Gravity User of the Abyss Guard: Fuwamoco and the Irregular Transmigrator - Memory-Eating Village: Lives Being Eroded

The morning air in Luminar Port had a different feel to it. Amano Kaito gazed out the inn's window and let out a small breath. The stone buildings gleamed white under the morning sun. The streets were already bustling—merchants hauling carts, women carrying baskets, all weaving through the crowd. Somewhere in the distance, a bell tolled. Three days since he'd arrived in this world. Slowly but surely, the reality of being in an "isekai" was starting to settle into his skin. (But it's still different, isn't it.) He looked up at the sky, where countless floating islands drifted lazily. No matter how many times he told himself this was normal, some part of his mind refused to accept it. "Kaito, are you ready?" He turned to see Mococo peeking through the door. Her fluffy white hair was tied in twin-tails, her pink eyes sparkling. Her dog ears twitched and bounced. "Yeah, I'm ready." "Today we're going to the Abyss Guard headquarters! You're going to take your aptitude test!" Mococo clenched both fists and hopped in place, her tail wagging furiously. "Aptitude test..." Kaito looked down at his right hand. He could still feel a faint golden glow lingering at his fingertips. When he'd crushed that black monster, an "invisible force" had definitely surged from this hand. (Gravity manipulation, huh.) Apparently, some people in this world had the same power. About one in a hundred. But Fuwawa had told him his power was "anomalous." "Kaito, good morning." A quiet voice came from the hallway as Fuwawa appeared. Her long white hair was tied with a light blue ribbon, and her calm aqua eyes turned toward Kaito. Standing side by side, the sisters looked remarkably alike. But their presence was completely different. If Mococo was the sun, Fuwawa was the moon. "...Morning." Kaito replied curtly. He couldn't look Fuwawa straight in the eye. Last night by the campfire, she'd started to say something and then closed her mouth. It still lingered in his mind. (What is she hiding?) He wanted to press her. But seeing that expression on her face, he couldn't bring himself to push. "It's about a fifteen-minute walk to headquarters. We can see the city along the way." Fuwawa smiled softly. Was it just his imagination, or did that smile seem a little forced? The three of them left the inn. The streets of Luminar Port glistened, the cobblestones wet with morning dew. Wooden shops lined both sides, their signs swaying in the wind. In front of a sign that read "Starwheat Bread," the smell of fresh baking drifted through the air. "Wow, that smells amazing! Hey, hey, Kaito, let's get some later! The starwheat bread here is super delicious!" Mococo tugged at Kaito's sleeve. "...Yeah, sounds good." Kaito nodded honestly. Every food in this world was a new experience. "Mococo, we have the examination first. You can eat later." "Aww, just a little bit would be fine, right?" "No." Fuwawa said it flatly, and Mococo's dog ears drooped. "...Uuu, Big Sister is so mean." Kaito felt the corners of his mouth twitch upward. Watching the sisters interact never got old. (They're just like normal sisters.) Well, with dog ears and tails, "normal" wasn't exactly the right word. As they walked further down the street, the buildings grew larger. Eventually, a particularly tall tower came into view. "That's the Star-Reading Tower. The barrier's central mechanism is there, with thirty barrier specialists on duty at all times." Fuwawa explained. It had to be at least two hundred meters tall. The white stone tower stretched straight into the blue sky. "The barrier—you mean the Celestial Veil?" "Yes. It's a world-scale defensive barrier that slows the erosion from the Abyss. But right now, breaches are appearing all over..." Fuwawa's voice dropped slightly. "What happens when a breach forms?" "Void Spawn appear. And the erosion spreads. People's memories and emotions get devoured." Kaito remembered the black monster he'd fought yesterday. That tentacled horror. Just touching it made memories fade. (So more of those will show up.) A cold shiver ran down his spine. "But it's okay! With your gravity manipulation, Kaito, Void Spawn are nothing!" Mococo turned around and grinned. "Nothing, huh..." Kaito smiled wryly. Eventually, they arrived in front of the Abyss Guard headquarters. It was a large stone building. The Guardian crest was carved into the entrance, with two sword-bearing soldiers standing guard. Fuwawa exchanged a few words with them, and the soldiers silently stepped aside. Inside, the air was cool. They walked down a corridor lined with stone walls. Torches lined the walls, their flickering flames casting shadows. "The aptitude test will be conducted in the measurement room further in." Fuwawa led the way. The measurement room was surprisingly small. In the center was a pedestal, and on top of it sat something like a transparent crystal. Several examiners in white coats stood around it. "Oh, so you're the otherworlder I've heard about." An older man pushed up his glasses and looked Kaito up and down. "...Yes." "Then let's begin right away. Stand before the pedestal and hold your hand over the crystal." Kaito did as he was told. The crystal was cold, and he could feel it pulsing faintly against his palm. "Now, channel your power into it. Pour that sensation of something overflowing into the crystal." (Channel my power...) Kaito closed his eyes. He remembered the sensation from when he'd crushed that monster. An invisible weight pouring from his palm. The next moment, the crystal began to glow. "Ooh...!" Numbers surfaced inside the crystal. But they quickly began to distort. The digits spun wildly, and then— With a sharp crack, the crystal fractured. "W-what?! " The examiners erupted in murmurs. "Unmeasurable...? This device should be able to quantify any power in this world!" Kaito looked at his hand. Golden light traced along his fingertips. "I told you, didn't I." Fuwawa stepped forward. "Kaito's power exists outside the laws of this world. It can't be measured by any device. And that's not all. Every time he uses it, it erodes his very existence." Fuwawa's voice was calm. But beneath it, a desperate edge bled through. "His existence... erodes?" "Yes. That's why he shouldn't be forced to fight. At the very least, there should be measures to limit his power usage." Just then, heavy footsteps echoed from the back of the room. "Limit his power?" A low voice. Every head in the room turned at once. The man who appeared had salt-and-pepper hair swept back and sharp, piercing eyes. He wore a black coat, with a longsword at his hip. Mid-fifties, perhaps. "Lord Alvin Crow..." The examiner hurriedly bowed. Alvin—the Supreme Commander of the Abyss Guard. Kaito stared directly at the man he was seeing for the first time. (This is the one at the top of the Guardians.) Alvin approached Kaito and looked him over from head to toe, as if appraising him. "The otherworlder gravity user. Interesting. A power strong enough to break the measurement device, no less." "Lord Alvin, please listen. Kaito's power is dangerous. At this rate, his life will—" "Fuwawa Abyssgard." Alvin cut her off. "You're the one who summoned him. Then take responsibility and use him." Fuwawa's shoulders trembled. "Erosion has been confirmed in a village near Farna, in the eastern frontier. More than half the residents have had their memories devoured and transformed into eroded beings. Three Guardians will be dispatched immediately. Fuwawa, Mococo, and—the otherworlder. This is your first mission." "Wait, please! Kaito hasn't received any training yet!" Mococo raised her voice. "Training is unnecessary. Whether he can perform in real combat—that's the only question that matters." Alvin said it coldly and turned his back. "Departure in one hour. A wyvern has been prepared. Don't be late." His footsteps faded into the distance. A heavy silence remained in the room. "...Damn it." Kaito clenched his fist. (Treated like a weapon, huh.) He was angry. But more than that, he was worried about Fuwawa. She stood with her head down, biting her lip. "Fuwawa..." "...Let's go. We need to prepare." Fuwawa forced a smile and left the room. Her retreating figure looked terribly small. —— The wyvern was much larger than he'd expected. With its wings spread, it spanned a good ten meters. Its scales were a bluish silver, and a saddle for three was mounted on its back. "Kaito, this is your first time on a wyvern, right? It's so much fun! The wind goes whoosh, and you fly above the clouds!" Mococo happily stroked the wyvern's neck. "...We're not going to fall, right?" "Don't worry. This wyvern is well-trained." Fuwawa took Kaito's hand and helped him onto the saddle. Her hand was slightly cold. (Is she nervous?) Kaito gently squeezed her hand back. "...It's okay. I'm here." He didn't even know why he'd said it. But he couldn't not say it. Fuwawa looked at him in surprise. Then, she smiled softly. "...Yes. I'm counting on you." That smile didn't seem forced this time. The wyvern spread its wings. "Here we go! Hold on tight!" At Mococo's words, the wyvern kicked off the ground. His body floated upward. "Whoa...!" His field of vision opened up all at once. The city of Luminar Port shrank rapidly below them. White buildings, the Star-Reading Tower, the colorful roofs of the market. All of it spread out beneath them in an instant. The wind cut against his cheeks. "Amazing, right?! You can see the whole world!" Mococo turned around and laughed. Kaito was speechless. The blue of the sky. The white of the clouds. The chain of floating islands. The Mist Valley swirled white far below. (This is Yggdrasil.) It was almost frighteningly beautiful. —— The village came into view about an hour later. A small village near Farna. What should have been fields of starwheat was now covered in black mist. "That's the erosion. The mist of the Abyss is flowing in through a breach in the barrier." Fuwawa's voice was tight with tension. The wyvern landed just outside the village. The moment they touched the ground, the air felt heavy. A lukewarm wind carried the stench of rot. "...Is there no one here?" Kaito stared at the village entrance. The houses were silent, every window shut tight. "They're here. But they're already..." Before Fuwawa could finish, a clatter broke the silence. Figures emerged from the depths of the village. One, two, three— "Hey, are you all right?! We're from the Abyss Guard—" The moment Kaito shouted, the figures turned toward them in unison. Their eyes were hollow. Unfocused pupils. Limp arms. Black mist leaked from their mouths. "Kaito, get back! They're already eroded! Humans whose memories have been completely devoured!" Fuwawa stepped in front of Kaito. "Eroded..." The scene from that rainy day flashed through Kaito's mind. The old man's unfocused eyes. The same hollow gaze as back then. (Am I going to fail to save them again?) No. This was different. "We can save them, right? If we purify their memory cores." "Huh...? Y-yes. But we can't save everyone. The success rate is about thirty percent." "Thirty percent is fine. I'll do everything I can." Kaito stepped forward. The eroded began to move, swaying. "U... ah... aaa..." Voices that weren't words escaped them as they lunged at Kaito and the others. "Kaito! The usual! Pin them to the ground!" Mococo drew her twin blades. "I know!" Kaito thrust out his right hand. (Change the weight of whatever I touch.) He visualized it. Forcing the bodies of the eroded before him to the ground with many times their normal weight. "—Fall!" THUD! The eroded bodies slammed into the ground in unison. They dropped to their knees, sprawled flat, unable to move. "You did it! Amazing, amazing!" "Now! Mococo, I'll se

日本語

What is Novelia? →

Episode 3

Name: Gravity User of the Abyss Guard: Fuwamoco and the Irregular Transmigrator
Author: Novelia

What is Novelia?

Novelia is an AI-powered platform to read original light novels and fan fiction, create your own in just a few taps, and chat with the characters. New, illustrated episodes arrive daily — free to start.

Learn more about Novelia →New sign-ups get 5,000pt