Volume 1 Chapter 2 (1/2)
Most people don't start screa as soon they wake up
But today, I had the valuable experience of learning exactly how it felt like firsthand
I was rather impressed at how loud I screamed for someone who'd just woken up I hadn't been able to forh
”——What's going on?”
Someone rushed in fro the tremendous scream I had let out But I didn't have the leisure to care about that As for why—
”My, my ears……, that scream could destroy even a God's ears……”
”W, ho are you————!? Why are we sleeping in the same bed————!?
”My poor ears, they're breaking……!”
In other words——I had apparently been sleeping in the ely beautiful, but suspicious, man with brilliant blue hair
A few minutes later
I had crawled away to a corner of the spacious bedroom and placed myself far as I possibly could from the two mysterious individuals
The blue-hairedin pain with his hands over his ears on the semi-circle shaped bed The other ainst the edge of the nightstand as he looked at the former with pity
——Wha, what's going on!? Where am I? And seriously, who are they!?
Everything was so wrapped up in mystery that , I held on to a conveniently close porcelain water jug so I could hit thee
——Is this……the ryokan?
I looked around only to grow more puzzled The room was somewhat old-fashi+oned and floridly decorated
But, the difference between this room and the room I had rented with Uncle Miharu was like that of heaven and earth It felt a little similar, but it was probably better to assuether Each and every decoration, and even the brick walls, gave off a solee Also, the rooh up
Next, I secretly observed the two suspicious individuals They were dressed just like Fortune had been They earing gorgeous antique clothing, ht through all of this, I finally looked one in the eyes
”Where is Fortune!? And what about the wounded man? And the little monkeys!?”
”Calm down, child”
The red-haired man smiled wryly at my confusion
”Y, you're asking for the impossible here……, and what happened to Uncle Miharu!?”
The red-hairedout of the rooasped
He was huge He was probably taller than even the antic sword His eyes were a vivid red, the same color as his hair Upon a closer look, I noticed that he earing three swords at his waist
”You'll understand better if you see your situation with your own eyes, instead of having me explain it to you, no? Come,”
theuarded I hesitated a bit and followed after hilance at the blue-hairedin pain
Separated from the bedrooer than the room I had just left
——I guess this really isn't the ryokan Is this some kind of palace?
No, it felt more like a teels embedded with stones of every color There were decorated pillars along the side of the hall with the terrace There was even a beautiful
”Over here”
The red-haired man, who had left the bedroom before me, cut across the hall and headed toward the line of pillars There were no s in the room Instead, there was a wide stone terrace with handrails on the other side of the pillars It allowed for a sweeping view of the scenery outside
I stared blankly as I staggered toward the handrail What I saw before me was——
”Do you understand now? Though an afterie it may be, this is clearly not the in which you lived This is the holy precinct of the world of Evelier——in other words, ”
The clouds shone with the luster of pearls Or, perhaps it would be better to call it fog?
The dense growth of trees was ulped audibly Evidently, this building was built on top of a hill……a cliff The landscape of so that looked like a town spread out below my eyes
The circular townscape was enveloped by the abundant forest It resembled the town of Sarumi from the side Except, its beauty was in a coue from that of the town I knew
”Child?”
Without a word, I sank down onto the cold stone floor
”Are you alright?”
A fewon one knee in front of me with a troubled smile
”I'd like to let you rest for a while longer, but we probably don't have a lot of tiht?”
”This really isn't……”
Sarumi…… This isn't my world The blue-hairedthe rest of that sentence blankly in my heart He smiled and waved excitedly when our eyes met
”Wow, your screaht that my ears would break,”
the blue-haired htly with a cheery smile
”Let , but he didn't crawl into your bed to do so you……or at least he was supposed to be”
The end of the red-haired man's sentence trailed off suspiciously The blue-haired man, who had been called out on, simply smiled as he nodded
”Well, I did consider layingand adorable maidens are like my brides”
”Cut it out, Silvai She'll take you seriously,”
the red-haired rowled I stared at the two of them blankly in turns
Apparently, the blue-hairedinappropriate was called Silvai
His looks were so well-proportioned that it truly rendered me speechless His blue hair shi+ned as if it had been inlaid with shattered geht aqua eyelashes were so long that I was actually envious of theave lae petals It was the first tiender
”But Olin, it's not like I can do much to help it, is there? The ladies iardless of my wishes, do they not? My own beauty and charm scares me……”
The red-haired man named Olin looked impressively tired as he watched Silvai lament
Olin had very defined features and was beautiful in a different sense than Silvai was Silvai looked rather androgynous, while Olin was masculine Olin had looks that would draw him the envy of all the world's men
There was no way anyone could stand before them and remain sane They were obviously not normal
I wondered if s had happened to me at once I felt myself slowly return to my usual self as I spaced out It was likely because s had shattered to the point that I knew that I had no choice but to just accept whatever was happening
I fired ressively decided to observe the two men Olin……was he the one who embraced and protected me from behind when the little monkeys were about to kill me?
And, the bright and cheerful Silvai had treated my wounds, or so I'd been told While I didn't knohy that required hi I knew that my body didn't hurt anymore
Speaking of which, and about tiar a sakurpink long robe with expensive-looking accessories
”Stand up, young lady”
Silvai reached out a hand to me as I stared down at myself
I tiers and pulled myself up The illusionary townscape on the other side of the handrail It wouldn't change into the town of Saruaze to the two men, dejected
”U e of clothes too”
The two standing before me had probably vanished the little monkeys and helped me escape the creepy forest that had become the 'interworld' They seeoodon in detail and I also wanted to guarantee my safety
”How delightful The dazzling maiden Goddesses are likeable too, but a pure child like this one is quite lovely as well……”
Silvai nodded repeatedly to himself and continued,
”all right Let's get married”
What should I do? —he's quite the regrettable person
”Silvai, just shut up Please”
Olin sighed deeply and leaned against the handrail as he hung down his head He continued,
”you're always, always so…… This isn't the ti around We have to decide on what to do with this child”
My shoulders stiffened I looked to Olin carefully as to not lose my composure
——I have to keep calet back home
”……Do the two of you know Fortune?”
A bitter expression immediately appeared on their faces Their reaction told me that the ansas yes
”I'ht up in Fortune's whims,”
Olin apologized gloohted himself I hurriedly shook my head
”Uize for……Olin, and besides, you saved me too”
I didn't know if I could just call him by his name without a title, but he didn't seem to have minded
”It's better to let hiin of this situation started in the kingdom that Olin created,”
Silvai cut in, suddenly looking serious He continued,
”and I want you to keep this well in your mind——”
His pure beauty suddenly becaht aze as he continued,
”I ae man I areat that you can find no faults in it, yes?
So feel free to become my henever you'd like”
What should I do? —he's really, really a regrettable person
”Forget what he said just now, child,”
Olin interjected at once Silvai looked down at ree to his proposal without thinking He recovered soon after and smiled sweetly
”Olin, there's no need to keep addressing her as a child…… What is your name?”
”It's Hibiki Hibiki Mishi+ma”
”Hibiki? I see, it's a name that shares camaraderie with the atmosphere Which means that it is affiliated with me,”1
Silvai said happily as he patted my forehead
”Who are you people?”
”I'overns over the wind and atoverns over andAnd let reat and majestic I am My red-headed fellow over here is a God of war He's a God who exists for the people He's also a newer God who governs over andAs a God of war, he was once human Thus, his rank is low At least here in heaven it is”
”Aerated introduction?”
Olin mumbled, exasperated
”It's iive thanks where it's due After all, the other Gods ostracize you and say rude things about you, like how you're a savage or that you reek of blood I'h to be your friend because I want to, you know?”
”They just don't like ins, that's all”
”I don't dislike hu contradictions Oh dear, I enerosity…… Olin, you should cherish me more”
”U, um, wait a minute!”
I hurriedly cut in before the topic digressed too far I continued,
”what do you mean by……Gods?”
I couldn't keep up with this conversation that I couldn't comprehend Olin was bewildered by my confusion Silvai, on the other hand, looked at ly as if I was an adorable pet
”Hibiki, do you not knohat Gods are?”
Olin asked with an indescribably complicated expression on his face I wasn't entirely sure hoas supposed to interpret that question
”Er about……like, actual Gods? Oh, or is it so else?”
”……Well, I suppose you are from another dimension, child”
Olin sighed in exasperation I turned aze to Silvai instead, troubled
”You can't bla confused Different worlds will have different Gods We are Gods who protect the entire world of Evelier”
Silvai smiled tenderly as he stroked my hair
”You said so about this Evelier before, and Fortune mentioned it to…… But I'm still not sure what you mean by it?”
”It refers to the land beneath this place —heaven Your world and this one are two sides of the same coin If your world is on one side of a mirror, this one exists on the other”
Evelier —a world other than my own It was hard to believe, but just as hard to refute I'd already seen a natural disaster happen before s And I still was
——Why is this happening to me?
”To begin with, all of this started with Fortune's lament,”
Silvai said with such good ti that he could have read my mind He explained,
”Fortune, like Olin, was originally human But, by an unlawful twist of destiny that resulted from a loophole in reason, he was entrusted with an array of powers even as a human And so, we prepared to welcome an eleventh God into our midst Given to him were the powers of andBut Fortune refused to join the ranks of the Gods And it wasn't because of some lukewarm reason like he too awed and afraid of the Gods presence Some of the Gods took this as an act of betrayal”
Silvai shi+fted his gaze and followed after Olin as he continued,
”originally……it was an unwritten rule even a the Gods that we overns over , the eldest of the Gods, had decided that we must never lay our hands upon that real the Gods ere discontent with the ever wavering and unclear nature of creation They desired an 'eye' hich to ascertain the future Fortune is a noble existence as born froreed”
I secretly took deep breathes so that Olin and Silvai wouldn't notice how terribly bewildered I was Just ere they talking about; were they really talking about Gods like Zeus and Poseidon froreek myths?
Were they really Gods as well?
My head began to hurt The sci-fi-ness of 'alternate worlds' was still within the limits of my comprehension But it was too much for ood at dealing with fantasy-like topics to begin with
I drew up Fortune's figure ina mask
”The Gods loved Fortune rant him and even made a covenant of inviolability with him”
”Watch your raced that noble one with too ht here before you”
Surprised, I looked up to find a bitter-looking Silvai He looked back ataway
”It's almost like……”
I know that I have a bad habit of saying whatever I' out loud But I just couldn't find it in myself to keep quiet this time I finished,
”all of you were trying to manipulate Fortune's heart for yourselves?”
Olin and Silvai pursed their lips and looked to me I was fully aware that I had probably spoken out of turn
Silvai, who had been extremely friendly up until now, started to look displeased It was scary when a beautiful person suddenly stopped s instead
”Fortune was happy for our affections at first,”
Silvai whispered in a low voice with a hint of scorn as he gazed down at the townscape below the handrails
——That sounds like an excuse
I think Itoo obvious Silvai's refreshi+ng presence suddenly grew heavy It was too late by the ti Silvai had already left with an empty look on his face
I was ale of ize to hih, as I tried to chase after Silvai, worried
”You have quite the nerve for someone who looks so innocent”
”I'm sorry Silvai…… He's upset, isn't he?”
Olin looked to the direction that Silvai had left and made a mischievous expression
”You're quite the girl to have driven Silvai away, even if you didn't know the circumstances well”
By 'circu to do with the 'Gods' that they were talking about?
”I don't really mind what you say to me, but Silvai's still an ancient God no enerally self-centered Not only that, but he's also fickle and will tire of things he's bored with regardless of the consequences His personal pleasure is more important to hireat, but on the inside, he's like an extreenerally like that”
I soon forgot about reflecting on my actions as Olin talked toout what I was really thinking again
”That's really immature of them……
”Don't say stuff like that to anyone else but e if Silvai had pulverized you into dust back then, you know?”
”Huh!?”
Olin laughed in good spirits He cast a sideways glance at ainst the handrail
His physical appearance aside, he felt very much like 'a nor to be with him
”That being said, Silvai is one of themorals Don't press him too far What you pointed out struck painfully close to home for me too After all, I, too, am one of the Gods who poured their powers into Fortune”
I was at a loss for words for a moment
”So……you really are, well, Gods and all…”
”Is it hard for you to believe that Gods exist? Then think of it this way We Gods are 'troublesome rulers who have a few more special powers than humans'”
His frank explanation didthe subject
I still didn't believe him completely, but I decided to accept his explanation for the ti
”I see, so I'ht now, huh……”
My serious whisper apparently had a huge i time
”As Silvai said before, I used to be human too The people of Evelier may worshi+p me as a God, but deep down, I've never once consideredActually, I feel like all of the restrictions the Gods live by have clipped s”
I wanted to knohat kind of world 'Evelier' was specifically, but Olin's tone of voice bothered me too
”Do you not like being called a God?”
”I suppose not It's not a compliment At least not for me”
”I see That sounds rough in a lot of different ways”
Olin finally began laughing without pause again I felt like being able to be open and honest with him like this was the hard-won fruit of my labor If I o back hohts and searched for out next topic of conversation
”Your red hair is really pretty”
I really nificent than that of flaer than even my own
”You've really been saying the s today”
Olin, who had finally stopped laughing, pulled at a tuft of my hair He continued,
”this hair color of mine is one of the reasons that the Gods ostracize me”
”Why? It's really cool”
”Both my hair and my eyes are red And I'uess what my red colors mean?”
”……Blood, maybe?”
”You're sharp That's right I was a bloodstained huht all his life I've never been defeated in battle In other words, that means that I've been showered in the blood of a lot of people And so, my hair and eyes became the color of freshly spilt blood It's no wonder the Gods don't like me”
I tilted my head to the side Olin wore a complicated expression of self-deprecation on his countenance
”Was it a different color when you were human?”
”Indeed It was blond My eyes were green I used to be called the king of earth back down below”
It looked like he still wanted to be called that instead
”But blood wasn't what I thought of when I first saw you”
I turned back to Olin, who looked surprised, and looked at his dazzling and gorgeous hair
”I thought that your hair looked like flames And that your eyes were as red as roses Don't red roses represent passion and love or so like that? Both your hair and your eyes are really pretty, and I like them”
Olin stared at enuine surprise in his red eyes Even if he told me he was a God and not a normal person, he still looked like an adultso at me made me embarrassed as uncomfortable
Olin finally laughed gently as I curled aze I knew that he had h
”Hey, Olin Fighting is scary, isn't it?”
I recalled what had happened in the forest and furrowed e sword and defeated the beasts Was he safe?
I shi+fted aze from Olin to the town surrounded by the pearl-colored clouds The townscape was as beautiful as a dream
”This scenery looks so much like Sarumi……”
”——It's only natural that it appears as so This is heaven, a sacred realm where normal people are not supposed to be able to set foot in It's 'a place that cannot be reflected in the eyes' And so, the land ca a small sliver of heaven's forht you out of the interworld?”
Evidently, it only looked like Saruot a little depressed on the inside Then, I guess I won't be able to find the key back to my world even if I searched the town
”But even this blessed land of plenty will eventually be reduced to scorched earth”
”……Scorched earth? Is there so with the land?”
”Not wrong per se It's because of the infighting between the Gods”
”Infighting…… Do Gods have wars too?”
”It's because we're Gods that our fighting ends up beco all the more severe”
”Do Gods fight because they're greedy for the spotlight or for authority too?”
It was all so sudden that it was hard for e that I had of Gods was that of beings bri with merciful love and holiness, like Christ
”I' you, so please don't let Silvai hear how frank you can be sometimes”
I kinda found the way Olin was pleading to be somewhat cute He continued,
”if the Gods don't carry greed, then neither will man awaken to it, no?”
Olin said as if he was stating the obvious Is that really hoorks?
”Then, does that er and joy because Gods do?”
”Indeed That goes for greed and other eirl”
Olin nodded with an impressed look on his face
I vaguely re si about hue of their creator, was it? Maybe that's why our hearts are similar too
”Do you want authority too, Olin?”
”I wonder”
I felt a little dissatisfied because he sounded like he was trying to dodge the question He continued,
”but seriously, Hibiki, you really kno to hit where it hurts”
I decided to change the topic because Olin looked obviously troubled I wonder if it's alright for ht out my words as I opened my mouth
”This place looks a lot like a place I'?”
I orried the most about my uncle and Mr Kenji's welfare I earnestly held in s so that they wouldn't explode, but in actuality, I wanted to run to them if I could even now
”……I am sorry”
My chest tightened when I saw the dark look on Olin's face He continued,
”the Gods made a foolish vow, myself included”
I tightly grabbed Olin's ar I had wouldn't go away
”Are you talking about the covenant of inviolability about Fortune? Hey, what's happening to my world?”
”……It's probably experiencing some distortion because the torlds are connected This world and yours are like the front and back of the same coin If one side distorts, then so will the other”
”Are my uncle and Mr Kenji……and everyone around that forest safe?”
”Are you speaking of your family and close acquaintances?”
”Yeah I was on a trip with my uncle, and then I saw a clown and a bunch of children in the forest……”
——What should I do?
My breathing becaed from anxiety Are Uncle Miharu and the others okay?
”Will I——be able to go back?”
I i away froer than Fortune Shouldn't it be easy for hiinal world?
Or so I had hoped, but Olin's visage was still as dark as it was before
”Gods have tremendous power, and they s and punish else but watch over you otherwise”
All of that sounded incredibly selfish to me
”But Fortune chose successors and connected the worlds through the forest!”
”And that here the Gods' erred We loved hiave him so much affection and power that his human psyche could not bear it”
Olin looked away in conte the ti would change even if I pressed Olin for answers here and now I had to calm down
”……What is Fortune trying to acco a successor?”
”Silvai said this before too, but he was an to doubt his role as a puppet of the Gods and resisted his fate He seems to have wanted to fulfil the wish he had back from when he was still human”
”His wish?”
”Well, only Fortune would knohat that entails ……But he can't return to the world of man anymore He now has the face of one that is deviated from that of humanity's The people of this world rejected him And so, Fortune wielded his power and punished the corpses”
——Living corpses?
I wondered what that houls and zombies ……No way
”Fortune is ie nor disease But people age with the passing of seasons Or rather, they walk alongside tiured the people of Evelier into……to put it in ters similar to evil spirits”
”Evil spirits!?”
”Ghosts that can only live in a world of night The kind that only harbor negative feelings, such as hate and antipathy Those that have lost their ego and turned into revenants ander in the darkness for all eternity And so, the world of Evelier tread down the path of ruin”
”Wa, wait a minute, I can't keep up……but, if that's true, don't you have to hurry and save the people!?”
I suddenly realized as Olin smiled bitterly The Gods were restricted in that they weren't allowed to interfere with people more than it was necessary, was it?
”Man must be the ones to save mankind That is what the reason of all creation dictates The species of beasts that humans meddle excessively with eventually decline, do they not? Likewise, if we Gods grant humans unmerited charity, your species will eventually meet its downfall as well”
”But can't you make this an exceptional circumstance?”
”Even if weweeded out by natural selection anyway”
Olin glared into open space as if he was in pain A sweet sh the space between us Olin continued,
”……then, Fortune planned to renounce his power He planned to have another succeed his power as a ainst the Gods anted ascertain the future However, he could only pass his power to a as compatible with it”
”You're talking about ht?”
Olin affired my chest I was the one who had rejected Fortune's power But now I had clearly begun to regret my decision
”Since you've chosen not to obtain it, his poill be succeeded by the other chosen one”
The other candidate Fortune had said that he was the complete opposite of me I wonder who he is
”Fortune, as no longer fond of the Gods, came to hate humanity next, and eventually, he despaired in hier be healed It was to the extent that it led to destruction”
”Destruction?”
”Ithimself”
”Hey, Olin Fortune asked lorious ruler or if I would create a neorld”
”It probably means that the chosen one would have be entrusted with a choice——bethether you would return the revenants back to their human forms and allow this world to continue as it had been before, or whether you would extinguish this world without leaving even a trace of it behind and build a new one in its place”
I stared at Olin in surprise
”Wait a minute These zombies……the people ere turned into revenants can be turned back?”
”With Fortune's power, yes”
”So, what's the person who inherited Fortune's power planning to do?”
This was an important issue not only to the people of Evelier, but to me as well I mean, if this world continued to exist, then wouldn't the distortions that happened to my world as an aftereffect of what happened here heal as well?
”But, it seems that the successor——wished for destruction and chose the path of beco the God of a neorld”
My vision went dark all of a sudden So, does that mean…
”What's going to happen to my world? You said that this world andtoo horrible will happen to it, right?”
”It will most likely slowly tread the path of destruction”
My ave me his bleak ansithout even a pause to preface it
”……N, no, that can't happen!!”
Olin gave rew furious and caressed my head
I suddenly grew irritated and violently shook off Olin's large and hefty hand
”If you're a God……, on't you help us?! You used to be called the kind of earth; doesn't that mean that you used to be a leader of the world? So why……!”