The afternoon sun seeped through the dense foliage of the forest. Jiro walked through the Eastern Gate of Rosalia only 30 minutes ago, so it's almost unbelievable how deep into the woods he has gotten. Thanks to the high amount of mana around the capital city, the soil was incredibly fertile not only for the crops, but also for the wild nature.
The Eastern Forest looked familiar to what he had known from his years backpacking, travelling with his brother and father back in Japan. Tall spruce trees whose pines gently crackled under his boots, alternating with occasional oaks and birches. Birds played an intricate symphony, accompanied by soft whistles of the cooling breeze.
From time to time, he was being served with an evident reminder that, despite familiarity, this was indeed a fantastical world, as he found mushrooms big enough to serve as a house for a hobbit. Something that looked like a combination of a deer and an owl crossed his path. Even one of the trees stood up and walked away like it was late for an afternoon tea.
This was indeed an otherworldly forest, full of herbs he had never seen before, creatures he had never heard of and laws of nature he had never got to study. But at the very middle of the forest was the most dangerous creature of all.
Right in front of Jiro, from the depths of the abyss, stood a simple wooden desk.
(Really? Is that how you're going to make me pay for the duel? Another desk chapter?)
Maybe…
(Remember what our therapist said in our last session? Revenge only leads to more pain. The best way to move on is….)
….to forgive?
(To forgive)
Sigh…. Fine!
The magical desk of doom decided it's not yet time for the apocalypse and crawled back into the darkness of the abyss to wait for the next opportunity.
Jiro kept marching through the woods until he saw a sudden brightness behind the trees. He walked past the edge of the forest to discover the most majestic lake he had ever witnessed. It was almost perfectly round, surrounded by trees and bushes enclosing it, making this body of water feel more private. Intimate. Secret.
In the middle of this lake was a small island with a single tree on it. But it was no ordinary oak. For the first time in his life, Jiro has seen the Fairy Tree. Its crown was large enough to provide shade for most of the lake, but it was strangely illuminated at the same time. The vines coming down from the rich branches cast a gentle blue light, making the water seem more luxurious.
This was indeed a quintessential fantasy experience, but for the first time, he didn't mind it. He was not opposed to this kind of isekai cliché. His eyes sparkled with excitement as he became mesmerised by the sight before him.
"Whoa. This is..... crazy" he said to himself, "Perfect spot to have a picnic or camp. Maybe when I have some free time, I should get back and bring-" sparkle disappeared from his eyes as he added, "Right…. Bring who exactly…"
Jiro sighed as he looked down into his reflection in the water. He saw a hint of loneliness in his own eyes. Just today, he was happily coming back from a fun date in Tokyo, creating a fabulous new excuse in his head, he would tell his mother to explain why he was back home so late again. He would probably check his sister's homework before going to bed, maybe messaging his friends to tell them about the date, or calling his brother to ask about when he can visit him at his dorm....
*SLAP*
Both of Jiro's palms slapped his cheeks. The impact created small rings on the previously steady water. As the ripples subsided, he saw his smiling, playful reflection.
"All right! Time to get those goblins. Daddy's gotta get that bread"
He laughed to himself and walked away from the astonishing view to continue his first-ever adventurer's quest.
In search of a goblin nest that, according to Paulina's information, should be located two miles north-east, Jiro decided to enjoy his walk through the forest.
The gentle rustle of dry leaves under his feet and the smell of pine cones perfectly accompanied this break between summer and autumn. Trees already started turning gold, but the temperature hasn't dropped yet for Jiro to need anything but what he was still wearing – black joggers, with a tucked-in green sweater, and some white sneakers. Magical holy sword strapped around his waist gave his look a comical contrast.
Little twig snapped under him as he stepped over a fallen tree log. He kept admiring the incredible colours of the fantastical forest: bright green bushes, clear blue sky, dark brown bark, snowy-white rabbit, dull green trees, washed-down blue sky, grey-ish birds, depressing-looking desaturated bushes…
"What in the hell?" Jiro said to himself.
He suddenly noticed that the further he walked, the less colour he saw. The once sparkly and alive forest now had nothing else to offer but different shades of grey.
Every single step towards the centre of the forest made the whole place feel less saturated. Less alive.
The eerie atmosphere becomes creepy. It wasn't like what you see in different pieces of fiction, where the closer you get to danger, the more lifeless everything becomes. It's not like the grass was any less healthy; all the trees and animals looked the same. They just… lacked colour.
As Jiro looked at his now completely dark grey sweater, he realised the effect wasn't gradual. It's not like the ground became infected. It's like there's something deeper into that forest, that's emanating a dark, depressing and maybe even ambivalent energy that deprives the world of joy.
It's unbelievable how much scarier the forest got when it suddenly became black and white. Jiro looked back at the path he had come through and noticed that way back, the forest still had its regular vibrance.
Despite all better judgement, Jiro kept walking towards the source of that ominous feeling. It seemed like hero's instincts took over his otherwise careful and timid nature.
At the very centre of this supernatural phenomenon, with a beard longer than this chapter, sat an older man. With a blank expression, his eyes observed the colourless birds flying above their heads. He was wearing a black suit and a red tie. Yes – a RED tie. In this whole desaturated forest, that little piece of cloth was the only thing that desperately clung to colour.
This distinguished gentleman rested on a birch log, supporting himself against a massive pitch black sword.
"Hey! Are you ok?" Jiro finally said, trying to express concern, but his voice came out flatly. He tried again: "What's going on?!". This time, he tried to sound intimidating and angry, but yet again, his voice came out with no melodic changes.
It seemed everything in this part of the forest was stripped of any emotions. Everything seemed… it just seemed. It was neither bad nor good. It just… was.
"Who are you, old man?"
"No need to be so on edge, Hanazaki Kyoujiro. I'm just here to complete my mission, and I will be on my way"
Jiro's heart sank. A cold shiver ran through his spine as he heard the mysterious person speak. Never in his life has he listened to a voice that sounded so much like… nothing.
"How do you know my name?"
"Oh, every single one of my kind knows your name, kid. After all… You came to this world to destroy my master, right?"
Hero took a hesitant step back. His hand gripped his holy sword tightly as he stared down the first real source of danger Jiro had encountered. Whoever this man was, he had true power within him.
"Why are you here? I don't have any quarrel with you. The Demon Lord is no more, right? There is no reason for us to fight. Shouldn't you want peace like the other demons?"
"I'm not like other demons, kid. This charlatan's schemes to make demons into some weak-willed, peace-loving cowards might have worked on others, but not on me. The ancient demonic power of the chosen ruler to influence a demon's emotions has no effect on me for a simple reason: "he finally turned his head to direct his empty gaze at Jiro. "I don't feel anything. There's nothing to control"
The older man stood up from the fallen log, towering above the hero. Now Jiro could see the whole posture of this creature. He was above 7 feet tall. He was very slim, almost like a grim ripper himself. He was holding a sword that was larger than Jiro himself. His eyes were completely black like the depths of the abyss. He bowed slightly.
"My name is Ghormad the Anhedonic – general of the Great Demonic Army. As the last follower of my master, the one Demon Lord, I came here to eliminate you, hero Jiro. Prepare to meet your maker. It's nothing personal, but-"
*CLANG*
With one swift motion, Jiro unsheathed his holy sword, releasing a mana slash that, in effect, split Ghormad in half. The great demon general's top half fell to the floor lifeless. As he took his last breath, all colour came back to the forest.
….
Sigh…..
…..
(I did it again, didn't I?)
You think?
(I'm…. sowwy….)
(But like, what was I supposed to do?! He was like super scary, so I panicked, and then my sword went ping and badoom and…)
Jiro….
(Yeah?)
He was supposed to be the main villain for the next three volumes.
(Oh… really?)
Yeah… I had the whole backstory for him and everything.
(I'm sorry… Maybe you want to tell us at least what you would have done?)
No….. I don't think I should
(Come on! Let's hear-)
Okay! So, he was an orphan whom the Demon Lord raised after his village was utterly devastated by human forces. Ever since he saw his mother die in front of his eyes, he couldn't feel anything; thus, he received the title of Anhedonic – the one who can't feel a thing – and lived his life with no emotions. But you saw that red tie he had, right? That was the last thing he received from his mother. That's why it was the only thing that had colour. In a fight you would have had in volume 2, the tie would start to become grey because he would be filled with so much loneliness, he would let go of the last string of hope for any feelings. But then, after an epic battle in volume 3, you would have had this super epic speech, and as he'd be slowly dying, he would see some colour from the insignia he received from the Demon Lord. He'd realise that the reason why he's hunting you down is because of the love he had for his adoptive father, the one who took him in when no one else would. And with that, he would become colourful, and as he took his last breath, he saw a vibrant, beautiful world one last time with a smile on his lips, ready to join his mother and the demon lord in the afterlife.
(Holy shit…. That would be good.)
RIGHT?!
*Sigh*
Ok… let's just move on. But next time, just ask before killing someone again, because.
(Pinky promise!)
Jiro swiped his holy sword against the grass to remove blood from the translucent blade before sliding it back into his sheath. He took a long breath, but before he could take a minute to collect himself, he heard some rustling in the bushes.
Suddenly, a small pack of goblins jumped out of the hedges. All are holding different items. One had a knife, the other held a crossbow, but one in the middle hid something behind his back.
"Oh come on… I just finished this guy"
The middle goblin took a step forward and suddenly swung his arms to reveal what he was hiding all along. It was a little porcelain cup. He looked at the hero with a shy smile.
"Tea?"