Chapter 12
The moment Ren stepped through the portal
his body became weightless.
A violent pressure crushed against him from every direction as countless streams of light flashed past his eyes, stretching endlessly like rivers between dimensions.
Space twisted, reality distorted and then suddenly a blinding light swallowed his vision whole.
THUD!
"Ow—Ow..!"
Ren crashed hard onto solid ground on a rooftop groaning in pain before slowly lifting his head.
Warm sunlight touched his face, as cool breeze gently drifted past him.
For a moment everything was quiet, strangely quiet.
Almost normal.
Ren blinked.
"Huh...?"
Ding....
L
[World Recognition Complete]
Current Location:
Astral Federation — Sector 7
Original World Synchronization:
Successful.
Welcome home, Player.
His eyes slowly widened.
Towering skyscrapers stretched across the horizon, crowded streets packed with people.
Traffic lights blinking above busy intersections.
Massive digital billboards glowing overhead.
People casually walking across sidewalks.
It looked like...
"...Japan?"
Ren stared blankly at the city before him.
"What the hell is going on?!" he blurted out. "This is the other universe?!"
Behind him, Sylva stepped forward calmly.
"Well," she replied casually, "this is one of the major cities of the Astral Federation."
Ren pointed toward the streets in disbelief.
"It literally looks like Tokyo!"
Sylva tilted her head slightly.
Well that's true but...
"That is because this world's Japan was modeled after the original centuries ago."
Ren blinked.
"So in other words Slyva continued there's basically no difference between this world and ours!"
His eye twitched.
"You're telling me I traveled across dimensions just to end up in another Japan?!"
Sylva ignored him completely smiling faintly
But then...
Ren slowly began noticing the differences.
The people looked normal but yet completely abnormal at the same time.
Some casually carried swords across their backs.
Others wore black military-like coats covered in glowing silver symbols.
A few walked through the streets in full armor " huh who the fuck wears a full armour in sunlight he Wondered"
while others wore formal suits as though nothing was unusual and nobody even looked surprised.
Traffic continued moving normally beside him.
As if this kind of thing happened every day.
Ren stared silently.
"…Whoa" he muttered slowly.
Then.....
RUMBLE.
The entire rooftop trembled violently beneath Ren's feet.
"Huh?"
A monstrous roar echoed across the city.
Ren instinctively turned toward the sound
and froze.
Far across the skyline, something enormous crashed between the buildings.
BOOOM!!
A massive shockwave exploded outward as glass shattered from nearby skyscrapers.
Smoke and debris erupted into the sky, people on the streets immediately began screaming.
"What the hell is that?!" Ren shouted.
From the destruction, a gigantic creature slowly emerged.
Its body resembled a wolf but horribly distorted.
Black armored skin covered its body like hardened steel while glowing crimson veins pulsed beneath its flesh.
Its eyes were completely white with scars above them
The beast opened its jaws.
ROOAARRR!!
The roar alone shook the surrounding buildings.
Citizens ran in panic through the streets below as cars crashed into one another.
Ding...
[WARNING: Hostile Entity Detected]
Threat Level: HIGH
Dimensional Corruption Signature Identified.
Survival Probability (Current State): 1%
Recommendation:
Immediate evacuation advised.
Warning sirens blared across the city.
Then....
CRAAASH!!
The monster slammed its claws into a skyscraper and tore through the side of the building like paper before hurling the wreckage into the air.
Ren's face paled.
"Sylva, do something he screamed!"
Sylva, however, remained completely calm.
Ren turned toward her in disbelief.
"We have to help them! People are going to die!"
"Wait," Sylva said coldly.
Then she looked toward the sky. "Look."
Ren followed her gaze and his breath caught.
A woman floated high above the city.
Long blonde hair danced in the wind while glowing emerald eyes stared down at the beast below.
Ren's eyes widened in shock.
"She's... flying?"
His voice trembled because the only things he had ever seen fly were airplanes.
But this woman stood in the sky as though gravity itself no longer applied to her.
The woman looked down at the monster with utter disgust.
"You fool." slowly, she raised one hand.
Dark energy twisted violently around her palms
as black swords began materializing in the sky one after another.
Ren stared in disbelief as dozens of enormous blades formed above the city.
The woman's glowing eyes narrowed.
"Who gave you the right to trample my city?
The swords trembled violently as they became larger
"You do not deserve a painless death."
The sky darkened beneath the sheer pressure of her power.
Then
"Die."
She lowered her hand and the swords descended instantly.
BOOOM! BOOOM! BOOOM!!
The massive blades pierced through the beast from every direction, tearing through flesh and armor alike.
The creature let out a deafening scream.
But it could do nothing.
The woman slowly clenched her hand.
CRRRRKKK...
The swords twisted violently.
Then
SLICE.
The beast's entire body split apart into countless pieces before collapsing into the ruined streets below.
Ren could only stare.
Completely speechless.
Sylva, meanwhile, chuckled softly as her gaze remained on the city below as the monster's remains dissolved into black particles.
Then she spoke.
"Remember what I told you about the tear in reality?" she asked calmly.
"How beings from other worlds began pouring in through something called Gates?"
Ren nodded slowly.
"…Yeah. I remember. But you didn't explain everything."
Sylva smiled faintly. " yeah of course I didn't."
She turned slightly toward him.
"Because of those beings like that monster you just saw humanity changed."
Ren frowned "What do you mean?"
Sylva looked back down at the city.
"After the first invasions, humans began to awaken."
Ren's eyes narrowed.
"Awaken?"
"Some started to perceive something beyond physical strength," she continued. "A form of energy flowing through life itself.
"Spiritual energy."
A faint breeze passed between them.
"This power allowed humans to fight back against those creatures."
Ren listened silently.
"It became known as Tsuki no Kage Energy."
Down in the city below the atmosphere had already shifted.
"Hey, look! It's Mizuki Yui!"
"She's the one who saved us!"
"She's amazing…"
Voices echoed through the streets as civilians pointed toward the sky.
As she began to descend slowly
Relief replaced fear as sylva continued.
"This energy is measured and categorized."
Ren glanced at her.
" wait you mean they are ranked?" he asked.
"Yes."
Sylva's expression remained calm.
Alpha >Beta > Delta > Gamma > Sigma > Omega
She paused slightly.
"But those who rise beyond this system are given different titles."
Ren's eyes sharpened " titles... like what?"
"Monarchs she replied "
A brief silence.
"...and Grand Monarchs."
Ren looked down at the woman who had descended into the city speaking calmly to the people now, almost like nothing had happened.
"So what rank is she?" Ren asked.
Sylva followed her gaze.
A faint smile formed on her lips.
"That is Mizuki Yui." she tilted her head slightly.
"Alpha Rank."