9/1 - Tue - Port Island - Iwatodai - Downtown - morning - Shizuka
My running speed has dramatically decreased for Yamagishi's comfort. If she were to be feeling unwell, then that would work against me. So, I'll keep moving at this rate.
"Everyone's sleeping… This is terrible," Yamagishi laments, whispering to herself.
The citizens are asleep on the street, unaware of the level of devastation this has brought. Several cars crashed into one another, causing major accidents that seem to have taken a few lives. I don't know how far this sleeping spell has truly spread, but if it can go farther, or ascend in latitude… Well, that's the worst-case scenario.
For now, we must reconvene at the dorm. Since Kazuki has awoken, we should be more than able to repel whatever is causing this mess. Although, I wonder how he broke free of the spell. If it were temporary, then more of the civilians would have awakened by now.
"Yamagishi, do you sense anything ahead?" I raise my voice, fighting against the wind pushing past our ears.
She silently nods. "No, I don't think so."
"We need to be sure, so try harder to scan ahead!"
"O-of course! You have a point. But without Lucina, my range is limited, and constantly moving is making it harder to concentrate."
Then I suppose we'll have to keep moving if we want to avoid any enemies. I doubt those sea monsters were the only foes we'll encounter, so I must keep my wits about me.
"If Kazuki-kun is awake, do you think the others will wake up as well?" Yamagishi asks, posing a fair question.
"Kazuki is different. I can't say how he woke up, but he might be the only one who has awakened. For now, let's meet at the dorm as planned."
"Right."
That being said, the school's safety is likely low, so he might have encountered a monster there. However, the thought doesn't perturb me. He has Shadow-mog, so if need be, he'll be fine. But I can't say the same for everyone else.
Speaking of those monsters, they were man-made, I'm sure of that. As for the one causing all of this, it's not man-made. It's too powerful to be. I can feel its presence emanating from downtown, expanding outward. We're at a relatively safe distance in terms of its environmental awareness, so I doubt it will spot us immediately, but lingering in one spot too long will draw attention.
"Excuse me, Shizuka-san," Yamagishi yells into my ear, combating against the wind to speak. "I want to apologize!" That's…sudden. I have the faintest idea what she has to apologize for. "...You seemed annoyed when I commented about your physical abilities! I didn't think of it as a sensitive topic!"
"It isn't!"
"I don't believe that! You were scowling when I said that, so you took it personally!"
Her questions are annoying, worse, confusing. I kill my momentum to give a moment to this vexing conversation.
"Listen, I'll only say this a single time: I feel nothing about my physical capabilities. They serve me as a means to an end. That's all. It brings me no joy or sorrow on how strong I am. It's a tool."
All things are tools, people, Personas, weapons, even myself. I'll use them all, even if it means discarding them in the end; each one of them. It brings me no pleasure, nor sadness, that's just how I decided to combat him.
"...You shouldn't think of yourself like that. Calling yourself a tool isn't right!"
The blood in my veins boils over her denouncing what I've said. It's not just the statement that annoyed me, but her face as well.
"Oh, and why shouldn't I?"
"Because it's not right to talk about yourself that way!"
"That isn't concrete. You'll have to provide a better answer than that."
"I… I can't put it any better than that, but that's the only way to put it!"
"Again, that means nothing to me."
"But it does to me! So you can't go and think that way!"
Annoyance turns to irritation as she keeps spouting this redundant notion.
"Then what about you, Yamagishi?" I redirect her question with a cold tone. "You don't strike me as a person who thinks too highly of themselves."
"Wha– That's…"
What am I doing? Why am I acting erratic?
"If I'm being honest, you come off as a person who doesn't think of themself, just what other people think." I need to calm down, I know that, but I can't get my emotions under control. "...In fact, you come off as someone who thinks of themselves as a tool more than anyone else here."
Damnit, be quiet! Yamagishi, stunned by what I've said, faces her feet, hiding her face from me…
"I… Yamagishi…" I don't understand what possessed me to say all of that. My voice is cold, but it's as if my mind is burning up. I close my eyes, trying to calm my nerves. "I…"
Before I can get the words out, a blistering wind pushes against me, brushing my hair. That alone was enough to put me on high alert. Yamagishi, who was standing behind me, is gone. My eyes dart upward. In the air, swinging around with a thin thread, a demon flies across the sky with Yamagishi in its hands…
How…how did I not sense it? Was it faster than me? Did it conceal its presence…? Did I let my guard down when I…? Shit! What the hell is wrong with me!? My feelings got in the way of my analytical abilities, and now this is happening! God damnit!
I bounce several meters into the air, scaling a nearby building to the height of the monster. It took no more than 4 seconds to make it to the desirable height. I shift my body, aiming for the next building I want to reach. Across from the one I'm standing on, I rocket across the other end of the street. Landing, I dash across the rooftop, keeping pace with the monster as it swings from building to building.
The monster, with a better view of it, has seven arms, each one varying in size, length, and muscle density. Lower on its body are 8 slender limbs akin to a spider's legs and arms. From its arms, it spews out a white, linear string that attaches to the buildings, allowing it to fling its body across the cityscape.
That thing was able to take Yamagishi when I was near her. Pride is something I never thought I had, but now I know it exists, and this disgusting creator spat on it, and it infuriates the hell out of me.
Leaping from building to building, my forward jump is faster than my running speed, enabling me to catch up with the thing. Yamagishi is squirming in its hands, trying to break free. Stupid idea, if you ask me; if she were to fall and die from fall damage, there's no doubt in my mind I would lose control over Kazuki, and her analytical abilities are useful to me.
Then all I need to do is kill that thing mid-air, lope its hands off, and rescue her.
"I'll hit it with lightning!"
It would be foolish to hit it with direct lightning since it would strike Yamagishi as well. I slide out the knives I have under my skirt. Throwing knives made to pierce my opponents from afar. If thrown at a normal human, I'm absolutely certain it would tear through their body. However, in this case, my opponent is not human, in which case, they'll serve another purpose.
I launch 3 of them through the air. Each one hit their mark, lodging themselves inside the monster. To anyone else, it would seem as if I threw them wherever on its body, and I may have, but I threw them intending to hit its muscles. The instant they penetrate its body, the electricity embedded in the blade rips its burns through its muscles. A monstrous scream stretches across the city, crying out in response to the rippling pain surging through its body. The hand holding Yamagishi loosens its grip on her. Without hesitation, I leap off a building, darting for Yamagishi. I'll make it before she can hit the ground, so–
A blur flashes past me, grabbing Yamagishi before I can reach her. I flip around, putting my feet on the concrete part of a random building. Immediately leaping diagonally toward another building. Traveling the same as before, catching up to the monster that had taken Yamagishi was easy. The same creator as before has taken her, or rather, one that resembles the one I just killed has taken her.
I slip out my knives, ready to destroy their nerves like the previous one. Just then, a heavy blow is dealt to my back. The knives slip out of my hand, falling to the streets.
"The hell!?"
There are several more of those monsters behind me, swinging from the buildings despite their massive bulk. They pile onto me, limiting my movements and keeping me from the one up ahead. Killing these things quickly is the best option. Sliding out the tanto knife on my person, I slice four of them in the jugular. Their blood blinds me for a moment, leaving a gap in my defense. Of course, with my awareness, sensing an oncoming attack isn't an issue. Stabbing the fist, I tear it off by slicing across its wrist.
Several other attacks connect, however, launching me into a building. Glass shatters when my body cannonballed into the building. I crash into unknown objects, only being stopped by a wall. Pain howled across my body. Although minimal, parts of my body feel dull. Should have known there were multiple of those creatures lying in wait! Each one of them seems to be the same type as the other. Now isn't the time to think. I need to move! I rocket out of the office building, using the buildings to travel like before.
Those monsters have the lead, so I can't dawdle anymore! These abominations need to be eliminated, now!
Sparing with the pretenses, I kick off the edge of a building, zooming through the air. Using more of my power, I should reach them within 2 seconds. One of them jerks their head only for me to rip it off. A simple application of my strength was enough to effortlessly tear off its head.
"One."
I use its body as a launch pad, speeding to the next one in front. My blade scrambles its brain, ending its life in an instant. Each second that rolls by, I kill another monster, then another appears to replace it. My methods grow more savage, ripping, tearing, gouging, I don't care what it takes. Faster, quicker, without holding back. Morals be damned, how I kill doesn't matter, I just need to get through them!
Blood scatters through the air, raining onto the ground. The monster's bodies splatter the moment they hit the ground. Killing the last one in my way, I finally catch the one holding Yamagishi. I run my fingers through its neck. Going into a free fall, I lacerate its arms and take Yamagishi. We fall several meters from the air alongside the monster. Even from such a height, we'll be fine. We land on top of a car, pushing into the roof.
"Yamagishi, are you okay?"
No use, she's unconscious. Proceeding like this is dangerous, especially if I need to protect an unconscious person, it would be problematic. For now, we'll hide in a nearby building. Hopefully–
"Ah, there you are…"
This presence! An overbearing pressure hovers above us, growing stronger as it descends. How did it get past my notice!?
"Children of man, you creatures who have beauty in their dreams, desires that can only be fulfilled in your slumbering worlds, can only obtain happiness there. Please, allow me…"
A being whose figure can only be defined as a sculpture given life is draped in a white cloth. Its golden hair trails behind itself, flowing like a serene river on an isolated mountain. The very air gently carries him closer to us. His slender hands reach out for us, inviting us into its arms.
"...Come, allow me to take you to the world that is your dreams."
Those words caress my heart, pushing away all my worries to the waistline, and… No! I was about to drop my guard! Snap out of it!
"You can't trick me, demon!"
A disappointed frown stretches across his face. It's less frustration than sadness.
"...I offer you an eternal dream. Why would you rather resist me?"
"Cause I know what creature you are! A demon!"
But this is no ordinary demon, especially not like the ones I killed. This is in a class of its own.
"Yes, I am a demon. But I mean you know harm, only bliss."
"I don't want your bliss."
"Is that so? Then perhaps she would."
I have to escape! Right when I take to the air, an invasive sensation ravages my brain. This sense of drowsiness. Don't tell me, this a more potent version of the spell it cast around the city!?
"Enter a blissful dream, child."
Damn… Damnit! I can't resist for much longer! I…need to…combat this!. My knees buckle, both my arms are losing strength, and my mind is creeping closer to unconsciousness. Fight, fight, fight, fight, fight! Kill this thing, kill it to end the spell!
The instincts carved into my body from years of battle take control. I let go of Yamagishi. My control over my strength loosens when I shoot toward the demon. The sidewalk below my feet exploded from the overwhelming strength my legs exerted. All the forward force crashes into the creature. We ram through a building. Glass and debris scatter through the air. Before it could gain its bearings, I unleash a flurry of strikes. Each strike is enough to kill a human being, but not enough to slay a demon. Holding back means death when confronting a demon, and without tools fit for killing them, victory will not come easy!
"Stop, I do not–"
I bury my fist in its head again, striking it harder this time. I'll end it before it can work up the will. Kill before you can be killed! If it unleashes an attack, the attack will most likely cause significant damage. I swing it by the hair, lobbing it through the back end of the building. From my fingertip, lightning crackles. The build-up should be enough to kill this thing. Deming this, I unleash my attack. The bolt burns through its shoulder blade the moment I let it go. Another one toward its brain should do it.
"One last time!"
Electricity focuses around my fingertip once more, this time, with a higher voltage. The blue thunder builds higher and higher until it engulfs my entire finger. Perfect! My final attack stretches over to the demon in a linear line toward its forehead. The flickering blue spark will penetrate its head, devastating it with a single blow.
The built-up charge explodes its head reaching to the end of its neck. Hopefully, it isn't capable of regenerating its head and brain. Its lifeless body hits the ground with a thud. That was quick, but I suppose that's favorable.
"Wind blow."
A sharp urge stings my brain. It's still alive!? Did I fall for an illusion!? Blistering winds sweep me off my feet. My back meets with a thick layer of stone. I crash through several walls. The stone crushes my body the further I go. Brick, stone, and metal are torn apart by my momentum, opening new wounds the further I go. Finally, I come to a halt. My back smacks concrete, bouncing me off the ground and into a car.
Sound bounces around my ear, the morning sun is too bright, and the wounds all over my body ache. If I didn't know better, I'd say I broke a few of my ribs, dislocated an arm, and suffered a few cuts here and there. The arm isn't a problem, but the enemy, he tricked me. With my senses, that shouldn't be possible, yet it happened. Did I lower my guard? No, I always keep it up when fighting a demon, so what the hell happened?
This is so goddamn vexing! If that happens again, I won't be able to notice. On top of that, its magical strength is unreal. I never met anything that was able to fling me through 4 buildings before. On top of that, it went over my notice. It has such an overwhelming presence, yet I didn't notice it coming… Was that being itself an illusion?
"Is that even possible?"
An illusion, or perhaps a clone. Either way, the situation is not boding well. Versus such opposition, my chances are slim, if not nonexistent. And I doubt Kazuki would be victorious against a monster like that… Perhaps I should evacuate the city myself. Even if my theory on the demon's sleep spell spreading beyond the city is correct, it's not as if I'll be affected by it. I don't mind death, but I wouldn't like to be killed for a fruitless effort.
Losing Kazuki after all the time I invested in him is irritating, but it's a possibility that I have already considered.
"Sorry, but if I am to die, then I'd at least like it not to be in vain…"
Yet, my leg refuses to bug. It's not as if I can't move, but my body does not wish to. What the hell, move…! How ridiculous, even if I go back, saving her would be… It's…
"...You shouldn't think of yourself like that. Calling yourself a tool isn't right!"
Bitterness mixed with ire builds in my chest remembering those words. Yet, I'm ashamed of my behavior earlier. I had no reason to let my anger show the way it did, but she just didn't understand; I had no choice but to think like that…because…I'm…
"...Damnit! Goddamnit!"
I tear my feet from the ground with an explosive leap into the air. The street below crumbles from my strength. No longer holding back, I tear off pieces of buildings with a single bound. I can kill that creature before it notices me!
The demon is still there. Angling myself, I hurl myself, completely decimating the edge of the building below my feet. It jerks its head, catching a glimpse of my hands hammering into its skull. The terrible sound of a body made of flesh and bone crashing into concrete rings through my ears. Dust clouds my vision. The air races upward from the moment of impact. My hands pound into its head. No holding back, do not hold back. 10, 100, 1000 times, I'll keep hitting it until its skull turns into powder. Even if I have to destroy my hands, I will kill this thing.
"You wish to be beautiful."
Every nerve in my arms freeze. It assaults me with blistering winds, cutting through my skin. I grip the demon's skull, burying my fingers deep through its skin.
"BE…QUIET!"
I smash my head into it. Blood spills from its forehead, spraying onto me. Over and over, my skull bashes into his, scrambling its brains to keep it from doing any magic. No matter what, demons have organs and nerves like humans. Even if it can regenerate its organs, once the head is destroyed, or the brain is turned into paste, then the demon will be killed.
"You wish…to be…a beautiful woman… You envy…the woman you reside…with!" In between strikes, it kept babbling on. "...But a demon…never…will be!"
A powerful gust of wind blows at my chest. The fingers buried in its head come out as a result of the attack. Another harsh breeze slams me into the ground. My bones rattled and my arms got crushed by the rubble. It's hard to tell since they went numb, but at best, I might have broken an arm.
"A demon you may be, but if you would allow me, I can give you what you most desire of in a dream." It extends its beautifully slender hand. "...Please, allow me."
"Your name? What is your name?"
"Hypnos… Now, come with me so that I may–"
Spit shoots from my mouth, hitting its face. A dirty smirk stretches across my face. "Go screw yourself."
If I'm to die, then I'll at least die staining that annoying perfect face!
"How unsightly! A demon can never be beautiful."
"Right back at you."
Death is a natural process in life, and when it comes, it shouldn't be feared. I shouldn't be scared… But there's this heavy pressure pushing against my chest that only weighs heavier as the seconds roll by.
Do I…do I really have to die like this? Do I have to die with this shitty feeling in my chest? Why do I even feel like this? Am I scared? Why am I scared? When did I become like this…? No, I was always like this… I've always been scared of dying, that's why I struggled, fought, killed, and did whatever I could to survive. A dry laugh escapes my mouth. How laughable…it's all one terrible joke.
Regret, that's this horrible pressure pressing against my chest. All I wanted to do was apologize to Yamagishi, and more importantly, Kazuki…
A car comes flying at the demon from the corner of my eye. It slams into it, crushing it between the ground and the vehicle.
"Shizuka, Fuuka!" A timely rescue like this, he has the nerve. "Shizuka! Are you okay?"
His hands slide behind my head and knees. He takes me out of the crater to the street level.
"How did you find us?"
"I heard a loud sound coming from here, so I followed it." He places me on the sidewalk. "What was that thing?"
"A demon."
"Really? But it looked–"
"Don't let that deceive you! Cut its head off, that's the fastest way to kill it!"
His face reflects disbelief before showing a determined look. "Okay, I'll do it."
"Kazuki…"
"Yeah?"
The words get caught in my mouth, like a cork in a bottle.
"I… I want to… I'm… Yamagishi is safe, but take the fight away from here to keep her safe."
"Alright, thanks for the advice."
That's not what I wanted to say, but it won't come out.
"Kazuki…I…"
"You can tell me later. For now, I'm just glad you're safe."
I don't deserve such kind words from these people, these compliments, words of relief, none of it.
"It uses harsh winds to throw and cut people. It's also able to use illusions. Be careful."
"Got it."
Kazuki leaves to confront Hypnos. With my arms injured like this, I doubt I'll be much help, and it'll take me some time to heal from this. Whatever happens, I just pray he wins, so I am able to rid myself of this regret.