(---)
Julian found himself lying down, his head facing the abnormally grey sky. At his ears, he could feel the rough material of sand. A pouncing pain that trembled, pulsating at his fingertips.
He shot up. That was all he could do, though. His legs were still not working. The nonambulatory boy crawled, instead.
I must've been spit out. Right. This sand... It's grey.
It looked nothing like the shores where he was before. So, maybe the currents had taken him to Gonteno? He continued crawling inland. The quiet scenery allowed him to think.
I was in the stomach of some kind of sea beast. Julian recalled, inwardly.
So... I'm guessing they threw me off the ship. Did something happen to Rar? Something that made it so that I would be a liability? That monster Lyrei must've been the first person to throw me off.
... I'm disappointed in myself for being so weak. If it wasn't for how much pain I was feeling, I could probably cry right now. Am I really this pathetic? Useless!
Before he knew it, he reached a new type of terrain. The ground was black.
This is... soil?
Grabbing a chunk of it and rubbing his palm on it, he could definitely discern it. Although it was quite coarse, it was definitely dirt. To his surprise, the dirt was fertile.
In front of him, ebony trees with contorted, curved branches shot out. The leaves were crimson red and sharp. When he placed his hand on the root of the tree, he was surprised that it was hot to the touch.
This is an entirely new area! Is this Gonteno? No, a place with a saint couldn't have such a brooding atmosphere...
"Look what washed ashore! Stritant meat!" a voice yelled out.
Julian's head turned around.
Stritant... what is that?
Above him stood three individuals. They were dressed in the fantasy light armor that Julian saw in the games. The type that was made out of leather straps and metal, and flaunted senseless muscle more than it did provide protection.
The individuals clad in such armor could not be called human. Their skins were green and grey. Although they had human features, they leaned a lot more toward an alien.
One lizard-like, another wolf-like, and the last bird-like.
These are demi-humans..? But they're 75% animal….
That suddenly makes me wonder. Did demi-humans emerge from animals gaining the sophistication of humans? Or are humans sick monsters in this world, and bred with animals?
"Thank goodness! Hey, you three! I really need any kind of help. My back has been gravely injured, and I need to be healed-"
Lizard grabbed him by the collar. With light force, Julian ascended into the air. It happens quick, there was nothing for Julian to think about.
Slsh!
With a loose grip and lax demeanor, the lizard swung his chipped cleaver through Julian's abdomen as he fell. Slicing him in half.
Slsh!
Another horizontal slice came, cutting Julian's head off his neck. Blood sprayed, as Julian's head spun rapidly. The confused expression that had previously been etched on his face remained there, even in death.
Without allowing it to fall to the ground, Julian's decapitated head landed atop Wolf's palm.
"Eugh…" Wolf shuddered. He threw the head toward Bird.
"What's wrong with this guy today? Meats no good?" Bird laughed.
"You guys probably couldn't tell. But that smell is putrid. Agh, I don't know how I noticed it before. He smells like disappointment and all the wrong things in life!" Wolf complained.
"Haha.. okay. Well, I'm not too hungry anyway, for some reason."
"Me neither."
They tossed the head along with the body back into the ocean.
. . .
. .
.
"…"
Julian found himself in a strange space. It was white, wherever he saw it.
"Is this hell..?
"When I just died there, that was my first punishment. And I'm here in the waiting room, awaiting my next execution. Yeah, that seems about right."
Julian's stomach dropped, upon realizing.
"You aren't in hell."
Julian jumped.
He was startled by the sudden deep voice. He promptly located the voice. It belonged to a tall man.
The tall man was pale, even paler than Julian. His hair was black and long, tied into a very loose bun. Sharp, fox-like red-eyes. A deep glare.
"Where am I?"
Julian was hesitant to ask. There seemed to be some impertinence in his question, that the man in front of him would somehow feel, and immediately smite him. This was the kind of aura that man exuded.
"This is the first time I've seen something like this happen, that's not been in my own control. So this must be groundbreaking technology. The ability to revive an individual, far after they've died. Fascinating. Mankind has gotten that far…"
"If you don't mind me asking… who are you?"
"… Ah. I forgot to take that into consideration."
The man cleared his throat.
"Stein."
"Stein, it's nice to meet you. So, I'm being revived?"
"Yes. But, I am seriously curious. Do you know exactly who is reviving you? Who would revive such a… soul?"
"What?"
"Nothing. I am to view every soul, man or monster, indifferently."
"…"
Weird.
"You're really lucky, that it was me who found you and not any other Deity. I'll be off, then, Demon King."
"Eh?-"
The white void shifted into a different scenario, before he even realized.