I recoiled, shielding my eyes as a burst of brilliant blue light exploded through my vision. The whispers faded, and the corridor walls solidified again, no longer contorting into grotesque mocking faces.

It sliced through the darkness and engulfed me in an embrace.

My perception of reality shifted, the disorientation fading as the blue light enveloped me. It felt familiar, like a forgotten memory resurfacing from the depths of my mind. The figure in the shadows let out a chitter, its form flickering violently as the light flooded my vision.

I gained my footing in the strange, gloomy stone corridor and faced the figure, squinting against the blinding blue light that radiated from the source behind me. As my eyes adjusted, I realized the figure was recoiling, its pixelated form glitching more erratically with each pulse of the light.

With newfound courage fueled by the protective aura of the blue light, I took a hesitant step forward.

"Who are you?" I called out, my voice echoing through the corridor with a resonance that surprised me. "What are you? Where am I!?"

The figure let out a guttural growl, its pixelated form contorting like a reflection in a funhouse mirror in a grotesque display of anger and frustration. Then, a profound silence enveloped the corridor, broken only by the soft hum of the blue light. The figure seemed to shimmer, its pixelated edges sharpening and smoothing in a paradoxical dance.

I watched in awe as the figure transformed into a reflection of… me.

It was an unsettling sight to behold. The pixelated clone of myself stood before me, wearing an expression that was a distorted mockery of my own. It wore my academy uniform, the same white button-up shirt, blazer, and black pants I donned every school day.

Although it was formed entirely out of pixelated shadows, its features mirrored mine in uncanny detail, from the curve of its jaw to the shadowy, messy mop that mirrored my self-cut hair.

For a moment, I stood frozen, my mind reeling at the sight of this twisted imitation. The figure raised its indistinct hand, reaching out towards me with an eerie sense of wrongness. My instincts screamed at me to run, to flee from this doppelganger that mirrored me in such a malevolent way. But curiosity mingled with fear, keeping my feet rooted to the spot as I stared back into its glowing orange eyes.

The pixelated form seemed to glitch and warp around the edges, giving it an unsettling aura of distortion. It wore a twisted grin that sent chills down my spine, a mockery of my own expressions.

"Who... what the fuck are you?" I managed to choke out again, my voice wavering with dread.

I stepped back as its arm formed into a shadowy, distorted tentacle-like appendage that stretched and reached out towards me with malevolent intent. The air around us crackled with an ominous orange energy, and I felt a cold dread seeping into my bones.

Without warning, the creature emitted an otherworldly shriek. The mocking reflection of my face twisted into a mass of writhing shadows, contorting into grotesque shapes that bore no resemblance to anything human.

I stumbled backward, my heart hammering in my chest as I frantically searched for an escape route. I ran straight back, only to find the corridor bending and twisting in on itself, the stone walls morphing into impossible angles that defied all logic.

I ran in a spiraling slope, my feet skidding across the shifting stone surface as I tried to outrun the creature's terrifying reach. My breath came in ragged gasps as I sprinted through the ever-changing maze, each corner revealing new and horrifying transformations in the creature's pursuit.

The blue light that had once been my beacon of safety now danced erratically, casting strange shadows that seemed to reach out toward me in desperation. It felt like I was running through water with how fundamental rules of motion seemed to have no meaning here.

I froze as the corridor solidified into a vast chamber, the walls visibly stretching upwards into an infinite black void above and beyond. The blue light that seemed to constantly come from behind me dimmed, leaving me in oppressive darkness broken only by the faint orange glow emanating from the twisted creature that pursued me.

Desperation clawed at my mind as I turned around, realizing that there was no way out, no path to safety in this twisted realm. The creature loomed over me, its form expanding and contracting like a living shadow, ready to drown me in darkness.

I stumbled again as the floor shifted and warped beneath me, my legs struggling to find purchase as I tried to stay upright.

The creature's inky orange tendrils flailed and contorted, lashing out towards me in a torrent.

My eyes widened, my body reacting instinctively as I rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding being skewered by a writhing mass that slammed into the wall behind me. I could hear the whispers again, growing louder and more insistent, their words a garbled mix of languages that I couldn't comprehend. I stumbled backward, falling on the cold, solid chamber floor as the creature loomed closer. Its single pair of glowing orange eyes in the mass fixated on me with a predatory hunger.

Then, without warning, a searing headache exploded in the center of my skull, sending white-hot pain radiating throughout my body. I gasped, clutching my head with both hands, tears welling up in my eyes as the agony intensified.

I curled up into a ball, feeling helpless and vulnerable in the face of this overwhelming pain. In a desperate plea, I reached out with my thoughts.

"Help me!" I cried out to no one in particular, hoping for someone, anyone, to hear my call for help.

As the pain continued to build, my consciousness wavered. The chamber around me seemed to blur and fade, replaced by a vision of a stormy night.

Dark, swirling clouds dominated the sky, and rain poured down in relentless sheets.

In the middle of the chaos, a figure appeared — a woman with long, straight dark-blue hair and striking storm-blue eyes that burned with an overwhelming resolve.

I could only see her eyes, the rest of her features were obscured by the shadows and the torrential downpour, but her presence filled me with an inexplicable sense of comfort and safety.

...

I blinked, the vision fading as the blue light surrounding me suddenly pushed back against the shadowy figure's onslaught, creating a visible barrier of protection that crackled with the same energy. Sparks flew as the shadowy tentacles recoiled from the brilliant glow, hissing and sizzling as they struggled against the power of the light.

"Ame-no-Nuboko — I beseech thee. Answer my call!" a woman's distorted voice boomed through the chamber.

Out of nowhere, a blinding crescent arc of crackling blue light sliced through the darkness, arcing toward the creature with a searing flash of heat.

And then, another, and another until the chamber was filled with the blinding brilliance of the blue light, a symphony of crackling energy that danced and swirled like a celestial storm. The creature let out a blood-curdling screech, its form writhing in agony as the arcs of light seared through its shadowy mass.

The creature writhed and twisted as the blinding blue light consumed it, its distorted body contorting in agony. With each burst of this seemingly celestial energy, its shadow-like form dissipated into thin air like smoke in a strong breeze, leaving a contorting mass at the room's entrance.

Suddenly, another figure began to take shape before my eyes. It materialized in the center of the chamber, forming from the blue light like a digital stream, manifesting into a physical being. The figure was surrounded by a deep blue aura, but this was a comforting energy, unlike the suffocating darkness emanating from the faceless entity. It felt like a starry night sky cradling the moon in its embrace.

The blue light receded, and a stunningly beautiful woman emerged from the radiant energy. She had long, straight midnight-blue hair cascading down her back and sides. Her face was captivating, with sharp cheekbones and a pointed jawline, giving her an otherworldly elegance. She was tall and slender, adorned in something that definitely looked like a Magical Girl's outfit.

A dark blue kimono with intricate embroidery hugged her body, gracefully swaying with every step she took. The fabric flowed like a shallow spring creek, adding an ethereal quality to her appearance. A translucent obi sash glowing like pale moolight was wrapped around her waist, trailing behind her like delicate wings fluttering in the wind.

Her long, flowing hair cascaded down her back in a river of midnight ink, transitioning from a deep, midnight blue into a luminous, otherworldly white at the ends. It shimmered with a soft silver glow that seemed to emanate from within, each strand alive with a faint pulsing light that mirrored the twinkle of distant stars on a clear night.

However, it was her mask that caught my attention the most. Made of delicate porcelain, it boasted intricate designs that seemed to shift and swirl like the surface of a lake disturbed by a gentle breeze. The mask concealed her eyes, leaving only her lips exposed, painted with a blood-rose hue.

Despite not seeing her eyes, I could tell they were focused intently on the enemy before her as she effortlessly flourished an ornate naginata. The blade hummed with power and left behind ribbons of vibrant blue light with each fluid movement.

It was more than just a weapon... it was a work of art, crafted from an indescribable emotion that resonated within my heart. A familiar feeling that harmonized with my soul and, for some reason, caused tears to fill my eyes. It was obviously magical, glowing with a soft and soothing radiance that seemed to fill the space with its comforting warmth.

My hand trembled as I stretched my arm towards her, overcome with a desire to reach her. A soothing warmth emanated from her, giving me a feeling of serenity and safety.

She turned slightly towards me, the ornate mask revealing a faint smile that held kindness and sadness, before turning to face her foe.

Her weapon gleamed with an iridescent silver-blue hue, its blade pulsing with an inner light that cast a faint glow upon her porcelain skin. The hilt was adorned with delicate silver designs resembling the branches of an ancient tree and studded with sparkling gemstones that shone like twinkling stars. Each gemstone seemed to hold a miniature galaxy within, swirling with ever-changing colors as the light danced within it.

The woman took one slow step towards the malevolent entity, her movements fluid and precise like a practiced warrior. As her foot made contact with the ground, the air around her seemed to shift and shimmer with an aura of raw, untapped power.

With a flick of her wrist, a surge of power coursed through the hallway, causing the walls to quake and crumble under its intensity. The faceless entity let out another piercing scream, its form flickering and glitching in and out of existence as it tried to resist her assault.

In response to the opening, the woman raised her naginata high, its blade glowing with a powerful azure light that seemed to ripple the space it cut through. She brought the weapon down in a sweeping arc with precise and practiced movements, slicing through the space between her and the malevolent being. The streaks of silver-blue light she left seemed to freeze in the air as she seemed to slice the air in front of her hundreds of times in the blink of an eye.

And then, a shockwave suddenly rippled through the corridor, carrying a burst of pure, cleansing energy that washed over me like a cool stream on a hot day.

The force of the blast caused me to flinch and stumble backward out of instinct, my senses overwhelmed by the sheer power the woman and her jeweled naginata unleashed. The air hummed and vibrated with the aftershocks of her attack.

As the wave of light dissipated, I found myself gasping for breath, disoriented as I struggled to regain my footing.

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....What. What is this?!

When the light settled, I found myself standing in the heart of a massive, supernaturally beautiful garden that blossomed before my eyes. The air was sweet with the fragrance of blooming flowers, their petals unfurling in a kaleidoscope of colors under the gentle caress of a breeze that whispered through the leaves.

A gigantic moon hovered in the starlit sky, its silver glow casting a luminous sheen over the landscape, imbuing everything with an ethereal radiance. The moonlight caressed the garden, casting a silvery glow over the lush foliage that seemed to dance in its ethereal embrace. The light reflected off a pond that shimmered like liquid silver, its surface rippling with the gentle movements of koi fish gliding beneath. Lanterns hung from the branches of cherry blossom trees, their soft glow casting a warm and inviting light over the garden.

The woman flinched briefly, then turned slightly to me before returning her attention to the entity that was still looming with an ominous, orange glow at the garden's edge. She plunged her naginata into the earth in a blur of motion, sending a shockwave of silver energy racing toward the malevolent figure as its shadowy form coalesced.

The energy collided with it, causing a chorus of twisted, horrible screams that reverberated through the garden as the ground trembled under the force of the clash. Hundreds of skull-like, shadowy faces burst into the air, gnashing their teeth in agony.

The woman's eyes never left the faceless entity as she stepped forward, her movements fluid and graceful. The power that emanated from her was like a beacon, casting away the darkness and enveloping us in its protective glow.

The entity surged forward, its form distorting and shifting like a broken hologram. Tendrils of dark energy lashed out, its form rapidly expanding like a cancerous growth.

But the woman stood unwavering in its path as her hair flowed like a waterfall of liquid moonlight, cascading around her like a protective shield.

She pivoted on her feet as they closed in, evading the dark tendrils with an agility I could barely register. She countered with a swift sweep of her naginata, the blade cutting through the shadows in flash after flash. Reality seemed to warp and bend with each strike, the very fabric of the universe quivering as she moved. The garden around us vibrated with the clash of powers, flowers wilting and blooming in rapid succession like they were caught in a timeless struggle between life and death.

My eyes widened as the entity grew again, and its tendrils snaked around the woman to snake towards me. The tendrils moved terrifyingly fast—

No, it wasn't that they were quick.

Space itself bent and twisted around them as they moved, instantly closing the distance between us. Time seemed to slow at that moment as the dark tendrils closed around me, their icy aura sending a chill down my spine.

The woman snapped her head around and jumped back in a blue flash, picking me up underneath my waist with one arm as the dark tendrils began to snap and enclose us. A surge of raw, electric energy coursed through me as she pulled me close, shielding me from the encroaching darkness with her body.

Despite the unthinkable horror in front of me — somehow, I felt safe and warm in that brief moment of respite.

I numbly felt us sail through the air, and her Naginata whistled sharply as she flipped into a somersault. Before I knew it, we had landed on a patch of soft grass just beyond the garden's edge. The woman gently set me down, her touch sending a wave of comfort that banished the fear lingering in my heart.

Before I could even say a word of gratitude, she raised her naginata high, the blade humming with a silver energy. She shot forward like a bolt of lightning, her weapon slashing through the darkness with trailing streaks of light. The bizarre sound of steel meeting shadow filled the garden, mingling with the eerie cries of the faceless entity as it struggled against her relentless assault. Sparks flew as her blade clashed against the darkness, each impact resonating with a searing hiss and a roar of thunder reverberating through what served as a floor in this realm.

I watched her battle the entity, each strike more desperate than the last. It was like witnessing a scene straight out of Japanese mythology, invoking the image of a celestial maiden battling an eight-headed hydra. Her hair, a flowing cascade of liquid moonlight, danced and shimmered around her.

With every swing of her naginata, she emitted bursts of light and energy, the air crackling with raw energy. Yet the entity fought back, its shadowy tendrils and distorted limbs flailing wildly across the landscape. The shadows coiled and tumbled over hills and valleys, shifting and twisting in a chaotic dance. It continued to distort and shift, multiplying its tendrils into a writhing sea of darkness that threatened to engulf her in its inky embrace. It grew to the point where its writhing mass blotted out the sky, the darkness stretching as far as my eyes could perceive.

I felt a surge of desperation well up inside me.

I had to do something, anything, to help this brave, unknown warrior.

But what could I do? I couldn't feel my connection with Rai-chan, and without her, I was powerless.

The woman somersaulted over me, landing at my side and spinning with her Naginata in a blur, sending a wave of silver energy rippling outward like a shockwave. It cleaved through the tendrils, slicing through the dark appendages like they were made of mist. But they kept coming, regenerating and reforming almost infinitely.

She breathed heavily as she raised her naginata again, the air around her humming with an intense, crackling energy that seemed to distort the space around her.

And the tendrils finally struck true.

The warrior flinched as the space between her and the tendrils suddenly shrank, and the tendrils tightened their grip around her like a vice. I could see the strain on her face as she fought against the oppressive force, her muscles bulging with effort. The entity almost cackled with triumph, its form pulsating with a sickening energy that sent shivers down my spine.

I wanted to help her, to aid her in this impossible battle. To do anything. But I knew deep down that I was helpless against a creature like this. It was a force beyond my comprehension and understanding, much less my fighting ability.

And then, just when it seemed like all hope was lost, a blinding light erupted from the woman, breaking through the shadows with a brilliance that brought tears to my eyes. The entity screeched in agony, recoiling from the sudden onslaught of pure, radiant energy.

With a deliberate slowness, she rotated her body to meet my gaze. Everything around us seemed to fade away in that suspended moment, and I felt an inexplicable bond with her that defied our chaotic and terrifying situation.

Behind her mask, her eyes shone like distant stars, seemingly penetrating deep into my being and conveying a message of yearning and grief without speaking a single word.

Suddenly, a wet sensation on my arm brought me back to reality, and I mechanically raised my hand to my face, only to find tears streaming down my cheeks.

I'm crying.

Why am I crying?

Why?

As the tears flowed down my cheeks, the woman's gaze softened, a glimmer of vulnerability breaking through her stoic facade. She inclined her head ever so slightly, a silent acknowledgment passing between us like a long-held promise.

With another deep breath, she gathered her strength, turning back to face the entity with renewed resolve. Her stance was firm, and her apparent exhaustion only fueled her strength. She raised her naginata again, the blade glinting in the moonlight as she jumped on a nearby hilltop, the fabric of her ethereal kimono swirling around her like a hurricane.

The air crackled with intense energy, the scent of ozone mingling with the sweet fragrance of cherry blossoms that now bloomed defiantly around us, their petals unfolding in a riot of colors. The storm of shadows and sickly orange energy emanating from the creature began to swirl and twist in a chaotic dance as if responding to the woman's unspoken challenge.

The entity's size swelled again, its tendrils multiplying exponentially as it unleashed an alien rumble reverberating through the garden. The ground beneath us trembled as it thrashed and writhed, a dark vortex swirling at its core, causing the swirling blossoms to wilt into dust around it.

Countless moaning, wailing faces emerged from the vortex, their twisted expressions contorted with agony and despair. I felt a sinking pit of despair form in my stomach at the sight, the overwhelming sense of hopelessness paralyzing me with fear.

But the woman remained resolute, her presence a beacon of light against the encroaching darkness. She raised a finger in front of her, and a glowing blue ofuda emerged from the fabric of her sleeve, shimmering with an otherworldly light that pulsed in time with my heartbeat.

The ofuda trembled with power as she brought it up to her lips, whispering ancient words that resonated like a hymn. The symbols on the talisman glowed brighter with each syllable, casting a protective barrier around her as she faced the monstrous entity with unwavering determination. More and more paper seals emerged from her kimono, encircling the garden in a sacred barrier of shimmering light. The ofuda danced around her like protective spirits, each adding to the intricate web of energy that crackled and hummed with power.

It wasn't enough.

As the woman chanted, her voice rising and falling in a haunting melody, the entity let out a deafening roar that shook the foundations of the garden.

The ofuda trembled in her grasp, their light flickering as if they were struggling to contain the sheer magnitude of the darkness before them. The faces within the vortex twisted and contorted, their agonizing cries fueling the entity's power as it surged forward with renewed ferocity.

I watched in horror as the woman's barrier faltered under the relentless assault, cracks forming in the shimmering web of energy that surrounded her like a fragile cocoon. The koi fish in the pond thrashed erratically, leaping out of the water and disappearing into smoke and dust like they were consumed by the malevolent force.

The cherry blossom trees withered and decayed, their petals turning to ash and scattering in the wind like a macabre snowfall.

As the entity pounded upon her barrier, the woman turned to me, flashing a sad smile filled with regret. Without a word, she reached into the folds of her kimono and produced a small, intricately designed golden ofuda.

"Wait!" I shouted, my voice lost in the dim of the reality-shattering battle around us.

Somehow, I knew that I needed to talk to her. That there was lost time I had to make up to her. But I didn't understand why.

My tears shimmered like diamonds in the ambient light, somehow freezing in the air as they left my eyes. The woman was so far away, and yet, as if hearing my unspoken plea, she paused, her eyes locking with mine apologetically.

With a graceful flick of her wrist, she hurled the ofuda towards me and it sailed through the air like a shooting star, leaving a trail of shimmering silver light in its wake.

"Please!" I shouted desperately, reaching out towards her as the ofuda flew towards me. Time seemed to slow down again as the talisman swirled around me, the air crackling with energy and anticipation.

"Please…" I croaked again, my voice breaking with emotion as the ofuda slowed when it neared me.

I knew she was sending me away. I didn't know how I knew, but it was as clear to me as day.

I couldn't explain the gut-wrenching feeling of loss that washed over me, the sense of abandonment that clawed at my heart as the ofuda drew closer. I wanted to stay by her side and with her in this otherworldly, terrifying battle. Even if I was powerless.

But her eyes held a finality that brooked no argument, a silent plea for me to escape while I still could—a plea that spoke of sacrifice and duty, of love, of a burden I somehow knew she bore alone.

The woman swept her jeweled naginata up defiantly, the blade gleaming with a blinding light as she braced herself for the inevitable clash. The entity crashed against her barrier with an earth-shattering force, the sound reverberating through the garden like a thunderclap. The ground trembled beneath my feet as I watched in awe and terror, unsure what would happen next.

Everything hung in precarious balance for a heartbeat as the woman sank on the balls of her front foot, building momentum or a devastating strike. It looked like she was performing a kata of incomprehensible beauty, like she was dancing with death itself.

The air crackled with tension, the scent of cherry blossoms mingling with the acrid stench of the entity's foul presence.

With a fierce battle cry reverberating across the decaying garden, she charged towards her opponent, her naginata slicing through the air between them.

To be precise, it literally cut through the space between them.

I stared in disbelief as a diagonal line fractured my vision, widening with each sweeping motion of the jeweled naginata. The cut was not just a physical separation but seemed to cleave through reality itself, creating a rippling distortion in the fabric of space. A blinding, bizarre, elliptical arc of light radiated from the gash, casting unnaturally curved long shadows that twisted and stretched like it was alive.

The breach widened, revealing a swirling vortex of colors beyond comprehension, a kaleidoscope of hues that danced and shifted like living things. The air rippled and distorted around the tear in space, creating a distorted mirage of the world beyond.

Then, without warning, the space around us began to distort, the garden twisting into an abstract landscape that defied all my logic. The ground beneath our feet became a swirling vortex of color and light while the sky above twisted into impossible non-Euclidean shapes.

I could feel the fabric of reality fraying at the edges, the boundary between the garden and the abyss blurring with each passing moment. The woman's mask shattered, revealing a glimpse of the fierce determination etched upon her face.

Her eyes, hidden no longer, shone with a brilliant silver and blue light that mirrored the energy of her naginata.

The entity, now a mass of writhing shadows and pulsating orange light that stretched out infinitely beyond my vision, launched a final desperate attack.

The woman met it head-on, her naginata slicing through the air with a sound like the ringing of a thousand bells in a Shinto shrine.

Then, just as the battle reached its crescendo, a brilliant flash of light engulfed everything. The garden, the woman, the entity, and the abstract realm were consumed by a blinding frozen nothing of black, white, and monochrome hues that left me blinking in confusion.

I tumbled backward as the ground vanished, my hand outstretched in a futile attempt to reach her as the ofuda enveloped me in a blinding explosion of light. I could only watch helplessly as the garden faded from view, the woman shrinking into the distance as the world around me twisted and contorted like a whirlpool. I felt a sense of vertigo overwhelm me, the sensation of being torn away from reality and thrust into an unknown abyss.

For a split second, I was suspended in a void of colors and sounds, feeling like I was being torn apart and pieced back together simultaneously a million times a second.

Then, just when I thought my senses were going to overload, I found myself floating through a vast, endless abyss.

There were stars everywhere. But they weren't like the stars I had seen on Earth. These were alive and writhed with an otherworldly orange energy that made my skin crawl. They pulsed and shimmered, casting an ethereal glow over the infinite expanse.

I floated through this surreal landscape, the star-like light sources casting eerie shadows on my face.

The lights seemed to whisper to me, their voices like distant echoes that tugged at my memories. I strained to hear them, but their words were lost in the endless void of this celestial sea.

And then I found myself hurtling through the abyss. The stars blurred into streaks of light as I hurtled past them, a cosmic wind ripping at my clothes and tearing through my hair.

I was dimly aware of the smell of cedar, and then, with a sickening jolt that made my stomach heave and bile fill my mouth, the stars suddenly stopped in the endless blackness, and I found myself staring into the faceless void once more.

The stars around me froze, their eerie whispers replaced by an oppressive silence that seemed to swallow all sound.

I couldn't breathe. I couldn't think.

All I knew was the emptiness, the nothingness that surrounded me.

The sound of a wooden gate creaking open shattered the stillness.

And then it slammed shut.

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