Gacha Summoner: Pulled into Another World

Chapter 37: The Darkness Within

Chapter 37: The Darkness Within

Yuuji braced himself as the torrent of void energy slammed into him, a tidal wave of blackness that threatened to swallow him whole. The world around him dissolved into shadow, and for a moment, all he could see was the void—endless, suffocating, and cold. His body felt heavy, as though the darkness was dragging him into its depths, and the fragment of the Heart pulsed frantically against his chest, struggling to hold back the tide.

“Yuuji!” the mage’s voice echoed faintly through the shadows, but it felt distant, unreachable.

The void was overwhelming. Its whispers filled Yuuji’s mind, insidious and relentless.

“You cannot escape. You are part of us. The void will consume all.”

Yuuji gritted his teeth, gripping the Blade of Eterna tighter. The Heart’s power still flickered within him, a tiny spark against the vast darkness. He refused to give in. He had seen the void’s destruction, its unrelenting hunger, and he had vowed to stop it. But now, faced with its full might, that vow felt impossibly small.

“It is pointless to resist.” The void’s voice hissed, pressing harder into his thoughts. “You belong to us. All things return to the void.”

“No,” Yuuji growled, forcing his voice to rise above the whispers. “I don’t belong to you.”

From the deepest part of himself, he called out to the Heart. He could feel its power, distant but present, like a light hidden beneath layers of shadow. He reached for it, fighting against the suffocating darkness that sought to pull him under.

In response, the fragment within him pulsed, a soft warmth spreading through his chest. It wasn’t enough to break free, but it gave him hope—a reminder that the Heart was still with him. He wasn’t alone in this fight.

Suddenly, a vision flashed before his eyes—memories of the Heart’s creation, of its balance with the void. Yuuji saw the world as it once was, a perfect harmony of light and darkness, creation and destruction. The void wasn’t just a force of death; it was part of a cycle. But something had gone terribly wrong. The balance had been shattered, and now the void was out of control, consuming everything in its path.

And then, he saw something else—a figure standing at the heart of the void’s corruption, wielding the full power of the Heart. It wasn’t a vision of the past. It was a vision of the future.

His future.

Yuuji’s eyes snapped open, and the darkness around him began to recede, pushed back by the growing light from the Blade of Eterna. The Herald’s void energy still swirled around him, but it no longer felt invincible. Yuuji could feel the Heart’s power awakening, resonating with his determination. The void might be vast, but so was the Heart.

With a roar, Yuuji swung the Blade of Eterna upward, cutting through the void energy that surrounded him. Light burst from the blade, sending shockwaves of energy through the darkness. The void recoiled, hissing as it was driven back, and the world around Yuuji came rushing back into focus.

The Herald of the Void staggered back, its glowing red eyes narrowing in fury. “Impossible,” it growled. “You are just a boy. How could you wield the Heart’s power so easily?”

Yuuji took a step forward, his chest rising and falling with the weight of his breathing. The void energy still clung to him, like shadows reluctant to let go, but the light of the Heart was stronger now, burning away the darkness inch by inch.

“I may not understand all of the Heart’s power yet,” Yuuji said, his voice steady, “but I know one thing. You’re wrong about balance. The void isn’t supposed to destroy everything—it’s just one part of the whole. And I’m going to restore that balance.”

The Herald let out a low snarl, its red eyes blazing with malice. “Fool. You think you can stand against the void? You think the Heart can save you? It is broken, scattered, powerless. Just like you.”

The void energy around the Herald intensified, swirling into a dark storm that crackled with malice. Yuuji could feel the air grow colder, the ground beneath his feet trembling as the void began to lash out in fury. The Herald raised its sword once more, and the void itself seemed to bend to its will, ready to crush them all.

But Yuuji didn’t falter.

He held the Blade of Eterna before him, its light growing brighter as the fragment of the Heart resonated with his resolve. He could feel it now—the connection between himself and the Heart, and through it, the connection to the very fabric of the world. This was no longer just about fighting the void. It was about restoring what had been lost.

The knight, the mage, and the archer stood beside Yuuji, their eyes filled with determination. They had fought too hard, come too far, to give up now.

“We stand together,” the knight said, lifting his shield.

“Let’s end this,” the mage added, her hands glowing with magic.

“Time to shut this void-born up,” the archer muttered, drawing her bow.

Yuuji nodded, his heart pounding with renewed strength. Together, they were more than just a group of survivors. They were a force of renewal, a light in the darkness.

The Herald let out a bellowing roar and charged, its dark sword cutting through the air with a speed and ferocity that seemed unstoppable.

But Yuuji was ready.

He raised the Blade of Eterna high, and the fragment within it pulsed with brilliant light. As the Herald’s sword came down, Yuuji met it with his own, and the two blades clashed in a blinding explosion of light and darkness.

The force of the impact sent shockwaves through the air, and for a moment, everything seemed to freeze. The void and the Heart’s power were locked in a struggle, neither one willing to yield.

But Yuuji’s light did not falter. The Heart was not just a fragment—it was a force of creation, of hope. And Yuuji, with every fiber of his being, believed in its power.

With a final surge of energy, Yuuji pushed the Herald’s blade back, and the light from the Heart exploded outward, engulfing the dark figure.

The Herald let out a final, enraged scream as the light consumed it, and then, in an instant, it was gone—dissolved into the void from which it came.

Silence fell over the clearing. The air was still, the oppressive darkness lifted.

Yuuji lowered the Blade of Eterna, breathing hard, but victorious. The void had retreated once more. For now.

But as he looked at his companions, and at the now-restored land around them, Yuuji knew that this was just the beginning.

The void was vast. The Heart was still broken. And the true battle for balance was yet to come.