Anomaly

Chapter 395 – Worship of the true gods [41]

I slowly pushed myself up from my very uncomfortable position, my back still practically stuck to the crumpled metal of the truck I had slammed into. The metal groaned softly behind me, like it was still complaining about the impact.

For a moment, I just stood there, processing, until my eyes drifted across the scene around me, and that’s when it hit me just how much damage I’d caused.

The funny part? I didn’t move a single muscle. Technically, I was thrown without any control whatsoever, an important detail... but honestly, not very relevant right now. And just to be clear, no matter what anyone says, this definitely wasn’t my fault.

How exactly was I supposed to predict that crazy priest had some kind of automatic defense system? Something that would just launch me across the city like a completely out-of-control football?

No, that’s way beyond any reasonable expectation. Still, as I stepped away from the truck, feeling small points of discomfort spreading through my body, I noticed something else: even though I wasn’t nauseous, I couldn’t ignore the fact that my vision was still slightly spinning.

The world felt tilted a few degrees off its axis, buildings subtly leaning. And honestly... that sensation is far from pleasant. Anyway, once I got clear of the truck, the metal still creaking faintly under my feet, I glanced back at the damage, and damn... there was a perfect imprint of my body stamped into it, like I’d been pressed against the hot metal.

The outline was sharp, every detail sunk into the warped surface, while the rest of the body was covered in uneven dents, cracks, and spots where the paint had shattered from the impact.

Small fragments kept breaking loose with dry snaps whenever the vehicle settled under its own weight. Well... the organization will probably cover the damages anyway. That said... I doubt they’re going to be happy about the level of destruction. A nearly inaudible sigh slipped past my lips at the thought.

I really wanted to end this quickly, but the priest was proving far more resilient than I had expected. Annoyingly resilient. My expression remained still, cold as always, even though a growing impatience was starting to build inside me, pressing against my patience.

I closed my eyes for a moment, not that it made any difference. I could still perceive everything around me clearly enough to notice a small fly buzzing inches from my face, every vibration in the air, every subtle shift. And then I heard it.

A wet sound... faintly sticky. My eyes snapped open instantly, and to my surprise, I was met with a scene that was both mundane... and completely out of place. A human stood in the middle of the sidewalk, frozen like a statue.

Her small eyes were locked onto me, wide in an unsettling way, carrying an expression that was hard to define, not exactly fear... not quite curiosity... something in between, like her mind was still trying to catch up with what had just happened.

The girl was holding an ice cream in one hand, or rather, what was left of it. The scoop had slipped off and now rested on the ground, slowly deforming against the concrete, a thin sugary streak beginning to spread. Even so, the little girl didn’t seem to notice the loss at all. Her fingers remained half-curled around empty air, as if time had frozen for her a moment earlier.

Beside her stood her mother. One of her hands gripped the child’s tightly, as if by instinct, while the other remained frozen with a phone pressed to her ear. Her entire posture was rigid, shoulders tense, her gaze fixed on me with intense focus.

From the phone, a muffled voice came through, distant and insistent: “Honey? Are you still there? What was that noise? Are you two okay?” The voice repeated something similar, slightly distorted by the connection, but there was no response. The woman didn’t seem to register that anyone was even speaking to her.

Honestly, I don’t think I can blame her. It’s not every day that... well, something like what she just witnessed simply happens. At least, I hope not. Not that often... I think... The fact that I can’t even be sure about that is, in itself, an uncomfortable thought, but anyway. She remained standing on the sidewalk, as if time had decided to ignore her for a few seconds.

Her hand still held her daughter’s tightly, fingers stiff for someone who didn’t even seem aware of her own body. Her eyes were wide, locked on me, while her mouth hung open in raw disbelief, not just surprise, but something deeper, almost a silent refusal to accept what had just happened.

I could still hear the man’s voice on the other end of the phone, distant. The woman, however, no longer seemed to register anything around her, not the voice, not the background hum, not even her own daughter. Her mouth was so open that, for one absurd and completely out-of-place moment, I caught myself thinking a fly could just wander right in.

Amid the heavy silence hanging in the air, it was the last person I expected to react who broke the tension. The little girl. Her expression, which had been confused and slightly distant before, changed in an instant. Her eyes lit up like tiny stars, and a wide, innocent, completely carefree smile spread across her face.

“Mommy! Look, Mommy! It’s the superhero from TV!” she exclaimed, bouncing lightly in place as if she couldn’t contain her excitement.

The scene was... strangely comical. Almost absurd, given the seriousness of the situation, and yet, she looked genuinely adorable standing there, something that slightly softened the suffocating tension in the air. Maybe it was her innocence. For some reason, it reminded me of Tenebrya.

Naturally, the mother didn’t respond. In fact, she didn’t seem capable of reacting at all. Her legs were visibly trembling, so unsteady that I wouldn’t have been surprised if she collapsed at any second. Her fingers twitched faintly, as if she were desperately trying to regain control of her own body. That was probably one of the reasons she hadn’t run yet.

That said, unfortunately, I didn’t have time to show just how harmless I was... right, my first impression probably made it pretty clear how destructive I can be, but that’s not the point right now.

The point is, as I watched the woman, clearly lost, her eyes drifting without focus, as if her mind was still trying to process everything, an odd sound began to emerge. A low hum, distant, almost imperceptible at first. But it grew.

Second by second, the sound intensified, gaining weight, becoming heavier, more oppressive, until it seemed to vibrate through the air around us. The ground beneath my feet felt like it was trembling slightly, and even the air itself took on an uncomfortable density, as if something massive was about to tear through everything in its path.

The woman and the little girl noticed it too. Their bodies reacted before their minds could catch up, both of them turned toward the sound almost at the same time, like prey sensing a predator closing in. Naturally, I did the same... and then I saw it. My eyes widened instantly, unable to fully process what was in front of me.

A wave. But it wasn’t water. It was destruction given motion. A chaotic wall made of debris, twisted cars, uprooted trees, chunks of concrete, metal signs, fragments of everything that had once been anchored to the ground, everything being dragged, crushed, and piled together in a brutal, unstoppable surge. And it... it was coming straight at me.

I noticed the mother tightening her grip around the little girl’s hand, her knuckles turning white from the pressure. Her expression twisted into pure terror and horror.

Her lips trembled, slightly parted, as if a scream was about to break free... but nothing came out. It was as if her voice had been strangled before it could reach the air, trapped deep in her throat along with her despair.

The little girl, on the other hand, stared at the approaching wave with innocent curiosity. Her eyes sparkled with fascination, as if she were looking at something amazing rather than something deadly. She didn’t understand, she couldn’t understand, the magnitude of what was coming toward her, the crushing weight of that moment.

In the end, that didn’t matter to me. With a simple mental command: (Save them!) I felt something stir behind my back. Tentacles emerged, slicing through the air in smooth, silent motions, like waking serpents. They moved without hesitation, wrapping around the woman and the child firmly, yet without hurting them, pulling them quickly toward me.

The next instant, I bent my legs and jumped. The ground blurred away as the wind cut across my face. At the same time, I summoned a dense wall of smoke beneath me, thick and murky, expanding like a living veil, forming a barrier between us and the overwhelming force rushing toward us.

I heard the mother scream beside me, a sharp, panic-stricken cry, but I let the sound pass through me. There was no room for distractions. The little girl, on the other hand, seemed completely oblivious to the danger. Her eyes shone with innocent excitement as she pointed at me and said something like, “The heroine can fly!”

I ignored her. I had bigger concerns. The wave finally crashed against my barrier. At the moment of impact, I felt my strength being drained, as if invisible claws had sunk into me and were tearing something out without mercy. The shadow structure trembled, rippling unstably, threatening to collapse at any second.

On the other side, I knew exactly what was there, streets, buildings, people far too distracted to notice death bearing down on them. If I failed here, right now, there would be nothing left but wreckage. So I held.

I clenched my teeth, steadied myself in midair, and pushed everything I had into maintaining it. Slowly, almost against its own nature, I extended the shadow. It spread like a starving creature, crawling and stretching until it covered the entire wave... and then it began to devour it.

It wasn’t fast. It wasn’t clean. The wave resisted, thrashing against the grip of darkness, but little by little it was consumed, swallowed inch by inch until it vanished completely into my wall of shadows. Silence. I let out a quiet breath as relief washed over me, only to be replaced by exhaustion.

My body gave out. I started to fall. Gravity pulled me down hard, but I still had one last concern, the mother and the little girl. I adjusted my body midair, angling the impact and softening the landing as much as I could.

When my feet finally hit the ground, the asphalt gave way beneath the force, cracking and kicking up dust in a small gray explosion that spread around me. The impact echoed through the block... but stopped there.

I stayed still for a moment, feeling the weight of my own body. Well... at least I didn’t destroy the whole block. Turning my attention back to the mother and child, I loosened my hold and set them down carefully, keeping them within reach for a moment longer. I watched in silence.

The woman’s breathing was uneven, her chest rising and falling rapidly. Her eyes darted between panic and confusion, as if she were still trying to process what had just happened. I let out a quiet sigh and spoke, firm and direct: (You and your daughter should leave... it’s dangerous here)

She flinched at my voice, jumping slightly. Her eyes shot around nervously, as if expecting something to leap out of the shadows at any moment. Only then did she slowly turn to face me. I held her gaze, unmoving. For a brief moment, it seemed like her legs wouldn’t respond. Her body trembled slightly, but gathering what strength she had, she pulled her daughter close to her chest and turned to run.

Her steps started hurried, uneven... But then, in the next second, she stopped. She hesitated. And turned back to me. I raised an eyebrow, surprised: “Th-Thank you... for saving us” Her voice trembled, nearly swallowed by fear, but it was sincere. Without waiting for a response, she turned again and ran, this time without looking back, quickly disappearing from sight.

I stood there for a moment, watching the empty space she left behind. Well... I didn’t exactly do it expecting thanks. But... it’s not bad. That said, I didn’t even have time to breathe. The air around me was still burning when a sudden vortex tore open in front of me, spinning violently, as if space itself were being twisted by force.

From within it, the priest didn’t just appear, he was spat out, like something reality itself had rejected. His body... if it could still be called that... was unrecognizable. His human form had been warped beyond any natural limit, limbs stretched at impossible angles, skin split with cracks that pulsed with unstable light, as if something inside him was desperately trying to break free.

His very presence weighed on the environment, dense, oppressive, like an error the world couldn’t fix. At this point, he was no longer a man. He was practically a monster. The reason, however, quickly became clear.

The concepts... had grown tired. And this time, it wasn’t a warning. Not a restrained punishment. It was absolute. It was final. This time... they were going to destroy the priest for daring to force them.