Chapter 116
Chapter 116
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 116
Chapter Title: Hyacinth
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The sea is home to predators.
The most representative ones range from sharks to crocodiles, whales, and anglerfish. There were more creatures than one might think that sustained their lives by devouring those weaker than themselves. The Outer Sea was no different.
Predator.
Monsters of the sea that, while not at the absolute apex of the food chain, ranked just below it. The Outer Sea teemed with far more of such beings than Earth's oceans, their numbers incomparable. Watchers and Producers could also be broadly classified as Outer Sea predators.
However, there were stronger beings than them.
“Harvester, Destroyer, Walker.”
Ian called their names.
“Watcher, and Producer.”
The magic circle vibrated. Using a method he had never tried before—simultaneous spell activation—he summoned some of the most formidable entities from the Outer Sea to Earth.
He invited them, those things swimming through the black sea in eternal hunger, their appetites so vast it was impossible to even guess how much prey they required, to a grand feast.
“As proxy of That One, I command you: come here.”
He omitted all the chants needed to summon a single entity.
A spell was like a passage connecting the Outer Sea and Earth. But now that five such passages existed, there was no need to focus on carving one out. Opening just one was enough for them to crawl through.
“And devour my enemies.”
Thud.
As the chant concluded, Ian closed the grimoire. At that instant, the magic circles etched on the table began to boil over. Ian instinctively sensed that something was coming here.
The Moon seemed to feel it too, as every electronic device around erupted in twinkling stars and siren wails.
[Twinkle twinkle, waaaaah, Little Star—beautiful waaaaah!! Shining brightly—]
A cacophony assaulted his ears. The TV, radio, speakers, headset, earphones in the living room—every device capable of sound was corrupted, falling under the Moon's dominion.
He ignored it. Mental attacks didn't faze him anyway.
“They're coming.”
Ian closed his eyes tightly and sat back in his chair, feeling the presence drawing ever closer.
At that moment, a black head dangled down from the roof.
[Daddy?]
He wasn't sure if it could be called a head, but lacking a better term, it was a head.
No facial features. Sharp black spines extended around it, draping over the head and neck like a cape or crown. Where a body should be, only rigid tentacles stretched like legs, each joint adorned with a head.
Known as the Harvester.
[It's Daddy.]
It grinned broadly at Ian's face.
That was the impression. Ian stared at its black flesh, then smiled softly and pointed at the Moon's residents drawing near.
“Eat up.”
[Okay! I love Daddy!]
The Harvester stretched its face to rub its cheek against Ian's shoulder, then leaped straight down onto the swarming residents. At the same moment, spines as tall as high-rises burst from its entire body.
Fwoosh!
With a massive roar, everything nearby shattered.
Like skewers. The spines were strung with corpses in every imaginable form—humans, beasts, anomalies—without exception.
That was the beginning. The Harvester chewed the corpses with teeth sprouting from the spines, savoring them as it moved its legs. Buildings collapsed along its path, and a mist of blood spread.
[This specimen has the mental age of a child.]
As he watched silently, a familiar voice came from beside him. Ian turned only his eyes to its owner.
A massive round body.
The Producer, studded with red eyes all around, gazed at him and blinked a few.
[We meet again, Proxy. Second time since the cruise.]
“...The same individual?”
[Yes. Since we've met once before, it seems I'll keep being summoned as long as I don't die. If you'd prefer, I can end myself. You have the authority.]
“No need for that.”
Ian gave a wry smile and glanced at the Harvester.
“As you see, no time for chit-chat. Go kill them all.”
[As you command.]
The Producer bowed slightly, then descended slowly to the road and devoured charging humans and anomalies alive. The seawater flowing from its body melted all nearby organic and inorganic matter.
“...”
In the sky floated the Watcher. Resembling a giant jellyfish, it waved its tentacles in greeting toward Ian before attacking the ground. Booms of tentacle barrages collapsed the earth.
With that alone, no intact buildings or landmasses remained in Ian's view. The work of just three creatures.
[Thank you for summoning me, Father.]
Beneath the Watcher stood something grotesque.
Red petals adorned its back, its body covered in black scales. At its center gaped a mouth with sharp teeth. No eyes, and a nose grotesquely offset to the side, flapping like gills.
[I am the Walker, lowly one. From now on, I walk for Father.]
Its soft voice burrowed into Ian's mind. The Walker bowed to him and began walking slowly down the road.
Red flowers bloomed in its footsteps. Fearless Moon residents charging at it suddenly veered to the flowers and devoured them.
Crunch crunch!
Their heads exploded, red petals blooming in their place. The headless humans hesitated briefly, then followed right behind the Walker, marching in step.
‘A mind-control type...’
Ian exhaled, staring at the procession of red flowers trailing the Walker. The stench of blood was no joke.
‘The Destroyer... there it is.’
A being composed solely of red hair and black spines.
Similar in size to the Harvester, it was driven more by instinct than reason, gleefully devouring humans and anomalies whole while emitting joyous laughter. No greeting or telepathy for Ian.
A lump of pure violence. That was all the Destroyer was. Fitting its name perfectly.
“...Hoo.”
Ian leaned back against the chairback and habitually rummaged in his coat's inner pocket. But all he found was an empty cigarette pack. A pristine white one printed with someone's surgery photo emerged in his hand.
“Tch.”
He tossed the pack aside carelessly and looked up at the sky.
A vivid moon. A being superior even to simple anomalies stared straight at him.
He couldn't read the intent in its gaze, but Ian decided to think whatever he pleased. Whatever it was, if the Moon was pissed, that satisfied him.
“...Time to go.”
A funeral under the moon, not the sun. Humanity's final dirge.
Ian briefly entered the house and grabbed the speaker singing Little Star, placing it on the table and smacking it a few times with the grimoire.
Bang bang!
The Outer God's grimoire looked soft but had the durability of steel plating. Thanks to that—or perhaps because of the smacks—the speaker returned to normal.
Whatever. Good is good.
It crackled with noise, but it could still play other songs.
“...Mm.”
Ian fiddled with the Bluetooth music player connected to the speaker and selected a suitable song to play.
Fly Me to the Moon.
Not the original, but Frank Sinatra's remake.
The original was a masterpiece, and the remake was excellent too. Ian maxed the volume, gazed at the sky, and smiled faintly.
He knew he was making a fool of himself. Knew it was unnecessary, pointless bullshit.
But did that matter? With a once-in-a-lifetime chance to choose his own funeral, pursuing romance as a man was only natural.
Thinking that, Ian opened the grimoire. The Hand of Recreation settled softly and slowly turned the pages.
Naturally, he hadn't even considered summoning the Master of the Outer Sea. What reason to trust an Outer God trying to capture and imprison him in the Outer Sea?
It might help in the current situation, but the outcome wouldn't be good.
So he chose Recomposer of All Things. Its ability to interfere with timelines helped his decision.
“My god.”
Ian began chanting the spell written in the grimoire.
Boom.
The ground shook. White paint spreading from the grimoire dyed the world canvas pure white.
“I beseech thee. I offer all I have, so grant me salvation.”
The world bleached white around where Ian stood.
Somewhere, the sweet scent of hyacinth wafted.
“Thus, I shall live as thy eternal servant, spouse, and proxy.”
Something soft touched his shoulder. Glancing sideways, he saw a white hand slowly enveloping his body.
“Doubt not my faith in thee.”
A hand reached out. A world dyed pure white. Through it, an equally white hand intruded, covering Ian's vision. Yet the world remained pure white.
Ian twisted his lips, staring at the moon solitary in the white world.
The hyacinth scent thickened.
“And my eternal love for thee.”
Pausing before the final chant, Ian caught his breath.
And.
“I swear.”
Fwoooosh!!
Color returned to the world. But nothing moved.
Neither the rampaging Outer Sea creatures nor the Moon's residents being shredded.
Frozen as if time had stopped. Only Ian remained unharmed. No death, no equivalent pain.
“...A failure, surely not?”
He muttered anxiously, looking up at the sky.
“...Cough.”
Blood surged from his mouth. Strength drained from his body, and it toppled toward the terrace floor.
But he didn't hit the ground.
Someone had caught him.
“Stay still.”
“...”
Ian turned his eyes to see the face of his embracer. But his blurring vision barely registered it—only a white dress, eyes, and hair.
“Rest a bit.”
She said.
She laid his head on her thigh and sat, stroking his hair.
“When you wake up, everything will be fine.”
Gradually.
His vision whitened. He saw the massive moon and four pairs of enormous arms behind it.
“Don't look.”
As his gaze involuntarily turned to the arms, the woman laying him down covered his eyes.
“My true form isn't beautiful by human standards.”
Crack, crunch!
Sounds of shattering and crushing echoed from the sky. A thin, soothing voice pierced through.
“It's okay. Everything's okay.”
Hyacinth.
The hyacinth scent filled his nostrils.
“Sleep deeply. When you wake, all will be well.”
“...You.”
Ian barely opened his mouth. But he couldn't continue.
The woman lovingly stroked him and kissed his forehead.
“I won't do what you hate.”
“...”
“See you at home.”
Those were her last words. Ian's eyes slowly closed, and his heart stopped.
*
“Gasp!”
Ian's eyes snapped open. He bolted upright, patting his body.
Defects? None.
Internal injuries? None.
Consciousness? Intact. Mind too. No external wounds, no pain at all.
‘Memory damage?’
Ian quickly reviewed his memories, checking for anomalies or unease.
That was when.
“You're awake.”
A voice came from beside him. Ian's thoughts cut off, his head turning slowly.
“Hello.”
The voice's owner.
The mysterious woman in a pure white dress, lying on the bed, waved at Ian while gazing at him. Only then did he realize he was lying beside her.
“First time seeing each other's faces.”
Still lying down, she shifted only her eyes to look at him.
“You.”
As she said that, her cheeks and ears flushed red in an instant.