Forest of souls - Mesuda Village Arc

After Honō lost consciousness, everything went black as he could no longer feel the pain in his body or the debris from the earlier bear attack under him. Yet his mind still felt conscious.

Was it his mind?

His mind felt like it was floating in an empty black abyss until he began to hear a feminine voice.

The voice was like a low whisper. As it got louder Honō began to feel what felt like grass under him.

“Honō arise we must speak” the voice spoke unfamiliar to any voice Honō had heard before.

The unfamiliar voice now at a level that could be heard sounded like an angel's voice. Honō’s mind began to rush with thoughts as he heard the angel like voice.

- Am I dead?

- Is this the after life?

Before he could think another thought the angelic voice began to speak again.

“Honō you are not dead, and this is not the afterlife. It is a place outside of life and death which almost none have made it to” spoke the angelic voice in a condescending tone.

“How did you know what I was thinking? Who are you? And what do you mean by outside of life and death” questioned Honō trying to move, but unable to.

“Because in front of me all in the soul is laid bare for me to see and as for whom I am, I have no real name and can’t give you the answer you desire” spoke the angelic voice in a condescending yet relaxed tone.

“Ok how come you don’t have a name?” Asked Honō is a calm voice as he realised, he couldn’t move.

“As I said prior this is the place outside life and death, also known as the forest of souls. Not many people come to this place only does whose souls become lost wonder into this place, so I don’t get many visitors to communicate with” answered the voice in a somewhat disheartened tone.

“I see so it’s my soul that’s here not my mind then, wait if this is between life and death and only wondering souls end up here than what happened me?” Asked Honō confused by his current situation.

“Oh, you were in a near death state making your soul vulnerable for the other soul in your body to take over” answered the voice

“Wait other soul what do you mean, other soul?” Questioned Honō in a shocked voice.

“I can not give you the answers to that I can only guide you lost souls, not give you all the answers to this world” responded the voice in its condescending tone.

“I see then how about you guide me then?” Asked Honō getting somewhat annoyed at the useless answers.

“Don’t be so cheeky Honō Hantā, but fine you want some guidance I can give you guidance. Go to where Osore said source of the beast attacks is” returned the voice in annoyance with Honō.

“Wait but it was the so other soul in my body that heard that not me” Honō replied in worry.

“Do not fear Honō, your companion heard what Osore had said now return to your body” answered the voice trying to get rid of Honō.

“How do I return to my body even” asked Honō curious as he couldn’t even move from where he laid in the forest of souls.

“Don’t worry you will return soon” spoke the voice as Honō began to lose the feeling of the grass from under him.

Honō had finally woken up to the real world to find himself on the couch in Selene’s cabin covered in shallow cuts from head to toe and bruised all over.