Before we go any further, I think I should briefly explain the internet slang “SAN-value direct burial.”
In the famous tabletop roleplaying game Call of Cthulhu, characters who encounter terrifying experiences lose a parameter called “Sanity” (SAN value). Eventually, they go insane, and the character is no longer under the player’s control.
Deities and monsters from the Cthulhu Mythos can drive people to madness just by being seen. Even a glimpse at one can do it. They’re embodiments of primal fear, ominous and immense.
What Mia was suggesting was the very unpleasant theory that such an entity might be behind everything here.
“Weren’t we thinking the Demon Lord is behind this place?” Arisu asked.
“Logically, you’d think so… but if the Demon Lord is the one who created this pseudo world, then it’s something way beyond our control,” I replied.
“Hmm. World creation is serious. It’s so serious that even Buddha would bow down.”
You should be the one bowing down to Buddha, I thought.
“Um… Is that really true…?” Arisu muttered.
While Mia and I were panicking thanks to our gaming knowledge, it seemed Arisu and Tamaki didn’t quite grasp the gravity of the situation.
“Arisu, for example,” Mia began, “how much MP do you think it would take Kazu to create a huge mansion… or maybe a building? Whatever created this place must have at least enough power to make an entire city, and they did it the moment we teleported here.”
“That’s right. I checked the time before we left, and basically no time passed until we got here,” Keiko mentioned.
It was then that I noticed that the hawk familiar perched on Rushia’s head hadn’t spoken a word since we arrived. Although it still looked as intelligent as any familiar, it was probably disconnected from communication magic—just like my wolf.
“For now, Fly,” Mia said, soaring into the sky. She had cast the spell earlier, but I guess we’d been standing there talking for at least ten minutes.
Mia ascended in a spiral to the top of the building and surveyed the “city.” She twisted her head, looking down at us.
“Hey, come up!” she called with an encouraging nod.
The next moment, her body exploded. Her right arm and right leg were blown off.
“Wha…?”
With a look of sheer disbelief on her face, Mia plummeted from the sky.
“Not good!” Now Keiko panicked. She kicked off the wall of the building next to us and ran up vertically. When she reached the third floor, she dived down to grab hold of Mia with her right hand.
With her left hand, Keiko shot a wire to a utility pole, changing direction. She kicked off the wall at just the right moment to descend and landed back on the asphalt.
“Arisu-chan!” she called.
“Yes, coming! I’ll heal her right now!”
Arisu rushed to the limp Mia and began casting healing magic, alternating between physical regeneration and healing spells.
Meanwhile, Tamaki and Rushia kept watch.
“Let’s move into that building’s shadow for now. We’re too exposed here,” I said, leading everyone to an alleyway. Thankfully, I knew the area well.
I breathed a sigh of relief at Mia, who seemed to have narrowly escaped death, before turning back to the rest of the group. “Keiko-san, did you see what attacked just now?”
“Hmm, probably one of those jellyfish’s bullets.”
“Ah, the Flying Jellyfish… the one from before.”
A divine-class monster hiding in this space that mimics the modern world? Even for us, facing something like that unprepared could be catastrophic. This was completely Mia’s oversight… No, it was my fault for letting her act recklessly.
“No, Kazu. It’s not your fault. I was the one being dumb,” Mia said, practically reading my mind.
“That’s right. Mia-chan, you can’t make us worry like that. Naughty girl,” Keiko playfully scolded her. “I’ll go and check it out. Can you cast Fly on me?”
“All right… Be careful. Fly.”
Indeed, having Keiko scout the area seemed the best course of action.
I summoned a raven to cast Remote Viewing on it and have it follow Keiko’s orders.
“All right, little raven, let’s get you up here,” Keiko said, taking the familiar and gently placing it on her head. “I’ve been wanting to try this, like Rushia-chan.”
The raven accepted its new position without complaint.
✦ ✦ ✦
“I mean, there’s fine, but…” I hesitated.
“Tee-hee, or maybe you wanted to be nestled in my cleavage?” Keiko teased.
“I’d rather not be killed by Yuuki-senpai later, so I’ll pass on that,” I replied, noticing that Arisu and Tamaki were glaring at me.
“Ah, um, Kazu-san! You shouldn’t make moves on someone else’s girlfriend!” Arisu protested.
“That’s right, Kazu-san! We’re working hard here!” Tamaki added.
“Why does no one trust me?” I asked in genuine confusion.