14 Chapter 14: Goddess

I didn't know how long I spent devouring Kijima's corpse, but when I returned to my senses, there wasn't much that remained of him. Even the lions and wolves, which were originally summoned by him, were gone. It didn't matter that I controlled them now. With their summoner gone, their source of existence had been extinguished. Or perhaps there was a time limit on how long they could manifest in this world. Whatever the case, they were all gone, and I found myself alone, amidst a bloody puddle of human remains.

Thankfully, my injuries had completely healed. There was no sign of any of the cuts or almost fatal stab wound that Kijima had dealt me, not even a trace of a scar. The same went for the graze on my cheek. It was as if time had reverted back to when I hadn't fought.

No, that wasn't true. I could feel a bit stronger, the slight feeling of satisfaction after a good workout. Stretching myself, I stood up and glanced at Kijima's remains. I gagged on reflex at the gruesome sight.

"Ugh."

I was so glad that I was out of it when consuming humans. I probably wouldn't be able to preserve my sanity if I had to force myself to eat the humans. Then again, I wasn't sure if I was still sane. For all I knew, I probably had already gone mad.

Scratching my head, I responded to the gnawing intuition inside my mind and conjured the blue, holographic circle.

Name: Tanaka Tomoyuki

Species: Undead

Job/Rank: Gravekeeper/Lich Lord

Title: Hero Slayer

Special Abilities: Adamantium Will, Regeneration, Devour, Lord of Darkness, Absolute Appraisal, Summon

As I thought, I had devoured the Summon Special Ability from Kijima Takeshi. It seemed that my list of special abilities was growing longer and longer. I couldn't help but chuckle – right now, I was becoming some clichéd overpowered protagonist who could potentially gain an unlimited number of special abilities as long as I continued to eat my enemies

I wondered what the expressions of my classmates would be when they discovered that I now possessed both Tsukishima Tomoyo and Kijima Takeshi's special abilities. They would probably be outraged.

Good. I wanted to see them rage against the person they thought was trash…before I turned them into trash.

I left Kijima and Tsukishima's corpses behind. Both of them had been mutilated to the point they were beyond recognition. Our other classmates probably wouldn't be able to tell that those two remains were them from just a glance. They would have to delve deeper, using magical protection. Furthermore, when I activated my Absolute Appraisal, I saw that I couldn't see the status or special abilities of the dead.

A bunch of zombies materialized. They stared at me for a few moments, obediently waiting for my orders.

"Huh."

I glanced upward and saw that my tombstones were gone. I must have deactivated them at some point when I was busily eating Kijima. I shrugged, and proceeded to dismiss them. The zombies disappeared as quickly as they appeared, leaving no trace that they had ever existed.

I tapped on the Summon tab and re-read the details. This time, I saw an addendum.

Summon: Summon any type of monsters and weapons. Power of monsters and weapons are limited by the summoner's strength. No time limit for summoned monsters.

"I see," I mused as I studied the details. It also seemed that I didn't gain the Golden Forge spell. Not that I needed it. I wasn't going to rip off Emiya Shirou and Unlimited Blade Works, and besides, I preferred Thousand Astral Graves.

Well, there wasn't much else I could do, so I switched off the blue holographic screen and began walking. I hoped I could track down Elia Kratz and her men before they got too far. It was pretty lonely being out here on my own.

I also wasn't very enthusiastic about surviving alone. I still needed the others to help me find out more about this world.

"Guys? Where are you?"

Stupid question. I was the one who told them to run away when Kijima attacked. Even Kratz had listened to me this time. That was good. Kijima was such a tough opponent that I couldn't afford to babysit them.

Speaking of which, that was a close battle. If Kijima hadn't gotten overconfident, drawn in close to me to deliver that last strike, I would never have been able to grab hold of him and unleash my Shadow Lunar Fang at pointblank range. That technique required some time to charge, and despite its sheer power and ferocity, was slow and clumsy. He would have easily dodged it if I hadn't ensnared him. In exchange, I had allowed him to close in and deal a fatal blow to me.

That tactic wouldn't have worked if I wasn't an undead.

Indeed, I wouldn't have thought of that if I didn't possess the regenerative powers of an undead. My aim wasn't mutual destruction. It was victory and revenge.

Two down, twenty-seven to go. Or twenty-six, given how Kobayashi sacrificed Samejima Hiroki to kill the Demon Lord. So I could write Samejima off. I was slowly chipping away at their numbers. From fighting both Kijima and Tsukishima, I knew how difficult my task was. Even though I had just barely won – especially against Kijima – I knew that the battle could have swung either way. If Kijima had kept his distance and left the job to his lions, he could have continually summon more creatures to replace his losses and win in a battle of attrition.

Despite devouring the Demon Lord, I hadn't suddenly attained God Mode. Sure, I couldn't deny that there was sort of divine intervention or deus ex machina looking after me and allowing me to reach bullshit levels of overpoweredness to kill my classmates, but I couldn't let my guard down. I had only prevailed because I had the extremely good fortune of fighting them one-on-one. If the both of them had ganged up against me…

The result would have been very different. I knew that I couldn't count on the remaining twenty-seven classmates to come at me one at a time. As stupid as they were, they couldn't possibly be that naïve. And even if they were, I wasn't going to gamble on such an absurd possibility. Not when my life was hanging on it.

Or should I say un-life? Technically, I was an undead…

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"Guys?"

I felt like an idiot when my voice echoed throughout the forest. There was no response, nothing. A few rustling in the bushes, probably from rabbits or other animals, the chirping of birds and the croaks of insects.

But there was no sign of human voices. Or demon, given that Kratz and her subordinates weren't exactly human, but honestly I couldn't tell the difference. From what little I knew of Restia so far, everyone seemed to be speaking the same language.

Funnily enough, now that I thought about it, everything I heard sounded like Japanese. That sounded absurd. Why would people in another world speak in Japanese? Was it something the goddess Evelyn did to us? Given how she spoke to us in Japanese when she first appeared before us, it wasn't hard to imagine that it had something to do with magic.

There's still so much I don't know about Restia.

I sighed. That was something I strove to correct. The earlier, the better. In any case, I should keep moving. I didn't want to be lingering around with the corpses of Kijima and Tsukishima, and I had no doubt the rest of the class would catch up and find them soon enough. They would eventually realize that two of their number were missing and come looking for them. I didn't want to be hanging around here when they arrived.

The good news was that it was dawn. The bad news was that it didn't matter because I was an undead. Thanks to my innate night vision, I could see regardless of the luminosity. I glanced around warily, making sure there were no threats, then picked up Tsukishima's staff and stepped into the woods where the soldiers had disappeared into. The last time I saw Kratz and her men, they had gone in this direction. My only hope of locating them was to enter the forest then.

I didn't know how much time I spent walking, bashing through the woods. The beasts of the forest seemed to shrink away, staying out of my path. I wondered if it was perhaps thanks to the Machiavellian Charisma that they were keeping a respectful distance.

At least, the smaller monsters were.

"Guu…"

I froze when I heard the grunt. Something enormous emerged from the bushes, trampling small shrubs and knocking over a tree. Growling, a gigantic demonic boar stepped into the clearing, crushing grass and twigs underfoot.

It glared at me with its demonic, red eyes, and its nostrils flared. Its jaw yawned under its snout, and it let out a thunderous bellow. Jagged tusks sliced through the trees, causing them to fall over, their trunks cleanly severed.

I swallowed and backed away, but the demonic boar seemed to have its eyes locked onto me. Red veins bulged horrifically from underneath its brown fur and it stomped toward me with a roar. Smashing trees aside, the boar began to charge at me.

"Aw, don't attack me, you stupid boar!" I whined. "I'll only bore you!"

The wild boar ignored me and wildly plunged into the trees where I had been standing in front of just seconds before. I had dived to the ground, sliding through the rough roots and getting several abrasions for my efforts.

But I was still alive and not a squashed pancake beneath the boar's hooves, or gored by its wicked-looking tusks.

"You're trying to bore a hole in me, stupid boar?" I shouted. The boar grunted and turned around, pawing the ground before charging again.

"Oof!"

I parried the tusks with my staff, but the momentum of the massive boar lifted me off my feet and hurled me across the forest. I broke through several networks of branches before slamming into a tree. My breath knocked out of me, I slid down, winded.

The boar growled triumphantly before charging at me. I shakily rose to my feet and held my staff right in front of me.

"I killed two heroes, you bastard," I sneered. "You think you can defeat me? Your tusks are not up to the task."

The boar roared as it closed in on me. I cracked my neck and then aimed my staff. Just before it reached me, I obliterated its head with a Doombolt.

The carcass came crashing down on top of me. I jumped high up and landed on the skidding body, righting my balance before I flipped over and landed casually on the ground. Behind me, the headless boar knocked over several trees before coming to a halt.

"What a bore," I remarked, and then proceeded to turn around and carve the meat up into chunks.

*

This time, I wasn't so greedy as to devour the whole boar in one go. I made sure to save some meat for the future. I realized that if my Regeneration had slowed down, the best thing to do was eat some meat.

Wow, I'm just like a ghoul, am I not? Too bad I'm no longer in Tokyo.

Sighing, I strapped the last of the meat into my pockets, and then continued past the skeletal carcass. Cocking my head, I decided to reanimate it into an undead and have it tag along like some bony bodyguard.

"Let's go, uh…" staring at its white skull, I thought for a while, and then shrugged when I thought of the perfect name for it. "Bonehead."

The skeletal boar didn't protest. It silently followed me as I traversed through the forest. I shoved the plants and shrubs aside, no longer holding any hope of running into Kratz and her subordinates, but at least hoping to encounter another demon.

They can't be the only demon soldiers to have escaped the massacre…

I felt bad. I was part of the carnage, having stained my hands with the blood of demons.

However, they're the only hope I had. I couldn't afford to be picky with my methods, not if I wanted to survive in a world where my former classmates (the heroes) were out for my blood and if I wanted revenge.

I continued moving through the forest, guarded by the skeletal boar. The hours slipped by, and night came, but my vision didn't diminish. I could see the crescent moon high above me, as clearly as if I was day.

"Huff…"

Exhaustion coursed through my limbs and I staggered, feeling a bit woozy. I was surprised that I didn't feel thirsty. It seemed that the undead didn't need to drink water. Nor do we have to answer the call of nature.

How very convenient.

I brushed past the trees and continued on, Bonehead trampling past me. Bursting out of the trees, I stumbled upon a riverbank.

"A river?"

That looked like a good sign. If I followed the river, I might eventually find a way out of the forest. Furthermore, I was sure there would be villages or towns near this river, to make use of the clear water or fishes as a resource. This far out, it should be a demonic village, but at this point, I didn't care if it was human, as long as they had no relation to the heroes.

We followed along the riverbed, crunching grass and soil underneath our feet. I glanced up at the night sky and closed my eyes, savoring the cool breeze that drifted through the canopy of the trees. Several bugs buzzed around me, but fortunately there were no mosquitoes. I hated mosquitoes. Perhaps they didn't find the taste of my undead blood appetizing.

All the better.

I followed the river for another hour or so, feeling my weariness increase by the minute. I glanced back at Bonehead, who was following me faithfully, his tusks gently swaying from side to side as his bones rattled somewhat nosily.

"Maybe I should get some sleep."

It was amusing that an undead like me still needed some sleep, but I guess that was probably an indication that I needed to replenish my magical energy or strength somehow. Besides, with Bonehead guarding over me, I didn't need to worry about anyone or anything attacking me in my sleep. Being a necromancer was so convenient.

Unfortunately, before I could start searching for an appropriate spot to sleep, someone called out to me.

"Um, excuse me, sir."

I blinked and spun around. There was an old lady sitting on a rock at the base of a tree, huddling against her wooden, walking stick. A torn, tattered hood was pulled over her wizened, wrinkled face, and several strands of white hair fell out. Flies were buzzing around her, and her frayed, ragged clothing was covered in grime.

When did she…?

I almost fell over from shock. Just seconds ago, I was sure I didn't see anyone there. I was certain that I was the only human (undead) in the forest, with only Bonehead to accompany me. It wasn't the darkness – I could see the details as clearly as if it was day, no matter how deep and dark the shadows shrouding them were.

It was as if the old woman had appeared out of nowhere.

Not caring about my surprise, the old woman continued pitifully.

"Can you give me something to eat?" as if on cue, her stomach growled. "I haven't eaten anything for two days. At this rate, I'll starve to death…"

I grimaced as a stink entered my nostrils. I had thought I had lost my sense of smell after being an undead, but it seemed that I had only become immune to the decaying stink of death. Everything else, from food to unwashed clothing and body odor, it seemed, was fair game. My senses as an undead hadn't dulled after all.

Taking a deep breath, I reached for my pockets. Food, huh?

"You're in luck. I still have some leftover meat from my hunt earlier. If you don't mind eating this, then…"

I retrieved the boar meat from my pocket and offered to the lady. If I needed more food, then I would just hunt again. Besides, it was clear that the old lady needed the food more than I did.

"If you need me to cook it, I'll start a fire…"

"That's fine. This is good enough."

The old lady smiled and bowed her head gratefully before accepting the slab of meat. She slowly bit into it and chewed.

"This is really good," she remarked, raising her head in joy. "Thank you very much."

"If you want more, I still have quite a bit of meat," I assured her, taking out more slabs of boar meat. She shook her head.

"This is enough. I haven't eaten for a while. Gorging myself so suddenly will make me sick."

I nodded understandingly. That was true. Her stomach, after being empty for so long, wouldn't be used to the sudden influx of food, and she would throw up. In fact, I should be feeding her something softer, something that would be easier on her stomach, but alas, no such convenient food existed on my person.

I watched the old lady nibble on the meat for a bit longer, and then realized that she wasn't afraid of the gigantic skeletal boar that was looming over us. Was she blind? Or was it too dark for her to see anything? She must have called out to me because she heard my footsteps but why didn't she hear the bony rattling?

Or perhaps this old lady wasn't an ordinary person…

In any case, I had more urgent matters to concern myself with.

"Hey, Granny, do you know where the nearest village is? Will I be able to get to one if I follow the river?"

"Walk for another half a day and you'll arrive at a temple," the old lady replied. I scratched my head. That didn't exactly answer my question, but it would have to do. A temple was better than staying out here in the woods, and there should be priests, priestesses or staff working there. I could approach them for help.

"Thank you. I'll get going then…"

I was about to turn away when the old lady suddenly latched onto my uniform jacket.

"Wait!"

"Eh?"

I glanced back at her, taken aback by her sudden shout.

"I was planning on going to the Temple of Lyia too." The old lady sagged back on the rock and gestured to her feet. "But I injured my legs while I was making my way there, and couldn't complete the rest of the journey. Furthermore, it has already gotten so late and dark." She glanced up pitifully at the night sky then turned toward me pleadingly. "Can you carry me?"

"Sure." I glanced at Bonehead and thought about how to put her up there. Unfortunately, he was all bones. There was no way the old lady could ride on such a bony beast – the spine was too narrow and thin for her to sit on. She would slip off. And given how old she was, I couldn't possibly count on her holding onto a rib or two to prevent her from falling off.

"I will die if I stay here. Please, young man…have mercy."

"I told you, sure," I snapped, a little impatiently. Then I sighed. "Sorry. Yeah. Leave it to me. I'll make sure to bring you to the temple."

So I ended up picking her up myself and giving her a piggyback ride.

"I'm sorry for troubling you like this."

The old lady sounded apologetic.

"No, it's nothing."

I glanced at Bonehead, to whom I had lashed my staff and the old lady's walking stick to. I wondered briefly if I could have tied the old lady to him, but decided against it. That would be one uncomfortable, painful journey.

"It'll weigh on my conscience if I let you die," I joked in an attempt to lighten the air. The old lady chuckled.

"I really am grateful to you."

"Don't worry about it. By the way, what was the name of the temple again?"

"The Temple of Lyia." The old lady paused briefly. I could feel her shifting her weight slightly on my back. "You don't seem to be from around here, eh?"

"Ha ha, no," I chuckled sheepishly. There was no way I could tell her that I was summoned from another world. She wouldn't believe it. Even worse, I couldn't tell her that I was supposed to be a hero, but was now an anti-hero killing my classmates for revenge. "I come from a very distant place."

"Yes. You don't look like you're from any of these parts."

Gee, how did you figure that out? From my appearance? My school uniform? The skeletal boar following us?

"Are you a demon?"

I couldn't tell from the old lady's appearance, not when most of her features were hidden under that hood. Maybe she had long ears, like Kratz. Or horns that were concealed from view. It was hard to imagine that a human would be by herself this far out.

"Yes. That's why I'm heading to the Temple of Lyia, and not Evelyn. Ah, yes. You're not from around here." I could sense the old lady nodding in understanding. "The goddess Lyia is the goddess of knowledge. She's not the goddess of humans. That's Evelyn…I have heard how the legendary warriors she had chosen and summoned to this world have defeated the Demon Lord, broken the demonic armies and driven them back deep into their territory. In a few months, the humans will probably be invading our homeland."

"…"

I wasn't going to offer empty promises such as declaring that I would prevent that from happening. I wasn't even involved in this war. I didn't care what happened to the demons. All I was bothered with was how to kill my classmates.

"Will you be safe? What if the humans reach the temple?"

"Oh, don't worry about that. The goddess Lyia will provide us believers divine protection. As long as we keep our faith, no blade will penetrate our defenses. And the humans will probably have more urgent businesses with Helsfort and the inner cities than waste time taking a solitary temple in the middle of nowhere."

"That's good."

I wouldn't feel pleasant leaving an old lady to die in a temple that would be overrun by the human army in a few days. No doubt a hero or two would be present, but I couldn't count on that. And I wasn't ready to fight them by myself. I had to either grow stronger or figure a way to isolate them and destroy them one by one.

"By the way, you can put me down now."

For some reason, I felt something about the old lady fluctuate. I couldn't put my finger to it, but I could sense a change, a transformation somehow. I couldn't tell what exactly, being unable to look back, but I obediently knelt down to let her off my back.

"Okay."

There was a fluttering of long, golden hair that swept across the clearing. Turning around, I was astounded to see that the old lady had transformed into a beautiful young woman in an elegant dress with a short skirt. Gone were the torn, tattered rags and insects. Gone were the wrinkles, replaced by snow-white, smooth skin and deep, sapphire blue eyes. Her silky, golden hair flowed gently on the night breeze and reached down to her thighs, with two four-leave clovers attached on either side of her head as hairclips.

"Eh? You…?"

I was so shocked that the words clumsily poured out of my word in an incoherent line. The young lady placed her hand on her hip as she gazed at me.

"I'm the goddess, Lyia. As I said before, I'm the goddess of knowledge. A neutral deity in the order of things…one who sides neither with humans nor demons. I am in current need of followers, and I've been searching for good people like you."

I burst out laughing. "Good people? Me? Are you joking? I'm not a good person at all. I've blood on my hands."

"No." Lyia shook her head. "To be my follower, you must be a good person with a kind heart. You've proven this beyond a doubt."

"Huh…I have?"

I hated how dumb I sounded, but Lyia merely smiled in amusement. She nodded, a gentle expression unfolding across her pretty face.

"My transformation into a smelly, old lady was a test. I've been waiting there for ages, and in that time I have encountered many people. While there were those who ignored me, there were those who also abused me. But among the many, there were also quite a number who gave me food. Yet…you are the only one who was willing to carry me to the temple."

She smiled, an expression so beautiful and radiant that I felt overwhelmed.

"You have such a warm and kind soul."

I called bullshit on that. I was sure my heart was tainted by murderous thoughts of revenge, and I had already killed and devoured other humans. There was no way I was a kind and gentle person. If anything, I probably leaned toward evil.

"So as a goddess…" Lyia offered her hand. "I'll lend you my power."

"…power?"

"To become a follower or not will determine your power."

"I already have powers…I think."

"Indeed. I have been tracking your progress ever since you've dropped into this world. I thought you were summoned by Evelyn, but a mishap happened and you somehow got separated and landed in a separate time and place from the rest of her chosen."

"Yeah."

I nodded. Everything Lyia said was right on point. As expected of the goddess of knowledge. She already knew what happened.

"Therefore, you weren't able to receive the power from Evelyn."

"Huh? But…"

I blinked, and suddenly recalled Adamantium Will. I had thought that was a special ability she bestowed on me, but…

"Yes. It seems you've realized. Adamantium Will is not something that Evelyn will bestow on her followers. She was searching for heroes…for warriors. She would have granted you something more combat-orientated."

"No wonder…" I smiled bitterly, remembering how I was complaining about the lack of offense or combat application Adamantium Will had. Thanks to it, I had trouble surviving several ordeals. If I hadn't been reanimated as an undead, I would have died several times over.

"That's right. I was the one who gave you the special ability, Adamantium Will. I'm afraid it wouldn't have much combat use, but as the goddess of knowledge, it was the best I could do. I'm sorry."

"No, no. I'm grateful to you. Thanks to your gift, I managed to get this far."

Even if I couldn't fight with Adamantium Will, it had saved me several times. It had prevented me from becoming a mindless zombie and suffering from a fate worse than death. It allowed me to approach the unsuspecting Demon Lord and kill him when his guard was down. And I was sure that it would continue to help me in future.

"But I don't get it. If you had already been helping me back then, why are you appearing me only now?"

Plus, what was with the test? Shouldn't you be testing me with the whole old lady stunt before you gave me Adamantium Will, and not after?

"Call it a whim." The goddess giggled, stroking her chin in amusement. "As the goddess of knowledge, I possess knowledge of the future. I could already see you passing the test long before you took it."

"Then why bother giving me the test in the first place?"

"Call it a…formality."

I gave up. I had no idea what the hell Lyia was trying to do, but if she was telling the truth, then I should trust her. I had to reason to doubt her word, but I wasn't naïve enough to trust her completely. That said, I didn't have any option. I was alone in a dangerous, hostile world where everyone was out to kill me. I needed every ally I could have.

If that ally happened to be a goddess, then I would take it. I would worry about consequences later if she ended up backstabbing me. That would be a bridge to cross when I came to it. For now, I would be a fool to refuse any help.

"I understand. So…what does this follower thing do? Do I pledge my allegiance to you? Carry out your commands?"

"Oh, it's nothing that rigid," Lyia assured me. "Even if you're my follower, I cannot force you to do things you don't want to do. It's give and take. I need people to believe in me – your faith will fuel my power. In return, I'll use that power to aid you…whether in the form of special abilities, blessings or gifts. You've already received a special ability from me."

"Yeah, and for that, I'm thankful."

There didn't seem to be a downside for me. But I remained wary. There was always the fine print I needed to be aware of.

"I see that you're seeking knowledge about this world. Understandable, given how you've only just recently arrived on this world a few days ago."

Lyia placed a reassuring hand on my shoulder. My skin tingled at the warm touch, and I could feel her power suffusing me.

"I'll provide you with whatever knowledge you need. As I told you earlier, follow the river, and you'll reach my temple in half a day."

"Thank you!"

Lyia nodded, pleased. "Once you reach there and get past the Guardian of the temple, you should be access the books, grimoires and scrolls inside the temple. Go forth with my blessings and learn. You'll need it."

"Wait? Guardian?" I repeated, confused. Lyia nodded again, amused.

"What, did you think this would be easy?"

"No, but if that's your Guardian, then couldn't you tell him to let me pass?"

"I told you earlier, didn't I?" Lyia shrugged apologetically. "I'm sorry, but I can't dictate what my followers do. You've to persuade him yourself…no, you'll have to defeat him in combat. Just between you and me…" she lowered her voice. "I won't blame you if you kill him. He ignored my warnings and went a little insane when gorging himself on knowledge."

I gulped. That didn't sound promising. Initially I thought I might have gotten a new ally, but from Lyia's dismal expression, I could see that the chances of reconciliation were pretty low. No wonder she wanted new followers.

"I'll do my best."

"I know you will," Lyia replied with another dazzling smile. But it took on a hint of sadness and she reached out to stroke my face. "In a month, the flames of war will erupt once more…and you'll have a major role to play in it. I'm very sorry, but it seems that I'll be relying on you once again. You'll face a lot of ordeals…painful ordeals, but if you overcome them, you'll achieve unimaginable triumph and glory."

"Ha ha…please don't expect anything from me."

Lyia must have seen the future, to be able to make such a declaration. I didn't know what she saw, but I wasn't sure I wanted to know.

However, knowledge was power, and the more I knew, the better.

"What's going to happen?"

Lyia gave me a sad smile. "I'm afraid I can't tell you. The laws of the Gods forbid me from directly intervening."

Yet those same laws didn't forbid you from giving me a special ability? How did that work out? Well, I couldn't expect this to be easy.

"I'll be returning to the Realm of Gods now. I wish you luck, my Chosen." Lyia gave me a brighter smile this time. "And make sure you destroy every single one of Evelyn's Chosen."

"You can count on me for that, at least."

Lyia laughed, and then just like that, she disappeared as suddenly as she appeared, even as her laughter rang clearly across the forest.