AThousandCurses

Expedition to Isekai

The sound of someone approaching caused Shun to stiffen. Somehow, it registered to Shun that the intruder wasn't a beast nor a mouse. Her senses had been attuned to the point that, she could effectively certain footsteps from others. Lighter than a bear, but heavier than rat. It was one, two of her classmate, Shun presumed. She needed to get her act together. Tucking her legs even closer than before, Shun was about to bury her face until-

Ayana spoke. Shun lashed out. It was impulsive action, but once the train started it can't be stopped. "Again, the monsters, don't you get tired worrying over something so trivial?" A laugh escaped from her mouth, before she whirled to face Ayana. "If you wanted to comfort someone, you should try comforting Yuudai. Unfortunately for you, he's ten feet under." Her body burned, the wind felt like it caressing her ears. Shun glared at Ayana. "You're no different from Nagashima. Our classmate died and the first thing you did was jump into a pool of water."

Was she the only one who cared? The only one who wanted to mourn his death? Even if they weren't close, Yuudai was still their classmate. Yet, why was she in the wrong? Was it so bad to cry out at the world? Nagashima was heartless, Ayana was thoughtless, Stewart was an imbecile, Kogen delusional, Asahi was selfish, and Shun herself was being too emotional. The threads that allowed Shun to keep her rationality slowly began to snap. Her legs started to glow with a familiar light and she started to stand. "Am I the only one who cares? Why am I the one being vindicated?!" Shun was the wind. The wind holds no regards to others. It can be fair and gentle, but it could be just as turbulent.

Though as quick as it came, it left as quickly when she noticed Tsubasa. The look on her face sympathethic, the same with Ayana's as well. Why were they looking at her like that? To a third party, it would be obvious. For Shun, it took her a few moments to process what they were doing. Shun felt faint. Slipping back against the tree, Shun mindlessly took the offered food from Tsubasa. The food was roughened up, but it still tasted delicious. Shun choked as Tsubasa thanked her. "...What's the point of thanking me? He's still dead." Shun sniffed before going back to consuming the food.

Shun sat there in silence with the two of them. The rustling of the trees and company of others helped calm her down. While she hated people, she also liked them. Shun was human after all. Standing back up, the free spirited girl smiled as if she hadn't cried at all. "Let's get back going. I bet Nagashima's already doing something to help the class stay alive." She paused a bit before adding on, "Thanks, by the way. I'll try to do better." The tone was serious, unusual of Shun, but she reverted back to her usual self and began walking back to the group.

It wasn't good to split off from the others for long. Who would do that?

Expedition to Isekai

Now everyone seemed to gang up on her. Ayana, Duncan, and Asashi judging by their expression, all sided with Masato. It seemed like a group consensus that Masato made the correct choice in having Masato take their defenseless classmates away from the battlefield. Part of Shun also agreed with Masato's decisions. Yet, why did Yuudai have to die? Just because everyone else survived and only Yuudai died was a good thing? There were many if, but with only one now, those ifs only frustrated Shun more.

Soon people started separating her and Masato. "I'd like to see you bury your friend's remains with your own hands," Shun muttered under her breath. Though as Duncan separated her from Masato, when he spoke, it shocked her. A chuckle erupted before it transitioned into a laugh. If she was frustrated with Masato, then she was absolutely furious with Duncan. "That's rich coming from you, Stewart." Comparing him to every other awakened, sans Ayana, who had taken a dive into the lake, Duncan looked pristine. "At least I fought and killed some of the monsters. Now tell me, what did you do during that fight?" If she recalled, absolutely nothing. He just followed and left with the others.

Rolling up her sleeves, she thrust her tattered sleeve onto Duncan's chest. The arm underneath was adorned with scars from her fight against the long tail. "At least I tried! What did you do, Stewart!? Nothing! You just left without even trying to fight! I tried my best, and Yuudai still died! Yuudai- He- He-" Something was lodged into her throat. Something hammered against her skull. There was almost nothing left of Yuudai. He must have been alone, slowly dying as everybody left him behind. If only she had noticed the wolves sooner, fought better, and made all the correct decisions, then Yuudai might have been alive.

Though that wasn't her reality.

Shun stood still for a few seconds before taking a few steps back from Duncan. Her head lowered, which gave off an uncharacteristic gloom. "I saw a monster earlier when I was previewing the area." Shun finally said. "It noticed me, but it didn't seem hostile. Whatever that means is up to interpretation." It was best to get away from the lake and find a location nearby it. Where there was water, life was sure to come to follow.

And Shun didn't want to be nearby any living being right now.

Without a word, Shun left the group and disappeared into the woods. It happened at such a fast speed that it seemed as if Shun had used her power. Whether she used it or not was unknown even to Shun, as her vision was blanketed with green. At some point, she found herself leaning against a tree. Her arm had removed some of the bark that was on it. The sound of rushing water at least told her that the lake was nearby.

Her back slid against the tree and landed upon the roots.

Shun hated people. If you didn't fit with their definition of 'normal,' then you were considered weird. A freak, a nutcase, an outlier. If you were any of these, then you'd be excluded from the rest of the group. Who gave them the right to judge people for their actions? Especially those who weren't even involved in the situation. What authority did they have to become the judge, jury, and executioner?

"It's just not fair..." Shun hated groups of people. Unlike Kogen, who yearned for their attention, Shun subconsciously avoided joining any groups. The judging looks they gave her made her indignant. Her parents were no exception. They all judged her the same. She was Kogen's polar opposite in that regard. While he thrived under that attention, she stagnated underneath it. That's why she always looked the other direction and drove down the road. If she didn't acknowledge those judgemental stares, then they didn't exist. If they didn't exist, then they couldn't jeopardize her feelings.

A faint memory appeared in Shun's mind. That day at Ayano's party, her head was bloodied after hitting it against a table. Dizziness overwhelmed her senses. She looked back at the crowd that gathered before her.

The group looked back at her. They judged her. Some were worried, but most were annoyed. "Of course, that freak had to do Something. Who invited her in?"
"Ughh..." A wave of nausea caused Shun to regurgitate, but all that came out was liquid. Come to think of it; she hadn't eaten yet. Between scouting the area for any potential dangers and meeting Masato's group, there wasn't much of an opportunity. The persistent pounding on her head didn't bring her any relief at all. The concussion was still present. It was best to return to the group, but Shun didn't want to.

In her current disposition, Shun felt like she would lash out at her classmates again. Well, it wasn't like they needed her anyways. They had everyone, aside from herself, there. The soreness from last night's fight swept over her. Perhaps Duncan was right; she wasn't trustworthy at all.

Expedition to Isekai

So far, so good. Everything seemed to be in 'harmony' with her remaining classmates. That strange animal from earlier didn't seem to do anything as she left so that probably meant it wasn't hostile. Kogen and Akito seemed to get along well, considering Kogen hadn't outright murdered Akito. The look on Kogen's face could cook some eggs if they had any. She sympathized with Kogen slightly. Being an outlier herself, though not to the point of becoming a chuuni, Shun had her fair share of gossiping behind her back. Knowing Akito, he'd throw in his opinion or two. Unlike Kogen, Shun didn't really care about other people. They can talk about what they want to talk about and do what they want to do.

That was until she turned her head around. For the briefest of moments, her face immediately soured when she saw Masato walking straight up to them. That backstabber.

Walking straight up to Masato, it took Shun some effort to put on her usual smile. "Well, hello, Masato and everyone. Nice weather, right?" Her eyes drifted over toward her classmates. Her lingered on Endo and the burnt Yukiko, an image of Yuudai drifted through her head, and her fists tightened. It would seem that today was not her day. "I see mostly everyone in your party seems to be the picturesque definition of healthy." Shun hummed to herself but then stopped. Whatever 'harmony' she saw earlier quickly broke apart.

Once Masato had found a spot to lay down Bansen, Shun dropped the facade. An arm grabbed Masato's collar and pulled him closer to herself. "You better give me a good reason not to knock the shit out of you, Masato." Her hand tightened. "I won't fault you for Yuudai's death; that was my responsibility. Tsubaki on the otherhand? If I remember correctly, she left with you guys and somehow ended up with Akito." Just like a cup of water, Shun spilled everything she had to say.

"So, let me say it again, give a valid reason why you decided to flee, not with everyone, before I throw you in that lake." Masato probably knew how to swim, unlike Ayana. Unlike Ayana, Masato wasn't going to have a pleasant drop into the fresh lake, depending on his response.

Expedition to Isekai

Shun froze when she made eye contact with the adolescent beast, well if it had eyes anyways. Regardless, they recognized each other's presence at the lake. A frown appeared on her face. Should she kill it? It seemed quite defenseless and small in comparison to the other beasts she's faced. Though it reminded her of the laser wolves that she and Rin fought against. Granted, this fox-like creature had neither eyes nor was shooting any lasers at her.

After a moment of deliberation, Shun decided not to jump at the beast. If it was hostile, she would have attack but it only looked at her with passive curiosity. She wasn't going to start a war with every beast out there. The remainder of her classmates hadn't finished recovering and the last thing she wanted was to start another war. That was what happened last time. Shun stared at the beast, turned to lake to get a gulp of water, before turning around to return back to the group.

She'd have to convince them to find shelter after they were done gaining resources from the lake. It was clear to her that this spot was a potential hotspot for monsters considering it was a source of water. Where there was water, there was life after all. Additionally, she did check the perimeter and did find that there were other lifeforms in vicinity of the lake. She needed to inform them abotu it.

Expedition to Isekai

It was a long treck towards the stream. The journey and exhaustion had taken its toll on Shun, but she managed to keep an upbeat smile on her face. Unfortunately, Yuudai was dead, but that couldn't be helped. Fortunately, not all of their classmates had abandoned them. Akito, Tsubaki, and Asahi came back. Not in exactly one piece judging by how they arrived, but it was nice to see familiar faces come back to them. Though it seemed like the same scenario was playing itself again. They would have to take care of the injured while being cautious against the wild. How frustrating.

Shun took it upon herself to check their surroundings every time a bush bristled. It would be annoying to deal with monsters and even more annoying to deal with her classmates dying. It'd be nice if they could have a normal, exciting day without any troubles. Shun missed the days where she would chase after a car with her bicycle. How she would peddle her heart out to try and catch up. Though she often got reprimanded for performing a dangerous stunt, it was most certainly safer than walking around on this strange Earth.

A wave of relief washed over Shun as they came across the water stream. Looks like yesterday's efforts weren't for naught after all. Though her companions, Ayana espescially, seemed more enthusastic as ever. As much as Shun wanted to join in, water and herself didn't get along to well. That's why she had an another idea. "I'll go check the perimeter of the lake to see if it's safe. I'll be right back in a second," Shun cheerfully said as she walked off.

Aside from genuinely checking if they were being tracked by the previous monster group, Shun wanted to see if Masato and the others were nearby. She had a few things to say to him. Why did he leave? How could he have left Yuudai behind like that? What does my fist taste like? Needless to say, she was a little annoyed by him.

"...At least there's no smoke," Shun said to herself. For once it was a refreshing breeze in comparison to the smoking bus that was going to break down in under a second.

Expedition to Isekai

"To think you'd go out like this, huh..." Shun mumbled to the makeshift grave in front of her. After the fight with the monsters, there was a feeling of elation. The adrenalin and strange power in her body gave her a nostalgic feeling. Her body was a plane, and the sky couldn't limit her where she wanted to go. It made her so giddy that she swung her arms around while Rin was carrying her around. As precious as that feeling was, the situation was soon setting inside her head. Rin seemed level-headed as usual, but there was a sense of dread that Shun felt as they checked on the others.

The first thing they noticed were Kogen, and Ayana in the aftermath of a battleground. It would explain where the monster elephants came from. Thankfully, they didn't look too hurt and only had creases and dirt on their clothing. However, that was the least of their concerns at that moment. There were only three of them, while Masato and the rest were unaccounted for. Did they run away while they fought against the monsters? Thinking like that made Shun bitter a little, but at least Yuudai and the others were safe. Masato was a reliable guy from the little that Shun knew. She was sure that Masato would have made sure everyone made it out.

Yuudai's dismembered corpse was found in the destroyed bus.

The monster elephants that ran by must have crushed while they ran through the bus. It didn't seem painless either, judging what was left of the corpse. At first, Shun was shocked, but sadness didn't come. She felt confused, and then nothing. It was then she confirmed the feeling. She was disappointed that he died. Yuudai was gone, and what was left was a blood stain and a hand. Something that couldn't recite poems nor talk to her. It wouldn't jump recklessly in to protect her, nor would it try to comfort her. In other words, it was worthless.

She took it upon herself to bury the hand along with her other classmates. It was the least they could do for Yuudai.

Shun took her eyes off the grave and dug into her pocket. Producing a piece of parchment, she read out what was on the parchment.

"On a rainy day,"

"The Earth is filled with sorrow."

"Yet, the sun returns."

There was a moment of silence before Shun stored it back in her pocket. This piece of paper was clenched in the deceased Yuudai's hand and miraculously survived. Even though Shun didn't understand what the poem was talking about, it stilled the disappointment in her heart. Wiping the moisture out of her eyes, she spoke up to add her input.

"Yesterday, Kunio, Masami, Masato, and I discovered a small stream of water when we went out to look for water. There's a possibility that there's a stream if we follow the water." If they were lucky enough, it wouldn't solve their food problem, but they'd be at least able to satiate their thirst. Shun winced as she stood up; her legs hadn't recovered from the burning that she went through and pointed towards the direction where they would find it. "If we're lucky enough, we might find Masato and the others there as well. I'd imagine their situation would be similar to ours."

Expedition to Isekai

"Haaa... Ha..." Things had settled as quickly as she came. The moment she slammed the bloody remains into one of the beasts, they were bisected by Rin's magic attack. Would it be appropriate to call it magic? Rin was always a scientific orientated person, so maybe she would have opted for a different term. It's blood was mixed along with the corpses as newly pair of corpses collapsed on top of her. Shun let out a surprised sound before being buried underneath them.

All what she gathered from her hearing was the sound similar to a buzzsaw shredding into steel. It was an unpleasant sound akin to hearing chalk scratching against a writing board. Though silence soon came afterwards. It took Shun a minute to untangle herself from the body pile that she was stuck in. All it took was the severed tail in front of her to confirm what was the outcome of Rin's battle. Exhaustion and ever present concussion soon came kicking in.

Her legs felt as if they were about to snap apart and her head was being pounded by a hammer. "Ugh, I'm beat..." Shun said as she collapsed back on to the floor. She was about to make a request to Rin until the middle schooler felt a faint rumble. Turning her head towards the general direction of the source, Shun noticed the two elephant like creatures coming straight at her and Rin. Where did they come from?!

"Not good, not good!" Shun immediately scrambled, to her leg's dismay, and managed to barely get out of the way. The trampled where she was once was and disappeared into the forest. With the bus in shambles, they would need to find a new shelter. However in there current state would they be able to do so?

"Inaba. Can you give me a piggyback ride, please? I think my legs are going pass away without me if I talk another step." Shun whined towards the only classmate around. They needed to check on their remaining classmates. If those elephants were attacking the others earlier, then that meant that Yuudai and others were in danger.

Expedition to Isekai

"Sing, Sing, SING!" With every bash came a wonderful note that resounded in Shun's ears. How resounding and how fascinating. She was getting on highest of highs and the highest of lows. Each slam increased with vigor until she felt no resistance from the beast. It was until a little later that she realized that her opponent was dead. "I guess not everybody is meant to be a singer," Shun said as she tilted the corpse's head. What a shame. But there was still more to do. While she was off playing, she left an acquaintance alone. The other beast that was going after Rin.

"Well, if you're not going to sing you might as well become an instrument!" Not of it made rational sense, but to Shun as long as it was coherent, it made sense. Taking whatever remained of the corpse, her legs glowed again. She was sure that her legs were torn or something for that regard but she didn't care. That was future her's problem and that was enough for her to go at it again. Dashing through the air, she charged at beast.

"Heads up!' Shun said both literally and metaphorically. Using the corpse head first, she used the corpse as a club and proceeded to swing it at the beast. It didn't matter whether it hit or not, all it mattered was that she was getting the beast's attention. And if the beast were to come to blows, Shun would use whatever remained left of the body as a shield. After all, the greatest offensive was the greatest defense. Right?

Expedition to Isekai

"Hehehehehehe," Shun giggled to no one other than herself and the monster in front of her. That was fun. At one moment, she was touching the ground, and the next, she found herself covered in blood. How exhilarating. The adrenalin coursed through her body as she eyed the injured monster in front of her. Any thoughts that were related to Rin or the other beast had long since vanished. Unlike that time at the bus, she was going to finish off this beast for good.

"Have you ever read Grendel before?" She doubted that the monster had read a book before. In fact, she doubted that many of her classmates knew much about that story. At one point, she checked out a random book from the library. Needless to say, Shun didn't understand a single word of it and quickly got bored. It was a vain attempt to understand literature, but there were some plot points that caught her attention.

Her burdened legs glowed once more, and she sprung at the injured. Grabbing the monster by the neck, she used the rest of her strength to plummet the laser wolf's head into the ground. A sadistic grin grew on Shun's face. She wasn't done with the wolf yet.

"Sing for me, will you?" Shun screamed out. Then she raised the laser wolf's head up and then smashed it back into the ground. "Sing." Then she raised the laser wolf's head up and then smashed it back into the ground. "Sing." Then she raised the laser wolf's head up and then smashed it back into the ground. "Sing. Sing. SING." Each repetition grew stronger with every slam. Shun was intent on making this laser wolf into a red paste on the dirt ground.

Expedition to Isekai

A shrill scream escaped from someone's mouth. Oh wait, that was her mouth. Her vision exploded with pain and black. Her body was sent flying and tumbling down to the ground. Her skin was scrapped against the ground as the friction began to draw blood. Eventually, it came to a stop, and she found herself beside Rin. "Ah..." Shun groaned. Her body ached. A pain that she wouldn't have known in her world blossomed in her body. Her mind could barely keep itself awake from the exhaustion and beatings that the body took. A laugh escaped from her mouth.

"You get it? I'm afraid I'm not as smart as you, Rin." A dark chuckle escaped from Shun's mouth as she rose up. She stumbled for a bit before straightening her posture to look at the creatures. "But I think I can definitely feel on the same page as you."

Interests were like flames. They flicker and burn with passion, but at a single gust of disinterest, it fades away into ash. However, fires can be reignited. Just like how a motor can be turned back on, that once-of-a-lifetime flame had ignited. This time there was no one getting in her way; this time, there was no stopping. The fear in her heart only fueled the thrill of danger.

Back when that robber carjacked the car with her in it, she was afraid. Yes, of course, she was afraid. An unknown situation presented itself to the childlike her.

What should she do?

Fight the man?

Jump out of the car?

Beg him to let her go?

However, in equal measure, she was just as excited from the blurry outside to the frantic inside of the car. All of it happened in a singular moment. She couldn't help but laugh in the car as they swerved around in the town. There was only one thing that Shun could do at that moment.

Always forward, never look back.

"If I want to do something, I should just do it, right?" Strange energy fueled her body. That same energy shined over her legs, and Shun got into a sprinter's posture. Her tendons cried in pain, but she didn't care. Everything else was secondary to this very moment. "Let's... GO!" At that moment, she became a blur. Her feet kicked off the ground, but it was much more different from before. Launching herself would imply that there was some sort of wind-up.

In one big leap, Shun fired herself at the same laser wolf, who blew her up. Like a max pedal car, she shot forward towards the wolf and aimed to throttle the beast into a tree or two.