9/1 - Tue - Iwatodai - morning - Kazuki
My body tears through the air. The sudden acceleration sickens me, but I can bear it to gain the advantage. The demon is forced back when my body slams into it. Stabilizing itself, it takes flight, leaving me on the ground. That thing must've realized I have the advantage on the ground, so it thinks going to the sky is gonna save it.
Like I'm gonna make it easy on it. I chuck a car at it, throwing it like a kid would a ball. However, howling winds slice through the metal vehicle. Several pieces rain all over the streets. Moving out of the way is a piece of cake with how fast and flexible my body is, not to mention my upped senses. Like this, I can– Just when I was getting riled up, a sharp pain pulses from my shoulder. A small piece of the car lodged itself into my shoulder.
The pain…hmm…? It isn't there? Taking it out doesn't hurt at all.
"Awesome!"
Like this, I can keep fighting! But I don't have time to gawk at how amazing this discovery is. The demon sends razor-thin winds, visible to the naked eye. Any one of those has the potential to split me open. Yet, my body, physically altered, outpaces the wind, dodging before they can even make contact. Before, such a feat would be inconceivable, but now, with my body in this state, anything is possible.
They slice at the concrete behind me, leaving deep marks in their wake. Another burst of wind comes at me. The same attack? Too easy! Evading them takes no effort at all. No matter how many came, none of them could stop me from chasing after the demon. However, how do I even catch it?
Throwing another car might get me stabbed and jabbed with all sorts of car parts, so pass. And I can't use Ocean's Stream without my sword…
"Hold on!"
Since my strength is higher than normal, maybe… Taking a deep breath, I rocket into the air, soaring several feet off the ground. The autumn air rushes past me, but my body easily tears through it. In a single leap, I made it to the ledge of a 5 story building. From here, I leap to other buildings with a single jump, sometimes 2 depending on where I land. But I'm keeping pace with the demon, who recognizes this. Harsh winds blow my way when two majestic wings grow from its back. The beating wings create a powerful draft that pushes my body. Luckily, even with this intense wind, I can still keep running.
There's a billboard sign on the same height as the demon. Pushing through the blistering winds, I race ahead of it. A single kick is all it took for the sign to come flying off the roof. It slams into the monster. Being weighed down, its wings are useless. I leap on top of the sign, riding it down to the ground floor. Landing on the sign hastens the sign's descent. The asphalt and the billboard sandwich it, followed by a nasty crunching sound.
Good. All I have to do now is cut its head off and we're solid.
"Boy…your dream…is truly sad, but so beautiful." What does that mean? "All you seek is love and attention from those around you." Huh!? Th-the hell is he talking about? "...No, rather, you wish for people to want you, to need you, to admire you, to love you, to never leave your side."
"Shut up! You don't know anything!"
"I do, you dreamt all of these desires. Desires you wanted for so long. All of these encompass the dreams you experience; surrounded by friends that chant your name."
A wave of cheers rings inside my ears. An explosive energy radiates from the countless voices calling my name. They chant my name in unionism, praising me left and right. Pride swells in my chest as they grow louder and the feeling in my chest grows warmer…
"They…want me?"
These voices belong to everyone back at the dorm. They…all like me. Me, they need me; as long as I can kill Shadows, they'll always want me!
"Yes, now…please, allow yourself to sleep."
My mind snaps back to reality the instant it says sleep. No good! I dropped my guard for a bit, so by the time I could mount a defense it was already too late. It escaped from under the billboard.
"Shit! Where did it go!?"
The hairs on my back stand. An immediate sense of danger emanates from behind me. There, the demon hovers a few inches above the ground, its arms spread out. It sings. A ferocious gust of wind with the strength of a hurricane blows my way. Even with my strength, it's too powerful for me to handle… I…can't… Shit! The tunnel of wind forces me off my feet. My body crashes through building after building. The monstrous momentum and the hard surfaces break and crack multiple places in my body. Every ounce of my body is being destroyed from each impact I suffer. Finally, I crash and come to a stop in the remains of whatever house I crashed into.
Breathing hurts… Both my arms are destroyed, there's little feeling in my leg, and I feel woozy. Did I…crack open my head?
Small pants leave my mouth. There's no way…no way I can beat that thing. Even with Shadow-mog, I'll just get killed… Those voices, I still hear them, chanting my name whenever I take on a shadow and defeat it… When I do a good job, someone praises me, telling me that I did good… Ah, now I understand…
I get up from the ground. The leg I couldn't feel before regains its strength. If I keep winning, beating our enemies, then they'll praise me… My headache suddenly disappears… They need me to continue fighting shadows… And if I keep doing that, then I'll be needed…
"...I understand now."
It took a while, but I found myself back where the demon is at. He locks his mournful eyes on me. Whether it's pity or just self-loathing, I can't even tell.
"Now, child of man. Are you ready to slumber? To find happiness within the realm of dreams?"
"I…don't need to!"
"What?"
"Can't you tell… I'm already living my dream!" The arms that felt broken now feel complete. "...All I gotta do is kill the enemy and I can keep living this dream!"
No matter what it takes, I'll kill this thing, then I can continue to live my dream. My body feels good, better than ever has ever been. I blitzed the demon before it could understand what was happening. Several of my punches knock it around the downtown area. But any time I was going to make a decisive blow to its head, it suddenly disappeared, reappearing all good and new.
Every time, no matter what, it keeps coming back. Shizuka said it uses illusions, but from what she told me, they have limits. Severing its head again, I look everywhere, trying to figure out how this thing escapes death. Then, from the corner of my eye, I saw it. A shimmering bright light appears at street level. There's a person underneath it. From the light, the blond-haired demon rises with it with its arms folded.
"What the hell!?"
It came out of that guy!? But why? Is he the one bringing it back? There's no time to think about it since the demon comes soaring up at me. Searing winds split apart the buildings between me and it. I kick a large chunk of a rooftop at it. The piece of debris smashes into its head, dazing it. I push off a building to cannonball myself at the thing. Tearing off its head presents no problem at all.
Now, I gotta get airborne before it comes back again! I leap off between buildings until I have a bird's-eye view of the area. Another glowy thing pops back up, but it's a different person this time it's with a different person… It wasn't being summoned by them, it's coming from them! But why…? The reason the city went to sleep was because of that thing, right? So what if it can come from dreams!?
What the hell am I gonna do against that then? Can I even kill it then…? Wait! Why didn't it just spawn far from me to get the upper hand? Maybe it can only come back to life from people that are nearby. Don't know how true that is, but there's only one way to see…
It comes diving at me, bursting in speed. The monster rams right into me with its head. Pain spreads around my stomach, but I grit my teeth to keep my head straight. My hands grip hard on its wings. I steer it toward the sea. We go further and further from the city until we're at least a mile away from it.
"No! Please, do not kill me here! If you do, their dreams!" It doesn't matter what it says, I'll continue to live mine. A dream that can only come if I continue to fight, so it doesn't matter what this thing has to say. I'll kill it! "...NO, NO, NO, NO, NO! SLEEP!"
An intense wave of ease strikes me, making me drowsy. Every muscle in my body begins to relax and my head gets cloudy as I lose my grip on its wings. My body is getting heavier and I can't keep my eyes open…
"Don't fall asleep!" Fuuka!? "Finish it!"
She's right! It's now or never, and I can't let it hit me with another sleeping spell!
"STOP, PLEA–"
The sound of skin being penetrated cuts off its final words. Blood doesn't leak from where its head was severed, but the sound of it being decapitated rings inside my ear. The wind continues to howl for a little while longer before calming down once again. My enemy begins to disappear, crumbling like a coat of paint from a wall.
I end up falling into the vast blue ocean. Water gets everywhere; my ear, mouth, and even my nose. A mile out from the city with no ride back, my phone was in my pocket… Yep, this isn't turning out to be the grand victory I was hoping for.
"Kazuki-kun! You did it!" Fuu-chan's cheerful voice lifts my spirits. "We're coming to get you."
"Do you know where I'm at exactly?"
"Not…really, but try swimming back while we try to find a nearby boat."
"Got it."
Looks like I'm in for a little after-battle exercise, but now that I'm feeling good and motivated, I think I can get back in no time! And not to brag, but I'm a pretty good swimmer; Naoya even said so. Plus with Shadow-mog, a mile is nothing… But it would suck if I got a cold.
Iwatodai Dormitory - evening - Kazuki
"...Although fatalities were low, there have been several reports of casualties around the downtown area. Furthermore, the continuous reports of civilians falling unconscious are still coming in. The assumed cause of this phenomenon is likely tied to everyday stress from students as well as office employees…"
Shizuka told me to come down to the lobby to watch the news with everyone else. So far, it looks like no one knows what happened, except me, her, and Fuu-chan. It was the afternoon before everyone woke up, and by then, we were back in class, pretending to be asleep like everyone else.
Since the monorail was destroyed and with a giant hole in my classroom wall - which happened since I slammed a monster out of it - we were sent home early.
"...However, the cause of the damages around the downtown area and monorail are determined to have been faulty interior and exterior structuring. Repairs toward the faulty buildings and monorail are currently underway…"
Not all that surprised they think that. Probably better that way, though.
"It seems school will be canceled until the monorail is fixed," Kirijo-senpai tells us from over the counter near the entrance, sitting in front of a computer.
Jun snaps his fingers. "Alright! One more break!"
"Of course you see this as a break," Yuka-chan, reading a fashion magazine, says, expecting him to say that.
"Aw, come on. Don't act like you didn't want a few more days of vacation either, Yuka-tan."
"Aren't you worried that you went to sleep for no reason?"
"I was already asleep when class started."
She groans, going back to her magazine, but Jun just laughs it off.
"But why was there a hole in 2-E?" Sanada-senpai asked, glancing at me and the other two in that class.
"We don't know," I reply. "It was there when we woke up."
He doesn't seem satisfied with that answer, but he lets it go and returns to messing with his boxing gloves.
"I doubt it was because of shadows, but the idea that they're not confined to Tartarus is a frightening one," Kirijo-senpai continues to type on the PC behind the counter without breaking contact with the screen.
"I am unable to confirm whether it was due to Shadow activity or not since I was asleep as well at the time," Aigis adds to the conversation.
"You were asleep," Fuu-chan, her eyes beaming with curiosity, asks.
"Since I possess mental capabilities that mimic the human brain, I am susceptible to ailments that affect the mind."
"Then does that mean you can dream, too!?"
She's definitely geeking out right now.
"The phenomenon that is known as 'dreaming', is something I am unable to experience for myself."
Her enthusiasm is killed the moment she says that. But the fact she can sleep is kinda strange but pretty cool.
"Akihiko-senpai, what were you dreamin' of?" Jun asks him.
"I don't remember," he answers briefly.
"Well, I remember. I was in the middle of a baseball field, tons of people were watching me, and the next thing I know, I scored a grand slam!"
"Do you play Baseball, Iori-san?" Ken, sitting next to Sanada-senpai, asks him.
"I mean…of course…sometimes."
Come to think of it, I don't think I ever see him do anything other than hang around the dorm or hang around at the arcade when he isn't at school. Then again, I'm no better.
"Yo, Kazu, what was goin' on in your dream?"
I rub the back of my head. It would be pretty weird to bring up what happened in mine.
"Mine was…well… Truth is, I went to a handshake event for one of my favorite idols."
"Dude, seriously?"
"It's not my fault! I always wanted to go to one but I never had a way of getting there, and I'm broke."
Shizuka moves from behind the couch near the wall for the stairs.
"Oh, Shizuka-san, wait a moment."
Fuuka chases after her upstairs. Wonder what's up with the two of them.
…/Fuuka
"Do you need something?" Shizuka-san asks me.
"I… I'd like to say sorry, for that argument from earlier."
"For?"
"For getting heated when we argued. No, that's not right… Is it okay if we speak somewhere private?" She nods her head and leads me upstairs to the lounge area. We take seats across from each other. "I'm sorry for acting as if I knew better, or that I was some moral superior. The truth is, I'm jealous of all of you."
"All of us?"
"All of you can go out there and fight. Me, all I can do is watch from afar and give as much information as I can."
"You're vital to their operations."
"But Kirijo-senpai can do the same thing, and she can even fight. And even today, you showed just how competent you were without an Evoker. I was just a hindrance to you without my Evoker. Hearing you call yourself a tool, you made yourself less impressive than you actually are, and I couldn't help it; because it frustrated me."
An inferiority complex. My earlier assessment of her wasn't wrong, but hearing her talk in such a defeated tone is upsetting; not to mention depressing. I wonder… Perhaps I should finish my assessment of her.
"You can't fight, you are right," I tell her, keeping full eye contact. "You are correct. Kirijo is versatile due to her ability to switch between support and offensive capabilities."
Her face turns downcast with a dower smile. "Of course, I know that."
"But, you're stronger in terms of support."
"Huh?"
"If you weren't, do you think you'd be here right now?"
She reels back thanks to my added-on comment. "I don't think so, but–"
"Whether or not you can fight is irrelevant. Even if you were to be able to fight, it would all be useless if there was no reliable support to properly analyze the situation like you can. So instead of fretting over what you cannot do is pointless."
This is my honest opinion, so I wouldn't say this is me sparing her feelings. Whether or not she accepts what I say is entirely up to her.
"Shizuka-san."
"Yes?"
Yamagishi lifts her head, wearing a heartwarming smile. "Thank you, it means a lot to hear that from you," she ends, her voice coming off watery. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make this about me, but hearing you say that is such an honor."
The genuine kindness behind her words are sweet to hear, and that warmth from earlier seems to have made an effect on me. Heat rises around my cheeks.
"I-it's not su-such an honor! Don't say such embarrassing things!"
For some inane reason, she laughs as if I said something amusing. H-honestly, why does she have to say such ridiculous things, but why do I feel so damn embarrassed!? How ridiculous… Even so, as odd as it may be, it's a relief to converse with her, although she's laughing at my expense…