Chapter 15. Faith and Trust (3)

However, getting there wasn’t smooth sailing.

Perhaps it was because they saw my light?

“Ugh!?”

From various parts of the city that seemed empty at first glance, monsters began to swarm out.

They were like hordes of zombies attacking a person.

Each one was so uniquely shaped that if the Association saw them, they would have wanted to give them all scientific names.

Unfortunately, there was no time for that right now.

The monsters, which flashed like flashbangs and shrieked, disappeared in front of our eyes, burning to nothing.

Now, if it’s the size of a small pebble, I can create a mass of holy power. …Although it consumes my energy the more I make it, this is not the time to worry about that.

I didn’t want to be a burden to Ria.

Still, thanks to the path I cleared, Ria was able to avoid being knocked down by colliding with monsters in mid-air.

Swish!

Ria’s hands were definitely not idle either.

The shining sword was very effective against the black monsters. Some large demons were cut in half as if slicing through black butter, and some simply turned to ash without leaving a trace.

“……There are too many.”

Ria said, frowning.

“I, I think so too.”

I could stop and pray right now. If I drew holy power to the point of bleeding from my hands, I could surely fend off the monsters swarming in immediately.

However, I can’t do that here. Simply put, if I use up all my strength that allows me to fight continuously, I would just be dead weight in front of the monsters that swarm in afterward.

Moreover, this world is a little strange.

Perhaps because magic is encroaching on the world, or perhaps this is just how the world is, summoning holy power was a bit more strenuous than usual.

Have I drifted too far away?

……Yes. The being above is not an omnipotent being. It doesn’t know everything perfectly, nor can it do everything it wants. Perhaps this world is one that its power cannot reach- a world that even that being didn’t know about.

Literally, a world that no divine being could protect.

The fact that I’m connected to holy power is probably just barely not severed.

“Let’s change the plan.”

Seeing me panting, Ria spoke.

“For now, let’s hide and conserve our strength. I’m sure those kids are doing the same.”

If they’re hunters, they would be.

You can’t use up all your strength at once. If you collapse from exhaustion, all that awaits you is being torn to shreds by hungry teeth.

If we’re like this, what about Yuri and Gloria? And Davi?

Such thoughts flashed through my mind. I wanted to insist that we go there immediately.

But then, what would happen to Ria? Ria, to whom I cannot lend my strength.

“…….”

So, I gathered holy power again.

And I cleared a path.

For now, I’ll do the best I can.

Yes. Neither I nor Ria intend to give up on the three of them. I intend to take Si-yun, who is also here, with us. Definitely.

Even if it takes a little time.

I can only hope that Yuri, Gloria, and Davi are protecting themselves well.

*

Although Yuri and Gloria weren’t usually on the best of terms, they had no intention of fighting and blaming each other in a place like this.

It’s no one’s fault. It’s not a situation anyone could have predicted in the first place.

“Davi, are you okay?”

Above all, Yuri was able to survive thanks to Gloria and Davi.

At the moment that small magic sphere exploded, if Davi hadn’t created a magic circle and Gloria hadn’t activated it while holding Yuri, who knows what would have happened to Yuri.

Given that we were transported to this completely unknown place, it means we couldn’t completely avoid the magic.

However, if it weren’t for Gloria and Davi’s magic, Yuri would have fallen from a very high place and died instantly.

……To be precise, if it weren’t for the magic, all three of them would have.

“……I’m fine.”

Davi replied, clearly not fine at all.

“We need to move first.”

Gloria climbed onto a broken statue and looked around, speaking.

They had already managed to fend off monsters once. Right after firing magic to let Anna and Ria know their location, monsters had sprung out, and they had to escape somehow.

Although they weren’t thrown too far away, they had to go to a place where they could signal their location to the enemy again.

It’s unknown if there’s a safe place. A storm made entirely of magic power was raging right nearby.

“I have no idea what’s going on.”

Yuri muttered, running a hand over her face.

Gates, fundamentally, have a ‘gate’ form. A barrier like a thin film made of mercury.

This time, there was no such thing at all.

“I wonder if Si-yun is okay.”

“He’s probably fine. He’s the Prince.”

“…….”

At Gloria’s words, Yuri looked up at Gloria.

I thought she was trying to lighten the mood with a joke, but her expression wasn’t like that at all. Gloria, who jumped down from the statue, spoke with a firm expression.

“You don’t seem to trust Si-yun’s abilities?”

“……No, it’s not like that, but.”

I was concerned.

Certainly, at first, he wasn’t considered to have that much talent. That’s not a bad thing. It just means he’s ordinary.

I thought that if he started from the very bottom, he would slowly rise and settle somewhere.

“……Yes, surely Si-yun would.”

It was always like that.

Whether he was weak or not, Si-yun wanted to save others.

“…….”

There was a moment of silence.

“It’s probably better to move. Let’s find a place to hide.”

“We have to consider that there might be monsters inside, but that would be good.”

As Yuri said that and stood up.

Thump.

From far away, a sound like that was heard.

The sound of a sword being swung, and the sound of something falling with a thud.

Gloria stood up.

“Davi, stay put for now.”

Gloria said that to Davi.

“Yes. Leave it to us now.”

“……I never thought I’d be teamed up with you alone.”

“No, we did it in the sea too.”

“Did we? Well, if so, that would be the case.”

Yuri and Gloria raised their staffs and began chanting.

When small fireballs and ice chunks appeared at the tips of their staffs-

“Is anyone there?”

A timid voice was heard.

A man’s voice.

“…….”

The magic from the two people’s staffs disappeared at once.

Yuri and Gloria looked at each other with surprised eyes.

And then they turned their heads back towards the direction where the sound came from-

“Si-yun!”

Towards Si-yun, who emerged from beyond the debris with both hands raised high above his head, Yuri threw down her staff and ran with all her might.

*

“Let’s rest here for a bit.”

Ria placed me on the floor after entering a half-collapsed building.

I wanted to stand on my own, but unfortunately, my legs didn’t have the strength.

The more I used holy power, the more I realized. This place is far away. Far from the being that gives me strength.

“Don’t push yourself.”

Ria said that and sat me down on the floor. Leaning against the wall, she stood with her sword drawn.

“……I’m sorry.”

“Sorry for what?”

At my words, Ria looked at me with truly bewildered eyes.

“No, it’s just that I didn’t realize the situation in that room.”

“There was nothing you could have done about that.”

“If I had asked diligently before.”

“Would prophecies come out so easily? You yourself said that being isn’t omnipotent.”

That’s right. I was feeling it here too.

But at the same time, I feel that they are sending me holy power with all their might. The reason I’m having a harder time than usual is probably a problem with my body.

“And, I was the one who went in first.”

“……Ria.”

Ria was standing with her back to me.

“Since I didn’t know, Ria isn’t at fault either. The situation was what it was.”

It was different from a normal gate.

Is this a world within a mind? Well. I don’t think so.

Although the building was half-collapsed, the daily lives of the people who lived here before the world became like this were intact. And among them, there were posters and books with writing on them.

It’s similar to Korean. But it’s not Korean. First of all, it’s a type of writing that I can’t read.

It’s not just in one place; it’s like that overall. It looks like English, but it’s not English. It looks like Chinese characters, but… well, I don’t know if these are real Chinese characters, but they’re probably not the ones we know.

The place we hid in seems to be a child’s room.

The owner is nowhere to be found.

Beyond the gate, communication is usually possible. Logically, the languages are different, but due to some power acting on the ‘gate’ itself, we could understand what the other party was saying. However, reading the text is difficult unless you learn it separately.

It might be a novelistic setting if it were a novel… but since this is reality, there might be people researching it.

“Ria.”

I called Ria subtly.

“Yes.”

Ria spoke without turning to me.

I can’t tell her to relax immediately. I might have felt the same way. I was feeling guilty myself.

However, I wanted to say something to comfort her, even a little.

“…….”

We were suddenly thrust into this situation. Honestly, I never thought danger would come in this way, so I couldn’t grasp where to start or how to handle things.

But, one thing is certain: the current situation is dangerous. My friends are scattered and I can’t find them properly, and even after seeing their general location, I couldn’t get there.

Perhaps, those kids are also facing similar dangers. Si-yun too.

What about us?

I haven’t given up yet. I intend to find a way back, and I intend to find my friends somehow. Because I can’t believe it until I see it with my own eyes.

However, since it’s so dangerous-

Ah, I’m having strange thoughts too.

Considering that I’m thinking of confessing in case this is the last moment, I guess I have a little room to spare.

I got up from my seat. Still, the dizziness I felt after resting for a bit has subsided a little.

“So, shall we go to a place where we can make a fire today? This place seems to have a similar season to our world.”

“……That’s right.”

After hearing what I said, Ria nodded, took a deep breath, and turned to me.

It’s fortunate that her expression has returned to something more like Ria’s.

Yes. In a situation like this, saying absurd things is a bit much.

Still, wouldn’t it be okay to hug her tightly once?

As I was seriously contemplating this,

“……No, wait a minute.”

Ria suddenly gripped her sword tightly.

And she pointed her sword towards the door we came in from.

Since the back wall was quite large, we could escape through here if we wanted to. Does the opponent not know that?

I soon understood why Ria made that move.

Footsteps are heard from beyond the broken door.

It’s not the sound of monsters breathing gruffly or the footsteps of four-legged beasts. It’s the footsteps of a bipedal creature, and one that has a good sense of balance.

Those footsteps stopped right before entering the room where we are.

“…….”

Ria hesitated for a moment and then opened her mouth.

“Who’s there?”

If the voice can be understood, it’s one of two things.

A demon that has surpassed monsters, or a human.

Well, it could also be a goblin from this world.

I summoned holy power into both hands again. Although dizziness returned to my head, which had just recovered, I endured it.

“……Is that holy power?”

A tense voice was heard from beyond the door.

It’s a woman’s voice. But it’s not a voice we know.

“…….”

Light also flowed from Ria’s sword.

Ria stepped back slightly, moving closer to me. So that she could carry me and escape at any moment.

Hearing Ria’s footsteps, someone rushed out from beyond the door-

“……Ria?”

I couldn’t help but say that.

No, but it’s not Ria.

The hairstyle is similar. It’s a bit longer and messier than Ria’s, as if it hasn’t been maintained for months.

The clothes she’s wearing are also like armor layered over a nun’s habit.

However, the atmosphere of her face was different from Ria’s. It wasn’t just the atmosphere that comes from surviving in such a world for a long time; the color of her dark red eyes, which looked dead, and the subtle details were different enough that anyone who knows Ria well would immediately recognize it.

She is a different person from Ria.

But at the same time, I thought this.

Isn’t she Ria from this world?

“Who are you?”

Ria, also surprised to see the person who emerged was human, spoke.

“……You guys?”

And a little later, the person who emerged, with wide eyes as if surprised, also mumbled.

“…….”

The three of us stood with our mouths agape, staring blankly at each other’s faces for a while.

“Kyaak!”

It wasn’t until we heard the monster’s cry from afar, seeing the holy power I created, that.