A low growl echoed through the dense forest, reverberating through Yuuto’s bones. The ground rumbled, cracks forming around the ancient runes he had uncovered.
The air felt wrong.
Heavy. Cold. Unnatural.
Yuuto took an instinctive step back, his fingers tightening around the hilt of his sword. His heartbeat quickened, his instincts screaming at him to move—to run.
But then he noticed something even more disturbing.
Celia was silent.
She, who always had a sarcastic remark, a teasing jab—was now staring at the runes with a frozen expression.
"...Celia?"
She didn’t respond.
Then, her voice finally came, but it wasn’t her usual mocking tone. It was tense. Cold.
“Yuuto… whatever you do, do not move.”
---
[Emerging Threat – ???]
A sharp, bone-chilling wind swept through the forest, making the trees groan. The bck mist that had leaked from the corrupted beasts coalesced, twisting in the air above the runes.
Yuuto swallowed hard as he saw something rise from the darkness.
A hand.
But not a normal hand.
Its flesh was decayed, a skeletal frame wrapped in ancient, tattered bandages, pulsating with a sickly dark aura. The fingers were elongated, the nails sharp like daggers.
Then, with a sickening crack, a second hand emerged, pushing against the earth.
Yuuto felt his breath hitch. Something was climbing out.
And it was huge.
A massive, emaciated figure slowly pulled itself from the ground, its glowing violet eyes locking onto Yuuto’s own. Its face was partially skeletal, the exposed jaw revealing rows of unnaturally sharp teeth.
A deep, guttural voice rattled through the air.
“A… mortal…?”
Yuuto’s instincts screamed at him to move, but Celia’s words echoed in his mind.
“Do not move.”
But why?
What was this thing?
---
[The Forgotten One]
Celia finally spoke again, her voice still unnervingly serious.
"Yuuto. That thing is a remnant… a fragment of an ancient entity that should have been erased from existence long ago."
Yuuto’s jaw clenched. "And you're telling me this just now?"
"I didn't expect you to dig up a cursed seal containing one of the oldest monstrosities to ever walk this world, dumbass!" she snapped, but there was no humor in her voice.
The creature’s gaze bore into Yuuto, studying him, analyzing him. Its decayed jaw shifted, producing a grotesque, rasping chuckle.
"You… are not of this world…"
Yuuto felt his muscles tense.
The creature knew.
It knew he was summoned.
A chill ran down his spine.
"You reek of… Celestial interference… So, the gods still meddle…"
Yuuto’s breath caught. Celestial interference? Did it mean Celia?
Celia’s presence flickered beside him, her normally golden eyes dimmed, her form more transparent than usual.
"...Celia?"
"Shit," she muttered under her breath. "This is bad."
The Forgotten One’s gaze snapped to Celia, its lips curling into something resembling a grin.
"Ah… I see now… The Forsaken Soul… You are the cursed one, aren’t you?"
Yuuto’s eyes widened. What the hell was it talking about?
Celia visibly tensed, her usually carefree demeanor completely shattered.
The Forgotten One ughed, a deep, echoing sound that made Yuuto’s skin crawl.
"Then tell me, Cursed One… what will you do now?"
---
[FIGHT OR FLIGHT]
Yuuto gritted his teeth. He had fought monsters before, but this?
This was different.
This thing wasn’t just some corrupted beast. It was ancient. Powerful. A being that even Celia seemed terrified of.
His instincts screamed at him to run.
But…
Something in him refused to back down.
If this thing was dangerous—if it could threaten the world he was now living in—he had to fight.
Yuuto slowly lifted his sword, its bde glinting under the eerie light.
"I don’t know what the hell you are… but I’m not just going to stand here and let you do whatever you want."
The Forgotten One’s grin widened.
"Bold… But foolish."
---
[BATTLE – THE FORGOTTEN ONE]
The moment Yuuto moved, the Forgotten One attacked.
A shockwave of dark energy burst from the ground, forcing Yuuto to leap back. The earth cracked and shattered, jagged stone erupting upward.
The creature lunged, its massive cws slicing through the air toward Yuuto.
Yuuto barely had time to react—his body moved on instinct, twisting out of the way.
But he wasn’t fast enough.
A sharp pain tore through his side as the Forgotten One’s cws grazed his ribs, sending him crashing into a tree.
"Tch—!" Yuuto coughed, tasting blood.
Celia’s voice rang in his mind. "You idiot! You are NOT ready for this fight!"
Yuuto gritted his teeth, pushing himself up. "I don’t care! If I run now, this thing could—"
"IT'S NOT AT FULL STRENGTH!" Celia suddenly shouted.
Yuuto froze.
Celia’s voice was urgent, desperate.
"It's still sealed! It hasn’t fully awakened! That’s why it’s testing you instead of instantly killing you!"
Yuuto’s breath hitched.
If that was true… then once it fully awakened—
He wouldn’t stand a chance.
The Forgotten One tilted its head. "You hesitate. Do you fear the truth?"
Yuuto’s mind raced. He had two choices.
1. Keep fighting—risk his life, and possibly learn more about what Celia was hiding.
2. Retreat—find out what the hell was going on, then return stronger.
His grip on his sword tightened.
His legs burned. His side ached. But his mind was clear.
He made his choice.
---
[SYSTEM COMMAND – ESCAPE ROUTE]
Celia’s golden light fred, her energy wrapping around Yuuto.
The Forgotten One’s eyes narrowed.
"Hmph. Running away? How disappointing."
Yuuto felt his body lurch backward, his vision blurring as Celia forcefully teleported him away.
The st thing he saw… was the Forgotten One’s twisted grin.
And the st thing he heard… was its whispered words.
"You cannot run forever… Cursed One."
---
[End of Chapter 11]
