Returning to Erisen, I quickly realised that something terrible had happened. The fire and smoke billowing from the burning buildings were clear indicators of distress.
"What happened here?!"
I was about to rush in and help, but I paused, refraining from responding too hastily. This incident had already happened, which meant it was logical to think it was destined to occur. Intervening would likely create more trouble than it solved. With a reluctant frown, I decided to do nothing.
"Let's just observe."
I began searching for Remia, hoping she was alright and perhaps assisting the injured at the guild building. As I scanned the area, the screams of pain and agony reached my ears. It weighed heavily on my conscience to ignore them, but it couldn't be helped. It was supposed to happen like this, right?
My own thoughts tasted bitter. All I could prioritise was ensuring Remia's safety. I kept telling myself that.
I let my senses sweep through the buildings, but I didn't pick up her mana signature.
[Is she not there?]
"..."
My brow furrowed as I began to scan the entire city for her, but she was nowhere to be found.
[W-where is she?!] I froze in thought, a wave of panic beginning to creep in. [Did something happen to her? Is she alright?! Just what happened while I was gone?]
Then, I noticed a group of men, the supposed fan club, running around in a panic like headless chickens, gathering in one place. My eyes narrowed on a buff-looking man standing on a podium. He seemed to be the leader, rallying the group for an announcement. I immediately activated
The leader spoke about how a group of bandits had arrived aboard a strange-looking ship that appeared out of nowhere. They had attacked and plundered the town with strange magical weapons, taking away many women and children.
My mind went completely blank. I didn't need to hear another word; I already figured out what had happened to Remia. It was obvious she had been abducted along with the others.
"..."
[What should I do?] My fist clenched as I questioned myself again.
If only I were able to move freely, I could easily deal with this situation. But right now, my current circumstances severely restrict my range of movement.
"Should I just…"
The desire to run rampant overflowed for a split second, but I immediately pushed it back down.
[Calm down; no need to panic. It is not too late. She is a strong woman; she can handle herself.]
First, I needed more information and the direction the bandits went. And the best, fastest way to get that information was right in front of me. My eyes landed on the group's leader.
I waited as another man joined the leader on the podium. For some reason, this newcomer felt familiar. It was like I had seen him somewhere before, but I could not quite put my finger on it. The man spoke about how he had put up a request for help with other guilds, and that adventurers should be arriving soon.
Although he said that, I could tell he didn't actually believe anyone would come or at least not soon enough to matter.
"Adventurers for help, huh? I could use this on my end of the situation," I murmured in a low tone.
[Ah, I remember now—that's the guild master guy.] Although I recognised him, I still couldn't recall his name.
The burly leader took over from there, giving a speech about how they would go after the bandits and save the women and children. His words successfully motivated the crowd. Soon after, the group dispersed to prepare for the pursuit.
Seeing the leader leaving with the guild master, I slowly followed them. Suddenly, the man turned into a secluded alleyway.
I paused before following him inside. I felt like this might be one of those cliché situations where the opponent tries to get the upper hand on the person chasing them. In this case, that was me. It wasn't like I couldn't handle it, though. As long as it didn't attract too much attention, I was ready to do whatever was necessary. Still, as a precaution, I pulled out my mask, put it on while
Sure enough, the burly man was standing there, waiting.
[Hmm… so he did sense my gaze.] I sighed internally. I had experienced a brief moment of emotional turmoil earlier, which must have revealed my intent. I guess I needed more training.
Still, I didn't fret; I was prepared. I entered the alley with my presence entirely concealed and my body hidden. There was no way for him to sense me now.
"Who is there hiding?! Show yourself! Why are you following me?!" the man bellowed. His voice boomed inside the barrier, likely trying to intimidate me and call for help. Too bad for him, the barrier was already up.
"..."
I paused for a moment, approaching him while noting his expression. He was squinting, desperately trying to locate the person who had been tailing him, completely unable to perceive my presence.
[And here I thought he might actually be able to notice me.]
Moving swiftly, I appeared right behind the man and grabbed his head.
"What!?" he yelled in pure panic, unable to understand how or when someone had gotten behind him.
"I am sorry about this, but I am going to probe your memories a bit."
With those apologetic words, I delivered a quick strike, and the man instantly fainted. I laid him down and began probing his memories to get an exact idea of the situation. When I finished scanning, I let go of his head with a heavy frown.
"What is this?" I murmured.
The memories I observed didn't play out at all as I expected. The bandits did appear, but what threw me off was the ship and the weapons they used. No matter how many times I analysed the memory, that vessel looked exactly like a battleship from the modern era, and those weapons looked like laser guns straight out of a sci-fi movie.
"Was there a plot like that in Arifureta?" I muttered.
Although I had only watched the two seasons of the Arifureta anime, I had read a few spoilers from the light novel's future arcs. Even there, nothing like this was ever mentioned.
"What's going on here? How did they get that ship? It even has a stealth feature. How did a science fiction element appear in a fantasy world? Is this part of the original world's background, or…"
At this point, I cannot dismiss a theory I first considered when Tohru appeared. The theory suggests that this world is not a direct copy of the original Arifureta, but rather an alternate reality with a similar history featuring a few twists. These twists could indicate shared universes with Tohru's home world, and maybe more. It's possible they are other fictional narratives exerting their influence here, even if they are minor or occur far enough away that they don't significantly impact the main plot. Alternatively, a certain someone may have suppressed these rogue elements, inadvertently preserving the supposed story for their own enjoyment, whether knowingly or unknowingly.
In hindsight, it was similar to me meeting Tohru and subduing her so she wouldn't run rampant.
The thought was baffling, but once I factored in my own reincarnation into a world resembling a fictional story, followed by being isekai'd yet again into another, everything else started to seem less ridiculous. It could also be that I am in one of those fan-fiction-type worlds where multiple planets similar to Earth exist in the same universe, just in different sectors.
But then a major problem arises: depending on these rogue elements, there might be some aftereffects left behind, altering the timeline.
[This is bad.] I already had no precise guidelines for how the past played out, and now I had to deal with this mess. At this point, I couldn't even tell if the timeline was progressing as it should.
And what about Remia's husband? I hadn't seen anyone with white hair and red eyes here. It could be that he isn't from around here, maybe an adventurer who eventually comes to help the city? Wherever he is, he needs to appear. Without him, Myu's very existence is in crisis.
"Ugh, I should have read the novels," I lamented. That way, at least I would have had some idea of what to expect.
My eyes landed on the unconscious man. "I'd better start moving," I said, as I began to erase the memories of our encounter. I then dispelled the barrier.
Right after, my body blurred, disappearing from the alley and reappearing high in the sky. I faced north, toward a location just a bit away from the area of the Sunken Ruins. According to the memories I probed, the ship seemed to be heading there, but I couldn't be entirely sure. I would have to check the area either way.
Before leaving, I gazed down at the city and the guild hall where the injured were receiving treatment. With a heavy sigh, I resolved to lend a hand. I manifested a magic circle imbued with healing and regeneration spells. This circle would drastically enhance the effectiveness of the local healers' spells and any potions they used. Additionally, for anyone severely injured and hovering close to death, the circle would automatically trigger a powerful emergency spell to stabilise them.
"This should let things settle down."
With a flick of my wrist, I deployed the magic circle over the building, effectively transforming it into a passive healing zone.
BOOM!
And with that, I blasted off into the sky.
…
Chapter end
.
.
==Insert IMG of your Favourite Beast waifu==
.
.
***************************************************************************************
Author's note:
Hello everyone. I've noticed that some of you feel frustrated because Rihito hasn't realised that Myu could be his daughter with Remia. Here's the thing: Rihito views himself as someone who shouldn't have existed in the Arifureta story in the first place; he is only there because of his wish. Without that wish, he wouldn't even be present in the story. Rihito is fully aware that he is a foreigner, which is why he initially tried to keep his distance from Shea. Over time, he gradually became invested in the people around him. So, for Rihito, who originally came into the story seeking ancient magic and merely planning to float through the plot, this thought hasn't crossed his mind yet. He will come to this realisation eventually, but not right now.
...
(If you like my story, give me power stones. If you don't have power stones. Then, please comment and rate my Fanfiction. It will motivate me plenty to write more. Thank you.)
Join My Patreon. Currently, there are 6 advanced chapters available, and soon, more chapters will be uploaded.
Link: [email protected]/RoneMix71
Change "@" to "a"