[ Disclaimer: I don't own anything, nor did I create any of the characters. The images used aren't mine either. I made this fanfic purely for entertainment, so PLEASE, AUTHORS-SAMA, don't take it down…! ]
◆━⊰✧⊱━◆
[ Third-person narrator ]
"Let us begin with the enemies that will invade that world and which you must face in order to protect it," said Yog-Sothoth, moving his hand with a touch of elegance.
Immediately, an image appeared floating in the hologram: a creature made of crystal, its transparent body revealing a bright red core that pulsed like a heart.
"These creatures are called Phrases. They inhabit a parallel world and exist in different ranks: low, medium, and high."
The images changed, displaying a gallery of horrors before Aiden.
Low-rank Phrases had the appearance of insects: beetles, centipedes, and other forms that, although reminiscent of common creatures, had something deeply unsettling about them.
Their crystalline bodies were as translucent as ice, but what stood out the most was the pulsing red core inside them.
"Low-rank ones are, as their name implies, the weakest. They do not pose a significant threat… at least to an experienced warrior. But for humans without combat skills, they can be lethal."
Yog-Sothoth let the statement hang in the air before continuing.
"Their bodies are extremely durable, almost immune to common weapons. The only way to defeat them is to destroy their core. As long as it's intact, they can regenerate completely, even if you tear them to pieces."
Aiden felt a chill run down his spine.
The idea of an enemy that could regenerate from nothing was terrifying, especially in a medieval world where most people had only swords and armor for defense.
He imagined an attack on a defenseless village: the villagers being massacred, with no chance to survive.
"Now, pay attention," continued Yog-Sothoth, as a new image appeared in the hologram.
This time, it was a larger, far more terrifying creature.
Although still crystalline, its structure was more complex.
It had multiple limbs and, within it, two cores glowed with an ominous radiance.
"These are mid-rank Phrases." Yog-Sothoth's voice took on a graver tone. "They are much stronger, faster, and more durable than low-rank ones. Moreover, they possess two cores. Destroying only one is not enough to kill them. Their size varies, but most are between three and five meters tall. Some resemble giant worms, others monstrous birds. Each is unique in form, but they all share the same purpose: destruction."
The images showed chilling details.
One creature, resembling a praying mantis, struck with scythe-like limbs, while another, shaped like a worm, devoured an entire tree in a single bite.
"A single mid-rank Phrase can annihilate an entire town if not stopped by a group of experienced adventurers. Even then, casualties are inevitable. These beings are not just dangerous; they are walking calamities."
Aiden swallowed hard, unable to take his eyes off the projections.
"And the civilization of that world? Is it prepared for something like this?"
"The civilization is safe… for now," Yog-Sothoth replied. "These invaders have not yet arrived in that world. What you see are images of other worlds they have already ravaged."
With a gesture of his hand, the projections changed.
Now they showed armies of Phrases facing off against human soldiers, elves, and other races.
It was an apocalyptic spectacle: spells lighting up the sky, swords imbued with magic clashing against crystalline bodies, and earthen golems rising to fight.
But it was all in vain.
The images froze on a devastating scene.
Cities reduced to ruins, bodies piled up on the battlefield.
The Phrases rummaged through the corpses, pulling something from them before tossing them aside like garbage.
Aiden felt a mix of anger and horror.
"What… what are they doing? Why are they defiling the bodies like that?"
Yog-Sothoth raised a hand, calming his agitation. "All in due time. You need to understand each rank before learning the purpose behind their actions."
With a tense nod, Aiden watched as a new image appeared in the hologram.
This time, the horror surpassed everything before.
A colossal creature emerged in the projection.
Its form was an amalgamation of various animals, but what truly froze his blood was its size.
It was monstrous, as tall as a mountain, as wide as a valley.
Inside its crystalline body, at least five cores glowed, each pulsing with destructive energy.
"These are high-rank Phrases," said Yog-Sothoth.
The creature, similar to a titanic crocodile, opened its enormous mouth.
A blinding light began to concentrate inside it, growing in intensity until it finally fired a white beam.
The roar was apocalyptic.
The beam tore through the terrain, pulverizing everything in its path.
When it struck, half a kingdom vanished as if it had never existed.
Aiden swallowed hard, feeling that his hands, had he possessed a physical body, would be trembling.
"This… this is a monster of total destruction…" he murmured in a broken voice.
"And there is still more you need to know," concluded Yog-Sothoth, looking at Aiden with an unreadable expression.
The vision of such devastation was unimaginable, even compared to his previous world.
Not even the entire military arsenal, nor nuclear bombs, would have stood the slightest chance against something like that.
As he watched those invaders cross dimensions to appear anywhere and unleash their chaos, he understood the magnitude of the threat.
There were no simple strategies, no ultimate weapons that could stop that beam of absolute destruction without erasing everything around it as well.
'Not even in my previous world could we have defended ourselves against these monsters,' Aiden thought with a knot in his stomach.
"Yog-Sothoth-san…" he began, his voice trembling with a mix of frustration and fear. "How am I supposed to protect that world? If it were just one of these, maybe I'd have a chance… but we're talking about millions, and for a hundred years!"
He couldn't help but raise his voice.
The idea seemed like a suicide mission.
"Haha~, you have nothing to worry about," replied Yog-Sothoth, his carefree tone contrasting with the seriousness of the moment.
A confident smile appeared on his face, as if everything were under control.
"I will give you the necessary power. At first, you'll be weak, I admit it, but the more you face these invaders, the stronger you'll become. I'll grant you abilities with extraordinary growth potential. Also, you'll be versatile, capable of adapting to any situation."
Aiden listened carefully as Yog-Sothoth's words slightly eased his anguish.
"And you have something many lack: a brain that knows how to think. That will be your greatest advantage. You will survive, Aiden."
A sigh escaped Aiden's lips as he nodded.
If he was going to receive the necessary power, then there was nothing to fear.
He was resolved: he would accept the offer.
There was no alternative.
Refusing meant wasting his second chance at life.
"Now," continued Yog-Sothoth with an air of mystery, "let me show you the highest rank of the Phrases."
"What? There's one even higher?!" exclaimed Aiden, unable to hide his disbelief.
"That's right," replied Yog-Sothoth. "If you've noticed, all the Phrases you've seen so far are beings without intelligence, creatures driven solely by their destructive purpose. But tell me, who do you think gives them orders?"
With a wave of his hand, new images filled the hologram.
Aiden frowned as he watched them.
What he saw left him baffled.
"Humans…? Crystal humans?! What is this?"
Before him stood humanoid figures made of pure crystal.
The next image showed one of them standing on a battlefield, commanding an army of low-, mid-, and high-rank Phrases.
Everything around them obeyed their commands.
"That's right," confirmed Yog-Sothoth in a solemn tone. "They are the humanoid Phrases. Intelligent beings, far more advanced than the others. And most importantly: they are the true masterminds behind these invasions."
Aiden clenched his fists tightly upon hearing those words.
His initial fear transformed into something else.
Determination.
If there was something that could stop the destruction, he had to do it.
…
..
◆━⊰✧⊱━◆
A/N:
By the way, the Phrases are from the series 'Isekai wa Smartphone to Tomo ni.'