Chapter: 200. Your Eyeballs Are a Bit Gross (2)
Crack. Crack. Crack.
I leaped forward with all my power, only to be met by a strong physical force.
Unlike the telekinesis that creates walls or spatial manipulation.
It’s a natural force that gently wraps around me like air.
While it was far from the forced power that had broken my limbs when I arrived here, its effectiveness was outstanding.
Did it block my charge?
While not electrical power, it wasn’t pure physical force either. The strength contained within the gaze?
As my body continued to sway, I thought it was a power specialized in destruction, but it was also a highly adaptable force.
Thinking that, I tried to break free from the restraint in the air, wanting to release my power.
“…Gotcha.”
The enemy’s movement was a fraction faster.
The gaze locking onto me intensified, and the gentle force embracing me began to change, pressing down on me violently.
It felt like I was being crushed by a powerful press, with force coming from all directions.
Tsk. Such adaptability. Is that you, Mira?
It’s not enough force to crush me, just enough to prevent me. If I focus my strength on defense to endure this pressure, there won’t be enough left to attack.
In other words…
We’re just at a standstill, facing each other.
But that doesn’t mean I can do nothing.
Bang!
As shockwaves surged around my skin, forces clashed.
Breaking free from the enemy’s restraint, I tried to move my body.
At the same time, Mira, who sat in a chair, quickly blinked her eyes and right away got caught in a restraint again.
“Let’s see who wins.”
The moment I thought that and resolved to repeat our standoff.
“Please go.”
A flicker…
A black light sparkled behind me, and the force that had been wrapping around me neutralized.
“You!”
Mira reacted violently to it.
“Why are you doing this? Do you think that if I bind your arms and legs, you won’t be able to cast magic?”
From behind, I heard a sly voice.
Before the words finished, I had already charged forward for a while.
But Al’sel’s granted time was short.
Mira, too, must have been through countless battles, as she quickly regained focus and directed her gaze back at me.
A multitude of powers filled her gaze, wrapping around me.
In order to stop my charge.
Yet, it was a short distance.
Perhaps because our sight was divided between Al’sel and me, or maybe because a certain interval was needed for activation.
Whatever the reason, the power exerted upon me was minimal, allowing me to cover the short distance in an instant, standing right in front of the enemy.
Within hammer reach.
In this place, whether my actions halt or my limbs are twisted and torn, I can swing at the enemy’s head.
As I thought this, just as I swung my hammer with all my strength…
My hammer split through the air.
Yet, I was repelled backwards by some force.
Ah, so that’s how it is.
Looking back, it was only natural.
A power user capable of restraints and swaying like that couldn’t possibly not be able to bounce back.
I swung the hammer in mid-air without any platform to support my body, so it was only natural that I was overpowered.
Now, what should I do?
The distance was dwindling, so should I charge stubbornly…
Just as I was contemplating this…
“Have you forgotten? This is the Otherworld.”
Al’sel’s words whispered into my mind, resonating beyond space.
Right, this is the Otherworld. A place where will manifests as reality.
Thus…
I kicked off into the air.
Believing that there would be a platform to stand on.
Once halted, my body was propelled forward again, charging towards the enemy.
“Have you surpassed my dominion!?”
“Not a second time!”
A brief exchange.
The hammer swung.
Using the platform created by will.
With all my strength packed in…
The hammer swung towards the enemy’s head.
Splat.
The hammer struck the enemy’s head.
Crack.
Unlike expected, a heavy sensation traveled up my hand, prompting me to pour in more strength.
Squelch.
The sound of the enemy’s skin being torn.
The sound of flesh being crushed.
In that moment of sounds and sensations conveyed to me.
The enemy’s eyeball flew through the air.
This species had a characteristic where its eyeballs easily popped out, and Mira was no exception.
And as my gaze met the airborne eye…
Fwoosh.
“You let your guard down.”
Time stretched out, and my vision turned a shade of gray, as light burst forth from the eyeball.
“Psychic Realm!”
Al’sel’s voice, though inaudible, elongated.
‘The mind that has suffered countless pains becomes weaker when striking the enemy.’
His lengthy voice bore down upon me, not through my ears but through my very being.
‘To the one who empathizes with the pain of others, you…’
My consciousness began to wane.
‘Receive…’
In a darkened realm, a being descended.
With countless eyeballs and a skin glowing purple.
A muscular figure.
“A dark inner self, huh?”
Muttering to myself, I gazed at my opponent.
As if watching a CCTV feed:
From a distance,
He slowly walked upon the darkness.
“There’s nothing here.”
While evaluating his surroundings.
Slowly. Ever so slowly.
How many times had this happened before?
In an entirely black world,
A being with color began to scan around.
As if searching for something, he moved.
Then, he lifted his head towards the ceiling and shouted loudly.
“There can’t be such an inner self! If you’re watching, step forth!”
His intense voice echoed within the still darkness.
However, his gaze did not turn toward me.
Despite my being there,
He couldn’t find me, staring blankly into a completely different direction.
“Even if you don’t tell me to come forward! I’ve experienced various mental barriers!”
This too must be a trick to hide the inner self, he shouted.
Yet, I did nothing.
Right.
I did nothing.
I simply kept watching.
The empty darkness simply existed as it was,
Thus, his boisterous voice gradually faded into silence.
“If you come forth, I also have thoughts to share.”
He was observing something far off in the tranquil void, adopting a posture.
With
A surge of tremendous muscle energy?
Just by slamming his feet down, shockwaves spread throughout the dark world.
Balancing himself, he began to draw a glowing spear from the air.
Four spears, each dispelling the darkness.
“If you don’t come out,”
The great power surged,
His massive muscles began to grow even larger.
“I will destroy your mind!”
At the end of his words, the four enormous glowing spears descended upon the darkness in an instant.
Crack. Crash.
With the sound of shattering.
“Done!”
“What’s happening?”
“None have crossed clearly.”
“Should we jump? Is the mental barrier about to break?”
The four magical girls with disparate appearances soared up to counter the spears.
“Finally, here it comes,”
The being with purple skin, staring at it, finally displayed a satisfied expression as if what he desired was achieved, but he didn’t withdraw the glowing spears.
Instead, he poured more strength into his arms.
“However, it’s too late. The fact that you react only in this situation means you lacked the will to converse with me.”
As if to prove his words, the four magical girls struggled against the spears, yielding slightly more.
The spears, already so close to their foreheads, almost touched their skin.
However, the magical girls showed no signs of panic.
“Can I get a word in?”
One of them opened her mouth.
“What?”
The purple-skinned being echoed the question.
“Understand you’re angry, but perhaps you shouldn’t?” It’s all for your own good.”
“What a foolish thing to say. Only now do you speak, thinking you’ll win and trying to soothe me with sweets?”
He responded with a voice packed with frustration, pouring in even more strength.
As a result, the spear tips pressed against their foreheads.
“Even explaining doesn’t work.”
“Ah, really?”
“By the way, what’s going on here?”
“Who knows? We’ve experienced things in the Otherworld. How would we know?”
Despite the blood trailing from their heads, the magical girls continued to babble away without a hint of shock.
Were they put off by the absurdity of the situation?
“…What are you?”
The being aiming the spear appeared flustered for the first time, holding still.
“Even if you ask what I am…”
“I am me?”
“And we are too.”
“I’m Haram Lee.”
“…Multiple personalities?”
“Not quite.”
“Very different?”
The four replied to his inquiry with only laughter, returning meaningless answers.
“Seems like you’re not willing to talk.”
“We talked, though. We don’t know how we ended up here… So why not just leave and make up?”
“I want to use my hammer.”
“I agree with that. I’d like to take a nap again.”
“Yeah, no idea how we ended up fighting, but how about we just go back and reconcile now?”
The four magical girls, acting as if they were different individuals, tossed out amusing lines while laughing together.
“I see. Now I understand.”
“Oh, did you get it?”
“You’re mocking me.”
As the halted spears dropped, the voices of the four were cut off.
With smiling faces, their heads were pierced by light spears.
The laughter that echoed from the four silenced immediately, replaced by…
Crack. Crash. Smash.
From where the spears struck, shards of light began to spread forth.
A massive beam of light chasing away the darkness.
“Just as I thought. This was a defense mechanism. Memories and emotions flood out…”
Seemingly satisfied with the blinding light, the purple-skinned being reached towards the erupting light.
Just as the pillars of light were about to touch his shimmering purple skin…
The world warped.
The white light vanished.
An eerie space emerged, consumed entirely by bright red.
“What the hell is this?”
As he turned his head, my previously fixed vision moved along.
I faced a giant, blood-red eye.
Overshadowed in red, it gazed at the purple-skinned being.
As the being was engulfed by a silent scream, my sight was severed as well.
“…Did you abandon us?”
When the voice rang out, I opened my eyes to find the red world gone.
What appeared before me was the room where I was fighting Al’sel.
The only difference was…
Mira, slumped over in a chair.
Her face buried, the eyeballs fall, and drool leaked from her dry mouth.
As if she had fainted.
“Is she dead?”
“No, just a simple faint. She collapsed all of a sudden…”
Al’sel spoke this, fearlessly approaching the large-bodied Mira, poking around her.
“Hmm. It’s clear that Haram has made use of the mental techniques on others.”
But why did it seem like the user suffered an impact from it?
Al’sel muttered to herself, puzzled, and prodded the purple-skinned Mira about here and there.
“Did something happen in the psychic realm? Did a fight break out or something?”
As Al’sel continued probing while touching Mira, I responded with just one phrase.
“I don’t know.”
That was all I could say.
Trapped in one question, I wondered inside.
Deep within me.
Where indeed was I?
