Chapter 1 - Dying Region
You came, Luminas thought.
Veldora stood calm and unruffled before Dagruel. Naturally, unlike Luminas, who was powerless when time stood still, Veldora could move through the Suspended World as if it were second nature.
Looking at Veldora, Luminas felt a pang of absurdity. The despair of the past seemed trivial now. The tension that had built up in anticipation of death dissipated, replaced by an inexplicable sense of relief. Yet, it was a feeling Luminas didn’t want to acknowledge.
That's ridiculous. How could I be relieved just because Veldora is here? Luminas pushed these thoughts aside and focused on the present situation.
"Kwah-ha-ha-ha!" Veldora’s laugh echoed. Even in this critical moment, he was as carefree as ever, a sight that brought Luminas unexpected comfort. In the standstill of time, no one could hear Veldora's voice except Dagruel, who had activated the Suspended World. Yet, Veldora’s spirited demeanor remained unchanged.
What are you fooling around for?! The hateful tone belonged to an old enemy.
Oh, right. She's here too, isn't she? Luminas remembered Ultima's presence.
In the Suspended World, the nature of Veldora’s transcendence of time and space involved Ultima. That makes sense.
For Luminas, who had only just recognized the Suspended World, the events unfolding before her were incomprehensible. Yet, if it was real, as Ultima claimed, there was no time to be dumbfounded. Luminas, conscious but unable to move, heard Ultima’s unrelenting voice in her confused state.
"So, how do you feel? Are you aware of the situation?" Ultima asked.
"Well, yes. I'm not fully aware, but I understand we're out of immediate danger," Luminas replied without hesitation.
Ultima smiled. "Hmm, it's your first time experiencing the Suspended World, yet you can recognize voices and have a conversation. You're pretty good at this, aren't you? A worthy opponent, indeed."
Although Ultima hadn't experienced the Suspended World many times, she didn't need to reveal that. She sought to assert her superiority, then aim to reconcile the situation.
"If you can talk, you can see them, right?" Ultima continued.
"Of course I can. That damned evil dragon is glaring at Dagruel," Luminas responded, as her Ultra Intuition began to grasp the situation, albeit dimly. Only Veldora and Dagruel moved freely. Though Ultima spoke confidently, she wasn’t yet accustomed to moving.
"Hmm. So it's possible to interfere with the 'information particles'?" Luminas pondered.
No light, no sound transmission. The Suspended World’s recognition required interference with a special matter, smaller than spirits or photons, connected to the world’s core. Luminas understood this substance as what Ultima called "information particles."
"If we can move these 'information particles' freely, we can move even in stopped time, right?" Luminas asked.
"Exactly. I think I've already got a feel for it," Ultima said, regaining feeling in her limbs. Once she did, navigating the Suspended World would be as natural as breathing.
I won't be outdone, Luminas resolved. She sharpened her senses, grasping her inner self and the surrounding matter, selectively moving the unbounded "information particles."
Luminas' fingertips twitched.
"That's good," Ultima remarked. "It's a race."
Time stood still, but there was no time to lose. The outcome of Veldora and Dagruel’s battle was uncertain. They had to be ready to move before it was decided. Luminas and Ultima honed their senses, competing with each other in readiness.
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