1 Chapter 1: Brand New World (2/2)
I turned and ran as quickly as I could with my unbearably short legs. Damn it, I forgot how it was like to run like a child. If I was back in my thirty-something body, I would have lasted a lot longer and covered a greater distance within a shorter time, but my current body felt clumsy, almost weak. Perhaps it was due to the injuries I had sustained. I didn't know.
I probably wouldn't find out.
With an uncharacteristic, almost mechanical roar, the worm lunged at me. Seeing its shadow fall upon me rapidly, I couldn't help but risk a glance back and saw that it was closing on me much faster than I could escape.
The bloody monster would swallow me whole in the next five seconds. And even if I tried to dive away, I would still be struck by something with the mass of several buses and killed from the physical impact.
Fuck! Was this how my life in another world was going to end? In less than five minutes of transmigrating into a new body?!
Whoosh!
”?!”
I threw myself to the side instinctively as something hot and bright flashed past me, scorching my back. Rolling across the broken debris, I got up and watched in awe as the monstrous worm was enveloped in an inferno, screeching helplessly as it was incinerated into ash.
”That was a very brave thing you did, kid.”
A man in his late twenties or early thirties landed in front of me. I gaped at him, more surprised by his lame fashion sense than his appearance. He had a Meiji-era cap perched atop his head, and his almost military-styled uniform was clad underneath a cloak. Someone ought to tell him that those military uniforms went out of fashion once the Meiji period ended. At most, the Japanese stopped wearing them after World War II.
The man glanced derisively at the couple, who were still holding each other up and shivering fearfully.
”Are you proud of yourselves? Being saved by a kid?” he asked callously. The young man and young woman merely stared at him, too shocked to answer.
A growl reverberated from elsewhere, and the young man turned to watch the spider-like mechanical arachnids tromping toward him. His lips curled into a playful sneer. Glancing up, he waved at a brilliant figure hovering in the air.
”Angelica, I'll leave those bugs to you as well.”
”Yes, Master.”
To my utter shock, the figure floating in the air was an angel. Her long, crimson hair ran down her back, contrasting with golden, feathery wings that spread out on either side of her, keeping her aloft as they flapped gently. Golden, flaming feathers drifted down from the graceful action, bursting into flames the moment they touched the bugs, which recoiled in horror.
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Without her wings, the angel seemed more like a beautiful young lady, dressed in a simple white dress that outlined her curves. Her bare feet floated several dozen meters above the ground, her gorgeous body suspended in midair. Raising a hand, she swung it down.
Nine gigantic fireballs materialized in the air, blazing ferociously. Even on the ground, so far beneath the fireballs, I could feel the intense heat scorching my face and scalding my lungs. The young man with the cape and cap didn't seem affected, though, merely beaming happily as he sat back to watch the carnage.
The bugs tried to withdraw, but the young man snorted.
”You want to escape? Too late for that now.”
The angel seemed to respond to his intent, swinging down her delicate-looking hand. The nine fireballs rained down on the fleeing arachnids, engulfing them in a fiery death and incinerating them into nothingness. The resulting explosions were so vicious they actually carved craters into the ground.
”Great job, Angelica.” The young man clapped in delight. The angel merely inclined her head in acknowledgement, but continued to hover where she was. Her master then turned toward me with that bright smile of his. ”All right, kid. You did well, but it's time to bring you to safety.”
”Where's that?” I blurted out without thinking.
”The shelter, of course.” The caped man arched an eyebrow, as if wondering why I was asking such a stupid question.
”I mean, where is the shelter?” Realizing how foolish I sounded, I amended my words and straightened myself. Rubbing my head for emphasis. ”Sorry, I seem to have lost my memory, so I'm not sure what's going on or where is where.”
”Oh…” the young man studied me for a moment before grinning. ”You don't have to worry about that. This great me is going to escort you all there.”
He was glancing at the couple, who were still in shock, but were slowly recovering enough to move a little.
Sweeping his cape behind him, he then turned toward another direction. ”Follow me.”
I obeyed, and shortly after that, the couple did as well. The young man chuckled as he sent a gaze in my direction, even as Angelica descended to hover next to him.
”What an interesting young kid,” he whispered to her. And then he focused his eyes forward and suppressed a groan. ”Not again.”
A new pack of monsters – this time, they resembled wolves rather than bugs – had emerged from a broken building, and were bounding toward our direction.
I stared at them in dismay. Looked like I had transmigrated into one hell of a world.