Disclaimer: I own nothing, this is purely a fanfic for enjoyment.
Cross-over from various games, books, anime, manga, and movies.
The familiar characters you see here belong to their respected authors and owners.
"Speech"
Time*
Chapter 58: That's Huge
A few minutes later*
"Come on, now. Everyone believes you were born a natural woman. No need to get all worked up about it." I said, sidestepping Alucard's punch, only to watch her duck as Momoyo's head-kick barely missed her. "Besides, it's not like it matters that you can change genders."
"It does matter!" Rion roared from the side.
"Ignore her." I continued, slapping away Alucard's high kick as Momoyo landed a solid punch into Alucard's stomach. But then, a black-reddish mass erupted from Alucard, forcing Momoyo to leap back. I followed suit, narrowly avoiding getting caught.
"Do you think you can walk away unscathed after saying that?!" Alucard growled, her frustration bubbling over. "It doesn't matter that I can change genders, but it pisses me off that I don't get any fun from messing people with it!" With a swift motion, she blocked Momoyo's punch with her palm before kicking her square in the stomach, sending her flying. "Now stand still and take this punch like the man you are!"
"That's uncalled for." I sidestepped, grabbing Alucard's outstretched arm, and before she could react, I stabbed my index and middle fingers into her throat with enough force to cause her to choke.
With a flick of my left hand, the Slumber Charm materialized on my palm.
"Darkness." I activated the charm, and like a grenade, it detonated. A wave of Spirituality slammed into everyone, sending them crashing into a deep sleep.
I had hoped that switching out the Door Pathway with the Darkness Pathway would be enough, but it wasn't quite sufficient to suppress the overwhelming urge to sleep. Still, it was enough for me to use the Immortality Marble Glove to transfer the effects. Alucard, who had been barely fighting off the sleep, instantly fell under the combined effects of the Slumber Charm and the burden of my side of being hit as well.
Switching back to the Door Pathway, I surveyed the room—only I was still awake.
I started with Momoyo, lifting her carefully and carrying her to one of the many available beds, or at least one of the few still intact after Alucard's rampage left most in shambles.
Next, I placed Rion, followed by Sakamoto, and finally Alucard.
I paused, staring at Alucard's face. She looked cute, but damn, she was far too much of a problem. My mind wandered to her male counterpart, and the fact that she could switch to his appearance made any fleeting desire disappear. It was enough to extinguish any thought of trying anything with her.
I tossed her onto the last bed, but it collapsed under her weight with a sickening crack.
Sighing, I left the infirmary, only to freeze in the hallway as I noticed several students sprawled out on the floor, unconscious.
"Whoops." I muttered under my breath, realizing the blast radius of the Slumber Charm had been much larger than I anticipated, affecting those outside the infirmary as well.
I began whistling a tune I vaguely remembered as I wandered through the hallways, noticing just how much more effective the upgraded Slumber Charm was than I realized and how far its range extended.
The sharp sound of something piercing the air abruptly cut off my whistling. I instinctively shifted, my Spirituality kicking in with a vision just before an arrow slammed into the wall beside me, cracking the stone as the wooden shaft drove right through it.
"This is what I get for trying to stay peaceful and quiet." I said in a mockingly sorrowful voice, though I couldn't help but smirk.
Then, I look at the person who shot me with an arrow and become speechless.
I turned to face the person who shot the arrow, my mind going blank.
I glanced around, double-checking to ensure I hadn't accidentally slipped into a different parallel reality. To my relief, everything seemed the same—I was still in Ishiyama High School, in the reality I came into being in. Then, my eyes fell on her—Madoka Kaname, one of the Magical Girls who could one day become a Goddess. Because why not?
"Y-You villain! You won't get away with harming everyone here!" Madoka shouted, her grip tight on the wooden bow. A quiver was slung over her shoulder, and she had another arrow nocked, the bowstring pulled tight, ready to fire.
I stared at her, studying her attire, only to notice that she wasn't wearing her Magical Girl's outfit. My vision seemed to flicker, unable to focus clearly on her. My brain registered her presence, but that was about it.
Squinting my eyes, I moved in a blur before Madoka could react. My left hand gripped the back of her head, and I transferred the burden affecting my vision onto her. In an instant, my sight cleared, and I saw her as she appeared in the series, though with one slight change: she looked a year or two older, maybe fitting the appearance of a high school student.
I blanched, realizing the implication—Madoka might be one of the students who had just recently joined Ishiyama High School as a freshman.
A blank spot. Madoka wasn't among the routes I had foreseen through Computational Divination.
Great, now I had to deal with people who could block divination far sooner than expected. Then again, I shouldn't be complaining—thanks to the Sefirot, the Cards of Blasphemy, and the two Uniquenesses I possess, I was easily placed on top of being unseen by supernatural means.
I released my grip on Madoka's head, cutting a small section of wire to leave on her, burdening her with the side effects of carrying a severed wire while it remained under my control.
Once that was done, I delivered a swift chop to the back of her neck, knocking her out cold. I then picked her up and tossed her into a nearby bush large enough to hide her, ensuring she wouldn't accidentally be kidnapped by any strange men wandering around.
I took out my pendulum, holding the chain with my non-dominant hand, and closed my eyes, channeling my Spirituality into it.
Is there danger to my life if I were to leave the school grounds now?
I repeated the question seven times in my mind.
Opening my eyes, I watched the pendulum spinning in a clockwise motion, indicating there was no immediate danger.
However, it continued spinning slightly, suggesting that while there might not be an immediate threat, there were still uncertainties—dangers I couldn't entirely rule out.
I stowed the pendulum away, wrapping the chain around my wrist and securing it in place for when I'd need it again.
Exiting the school grounds, I relied on my Spirituality to guide me, following an invisible path to where I had to be.
I ignored the people around me, focusing solely on my destination, barely stopping as I moved. I made sure to avoid bumping into anyone, walking with a clear purpose and without distraction.
Okay, so there were a few distractions. Damn, some of these food stalls smelled incredible.
But I pushed them aside for the time being, continuing to walk in the direction my Spirituality was guiding me.
Then, my vision began shifting again. Yet, my Spirituality didn't warn me of anything. My senses started to overwhelm me—sights, sounds, feelings—everything hitting me at once, and it felt so different, so intense.
I quickly unequipped the Door Pathway, and everything returned to normal.
The fuck?
It took that long before I nearly lost control?!
What happened to no immediate danger?!
I scowled, ignoring the strange gazes from bystanders, and quickened my pace. Finally, I reached a random temple.
"I swear this better not be one of the bad routes..." I muttered quietly as I walked up the stone steps to the top.
30 minutes later*
Before me stood a ruined temple, clearly abandoned for years, the lack of maintenance evident in the decaying structure. A couple of wildlife scurried about, but scattered immediately upon spotting me. Weeds grew everywhere, and part of the temple's structure was filled with holes.
I took a moment to capture the scene in my mind, then continued walking toward the entrance.
Narrowing my eyes, I equipped the Door Pathway once again.
No shift in my senses so far, but I knew better than to keep this up for long. I had no idea how long I could stay as a Triple-Pathways Beyonder, nor did I understand the timeframe for this state. All I knew was that I had to accomplish whatever was necessary here, then leave afterward and switch back to being a Dual-Pathways Beyonder—for the sake of my mental health.
Suddenly, without warning, everything around me shifted. I found myself standing in a large throne room, the atmosphere dominated by crimson hues. At the center of the room was a massive sun, glowing brightly, but somehow, it wasn't burning my eyes.
That was both good and bad. It meant I was dealing with something far beyond what I should be able to handle. Unless I released all the Sefirot into the area, but that would only cause more problems. Especially with the City of Calamity lurking in the background—it would push me to the edge of death, and beyond that, it would be a fate worse than just dying.
"Well, now. I wasn't expecting a visitor." A heavenly, beautiful female voice came from the sun. "Normally, those who dare enter here would be burnt to a cinder. But you... You seem interesting. Made me think twice about eating you. You smell good, but also something foul that would upset my stomach. Tell me, lowly one, what made you seek me out, Amaterasu?"
Fuck me sideways. I'd rather deal with a dozen bad routes than this blind route! Also, Amaterasu?! Which version?! Which series?! Which?!
I screamed internally as I blankly stared at Amaterasu.
"Hm? Maybe my current form isn't the right appearance for you to speak with. Give me a second," Amaterasu said, and in an instant, a flash of white light filled the room before disappearing just as quickly.
Now, instead of the massive sun, there was Amaterasu herself—an imposing female figure with fox characteristics. Her long, pinkish-red hair cascaded down, and atop her head, large fox ears flicked. Nine ethereal tails swayed behind her. She wore a large white bow behind her ears, giving her a ceremonial appearance. Gold decorations adorned her hair and head, catching the light. Her outfit consisted of a gold and white halter-style top, revealing her midriff and cleavage, with elaborate metallic and ornamental details. Around her waist, a decorative belt hung with fringes of gold chains and embroidered trim. Her flowing white harem-style pants had light gold trimming, and soft anklets decorated her legs. Gold bracelets wrapped around her wrists.
Lying on her side, she gazed at me with eyes filled with hunger and curiosity.
"There. Can you speak now, or do I have to eat one of your limbs to get you to talk?" Amaterasu raised an eyebrow.
I'm fucking screwed. I should have just stayed back in school instead of wandering aimlessly with nothing but my Spirituality to rely on.
Author Note: Sorry, I got the cold and barely managed to type this up and post so late.