(The Other Night)
Anonymous
"AAAAAHH, CURSE YOU, LEADER!" I shout as I'm thrown into the crack.
"Throwing me away like that!!"
While complaining, I caught the sight of the unconscious girl, floating helplessly inside the void. Perfect! She's completely vulnerable. This is the moment I've been waiting for!
"But first things first, you don't come across dimensional-level magic every day, so better take notes~" I said, pulling out a recording artifact.
"Floating in an empty space, almost like a void—no air, no matter, yet we're not affected. Where are we even going? Unknown. Is it random? How does this work? Could it be that the distance between different locations is cut off, leaving only the destination? Or is it like we're traveling at an incredible speed?"
I muttered, grabbing a piece of paper and folding it absentmindedly, my thoughts fully immersed in the strange phenomenon as we drifted through space.
"Is it like this? Or maybe that?"
"Hey! Grab the girl! We're heading back while the crack is still open!" A shout snapped me out of my thoughts.
It was my comrade, calling out to me.
"Oh right…"
I shook myself back to focus. I should finish this now. The leader will be pleased, and maybe, just maybe… I'll get that fat bonus. Extra salary means more experiments… more power! The thought of it made me grin, a wicked chuckle slipping from my lips. Kekeke.
I step forward, my fingers twitching in anticipation as I extend my clawed hand toward the girl's limp form, ready to seize her when—
*WHAM!*
Without warning, an invisible force slams into us, knocking us backward.
"Ow! I thought she was knocked out!" my comrade whines in frustration.
"How annoying. What are you doing here again? Trying to win the Leader's favor?" I insult her sharply, letting my annoyance fuel my words.
"Shut up!" she snaps back in annoyance.
"I still have unfinished business with this girl, I'm not letting her escape" she grins, reaching for the unconscious girl.
Pssh, revenge... how shallow.
We continue trying to close the distance, but the invisible force repeatedly pushes us back.
"We'll be trapped here if we don't act fast!" she yells, noticing the exit growing nearer.
"I'm trying!" I growl through clenched teeth.
We struggle against the magic surrounding the girl.
"It's like the witch put up some kind of protective ward around her before passing out! Damn it!" My frustration builds. The witches just won't stop getting in our way, even though we've already killed most of them except for this one.
The magic is relentless, and with every passing second, it feels like we're losing precious time. The crack could seal shut at any moment, trapping us here forever.
"Do something!" I shout, desperation creeping into my voice.
She stretches her hands out, as if trying to channel something.
"Keugh! Now!" she roars, the effort clear in her strained voice.
In that split second, I see an opening. I lunge forward, my fingers brushing the cold skin of the girl's hand—
*BAM!*
A shockwave of unimaginable force erupts, and we are violently thrown into the air. My body is flung backward, tumbling through the sky.
"Damn it! We took too long. The crack is closing."
*CRASH!*
My body collides with something hard. I blink rapidly, trying to clear the dizziness, and the pungent smell of garbage fills my nose.
I sit up, groaning as I wipe the dirt and filth off my face. I glance around, only to realize I've landed half-buried beneath the trash.
"Ugh... I thought I was going to die!" I grumble, irritated by the situation.
But then, my eyes fall on what I'm holding tightly in my grasp—Two glowing hearts.
A wicked grin spreads across my face, the excitement in my chest bubbling up.
"Kekeke~ Two down, four to go... and, of course, the girl."
But my grin falters as I scan the alley around me. It's dark, unfamiliar, and there's no sign of my stupid comrade.
"Wait, where is she?" my eyes narrowing. T
his place is unfamiliar. Where did we get transported to? Where the hell did she go?
"Looks like it's search time then~"
I stretch my arm outwards and let them crawl out of my sleeves.
"Alright, my little babies..." I mutter, speaking to the great creations I made, my voice laced with dark anticipation,
"Find that idiot of a comrade, the girl. Keep your distance, stay low... but if anyone spots you... just take them over~ Kekekekeke!"
A sinister laugh escapes my lips. My eyes glow with malicious excitement as I prepare to track down my targets.
-----------------
(Present)
"Keke..." I mutter, a sense of amusement flickering in my eyes.
"Found you so fast~!"
It's almost too easy, the thrill already starting to fade. But that's fine, part of the fun is in the chase.
I chuckle darkly,
"But where did that idiot woman run off to? She must be enjoying herself, considering how advanced this place is... Even I never seen anything like it." My thoughts trail off as I glance around, my curiosity piqued. An alchemist like me would be very intrigued to study this new environment.
Better jot that down for future reference.
"Now then, how should I take the targets now? Time to continue the witch hunt~" I grin in thrill.
-------------------------------------
(After school)
Ethan
"...What is happening?" I mutter.
It's after school and now going home but what are they doing in the middle of the street?
Rubielle paces around me like an overprotective bodyguard, her sharp orange eyes darting across the area, scanning every corner with unnerving precision.
Meanwhile, Mia stands by beside me, her arms crossed and her gaze locked onto Rubielle, suspicion radiating off her.
"Mia... aren't you supposed to go home by now?" I ask, glancing at the sky as the sun begins to set. All I want is to crash in my bed and forget this crazy day.
"No way! How am I supposed to leave when you're hanging around with such a strange girl? I'm not going anywhere until I see her go home!" Mia snaps, her voice filled with defiance glaring at me.
I flinched as I heard her words realizing the situation I'm in,
If I were in an anime series, the title would be: 'That time I take in a mysterious, possibly isekai'd girl that has a possibility to make me a main character and lead to some cool adventure'.
...This is not the drama-filled, epic storyline I had in mind.
"Erm... You don't need to stay. I'll take her home," I insist, glancing at Rubielle, who's still pacing like she's on high alert. I can't even guess what's going through her head right now.
"No! You're acting way too suspicious! Trying to send me away like that! What's your relationship with her, anyway?" Mia demands, her glare sharpening pointing at Rubielle.
"Uh... she's my mother's... sister's... cousin's... husband's... best friend's—"
"I'm not buying that! And that's completely different from what you said this morning!" Mia cuts me off, crossing her arms even tighter.
"What are you guys talking about?" Rubielle suddenly cut in jumping between us.
"You! When are you going home?!" Mia pointed at Rubielle, her tone sharp with impatience.
That's wrong, it should be 'When can I go home!!'
"When Ethan goes home, of course. How am I supposed to go in otherwise?" Rubielle replied casually, as if it was a natural thing.
While dozing at that sky. My body froze as I heard her words,
"WHA- YOU-! WHAT ARE YOU SAYING?! YOU'LL CAUSE MISUNDERSTANDING!" I stammered, my cheeks burning red.
"What misunderstanding? Did I say something wrong?" Rubielle asked, completely unfazed by my reaction.
"No- but yes-! I mean! wait, no! You could say that in a different way!" I stuttered, trying to save what little dignity I had left.
Behind us, Mia had gone completely silent. The air around her felt charged with a fury I could almost see. Her gaze was locked onto us.
"What~? Perhaps are you guys living together? Hmm~?" Mia's voice clearly shows anger.
"N-no! It's just that! I-it's temporary!" I stammered, trying to calm the situation down before things went further south.
"I promise, it's nothing like that!"
Just then, Rubielle suddenly froze. Her head snapped toward something behind me. I felt the shift in the air before I even saw what had caught her attention.
"ETHAN!!" she shouts, her voice filled with urgency.
Before I can even react to the danger, I see it—a dark blur shooting toward me, faster than anything I've ever seen. In a split second, Rubielle pulled me towards her and outstretched her hand to grab. But the shadowy thing is too quick, slipping past her like smoke.
The blur rush aiming right at me.
*SMACK!*
Just in time, Rubielle slaps it away with a forceful strike. I breathe a sigh of relief with her protecting me, however—
*GASP!*
Our gazes lock, and our faces darken in horror as we watch the shadow's new course—it's went straight toward Mia.
The shadow seems to melt into her, vanishing without a trace, as if it entered her.