Chapter Text
Ludger had no idea what was happening.
One minute, he was getting sucked into a vortex of light, and the next, he was standing high above the sealine, a vast expanse of tall grey buildings spread out before his eyes. It was a sight so familiar from old memories.
“Seoul...? How...?”
He’d returned to his old world, just like that? Was this some kind of mirage, or a trick of the mind? His eyes wandered over the landscape. The city, the mountains, the long, wide river.
Wait.
His gaze stopped at a wholly unfamiliar building. It rose high above the others, and on it was a large, glowing ‘H’, placed upon intricate patterns. Ludger’s mind raced. A building that tall couldn’t have been built in a couple of years. Had it been that long since his past life ended, or was this proof that this view was fake? Or, something else entirely?
Suddenly, the hairs rose on the nape of his neck. Sensing danger, he unsheathed his swordstick and blocked whatever had lunged at his back in one swift motion. Claws clanged against his blade and the creature staggered back. The monster wasn’t a species Ludger recogized. It was humanoid and wore clothes, but only one giant eye stared at him. Its skin was blue, its fangs jutted out, and horns poked out from its head. It recovered from its shock and lunged at him again. Ludger made quick work of it by driving his weapon into its heart. It scattered into purple light.
Ludger squinted. Was it just him, or did his blade glow faintly for a split second? He shook his head. It must have been the moonlight. The important thing was that those creatures didn’t belong in his world nor his old one. Something wasn’t right.
He raised his swordstick back up as what looked like waves or webs of blue light rippled in places around him. Blue turned to purple, then tore as more creatures began to crawl out of the rift. Their colours varied, but Ludger could tell from their other features that they were the same kind of monster. Ludger’s eyes turned to steel.
-
Ludger concluded on two things.
First, this was definitely real. Second, whatever this place was, it wasn’t his Earth. Those creatures were not the ghosts and spirits he’d been used to in his previous life. He’d been jumping from building top from building top to get away from the rift, all the while ripping apart the monsters left and right, but the blue lines appeared and split into purple tears wherever he went as if they were everywhere. Ludger vaporized a green monster with a firebolt as his line of thought continued. This world was fundamentally different, perhaps another universe entirely.
Ludger slowed on a rooftop as the last of the creatures disappeared into nothingness. The rifts closed down and vanished like they’d never been there. For now, the swarm seemed to have ended.
His hand flew to his temple as an ache racked his head. The seal was starting to crack. His mana was running low. Ludger furrowed his brow, both in pain and frustration. This wasn’t good. He hadn’t been topped up before he got here, and he was already spending his mana pills without even an inkling as to how to return. He reached into his inner coat pocket for his pill bottle.
Purple, roaring flames flashed before his eyes.
“What - ”
One blink and the image was gone, but it was seared inside Ludger’s mind. The seal began to crack further with frightening speed, whispers rising into promises of a clamour. Ludger gritted his teeth, wishing he could will the gods into silence.
A strange, tingling sensation crawled up from the back of his right hand. Ludger yanked off his glove and pulled up his sleeve as much as he was able. He stared at what he found. Purple patterns were emerging on his right arm. It marked the back of his hand and snaked underneath his clothes.
Flames the colour of the patterns blazed again in his vision.
A low voice rang inside his head, rumbling and silky at the same time:
{ Oho, now what is this? }
He reeled back. Who was it? This wasn’t a god or spirit he’d heard before. He could feel the tingling of the patterns up his neck, reaching just below his jaw. Was the voice causing this? But why -
-sshhzt-
He pulled back his head instinctively. A small blade whizzed past where his face had just been. He turned to see three women saunter up towards him, glowing blades in hand. The one who threw the blade was the shortest of the three, a black haired girl with round, frustrated eyes. She said:
“Why are demons so handsome these days?!”
“?”
What was happening?