Abnormal Type Moon

Chapter 4: Abnormal Type Moon

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Climbing up the stone-like steps, Utaha reached the top of the city wall.

The moment the scene outside the city came into view, she subconsciously held her breath.

When she had entered the city from the wild earlier, she had been too disoriented to take note of her surroundings. Only now, standing atop the wall, did the world reveal to her a small glimpse of its terrifying reality.

Even this corner was horrifying.

Beyond Fuyuki City, the mountains and fields stretched out in a blanket of pitch-black ground.

Everything in sight looked as though it had been scorched by an all-consuming fire. The earth was blackened and charred, and not a single trace of greenery—no weeds, no trees—could be seen. Darkness dominated the landscape, and even the sky above was a murky, polluted hue. The entire world seemed stripped of color, leaving only an oppressive, desolate purity.

The land was dead.

Decayed and barren.

It was a sight that evoked nothing but despair.

Staring at this lifeless expanse, Utaha felt an oppressive weight settle on her chest, as though a massive stone were pressing down on her. The air she breathed carried the acrid scent of burning, searing her heart and lungs with each inhale.

"Don't keep staring."

Roy, noticing her increasingly uneven breathing, raised his hand to shield her eyes.

"This land is cursed. Even just looking at it for too long can make people feel physically ill. Prolonged exposure to the wilderness can lead to mental abnormalities. To put it simply—it drives people mad."

Utaha shivered involuntarily.

So the guards had truly saved their lives by bringing them into the city!

"But that's not even the greatest danger."

Seeing that she had calmed down, Roy lowered his hand and pointed towards a spot beyond the city wall.

"Look over there."

Utaha followed his finger and looked in the direction he was pointing.

From the distant horizon came a cacophony of feral roars. Several massive, alien beasts emerged, charging ferociously toward the city wall. Even the earth beneath them seemed to groan in protest as it trembled under their heavy strides.

"Are we going to be okay?" she blurted out in worry.

Though the beasts weren't as large as elephants, they were far more muscular than lions. If they all struck at the same time, could this stone wall really hold against them?

"There's no need to worry. This wall has stood strong for nearly a decade. Monsters of this level won't even scratch it."

Roy waved his hand dismissively, his calm and composed demeanor radiating confidence.

His assuredness gave Utaha a sense of security, allowing her to relax slightly.

She glanced back at the approaching beasts.

Are those the monsters? she wondered.

It didn't take long for the creatures to reach the wall. But before they could come close, the wall suddenly shook violently, followed by the deafening roar of artillery fire. Flashes of light lit up the air, and the monstrous figures crumpled to the ground under the barrage.

"The wilderness is a forbidden zone for humans. Almost no one dares to live out there," Roy explained, his voice calm but firm. "A large part of the reason is the dangers like these. Magical beasts like this are manageable. But if you encounter evil spirits, cursed spirits, or, worst of all, blackened servants… then you're in for real trouble."

As he spoke, Roy extended his hand. Moving his fingertips with deliberate precision, he traced glowing, otherworldly symbols in the air.

"Buzz!"

Suddenly, flames erupted from the glowing characters at his fingertips, surging forward like waves of fire and crashing down on the beasts.

Within moments, the monsters were engulfed in raging flames. Their shrill roars echoed across the scorched landscape as they collapsed heavily, one by one, consumed by the fire.

"Therefore, Kasumigaoka, ordinary people like you must never step beyond the city walls unless accompanied by a Magus like me, no matter what others say."

"Yes, I understand."

Kasumigaoka stared at the blazing flames in a daze for a long while before finally coming to her senses.

This is truly supernatural power.

Creating fire with mere words—this ability is far beyond the reach of any technology!

"Magus-sama?"

"That was magic, wasn't it?"

Roy's display had caught the attention of the guards stationed on the city wall. The captain of the guard approached him personally, saluting with utmost respect and eyes full of sincere admiration.

"I'm just here to take a look. Carry on with your duties as usual," Roy replied nonchalantly.

"Yes, sir!" The captain of the guard straightened and responded with full enthusiasm.

Despite Roy's assurance, the guards' attention remained wholly focused on him, captivated by the sight of the Magus and his display of magic.

Not wanting to disrupt their work further, Roy took Kasumigaoka away from the city wall.

"Roy-sama, you mentioned earlier that the city wall has been standing for nearly ten years?"

As they descended the steps, Kasumigaoka followed closely behind Roy.

Through their brief exchange earlier, she had started to understand a bit about his personality. He seemed approachable, so she gathered her courage and asked a question.

"What about before that? Ten years ago, was there no city wall here? Were there other defensive structures?"

"That's a sharp observation."

Roy nodded approvingly.

"Ten years ago, there were no walls here because the world wasn't like this back then."

He paused, as if gathering his thoughts, before continuing.

"Ten years ago, in 1994, the world was still very ordinary—probably similar to the place you were before you came here. Even if there were some differences, they were minor, within the range of what you'd expect in parallel worlds. Everything changed ten years ago."

"That year, one night, a massive curse manifested out of nowhere. It swept across the entire world in an incredibly short time. Not just Japan, but the entire planet burned for a whole year. When the flames finally died out, the world had become what you see now."

"Only one out of every hundred people survived. Governments destroyed entirely. It became impossible to live in the wild. The survivors built a few base cities in the ashes of the old world, using massive walls and mysterious magic to protect themselves. Since then, humanity has been confined to these base cities, struggling to eke out an existence."

"Take Japan as an example. Today, the entire population of Japan is less than one million, spread across four base cities. Fuyuki City is one of them."

As they stepped onto the cobblestone road leading to the main urban area, Roy looked up at the dark sky, the scorched earth, and the polluted sea. A wave of mixed emotions seemed to cross his face.

He had some knowledge of the Type-Moon universe, but this particular Type-Moon world was unlike anything he had ever encountered.

What kind of Type-Moon world ends up like this?

This isn't how it's supposed to be!

Lost in thought, Roy silently led the way back to his home, with Kasumigaoka following close behind.

Roy's home was a traditional Japanese-style house with an impressively spacious yard. It featured a living room, a master bedroom, and several secondary bedrooms—more than enough to accommodate a dozen people. There was even a warehouse in a corner of the front yard.

In the current Fuyuki City, a property like this was a rare treasure. Even in the Fuyuki City of the past, it would have been considered a luxurious mansion befitting a landlord.

As they approached the courtyard gate, Kasumigaoka Utaha glanced at the nameplate near the entrance, unable to suppress her curiosity.

On the pristine white doorplate, one character were written in an elegant and formal style: "Aozaki."