by Funa
Gah, I’m already done for! I just need to make sure Colette gets away! she thought, but a moment later she took a wrong step, tripped, and crashed into a nearby tree. If the snarling wolf was out of the picture, it would have been right out of a slapstick comedy. Ahh, I don’t wanna die! Colette! Dad! Mom! Bro! She panicked, shrinking back against the trunk. As the wolf’s deadly fangs approached, various moments of her life flashed before her eyes.
Colette’s smile, Mitsuha’s parents, her big brother... He’d doted on her and taught her all sorts of things. She had loved him dearly and could always rely on him no matter how much of an... eccentric he was. It had always annoyed her how much he loved using one-liners he got from novels, and how smug he looked whenever he said the perfect line at the perfect time. But right now, in the face of death, she wondered what he’d say in this situation.
In the end, all that came from her lips was a loud, shrill “BROOOOOO!”
At that moment, Mitsuha vanished. The wolf, with its jaws still open, rammed its head into the tree. After writhing in pain for a bit, it stood up and whipped its head from side to side in utter confusion.
◇ ◇ ◇
With a thud, Mitsuha fell onto a bed. She’d materialized out of nowhere about one foot above it, and the place she was in now left her dumbfounded. Not because it was unknown to her—far from it. She instantly recognized that she was in her own house. Specifically, she was sitting in her brother Tsuyoshi’s bedroom.
Before she could even think about why she’d ended up in his room and not her own, her body sprung off the bed. She knew her brother’s room inside and out. Her legs walked her to the desk, and her hand made its way into the second drawer.
Huh? Umm, this is Tsuyoshi’s room, right? Where’s the wolf? Was it all a dream? What about Colette? she wondered, left far behind after her supreme reflexes took over. It was now “Spex”, not Mitsuha, who was in control.
Whenever she couldn’t spare time to think and every single second was critical, her body sprung into action. It ran along like a well-oiled machine as her thoughts inched their way to the present.
Um... I’m still wearing shoes, there’s leaves on my clothes, and I’m a mess in general, so... it wasn’t a dream? That means Colette is still... Mitsuha tried to right her reeling mind; meanwhile, her fingers emerged with a small nylon bag full of tiny pellets. They tore open the bag and poured the contents into her right pocket. The pellets were heavier than they looked, especially in these quantities.
Her arms wrested an object from one of the bookshelves, then fixed it into her belt. It was a “Falcon II” slingshot. Though it looked like a toy at first glance, it could deal as much damage as a .22 caliber mini-revolver. Tsuyoshi had trained her to wield it, and she was a decent shot.
Next, they opened a glass case, took out a gorgeous piece of metal, and shoved it into her pocket. It was a knife—the “Gerber Folding Sportsman II”. As her eyes fell upon it, Mitsuha remembered her brother’s words: “I heard there’s some country where every boy gets a folding knife from his dad on his tenth birthday. The elegant form! The glimmering metal! The threatening aura only real weapons have!” He’d made it sound like the best thing since sliced bread, but really, it was a pretty standard folding knife.
Mitsuha’s legs carried her down the stairs and into the kitchen. Her hands took over once more, pulling a carving knife out of a drawer near the sink. Sashimi knives were sharper and longer, but they probably wouldn’t have made it through wolf hide without breaking, so carving knives were the more reliable choice. After the blade was wrapped in a cloth for safety, it was fixed into her belt. Her trusty hands then grabbed a three-foot-long kitchen towel, folded it up, and set it on the floor. After it was filled with spices such as pepper, shichimi, and chili, they rolled it up and tucked it in her left pocket.
How’d I get here from the woods, anyway? No, forget it—right now I need to save Colette! But how? Wait, I was calling out for my brother and ended up in his room. Does that mean I can like, wish myself places? In that case, I need to get something that can take out the wolves.
But it was too late—her body had already done the job. Before Mitsuha realized it, she’d finished preparing everything she thought she needed. After she checked to make sure her reflexes hadn’t faltered or missed anything important, her thoughts were finally caught up. Mitsuha called this phase “Acknowledgment”.
Can I really go back? No, should I go back? Will this stuff be enough against those wolves? I might die for real this time! I’m back in Japan now, safe and sound! Why should I go?! What reason do I have?! Suddenly, Mitsuha recalled her brother again and wondered what he’d say about all of this.
She realized she’d made a mistake, but it was too late; his way-too-smug words were already resounding in her head. “Hmm? Dear sister, do you really need a reason to rescue a cutie in trouble?” All right, all right, you’ve got a point! Jeez, bro. You’re noisy, and a complete pain in the ass... But I still love you, damn it!
Mitsuha appeared in the forest again and immediately slammed her forehead into a tree—far from a smooth return. Looking around, she saw no sign of her canine assailant. It must’ve run back to Colette, so time was of the essence. There was also no wind, so she had to be careful not to make too much sound. Colette’s still fine, I’m sure of it. They can’t climb that tree, right?
She dashed back to where she had left Colette, ignoring the sharp brush licking her skin, but covering the distance took longer than it had during her initial diversion. Once she arrived, she hid behind a nearby tree. The four wolves were barking up at Colette. She looked terrified but otherwise unscathed. Mitsuha took the folding knife out of her pocket, unfolded the blade, and carefully fixed it into her belt. She then took the slingshot in her left hand and used her right to prepare some pellets.
These pellets were made of steel, which was a bit unusual considering lead was the standard for slingshot ammo. According to Tsuyoshi, “Those are cheap and easy to mass-produce, making them perfect for airsoft. And they’re heavy, but not hard enough to bounce off—meaning they sting like hell. But these babies are made of steel! Fire one of these off up close and you’ll pierce right through your target. It’s the manliest ammo there is!”
Mitsuha did have lead pellets, but since she was up against thick hide, she sided with her brother’s fervent babbling. Loading one steel pellet in the slingshot, she stuck the frame forward and pulled back as far as she could. Mitsuha may have seemed weak on the outside, but that was only due to her size. She was strong enough to pull the tense rubber; her only real limit was reach.
Of course, that meant her shots would be weaker than, say, Tsuyoshi’s. She would probably have to hit a weak spot to one-shot the adult wolf, and could only hope its young weren’t nearly as tough. Tsuyoshi also owned a crossbow, but she’d never used it before, and reloading it probably took a lot of time. So, she—or Spex, perhaps—had chosen not to take it.
Mitsuha did her best to aim carefully, but her hands were shaking so much she just chose to let go. She heard the whistle of the pellet flying through the air, then a shrill yelp as one of the smaller wolves collapsed.
D-Did I hit its head? There aren’t any muscles there, so I guess it either pierced through the skull or at least gave it a concussion.
Her shot had actually been intended for the adult. After all, it was the greatest threat present, so she wanted to at least weaken it. Then again, taking one out was good enough. Much better than missing, anyway. The big wolf had no idea why its offspring had collapsed, so it just ran around it, thoroughly puzzled. Yes, it’s still my turn!
She carefully prepared and fired a second pellet. This one hit the adult, but only on its right thigh. It didn’t hurt the animal whatsoever, and of course the now-alert beast had its eyes on her. If looks could kill, its glare would’ve made her drop dead instantly. The young wolves noticed where the adult—most likely their mother—was looking, and dashed toward her. Their mama looked bewild
ered for a second, then just stood in place, allowing her young to go in for the kill. She still assumed Mitsuha was a helpless child.
Mitsuha quickly fired the third pellet. This one missed. Can’t expect to hit them all. She clicked her tongue in frustration as she prepared the fourth shot—probably the last before they came too close. She felt herself beginning to panic, but the distance they’d closed made her last shot more accurate and powerful. Smack! One of the two remaining juveniles collapsed. She’d hit its throat—a true weak spot.
Without even glancing at its fallen sibling, the last of the offspring sprung at her. She had already chucked aside the slingshot, yanked the carving knife out of her belt, and unwrapped the towel. Blessed with excellent dynamic vision and reflexes, Mitsuha had no problem dodging the inexperienced young wolf as it came at her. As she did, she swung the knife and tore through its neck, sending it to the ground like the other two. And then…
“AWOOOOOO!”
A blood-curdling howl echoed through the forest. Her children had been killed, all three of them. Even if they were still breathing, the cruel wilderness showed no mercy for beasts with such grave wounds. Her dear children, given to her by that strong, rugged alpha. She’d worked so hard to raise them, and they were so close to adulthood, but now she had lost them to clawless, fangless, furless practice prey.
Hate. Hate. Hate. Hate. Kill. Kill. Kill. KILL, was all that went on in the mother wolf’s mind as she charged toward Mitsuha. Here it comes! She braced herself. She’d somehow taken out the young, but that gave her a final boss scenario with the mother. The wolf children were inexperienced, but this one clearly wasn’t. Tricking her wouldn’t be easy, and Mitsuha was a soft-bodied human who wouldn’t stand a chance against her in a one-on-one brawl, so there was only one thing she could do.
As the wolf charged, Mitsuha fixed her grip on the knife in her right hand and reached her left into her pocket. Fifty feet... Thirty feet... Fifteen feet... Now! She swung her left hand and jumped to the left. “GROAAAH!” the wolf wailed and writhed on the ground, surrounded by a cloud of spices. With their super sharp senses, wild animals probably can’t handle all that pepper and chili! Even Mitsuha was in rough shape, with fluid gushing from her eyes and nostrils.
But she had to use this chance if she wanted to win. Fighting against the pain in her eyes, nose, and throat, she raised the carving knife and launched herself at the wolf. Unfortunately, real wild animals were built to withstand human attacks. Even if it couldn’t see or smell, a mature wolf wasn’t weak enough to let its prey take it out without a fight. It gnashed its teeth and swiped with its claws.
Mitsuha didn’t see a safe way to get close without it clawing or biting her, but she couldn’t waste too much time, since the advantage she’d gained from her spice bomb was dwindling by the second.
What do I do? What would my br—oh, not now! She tried fighting the urge, but it was hopeless; she was already imagining what her brother would do.
As always, her brain selected just the right pieces from the “What Would Tsuyoshi Say?” archives. “A truly strong person is fiercely proud and has the guts to back it up,” his voice rang in her head, followed by, “Did you know that wolves can’t close their mouths if they’ve got something stuck in their throat?” It seemed like such a pointless fact to know. Until now, that is!
You better not have been messing with me, bro! If I lose my arm, it’s all on you! Damn it, what am I thinking?!
“Why worry about losing an arm or a leg? Haven’t you seen any movies where people replace their limbs with chainsaws or submachine guns? It’s totally metal!”
GAH! You’re really just livin’ it up inside my head, aren’t you?! Not even death stops you from being a pain in the ass! Whatever.
Mitsuha jumped at the wolf. Coming from behind had seemed like her best bet, but it noticed and bared its fangs at her. She swung the carving knife around and somehow avoided any damage, then tackled it. She was now on top of its back, holding on with all her might. It couldn’t attack her with its limbs in this position, and it couldn’t turn its head enough to bite—Wait, it can?! I had no idea wolf necks could bend like this!
Left with no other option, she made the gamble of a lifetime and shoved her left arm deep, deep into the wolf’s mouth. “GEH!” the wolf gagged, raking its fangs over Mitsuha’s arm as it frantically tried to clamp down its jaws. The human was clinging to a wolf, the wolf had the human on top of it, but their battle had only just begun.
As she gripped the wolf’s body, Mitsuha lost her carving knife. But despite all the chaos, thanks to some miracle, she still had one weapon on her—the beautiful blade her late brother had cherished so dearly. “G-GERBER FOLDING SPORTSMAN TWOOOO!” She shouted the memento’s name—she felt he would’ve liked that—as she took it in a backhand grip.
Stab! Stab! Stab! Stab!
It was a short knife in the hands of a weak girl. The blade didn’t go deep, but it was of high enough quality to pierce the hide and deal decent damage. Mitsuha was far past her limits now, beyond any adrenaline rush. She was barely even conscious, and her sense of caution had long left her. Her legs held the wolf in a crushing vise, and with her left arm in the beast’s maw, she was pretty much fixed in that position.
Stab! Stab! Stab! Stab!
My arm hurts.
Stab! Stab! Stab! Stab!
I can’t feel my hand.
Stab! Stab! Stab! Stab!
It’s dark. When did the sun go down?
Stab! Stab! Stab! Stab!
Bro... Where are you?
The wolf thrashed and bucked but just couldn’t shake her off. The girl’s small stature and lightness worked in her favor. The arm in its mouth made it hard to breathe, let alone retaliate. It couldn’t muster as much strength as before and felt something important leave its body. If the wolf had been capable of human thought, it would have been losing its mind to panic.
What is this thing on me? Prey? No! It’s something else! Disgusting! Scary! What is this?! What’s happening?! No, no, no! Help! Hel—
Before long, all was silent, and nothing moved. No, two of the young wolves were still twitching, but that was the extent of it. Eventually, there was the sound of one small girl slipping down a tree. She fearfully looked from side to side and noticed something that made her gasp.
It was a wolf and a girl, lying on the ground so close to one another it was like they were entwined. The blood on the beast and the girl’s arm, which was lodged in the wolf’s mouth, was enough to assume the fight had been fatal. The girl from the tree quickly ran up to them and checked the other girl for a pulse and any more injuries, and was relieved to find her condition stable. She then picked up a knife-like blade that was lying nearby, finished off the young wolves that were still breathing, and ran off to the village.
Cautious and merciless. How like Colette.
Chapter 3: The Kingdom of Ambition
“Such a blank ceiling,” Mitsuha murmured. And I’m drawing a blank trying to remember it.
“Do you understand words, little one?”
Uh, I sure do, thank you very much. And don’t call me little!
“Do you understand words, little one?”
Oh, so this is like one of those shitty games notorious for not letting you make any progress until you say “yes”.
“Do you understand words, little one?”
“Y-Yeah, yeah! I do, okay?!”
“A single ‘yeah’ would have sufficed, little one.”
Shut up! And stop calling me little! Mitsuha felt there’d be no point in replying to a disembodied voice if this was just a dream. However, it felt real enough, and after all she’d been through, she figured she might as well assume this was reality. If this is a dream after all, then I’ve got nothin’ to worry about. But if it’s not, and I treat it like one? Whoopsie.
“Umm, I’m Mitsuha Yamano. What about you? Are you God?”
“Hmm... You are curiously unsurprised. No matter. I am here be
fore you to tell you something of great importance. But first, I am no god, and I have no name...”
The “thing” then revealed the story of how it had come to be. It knew only that it was an ancient, extremely rare life-form. The “thing” theorized that its ancestors were alien creatures that had evolved beyond physical form and become beings made of pure energy, or thoughts, or something of that nature. It had no body, did not know death, and had no desires or goals. Honestly, its existence seems pretty pointless, Mitsuha thought.
But after eons of aimless drifting, the being had made a remarkable discovery—it had the power to travel between worlds! Armed with its new ability, it had gained its first-ever desire: an interest in learning things it hadn’t known before... A thirst for knowledge! Its consciousness had trembled in anticipation of having found the meaning of its existence—
“Yeah, yeah, get to the point,” Mitsuha interrupted.
“Again, a single ‘yeah’ would have sufficed.”
Anyhow... The “thing” traversed and observed countless worlds and came to know the concept of “fun”. But on one fateful day, as it floated above a certain world, it had suddenly been assaulted by an intense, unpleasant, and confusing sensation. Later, it realized that it might’ve endured what animals with physical bodies knew as “pain”. The experience was altogether new, so it was intrigued, but it was also puzzled as to how a non-physical being could feel pain.
The “thing” had probed itself for an explanation and found that a piece of itself was missing. The unknown attacker had entered its area of influence—the equivalent of a body in normal life-forms—and used powerful mental energy to tear away some portion of its essence. The assailant then traveled to another world, but the being’s introduction to “pain” had left it confused and unable to track them. It continued to observe the world until it sensed the missing part nearby. When it felt the piece move to another world once more, the “thing” was finally able to follow.