Chapter 134 Eri
"Cha! Ha Cha!"
Eri stared at the TV screen in front of her, which was playing the last episode of "Ultraman Tiga". Ultraman Tiga was defeated by Gatanjea and turned into a stone statue that sank to the bottom of the sea.
Seeing Ultraman Tiga sinking to the bottom of the sea, Eri's heart couldn't help but writhe in pain. She hugged the little bear next to her in her arms, and couldn't help but worry about Tiga, and worried whether the world would really be destroyed by Gatanjea.
But at this time she saw the original bad Tiga coming to the bottom of the sea with the help of others with the light conversion system to replenish Tiga's light, and she suddenly began to have hope again.
But their plan was soon discovered by Gatanjea.
Gatanje's huge shadow slowly emerged on the screen, like an endless darkness swallowing up all the light.
Eri's eyes widened, and she held the little bear tightly in her arms.
"Don't be discovered, don't be discovered..." She prayed silently in her heart, her little fingers curled up in nervousness, her fingertips almost sinking into the soft doll.
But soon, Gatanje's cold and ruthless eyes turned to the depths of the sea, and the light was instantly dimmed by its evil aura. The system that originally transmitted light to Tiga was hit by the huge tentacles, and mechanical fragments flew everywhere. Dazzling sparks streaked across the darkness under the water like meteors.
Eri's heart instantly rose to her throat. She bit her lips, her eyes slightly red. "No, don't..." She said to herself, hoping that the voice in her heart could penetrate the screen and help Tiga and those who were working hard.
Just when the light was about to go out completely, a familiar melody suddenly came from the screen. The uplifting music seemed to surge out from the abyss and rekindled hope.
"Here it comes!" Eri suddenly sat up from the ground, her face tense and her eyes sparkling with anticipation.
On the screen, all the children in the world looked up at the sky and turned into light to Tiga. Their voices, their hopes, and their wishes penetrated the darkness and ignited the sleeping stone statue.
The stone statue of Tiga began to glow slightly, little by little, like a rising sun. That light was no longer a lonely power, but a light that gathered the hopes in countless people's hearts. Eri's eyes became brighter as the light grew brighter. The corners of her mouth rose slightly, and her nervous little face finally relaxed.
"Wake up soon..." she muttered to herself, and her little hands unconsciously clenched the doll in her arms, as if to cheer for Tiga.
The stone statue of Tiga suddenly burst out with a brilliant light, which spread like ripples, dispelling the darkness on the seabed. Ultraman Tiga was revived by the call of countless people! He stood up again, his whole body shining with dazzling golden light, like a god.
Seeing Tiga wake up, Eri jumped up with joy. She skipped around the house like a little child, with the little bear swinging around in her hands, as if it was celebrating this hard-earned victory with her.
On the screen, Tiga flapped its wings and flew high, rushing straight towards the huge and terrifying figure of Gatanjea. Gatanjea's tentacles waved wildly, trying to stop the arrival of the light, but this time, it could no longer suppress Tiga's power that gathered the wishes of countless people.
Tiga's light fell like thunder, instantly piercing through Gatanjea's body and re-illuminating this world shrouded in haze.
Seeing this, Eri's originally excited expression suddenly paused. She seemed to have thought of something, and squatted on the ground holding the teddy bear, her mood suddenly becoming depressed.
On the TV screen, Tiga finally turned into light and disappeared into the sky. The world regained its light and everyone was excited about the victory.
Eri hugged the teddy bear in her arms, huddled on the floor, and stared at the TV screen with a dazed look. Although there was a glow of victory and cheers on the screen, she only felt a chill to the bone. It seemed that those bright lights did not illuminate her world, but drove her into a corner, turning her into a shadow with nowhere to escape.
"If I am killed by Ultraman, will the world become happy like this?" She thought to herself, and her hands unconsciously pressed hard on the little bear in her arms, trying to find a sense of security, but the fear deep in her heart spread like a dark tide.
She recalled the monsters that were defeated in every episode of Ultraman, those figures that disappeared in the light, they were completely wiped out in an instant, leaving no trace. Those monsters that once bared their fangs and claws, calling the wind and rain, will eventually be forgotten even by their names, leaving only the glory of heroes in everyone's memory.
"Monster..." Eri repeated the word in her mind, and the feeling of loneliness became heavier.
She knew that she was also a monster, no different from those monsters, and she did not belong to this world - one day, a "light" like Ultraman would come and completely wipe out her monster, and then this world would be like the world on TV, full of laughter and celebration, and no one would feel sad for her disappearance.
Thinking of this, her body involuntarily curled up into a ball, her thin shoulders trembling silently. She didn't know how to get rid of this feeling of fear. The brighter the light on the TV, the heavier her heart became, as if the light was to reveal her inescapable fate.
She understood from childhood that she was different from others. Others had families, friends, and warm lives, but her world was filled with loneliness and silence. Those seemingly gentle lights were like a sharp blade to her, ready to tear apart her disguise at any time and expose her identity as a "monster".
"Why must monsters be killed..." Eri buried her face in the bear's soft fur, trying to avoid all the terrible thoughts.
She thought of those who had tried to get close to her. No matter who they were, they all chose to stay away in the end. She knew that she could not fit into the lives of those normal people. She was destined to become an alien, a monster, and those warm lights were only to more ruthlessly disperse her existence.
At this time, the light of the TV flickered, and Tiga on the screen gradually disappeared, leaving only the extinguished picture. The room suddenly became quiet, announcing her isolation from the world.
She lowered her head and hugged the little bear tightly to her chest, as if it was her last resort.
"Maybe, one day I will be forgotten like those monsters..." There was a trace of helplessness in her eyes, and tears welled up in her eyes but did not fall. It was a kind of sadness that could not be expressed.
Just then, there were soft footsteps outside the door, and there seemed to be some whispers in the originally silent room. Those sounds were very strange, which made Eri feel a little scared.
She carried the little bear to the huge iron gate. The huge iron gate was used to lock her up, to lock up this monster.
For some reason, the iron door that was originally locked opened by itself today. Eiry stared at the slightly opened gap in the heavy iron door, and an inexplicable sense of uneasiness surged in her heart.
Her fingers tightly grasped the little bear, her fingertips slightly white, as if she was grasping for the last support. The cold wind blew gently into the room through the crack in the door, as if something unknown was sneaking in silently.
The footsteps outside the door paused for a moment, then sounded again, softly and regularly, as if someone was deliberately moving lightly for fear of disturbing something.
Eri took a step back unconsciously, her back pressed against the cold wall, as if this would give her a little more sense of security. The iron door had been closed since she moved into this room, and she had never seen it open by itself. Every time a doctor, nurse, or anyone else came, they would use a key to unlock the heavy door.
But today, no one showed up as usual, and there was no sound of any key turning. The iron gate actually opened a tiny crack silently.
This gap, like a cold eye, was staring at her. Outside the door, the whispering voices seemed to be getting closer and closer, as if someone was waiting for her to walk out of this cold cage.
"Should I go out... or not?" She held the little bear, her mind in a mess. The shadow of the monster still lingered in her mind. If she went out, would she be destroyed by the light like those monsters? Or would she be swallowed by those beings waiting in the dark?
She bit her lower lip tightly, feeling her body trembling slightly due to anxiety. She had lived here for a long time, so long that she had become accustomed to the confinement and loneliness behind this door. The outside world was strange and full of unknowns to her. Outside that door, was it freedom, or a more terrible fate?
The footsteps sounded again, this time clearer than before, as if urging her to make a decision.
"Someone... is waiting for me?" Eri thought, but this waiting was not a warm welcome, but more like a temptation, like the low howl of wolves in the dark night, attracting lost prey to step into the trap step by step.
Her breathing began to quicken, and complex emotions emerged in her eyes. The little bear was held tighter in her arms, and its soft body was almost squeezed out of shape.
She wanted to turn around and sit back on the cold bed, continue to curl up in the corner of the room, waiting for the arrival of a new day, waiting for time to completely forget her.
However, the door seemed to be calling her silently. The outside world, although strange and dangerous, had an inexplicable attraction, like the light in the deep sea. Even though she knew there was an abyss ahead, she couldn't help but want to get closer.
She hesitated for a moment, and finally stretched out her hand carefully and pushed open the door. The iron door made a low "creak" sound, which was particularly harsh in the silent space. The darkness outside the door seemed to open its mouth, waiting for her arrival.
Eri took a deep breath, hugged the little bear tightly, and took the first step with her last bit of courage.
The cold corridor seemed like an endless hallway, with thick darkness at the end. Her footsteps echoed in the empty corridor, reminding her that she had walked out of the cage that had imprisoned her, but what awaited her might not be freedom.
There were more and more whispers hidden in the darkness. Eri continued to move forward with some fear. There was a light not far away, which seemed to be the exit. As she moved towards the light, the whispers became clearer.
Those voices seemed to be shouting, "Meat... fresh meat... I want to... I want to eat it..."
Eri was shaking with fear, but she continued to move forward. Soon she walked out of the corridor. The sky outside was orange, as if it was the end of the world. There was no one around, and the buildings looked a little dilapidated.
Eri was standing on the dilapidated street holding the little bear, looking around timidly. The sky was filled with thick orange clouds, like the stagnant light at the last moment before sunset, but with a strange sense of doomsday.
The wind blew through the abandoned streets, rolling up dead leaves and waste paper and swirling around her feet, as if the world had long been abandoned and there was no trace of humanity.
Her heart was beating fast, and with every step she took she could hear her footsteps echoing in the empty streets, the whispers lingering in her mind, those malicious, hungry voices hiding in the shadows around her waiting for their chance.
"Meat...fresh meat...eat her..." These words seemed to come from different directions, intertwined from far and near, full of anxiety and danger.
Suddenly, a man wearing a bamboo hat appeared not far from her. The man, dressed in ancient style, was at least two meters tall and had well-developed muscles. He lifted his bamboo hat a little so that Eri could see his face. His face was red and struggling, with a long and straight nose. There was a golden and fierce light flowing in his pupils. He looked like the legendary Tengu.
Eri was stunned, her body too stiff to move as she looked at the tall stranger in front of her. His red face was full of pain as if he had struggled, as if he was imprisoned by some curse. His long nose was as sharp as a knife, and his golden eyes revealed a light that did not belong to humans, like a hungry beast locking onto its prey.
The wind blew up the drooping edge of his hat, making a hoarse "rustling" sound. The shadow of the hat covered most of his face, leaving only a pair of creepy eyes staring at Eri.
"Meat...fresh meat..." The whisper came from somewhere. At this moment, it seemed that it was no longer an auditory hallucination, but came from the mouth of the tall monster. The voice was hoarse and low, with some kind of uncontrollable desire and madness, as if it would pounce on her and tear her apart at any time.
Eri subconsciously hugged the little bear tightly, her fingertips sinking deeply into the soft body of the doll. She felt like a fawn being targeted by a wild beast, whose throat could be bitten off at any time. Her breathing began to quicken and her heart beat like a drum, but she knew she must not panic.
The monster took slow steps, his leather boots stomping on the stones of the abandoned street, making heavy "thump, thump" sounds. Each of his steps seemed to be approaching his prey, bringing a sense of oppression that made it impossible to escape.
Eri's mind was blank. She just wanted to run away, but her legs felt like they were filled with lead and she couldn't move. She could only stare at the monster approaching her step by step, as if she was fixed in place by fear.
"Run..." She kept telling herself in her heart, but her body went against her will and she could only stand there trembling.
The monster walked to within a few steps of her and suddenly stopped. He lowered his head and looked at Eri carefully, as if he was considering whether to eat the little girl first or play with her first.
"Are you a ghost too..." His hoarse voice was like the wind blowing through a dry well, icy cold, and he had already determined that she was also an alien.
Eri did not answer. Her lips trembled but no sound came out. She could feel that in the eyes of this monster, she was no longer a human being, but some kind of fellow creature, or perhaps just a "dinner" waiting to be devoured.
Just as the monster slowly raised his hand, a cold wind suddenly blew from a distance, blowing up the dust on the street. A dark shadow suddenly appeared in the orange sky in the distance. The shadow flashed by like lightning and pounced on the monster with a sharp breath.
"Zheng——!"
A long knife fell from the sky, cutting through the air and slashing towards the monster's shoulder as accurately as a meteor. The monster reacted quickly and took a step back to avoid the blade, but a long bloody mark was still left on his shoulder, and golden blood slowly dripped down his red skin.
"Hmph." The monster let out a dull growl, a violent light flashed in his eyes. He suddenly raised his head and looked at the figure that suddenly appeared not far away.
Eri also followed the monster's gaze. Her eyes widened instantly, her mouth slightly opened, and she looked at the savior who fell from the sky in disbelief.
He was a young man with a slender figure, wearing a simple black windbreaker, holding a long sword that was shining with cold light in his hand. The windbreaker rustled in the wind. There was no fear in his deep eyes, only calmness and determination.
(End of this chapter)
