The underground lake is decorated and adorned with various lights.
The light wasn't something that seemed to be naturally emitted; it was extremely artificial.行燈斑猫Andon Hanmyo
The smooth walls, reminiscent of a limestone cave, are adorned with tile-like objects that emit a soft light at equal intervals, illuminating the underground lake.
"Nagamasa, let's move forward. The water god rarely gets upset, so we need to get close and speak to him."
Saying that, Yoriko took my hand and we started walking.
The underground lake was truly a vast space.
I don't know how big it is. It's that big.
There is a tower, and a bridge leads to an island where the water god's face rests.
The bridge was made of stone, and due to age-related deterioration, parts of it had crumbled.
It was probably originally elaborately decorated.
But now, moss grows in places, and it has literally become a ruin.
"It is recommended to watch your step."
Yoriko's warning voice echoed across the underground lake.
However, even that sound blends into the noise made by the surface of .揺蕩Tayuta
Each time the lake's surface ripples and hits the wall, the sound of water echoes and reverberates throughout the entire cavern of the underground lake.
"This bridge...it was definitely made by humans, wasn't it?"
"It is said that people in ancient times possessed truly amazing technological capabilities."
"But why would people like that..."
"If Nagamasa would like to know more about that, he should ask the Water God."
The response I received was so overly polite and thorough, like something an android would say.
Yoriko's feet moved from the bridge to the island, and then both of my feet also stepped firmly onto the island.
However, it appears that, like the bridge, it was also artificially constructed.
Stepping onto the concrete-like ground, you find a towering structure and the face of a gigantic dragon, known as the Water God.
A skeleton shaped like a snake.
However, there is one difference from snakes . Its eyes are tightly closed due to their completely black appearance.目蓋eyelid
And between the parietal and temporal bones, a translucent, eight-pronged horn grew.
Its neck is covered in thick, fluffy fur the same color as its body—pure white—making it look very warm.
"huge..."
And its long, slender, snake-like body is so large that it looks like it could be the main character in a monster movie on the big screen.
If you look closely at the underground lake, you can see the body of the water god, which is folded and twisted in layers beneath the water.
It's probably no less than several tens of kilometers long.
If this thing were to emerge onto the surface and wreak havoc—there would undoubtedly be no one capable of standing against it.
Since approaching the giant dragon known as the Water God, Yoriko's beautiful silver hair has been fluttering at regular intervals.
It was caused by the breathing of the water god as he slept.
No matter how quiet their breathing may be, the breathing of a large creature still carries a certain force.
The gust of wind spewing from the water god's nose has a strong citrus scent, like the smell you get when you squeeze a grapefruit peel tightly.
"Water God"
When Yoriko called out to her, her black eyelids opened—revealing heterochromia: her left eye was golden and her right eye was red.
And the previously translucent horns now make a loud roaring sound and shine with a bluish-silver light.
The water god stretched his neck as far as he could, looked up, and opened his mouth wide.
It was a yawn. After a couple more teeth bumps, the water god lowered his head and caught sight of us tiny mortals.嚙合Kamia
"...I was dreaming. It was a happy memory. A memory of when we drank, ate, laughed, danced, and lived. Perhaps the reason we can consider it happy is because we have already lost those things. We can only recognize the past as happy because we can only view it objectively after we have lost it—well, it's been a long time. Two guests is unusual."
It was a very beautiful woman's voice.
A beautiful voice, like the tinkling of bells, with multiple layers of echo.
"It's been a long time, Water God. I apologize for bothering you while you're resting."
And as for Yoriko—she adopted a posture that was almost like worshiping a god.
He is kneeling on one knee, his hands clasped together in front of his chest.
"It doesn't matter. Happiness can only be lived in the past, after all. We who live in the present can only struggle to grasp at the limited choices available in this uncertain society. And—the man beside you seems different from the one before."
"Time flies so quickly... Water God."
Then the silver dragon let out a growl and said, as if squeezing the words out:
"I see... Humans, unlike us, cannot live long. I can only hope that the memories you have of that man... Ryosei, was it? are happy ones."
Then the giant dragon turned its gaze to me and asked a question.
"You there, I've never met you before. It's been a long time since a human came to this land... no, even monsters don't come this far. The last human I saw was Ryosei, whose name I mentioned earlier. So, what brings you here today?"
I didn't adopt the same posture as Yoriko—but I knew that it was a situation where it would be better to maintain good posture.
Standing upright and motionless, he looked up at the water god and raised his voice.
"It's a pleasure to meet you! I'm Asai Nagamasa—no, I'm Fukai Nagamasa! I wasn't born and raised in this land; before I knew it, I had already wandered into this world!"
Then the water god narrowed his eyes and said:
"So, you, like Ryosei, are also a foreigner who came from another world..."
After casually stating something important, the water god continued speaking.
"Many things drift into this world. Ultimately, even monsters themselves originated from beings that drifted in from the outside world. The fact that you are a foreigner is not particularly surprising to us."
"picture...?"
But first, I need to get to know you.
The water god said that, staring at me with his odd-colored eyes.
"Unless we know how you lived in your original world, we cannot talk about the present—tell us everything."
◆
In the end, all I could do was—disclose all my information.
In his original world, he was a student. He lost both his parents shortly after birth. And before he knew it, he had "become" Asai Nagamasa in this world.
Or perhaps, how each battle intensifies his desire to fight and destroy, and how his libido has become unusually strong—he decided to tell me all about it.
I was convinced that I had to do it, and I felt that if I didn't, I wouldn't be able to face Taishakutsukimo, who had guided me this far.
Then, after the Water God finished listening to my monologue, he said as if he understood.
"Hmm... 'They overlapped,' huh? The fox-horse beside you has the same form as Ryosei, whom you brought with you before."
"W-what does that mean...!"
There was someone just like me...
Furthermore, I couldn't hide my surprise when I learned that this was Asai Nagamasa's grandfather, and the first person to whom Taishaku Tsukimo, also known as Yoriko, had allowed her to trust her back.
"There are roughly two types of situations in which a foreigner infiltrates this world. One is when they infiltrate on their own, and the other is when they become intertwined with the bodies and consciousness of the people of this world... You simply belong to the latter category."
As I stood there dumbfounded, the Water God spoke to me in a polite tone.
≪The principle is quite simple. Let's call the people of this world "A," and foreigners like you "B." When someone like you infiltrates this world, B is superimposed on A as the base, and you are reconstructed as a single human being.≫
The water god continued on with such shocking remarks as if it were nothing.
"And such individuals will be composed only of each other's superior qualities. Height, muscle tissue, internal organs, genetic defects... all these components of life will be compared and referenced at the DNA level, and only those that are superior will remain."
I can kind of understand what you're saying.
The big sun hanging between my legs is a precious companion from my original world.
In other words, it's because it was superior to the crotch of Asai Nagamasa in this world that it continues to hang from my crotch.
However, when they "overlap" in this way, the parts that do not have superiority—for example, parts like memory and the mind—will become mixed together.
The water god submerged his body in the lake, leaving only his face sticking out from the island, and stared at me with his golden and red eyes.
"This is just a guess, but... you probably didn't consider it much of a problem when you got lost in this world, did you?"
I nodded slowly.
"The types of foreigners we just discussed are generally those who have wandered in alone, and are greatly bewildered. This is a natural reaction, as they must live in a world completely different from what they were used to. But those like you, who are 'overlapping,' are different."
The water god flicked his tongue and said:
"This is because a part of the mind that lived in this world at a subconscious level is still present. That's why it's easy to adapt. Ryosei was like that too."
I instinctively turned my face towards Yoriko.
She was smiling as she looked at me.
≪In the case of those whose personalities "overlap," the personality of B initially takes precedence. However, this state cannot last forever. Eventually, a conflict of minds inevitably arises. The final decision on which personality—A or B—is better suited to the situation determines which personality ultimately takes the lead in consciousness.≫鬩seme
The water god said so confidently.
It was a far-fetched story, but there was something about it that made me nod in agreement.
I used to think that my fighting instinct, or rather my reptilian brain, grew stronger with each war, and it seems I wasn't entirely wrong after all.
In other words, I'm a complete amateur when it comes to fighting.
At that moment, the personality of "Asai Nagamasa," rather than "Fukai Nagamasa," emerged.
≪And the moment one side wins the struggle for control of consciousness, that consciousness will be reorganized based on that side. First the body, then the consciousness will be reorganized. You say your libido is increasing, but simply put, that just means that your original 'Asai Nagamasa' personality is becoming dominant... If things continue like this, your personality will be absorbed and reorganized into the 'Asai Nagamasa' side.≫
Speaking of which, the historical Asai Nagamasa is also a warlord famous for being a sex monster.
He even managed to impregnate and have Ichihime, who had married into the Oda family, give birth within the same year—historically speaking, he demonstrated an astonishing level of sexual prowess.
"But this world is clearly not the past, but the future... Water God, please tell me. About the origins of this world, or perhaps its history."
≪That's fine≫
The water god said this, narrowing his eyes.