[43] Caught Between Schemes
Chapter 43: Caught Between Schemes
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Thin Places are pocket dimensions, positioned between the mortal world and the world of the divine. The aura of the main two realms, Heaven and Earth, collide together to form this middle space.
My [Jade Perception] performed a widespread scan of the entire area; I realized that this indeed was the space – the magical realm – between the main point Earth and the secondary point that was the Divine Dimension of Konohanasakuya-hime.
This was a place separate from the movement and evolution of modern Earth, my perception moved over the figures of Dinosaurs and other extinct species that have long since vanished from the face of Earth. But those existed here; in fact, they were magical beasts. I also sensed a large concentration of magic in multiple places; signs of artifacts. This was a place filled with opportunities and gifts.
In some other terms, this place can be considered a [Dungeon].
“Oh my g-goodness, a thin place!? Those are real?!” Akane sounded frightened, voicing the concern of the other kids, as she added. “I-I'm not exactly sure, but I think it's a theory saying that there are eerie and mysterious places where the line between the physical world and the spiritual world gets super thin and it merges to create a middle-space. You are saying that’s real, Aqua? Isn’t that just a fairy tale?”
Everyone was looking at me, worried, frightened, and concerned. Some looked doubtful too, but there was a bloody body lying just near our feet with claw marks that shouldn’t belong to any normal beast. Perhaps it’s the fact that the generation of kids was a lot more interested in the supernatural, but they didn’t immediately call me quits.
I opened my mouth to explain but quickly stopped. What am I doing? What’s the point in explaining to them anything? My [Jade Perception] earlier had sensed the cause of Sen’s state, a beast that was still in this resort. No other humans were here, and so these kids would just be a hassle if I got down to explain things to them.
“Sorry, guys.”
I closed my eyes and channeled my Qi within me to perform the [Symphony of the Ephemeral Veil] technique. Mist burst out of my body, as everyone went confused and loud. This will make them lose their memories when they wake up.
“W-wait, what’s going on?!”
“I- ak!”
I moved quickly, using my senses to note which person was which, and began to knock them out one by one with a chop on their neck. Then I deposited them in my Void Storage.
First, I deposited all the guys. Then I went towards the erratic Yuki and deposited her too, and lastly I went to Akane. However, before I could knock her out, I paused. She should stay; even if she’s a normal human, she has the Book of Thoth inside her. If I was going to introduce her to the supernatural world sooner or later, this was a prime opportunity.
I dispersed the technique as the mist vanished, leaving only Mem-Cho, Mai, Akane, and me left in the room. Oh, and the body of Sen Kaibara. I stared at it for a moment and then crouched down.
“A-Aqua?!” Akane yelled when she saw me move, her head looking around at the same time to locate where the others had gone. “What just happened?! D-did you do that?”
“Stay quiet,” I told her as I looked down at Sen’s body.
There were large claw marks, three, on his back. I turned him around to see if there was any on his chest, and thankfully there wasn’t. I turned him around again and put my hand on his back, before performing the [Pure Storm Baptism]. Ethereal blue lightning danced out of my hand and into the boy’s body, his wounds began to fizzle with life as new cells grew to cover his wounds.
His wounds visibly closed, and I pushed some more energy into him to fix the blood loss issue. I also fixed the torn mark on his clothes. Half a minute later, I was done and stood up. “There,” I touched his body and deposited him where his friends were.
“Where did they vanish?” Mem-Cho asked this time, and the other two girls were staring at me again.
“To a pocket dimension; as they are normal people, it’s safer for them there,” I said and saw Akane frown, looking at the other two and then at her own hands as if to wonder how they weren’t normal. She turned to look at me and was about to speak, most likely about to ask what I was, but sadly we didn’t have time for that. “Mem. Look after Akane, and I hope Mai won’t need any backup. I will take care of the thing that hurt Sen.”
“Be careful.” Mem-Cho gave me a nod and said, while the other two gave me worried looks. I accepted all of their concerns and stepped out of the room, and into the backyard.
The moon and stars glittered down at me even in this place. The gazes of the girls followed me from behind, their eyes locked onto my every move as I approached the backyard. Just as I stepped into the dry soil of the backyard, their eyes shot away from me and locked onto something else. The girls’ spirits trembled in disbelief as they witnessed an unimaginable scene unfolding in the backyard.
Their collective gasp hung in the air as they saw what had captured their attention; a grotesque creature, a monstrous rat, stood in the moonlit darkness and dug the ground. It was as tall as a grown man and just as wide, a nightmarish sight that sent shivers down their spines.
"Kreaach?!" The rat's eerie screech pierced the night as it stopped digging and turned around. Its beady eyes fixed on me with a malevolent intensity.
There was no dramatic pause after that; this monster was driven purely by instinct as it moved. Mistakenly identifying me as just another human like the one it had harmed earlier, it rushed at me without caution or strategy. With lightning speed, the monstrous rat kicked the ground and launched itself toward me. Its right paw swiped through the air, razor-sharp claws extended menacingly and almost grazed my cheeks as I narrowly avoided its attack, disappearing in an instant.
"Weak little thing," I taunted from above, my voice filled with confidence as I stood in thin air. Tendrils of [Gale Grapple] materialized around the rat, the tendrils that were already there when it had rushed in, but just gaining visibility now. Due to lack of wit, it had unconcernedly walked into a web of its own demise.
My hands shot out to grasp the two ends of the ethereal tendrils in the air. My right hand clamped onto the left tendril, and my left hand onto the right. With a powerful tug, the tendrils tightened their grip on the monstrous rat. I scoffed and exerted even more force, and the rat was crushed so violently that it exploded into a grotesque shower of meaty chunks, splattering gore all over us.
Reacting swiftly, I employed the [Water Bubble Technique] to create a translucent bubble around myself, shielding me from the repulsive splatter. Meanwhile, the girls behind the window were not as fortunate, their shocked and sluggish reactions allowing bits of rat flesh to land on their bodies by the time they closed the window.
"Eeek-! Gross!" they shrieked in disgust, realizing they were in desperate need of a thorough bath.
Hovering in the air, I surveyed the resort's hot spring with renewed interest. My eyes sparkled with anticipation as I beheld the mana-rich waters below.
Wait, is that real? I was in disbelief. The prospect of such a treasure trove of mana in this place was beyond my expectations. I knew that my cultivation would skyrocket overnight if I could harness this resource.
Regardless of who had tampered with the dimension's frequency, pulling us from the tranquil resort into this battleground copy, I couldn't help but acknowledge that they had unintentionally aided me immensely.
Though yes, I will beat them up the moment I meet them. How could I let them mess with the Venerable One’s relaxation time and get away with it? They will pay.
* * *
[Third Person Point of View]
In the Underworld, it was nighttime. A spectral starry sky transitioned through vibrant hues, and under the light of these dead stars, in the heart of a large city filled with Devils, existed an English-style mansion. It was adorned with ivy-covered walls and leaded glass windows, basking with fiery life, matching the large symbol of Phoenix hung at its gate. Its manicured garden, paved paths, and timeless elegance made it a haven of perpetual devil beauty.
“Another group?” Currently, the owner of this mansion and the entire city as a whole, the Lord of the Phenex House, was in his office.
He was reading a report, sitting behind his desk in his luxurious office library, as he laughed and nodded at his son who stood in front of the desk. “Good job, Ruval. You said they were special this time, they had mana? That’ll help enrich the dimension’s magic when they die, good.”
It was similar to cultivating lands, really. But instead of using medicine to flourish the crops, they were using humans for their life force. Though really, that dimension couldn’t be any richer. They were only messing with the space and teleporting the humans in to piss off the Goddess when she’d find out.
“How is the attack plan coming?” he put the report down and asked his son. “Have we gathered enough manpower?"
Ruval Phenex didn't look as excited as his father, even though he was following orders as given. He wasn't as devious as the others of his family. Usually, Lord Phenex was a very calm and understanding man as well; Ruval and Ravel had taken after him, while Riser took after their mother. But this matter caused Lord Phenex great interest that made him want to do anything. There was an emotional reason for that.
Ruval shook his head. "Father, you're well aware manpower isn't going to do much to a Goddess in her home terrain. But yes, I did gather the ones you've called for."
"That's good enough," Lord Phenex said. Then he sighed. "You look concerned, son. You have to understand this is for our own good. The world isn't just the three factions; now that God is dead as well as the original Lucifer, we devils aren't much of a deal to the other Pantheons. That's why I want to make sure we have a chance to stand alone. If we manage to get the [Fire Stone] that is hidden in Mount Fuji, we can finally awaken Grandmother, the Phenex Ancestor, from her long slumber. Even Gods bowed before her powers in the past."
"...." Ruval didn't know that. His father had kept it a secret until now about why he was so interested in Mount Fuji.
"We don't just need the stone, sadly," he continued. "That'd indeed help us awaken her body, but she'd need to be in an area filled with rich fire energy for a long time to stay awake. The curse that is keeping her asleep is a strong one."
"I see, father."
"So I hope you'll cooperate without feeling guilty about the humans, Ruval." His father said. "You and our men will invade the main divine dimension of the Goddess to fight her, to keep her attention locked. In the meantime, I will bring the ancestor's coffin to the middle pocket dimension where we have been sending the humans. The stone is there. I'll awaken her, and then we will go to the divine dimension to aid you in battle. With the ancestor's help, the Goddess will be dealt with in no time."
Ruval found the plan plausible, but he was still worried. "What if things don't exactly go according to plan?"
"I have backups in such emergencies," he said. "A certain devil woman with gravity powers. Even Japan's strongest battle God shouldn't be her match. If things go south, I have the button that can bring her here." [1]
Ruval's eyes shook. He went silent for a moment as all doubts he had left vanished and a scene of guaranteed victory formed in his head.
The next day, an army of devils began their move.
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Master4thWall Note: Aqua was enjoying his time and minding his business when luck or perhaps fate decided to drag him into this mess. How will it change the planned events of the Devils?
[1] Not a DxD character, but she's a devil from another anime, so it fits. It will add more sense when she appears. Can you guess who?
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