Chapter 12: Kami o korosu
Sumi found herself standing in a vast field of swaying grass under a heavy, clouded sky. Distant trees stood solemn like sentinels, and far off, nestled in the embrace of green hills, a castle rose, surrounded by towering fences and great walls. The rain had stopped only moments ago, judging by the slick sheen on the earth and the scent of wet soil in the air.
"Fantasy, huh..." she muttered, folding her arms, her gaze scanning the horizon.
She took a cautious step forward, her aura suppressed, disguising her presence. "Sung Ki knows this won't hold me... wait—" Her eyes narrowed. "This is a delay. A stalling tactic... I'll need to hurry."
As she pressed on, the sound of roaring flames caught her attention. A dragon—winged and feral—dove upon a battered carriage in the distance. Knights on horseback emerged from the castle gates, charging to intercept. The steel of their armor gleamed beneath the pale sun.
Sumi's eyes fell to the ground as wind swept her hair across her face. "This world's already this far along in narrative depth..."
She inhaled sharply. "999 trillion years have passed since its birth..." she whispered. "He forced the concept of time into me and then accelerated its course in this world..." She looked at her hands. "But even with time, I won't grow old. I won't decay. Only... witness."
"Hey! You there!"
A voice called from ahead. Sumi turned slowly. A young knight approached—early twenties, golden-haired and blue-eyed, with a cautious but kind expression.
"Are you a traveler?"
"Ah... yeah—" she began awkwardly, taking a slight step back.
"You don't look like you're from around here," he added, lowering his sword but not his guard.
"Uh... no, I'm not. I got lost on my way and somehow ended up here," she replied, eyes averted, fingers nervously twirling a lock of her hair—a clear sign of her lying.
The knight narrowed his eyes, but said nothing. "You should head for shelter. This area's not safe. Come."
"Y-Yeah, thank you."
As she climbed behind him onto the horse, her eyes caught the aftermath of the carriage ambush. The dragon was dead. Standing beside its corpse was a pale, silver-haired elf girl in tattered clothes and shackled in glowing magical chains. A merchant, heavy with gold and wealth, spoke with knights, gesturing arrogantly.
"Who's the girl?" Sumi asked quietly.
"She's a slave. An elf. Sold off by her parents," the knight responded. "They were headed to the capital when the dragon struck."
"That's... awful."
He exhaled. "Between you and me, I kind of wish that merchant hadn't survived."
Sumi turned toward him. "Why?"
"The Goddess' Birthplace only welcomes humans. All other races are deemed cursed. Demonic. Evil."
Sumi remained quiet, eyes scanning the broken carriage and trembling elf girl.
"I had beastkin and elf friends once," the knight said. "But after the uprising in the east, I never saw them again. It's the law. Even as a knight, I don't agree with it."
"So... why serve a nation you don't believe in?"
He hesitated. "I was a farmer before this. No land, no influence. Nobles hiked the taxes and bought out the markets. I joined the military to survive."
Sumi watched his shoulders rise and fall with each breath. His story was humble. Too grounded. Too real.
She sighed in her mind. "Did I just walk into the side story of the main character's best friend?"
She narrowed her eyes slightly. "Is he trying to force me into the story... as a character?"
Glancing behind him, she activated a mental scan. A glowing interface appeared behind his back.
[SAKURAI MUKOU]
[Age – 20]
[Side Character / Main Character's Best Friend]
[Level – 2]
[Human] – [Hero] – [Deity] – [God]
[Currently: Human]
[Ability] Transmission Step
[Blessings] None
[Skills] Pain Reduction
"Eh...? He's not even the protagonist, but he has high-tier potential..."
"Is everything alright?" Sakurai asked, noticing her quietness.
"Oh—yeah, I'm fine," she replied quickly.
The castle walls loomed large before them.
"We're here," Sakurai announced.
---
Inside the royal city, after brief protocol delays, Sumi was taken through stone courtyards blooming with roses and tall banners bearing the sigil of the Goddess. After a while, they arrived at a chamber gilded with glass and gold. A single throne stood under sunlight cascading through a dome.
A young girl sat on the throne, dressed in an ethereal gown that shimmered like space itself. Her pupils were fractals, constantly shifting, and for a moment, Sumi felt like the universe blinked through her.
"So... you're the traveler," the girl said calmly.
Sumi lowered her gaze slightly. Her posture was respectful, but calculated. "Yes, your highness. I got lost in the woods near the borderlands."
The girl stood, descending the stairs with steps that left no sound. She moved slowly around Sumi, inspecting her. Not hostile—just curious.
"There's something... unusual about you," she said, tilting her head. "Like an echo that doesn't belong to the sound."
Sumi remained silent.
"Are you aware this world isn't meant for everyone? That not all who walk it are written within it?"
Sumi subtly clenched her fist, eyes still lowered. "I am... aware."
The princess—no, something greater—glitched briefly, her image flickering into a glowing symbol before returning to human form. She smiled faintly.
"You're like me. A misfit. A paradox. Maybe even... a glitch. But I won't ask you to explain. If you were meant to be here, you'd have already faded."
Sumi looked up, meeting her eyes briefly. "Thank you, your highness."
"You'll be given temporary quarters. Do avoid disturbing the plot too much. This story needs time to stabilize."
Sumi nodded as Sakurai entered, giving her a light bow. "I'll show you to your quarters."
---
Later that night, Sumi sat on the edge of a bed in a modest inn room, the city skyline visible through the window.
She took a deep breath.
"This world... isn't his anymore. It's grown beyond him. It stabilized, evolved, created lore and logic without a writer."
She turned toward the window. "It has a throne. A glitch. A consciousness... and now it breathes."
She paused for a moment, then reached out her right arm nearby the window with a notepad appearing like a glitch in the world's reality.
"Let's call this story... Kami o Korosu."
She wrote it down, slowly underlining the name.
"The story that was never written... yet wrote itself."
----
To be continued