Ambition. A word that weighs heavily on me. No matter how much I try to connect with it, I feel incapable of embodying its meaning.
I had no dreams, no aspirations—just a fleeting existence, barely tethered to the world. A hopeless fool, rotting away while waiting to wither.
"Is it already noon?"
I woke to find the sun dipping below the horizon, night creeping in. How long had I slept? Then again, did it even matter?
This had been my reality for years.
"Let's just go back to sleep..."
Despite sleeping for hours, exhaustion still clung to me. My frail, unhealthy body was to blame, but I couldn't bring myself to care.
"..."
"I'm hungry..."
Yet, even hunger wasn't enough to make me move. The apathy weighed heavier, pulling me back toward sleep.
"Goodnight."
Drowsiness crept in as I closed my eyes, silencing my thoughts. Before long, I drifted into sleep.
~
"Please wake up!"
A desperate voice pulled me from my slumber. Under the pressure of an unfamiliar woman, my eyes open despite not wanting to.
"..."
"Who are you?"
Confusion clouded my mind. I had no idea who this person was. I had never seen her before. And yet, here I was, lying on a grassy field when I had clearly gone to sleep in my bed.
Was I dreaming? Despite sleeping far more than the average person, I couldn't remember the last time I had a vivid dream.
"There's no time! The space around us is about to crack!"
"???"
Was she… cosplaying? The girl before me wore an elaborate magical outfit. Her body was too mature for a childish dress, making it a strange sight.
"It's already too late..."
As I lingered in thought, the space around us shifted. The bright sunlight faded, its glow swallowed by an eerie darkness that spread like ink across the sky.
Before us, an abyss emerged—a dark void that defied reason. From it, a slime slithered out, and the magical girl's expression remained calm as though she were assessing a situation she was accustomed to handling.
Despite her composure, the corrupted blackish-purple slime unsettled me. It oozed purple smoke, and the grass beneath it began to wither, a clear sign of the danger it posed.
"Magical Girl Yuna here! No matter what happens, I'm here to protect you!" She spoke with confidence, putting on a dramatic act.
It was touching to see how much effort she put in, though honestly, it was wasted on someone like me.
"Vile creature! You woke up the man I've been watching for hours..."
Turning to the monster, she muttered her grievance under her breath.
Firstly, she was the one who woke me up, and what did she mean by watching me for hours?
Without offering any explanation, Yuna raised her staff high into the air. The core at its center gleamed brilliantly.
"Azure Hydro Cannon!"
A dazzling blue beam erupted from her staff, striking the slime. In an instant, it vanished without a trace, as if it had never existed. The ground where it once stood was obliterated, leaving behind a crater nearly a meter deep.
"That's... overkill."
Turning to me with expectant eyes, she asked, "How did I do?"—clearly seeking my validation.
"..."
"There are still more slimes coming."
This fight was far from over. With the portal still there, many slimes emerged from the open space. This time, instead of just one, ten appeared at once.
"Don't worry, I've got this!" Flustered by their increasing numbers, she quickly shifted from her earlier theatrics to fighting seriously, determined to end this battle quickly.
Yet, no matter how many she defeated, more kept appearing.
"There's no end to them."
"???"
Without warning, Yuna turned to me, scooped me up in a bridal carry, and took off into the air using her magic.
As we ascended, our eyes met. Yuna gazed at me with a strangely affectionate look, and I couldn't help but wonder—why?
Did she have feelings for me? We had just met, and while she was undeniably charming, wasn't this a bit too fast?
"Do you like me?"
Curious, I asked outright. Of course, I could be wrong, turning the moment awkward—but I wasn't someone who cared about that. Compared to my younger self, who was self-conscious and anxious, I found it much easier to be direct without overthinking.
Even if it were true, I couldn't understand why. I wasn't particularly handsome, nor did I have any exceptional talent. In addition to my gloomy nature, most people would rather stay away from me.
"Of course! Once we finish this up, why don't we go on a date?"
Despite her confident words, a hint of nervousness lingered in her voice.
"..."
"A date? Are you sure?" I couldn't help but question her life choices, wanting to make sure she wasn't making a mistake.
At my response, Yuna shot me the gaze of a determined maiden. I quickly shifted my focus to the ever-growing mass of slimes. More and more spilled, but their ability to merge into something larger made them all the more concerned.
Before long, the once-small slimes had merged into a massive creature, towering to the size of a house. Its sheer presence was capable of destroying everything in its path.
"Look out." I tried to warn Yuna before it was too late.
Having absorbed enough of its companions, the monstrous slime lunged toward us. Even from the sky, at a height rivaling the peak of a skyscraper, the slime shot upward with the speed of a cannonball.
Snapping out of her lovestruck state, Yuna barely dodged in time, but the creature wasn't so easily evaded. Its body, capable of stretching at will, expanded midair, tendrils of slime reaching out in a desperate attempt to snatch us.
Yuna maneuvered through the air with swift yet precise movements, narrowly avoiding its grasp. Held in her arms, I felt my blood pumping. It had been a long time since I had experienced such a rush, and with the intensity of the high speed, I was surprised my body could keep up with it.
As the creature missed its chance, Yuna didn't hesitate. Seizing the opportunity, she surged forward, determined to escape while we could.
"???"
"Yuna, it's coming for us."
Even after crashing to the ground, the slime relentlessly pursued us. Its amorphous body shifted, reshaping itself into a slingshot. With terrifying force, it launched itself straight at us. At this rate, escape seemed impossible.
"Can you fly higher? That might be our only chance." If outrunning it wasn't an option, our best bet was to ascend beyond its reach, high enough that it would lose interest and the sight of us.
"Hold on tight." Realizing this was our only option, Yuna gestured for me to tuck in closer.
I curled up, wrapping my arms under hers, my face pressed against her chest. Strangely, it felt comfortable to the point where I could sleep if it weren't for the fact that there was danger up ahead.
"Is something wrong?" Yuna's breath came in ragged gasps as we remained in this position.
"Sorry, I just got a little excited."
"No need to elaborate."
"..."
Were magical girls always this... lustful? Or was Yuna just a special case?
Regaining her composure, Yuna tightened her grip on me and took off. To my surprise, the ascent was much smoother than I had expected.
Before long, the air around us grew colder, and breathing became more difficult with each passing moment. Yuna provided some heat, which makes this bearable for the moment.
I had no idea how high we were, but by now, we had certainly flown to heights where mountain peaks are usually at.
"At this distance, the voidling shouldn't be able to catch up to us." Satisfied with our altitude, Yuna held her position.
"Voidlings? Is that what those creatures are called?"
Since Yuna had a name for them, I asked for confirmation.
"You don't know?"
"No."
With my face pressed against her chest, I didn't even attempt to look up. From the tone of her voice, I could already tell she was dumbfounded.
Was this common knowledge?
Initially, I assumed this world was the same as Earth, with magic being part of the hidden side to this world, but to think I had transmigrated.
As I pieced things together, my earlier confusion began to fade. Everything was making sense in the strange environment, the voidlings, Yuna.
If that's the case… what should I do next?
"Are you even listening?" Yuna's voice snapped me out of my thoughts, a hint of annoyance in her tone.
"Sorry," I said, shaking off my distraction.
"I was distracted. I was thinking of something else."
"What's distracting you?"
Yuna had no idea that I was a transmigrator, so she wouldn't understand the struggle I was facing.
"After this, I'll need to find a place to live… and a way to make money."
Having lost everything, the idea of working tirelessly just to scrape by—only to reach my peak again near my deathbed—felt unbearable. Besides, I wasn't even in the right condition for that. Just thinking about it made me want to give up entirely.
"..."
Should I just let go and end it all here? That way, I wouldn't have to deal with any of this.
"Is that all? That's an easy problem to solve. Just come live with me—I'll take care of everything you need."
"..."
Even though her offer sounded great, an uneasy chill ran down my spine. Something told me that accepting Yuna's help would come with endless trouble.
"If it's not too much of a burden, I'd appreciate your help."
The moment I agreed, Yuna let out a gleeful cheer. Lifting me higher so we were face to face, she gazed at me with a smile that felt far more... thought-provoking.
"!!!"
Distracted and having forgotten about the slime, something lurched up from below before we could continue our conversation and attacked without warning.
The slime from before had grown even larger, and with its sheer speed, reacting in time was impossible.
Who would have thought a monster like this could be so relentlessly fixated? Did we somehow offend it?
Yuna barely had time to react. She conjured a blue barrier, which shattered like fragile glass upon impact. The slime's momentum remained unchecked, crashing into us with overwhelming force.
Before I could process what was happening, Yuna—who had been holding onto me—lost her grip, sending me plummeting toward certain death.
There was no need to scream, no need to struggle. I had already accepted my fate.
All I could do was watch the final sight before the end.
The massive slime, having reached the peak of its ascent, was now plummeting down—using its immense weight to accelerate its fall.
I could not know how long it would take before I hit the ground, but it would reach me first at the voidling's speed.
"!!!"
Tendrils of slime shot out, wrapping around me in a vice-like grip. Before I could react, they yanked me toward its writhing mass, dragging me into its gelatinous body.
As my limbs sank into the creature, a sickening realization set in—I was being absorbed.
Yet, strangely, despite the destruction this thing had caused to its surroundings, I felt no pain. My body remained intact.
Except for my clothes.
My clothes melted away, dissolving instantly within the monster's corrosive form. But my flesh? Unharmed. I was, however, trapped—suspended as if inside a glass prison.
Then, with a deafening crash, the slime's massive body impacted the ground, carving out a crater large enough to swallow a family-sized house. The force sent tremors through the earth, but the creature itself remained motionless.
Now that I was inside, the voidling had completely stopped moving.
Was I its only objective from the start?
Though I had grown desensitized to many things, a dull ache settled in my chest. I had dragged someone kind into this—someone who had only tried to protect me.
"..."
What now?
The slime remained still. No movement, no reaction—almost as if it had lost its train of thought.
Sleep. Since it seemed to stay this way indefinitely, I might as well get some rest. I may stay asleep for the rest of my life if I'm lucky enough.
"..."
"Let my future husband go!"