Chapter 2 - Part 2: This unusual bunch
Hallucinations. Headache. Double vision. Bloody vision. Vision darkening. Tunnel vision. Temporary blindness. Disorderly nightmares. Tiredness. Fear. Constant depression. Ringing ears. Lack of concentration - lack of mental stamina. Frequent brain freeze.
Faster.
Hallucinations, Headache. Double vision…
Even faster.
What was it which was preventing me from going insane?
The person - the goddess - who had invaded my dreams came to visit me.
She only said a few words and left me alone.
“You are a dangerous existence. I’ve miscalculated. Your affinity to become a demon lord is 100%. You’ve been spared, but, since this is the case, my eternal blessing have already been removed from you.”
I could only see her profile distort as she stood from a far away place, before she disappeared.
I wasn’t even sure if she had actually been here in the first place.
To this dark place.
***
“He’s awake.”
How much time has passed?
“Hey, aren’t you bored sleeping in this place for three successive days?”
Three days…?
My body wouldn’t move.
“You can speak, can’t you? Answer me!”
What? Only three days has passed?
I was pretty sure that I had died.
“Are you certain that he’s not sleeping?”
What’s the problem with that loud-mouthed person?
“Aidan Alastair, it’s time to wake up~!”
Someone rolled me onto my back; I opened my eyes in alarm.
A random guy with bleached hairs grabbed my shirt, and, lifted me up onto my feet, giving me two slaps in the process.
“Alright, he’s wide awake. Run your mouth, Dmitri!” said the man with the hairs bleached to blonde.
What the hell is wrong with them?!
“Aidan Alastair. Been healthy lately?”
It was a black-haired person with equally black eyes.
“...”
I was in a prison cell - it would be more accurate to call it a dungeon.
“Come on, now! You could at least tell me a bit of what you think!” said Dmitri while looking at the bloodstained floor, “you have had quite a party by yourself here, didn’t you?”
“...What part of… it…looks like a… party… to you…?”
“Huh? What’s that? You can actually talk when you want! You surprised me!” said Dmitri while approaching me, and, tapping on my shoulder.
It hurts.
“Well, you still don’t happen to be that talkative, do you?” ensued Dmitri while looking at me straight in the eyes.
I managed to hold his gaze, but, I was having mixed feelings about the situation - something like a hidden wish of girls visiting me instead of Dmitri and the other two.
Well, it was improbable that these people would know my thoughts.
“You want to understand the situation?”
“...”
“Yeah, I absolutely think that you do want to. I really don’t find that this setting needs explaining to you, but, I’ll say it anyway. Not that you are getting all guns and roses.”
What ‘guns and roses’?
“...”
“Hey, what’s with this crappy attitude? If you want to do something, then, learn to run your mouth for people to entrust the thing to you!” complained Dmitri while patting his head.
To entrust what?
He didn’t even tell me anything yet.
“How should you happen to be acting bossy all over me?! I just said that I wanted to return home! I have people to take care of, back in my reality!!”
“Hey… Are you sure that you should be directing all of your pitiful reasoning to me? What’s wrong with this situation?” exhorted Dmitri in a really low voice.
“What’s good about this situation?” I retorted.
What will happen to Cerise?
“Look at you talking! You are just a horrible bloodless corpse, and, you still have the balls for rebelling?”
“It was not you who forcefully robbed me of my strength,” I countered, finding back my spirit.
“How should it happen that someone robbed you of something? Weren’t you just weak from the beginning? Well, you sure are a boring guy.”
According to neuroscience, a human’s body develops partly as per the latter’s will. It is at the origin of evolution. According to this branch of science, goodwill can affect nature or sentient beings to an extent, and, magic is theoretically possible.
In this world, magic is already present without any research.
“I believe in my reason to exist. My body until before I came to this world was the result of my will.”
Suddenly, a punch axed upon my face - I did not even know who it had been.
“Just why the hell would you get cocky?! Aren’t you just like us? You came here simply because you have the same hobby as we do!” hollered the guy with the bleached hairs.
“Screw it, Owen. This kid only has a case of chuunibyou,” assessed the by-stander calmly - a man with red hairs which felt vibrantly alive to my eyes.
“Shut up, pretty face! All you do is hide behind us to take out the weak fellows during battle!” refuted Owen while bringing me to my feet anew.
“As expected, at this rate, we’ll only be wasting a lot of time. Aidan, you’ve been summoned here to become a hero. I’m sure that you understand that much,” emphasized Dmitri.
“...What?”
I voiced out my doubt.
“Well, your reaction is pretty questionable. But! Out of the remaining forty-four heroes, you are the most unfortunate one. In that respect, you really deserve my pity,” started Dmitri.
“You suffered from some kind of natural backfire. You can’t blame anyone,” added the red-haired person.
“That’s… pretty convenient,” I said while trying to make the blonde-haired guy, Owen, let go of my shirt, “then! Are you telling me that you will see to my family since there’s nothing wrong with this situation?”
This last person was pretty reclusive.
“I’ve not said that. If you want the particulars about your personal issues, then, just ask the goddess! I’m not so weak as to rely on others in order to live, unlike you,” he answered.
“Surely you joke! I’ve not taken even a single cent from my family or co-workers since I was nineteen! Don’t spew your pretty shit simply because you feel like it! I’m sure that I’m better than you.”
“That’s quite the confidence that you’ve got, my dear fellow!” exclaimed Dmitri while sizing me up, “but, I’m tired of in-fighting. Can’t you reject that facade of ugly arrogance already?”
“I don’t think that I have arrogance. Arrogance arises from materialism, and, I don’t rant about money, status, or, intelligence. I only have my belief. And, I don’t need to rant about my belief. Even if it might still sound like I’m arrogant, let’s just say that I have my pride,” I stated, looking at the red-haired guy specifically.
“I’ll make you see your position soon enough!” shouted Owen while taking another swing at me.
…And Dmitri stopped it:
“Well, well! I thought that your enthusiasm had died out when you let that civilian die, Owen.”
“His face looks trashable by a tad bit too high degree,” explained the latter.
“That bastard seems to lack manners. I’m his superior!” exclaimed the red-haired person.
“You too, Basil. Give it a break,” admonished Dmitri.
“I don’t remember acknowledging anyone in this world as my superior,” I grumbled as Owen finally let go of me.
“That’s right, that’s-”
“I guess that I do get your mindset. I’m the same,” said Basil while rubbing his nose with a lean hand.
Dmitri was interrupted by Basil. Though, he hardly seemed to be perturbed by that.
“I’m sorry. Even if you say that the two of us resemble each other, you don’t have the prerequisites to say that. You are talking trash. You are intrusive, you are annoying. And, Dmitri, I don’t see a single reason to cooperate with you,” I said, partly venting out my frustration.
“That’s the spirit, Aidan! If you want to return to your cozy house on Earth, then, you’ve got to be at least that much arrogant!” quipped in Dmitri while wrapping his arm around my shoulders, “but, the demons are being a pain in the ass. You could at least help us clean up, right?”
The other guys, Basil, and, Owen stayed silent.
“Well, I guess, as a first stance, I could help-”
“Isn’t that a wonderful thing~? However, you will only end up being a burden with us. Hitch a place with the other groups, alright~? You’ll be taken to the goddess shortly after we leave. I’ll tell you some details before we trio leave. Is that alright with you?” intercepted Dmitri.
“Why do you even bother asking?” I asked with exasperation.
“Well, it’s stupid talk, but, apparently, in this medieval world of sword and magic, this one country, known as the kingdom of Jannat, is the only one still operational. All the others states, in other words, countries, are already overrun by monsters and demons.
“Apocalypse happened” - is the simple answer which one of the orphans working in the army told me. Though, in actuality, there’s something even more complicated as an explanation, but, it’s bothersome, so, you only need to eat the information which I feel like giving you right now. I’m certain that we are alright so far, aren’t we?”
“...”
Owen issued a yawn, before looking at me intently. And Dmitri resumed:
“The goddess managed to create a sanctuary which was supposed to last for at least a thousand years, something which was possible for her, unlike the other gods and goddesses, since, due to her identity as a nature goddess, a massive part of heaven’s powers had been transmitted to her. Well, a lot happened, and, the other gods were cleanly corrupted. That’s what you need to know.
This state has been continuing since two hundred and eleven years now, and, only nine years are left before the sanctuary crumbles, or, the goddess’s own corruption might accelerate things up.”
It all turned out to be pretty usual.
As always, I’m not surprised. Why is that always so?
But, I did not know.
About the day when I would be truly surprised, about the day when I would start having regrets.
“That’s why she got desperate and had all of us pseudo-heroes summoned,” concluded Dmitri, looking slightly displeased by my lack of reaction, “does it not sound important to you?”
“Well, I’ll help out to the best of my abilities, and, I’ll try not to disappoint you, or, the goddess,” I replied, trying to appear as diligent as possible.
“...”
“That’s one hell of an unmotivated statement~!” conferred Owen.
“Then, why did you say that you wanted to return back then?” inquired Dmitri nonchalantly.
“No, that’s a lie. There’s so many heroes here. I’m not needed. I can fool around all I want. Nobody’s going to chastise me for that. If I do get warned, then, I can’t possibly care less about that.”
“...I guess that it’s decided then. That’s one less worry. We’ll let this demon-lord-to-be in this dungeon cell, and go about our business like we’ve been doing so far,” indicted Basil.
Demon lord?
“...”
“You seem to lack a fair bit of commitment, don’t you, Aidan?” asked Dmitri casually.
“I guess that I do.”
“Because you get bored, huh?”
“...”
“You are not bored. I see a kindled person in you. Clash against the goddess all you want. And, when you’ve resolved yourself, try catching up to me. I promise you that it’s going to be fun!!”
Dmitri was smiling.
“If there is no wisdom, there is no effort. Humans have been progressing only through wisdom. Effort is only an important means to live. Work is not life. You didn’t let your job, or, your studies replace your life, did you?” nixed the red-haired person named Basil.
“...Huh?”
What’s with them?
“Travel! Go for an adventure! Stop clinging to your career that desperately! We’ll make sure that your career doesn’t stop clinging to you once you return to Earth!” said Owen in tandem.
“I think that a wonderful thing might have happened to us. When we return to earth, I might try living for a bit. That Earth which I know doesn’t let me travel without a passport or money. I can’t even drink water from a natural spring. More so than before, I think that we can enjoy our life all we want!” exclaimed Dmitri while laughing cheerfully.
“Stop it!! Just now, you were trashing me! What’s with you people!”
What’s with them? Seriously! I don’t want to be dragged to where I don’t belong!
“We are what we are. We are just as rough as someone whose adapted to the life on Earth is. A few slaps or punches won’t kill you, will it, future demon-lord-to-be?!” continued Owen.
“Well then, which of us will win the competition to become the goddess’s champion, and, impregnate her?”
“We’ll be mounting an army to prove that the current gods’ worth is genuine by defeating every single corrupted gods and returning them to normal and win over the newly created gods!”
“In other words, we’ll win through innovation and tricks! You are finally free! Rejoice!”
…These people are crazy.
The three people all punched my chest lightly.
“I, you know, have a fetish for perfection. Peace is perfection. And, for peace, sweet efforts are required. That’s why, I’ll fight cheerfully until the day I drop dead, even, if all wars end. There’ll always be something to struggle for, after all,” avowed Dmitri.
“Come to think of it, Elliot said that, in a certain creed, peace is but a confusion between two wars. I like that confusion,” said Owen.
“Idiot! That game-freak just likes running his mouth! However, I want to witness the birth of real joy-seeking humans. Life was not meant to be a struggle. It is people who make it a struggle. I like the way that my father has lived, rearing cattle in the beautiful climate of New Zealand!” exclaimed Basil.
“Well, your interests are a bit bizarre,” complained Owen to the red-haired man.
A few guards arrived near my cell, and remained stationed near it.
“At any rate, meet that airhead of a goddess and ask her a bit about her uncontrollable familiars. You’ll get one laugh or two at teasing her!”
The trio left me behind, as I looked at them hesitantly.
“People like this are too bright for me,” I muttered.
However, I would finally be meeting the goddess next.
