night after Himiko closed her eyes while floating in the sea, she fell asleep. The following morning, she found herself lying on a bed inside a large tent. She slowly opened her eyes and gazed at the ceiling for a moment. After that brief moment, she sat up. She observed her surroundings by glancing around. And after another brief moment, she stood up and started walking out of the tent.
Chapter 1 - The New Life of Unawareness
Once outside the tent, she caught sight of a grand palace nestled against a mountain backdrop, surrounded by various buildings below. As she surveyed her surroundings, she was captivated by the city-like landscape before her. People around her chatted, vendors peddled various wares, and the bustling activity enveloped her senses. After taking in this scene, she stood still for a moment, her gaze fixed on the vibrant surroundings. After a moment, she shook her head slightly, raising her hand to her forhead while closing her eyes.
"Oh, it's like my head suddenly started hurting," she muttered in her thoughts. After a moment, she began to walk. She observed her surroundings as she looked around, and while she walked, voices were coming from her surroundings.
"Buy now!"
"How are you, dear?"
"Come on, let's dance!"
Voices of cheerful people around. However, as she continued her walk, she suddenly felt a heavy sensation, as if she was being pulled downward by a force. Along with this, she had a picture in her mind of a creature with its mouth open and a long tongue sticking out. She quickly turned to look at it, but there was nothing to be seen.
After experiencing that, she continued her walk. As she walked or wandered, she suddenly encountered a group that seemed to be practicing dark magic. "This is where we'll discover the darkness within you! Come here, and let's confront the darkness with magic!" declared the man in the middle as they repeated these words. People were passing by, but they seemed to ignore them.
Upon seeing this, Himiko tried to ignore them as she walked past. However, as she was nearing them, she immediately caught the attention of a woman in the group. "Come here, miss! Let's uncover your darkness, Miss!" she said. But Himiko just walked past her. Another man from the same group ran toward Himiko and grabbed her wrist to stop her from walking. Slowly, Himiko turned her head and saw the man, who had blank eyes and an angry expression. They locked eyes for a moment, and after that Brief Moment "Release," Himiko said firmly, However, the man didn't release her wrist. His group members noticed this, and they quickly went to Himiko and the man. "Zerha-One San, let her go now!" the woman from the group exclaimed.
"Oh, sorry, he's just a bit crazy," said the man who was beside him earlier.
"Let go, dude!" Another man from the group shouted loudly, but even their words couldn't make him loosen his grip on Himiko's wrist.
His group members tried to restrain him from her pulling him, but he simply brushed them away with a swing of his other hand. As Himiko looked at him, she maintained a neutral expression. The man's face grew even angrier, and he started shouting, his eyes gleaming with a hint of madness. But then...
Wait!
Magic in Focus! - Cursed Bindings
This is the activity where an individual and Dark Revenants become as one. It's the merging of two souls to grant justice to the desires or wishes of the Dark Revenants. This is performed to give form to these creatures, providing them with a body they can use. It accompanies them with Cursed Magic that they can utilize for the execution of the Dark Revenants' intentions. Back to The moment!
Much like the Experience of Himiko earlier, the man felt an even stronger force this time, as if it were pulling him downward. Due to this, he found himself kneeling and bowing his head, all while maintaining his grip on Himiko. Alongside this sensation, he perceived the presence of a laughing creature, a voice akin to that of a young girl, and an open mouth with a head drawing closer, its sharp teeth prepared. Accompanying all of this was a dark aura enveloping them, originating particularly from Himiko. Struggling against this, he endeavored to tilt his gaze upward to behold Himiko. However, as he looked skyward, he was wholly unprepared for what he was about to witness.
He noticed a massive creature behind Himiko, seemingly guarding her. Its body was hunched over, its two large hands positioned at Himiko's sides, while its head was above her, mouth agape with its long tongue and sharp teeth exposed. It laughed too, with a voice reminiscent of a young girl's, its head tilted while it peered at the man holding onto Himiko's wrist. Concurrently, the dark aura spread wider, and more of the Dark Presence appeared around Himiko. Witnessing all of this, the man was left unable to speak coherently and began to perspire profusely.
"Release her," Himiko quietly commanded. Upon hearing her words, the man promptly let go of Himiko and she swiftly continued walking, leaving the man behind in a daze, sweat forming on his forehead, his face displaying fear. Following this, the man's companions approached him, clearly displaying their concern. Meanwhile, He still found it difficult to fathom what He had just witnessed. Despite this, He pressed forward while keeping a watchful eye on the unfolding scene.
As she distanced herself from the peculiar encounter, her attention was captured by a bakery named "Mysticuisine Cafe." Her gaze remained fixed on the signboard, only to be interrupted by a voice calling out from within the bakery. "Dear, please come this way!" The voice was accompanied by a warm smile and closed eyes. Catching sight of the bakery, Himiko tilted her head to the side, indicating her curiosity. After a brief moment, she commenced her walk towards the woman standing by the bakery's entrance...