Skye
This space… I can't see a damn thing in it.
It was as if my senses were cut off, and yet, I still lived. There was no wind, yet I could breathe. there was a floor, however, waving my right hands in it felt like swimming in a sea of honey or peanut butter. Unpleasant, but not overly annoying.
Cautiously crawling with a blind fold on, a wave of awareness washed over me as I realized the potential mishaps that could occur due to carelessness and the deep unknown that was the shadow world. In essence, it was the place where you fused demons, nothing more, nothing less.
The one point that irked me though, was the possibility for there to be additional threats left unseen, monsters left best in the dark. Games never really expanded on the topic, so my theory could hold some weight to it.
Enduring through the darkness, I eventually reached a point where I suddenly started going up, the changing in altitude screeching alarm bells in my head.
"What could it be?" I nervously asked inward, lifting my legs on the left to take another step.
"Interesting," A regal female voice stated out of the blue. "someone has finally come to see after oh so long. And although you might not possess the power of the Nahobino, the connection binding you to this world still exists, besides, leaving people unsatisfied isn't my job."
For her words, a shiver tickled my non-existent spine, causing me to wonder aloud. "C-could you perhaps be Sophia? Or rather, a genderbent version of Mido?"
"Hmhm." She softly chuckled, her elation echoing waves in my 'ears'. "The latter. Either way, his skill in manipulating this world far exceeds mine. I am nothing but a moth or an ant in his presence.
"If what you're saying is true, then why did I have to walk through a football field's worth of land to get here? Couldn't you have shown yourself at the entrance and all of this would have been solved sooner." I complained.
"Well, to be frank, you never met the necessary requirements to enter this world." She answered bluntly. "In fact, the only reason for our meeting was out of curiosity. Not often am I faced with the prospect of visitors."
Of course, I was never good enough, was I? No, I am the protagonist damn it! Not some side-character waiting to be ditched after running my purpose in someone else's story!
"Are you done letting out your plights?" Sophia interrupted, zoning me out of my very important monologue. "If the same words are just going to come out of your mouth, then I might as well throw you out of this realm. So, tell me, cockroach, do you want power? Or perhaps you're satisfied wallowing in the depths of despair, because you sure do seem like it."
"What kind of question is that? It is only natural that I would want power beyond mortal comprehension. Letting this opportunity of a lifetime go would be a waste."
"Very well. But," Generic power responsibility speech incoming. "What do you mean generic?"
She's speaking to me with telepathy. That makes so much more sense. "What do you mean by 'power responsibility speech'? I'll have you know that I graduated top of my class in Mido's school. The only other person who could stand my equal was the old man's direct apprentice."
"Wow, never really expected… anything that you just said." I remarked, slightly amazed at the sudden development. "Ignoring the comment for a moment, could you perhaps repeat your earlier statement? I didn't quite think my thoughts through and carefully, so I take full responsibility for it on my part."
A pause filled the emptiness that had become my mind. It stayed like this for a few seconds before Sophia returned from whatever it was she did. "You're lucky, you know that? Weren't it not for my interest- and lack of visitors- I would have sent you out from whichever ley line you entered through. But, ever the merciful person that I am, I will allow you access to a few abilities derived from the Nahobino."
"Really?" I excitedly asked, enough for a twinkle to sparkle off my beady little eyes. "Because, something feels off. Like an extreme drawback or restriction? Metaphorical chains that bind me?"
"You catch on well, little insect." She complimented(?). "The answer to your question is both yes and no, depending on how you like to view life. I will grant you the ability to speak to other demons." Finally! Wooohooo! "However-" What now!?
My incessant chanting caused the goddess to stop herself once more, followed by a quiet grumble as she waited for me to stop. "Back to the topic. The one and only drawback you will receive is the attention of those on either side of law and chaos." Oh no, that's bad. That's bad, right?
"As I have already said, that is all up to your opinion. My alignment may lean towards law, nevertheless, that doesn't mean I would simply ignore you based on already established beliefs. Such actions would deviate from my ideals to serve those who enter this realm (with permission)."
Huh. Maybe I did fuck up in my planning. This world was… eye-opening in a way? Or maybe this place was more well-developed than I remembered? I barely remember a thing besides Idun carrying me and the weird monk dude who showed up last minute with zero fucks to give.
"Interesting knowledge you have there, cockroach. Would you mind sharing it with me?" Where is the mute button!? "One moment, insect. Magic such as this may cause major damage if done incorrectly. The margin for error has only been widened with your status as an ordinary demon."
"Thanks, that's encouraging."
"Of course, it is. I wouldn't have been the best if my guests were unsatisfied, now would I?" As she spoke this, my vision suddenly returned to me, alongside a flurry of green lights, coalescing on my mid-section.
I didn't feel any different for the most part. If it weren't for the system notification popping up, there was no way I would have known what happened to me.
[Demon Language^] (Shin Megami Tensei)
No COMP, no problem. You are now able to communicate and hear other demons no matter the race or physical limitations. But, this ability will be made worthless when talking to demons of lesser intelligence, as they act more in line with their instincts to the point where an exchange of knowledge is virtually impossible.
That's good to know at least, wouldn't want to suddenly talk to a Black Ooze and have it rip out my insides because of my ignorance. On the topic of talking, this should, in theory, separate my thoughts from my words.
'Sophia!' I thought, patiently waiting for a response that never came even after seconds passed. It.. worked? Wait, what am I thinking!? Results would only come after testing, there's no way a concept such as magic would be so simple as to boil down to hand-waving.
Sound was supposed to come out of somewhere, but how exactly. Pheromones? Well, unless I wanted a reenactment of some hentai scenarios, then be my guest, but there's a proper time to be horny.
I could use my antennae, but that would have the opposite effect of what I want, blinding me of my sight for as long as it's active. Unless there was some other way, then I was clueless for the most part.
And there I stood for the next twenty longest minutes of my life, brainstorming ideas on the feet of someone who had better things to do but couldn't do them because of her duty. I swear, with each passing minute, her face only seemed to twitch more and more frequently. To the point where by the time I was done, it had turned in a scowl.
Whatever, let's just test it out before I enter into another set of rather draining circumstances.
Lining up a set of magic sequences in my head, I flicked the metaphorical switch in my brain, sending shocks of pain as I tried my damnedest to continue on. Next came the connecting portion, fiddling around with my insectoid gray matter I essentially re-soldered the pheromone producer to direct the substance out from my antennae at the same rate as I exhaled. Speaking of response-inducing chemicals, I also did the same for most of the communication-based ones, changing them to better suit my needs (enhancing them to do more than a slight tingle).
All of this to say that I drug people to get them into a "call" with me, which in the end, sounded like a ten-dollar bluetooth microphone. Not exactly the best equipment, but I'll use it over accidentally inciting conflict based on preconceived notions of my appearance.
"He-lo? A-r -ou th-er?" I asked through the shitty audio quality and sickening pain. "I- can'- fi-x th- conne-on, t-is the b-st I ca- do."
A mix between concern and confusion overcame her face as it stretched indecisive on whether to pick one or the other. "Maybe a direct connection is for the best. For now, until you figure out a solution, there will be no mute button."
"Fine. What else did you have to say?" I tiredly asked, my body riddled with suffering.
"Oddly enough, I have run out of dialogue. The usual test runs always assumed we were helping the savior, so we were never taught how to make small talk between our guests." She added, perplexed on how to continue the conversation forward. "If it's any help, then I could assist you in fixing your magic. The way you went about this is flawed and inefficient, though, the method itself is quite ingenious."
"Oh wait!" I shouted through the connection. "I almost forgot to tell you my name." The look on her face seemed a bit annoyed, but urged me to finish anyway. "Wouldn't say I picked it myself, nonetheless the name's Skye."
Awkward and stilted. Right, social skills were never my strong suit to begin with, but it was a start. "Hmmm, how should I say this? You already know of my identity -along with my mentor's-, something very few people have managed to accomplish." She idly commented before continuing.
"However, that doesn't mean introductions aren't in order, it's basic courtesy after all." Allowing her cloak to ride a non-existent breeze behind her for dramatic effect, she then let her words be carried with an air of swagger. "I am Sophia, a being from a plane far beyond your realm of comprehension, and shepherd to the Nahobino."
Would say I didn't expect this, but that would be lying.
"With that out of the way, it's best we get and move on. From the way you entered, panicked on the verge of scurrying away, there has to be something in the material world you need or want. So, to give you some motivation to get there and fulfil your quest, I will upgrade the lens you call eyes into something more human. If you manage to spread your name across this land, see to it that your efforts will be rewarded handsomely." Sophia encouraged, picking me up from off her foot, and raising me to about chest level.
"This is the beginning of something great."
"Surely you mean beneficiary? You have no hope to even start a bond with me, little one." Ouch, really? "The mere suggestion would lower my standing among my peers."
"I get it, I get it. You have nothing to pass the time with. Can we move on with the topic already?" I sighed, looking up at the expressionless face.
"We will talk about the rest later. For now, reactivated the mental link, a deeper analysis needs to be had before I dissect your brain." This was supposed to help, right?
"Certainly."
…
One Day Later
A lot, a lot longer than I expected.
More work than I ever had to do in both my lives.
Alright, perhaps productivity was never my strong suit. Still, Sophia was damn good at both teaching and magic, able to point out where and how I miscalculated, even when the mistakes were as minuscule as grains of sand.
Thoroughly impressed by the final product of our collaboration and tutelage (having run out of things to give me), she bid me farewell from the World of Shadows, sending me back to the ley line entrance, where I once again stood on a floating platform. This time, there didn't seem to be anyone in sight to disturb me.
Crossing the relatively large body of water, a select few thoughts kept me company along the ride. First, why was there nobody to stand guard here? Which was swiftly answered when the idea of an ecosystem/society was built by the demons here, for all I knew they could have had lives more important than just me.
Second was less idiotic than the first, and brought up an interesting idea. If there was a system in place to keep demons in check (i.e. governments, etc.) why were there so many roaming about in the game?
It could just be chalked up to video game logic, and I'm just thinking too hard into it, but it does make you think about the demons loitering around in the event of V.
Once I was off my ferry, I performed a large-scale scan of the area, retracting the action when the faint memories of yesterday's past reminded me of how bad of an idea that was. Going through the longer route, I carefully wandered off through the opposite direction in contrast to my last escapades.
Downsizing my range to a foot in length, I tread past the grounds and to the outside, marveling at how much better it smelt compared to what I experienced for the past twenty-four hours.
This place was wonderful, if only I could stay here for longer though. Because it would seem like a shrouded boulder just noticed my presence. Fighting wasn't an option because I don't have enough information on weaknesses to reliably exploit. Sorry, but there doesn't appear to be an [Observe] type skill anywhere in my system, nor do I have the wiki to guide my attacks.
Left with no other options, I tried my hand at the newly improved communication. Manufacturing a line between the two of us, a huge amount of static rumbled through my ears alongside a… rock.
"Hel-" I wearily called, quickly interrupted by a petrifying roar.
"Rock! tHerE iS a MinIscuLe SizeD eNoBy roCK! hEH He. I taKE iS aND ShOW iT to da BoYs."
There spoke a sort of rock-type being. A Spriggan if I recall from my time playing the fourth game. And though they might have been one the weaker side of things, that still didn't permit me to let loose of my caution. The tide of battle shifts every second, just as my spells have the chance to kill him, so does his against me.
"Hi there, sir. Do you perhaps know where we are? It would seem that I've accidentally led myself astray. "
"iT TAlKs? yoU talK?" The giant asked under the veil.
"Of course, I do. To be fair, it was only recently that this occurred, but it's better than nothing, isn't it?" I conversed, making light of my appearance and using the demon's relative lack of intelligence to flip this to my advantage.
"bIG woRD foR SmaLL Friend. you lIkE lEADer Vibian. sMARt. " He commented in his own weird tone. "YoU WeiRD. I tALK to Friend."
Damn, this limited vocabulary shit is really hurting my brain. What masochistic god built him to be this annoying? "Really now? If that is the case, then why don't you help me navigate this place? That's what people do for a friend in need, right?"
The large rock fairy thought deeply about my request, silently considering it for a few seconds. "eXacTlY!" He joyously answered. Just as quick however, was his tone growing sadder, a depression wallowing in his voice. "BuT, vIVian TOLD mE anD eBeRry Person wHO eXIt tO sTay here. I oBEY, oR else i HaVE no Food for Very loNG TIME!"
He then went on this repetitive rant about foods which simply could care less about. This was a waste of my time. In fairness to the grumbling giant, he did give me some very valuable information. Those demons that captured me, were also on the search for my ass.
Which means I have to be extra careful, lest I leave a trail for them to capture me.
"Then why don't you just defy her command? You're your own boss, and there's nothing stopping you from doing whatever it is you want. There's a whole world beyond this forest, so go out an-" My wonderful suggestion/speech was interrupted when the Spriggan entered a fit of rage, thrashing about in a temper tantrum. Like a child.
"dO yOU rEAlLY want ME to starve!?" The beast exploded. " yoU No lONGER FRIEnd!"
Crap. If I knew that was what ticked him off sooner, I wouldn't have said that. Why can't there be any dialogue options for me to choose like in the games? Why can't the demons here simply say something meta and move on with their lives?
Cutting off the link, I took to the skies, flapping my wings as fast as possible, making haste to a location not here. My attempts were swiftly squashed, however, as a ball of flame materialized on the path ahead of me!
Hold your damn horses for a minute. We were in a forest, and the tents I've seen up till now were all made of flammable materials. Tell me, why would you even try to light the camp ablaze!?
Such a moronic decision could not only lead to immediate deaths, but also ones that could be lost later on due to your idiocy. How and why was this guy even allowed on here!?
Setting for a different course, my opportunities for movement were then blocked by an incoming blockade of fairies, varying in both shape and size. Expanding my range to lengths far greater than before, I discovered something very worrying. It wasn't just from the front, far from it. I was completely surrounded, trapped from all sides.
Now, two paths were laid before me. Risk capture at the hands of these people, who have tried to experiment on me in the past, or fight, leading to a potentially gruesome death where no mercy is spared and my hero's journey falls short.
Regrettably, both were shitty options, neither of which granted any advantages besides how quick I wanted to die. And this was all caused because someone couldn't find the time to learn how to talk to others!
Urgh, was it really better to live rather than to die in these types of situations?
There are no save states to save me from a bad dialogue option, nor can I reset to the last checkpoint if I die. And while I could reasonably take down one of them, two could easily overpower me, what more tens of them?
A crippling fear took hold of me as I had nowhere else to go. Even in the confines of my mind, I was trapped. What was I supposed to do now? There has to be a way, an answer to every solution?
I have to do something or else my whole purpose here would have been useless and I would have been no different from when I originally died! A useless wretch of a man who prioritized laziness above all else. A bum who barely worked a day in his life. And above all else, a cheat who doesn't know how to do anything more than complain and expect something in return.
In times of despair, I never fully realize how spoiled I've really become…. Mom?... Dad?... I… feel… so… lonely…
[A/N: Cut! I've decided to rewrite the last portion. Misunderstandings and such are the bane of MC's existence. I've decided to move Rosaria's part into the next chapter when my mind is more sound. But, I suppose this is supposed to highlight the mc's incompetence and fear. Well, anyways, type your opinions on this chapter if you like, I read every single comment and review(even the ones on ff).]