Shin-Seina Sekai: A World of Gods- 3

Shin-Seina Sekai: A World of Gods- 3 - A New World

It was hard to explain the feeling I experienced. It seemed like a sudden instant event but at the same time it occurred in slow motion. I didn’t lose consciousness but I didn’t seem to possess my own mind either. What I saw was impossible. I saw no light and no darkness. I felt no air or presence. I saw… nothing. Again, it is hard to explain with words.

Just as quickly as it had happened it all stopped. In the same position as I was in the classroom, fallen on my rear but sitting up, everything finally returned to normal. There was one exception though. I wasn’t in the classroom. No it was far from it.

I scanned the area. I was lying on bare ground in the middle of a vast wasteland. I saw a range of small mountains off the horizon and the peaks of many small mountains and plateaus. There was a lake a ways off and a river a good distance away. I stood up and looked around again. I could only confirm one thing; I was definitely not in Japan anymore.

I paced around and stopped to stand in the shade of a nearby plateau.

“Okay,” I said to myself taking in calming breaths. “First things first, I should analyze the situation logically, then carefully configure a proper plan of action. Then… figure out where the hell I am…”

A god I am, rejoice with glee! I am a god that grants wishes you see!

But usually this is not, it just happens I came, hearing you and I want the same.

A world of fun a world of dreams! Just what you want doesn’t it seem?

… A world of fun and dreams? A new world? …Yeah right. I didn’t know what that thing did, but I doubt I’m in some “different world”. I may read a lot, but I still know what’s fake and what’s real. Magic? Different dimensions? I know they are not real.

I looked around one more time. I thought to myself, “I’m going to need some solid proof this is some ‘new’ world.”

As I looked to my right I saw a giant figured twice my height walk around from behind the plateau I was standing next to. It was humanoid and had rippling muscles with leathery looking swamp green skin. It held a massive spiked metal club in one beefy hand. It had two rows of jagged teeth and a huge hedgehog-like black mane of spiky hair. One top of his head was a single large horn. It turned its head toward me and just stared as if just noticing I was there. I stared back for a few seconds just standing there.

I thought to myself, “That… will work…”

~~~

Progress report: I am in location X21 Y18 of area N Sigma 005. A large ogre is located roughly 0.9 miles from where I am located. Subject looks aggressive. I will avoid confrontation. Moving on to next area.

Roger that. Proceed with caution. Enemy summoners have been spotted in nearby areas.

Understood… wait. Initiating zoom-in function to 300 percent… I have spotted an unarmed citizen. He is running away from the ogre in panic. Action will cause ogre to initiate hunting instincts. New objective: protect the civilian.

Roger that. Be careful Ms. Ai…

~~~~~~

My legs moved on their own without me having to think twice. I ran faster then I’ve ever done before. I heard loud thumps and roaring coming from behind. The monster was chasing me.

I didn’t look back, I just picked up speed to a point where my legs felt like they were going to fall off, but I kept on running. I didn’t know what else to do. I was panicking. I was confused. I… was scared.

I ran and ran but I still heard the monster chasing after me. I ran faster and faster. No matter what I had to keep running. I had to run. I couldn’t stop no matter what.

And then all of a sudden… I tripped.

My foot had hit a large rock and I fell. I had to have hit the ground within a second, yet the instant seemed to have lasted hours in my mind. A thousand thoughts raced through my mind in that single moment.

What? Am I… really falling?

I’m falling. I can’t stop…

But… I can’t be falling…

If I’m falling… then… I really am…

I painfully hit the ground face first. I scrambled up, but I only managed to pushed myself up before I saw the green monster come up behind me, raising its spiked club.

…going to die.

“DIVINE WRATH!!!”

Suddenly, a huge bolt of lightning came out of nowhere, shooting down from the sky like an arrow. The bolt hit the monster right on the head. The creature roared as its entire body was consumed by a massive body of energy. It dropped its club, the spiked weapon falling to the ground with a huge thud.

A small figure suddenly jumped out from behind. It moved so fast I couldn’t even get a good look at it. It swung a wide sidekick while in mid-air, hitting the monster at the side of its head. After being hit by lightning, the quick kick was enough to make the thing lose balance and fall back, rolling like a clumsy barrel several feet, but not before the unknown figure pulled out a katana, slashing it across the neck with one swift movement. The person who just saved my life stood in front of me, its back turned to me. I finally had at least a general look of the person from the back view.

Is it… wearing a sailor uniform?

The creature got back up on its feet, gurgling a wet roar at its attacker, blood oozing out of the cut across his throat. It sprinted toward us, attempting to attack with a full on charge.

The person wearing the sailor uniform pointed the katana at the monster. Out of nowhere I heard a loud BANG. Blood started oozing out of a hole on the monster’s forehead. He fell back and lay still on the ground without so much as making a sound. Then as if the cadaver had already aged fifty centuries, it crumbled to dust and floated in the air, disappearing into nothingness.

The person in front of me finally turned around and I got my first good look at my savior.

It was a girl, wearing what closely resembles a sailor uniform with a pink tie and a pair of mid-thigh length shorts. Clipped to her belt was a box labeled “DECK” on it. She had puffy black socks and simple shoes. The girl had short pink hair and blue eyes. She had some sort of strange visor with a robot antenna-like thing sticking out of each earpiece.

After getting a good look at the katana, I realized it wasn’t your average sword you see in samurai movies. This one had a trigger on the handle and a revolver attached to the guard. She had an identical one sheathed behind her back and an empty scabbard clipped to her belt.

I had a good look at her face. She was pretty in a “natural” sort of way, but her facial expression was frightening. Her azure eyes were blank, staring straight at me yet at the same time at nothing. Her mouth wasn’t curved down or up. She was like a doll. This girl showed absolutely no emotions with the most intimidating poker face I’ve ever seen.

“My name is Ai,” she finally said in an emotionless and almost mechanical voice.

I wasn’t a bit wary at first, but eventually I replied, “I am Daisuke Cross.”

“Please explain your situation,” Ai asked in the same emotionless tone.

~~~

“You don’t know your situation?” Ai asked.

“It’s more like I can’t understand it,” I answered, still trying to piece everything together in my head. “One minute I was alone in the classroom when that… nut case appeared out of nowhere. Next thing I knew, I was here. Then I ended up getting chased by that monster and-“

“Demon.”

I looked at her with an arched eyebrow. “Is there a difference?”

“Of course,” she said as if it was elementary school knowledge, “‘Monster’ is a generic term used to describe something frightening and unknown. It also refers to an anomaly one cannot understand or is not supposed to exist. Therefore, to call that demon a ‘monster’ would be incorrect, since demons like that one are quite common in this world…”

That last statement struck something in me. My mind was going nuts, as if trying without success to process that last bit of info. Demons… common… this world…

“-Especially ogres like that one. Ogres are actually a pretty common demon. You can find them just about anywhere so I don’t think there’s anybody who is not familiar with that particular-“

“That is a lie.”

Ai looked at me, her expression unreadable. Mine though was probably a terrible mess. My lips were quivering, my eyes darting, and a drop of sweat trailing my face.

“There’s no way a world like that can exist!”

I didn’t know why I said that, I just did. Something inside me just couldn’t accept it. It refused to accept it. After everything that’s happened, I should’ve known by now, yet something in me couldn’t accept it. It still won’t. In my mind I still cannot believe what is happening right before me.

Ai stared at me, as if studying me, trying to calculate her response. “You’re not from this world, are you?”

…

That did it. I had to accept it now. There was no more denying it.

“I really am… in a different world, aren’t I?” I stared down at the ground as if the knowledge has made my head too heavy for my neck to carry. “I’m not in that world anymore…”

“I may be able to show you how to get back,” Ai stated.

I looked up at her. Hundred of thoughts were already racing through my head. I can go back? I can leave this place? But… I will have to return to that place again. I would be returning to that boring rotten world. I would be going back to the place I hate more then anything. Isn’t this what I wanted? Isn’t this what I always dreamed of, a new world full of the impossible?

And yet something tugged at me. Something itched in my mind that practically told me to say what I did at that moment. “Show me…”

~~~

We had walked for nearly three hours now. We were silent for the most of the trek making the experience a bit awkward.

“So… you said there’s a ‘gate’ that will take me back?” I asked if only to break the ice.

“As long as it is as you say and the one called The Fool was the one who sent you here,” Ai answered plainly. “This isn’t the first known incident The Fool has brought someone from your world into this one. The first incident was someone called Duke Solomon. It was during that incident that the Fool’s Gate appeared as well. The Fool may be a troublemaker, but he’s not completely heartless. Those he brought here are given the chance to leave through the gate.”

“Who exactly is this ‘Fool’?” I asked with genuine curiosity.

“Nobody truly knows,” Ai stated. “The Fool is as much an anomaly in this world as he is in yours. He is the sole being with the power to cross between dimensions. In theory, we believe he is a special entity with the power to manipulate space. It is only theory though. The only thing we know for sure is that if the Fool is involved, it practically spells disaster.”

“So this isn’t the first time he’s kidnapped a random person from my world and dumped them here?”

“It’s not random,” Ai stated to my surprise. “Make no mistake… If it is the Fool who brought you here, then you… are here for a reason.”

“….”

“You have no obligation to stay,” Ai added. “The gate is there because you have the choice; to stay or go is your own decision. Several people just like you, after journeying through these lands, went through that gate without a second thought. Them leaving never affected this world, at least not in anyway we know.”

“Nothing at all?”

“Not really,” she answered. “Their names were just kept in the record books. Julius Caesar, Moses Levi, Mary Christ, Vlad Tepes, Joan Arc, Napoleon Bonaparte, Christopher Columbus, George Washington…”

I didn’t even know where I would begin.

“Those who do stay though,” Ai continued, “Truly marked their names in history in this world.”

I asked her for some examples.

“A woman called Amelia,” Ai mentioned. “She suddenly appeared in this world in a flying machine. Until that time, we had been using domesticated flying demons to travel through air, but after showing us how the flying machine worked, we had developed a much safer and efficient system of aero traveling. Of course it also developed into aero warfare, but that in itself was good in a way.”

So that’s where she was, I thought to myself. “It’s called a plane by the way,” I added.

“Really?” Ai inquired. “According to records, Amelia claimed that the contraption was called an Earheart.”

… Well I guess I can’t blame her. I probably would’ve done the same thing.

“…Wait,” I said, “Did you just say domesticated demons? Demons can be domesticated?”

“Just as easily as they can be contracted and summoned,” Ai answered plainly. She opened the deck box attached to the side of her belt and pulled out something that looked like a card. On it was an image resembling the very ogre that nearly killed me. “This is  called a Contract Card. With this card, you can form a contract with a demon you defeated. Each card is specified for a specific demon. If you defeat that demon without killing it, you can show it the card designed for it and say, ‘Submit to me’. If the demon accepts you as its master, then its body, mind, and soul become one with the card and a contract is formed. From there you are able to summon and command that demon to your use. Those with the ability to do this are called Summoners. In the past, it was required that you had to draw a magic circle every time you needed to summon a demon, but recent technology improved on that.”

Ai reached into her pocket and pulled out something that looked like a cross between a wristwatch and a handheld videogame.

“This is called a HAND,” Ai explained. “It’s only an extra model I carry around. HAND stands for Hardware Accessory Network Device. This device is connected to the Network, a massive system used throughout the world. It has multiple uses from a phone to a music player to a wallet. For Summoners, it is used to automatically generate magic circles and summon demons. It does this by preparing a magic circle beforehand and uses energy from the Network to sustain power for the circle. It can only do this for demons whose Contract Cards are equipped to it though. The HAND can equip a limit of five contracts at a time.”

“It’s a pretty straightforward system,” I stated. “Do all HANDs look like that?”

“Actually, they come in a wide variety of models,” Ai answered. “The device I’m wearing on my head is an advanced model HAND unit.”

That thing!?

“This is a special model and the only one of its design. I received it as a reward upon passing the Summoner Exams when I graduated from the Academy.”

“There’s an Academy now?”

“All summoners must enter an Academy and pass a Summoner Exam in order to be an officially licensed Summoner. Most missions and many areas are restricted to only licensed Summoners. Also, only licensed Summoners are allowed to fight in wars.”

“Hold it,” I exclaimed, “War? No wait, war(s)!? Why would you be in war?”

“This world is ruled by five different factions,” Ai explained. “Each faction have fought against the others over territory. Although there are some unclaimed territories, eventually the factions will fight over those. Each faction fights using armies of Summoners and specializes in certain fields. Certain types of demons will also only follow summoners from a specific faction. A king leads each faction.

“The Genbu faction is led by Lord Genbu. They are a passive-aggressive tribe but they are dangerous when they fight. They concentrate on psychological warfare. Aquatic based demons follow the Genbu Faction. Genbu’s territory is located north of here.

“The Sieryu faction is led by Lord Sieryu. They are tactical fighters and concentrate on swiftness and efficiency. They specialize in artillery warfare. Draconic type demons follow this faction. Sieryu’s territory is located in the east.

“The Suzaku faction led by Lord Suzaku is an intellectual party. They often plan their actions far in advance. They concentrate on tactical fighting and specialize in electrical warfare. The avian demon race follows this faction. Suzaku’s territory is located south of here.

“The Byakko faction is led by Lord Byakko. They are skilled and experienced warriors. They concentrate on power and strength. They tend to prefer direct battles and skirmishes. Beast type demons follow this faction. Byakko’s territory is located in the west.”

“And your faction?” I inquired.

“My faction,” Ai began. As she spoke, I thought I saw if only for an instant the first and only spark of emotion in her eyes. “My faction is known as the Neutral faction. Lord Xero leads us. We diverse ourselves to be familiar in all forms of combat and warfare. Even so, we specialize in counter attacks. Unlike the other factions, we avoid going on the offensive. We act as mediators when warfare occurs to keep damage to a minimum. We also make sure wars never go too far.”

“So by fighting, you try to keep the peace?”

“We try to keep the balance,” Ai corrected. “It can’t be helped that the factions fight each other constantly, but it is Lord Xero’s duty to keep the world’s balance. His goal is to achieve peace through mutual understanding.”

“So he wants to rule the world?”

“No,” Ai said sternly. “Lord Xero leads the Neutral faction because it is necessary, but he has no desire to rule the world. His goal is to achieve peace and order and that’s it.”

“And after that?” I asked.

“Then he will be free.”

I was about to ask what she meant when Ai raised an arm and pointed up ahead. About twenty meters away was a giant pair of ornate black doors as wide as four men and as tall as ten. The doorframe was lined with smiling theatre masks of every color on the rainbow. Mounted on the top, looking down on all below was a replica of the face of the very creature that made the gate, the Fool itself with its wide comical grin a question mark face. No doubt about it. This was the Fool’s Gate.

“It is good we got here without encountering hostile enemies,” Ai stated.

“Yeah,” I agreed. “It would be troublesome to have to fight all the way over here.”

“That’s not what I meant,” Ai said. “I didn’t tell you this, but the Fool’s Gate has some conditions.”

“Conditions?”

“Yes. You see, not just anybody can go through the gate. Only those brought here by the Fool are allowed to pass. That is condition one. Condition two is that the one going through cannot interact with this world.”

“What do you mean?” I asked in curiosity.

“It means to go through, you cannot with your own hands interact with this world’s destiny. You must not affect it through your actions.”

“I don’t understand.”

Ai looked at me, her expression unreadable. “It means you can’t spill blood in this world.”

“….”

“Doing so would disrupt the natural flow of events in this world. Up to now, you technically don’t exist. You are not connected to this world and thus you are allowed to leave as you desire, but by spilling blood and taking a life in this world you would mark yourself as part of this world’s events. The blood that you spill will be the chains that grounds you to this world and you would never be allowed to go back.”

“… I see.”

“That is enough questions for now,” Ai said without slowing her pace. “There is no need for you to learn anymore about this world apart from that. You will be leaving here anyway. Right?”

And it was that question that clicked something in me. Until now I was confused, but for a single second my mind had cleared to see a single fleeting image in my mind. Kyonko…

“Yes… yes I am,” I said indefinitely.

Ai glanced at me and nodded. I guess she could sense my resolve.

“But why,” I mumbled under my breath, “did I think of Kyonko just now?”

I was deep in thought when it happened.

Without warning, Ai pushed me down. I hit the ground hard but I didn’t notice the pain as I saw Ai and the creature that will change my life.

It was humanoid but kind of small, about five feet tall. It wore nothing but ragged torn up shorts. It was so scrawny its green skin clung to its bones. Its eyes were large and bulging and its mouth was filled with rows on long jagged teeth that desperately needed braces. It had pointy ears and no hair. It held a wooden club in two bony hands. The blunt end of the club was resting on Ai’s bleeding head.

“Ai!?”

Ai didn’t bother to answer, but the goblin started gurgling painful noises. Ai had long already had one of her katanas drawn, the blade piercing the chest of the demon before her.

The action was so quick I didn’t see it, but in a single second with what looked like only a single movement, Ai had her blade lifted above her head and the scrawny demon was falling to pieces on the ground.

As amazing as that was, Ai didn’t look too good. Her head was still bleeding and her knees started the buckle.

“Are you okay?” I asked genuinely concerned as I stood up.

“A goblin,” was her response.

“What?”

“That demon was called a goblin,” Ai stated. She tried to open her eyes but they were covered in blood. “Goblins… always travel in groups.”

I heard raspy hisses and pattering footsteps. I looked up and saw standing on top of two nearby plateaus were a bunch of the same demon Ai had just slain. I couldn’t count them, but there must have been over thirty of them.

“Run.”

“What?”

“GO!”