what if I'm an undead! then so what?-Chapter 64: Realty glitch, a typical Cliché

The heavy iron gates of Tsukigami Mansion creaked behind the trio, their intricate lattice carved with ancient runes that seemed to shimmer faintly under the gray, rain-heavy sky. Masaru, Vaelion, and Shougo stood on the cobblestone path, the air thick with the scent of damp earth and the bittersweet sting of farewell.

The mansion loomed like a silent judge, its shadowed windows reflecting nothing but the storm clouds above. Masaru’s chest tightened, not just from the moment’s weight but from a strange, persistent weakness that had crept into his limbs since morning, growing heavier with each step.Vaelion broke the silence with a proud chuckle, his voice ringing across the empty courtyard.

"Guess the journey ends here, brothers—Weaklings, I mean weaklings. Next time I see you, I’ll have surpassed you both—combined!" His golden eyes glinted with brash confidence, a spark of his dragon-born heritage. Before Masaru or Shougo could reply, a gust of wind surged around him, sharp and hot. Two red dragon wings, their scales gleaming like polished rubies, burst from his back, the force rippling the grass at their feet. With a single, thunderous beat, Vaelion shot into the sky, a streak of fire against the clouds. In a heartbeat, he was gone, leaving only a faint whiff of scorched air in his wake.Shougo shook his head, a wry smile tugging at his lips.

"What a hasty kid." He turned to Masaru, his weathered face softening, though his hand rested lightly on the hilt of his katana, its black sheath etched with delicate silver inlays. "So long, kid. You’d better get stronger by the time we meet again, ’cause I’m feeling hyped up. Who knows? I might still be stronger than you." His smile widened, but his fingers tightened around the hilt, a flicker of challenge in his dark eyes. 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

Masaru mirrored the smile, his own expression warm but tinged with fatigue. "We’ll see about that." He offered a slight bow, a gesture of respect forged through battles or rather single battle fought side by side. As Shougo turned and strode into the mist, his silhouette fading against the rolling hills, Masaru began walking, the mansion’s oppressive presence receding behind him. His mind drifted to the idea of running—his full speed could carry him to Shinjuku in twentu seconds, a blur of motion that would make the wind howl.

But the weakness gnawed at him, a dull ache that sapped his strength, worsening with each step. He frowned, brushing off the unease. Just exhaustion, he told himself, though doubt lingered like a shadow.A voice, soft yet vibrant, slipped into his thoughts.

"You don’t have to walk, you know. I can take us to Mikazuki Mansion instantly." Severine’s presence hummed within him, her tone laced with a gentle but serious edge that cut through his fatigue.Masaru stopped, his brow furrowing. "You can teleport through space and time, and you’re only telling me now?" he grumbled inwardly, irritation sparking alongside curiosity. The ability to jump instantly to any destination was too valuable to ignore, especially with his body betraying him. "Come to think of it, you’ve never really explained your powers. I didn’t summon you at the Solstice Spring because you seemed... harmless. I figured you weren’t cut out for a fight like that chimera."A golden glow shimmered beside him, coalescing into Severine’s form. The transformation was jarring, impossible to grow accustomed to—a grotesque, man-slaying monster reshaped into a girl who could pass for a princess. Her blonde hair spilled over her shoulders, catching the dim light, and her hazel eyes sparkled with a childish mischief that belied her deadly nature. Her white and yellow dress fluttered slightly, as if touched by an unseen breeze, adding to her ethereal charm.

"I thought you didn’t need help with a monster that weak," Severine said, her voice innocent but edged with a playful jab. Her smile was disarming, but it sent imaginary black lines streaking across Masaru’s face."Weak?" he retorted, his voice rising with indignation.

’That chimera was anything but weak! It was an undying beast—claws that could shred steel, a hide that regrew faster than I could cut it. I still don’t know how I beat it.’He though to himself, The memory of the Solstice Spring flooded back: the air thick with the stench of blood and sulfur, the chimera’s roars shaking the earth, its eyes glowing with relentless hunger. Masaru’s hands clenched, the few broken bines on his body tingling with the echo of that fight.The road was empty, the nearest perhaps due to the damped sky that spelt heavy rain and also the events that had been happening, so no one witnessed Severine’s sudden appearance.

Masaru nodded sharply. "Alright, teleport us to Mikazuki Mansion. Hurry up."Severine’s lips curled into a sly grin. She raised a hand, her fingers tracing a line in the air as if slicing through reality itself. A black seam appeared, like a tear in the fabric of the world, its edges jagged and trembling. It widened, revealing Masaru’s room at Mikazuki Mansion: the polished wooden desk strewn with ink-stained papers alongside neatly arranged books, the neatly folded futon, the faint scent of cedar drifting through the open window.

Masaru had expected a golden circle, like the portals in movies, but this was raw, unsettling, as if reality had been forcibly ripped open. The void within pulsed, unstable, threatening to collapse at any moment.He swallowed hard, his heart thudding. The portal looked terrifying, like it could snap shut and trap him in nothingness. But Severine’s gaze was on him, her eyes gleaming with expectation, seeing him as some brave, unyielding master.

He couldn’t afford to show fear. Closing his eyes, he stepped forward, bracing himself. The sensation was like wading through cold, viscous water, a pressure that clung to his skin and tugged at his core. His breath hitched, the portal’s instability palpable, but then he emerged with a soft pop, standing in his room at Mikazuki Mansion.

The air was warm, laced with the delicate sweetness of cherry blossoms from the garden outside. Masaru exhaled, his shoulders loosening as he breathed in the familiar scent. Tsukigami’s atmosphere had been suffocating, as if unseen eyes watched his every move, their gaze a cold weight on his spine.

Here, he felt free, though the weakness still lingered, a quiet ache in his bones.The portal snapped shut behind him, and Severine materialized at his side, her expression calm but watchful. Before Masaru could speak, a flicker of movement startled him. Akane appeared in the room, her presence sudden and silent, like a shadow taking form. Her silver hair was pulled into a tight bun, her eyes sharp with suspicion, her hand folded under her chest.

"You’re back," she said, her voice tinged with confusion. "How? I didn’t sense you until just now. It’s like you appeared out of nowhere."Masaru grinned, gesturing to Severine, who stood slightly behind him, her posture tense. "Turns out one of my familiars can teleport through space and time." Severine’s eyes flicked to Akane, a flicker of fear passing through them. Masaru caught it—she hadn’t forgotten Akane’s brutal victory over her, when Severine’s monstrous form had been torn apart by Akane’s relentless strikes.Akane’s brow arched, a faint smirk playing on her lips. "One of your familiars?" She paused, her mind piecing it together. "oh I forgot you said you contracted a cat from the first world."

She sat on the edge of his bed, crossing her legs with a casual grace that belied her alertness. "Any luck finding it?"Masaru’s chest swelled with pride, though the ache in his limbs tempered his enthusiasm. "Oh, it wasn’t just a cat. It was a d3?óñ from h3##—one of the S3∆3!ñ D3@dl6 ßîñ, no less." The words felt clear in his mind, but Akane’s face twisted in confusion, her head tilting as if she’d heard a glitch in reality.

"What was that?" she asked, leaning forward, her eyes narrowing. "It sounded... distorted, like static."Masaru frowned, repeating himself. "I said, it’s a d3?óñ from h3##, one of the S3∆3!ñ D3@dl6 ßîñ." Again, the words rang true to him, but Akane’s confusion deepened, her hands tightening under her chest."Something’s wrong," she said, her voice low and urgent.

"It’s like a curse, stopping you from saying it. I’m not quite sure what it is though."Masaru’s heart sank as Akane explained. His words were being warped, twisted into gibberish by some unseen force.

A grin spread across his face despite the unease, his love for novel tropes kicking in. "This is straight out of a book," he said, half-laughing. "Some secret so big the universe won’t let me spill it." He crossed the room to his desk, grabbing a pen and a worn notebook. He’d always wondered why characters gave up when words failed—writing was the obvious workaround.But as his pen touched the page, a searing pain lanced through his skull, sharp enough to make him gasp.

The pen clattered to the floor, and he clutched his head, cursing under his breath. "Damn it. Guess I’m stuck in the cliché of typical foolishness." He scratched the back of his neck, forcing a chuckle to mask his growing fear. The pain wasn’t just physical—it felt like a warning, a chain tightening around his mind, binding him to silence.