Case 229: Cosmic horror.
The woman named Darkness rapidly approaches me with elusive steps, a tide of pure darkness pouring after her.
Perhaps it is a sort of special magic, since I can't feel it at all. Still, it is obvious that her strength has reached the realm of grandmasters. Wanting to test that power, I lightly stomp my foot, releasing a burst of divine-clad magic.
A wave of silverly-white ice surges forward, clearing the night air.
''...!''
The woman initially seems panicked, but soon composes herself and presses on. Two forces eventually collide with a deafening explosion, but surprisingly, they cancel each other out.
''Divinity...?'' I mutter.
How and why this woman has it... I don't know. All I know is that she at least has the ground to face me.
More puzzlingly, even though her expression hardly changes, I detect a faint astonishment in her eyes, as if she hadn't expected this outcome. Is she stunned at my prowess, or hers?
Either way, she should be a suitable target for my practice. But before that...
''Stop!''
Darkness shouts impatiently as I pull the struggling Buezriths toward me, yet her feet dare not move. I brandish my sword and, without hesitation, slash at the two women.
A sensation as if I were carving into space itself is felt. As I observe, a pitch-black rift is opened where the blade's tip cuts through, connecting this reality directly to my void, where that terrifying beast now resides.
The next second, a terrifying gravitational pull collapses at that very coordinate, devouring my opponents into nothingness. The entire process emits no light, no sound, yet the vibrations are mind-numbing—like a colossal beast feeding in silence.
''Does this count as cosmic horror?'' I muse to myself.
Satisfied, the entity quickly mends the torn space, returning everything to normal.
''Now, then.'' I calmly hum. ''It's your turn.''
''Damn it...!'' Darkness curses, fine sweat wetting her forehead.
Without uttering another word, I blink behind the woman, bringing my sword down. My opponent's keen senses come to her rescue as her body splits into thin smoke before the power of Nihility can touch her.
At the same time, Darkness surrounds herself with thick spikes, which punch out sharply.
Intending to familiarize myself with burning a heftier amount of divinity, I purposefully swing my sword faster instead of finishing her using the earlier move.
Although resistance is met, I easily break through Darkness's defense, rapidly cornering her. At some point, the fight becomes so one-sided that my opponent fully abandons any retaliation in favor of running.
Of course, I also notice her effort to conjure something in her hand as she dances around. Probably an escape.
But unfortunately for Darkness, the moment right before she finishes that spell, I have already collected enough data for my newly acquired power. I reach out my other hand, activating the Gauntlet of Severance.
''?!''
Darkness's eyes widen at the molten ice magic appealing right beside her spell, then she decisively throws it away. As she shoots me a look of resentment mixed with helplessness, I can't help but feel a little awkward.
Well? Who told her she was my enemy? I have to be ruthless.
''Enough now,'' I announce, pouring my divinity to suppress my opponent.
Like a bug losing its legs and wings, the woman immediately tumbles down, ''Ugh...''
I stand before her desperation, pondering how to finish her off. Upon getting the new share of this void, I have sensed even more entities lurking in it beside the black hole.
As it is a fathomless pit where light can't possibly reach, all sorts of things that are far more terrifying than what humans can comprehend call it home. So, as long as the opponent can still feel fear, I will come out on top.
And I want to test it out on this woman.
''Ack...!''
Now unable to muster her power, Darkness can only squirm in pain as I kick her in the stomach. After forcing her to look up, I swell my power and slash at the sky.
A rift longer and larger than before appears along the sword's trajectory, but what pours out this time isn't gravitational pull. Instead, a pressure beyond this world descends, tearing the crack further than further, revealing more of that tantalizing void.
''W-What...?!'' My unlucky victim exclaims, her complexion quickly turns pale. ''What have you done?!''
''Nothing much.'' I reply honestly.
I have merely connected this reality to another place in my void. As for what will appear... even I am not certain.
So, I curiously look up with Darkness, intending to catch a glimpse of whatever is inside that place. With the starlight pouring down from above and the occasional flicker of fire shining into the rift, I slowly make out the shape of it with my excellent eyesight.
A... reptile eye?
A colossal eye belonging to a sort of reptile. Not quite a dragon's, but something even better.
''Ah?!''
And when that eye abruptly pries open, Darkness's composure completely breaks.
The creature's pupil has three slits weaving into one another to form an asterisk, their depths unknown. The rest of the eye gleams a translucent purple, with large spots and webs of brighter shades, as if myriads of worlds and galaxies are swirling inside a pond.
It's something one will look at and utter 'god.'
Amazing. I can't believe Aurora is hiding this kind of fun stuff from me.
For Darkness, who has witnessed this scene, however... I suppose she has served her role well. As I turn around, preparing to offer her as a sacrifice to this beast, however, her silhouette is already nowhere to be seen.
''...''
She couldn't have escaped by herself in that state. So it must mean that... someone intervened.
''Buezrith...''
I can't help but frown. Shouldn't have been mesmerized by the cosmic beast. No one can really blame me, right?
''Sorry for waking you, little guy,'' I say to the creature beyond the rift. ''Keep resting now. I'll call you out when there is more food.''
As if accepting my words, the eye gradually closes, and so is the crack. Under a minute, everything has returned to normal again. Having finished the hunt, I retrieve my power and approach the grandmasters, who seem more than unsettled for some reason.
''You guys should clear out the surrounding areas,'' I say. ''Our forces are helping at other places already.''
''G-Got it.'' Graham replies.
''Is the imperial family safe?'' I inquire further.
''They evacuated earlier.'' Ivan steps up. ''I'm going to check on them now.''
After organizing the tasks with them, I take off under the starry sky again. Unironically, the person I'm most worried about is my future self. With how much I'm inheriting from her... is she in any danger?
We are one person, so why do I feel so distant from her, I wonder.
Sighing, I quickly trace her presence and begin my pursuit.