The day had come for Satoru Gojo, Hajime Nagumo, and Yue to leave the depths of the Orcus Labyrinth. Hajime had managed to craft a variety of weapons and tools using Creation Magic, and both he and Yue had grown significantly stronger. Satoru, meanwhile, had honed his understanding of the world of Tortus, though his inability to manipulate mana remained a thorn in his side.
Immediately after stepping on the portal that supposedly led to the exit of the Orcus Labyrinth, the group of three were enveloped by a bright and blinding light. The sensation of leaving the ground took over them.
Hajime Nagumo, the once-weak otaku turned formidable weeb, felt his stomach lurch as the light faded and gave way to an expanse of blue. The salty smell of the ocean hit his nostrils, and for a brief moment, he marveled at the vastness of the world spread out around them.
Yue, the vampire princess with her flowing golden hair, blinked in surprise as she took in their new surroundings. Her crimson eyes widened as she realized their predicament.
And then there was Satoru Gojo, the white-haired jujutsu sorcerer, whose ever-present smile seemed to widen as he took in the situation.
The reversal of gravity took a while to take hold, and the three looked at each other comically, until all of them—no, only two of them—started falling from the sky after gravity reasserted itself.
"W-What the hell is this!?" Hajime Nagumo yelled as he immediately cast Aerodynamic. A small and transparent barrier-like plate manifested below Hajime's feet, holding himself and Yue afloat. The latter used wind magic to glide through the air and drop down on Hajime's foothold. "Thank you, Hajime," she said, her voice soft.
Hovering a few meters above the water, Hajime glared at Satoru, who was now gracefully gliding in mid-air, his hands nonchalantly placed behind his back. "Hey! You knew this was going to happen, didn't you?" he yelled, a vein throbbing on his forehead. No one read Oscar Orcus' books more than Satoru, after all.
Satoru chuckled, his voice carried by the wind. "Maybe," he admitted with a playful shrug. "But where's the fun in spoiling the surprise? Besides, I technically didn't know. All it said in the books was the teleportation circle did not have a fixed coordinate."
Hajime only rumbled, unable to refute the sorcerer. Satoru paid Yue and Hajime no mind as he ripped apart a section of space with his hands, opening a rift to the Unlimited Void. There, he took out…
"A bandage? Seriously?" Hajime mocked Satoru in the kind of thing he pulled from a literal void of space. Satoru only rolled his eyes as he explained, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
"Oh, I'm sorry, Mr. Semi-Cyborg, but I have a brain. My eyes give me so much to process that it's a tad bit tiring, so I cover them! I can still see, so no need to pay any mind." Satoru's smile softened. "The portal spat us out somewhere in the middle of the ocean. Land isn't exactly on the horizon."
Yue frowned. "So, we're stranded then?" she asked, her voice laced more with frustration than with worry.
Satoru hummed as he turned around to look at Hajime and Yue. "I said land's not on the horizon, not that there ain't any," he said, his face having a tinge of eeriness with the wrap of bandages around his normally vibrant eyes. "There's one over there, and it's inhabited," he added, pointing behind him.
Both Hajime and Yue nodded. "So? How do we get there, then?" Yue asked. Hajime added, "Are those 'inhabitants' humans?"
"We go there my way, and I can't say for sure if they're humans." As Satoru said his words, he began moving toward Hajime and Yue. The sight of such a fine specimen of a male walking on air thousands of meters above the ocean can really evoke a feeling of… fascination.
Then, "Bend down and cover your heads." Hajime and Yue complied.
Holding both of them with each of his hands, Satoru ordered Hajime to dispel his foothold. He was skeptical, since this could be another prank in which he drops them off to the ocean, but Hajime nevertheless complied.
"Woah," Yue gasped in surprise as they floated in the air with only Satoru's palms holding them. Then, without warning, he activated his technique. The air around them shimmered as he warped space, propelling them forward at an impossible speed.
It's like riding on the scariest rollercoaster for your first-time experience. It was nausea-inducing. In mere seconds, the faint outline of an island materialized on the horizon. Hajime couldn't help but marvel at Satoru's power. They literally crossed thousands of kilometers in mere moments, their speed a blur as the air ripped in front of them.
As Satoru halted his technique and forcefully pulled to a stop, Hajime and Yue's bodies nearly jolted forward a few dozen meters more from the recoil had it not been for the sorcerer keeping them suspended in his palms. Then, he let them go without warning.
"Betch!" His accent turned weird as Hajime desperately flapped his wings and cast another foothold beneath him, landing on it softly. Yue, who's on the verge of throwing up vomit, hurried to Hajime's platform and kneeled down, unleashing violent toxic projectiles of half-dissolved contents into the vast blue below.
Hajime kneeled down beside her and massaged her back in comfort, not forgetting to glare at Satoru Gojo slightly above them, who didn't even turn to look. "Have her finish up and we'll get down," he said as he stepped down on empty air like he was descending down a set of invisible stairs. "I don't think this island is a civilized one."
Hajime, confused, turned towards on his left where Satoru was looking—of course not forgetting to gently scrub Yue's back as she continued her bombardment. Down there, is a fairly large island. There are no signs of any city—at least one large enough to be seen from all the way up where they stood. But there are living beings as Gojo said.
"What's this island?"
"Well, I don't think it had any name. If we really are in the Southern Ocean as I have thought, then there really was one island without a name." Hajime replied, still massaging Yue's back as her nausea began to subside. She finally stopped vomiting, taking a deep breath as she steadied herself.
"Feel better?" Hajime asked softly, his tone gentle.
Yue nodded, her face pale but her eyes resolute. "Yes. Thank you, Hajime."
Satoru descended the last few aerial steps to reach the bare white sand ashore. "Come on, you two. Let's not linger here." Hajime and Yue followed, descending onto the sands that partly sunk under their weight.
"Think we're going to see barbaric cannibals here?" Hajime asked jokingly.
"Well, given how far we are from the continent, I wouldn't exactly rule it out," Gojo replied as he examined the area through his blindfold. Given the lack of playfulness normally present within Satoru's voice, then perhaps this island is one worth being cautious on.
Turning around to face Hajime and Yue behind him, Gojo asked a rather peculiar question. "Have you seen Green Inferno? It's a really wholesome movie back on earth."
Suspicious, Hajime tried to assess his memories. "Not that I've watched it since it was western, but are you sure about the wholesome part?"
Satoru merely widened his smile, not saying anything as he turned around to face the sea of greenery—the rainforest stretched out to every nook of this island.
...…
...
…
The dense canopy of the rainforest loomed over them, casting everything in a dim, emerald-tinted light. The air was thick with humidity, clinging to their skin like a second layer. As the group of three ventured deeper into the lush undergrowth, the thumps of wildlife grew more intense - chirping insects, calling birds, and the occasional rustle of unseen creatures moving through the foliage.
Hajime's boots sank slightly into the damp earth with each step, his eyes constantly scanning their surroundings. His artificial arm gleamed dully in the filtered light. Beside him, Yue moved with a grace that belied her true nature, her crimson eyes alert and wary.
Satoru, on the other hand, seemed to be thoroughly enjoying himself. He walked with an easy confidence, occasionally reaching out to touch a leaf or examine an interesting flower. His bandaged eyes didn't seem to hinder him in the slightest.
"So, Satoru," Hajime began, breaking the tense silence that had fallen over them, "what exactly did you see when you were looking at this island from up there? Any semblance of a community? Or are we walking into completely uncharted territory here?"
Satoru's smile widened slightly as he kicked up a rock, a mischievous glint in his concealed eyes. "Oh, you know. Trees. Lots and lots of trees. A few clearings here and there. And some... interesting gatherings."
"Gatherings?" Yue asked, her voice barely above a whisper. Her hand instinctively moved closer to Hajime's, seeking reassurance. It seemed a real life horror sequence would not go well with Yue.
"Mhm," Satoru hummed, ducking under a low-hanging vine. "Groups of humanoid figures. I'm not too sure, but they didn't seem to be wearing much in the way of clothing. Quite the fashion statement, if you ask me."
Hajime frowned, his grip tightening on his gun. "Great. So, we might be dealing with primitive tribes after all. Just what we needed - another complication."
"Now, now," Satoru chided playfully, "where's your sense of adventure, Hajime? This could be fun!"
"Your definition of 'fun' worries me sometimes," Hajime muttered.
As they continued to push through the dense foliage, a sudden rustling from nearby put them all on high alert. Hajime raised his gun, its metallic surface glinting in the dim light. Yue's hands began to glow with magical energy, ready to cast a spell at a moment's notice. Satoru, true to form, just stood there, looking more amused than concerned.
From the bushes emerged a small, vibrantly colored bird. Its plumage was a riot of blues, reds, and yellows - colors so bright they seemed almost unnatural. It tilted its head at them curiously, let out a shrill chirp, and then flew off in a blur of color.
Hajime let out a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding, lowering his gun slightly. "Okay, maybe we're a bit on edge here."
"You are a bit on edge."
"With good reason," Yue added, her eyes still scanning their surroundings. "This place... it feels different. The mana in the air, it's... wilder somehow."
Satoru nodded, his expression thoughtful for once. "You're right, Yue. The mana here is less refined and nourished, more primal. It's fascinating, really. This might be the only human place that the church does not have any influence on."
They pressed on, the forest growing denser with each step. Massive trees towered above them, their trunks wider than Hajime could wrap his arms around. Vines hung like curtains, and strange, luminescent fungi dotted the forest floor, casting an eerie glow in the shadows.
Suddenly, Satoru held up a hand, stopping them in their tracks. "We're not alone," he said softly, all traces of playfulness gone from his voice.
As if on cue, a sharp whizzing sound cut through the air. Hajime's eyes widened as he saw a crude wooden spear flying directly towards Yue, its tip glinting with some kind of viscous substance.
Hajime moved with lightning rection to push her out of the way. But before he could reach her, the spear stopped mid-air, mere inches from Yue's face.
Satoru casually plucked the hovering spear out of the air, examining it with mild interest. "Interesting craftsmanship," he mused, running a finger along the shaft. "And this poison... quite potent, I'd imagine. See? I told you this would be fun."
Hajime glared at him. "Your definition of 'fun' definitely needs work."
Suddenly, the forest around them erupted with movement. Dozens of figures, their bodies painted in vibrant colors and adorned with feathers and bone ornaments, emerged from the underbrush. They carried more spears, as well as crude bows and stone axes. Their eyes, wide and wary, darted between the three strangers who had invaded their territory.
The largest of them, a towering figure with intricate scarification patterns across his chest and face, stepped forward. He wore a headdress made of brilliantly colored feathers, and in his hand, he held a staff topped with what looked disturbingly like a human skull.
The tribal leader shouted something in a language none of them understood, his voice deep and commanding. The other tribesmen tensed, readying their weapons.
"He said to kill us the moment he gives the signal," Satoru said, a sadistic grin plastered on his face.
"How'd you know what he said?"
"Any sound with willful intent, even if it's rabble language, can be understood by me. It's just a matter of simple calculation."
Hajime raised his gun, his artificial eye whirring as it analyzed potential threats. Yue's hands radiated mana, the air around her shimmering with power. And Gojo... Gojo just smiled and waved at the tribe leader, as if they had just bumped into each other at a neighborhood barbecue.
"Well," Satoru said cheerfully, seemingly oblivious to the tension in the air, "looks like we've found the welcoming committee. Shall we introduce ourselves?"
Hajime shot him an incredulous look. "Are you serious right now? They're clearly hostile."
Satoru shrugged, still smiling. "Hostile is such a strong word. I prefer 'cautious'. Besides, we're guests in their land. It would be rude not to say hello."
Before Hajime could protest further, Satoru took a step forward, his hands raised in a gesture of peace. The tribesmen tensed; their weapons trained on the strange white-haired man with the bandaged eyes.
"Hello there!" Satoru called out, his voice jovial. "Lovely day for a walk in the jungle, isn't it? I must say, your island is quite beautiful. The decor could use a little work though - all these trees make it hard to appreciate the view."
The tribal leader blinked, clearly taken aback by Satoru's casual demeanor. He barked out another command in his unknown language, and several of the tribesmen moved forward, their spears pointed at Satoru's chest.
Hajime tensed, ready to open fire if needed. "Satoru..." he warned. Although he looked worried, he wasn't inwardly.
But Satoru remained unperturbed. He tilted his head, as if listening to something only he could hear. Then, to everyone's surprise, he spoke again - this time in the tribe's own language. The tribesmen's eyes widened in shock. The leader took a step back, his grip on his staff tightening.
"How... how did you do that?" Yue asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
Satoru turned back to them, grinning. "Oh, you know. A little trick I picked up. It's amazing what you can learn when you really listen."
Hajime shook his head in disbelief. "You really are a cheat, you know that?"
Satoru's grin widened. "I try." He turned back to the tribal leader, speaking again in their language. Whatever he said seemed to ease the tension somewhat, as the leader lowered his staff slightly.
"So," Hajime said, not lowering his gun just yet, "what's the verdict? Are we about to become the main course at a cannibal feast, or what?"
Satoru chuckled. "Not quite. It seems we've stumbled into their sacred hunting grounds. They're not too pleased about that, but I think I've managed to convince them we mean no harm."
The tribal leader spoke again, gesturing towards the deeper part of the jungle.
"Ah," Satoru said, nodding. "They want to take us to their village. Apparently, their shaman wants to meet us. Something about a prophecy."
Yue frowned. "A prophecy? About us?"
"Well, isn't that interesting," Hajime muttered. "So, what do we do? Follow them?"
Satoru shrugged. "Why not? It could be enlightening. Besides, I'm curious to see what passes for interior design in a jungle village."
Hajime sighed, finally lowering his gun. "Fine. But if this turns out to be a trap..."
"Then we'll deal with it," Satoru said confidently. "Come on, once again, where's your sense of adventure?"
As the tribal warriors began to lead them deeper into the jungle, Hajime couldn't shake the feeling that they were walking into something far more complex than they had anticipated. But he wasn't that worried or anxious. We are the strongest, that's his unshakable and undeniable truth.
••
A day later, the trio found themselves once again at sea, this time aboard a crude raft they had hastily borrowed (stole). The island, now a distant green smudge on the horizon, held memories they were all too eager to leave behind.
Hajime sat at the edge of the raft, his artificial arm gleaming in the sunlight as he paddled. His face was set in a grim expression, a blood that did not belong to him running along his cheek - a souvenir from their hasty escape.
"Well," he said, breaking the silence, "I think we can safely say that didn't go as planned."
Yue, her golden hair matted with dried blood that wasn't her own, nodded solemnly. "Those people... they were not what we expected."
Satoru, looking annoyingly unruffled despite the ordeal they had just been through, chuckled. "Oh, I don't know. I thought it was quite exciting. Nothing like a little cannibalism to spice up an island vacation."
Hajime shot him a glare. "You think this is funny? They fed us elephant poop!"
"Oh, come now," Satoru said, waving his hand dismissively. "Like you're one to mind what you eat. Besides, we were never in any real danger. Though I must admit, their shaman's attempt to sacrifice me to their 'god' was a bit presumptuous."
Yue frowned, remembering the slaughter scene in the village's central plaza. The fires, the chanting, the horrific altar stained with old blood. "I still don't understand why they turned on us so suddenly. One moment we were honored guests, the next..."
"The next, we were on the menu," Hajime finished. "I guess their 'prophecy' was more along the lines of 'dinner is served'. Which god did they serve, even?"
Satoru nodded, his perpetual smile dimming slightly. "It seems the isolation of the island twisted their perception of outsiders. To them, we weren't people, but walking sources of vitality to be consumed." He paused, his bandaged eyes seeming to look into the distance. "It's a shame, really. There was so much we could have learned from each other."
Hajime snorted. "Yeah, like how to properly season human flesh. No thanks."
"You're so dark," Satoru replied. They fell into silence again, the only sound the gentle lapping of waves against their makeshift raft. The sun beat down mercilessly, and Hajime could feel his skin beginning to burn.
"So," Yue said after a while, "where do we go from here?"
Satoru pointed to the north. "If my calculations are correct, and they usually are, we should reach the mainland in about three days. Assuming, of course, we don't run into any sea monsters or get picked up by pirates first."
Hajime groaned. "Don't even joke about that. After what we've been through, I wouldn't be surprised if a kraken showed up right now."
As if on cue, a large tentacle broke the surface of the water not far from their raft.
Hajime's eyes widened in disbelief. "You've got to be kidding me."
Satoru's grin returned full force. "Now this is more like it! Ready for round two of island adventures?"
As Yue prepared her magic and Hajime readied his weapons, they couldn't help but wonder what other challenges this strange world had in store for them. One thing was certain - their journey was far from over.
The calm sea erupted into chaos as the massive tentacles of the Kraken broke the surface, sending waves crashing against their small raft. Hajime and Yue braced themselves. But before they could fully process the situation, an even more terrifying presence made itself known.
A colossal, gelatinous mass rose from the depths beside the Kraken. Its form was constantly shifting, with no discernible features save for a gaping maw filled with countless razor-sharp teeth. The air around it seemed to warp and distort, and where its body touched the water, it hissed and steamed.
"What the hell is that thing?" Hajime shouted, his artificial eye whirring as it tried to analyze the new threat.
Yue's eyes widened in recognition and awe. "It's a Devourer," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "I've only read about them in ancient texts. They're not just monsters... they're living disasters."
Satoru's smile, for once, went stiff slightly. "Well, this certainly complicates things. Hajime, Yue, you two handle the overgrown calamari. I'll take care of our gelatinous friend."
Without waiting for a response, Satoru launched himself into the air, floating effortlessly as he faced the Devourer. Hajime and Yue turned their attention to the Kraken, which was now fully emerged and looming over their tiny raft.
Hajime wasted no time. He raised his beloved dual revolvers and fired a barrage of high-explosive rounds at the Kraken's tentacles. The bullets tore through the creature's flesh, causing it to let out an ear-piercing shriek.
"Yue, watch out!" Hajime yelled as one of the wounded tentacles came crashing down towards them. Yue reacted instantly, her hands glowing with as she cast a wind spell to deflect the tentacle's path.
The raft rocked violently, nearly capsizing from the force of the impact. Hajime stumbled but quickly regained his footing mid-air, his artificial eye locking onto the Kraken's vital points.
"Aim for its eyes!" he shouted to Yue. "I'll keep it distracted!"
Hajime pulled out Orkan, his makeshift rocket launcher, and fired several explosive rockets from its twelve round rotary magazines. The monster thrashed in pain and anger, its massive body creating waves that threatened to swamp their small vessel.
Yue gathered mana and cast a powerful lightning spell. "Thunderlord's Judgement," she muttered, and the sky darkened and loomed with deafening thunder. Six spheres of lightning encircled the Kraken, then began to connect with each other to a ring of lightning, then formed a larger sphere at the center of the ring, which electrified the sea beast.
Hajime continued his assault on the Kraken as his Treasure Tove shone and he pulled out what looked to be a railgun-styled sniper rifle. Schalagen, his anti-material rifle. It had a three-meter-long barrel and packed a force ten times fold than that of Hajime's dual revolvers, Donner and Schlag.
Dodging the massive tentacles easily multiple times his size, Hajime swirled through the air and fired, the bullet finding its mark right in its head as Yue's spell continued to paralyze it. The Kraken roared in pain and fury, its tentacles flailing wildly as it tried to catch the nimble human darting around it.
Just as Hajime landed back on the raft, Yue completed another spell. A massive spear of ice, easily as large as their raft, materialized in the air above them. With a gesture from Yue, the ice spear shot forward with incredible speed, aimed directly at the Kraken's largest eye.
The impact was devastating. The ice spear pierced through the eye and deep into the Kraken's head, causing the monster to let out a deafening shriek of agony. Its tentacles thrashed wildly, creating massive waves that threatened to capsize their raft.
"Hold on!" Hajime yelled, grabbing Yue and anchoring them both to the raft with his artificial arm. They braced themselves as wave after wave crashed over them, the Kraken's death throes turning the sea into a maelstrom.
Meanwhile, a few moments ago. While Hajime and Yue battled the Kraken, Satoru faced off against the Devourer. The massive gelatinous creature seemed to defy the laws of physics, its body constantly shifting and reforming.
"My, my," Satoru mused, hovering in the air before the monster. "Special Grade. No doubt."
The Devourer responded by launching a barrage of corrosive jelly towards Satoru. The air sizzled where the jelly passed, the very atmosphere seeming to warp and twist.
But Satoru remained unperturbed. With a gesture of his fingers, he activated his Limitless technique. The corrosive jelly stopped mid-air, unable to penetrate the infinite space between it and Satoru.
"Spitting on me? Really?" Satoru chided playfully.
The Devourer, seemingly enraged by its attack's failure, surged forward, its massive maw opening wide to swallow Satoru whole. But just as it was about to engulf him, Satoru vanished, reappearing behind the creature.
Satoru's eyes glowed beneath his bandages as he activated his Amplification technique. The air around the Devourer began to warp and twist, until the surrounding space began to infinitely converge towards an infinitesimal void.
The Devourer let out an unearthly shriek as its body began to contort and compress. It tried to regenerate, but Satoru's technique was overwhelming its ability to heal. Portions of its gelatinous mass began to collapse in on themselves, creating miniature singularities that tore the creature apart from the inside.
But the Devourer wasn't going down without a fight. In a last-ditch effort, it released a massive wave of corrosive jelly in all directions. The sea hissed and steamed where the jelly touched it, and even the air seemed to burn.
Satoru's eyes narrowed behind his bandages. "Shit, just flipping die," he said as he collided his hands with a clasp. Then, creating a small gap, he chanted. "Limitless Amplification, Maximum Output: Blue!"
An incomparably large section of space began to collapse in on itself, dragging in everything in its surroundings. The air ruptured and the water from the ocean began to rise to the void's horizon.
The Devourer found itself trapped in an inescapable attractive force, its corrosive and regenerative abilities rendered useless in the face of a universal flaw. The Devourer let out one final, reality-shaking shriek before it began to disintegrate. Its massive body broke apart into smaller and smaller pieces, each one fading away into nothingness until there was no trace left of the once-terrifying creature.
As Satoru released his hold of his cursed technique, the massive void vanished. He turned to see Hajime and Yue finishing off the Kraken. The massive cephalopod sank beneath the waves, leaving behind a churning, frothy sea
Satoru floated back down to the raft—which miraculously survived after all that—landing gracefully beside his companions. Hajime and Yue were wet. Not exhausted, but frustrated.
"Well," Satoru said cheerfully, " Shall we continue, or would you prefer another round with the local wildlife?"
Hajime glared at him, as he clenched his coat in an effort to dry it. "If you ever suggest an 'island adventure' again, I swear I'll shoot you myself."
Yue, despite her own trouble, couldn't help but smile. "At least we know we can handle whatever this world throws at us."
"Let's go then, onwards to the coastal city of Erisen," Satoru suddenly said as he made a pose like that of a pirate on his way to sail the seven seas.
"Huh? I thought we were going to the mainland?" Hajime replied, perplexed.
"Tsk, tsk, think about it Hajime. We are in the southern seas. Unless you want to have dinner with the demons, then I'm fine with continuing on our route. But that's not what you want now, is it?"
Realization dawned on Hajime. "Ah, right. But wouldn't it take too long to get there?"
Satoru only laughed at Hajime. "I'm here, aren't I? We can get there in no time!"