Chapter 11: Sun Within
...
My head whipped back. "Suu!" I stretched out my hand.
Before I could even think, a ball of light shot out. It came out fast as it went below the blue slime girl before forming itself into a circular platform. It caught Suu and flew upward. I jumped after her, landing on it. "You alright?"
Suu blinked, then blushed at my worried tone as she shyly nodded yes.
"That's good." I looked up at the broken branch, then back at her. "Don't take offence, but I'm going to go on a limb and say those are the reasons why you fell." I pointed at her chest, trying my best not to laugh.
Suu looked down, then poked her boobs, making a bountiful jiggle. I shook my head. Why do monster girls have to be so hot? "There, there." I patted her head before focusing my attention on the thing keeping us in the air.
Checking the platform I made, I touched the warm, smooth, flat surface. This was the first time I'd made something meant to carry people. Curious, I stood up and held out my hand. "Grab on." Suu took it without hesitation.
I focused, commanding the platform to move forward a little. It shifted, slowly following my instruction. We flew between the trees for a bit, staying low until I carried us back to the clearing. Once we landed, I told Suu to wait there while I went alone. She nodded, and I stepped back onto the circular platform. Slowly, I lifted off into the air. Trails of golden light drifted from the edge as I rose higher and higher, past the waterfall, past the treetops, and eventually above the clouds.
Above, I could see the endless night sky stretched out, the crescent moon hanging beautifully among the uncountable stars as I gazed at it from my position above the vast clouds. For a minute, I just stood there in appreciation.
"So big." I whispered, wishing I could take a picture. I really did. But my phone was back on Earth. Back home, where my family was. My friends. My whole life.
My smile faded. I missed them so much. My mom. My brothers. My grandparents. My aunt. My coworkers. My friends. I was supposed to be getting ready for drill that weekend. I was supposed to get my shit down so I could drive to the base. When that was over I would be sent home and take a day off of work to recharge. I'd hang with my little brother. My grandma would be making us rice, and my grandpa would be in the basement making wooden egg holders. My bro and I would be watching Netflix as our mom would be getting us boba on her drive home from work.
I should've been doing that right now, not taking over an innocent kid's life.
"I want to go back! Send me back!" I shouted, my voice echoing across the night sky. I fell to my knees, begging to whatever unknown force sent me here. "DIIGHK!" I slammed my fist down.
As if I couldn't get more pathetic, tears started streaming down my face, but I quickly wiped them away, forcing myself to breathe. I didn't want to cry. Once I started, I didn't stop.
I stayed there by myself for a while longer until I felt ready to get down. Steadying myself, I made my descent. When I landed, Suu immediately rushed over, reaching for me like she wanted to come along too. I dismissed the platform before she could step on it. "Sorry, Suu, now's not a good time." I told her softly.
Suu's smile faltered seeing that I wasn't feeling the best. That's when she held my head between her hands and brought me to her chest. "Hey!" I tried to protest, afraid I was going to drown again, but that didn't happen. Instead, I felt my head get softly caressed by a soft, delicate hand. "Seriously, now's not a good time for this, Suu. " But I had a hard time saying that as my words only came out as muffled noises through her breasts.
"There, there." She said soothingly as she patted my head.
"Suu." I whine, but I can't bring myself to back away from her embrace. It felt too nice. "I'm weak!" I cried as I rubbed my face against those.
Eventually, Suu had to let go of me. While part of me didn't want her to, I had to get back to training, and I wanted to head home before morning. While I didn't suffer from sleep deprivation thanks to meditation, I need to recharge my mind.
"Thanks, Suu." I smiled, and she returned the gesture.
Feeling much better now, I ask Suu to give me some space. Forty-seven lightsabers appeared around me, floating in a slow circle as Suu sat down nearby to watch. Making a light sword in my hand, I brace myself. "Three… two… ONE!" I shouted as five of them darted after me, and I raised my sword to strike. "HAAAAAGH!"
*CLANK!*
*SHINK!*
*CLUNCK!*
All five were sent flying, but more took their place as I pivoted my feet to take them on. As I fought off the incoming wave of blue, I could feel Suus's green eyes staring at me in wide-eyed wonder, like she was watching fireworks instead of something that could probably cut a tree in half.
*TINK!*
*TONK!*
I increased the size of my weapon, switching to a greatsword as I proceeded to swing the weapon hard enough to blow the air in every direction and send five of them back. Yet the blades kept on moving after me.
"Come on!" I grin as more came flying in.
For the remainder of the night, I fought. My light blades clashed again and again as I forced myself to keep up with all forty-seven at once. They came from every direction—front, back, above, low to the ground, curving around my blind spots like they had minds of their own. Technically, they did, since I had given them instructions to attack me randomly, but knowing that didn't make fighting them any easier. I had to guess and predict when they'd reach me while I was with multiple at a time as I let my body do the rest.
Near the end, I was left exhausted. My breathing came out rough and heavy, sweat dripping from my face as cuts covered my arms, shoulders, and legs. None of them were deep, but there were enough that my body looked like I'd gotten jumped by a gang.
Suu became extremely worried for me when I got shanked on the shoulder and tried to step in, but I warned her not to, as this is what was required to familiarize myself with and improve my abilities. She didn't like seeing me hurt but gave in. It was nice to see she cared.
"Hah, hah, hah!" I leaned on my greatsword, using it to keep myself standing as the remaining blades hovered around me.
*SCHWOOM!*
One last sword shot toward my back. Instead of dodging, I turned sharply and moved my greatsword, using its side to block it.
*SHATTER!*
The light sword shattered on contact, breaking apart into golden fragments before falling to the ground with the rest. Broken pieces of light blades were scattered all over the place, glowing faintly before dispersing.
Suu from her spot clapped for me. I looked to her and sent her a weak thumbs up, trying not to collapse like a sack of potatoes.
I let out a long breath and finally let myself fall backward onto the grass. "I'm pooped." I leaned my head down.
I closed my eyes and focused on meditation. Warmth spread through my body, slowly washing away the pain, the cuts, and the exhaustion. Before I could fully relax, though, I felt my head being lifted before being placed atop something soft. "…Hm?"
Opening my eyes, I was greeted by the sight of two large blue mounds above me "Suu." I lazily called out.
A pair of hands reached between them and gently parted them, revealing Suu's smiling face looking down at me. She was giving me a lap pillow.
My head rested comfortably against her soft, plump thighs while she looked at me with that innocent face. I opened my mouth to say something but closed it. 'You know what? I deserve this.' I was mentally drained from fighting for hours, so if a cute slime girl wanted to give me a lap pillow, I wasn't going to complain.
I relaxed, letting out a content sigh as Suu carefully placed one hand on my face. She caressed my cheek. with a cool and soothing touch, making the whole moment even better. The sound of the waterfall roared in the distance, creating a peaceful ambience.
"I could get used to this." I muttered with a blissful smile. If I could get a lap pillow like this, I'd fight Ilias a hundred times if I had to. Deadass.
Suu closed her eyes too, humming softly as she kept stroking my face. We stayed like that for a good while, neither of us saying anything as we rested.
We stayed until it was time for me to leave. With immense reluctance, I sat up and stretched my arms. "Alright. I should head back." Suu's expression immediately shifted into disappointment. I smiled and patted her head. "Don't look at me like that. We'll see each other again tomorrow."
That cheered her up instantly. She leaned forward and hugged me, pressing herself against me with joyful little noises. I chuckled and carefully hugged her back, making sure my light barrier kept me mostly dry. "Yeah, yeah. You little scamp."
…
After we parted ways, I grabbed my things and made my way home. By the time I returned, the village was still quiet with only two hours to go until sunrise. I discreetly slipped inside my house without anyone noticing and went upstairs to my room.
"Man, I'm beat." I cracked my neck, closing the door on my way in. What a night. I met a monster girl look-alike of Suu. Befriended said monster girl and did a bit of naughty things with said monster girl, and you already know the rest.
Sitting on my bed, I bring out my hand and make a small fire, at the same time thinking about more pressing matters. The possibility that this world wasn't following canon as cleanly as I hoped was getting to me. What other differences were there? Other Monmusu characters or those from other genres could be walking around.
"Could things be different for her too?" I bit my nail.
I wanted to get meet with Micaela, so she'd teach me. But now I'm not so sure that'll happen. If Suu being here already proved this world wasn't exactly the game I remembered for all I knew, Enrinka might not exist at all because Micaela might not be there, or worse, she might still be loyal to Ilias.
Then there's Alice. Here she could be evil and attempt to go to wa— "No, that's impossible!" I stopped myself from finishing that sentence. "Tamamo wouldn't let that happen." I shook my head at these thoughts.
Those issues aside, there was the upcoming Ilias blessing ceremony to think and worry about. One month. That was all I had before Ilias herself came to the village.
The thought made my stomach tighten, the fire in my hand flickering. I stared into it quietly, thinking about the blonde bimbo who had this whole village and most of the world wrapped around her finger. "It's like I'm in a joke, and it's not even funny." I gritted my teeth as I closed my fist, along with the flare.
I grabbed my journal and started writing before putting it on my nightstand. Getting in bed, I let out a tired breath. "Yawn, maybe living in Attack on Titan would've not been so bad. "I paused. "Yeah, who am I kidding? Like I'd ever."
Pulling the covers over me I let out a yawn before closing my eyes and went to sleep. I had two hours before the sun rose, which was more than enough time to take a short nap.
...
When I opened my eyes again, I wasn't in my bedroom. "What is this?"
I stood outside a large Japanese estate built in an old-fashioned style. The building had an elegant, curved tile roof, sliding doors, and elevated wooden floors stretching around its exterior. The place looked well cared for with a strangely homey atmosphere.
"Woah." I whispered, taking in the place. As somebody who loved Japan and its long-standing culture, this was the type of house I always wanted to live in.
The house wasn't the only thing that caught my eye because behind me was a very healthy garden. Smooth stone paths led between carefully maintained plants while small statues of foxes of varying sizes sat between patches of flowers. Nearby was a pond filled with clear water and green lily pads, its surface occasionally rippling whenever a colorful fish moved beneath it.
My gaze wandered upward and stopped on a large tree with bright pink petals. Some of them drifted lazily through the air, carried by a soft breeze that spread their sweet scent throughout the garden.
"A Sakura tree." I'd never seen one in person before, but I'd watched enough videos and seen enough pictures to recognize it immediately. It was even more beautiful than I imagined. The way the sunlight slipped through the pink branches made the entire garden look like something out of a painting.
One of the petals floated near me, and I grabbed it, rubbing its soft texture between my fingers. I couldn't stop a smile from spreading across my face.
*SIP.*
Just then I heard the sound of sipping.
The sound of someone sipping caught my attention, causing me to quickly turn my head in that direction. I turned toward the estate and immediately froze.
Long, brilliant golden hair filled my vision. It flowed down the woman's back in thick, splendid waves, shining beneath the sunlight as if every strand had been woven from gold. She sat gracefully on the elevated wooden floor with her legs folded beneath her, holding a flat red cup in one hand, obscuring her face.
I felt heat rise into my cheeks before I could stop it. She wore what appeared to be a shrine maiden's outfit, predominantly white with purple accents. The clothing was elegant and traditional, but whoever designed the top had apparently decided modesty was nonexistent because the fabric rested loosely around her chest, almost exposing the entirety of her creamy white cleavage.
"…Gyatt."
I forced my eyes upward. Or at least I tried. Her hand and drinking cup hide most of her face, giving her a hidden charm. Judging from her clothing, posture, and mannerisms, she looked Asian.
*SWISH!*
Then I noticed something moving behind her, or more accurately, some things. Behind her back, nine enormous tails swayed slowly through the air gracefully. Each one was covered in thick golden fur matching her hair, and together they spread behind her like a magnificent fan.
My mouth slowly fell open. Nine tails?
My eyes went back to her chest again, not out of perversion but because I noticed several elegant red markings across it. Instead of making her appear strange, the patterns only made her look more exotic and beautiful. The woman seemed to feel my stare. She lowered her cup and turned toward me. Before I could finally see her face, a decorative folding fan appeared in her hand as if from nowhere.
"Oh c'mon!" I exclaimed, and as if teasing me more, she opened it with a soft snap and lowered it over the lower half of her face, revealing her gorgeous green eyes. They were bright, beautiful, and filled with a deeply mischievous glint.
She knew I had been staring, and judging by the amusement in her eyes, she found it funny.
Before I could say anything, the entire world vanished. The estate, the garden, the pond, and even the woman disappeared, replaced by an endless darkness. I whipped my head around, searching for anything, but there was nothing to search for. I was left floating alone in a black void without ground or sky.
"What the hell!" I shouted, but instead of an answer, I met pain. "AAAAAAAGGGHH! To—too hot."
An unexplainable heat spread through my entire body, filling my veins like liquid fire. I felt even more pain in my right eye, growing hotter with every passing second, making me clutch the side of my face.
"Egh! What's happening?!" My right eye twitched violently beneath my palm, flaring a bright color out of it. Even with it closed, I could see flashes of yellow light slipping through. The pain wasn't exactly damaging me, but it was intense like something inside my skull was trying to force itself out.
Feeling something behind me, I turned around, and my uncovered eye widened. Behind me was a fucking sun!
It hung within the void like an enormous golden god, its surface raging with endless storms of flame. Great waves of fire rolled across it while burning arcs rose hundreds of miles above its surface before crashing back down. I stood what I assumed was several miles away, but the heat made me sweat profusely. The burning in my right eye grew worse the longer I stared, but within that I also felt... familiarity?
"No way," I whispered, unable to look away while shielding myself with my arms. "Is that what I think it is?"
The sun pulsed. Its glow became brighter, hotter, and more violent. The flames across its surface began flowing faster as if the star itself had noticed me. Then part of its surface erupted. A colossal solar flare exploded outward, tearing through the darkness like a burning tidal wave as it raced directly toward me.
"Motherfuck—"
My words were cut off as roaring. Soon, blinding flames swallowed my entire field of vision.
Everything became white.
…
"AAAAAGH!" I screamed at the top of my lungs as I shot right up from my bed. My chest rose and fell rapidly as I desperately dragged air into my lungs. A cold sweat covered my face, neck, and body, soaking my clothes and sheets. "What—what happened?!"
My head whipped from side to side. The familiar walls of my new bedroom surrounded me, and morning sunlight poured through the open window.
"Di-did I have a nightmare?" I whispered, holding my head.
I tried remembering the dream, but the details were murky. I could faintly recall a garden, pink petals, and golden hair, but the more I tried to remember, the faster it vanished. "My life just keeps getting weirder and weirder." I sighed as I got out of bed.
*BADUMP!*
"EGH!" My entire body stiffened as a wave of heat surged through me.
It was painful, coursing through every muscle and bone like I'd swallowed lava. Yet despite its intensity, it didn't feel wrong. If anything, it felt natural, like my body had been waiting for this heat its entire life.
I looked down at my hands. Golden energy wafted across my fingers. "What the…" I wasn't doing this on purpose? I hurried toward the cracked mirror.
An aura of light surrounded my reflection, shining brighter around my shoulders and arms. It looked like flames yet moved with the smoothness of an aura. But that wasn't what truly caught my attention.
My right eye had changed.
The sky-blue iris was gone, replaced by a brilliant yellow glow that looked like a miniature star burning inside my eye socket. The yellow eye in the mirror stared back at me. I slowly raised one hand, grazing the right side of my temple, and for the first time since discovering my power, I felt like something inside me had finally shifted as an excited smile spread around my face.
...
..
.