Everyone Died (2)

Hm?

I'm floating in this weird space. I couldn't see and couldn't feel but I knew I was. It isn't like I had a proper form either? What is this? Why can I think?

Oh.. right. I'm Noel. Yeah, I'm the guy who summoned a princess, who was also a demon lord by the name Liliath by accident.

Then.. what happened? I taught her how to live, it was a mess in the beginning, there were so many things she didn't know. I still remember that shocked expression of hers when she saw the toilet bowl.

After that we entered senior high school, and then got into a few incidents here and there, nothing too major. Liliath attracted the attention of the government, an inevitable outcome.

And then I had this little incident with Lyndia which kinda caused a loose screw in me-- which coincided with the school field trip.

What happened then? When was the last time I saw Liliath again?

Was it at the bridge? Right, it was her birthday-- or the first day of her birth season. I don't get how it works but apparently, in Liliath's world, there is no such thing as a birthday, they use birth season. So all winter born babies celebrate their birthday on the first day of winter.

I gave her a Philosopher's stone as a present. Sure enough, just as I thought, it was the prerequisite of her evolution quest.

So what next? Why am I here?

Do I continue to drift? Or just float? Or be in this space. A moment, two moments. An eternity, two eternities. How does time work again?

Just as I was thinking about what would happen if time didn't exist-- I saw light.

Hey! It's light! I see light! I can see! Oh, so I have eyes after all? What happened to my body then? Am I an eyeball or something?

The light was but a dot, then it continued to grow bigger and bigger-- soon my entire being was engulfed by it.

I felt my normal senses returned to me, a slight stinging pain assailed my body. It was like I've been numbed for an overextended period of time and my nerves started working to register the pain again. You know that feeling right?

The tingling sensation continued, I had my eyes still shut. I took in a sharp breath.

Fu.. I'm inhaling.. I'm exhaling.. I'm breathing…

I'm alive.

But what in the fuck is going on?

I opened my eyes and what greeted me was a white endless expanse. Weird glittering particles drifted here and there, pillars that extended infinitely to the sky while golden liquid poured down to form a pool at the base of each pillar below.

Yeeeah..

This is really really familiar. Did I fall asleep wishing Liliath a happy birth season or something?

Welp, whatever it is, I should get up and find Bleu.

I did just that, got on my two feet and turned around to be greeted by this huge fucking monstrosity of a divinely cute and almighty sea creature looking down at me as if a peanut with a 3 meter long unicorn horn attached to its forehead and rainbow scales covering the entirety of it's snake like body that had the diameter the size of a highway and mouth that can probably fit 1000 copies of me inside like stuffed dumplings--

Wheehh…. chill. Chill.

Calm down.

We're separated by a glass.

Deep breaths, deep breaths…

Huh. This creature looks awfully familiar. I think I saw it somewhere before. Somehow the image of the fearful coiled snake appeared in my mind, but I couldn't believe the huge depairty back then compared to it's majesty now.

Looking at this leviathan up close-- god damn it's scary but cute.

It's beady eyes wider than the face of a truck stared at me. I gulped, feeling a chill down my spine.

I looked left and right-- all I could see was this infinite stretch of glass.

I remember Bleu said something about building this leviathan, a tank to live in.. I didn't think she'd do it now out of all time. It's fucking insane.

"Um. Where's Bleu?" I asked the Leviathan unicorn creature, wondering why of all things to ask, I'm asking this monstrosity..

It cutely tilted it's head, the snake-like body swooshed in the water in sync. It just looked at me… or behind me.

I turned around and there was Bleu.

"Greetings--" Bleu was wearing a pure white dress with a beautiful blue crystal chrysanthemum flower placed behind her ear.

I wonder what the hell she's up to this time..

We stared at each other in silence for a full minute. At my suspicious gaze, her radiant smile soon faded into a frown.

"Huh.. I thought you'd have a better reaction than this. Come on, what do you say when you're suddenly summoned to my domain. Say it!"

"Hello? Great to see you're all well and fine Bleu?"

I honestly have no fucking clue what she's talkign about like um.. I've visited her domain at least two dozen times now.

"That's that, this is this. So what do you say?" Bleu looked at me with a skeptical pair of eyes.

"What's going on?"

"Yes! That's it! Ahem-- you, the lucky one has been chosen to be reincarnated into the world known as Imagi."

I frowned on purpose.

"C'mon! Just a little role play.. please.."

"Fine.."

Taking a deep breath and preparing myself to assume the role of an innocent guy who is supposed to be surprised at this isekai-like development… I think that's supposed to be how this play works..

"What? Did I die?" I squealed in surprise.

Bleu nodded.

"What.."

"Yes, you died."

WhAt--

"I died?"

"Yes. I'm not lying."

--THe fUcK?

I died? You're not joking right?

"I'm not joking. You actually died Noel. Oh, of course! I can't forget this, so what happens when you realize that you died? What's the next thought that comes to mind?" Bleu looked at me with glittering eyes.. but I could only feel my body grow colder and colder..

WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS??

I DIED? I ACTUALLY DIED? HOW? HOW DID I DIE? IT CAN'T BE TRUCK-SAN CAN IT?

"Unless you voice it in your own words, I won't answer your question," she made a cross with her arms.

"Hey.. Bleu. If I died.. what's going to happen to Liliath?"

She's my biggest concern right now. I don't care about what happened or how I died, I just want to know what would happen to Liliath. Is she alright? Is she having a breakdown? Where is she? What if..

"Haaahh.." Bleu had an expression like she had given up. "Of course! I've always wanted to experience what it's like to be the intermediary goddess of reincarnation or something you know?"

"Bleu.. take this seriously.. please.." I pleaded, quivering.

What the hell is happening? WHAT IN THE ACTUAL HELL IS HAPPENING?! I can't believe I'd be so worked up over my death. Did I really die? Okay, let's say I did die, I didn't expect I would become so worked up.. Of course I would. I don't know what's going to happen to Liliath if she were to be left alone like that..

No.

Reincarnation doesn't exist. It shouldn't exist.

At the same time, I know it's impossible to not believe this ridiculous development. It's just how my TALENT works. It distorts reality, flips it on it's head and crushes it in between it's breasts.

"Liliath is.. going to be fine right?"

I know for a fact that my TALENT doesn't just bring demise. If anything, it's more like a drama. It's purposely tossing me in these sorts of situations to freak me out.

"You'll meet her soon. It's alright Noel and.. sorry about just now.." Bleu came close to me and brought me into her embrace.

…

Thank you Bleu.

As long as she's safe..

"Bleu.. what's this.." I pulled away and touched the protrusion on my forehead. This weird two protrusion.. or was it four. There was another pair in the area just above my ears.

The surface is both smooth and jagged. It's like there are nerves in it, I can feel my fingertips touching it..

"That's a horn," I could feel Bleu's finger on the tip of it.

Horn? How?

Wait..

"How did I die?"