Have you ever felt like your body was falling or sinking infinitely, as if the ground just disappeared beneath your feet? Maybe your answer to that question is a simple "yes" or "no" but in my case, there's no doubt.
I'd definitely say yes. In fact, I don't even need to rely on distant memories to confirm it, because right now, I'm experiencing that feeling—except this time, it's not an illusion. I'm really in freefall.
Having that fleeting thought, I look down and watch as the scenery warps around us due to the insane speed of our fall.
Seriously, I can't even estimate how many miles per hour we're plummeting, but one thing is certain: when we hit the ground, we'll be nothing more than a shapeless mass scattered across the pavement.
A terrifying experience for most... but for me, it's just a temporary nuisance. After all, I won't feel any pain, so there's no reason to worry too much.
Besides, my regeneration should take care of the damage, as always. But of course, that doesn't mean I'll just accept this fate.
"Shit!" Victor shouted next to me, his voice thick with desperation: "[Death Angel], I really hope you can understand human words, because what I'm about to say is crucial! If you don't help us, Arthur and I are gonna die!" His eyes were wide, and the tension on his face made it clear he was clinging to his last hope.
My eyes instinctively turned to Victor. Beside him, Arthur wore the same tense expression. In the next instant, I raised my gaze to the electric serpents above us, their bodies crackling with every movement, sparks jumping in the air like tiny uncontrolled lightning bolts.
Then something cut through the air at high speed and struck one of the serpents. The impact made the serpent convulse violently, its body twisting as thick black smoke poured from it.
It seemed to be caught in a short-circuit, its own lightning snapping erratically, as if the electricity it was made of was turning against it. An ironic fate, if you ask me—after all, what could be more absurd than an entity made of electricity being electrocuted?.
I blinked a few times, adjusting my focus to Victor, who was now holding a strange weapon. At first glance, it resembled a pistol, but something about it seemed off—the details were odd, almost organic.
Then, any doubt I still had disappeared the moment a flesh-made eye appeared on the side of the weapon, moving as if it were alive. It blinked a few times, fixing on me with an unsettling attention.
A chill ran down my spine as I tilted my head, my mind racing for a logical explanation. What the hell was that?.
Probably sharing the same thought, Arthur, standing next to Victor, exclaimed incredulously: "What the hell is that?! Definitely not a weapon I know!"
"Because it's not a firearm! It's an anomaly... I'll explain later, but right now, we need to figure out how not to crash into the ground!" Victor yelled back to Arthur.
I blinked slowly, absorbing his words. In the next instant, I lifted my gaze, feeling a rising tension in the air. One of the serpents had abruptly disappeared into the thick smoke its own body exhaled, but five others remained, now relentlessly chasing us.
And to make matters worse, they weren't just crawling on the ground—they were flying, cutting through the air with deadly precision. Additionally, arcs of electricity danced along their bodies, lighting up the darkness with unpredictable lightning bolts. Oh, and did I mention they were flying? Anyway, one thing was clear: I needed to find a way to get rid of them, and fast.
With that thought, I activated my eyes, and their natural golden hue began to fade, replaced by a more intense, vibrant, and constantly shifting color, as if they were reflections of a storm in constant motion.
Instinctively, my eyes turned upward, toward the serpents still relentlessly pursuing us, their threatening presence constantly looming in the air.
When I finally focused on them, the weak points of their forms became immediately visible, as if they were marked on an invisible screen. Their veins, once pulsing with erratic electricity, now vibrated with a rainbow of colors, each pulse stronger than the last.
All the serpents looked the same, their bodies emitting an iridescent glow as they rapidly closed in on us, cutting through the sky with impressive speed. Watching this, I couldn't help but wonder, still bewildered, how the hell they could be so fast with such massive bodies.
Maybe it was something like... the bigger the being, the farther its step could reach? Even so, I found myself lost in doubts, especially since I couldn't understand how this would apply to serpents, as they didn't have legs to propel them.
Anyway, the thought briefly passed through my mind, and in the next instant, a thick dark mist began to emanate from my body.
The mist surrounded me, as if enveloping me in a dark, dense presence. Then, it quickly spread, gaining form as it moved away from me. The further the mist spread, the more defined and powerful it became.
In seconds, a massive creature took shape: a black dragon, almost entirely made of that dark mist, with vibrant red eyes that seemed to burn in the darkness. The immense figure rose, swallowing the area around us, trapping both Arthur and Victor, still suspended in the air, as if we were caught in its invisible claws.
With a gentle flap of its wings, my Alter Ego, now taking the form of a giant black Wyvern, took flight. To be honest, this was just an attempt to prevent us from splattering on the ground, but the real problem was still very much in sight, especially if you looked behind.
Personally, I had no idea how to face the situation. My first reaction was almost impulsive: try to dive into the serpents. However, I didn't need to think too hard to realize how absurd that idea was.
"Impressive! That mist can even do this!" Arthur commented, his eyes wide in surprise as he extended his hand and gently touched the wyvern formed by the smoke.
I noticed Victor's gaze, which lingered briefly on me before quickly shifting to the giant serpents hunting us relentlessly, their massive forms closing in on us.
"I had read about this in the reports. On a previous mission, some of the response team members witnessed the shadow emerging from the [Angel of Death] and transforming into a massive dragon, of terrifying proportions" Victor said with a deep sigh, likely relieved to realize that the chance of being crushed to death had significantly decreased.
I softly closed my eyes, feeling the tension of the moment as I tilted my head back. When I opened them again, my eyes locked onto the giant serpents ahead. Honestly, the scene was breathtaking.
Although I wasn't sure, it seemed like those creatures were over 130 meters long. And the worst part was, there were five of them, all chasing us, which, of course, made the situation even more threatening and eerie.
Sitting atop my Alter Ego, in its imposing wyvern form, I found myself racking my brain, trying to figure out a way to defeat the monstrous serpents surrounding us. The truth was, my offensive power was never my strong suit.
My strength lay mostly in versatility—abilities that allowed me to adapt to any situation. My Alter Ego, on the other hand, was the one that truly handled heavy combat, being my main source of damage.
In other words, while it didn't need protection, Victor and Arthur's situation was desperate. Without my help, their fight would be a certain suicide.
As these thoughts flooded my mind, something began to trickle down my face. Confused, I looked up at the sky, only to be met with clouds gathering ominously, becoming denser and darker.
The air felt heavy, and a sensation that rain was about to pour down at any moment washed over me. In that instant, a thought emerged unexpectedly, quick and mysterious, as if it had been planted there without warning. I didn't know why, but somehow, it just appeared.
The last anomaly I defeated and absorbed its power... but what, exactly, did this power do? I honestly had no idea, as I hadn't been able to use it until now.
I mean, it's not like that book revealed anything substantial about its anomalous ability, except maybe the creation of a water priest... Although, to be honest, I tried replicating that and failed.
So, that wasn't its true ability. Almost as soon as these thoughts crossed my mind, my body began emitting that dark mist again. I blinked, confused, and quickly looked at my Alter Ego, now in its wyvern form, searching for an explanation.
However, in the next moment, the mist started to detach from my body, moving with surprising fluidity, almost like water spreading.
The movement was smooth, delicate, and soon it began to condense, forming a round, circular mass that resembled a basin. I stood still, watching the scene in confusion, my eyes blinking, unable to understand what exactly my Alter Ego was trying to create.
In the next instant, the basin—or whatever it was—rose, standing in front of us. Curiously, it seemed to be filled with water, but no matter how much I looked, I couldn't understand how it wasn't overflowing.
Or rather, why the hell wasn't it leaking? There was an invisible film, maybe a transparent barrier, preventing the water from spilling? Although, honestly, I think it's crazy trying to apply logic to an anomalous power, I still couldn't help but wonder: what would this be for? I mean, I don't think those serpents are going to feel any discomfort from this.
I practically racked my brain trying to figure out a way to use it to defeat the five giant, psychopathic serpents chasing us through the air, but honestly, no solution even crossed my mind.
Sorry, but thinking too much was never my strong suit. Back in school, I was always the average student, you know? The one who didn't stand out for good or bad, just went with the flow.
As we got closer, an unsettling feeling started growing within me. I focused my gaze on the large circle in front of us, now filled with water, reflecting our images. A strange sensation suddenly arose, as if something was out of place.
Why was my Alter Ego flying toward that? Was there a reason that space was filled with water? With each new attempt to understand the situation, the feeling of unease grew, as if an invisible presence was drawing near.
But it wasn't just coming from me; it seemed to come from my Alter Ego too. I kept staring at my reflection in the water, and strangely, I felt like it was staring back at me, just as curious as I was, as if we were in some silent game of glances. For a moment, the bewilderment took over, and I thought: (What the hell is this!?)
It came out almost like a shout, making Arthur and Victor, next to me, look at me in surprise. The next moment, I noticed a soft bluish glow rippling through my eyes, a strange and intense sensation, before we plunged into the water, with the serpents chasing us, swiftly sliding toward us.
The next moment, when I opened my eyes again, I was hit with an unexpected surprise. The reason? In front of me, mounted on my Alter Ego, was another me, staring at me with the same wide eyes, as if also trying to understand what was happening.
Both of us, equally perplexed, tilted our heads to the side, as if our thoughts had somehow aligned. It was a strange sensation, as if our minds were connected, sharing the same confusion.
(... This is just a dream... isn't it?)