Online In Another World

As the colossus stomped towards Kintoki, lifting its foot to smash him beneath its gargantuan shape, Kintoki reared his fist back with a wild smile before thrusting it upward with an air-piercing uppercut.

THWOOOM.

The powerful blow nearly made the Jaeger fall backward as its step was rejected, though it caught itself, now enraged as its long fingers stretched out like spikes, trying to stab through Kintoki or ensnare him.

Though Kintoki used his massive sword to deflect the elongated fingers, he was unable to pierce the sturdy flesh of the Jaeger, causing some of the skin-crawling digits to stretch around and aim for his back.

"--Red Shower!" Sumera invoked.

A barrage of small, but exploding spheres of flames launched against the snow-white fingers, momentarily stopping them before Kintoki spun around, batting them away with his dense, inhuman sword.

"Nice save, Sumera!" Kintoki yelled out with a smile.

Sumera huffed, "Just pay attention!"

There seemed to be little worry present on Kintoki's mind, though it was unknown whether that was confidence in himself or simply his childlike excitement as he raced across the vast, wooden floorboards, dodging the elongated fingers of the Jaeger that repeatedly tried thrusting through him.

The Jaeger howled, "I am a Jaeger! A hunter that feasts on those who trespass in my domain! Dragging dirt into my home, breathing my air–I will rip each strand of flesh from your bones with great delight!"

"Try me, Snow White!" Kintoki retorted with a smile before leaping forward.

It wasn't just raw strength; the Braveheart System granted the man incredible agility, allowing him to land on the colossus' arm, beginning to sprint up its length.

"Grgh–?!" The Jaeger reacted.

Dragging his blade across the fabric of the Jaeger's clothing, he left an incision through it, reaching the skin as it sounded as though steel was grating against further metal, causing sparks to fly out.

This thing's tough! Kintoki briefly thought.

Before he could reach the giant's shoulder, he was promptly grabbed by the elongated fingers of the Jaeger's other hand, which wrapped around the much smaller in scope human, squeezing like living bindings.

"Grrgh–!" Kintoki winced, trying to resist.

Though the man possessed fantastical strength, there was simply a disparity that couldn't be made up when the natural physiology of his enemy was hundreds of times his size, possessing supernatural abilities of its own.

The singular, blood-red eye of the Jaeger honed in on Kintoki as the man was brought closer to his gaze.

"Puny creature…Your resistance is merely entertainment. The 'Hunt' is the height of life; it is the sole machine of operation of all living things. Resistance only diverts one from this reality momentarily…" The Jaeger bellowed.

After speaking, the Jaeger parted his mouth, which wasn't visible until being opened, revealing dozens of rows of razor-sharp teeth like a valley of sharpened mountains with an eerie, pitch-black tongue stretching out.

"Urggh…disgusting!" Kintoki averted his gaze, looking down at the mage companion of his, "...A little help, Sumera!"

The orange-haired woman adjusted her round-rimmed glasses, narrowing her ruby gaze on the man held by the colossus, "I thought you had this under control."

"Clearly not–!" Kintoki yelled out as the tongue creeped closer to him.

"Perhaps a favorable request would sway me to take action," Sumera replied calmly.

With the slimy tongue nearly grazing his skin, feeling the densely heated breaths brush against him, the eccentric man finally caved in:

"Fine! Please lend me a hand, Sumera!"

Finally, the woman raised her exuberant staff with an invocation following: "Pollen of Spirits is born between dusk and dawn, sway and manifest: Forest Awakening!"

The spell gave light to emerald pollen hanging in the air around the Jaeger's mouth, suddenly growing from small twigs to lengthy, twisting limbs of trees, wrapping around the colossus' tongue and wrist with a tight squeeze.

"Ngh–?" The Jaeger let out a displeased scowl.

Given the opportune moment to free himself, Kintoki overpowered the Jaeger's bound grip, summoning his full-strength as he pushed the being's fingers away before jumping down.

–

Finding it difficult to fully concentrate with the constant rumbling and yelling from Kintoki's scuffle with the giant, Emilio was finally able to center his focus on the enormous door handle, keeping his palms pressed together as his elemental manipulation came to fruition.

It was a ring of water, shaping itself like a five-fingered grip around the copper handle before being reinforced with stone to give it solid weight, tightening and pulling.

"You're doing it!" Melisande remarked.

Emilio kept his eyes closed, "...Quiet, please!"

"Oh–right," Melisande covered her lips.

Noticing the creaking sound of the doorway being unsealed, the crimson-eyed hunter roared, shifting its gaze and its focus entirely to Emilio now as he began stomping towards them.

"No! Trespassing vermin!..." The Jaeger howled.

STOMP. STOMP. STOMP.

For Melisande, the sight she witnessed was the pinnacle of stomach-dropping dread; the snow-skinned, man-hunting entity taller than any tree she'd seen or any castle moved swiftly with utmost aggression.

It was only halted by a combination of fireballs and massive sword swings from Sumera and Kintoki, and even then, the Jaeger didn't stop fully.

Noticing this, Sumera yelled out, "I don't mean to rush you, kid, but we don't have the privilege of time anymore! We can't stop this thing!"

"Hate to admit it, but my partner is right!" Kintoki agreed, running alongside her as they opted to group with Emilio and Melisande, "--I can't cut through his skin! He's on another level!"

At that moment, Emilio felt like yelling out in contempt for having his utmost focus interrupted, but he cooled himself and focused, straining every fiber of his body to complete the unorthodox 'door-opener' spell.

It required careful concentration alongside a continuous, steady flow of mana with a spell meant to be able to withstand the weight of pulling such a door.

Still, it was happening–it finally began to open as a gap in the doorway was revealed, showing nothing but a void behind it.

Melisande yelled out to the two adventurers who were being chased by the approaching Jaeger, "Come on! It's open!"

He had to hold the spell steady while the rumbling of the gargantuan entity was heard from behind. Just as Kintoki and Sumera finally reached the door, they moved in without a second thought, but Melisande hesitated.

"Emilio! Hurry!" Melisande yelled to him.

"I'm coming! Just go through–! It'll begin closing once I move!" He responded.

Though it was unnerving to move on while the colossus was but perhaps a dozen seconds behind, Melisande nodded, placing her trust in the young man before jumping through the door. Just as she did, he finally moved, having to relinquish the spell as the giant door began closing. As he raced towards the gap, he looked back, seeing the scarlet-eye of the cyclopean monster looking down at him from a distance not far enough, he jumped forward instantly–just barely making it through the doorway before it shut.

Throwing himself through the door, he found himself floating in a void, devoid of physical matter, simply drifting as his consciousness flickered.

–

What is this? Is this the next realm? He questioned.

It felt as though he was dreaming; the state of reality and illusion mixed and swirled into one, causing him to blink one moment, finding himself in the void and parting his eyes again to find himself now standing in a familiar reality.

"...This is…" He mumbled.

Beneath his boots was loose, lifeless soil that harbored no life but twisted trees that presented spiraling branches.

The sky was pitch-black, though a single swirl existed like a moon; a spiral of unquestionable enigma that subtly howled through the night. Colossuses of different shapes and sizes lumbered through the mystical world with small, colorful orbs floating like pollen–'lesser spirits'--he recognized.

…It's the Astral Realm? But why? He questioned.

It didn't make much sense to him that he now found himself in the realm of spirits, and more concerning was the solitude away from his allies. Through the utter perplexity that the Unending Nightmare birthed, he couldn't be sure if this was another illusion or fabricated world.

Still, there was no mistaking the atmosphere of the Astral Realm; the thin air and feeling of otherworldly mystique that left him devoid of words.

As he moved forward, he found himself trying to figure out what would've led to this unexpected return to the Astral Realm.

…Last time, I had to create a very specific ritual in order to pass into this place, he thought, this time, I just walked through that door and ended up here. Wait…if this is a place for spirits–

"Did I die?!" He questioned out loud.

Accidentally shouting his words out, he was unexpectedly met with a response by the world itself as the soil rumbled beneath his boots, causing him to sway his arms for balance. It was the same as his previous time in the realm of spirits, he called–the ground gave in from beneath him, causing him to plummet downwards into a dark cave.

"Waaah–!" He yelled out.