Local Netizen Elf’s Life In Another World

Case 305: Calamity.

I've always been told about the threat hanging over my head, but I have never really seen it.

Sure, 'Corrupt Goddess Eve' sounds scary, but if I hardly see her directly, 'scary' wouldn't sound so convincing. I had some trouble fighting the demon king's subordinates, but what about the demon king himself? Then, what about Eve, the one supposedly stronger than even the demon king?

The point is, I don't really know how it is.

I can look back at history to see some of Eve's impacts for sure, but those aren't like this one. So far, we've quite competently handled demon kings, and Eva has done a spectacular job at deterring the calamity, so again, I'm clueless.

I'm just trying my best to believe and follow Eva's warnings.

Still, that doesn't mean much since we're wired not easily to believe something if we don't see it clearly. Not nearly at the level of refusing to acknowledge its existence, but something similar to seeing some accidents on television—you know it happened, but you quickly forget it a few days after.

''That...''

''It's here.''

However, now that I'm seeing it from my perspective and being fed Hanako's emotions, I can't help but feel the gravity of the situation. Looking up at the sky, all I see is an overwhelming purple.

At some point, the tiny speck of dust up in space has transformed into a spectacular star that dominates the world, even surpassing the sun and moon's light. Even though its size at the moment is still lesser than that of the sun, the fact that the whole sky is dyed in a purple hue tells just how intense the object is.

Of course, we're only seeing this thing at a certain period of the day since the planet is rotating, but it seems that the crashing point will be on this part of the continent—the Aris kingdom.

Turning back to the ground, Aris and Hanako are cautiously observing the falling star's behavior on a balcony of the royal palace.

''Will the barrier hold up...?'' Hanako mutters.

''It should be,'' Aris replies. ''The initial impact is not a problem, however. We need to worry about the fallout.''

Dark energy. Corrupt mana. Infectious matter.

There are tons of names people call it, but it is fundamentally the same thing I, Sylvia, have been fighting against for a while—a mirrored version of divine energy. Equally powerful, but comes with a lot of problems. Not every demon or monster born from Eve can use this kind of power, but those who can are distinctly strong.

Take Dina, the succubus princess, for example. Without divine power, we would've had trouble restraining her since the essence of her dark energy is just that superior to mana.

If we dive deeper into the theories of energies, things will make much more sense. Eva knocked this into my brain a while ago, but the gist is that every type of power is a derivative of an 'origin' energy.

This energy is created at the same time the universe was created, and through various cosmic events, they distribute and transform into other types of energies. One such type is divine power, which exists at the core of every celestial body. The reason only mana floats around on the exterior of planets instead of divine power is that by the point they trickle to the surface, it has degraded by a large margin.

The crush of a typical habitable planet is really thick, you know?

Anyway, that is why mana is inferior to divine power, and I'd imagine the purple stuff clinging to that asteroid is some sort of rogue product of the 'origin' energy.

From the looks of it, I think this incident is no more than a natural disaster, one that practically creates a malevolent force for the inhabitants of this planet by infecting the people and the land. It's a type of virus, maybe.

Hm... I mean, if it's an asteroid, I think we can intercept it with some sort of divine energy-based bomb before it hits the planet. It's unfortunate that this Hanako doesn't have such knowledge at this time.

Intercepting it with raw divine power... might work, but from what I can tell, Aris, at her peak, is still a bit weaker compared to someone like Eva, so there's that. I can't blame her, really. Why would she train herself to death when the world is at peace?

Well, let's stop babbling. It's almost time.

''...''

''...''

As the radiant ball of light grows bigger and the tangible dread looms closer, the world of the past braces itself. A colossal barrier of light first emerges from the very center of the Aris kingdom, blossoming thanks to Aris's divine power. Beneath that golden film, more modest ones that are made of mana spurt up from various spots, protecting the cities and towns.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

The people look up to the sky with hearts full of hope, clasping their hands together for a prayer. Everyone, from the common folks to the nobles, the kings, and the emperors—all except the goddess herself.

Aris doesn't pray.

She has no one to direct her wish to but herself.

''I definitely... won't let it ruin us.''

I wonder... what is she thinking right now?

Hanako might be too caught up with the asteroid, which seems to have entered the atmosphere, but I, an observer, is more interested in Aris. 

As much as I don't want to see another person's misery unfold, Aris is... someone I've taken a liking to. It's quite obvious whenever I think about it. She's pretty, she's kind, she's approachable, she's perverted, and she's sweet.

So, as someone who likes Aris, I'd want to look after her.

Swimming against the current, I focus my attention on the goddess instead of what's in the sky. Slowly, I watch as her expression goes from frowning to that of fright, and... pause.

...?

Suddenly, the world has stopped moving.

This is the first time something like this has happened, so it must be...

[Hi.]

''Oh.''

As I turn around, a familiar silhouette greets me.

With long, flowing purple hair and eyes filled with floating stars, Aris—no, Luna stands in the darkness of the hallway, bearing a subtle yet kind smile.

''Long time no see? Though, time hasn't changed much since you lost consciousness.''

The goddess says as she steps forward into the light and toward me, passing her old self. Then, she opens her arms,

''Come here.''

''I...''

Huh? I have a body now?

...It's been a while since I am 'Sylvia,' I guess.

So, I sheepily walk over and hug Luna, feeling her warmth for a good while.

''But... why are you here?'' I ask. ''I haven't finished the memory.''

''...''

Again, with that weary expression. Sometimes, I feel so powerless because I don't know how to comfort a person in deep regret or pain, but it's alright. I'll learn it eventually.

''Isn't it alright already...?''

''What?''

''You've seen how our relationship evolved, right? So the rest...''

Ah, so that's what it is. She's reluctant to let me see the bad parts of the memory. Well, this one is easy.

''I'll watch the rest.'' I firmly say. ''It's my memory, after all.''

''Hanako...''

Swallowing a sigh, I put my lips between the two worried brows of her, ''I'll be fine. Trust me.''

''...Okay, then. I'll be with you, too.''

''Sure.''

''Heheh... it's been a long time since I've felt your fondness for me again.''

''...''

As if within a happy dream, Luna smiles—beautifully smiles, and the next moment, when time finally resumes, the world is engulfed in chaos.