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Chapter 22 It's Up to Challenger Now Crayon then contacted Challenger about the message. " What happened, " said Crayon. " The Bear had this request involving you and your friends " said Challenger. " A request ? " asked Crayon. " I wonder what that is " " They want me to force you into not fighting, they say if you fight that your friends will be killed " said Challenger. " I can't agree to this " said Crayon. " We can't let the Bear take over like this " " I know, these threats cannot stop us " said Challenger. " Good, Blackin and Blackina will be stopped " said Crayon. " Keep training hard " said Challenger. " We will continue to do so " said Crayon. " Good " said Challenger. Crayon then met up with Colouruke, Colourea, Artby and Warbler, they decided to keep training their attacks. Crayon used the Wind Implosion while Warbler used the Sky Implosion, the attacks hit with so much power this time. Colourea and Artby used their Light Implosions, while Colouruke used the Ultimate Sea Blast. All the attacks were hitting with intense power. Artby then used the Ultimate Light Bomb while Colourea used the same attack, the attacks were hitting with intense power again. Warbler then used the Super Sky Kick while Crayon used the Super Light Kick. Colouruke then used his Ultimate Sea Bomb with ultimate power. Meanwhile, Bear members had headed outside and they surrounded a few men and then started charging their Shadow Strikes, the men tried to get away but were hit down to the ground. " Your stuff belongs to us " said the Bear members. " Hahahahahaha " said one Bear member. The men then were struggling a lot, Bear members then punched them into each other and they robbed them. The members then stole their stuff and approached Crayon. " Crayon, it is you " said a Bear member. " Crayon, hopefully Challenger has told you what he has needed to say " said the second Bear member. " What would have Challenger needed to say ? " asked Colouruke. " Crayon knows it as well, if Challenger fails to control you, the end of his friends will happen " said the third member. " I'll never die, bakers would never allow it " said Artby. " Bakers have baked so much bread for me, I won't die " " I have confidence in not dying " " Don't be a fool, you are given the chance to live and you will get to see the love that Blackin has for Blackina " said the fourth member. " You will witness a wedding like never seen before " " A different wedding ? " asked Crayon. " It will be a ceremony that has never been seen before, Blackin just loves Blackina too much " said the fifth Bear member. " Blackin's desire to be with Blackina, to marry Blackina, to keep Blackina happy cannot be stopped ever " said the first Bear member. " Crayon, you must see this " " Challenger knows that he wants you live and not die, so you will do what he has been asked " said the second member. " You cannot let him down " " Challenger wants us alive, but does he really want Blackin and Blackina to control Colourland ? " asked Warbler. " I don't see him wanting that " " He was away and he was clearly told to control you five " said the third member. " We have left it up to him " said the fourth member. " The Bear has robbed so many people " said the fifth member. " It has made Blackina so happy, which means Blackin is happier " " Challenger will not force us to not fight " said Crayon. " Then your friends will die and it will be on him " said the first member. " Hahahahahahaha " " We won't die " said Artby. " Bakers want us to live " " If we do not, we cannot buy bread " " This will be on Challenger forever, now it's time " said the second member. " Yeah, it is " said Crayon. " Let's fight " " We will take you down " said the first member. Four of the Bear members used their Shadow Bombs while one used the Double Shadow Strike, Crayon fired the Ultimate Light Bomb while Colouruke fired the Ultimate Sea Blast. The attacks hit, creating an explosion. The Bear members got up and they grabbed Colouruke and threw him down to the ground. " Colouruke, prepare to truly suffer " they all said in unison. Colouruke then got up and launched the Super Sea Blast and hit the Bear members with it, they then got up and fired their Super Shadow Bombs, while Warbler charges the Ultimate Wind Bomb which was able to defeat all of them beside one. " Blackin's love for Blackina is too strong " said the Bear member. " We'll stop it " said Artby. " Bakers have helped me, I can do this " " The romance is unstoppable, the desire that Blackin has will last forever " said the Bear member. " Blackin will not be pleased when he sees what Challenger has chosen to do " " This is not what he wanted " " Blackin must get his way " The Bear member then rushed for Colouruke but Artby punched him, which defeated him. They decided to head home. Blackin and Blackina were contacted about Challenger's refusal to control Crayon and his friends. " Challenger will regret this " said Blackin. " When Crayon's friends die, it will be his fault and he will never be able to live it down " said Blackina. " Exactly, their deaths will be great and Blackina you will be my queen " said Blackin. " I love hearing that " said Blackina. " They will not stand a chance against us together " said Blackin. " I will enjoy the look on Challenger's face when we succeed " " He will be hurt beyond belief " " The love we have for each other is unstoppable, the power we have cannot be matched " said Blackina. " Hahahahahahaha " said Blackin. " The wedding and the takeover will be brilliant for sure " " Us ruling the world together will be so amazing " said Blackina. " Ruling the world with you is so special " said Blackin. " Your body is so amazing to look at " " Thanks, I am glad you like it " said Blackina. Bear members then were sent to Colourland and they surrounded people and then attacked. " No " said this man. " Hahahahaha " said a Bear member. The Bear member used the Super Shadow Bomb, which hit several people. Bear members stole their wallets and took a phone as well. The Bear members then attacked more people, launching their Double Shadow Strikes which knocked out a lot of people. They stole more stuff. They found a ring, credit cards, a lock, keys and more wallets. They took all they had stolen and then went back to the hideout. Crayon and his friends then were talking. " Blackin's plan must be stopped " said Colouruke. " Eating bread is a must " said Artby. " We will be more heroic, we need all the heroism in the world on our side " " We will just keep training like Challenger asks " said Colourea. " Blackin won't succeed in scaring us " said Warbler. " He fucking won't " said Artby. " Bakers have made us braver and have kept us stronger than ever " " Bakers have made us braver ? " asked Crayon. " When bakers bake, the flour creates a special kind of heroism, which has made you so heroic Crayon " said Artby. " The type of heroism makes us braver, bread has helped us fight a lot " " I am not afraid " " A customer who is not afraid is a great customer " " Well we haven't been afraid to fight " said Warbler. " Our techniques have gotten stronger " " I believe in bakers a lot, bakers create more heroes " said Artby. " Before bread, I was not heroic but now the bakers have made me heroic " " I have thanked bakers so much because they have made people heroic who originally were not, not to mention the great taste the bread has " " Bread can do all that ? " asked Warbler. " Warbler, it does " said Artby. " Bakeries create heroes, they have made you a stronger fighter than ever before " " Heroes are born thanks to baking " They decided to eat and they enjoyed their meal. After that, Crayon and Colourea were kissing each other. Artby was talking to Colouruke and Warbler. I wonder when Blackin and Blackina will make their attack " said Artby. " They are going to strike pretty soon most likely " said Colouruke. " We must give them a good asskicking, bakers have made our asskickings more heroic " said Artby. " The flour changes the asskickings we give " " Flour changes the asskickings ? asked Warbler. " It does, bread has flour that helps us fight better, the fighting changes based on the bread " said Artby. " If this is all true, then the bakers must be very loved " said Colouruke. " Bakers have done so much for us, I will never forget any baker ever " said Artby. " I will always love bakers " Crayon and Colourea headed upstairs. " Crayon is so happy " said Artby. " I'm proud of him and the bakers for helping him out " " I'm glad to see you are happy for Crayon " said Warbler. " Warbler, when you were in Bird's Isle did you remember the bakeries ? " asked Artby. " Well they are different than here " said Warbler. " I'm sure they are great, I wonder what flour they use " said Artby. " Well, if we go to Bird's Isle you will find out " said Warbler. " Bird's Isle ? " asked Colouruke. " Yeah, it is quite the island " said Warbler. " It is led by a man named King Bobby " " King Bobby ? " asked Colouruke. " Yes, he rules Bird's Isle " said Warbler. " Maybe you will see him one day " Crayon and Colourea went to bed, so did the others. Blackin and Blackina were talking. " Now it is time for the demise of Crayon and his friends " said Blackin. " We will fight together as a couple, like we always do " said Blackina. " It is impossible for us to lose when that happens " said Blackin. " We are the strongest couple that there is " said Blackina. " My desire for you and our combined abilities will make us the new rulers and we will be together forever " said Blackin. " I have the same desire that you have Blackin " said Blackina. " Challenger will see them die and it will crush him " said Blackin. " We will make a decision about other people when the wedding has been completed " said Blackina. " Our members have stolen so much " said Blackin. " They will be at the wedding as well " They have made it better, our lives are better and other people suffering is always worth it " said Blackina. " Me being with you Blackina, is what must always happen " said Blackin. " It will always be that way, if some people have to die then so be it " said Blackina. " Their lives do not mean as much as our love " " Our love means everything " " Yes, we must be together forever " said Blackin. " Nobody can ever go against that " " I will never end this relationship " " Our love and our power cannot be stopped " said Blackina. " Hahahahahahahahahaha " they said together. They then kissed each other.

Chapter 20 Fighting Whites Crayon, Colourea, Colouruke, Artby and Warbler got up. They ate breakfast and then they headed out. Meanwhile Blackin and Blackina were talking. " It is time for Whites to show why I made him the best man " said Blackin. " He will " said Blackina. " He must get rid of all of them " said Blackin. " He is stronger than Easeion and Crayon combined " " I cannot wait to take over Colourland " said Blackina. " Our love and our power knows no bounds " said Blackin. " There are no limits to it and there never will be " " When this wedding happens, it will be like no other " said Blackina. " It will represent the Bear and us " said Blackin. " Our members have robbed so many people now which will make the wedding better and our lives as well " Blackina and Blackin kissed each other and hugged at the same time. " I love you, Blackina " said Blackin. Bear members were busy roughing people up and they stole more wallets and phones while Whites searched for Crayon and his friends. " Crayon, your end is now " said Whites. " Blackin will soon make Blackina her Queen and I will be rewarded handily " Crayon then saw someone that was knocked out cold. " The Bear must have done this " said Crayon. " They must be around here " said Artby. " We will give them a good asskicking, the asskicking that the bakers have wanted us to give " After all of that, Whites then saw Crayon and his friends out in the open. " You five are going to regret dealing with me " said Whites. " You broke out of our hideout after what my cousin was willing to do " " He is such a great man " " He was going to force us to kill and rob people " said Colouruke. " Yes, he was " said Whites. " Blackin's wedding means more to me than their lives " " I am the best man for Blackin, not any of them " " They mean nothing to me " " I cannot do that " said Warbler. " You can, Warbler " said Whites. " You just need the confidence to do so " " You can do this " " You have the power to succeed " " This isn't about that " said Crayon. " I can't just let you harm so many people " " Crayon, Blackin is simply thinking about Blackina " said Whites. " He is just showing his feelings for Blackina, he made me the best man for the wedding " Blackin knows how to express his feelings, you can see the emotion that he puts into it " " When it comes to Blackina, Blackin is a man who is not afraid to show the love for her " " Blackin cares about Blackina so much, have you ever seen a man love a woman the way he does ? " " I get that Blackin plans to marry Blackina, but the hospitals are so full now " said Crayon. " Yeah, it is getting out of control " said Colourea. " That is less customers for bakers as well, I think about the bakers " said Artby. " Blackin has me as the best man for the wedding, not the hospitals " said Whites. " Blackin and Blackina are getting married outside the hideout " " It will be a wonderful day " " Nobody will ruin this day " " Their love is so strong " I understand how much Blackin cares for Blackina, but so many innocent people are hurt " said Colourea. " We have gotten Blackina so much out of these robberies " said Whites. " When you see Blackin kiss Blackina like that, then you know it's right " " Blackina has her life improved thanks to the organization " " The bakers were robbed " said Artby. " Bakers cannot be robbed from, bread is so tasty " " Tasty ? " asked Whites. " Blackina and Blackin mean more " " When we have less baking, our meals are not as tasty " said Artby. " Crayon knows that very well when he eats breakfast " " His breakfast " said Whites. " You really think I give a fuck about what you are eating " " Whites, I think that you would give one " said Artby. " Bakers give one " " Why would I ? " asked Whites. " It won't change what will happen against me " " I will make sure that Blackin gets the wedding he wants " " I have trusted in bakers, thanked bakers and loved bakers " said Artby. " I am here for the baker " " Blackin wants Blackina to be as happy as possible, robbing bakeries and other places allows that " said Whites. " He made me the best man for a reason " " None of you are the best man " " Despite you being the best man, I will not allow The Bear to take over Colourland " said Crayon. " You five aren't going to beat me " said Whites. " The Smithsons were strong compared to our weak links but weak compared to a lot of people out there " " Which people ? " asked Colourea. " Blackin, Blackina and myself " said Whites. " Just because Crayon just barely won against Easeion, doesn't mean he can save Colourland " " Colourland will be under our control " " He will save it " said Artby. " We will work together to save it from the Bear " " I would love to see you try since you aren't going to join us " said Whites. " Blackin and Blackina will have a brilliant wedding and you five will be out of the way " " I will try, bakers want that " said Artby. " It matters not, I will win " said Whites. " Let's start " said Crayon. " Yes, your downfall begins " said Whites. Whites then charged up his Super Ice Blast while Artby and Colourea used their Super Light Bombs. The attacks hit but Whites's attack was stronger. Whites then used this technique called Super Snowstorm. A snowstorm then started to directly hit towards the faces of the five fighters and they took damage. " I can't see anything " said Warbler. " Hahahahaha " said Whites. Whites then grabbed Warbler and then threw him into Crayon. Whites then used the Shadow Implosion and aimed it towards Crayon. Crayon countered with the Light Implosion while Colouruke countered with the Ultimate Sea Bomb. The attacks all collided and they all took damage. After that, Whites then started to use the Ice storm technique and then the area got so icy which made the five of them keep falling, Whites then used the Ultimate Ice Bomb which then hit all of them. After all of that, Whites then got ready for his Ice Implosion. " Ice Implosion is going to end this " said Whites. " It is a great technique " Crayon and Warbler used their Ultimate Sky Blasts, while Colourea used the Light Implosion. The attacks all hit and a giant explosion hit. After all of that, everyone got up. Whites then used the Super Snowstorm again. While they could not see, Whites then used the Ultimate Ice Bomb. After all of this, Warbler was starting to slightly struggle. Artby then fired his Super Light Bomb while Colouruke used the Ultimate Sea Bomb and Colourea used the Super Light Blast. The attacks aimed towards Whites while Whites then used the Shadow Implosion. The attacks all hit, Warbler then used the Ultimate Sky Bomb while Crayon used the Ultimate Air Bomb while Whites then used the Ice Storm technique which made then fall down on the icy surface. After all of that, Whites then used the Quintuple Shadow Strike which then hit with intense power and Warbler was struggling. " Warbler, it is time " said Whites. " My cousin Blackin will be pleased you are gone " " I'm not finished yet " said Warbler. " Not for long " said Whites. I will give it everything " said Warbler. " It will not be enough " said Whites. " You will no longer get in my way " Whites then started charging up for the Shadow Implosion and aimed it towards Warbler while Crayon countered with the Light Implosion and Warbler used the Ultimate Sky Bomb. The attacks hit. After that Warbler was seriously struggling, Artby then was able to use the Light Implosion while Colouruke used the Ultimate Sea Bomb while Whites then used the Ice Implosion. After all of that, Warbler could barely move. " Now, it's time to end it all " said Whites. " Blackin will be pleased " " He knows what I have done for him " Whites then was charging for the Ice Implosion while Crayon was using the Light Implosion and Warbler the the Ultimate Sky Bomb. The attacks were about to collide, Artby then punched Whites while the attacks all hit. Artby then grabbed him. Artby then used the Light Bomb and hit him directly, but Warbler was defeated. " I have defeated Warbler " said Whites. " Hahahahaha, Blackin will make Blackina his queen very soon " " Blackin has decided to make sure that Blackina has perfect life " " I don't think so " said Crayon. " It will be a great Bear marriage " said Whites. " It will be wonderful " " Blackin is a groom that will show his love for Blackina at the wedding in such an amazing way " " He will kiss Blackina, it will be a delight for the organization " " Let's continue the fight " " Yes, bakers want us to fight for them " said Artby. Whites then started charging up his Ice Implosion while Crayon used his Light Implosion. The attacks hit with intense power. Artby then grabbed Whites but Whites knocked him off and then used the Ice Storm technique making the four of them fall to the ground, allowing Whites to directly attack with the Quintuple Shadow Strike. Artby then charged up the Ultimate Light Bomb while Colouruke used the Ultimate Sea Bomb. The bombs then hit their target Whites. Crayon and Colourea then used their Super Light Blasts and then aimed for Whites while Whites used his Super Snowstorm which blinded them in the eyes for the time being. Whites then used the Ultimate Darkness Bomb which then directly hit Artby, who was starting to slightly struggle. " Hahahahahaha " said Whites. " The effect of the flour should work right now " said Artby. " Flour is so helpful " " Artby, no flour will stop Blackin's power and his intense love for Blackina " said Whites. " The bakers know what they are doing, I trust in bakers and the flour they use to bake " said Artby. " No baker could change anything " said Whites. " Blackin's love for Blackina knows no fucking bounds and it never will " " His love for Blackina is strong but we will stop the takeover " said Colouruke. " You have no idea what they are capable of together " said Whites. " Blackin is marrying Blackina " " He can still marry her without all of this stuff said Crayon. " That's not the wedding that he wants " said Whites. " I won't let you ruin it for him, I am the best man " " Blackin is so important " " Bakers are counting on me to do what it takes to stop all of this " said Artby. " It matters not, your end is here " said Whites. " It is not here, I will buy bread " said Artby. " My purchases will continue " " Don't be a fool " said Whites. " You will not be doing that " " Bakers want me inside the bakery, buying bread means something " said Artby. " You are going to be destroyed " said Whites. " Bakers mean nothing to me " " I do not care " " Bakers mean something to everyone else " said Artby. " As a customer, I love baking " " Let's continue this fight " said Colourea. " Yes, we must " said Whites. Whites then used the Shadow Implosion while Colourea and Artby used their Super Light Blasts, the attacks both hit. Artby got up and used the Ultimate Light Bomb which Whites countered with the Ultimate Shadow Bomb. Artby was seriously struggling while Colourea was slightly struggling. " I won't let bakers down, their baking has done too much " said Artby. " Bakers have put flour in the bread for a reason, bakeries all over know what I have done for their bakers " " I have been a great customer " " Bakers remember me " " They know my purchases " Artby then was charging a ton of energy for the Light Implosion, while Crayon used the Super Light Blast and Colourea used the Ultimate Light Bomb. The force of the light attack was insane, Whites then tried to counter with his Light Implosion. The attacks hit, everyone took damage but Whites was hit with more damage. Crayon and Colourea got up, Colourea was struggling while Colouruke was slightly struggling. " Artby " said Crayon. " This can't be it " said Colouruke. " It is " said Whites. " I admit that he was a bit stronger than I thought, but my abilities are too strong " " Blackin will take over " " Him and his amazing girlfriend " " Their love and power is so strong " After all of that Colouruke then used the Sea Implosion while Whites used the Extreme Snowstorm a new technique. Colourea and Crayon then used their Ultimate Light Bombs but the Extreme Snowstorm did more damage. Colourea and Colouruke were looking near the end. " Hahahahahahaha " said Whites. " You won't stop me " " Crayon will lose his friends in the fight, I am sure of it " " Blackin will not take over Colourland " said Crayon. " You would have needed Easeion " said Whites. " It's not over yet " said Crayon. " It is getting very near the end " said Whites. " You should have joined The Bear when you had the chance " " Colourland still has other people left " said Crayon. " What are they going to do " said Whites. " They will either become Bear members and witness Blackin and Blackina at the wedding or die " " They cannot get in our way " " Nothing can stop us " The fight continued. Colourea then used the Light Implosion while Colouruke used the Ultimate Sea Kick while Whites used the Ice Implosion. The attacks hit, everyone took damage. It was over for Colouruke and Colourea. " Hahahahahahaha " said Whites. " Now it is time for Blackin's special ceremony to begin " " It's not over " said Crayon. " I will be a great best man for Blackin " said Whites. " It will be a great wedding, one for the Bear " " I won't let Blackin take over " said Crayon. " Blackin's marrying Blackina " said Whites. " Now since you won't let them take over as a couple, I wouldn't be a good best man if I kept you alive " " Let's continue the fight " said Crayon. " You are going to be killed " said Whites. " My cousin demands this for the wedding, his wedding is more important than anyone outside of the Bear " Whites then started charging up tons of ice energy while Crayon then was charging up tons of light energy. Whites used the Ice Implosion while Crayon used the Ultimate Light Blast, the attacks collided and both of them took damage. Crayon got up, Whites got up and used the Ultimate Snowstorm which blinded Crayon. Whites then used the Ultimate Ice Bomb and struck Crayon directly. " Now it is time for Blackin's dream for Blackina to come true " said Whites. Crayon was starting to slightly struggle but he got up. Whites then charged tons of darkness energy and used the Quintuple Shadow Strike while Crayon used the Light Implosion. Both of them took damage. " Blackin's love for Blackina cannot be stopped Crayon " said Whites. " Blackin is very unique in the way that he loves Blackina, Blackina has felt great because of it " " No matter how much Blackin loves Blackina, I will continue to fight " said Crayon. " You will just end up dying " said Whites. " Challenger will become a Bear member immediately " " Challenger wouldn't agree to that " said Crayon. " We aren't giving you a choice here " said Whites. " We will love Challenger there, we have other plans for the citizens of Colourland " " You are going to rob them even more " said Crayon. " Their possessions will belong to The Bear " said Whites. " It makes for a better wedding, they are not related to me or friends so it's great to do that " " It is great to steal from them " " People will be broke " said Crayon. " Blackin cares about Blackina, he desires Blackina, he loves Blackina " said Whites. " They have nothing for us, so it's great for Blackina " " No matter how much Blackin loves Blackina, this cannot continue " said Crayon. " Regardless of how hurt some people will be, I am the best man for Blackin not some suffering citizens " said Whites. " It will be a better wedding that way, Blackina will be so happy " " Let's continue to fight " said Crayon. " Yes, I am going to make sure that I am a great best man for Blackin " said Whites. " More stuff will continue being stolen " " Hahahaha " Crayon then used his Air Implosion while Whites then used his Shadow Implosion, the implosions hit and both of them took damage. Crayon was struggling while Whites was slightly struggling. Whites got up and then charged the Ultimate Ice Blast while Crayon used the Ultimate Wind Blast, the blasts then hit their targets. Whites then used the Ultimate Ice Storm, a new technique and Crayon was intensely shivering. " Hahahahaha " said Whites. " It was fun but you must go down " " Bring it on " said Crayon. Whites then was charging his Ice Implosion and then aimed it towards Crayon but Crayon managed to just barely avoid it. Crayon then was able to get up and he used the Light Implosion while Whites used the Shadow Implosion and the attacks hit their targets. " This should be it " said Whites. " Blackin deserves a great best man and I'm just that " " My respect for Blackin is very strong " " He has been a great leader of the Bear, a great lover to Blackina and a great cousin to me " Hahahahahaha, I am proud to say that Crayon is gone " " Blackin's love for Blackina is unbelievable " " Now I will check on the others " Whites went towards Warbler's body and then grabbed him and picked him up. " Crayon, if you don't get up you will lose friends " said Whites. " Hahaha " " This will be it " " I'm not losing anybody " said Crayon. Crayon then went to trip Whites. " What " yelled Whites. Crayon then used his Ultimate Wind Blast and then hit Whites directly. Whites was seriously struggling but Crayon was as well. Both of them could barely move. " Blackin's love for Blackina is so strong, if I die here it doesn't mean that they won't take over " said Whites. " No matter how much Blackin cares for Blackina, I'll keep fighting " said Crayon. " You can barely move, Blackina is a lot stronger " said Whites. " They are taking over as a couple whether you like it or not " " Their power is brilliant " " Let's see " said Crayon. " This fight has not ended " Crayon then went to grab Whites while Whites grabbed him. " Now this it " said Whites. " Your end is now, I will be a brilliant best man for Blackin " " Hahahaha " " Don't be so sure " said Crayon. Whites then started charging energy with the hand that grabbed Crayon's leg while Crayon then started doing the same with his hand that grabbed Whites's arm. The attacks hit and they were both knocked out. Time was passing for a while and it wasn't sure until Crayon finally got up. " Time to get Colouruke, Colourea, Warbler and Artby out of here and to safety " said Crayon. " I am happy to win against Whites " Crayon then called for the ambulance and the ambulance came. After Crayon and his friends got on the ambulance, Bear members arrived and took Whites's body with them back to the hideout. Blackin was contacted about Whites's defeat. " How could this happen " said Blackin. " Whites should have the abilities to do this, now Blackina needs to get rid of them " " Now we will have to continue the wedding without him, Crayon's abilities seem to be just good enough to survive " " Crayon and his friends were stronger than when they beat Easeion " " Whites was a great cousin, one of the best cousins one man can have " " Me and Blackina will have to deal with this now " " This is very unfortunate " " My love for Blackina is so strong and the desire I have for her cannot be matched " Crayon and his friends checked into the hospital, where Crayon then contacted Challenger. " Challenger, we fought Whites " said Crayon. " You made it against him ? " asked Challenger. " Yes " said Crayon. " Great to see, it is looking like The Bear will be stopped " said Challenger. " For the time being, we should heal up for a while " said Crayon. " Good idea " said Challenger. " We need all of you in great condition " said Challenger. " I cannot imagine how strong Blackin and Blackina are " Blackin and Blackina had contacted the Bear members. " My great cousin has lost the fight " said Blackin. " " You must all understand about Crayon and his friends and threat they pose " said Blackina. " Eliminate anyone close to him and rob as many people as possible " said Blackin. " Plus we need to stop Challenger" said Blackina. " " Same here " said Blackin. " Them and Challenger " " We know that they are involved with each other in some way " said Blackina. " They must be kept alive for the time being " said Blackin. " Blackin will create a great ceremony like no other for me and him, our happiness cannot be stopped " said Blackina. " Hahahahahahaha " everyone said. " We must also know more about this Bird's Isle place that Warbler is from " said Blackin. " We will find out " said Blackina. " It must mean a lot " said a Bear member. The members were dismissed.

Chapter 18 Whites's Plan Meanwhile Crayon, Colourea, Colouruke, Warbler and Artby finished resting after a while. They got up, after a few days they were cleared to leave the hospital. After all of that they headed home. " I'm so glad that we stopped Easeion " said Artby. " Me too, the next one is Whites " said Warbler. " The bakers have done wonders for us, we must always congratulate bakers " said Artby. " Bakers must know about what they have done " " Bakers probably know about the bread they are making " said Crayon. " Bakers know about the bread but they have done wonders for us " said Artby. " I will keep believing in bakers and I will not stop, we must keep training hard as well " Indeed " said Colourea. " We have gotten so strong now but we must not quit training " said Colouruke. " I'm glad that Easeion is finished and we are not dead " " Bakers are loved by us " said Artby. " Bakers love customers training " After all of that, Crayon was kissing Colourea. While that was happening, Artby was talking with Colouruke and Warbler. " I am proud of Crayon " said Artby. " We all are " said Colouruke and Warbler. " He is so happy with Colourea now " said Artby. " He is " said Colouruke. " You can sense it as well, it's great to see " said Artby. " Baking has made Crayon so happy " " Uh, yeah " said Warbler. " The bakers have helped him again it is great to see " said Artby. " The bakers want this ? " said Warbler. " They sure did, ask any baker inside the bakeries " said Artby. " They are happy for Crayon " " Uh, what ? " asked Warbler. " Yeah, I am confused here " said Colouruke. " Bakers understand " said Artby. " They understand why Crayon is happy " " Bakers do ? " asked Warbler. " Yes, bakers understand " said Artby. " Bakers are very understanding people always " Whites had a lot of the Bear members with him. " Now it is time for us to take over Colourland " said Whites. " My cousin will be our new leader of the country and he will make Blackina his queen " " We will make sure he does " said a Bear member. " Blackin is going to marry Blackina and nobody will stop it from happening " said Whites. " If Blackin cannot do that, he will never forgive anyone " " Blackin shows his love for Blackina always " " If anyone were to go against that they must die " " Yes, they must " said a Bear member. " Good, glad you understand " said Whites. " Blackin will make Blackina his bride " said a Bear member. " Blackin will show himself as a brilliant groom " said Whites. " We will all be there to witness that " " Why would we allow Crayon and his friends to prevent him from doing so " said a Bear member. " Great, all of you need to steal as much as possible " said Whites. " All our members will be stealing for this wedding that will commence when Blackin has taken over " " All of those five must die " said a Bear member. " Since the Smithsons are gone, we know that we cannot spare anyone " said Whites. " " Blackin will be married to Blackina " said a Bear member. " He sure will " said the second member. " I will be a best man, a great one for Blackin " said Whites. " Blackin deserves so much " " He knows how to love Blackina " said a Bear member. " It is time for us to leave " said Whites. " We will rob so many people " " We are too dangerous for Colourlandish people " said a Bear member. Whites and tons of Bear members left the area. The members then went and headed near a house. Three members used their Shadow Bombs and they cracked the window. The members went in the house and they surrounded a man. The man then rushed to punch but he was kicked to the ground. The members took his wallet. The members then used their Shadow Strikes and knocked the man out. They stole a phone and they started to steal some USB cords as well. Meanwhile, other Bear members had broken into a different house and stole multiple wallets, phones and a watch. After that they then surrounded a man and then used their Shadow Bombs on the man which knocked him out. They stole his wallet. A man tried to get help but Whites who was around the area blasted him with his Super Darkness Blast. Whites then took his wallet. Whites then used his Super Ice Blast and froze a man partly. He was able to remove his wallet which he stole, Whites then rushed a man and then used the Shadow Implosion and knocked him out. Bear members then used their Shadow Bombs to prevent people around the area from getting help and they took all their wallets and they stole a necklace as well. After all of this, then Whites then used the Super Darkness Blast at a man he saw that was not defeated. Whites then took his wallet and stole a lock he had. After all of this, they met up with more Bear members who then headed with Whites and they all headed back to the hideout where they met with Blackin and Blackina. Blackin and Blackina were happy to see all of the stuff that was stolen. " Great, there is a lot of wallets and the watch that was stolen is very valuable " said Blackina. " We will need more to be stolen, but this is a great start " said Blackin. " I cannot wait to be your queen when we take over Colourland " said Blackina. " Indeed, it will be truly beautiful " said Blackin. " Just like Blackina " " Thanks, Blackin " said Blackina. " No problem, I love you a lot " said Blackin. " Our love is so strong " said Blackina. " It is " said Blackin. " Nothing will end our love " " Yes, there is no ending of our love for each other " said Blackina. Blackin kissed Blackina. The next day started and Crayon woke up and they heard about the attacks that happened. " This is awful " said Crayon. " Man, we really have to stop them " said Colourea. " Perhaps Challenger has something to say about these attacks " said Colouruke. " Yeah, he might " said Artby. " We should contact Challenger. " Good idea " said Crayon. Crayon called Challenger. " Challenger, did you hear about what happened ? " asked Crayon. " That Whites guy is something else, his abilities are out of this world " said Challenger. " So many people were hurt from this, I fear that they are about to attempt to take over Colourland " said Crayon. " You five cannot let them do that, but more training would be great " said Challenger. " Our techniques are great but we can always get better " said Crayon. " We will need it against a guy like Whites " " Apparently their leader says that he will make his girlfriend his queen when they take over, I have heard " said Challenger. " The more we find about Whites, the more it will lead to this couple " said Crayon. " It seems like they plan to marry each other when they take over Colourland " said Challenger. " For now we must train hard and focus on The Bear " said Crayon. " Glad to see you again Crayon, I have to go so see you later " said Challenger. " Bye " said Crayon. The five of them ate their breakfast and then headed to train. Crayon and Warbler were busy working on their Wind attacks. Warbler used the Super Sky Bomb while Crayon countered with the Super Air Blast. The attacks hit each other. Crayon then was able to use the Air Implosion while Warbler was able to counter with his Supreme Sky Blast. The attacks were so powerful. While all of that was happening, Artby and Colourea were using their Light attacks. Artby used the Supreme Light Bomb while Colourea used the Light Implosion. The attacks hit with a lot of intense power. Colouruke was practicing his Water attacks and was using the Supreme Sea Bomb. He was also using the Supreme Sea Blast as well. After all of that training they then decided to head off. Blackin and Blackina were speaking in front of several members of The Bear. " As you well know, we are going to be married after our takeover of Colourland " said Blackina. " I will be a great bride " " I will make Blackina my queen and I need more things stolen " said Blackin. " I am going to be an amazing groom, nobody can go against this " " We will rough up the citizens and make this wedding brilliant " said a Bear member. " Those five fighters must be stopped " said another Bear member. " My great cousin Whites will kill them " said Blackin. " We need all of you for this to truly happen " said Blackina. " We will also target Challenger " said the third member. " We must question him and his motives with Crayon " said a Bear member. " Good, we must know that as well " said Blackin. " The Bear will reign supreme " said Blackina. " There is no stopping us " said Blackin. " Hahahahahaha " they all said together. " This wedding will be great " said Blackina. " Our love will be on display for the organization " " Yes, everyone will see the love we have for each other " said Blackin. Blackin kissed Blackina, and the members headed out to Colourland. Whites was leading the giant group. Later in the day, Crayon took Colourea to Colourland's Pizza and Pasta for supper. They enjoyed their dinner there and after that they tipped, paid and then left. While they were there Artby, Colouruke and Warbler were talking. " We must be ready for The Bear " said Colouruke. " We will " said Warbler. " Bread has done wonders for us " said Artby. " I'm so happy to see Crayon be so happy with Colourea. " It is great to see " said Colouruke. " Bakers love these moments " said Artby. " They say it helps them bake " " Helps them bake ? " asked Colouruke. " Yeah, it changes the baking that happens " said Artby. " All of this baking means a lot to the customer " " The customer ? " asked Colouruke. " Yes, with such tasty bread the customer feels great " said Artby. " Well customers do enjoy the bread there " said Warbler. " Yeah " said Artby. After a while of hanging out, Crayon returned with Colourea. Crayon and Colourea were happy. Artby, Colouruke and Warbler welcomed them inside. After all of that, Crayon was kissing Colourea. Time passed and all of them went to bed. Whites had arrived in Colourland with tons of Bear members. They headed towards the office of Challenger. Whites then blasted open part of the office building with the Shadow Implosion. The members then got on the elevator and headed to the area that belonged to Challenger. " We will record a message " said Whites. " They will tremble with fear " " The Bear will love that fear " said a Bear member. " Yes, the whole organization will " said Whites. Whites recorded a long message, while Bear members cleaned the office of all the supplies. They saw a safe and they took it. After stealing a lot of stuff, they headed to other rooms on the floor. Whites then went in the rooms and started to record the message as well, the Bear members took more supplies from each area. Bear members posted the logo of the organization all over the floor. They then headed outside the building. They then started attacking people with their Shadow Strikes. They found lots of wallets, some watches and necklaces. They stole some lipstick. After all of that attacking, Whites then charged energy and then was able to use the Supreme Ice Blast and he broke open into a bakery. Whites then found where the money was kept and they took all of it. Bear members then printed the logo all over the bakery. After all of that, they then started to attack people again, and they were able to take more wallets again. They then were able to take some phones as well, headphones and a lock. After all of the robbing and fighting they then headed back to the hideout where Blackin greeted them. " Whites, what have you got here ? " asked Blackin. Whites showed his cousin Blackin all that was stolen. " Great to see all of this " said Blackin. " It will be great to see what I did to Challenger's office " said Whites. " Did you record the message ? asked Blackin. " I did " said Whites. " Challenger will be angered by it " " Great to see " said Blackin. " Challenger will be so fucking hurt by all of this " said Whites. " Hahahahahaha " said Blackin. " I am loving this " said Whites. " Anyways Blackina is waiting for me Whites so I'll see you later " said Blackin. " See you " said Whites.

Chapter 19 Whites, Blackin's Best Man Crayon, Colourea, Colouruke, Artby and Warbler got up and they heard about more robberies and attacks but they were worse this time. " There has to be something more to this than that " said Crayon. " We should head to the office of Challenger " said Colouruke. " Yeah, that is a good idea " said Colourea. " Bakers do want us to talk to him " said Artby. They headed to the office and then they saw these claw marks. " The Bear must have struck here, part of the building is damaged as well " said Crayon. " Let's go to Challenger's office " said Warbler. They went and saw that all the office supplies were all gone and there was a message on the computer. " My name is Blackin, and my plan to marry Blackina is going to happen. Challenger if you want Crayon, Colourea, Colouruke, Artby and Warbler to not die you must force them to refrain from getting involved in anymore fighting. We are going to rob lots of Colourland, the best man is going to be Whites. Whites, the best man has been leading these robberies and there will be much more vicious each time. Challenger we need you for questioning at our base as well, you can bring the five fighters if you want but no more fighting like I said earlier. We will take over as a couple and Blackina will be my queen and nobody will stop us. Our love is so strong, never forget about it. Nobody can love someone as much as me or Blackina. I show my love for Blackina on a daily basis, do not ever forget that. " Questioning ? asked Colouruke. " So Blackin is their leader then " said Crayon. " Blackin will not succeed in this " said Colourea. " I understand caring about who you are with, but this has gone way too far " said Warbler. " Yeah, this has gotten out of hand " said Crayon. " We will just keep training " said Artby. " The bakers want us to be really strong " " We should see more of Colourland and see what The Bear have truly done" said Colouruke. " Yeah, that is a good idea " said Colourea. They had noticed a bakery had been robbed and the logo of The Bear was there. " Bakers cannot suffer like this " said Artby. " The Bear must be stopped for how they treat bakers " " Customers love baking " " As a customer, I will not stand for this " " Well we must see where else " said Crayon. " Yeah, we must " said Colouruke. They had noticed the hospitals were getting more full. " I'm curious about the hideout of The Bear " said Artby. " Same here, as much as I hate seeing these attacks " said Crayon. " I really hope that The Bear are not setting a trap for us " said Colouruke. " They could be but with the bread I have been eating it should be okay " said Artby. That is true about the hideout, but we have to remember what Blackin is willing to do for Blackina " said Colourea. " Blackin will sacrifice the wellbeing of Colourland for Blackina " said Crayon. " Yeah, bakers will be hurt under what he wants " said Artby. " I do not like bakers being hurt " After all of that, they continued training their attacks. Crayon, Artby and Colourea kept using their Light Attacks, Warbler used his Wind Attacks and Colouruke used his Water Attacks. After a lot of training they headed home. Whites went with Bear members and they then targeted a shop when they got to Colourland. They then started using their Shadow Strikes on people in the shop while Whites used the Super Ice Blast on the shopkeeper freezing him. They then took all the wallets and they were able to get the money from the shop. They took some necklaces, phones and a watch. After all of that they then started heading to an alley and they saw a man. " Stop this " said the man. " You really think just because you say that will prevent us from attacking " said a Bear member. Whites then used the Snowstorm technique which intensely blew on his face and he could not see, after that Whites then used the Shadow Implosion which brutally knocked the man out. Two people rushed to get help but Bear members launched their Shadow Strikes to knock them out. They took their wallets and then left. After all of this some different Bear members found Crayon and his friends outside. " So Crayon it is time for you five to come with us " said the first member. " You will not regret that " said the second member. " You know that we need Challenger right now " said the third member. " He's not here right now " said Artby. " Where is he then ? " asked the fourth member. " I haven't seen him around " said Colouruke. " Don't fuck with us, Blackin insists on him coming with us " said the fifth member. " You know what happened to his office right ? " asked the first member. " We will destroy the building if you don't find him for us " " Call him if you have his contact " said the second member. " Call the man now " said the third member. " If you do not, you will regret this " " Do not refuse " " We will contact Challenger " said Artby. They contacted Challenger. " Challenger, where are you right now " said Crayon. " I am at a Colourlandish bar " said Challenger. " Which bar ? " asked Crayon. " Joshua's Bar " said Challenger. " Ok " said Crayon. Crayon told them that he was at Joshua's Bar The members then left and headed there and more Bear members appeared. " Come with us " said the Bear members. " There are over 25 of us right now, so don't fight " Challenger then followed the Bear members and headed to the bar. " Challenger, Blackin would like to see you " said the Bear members. " Why ? " asked Challenger. " He has questions for you " said one member. " Crayon and his friends will join you there " said the second member. " You will meet Blackin and see the love he truly has for Blackina " said the third member. " What type of questions ? asked Artby. " Perhaps the bakers have an idea " Bakers ? " asked the first member. " We robbed the first bakery, we'll rob more bakeries if you don't just come with us " " Bakers know a lot " said Artby. " Bakers are very wise people " " Bakers are wise at making bread " said the fourth member. " More Bear members just showed up here so it is time for you six to join us " " I will stand up for bakers " said Artby. " You can claim what you like " said the first member. " It matters not " said the second member. " No standing up for bakers will chance anything " " Exactly, the Bear is going to succeed no matter what " said the first member. " The Bear is such a great organization " said the second member. " I love being a member " said the first member. Several giant vans showed up and then the members of the Bear took Crayon and his friends and headed towards the hideout. They had left the main part of Colourland and started heading through the forest. " So have you guys been buying bread ? asked Artby. " Bread ? asked the Bear member. " What is any of this to you " " Bread's great " said Artby. " I'm just curious how much bread the members are eating " " Baking is awesome " " Look, just be quiet " said the Bear member. " I really don't need you going on about bread like that " They got through the forest and saw this giant building. When they got out they were greeted by Whites. " It is me Whites " said Whites. " Whites, we brought the six like you asked " said the Bear member. " Good " said Whites. " My cousin Blackin is going to make Blackina his queen " " You can tell that Blackin is great for Blackina " said the first member. " Blackin has shown the feelings he has for Blackina for a long time now " said the second member. " The Bear has been robbing people a lot more now " said Whites. " We will bring you to Blackin and Blackina " said the third member. " You will get this special honour " They went inside the giant building which was the hideout. They then saw Blackin and Blackina who then saw them. Meanwhile Crayon and his friends were stationed in a different room while Challenger was about to talk with Blackin and Blackina. " Challenger, it is now time " said Blackin. " Time for ? " asked Challenger. " There is a lot involving Colourland, that we need to question you about " said Blackina. " Challenger, the two of us are going to take over it " said Blackin. " Take over Colourland, for what purposes " said Challenger. " We are going to expand The Bear all over, I will marry Blackina and make her my queen " said Blackin. " The Bear will continue to rob more and more to make this happen, so how about the five fighters join us " said Blackina. " You want them to join ? asked Challenger. " We have decided to make this decision, you could be part of something great " said Blackin. " If you join, we will allow you to be part of the wedding " said Blackina. " You will get to see us marry, it will be great " " They would do wonders on our missions " said Blackin. " If they can beat Easeion, then they are worth it " " I will have to talk with them " said Challenger. " If they do not join us, then they will not be part of the ruling of Colourland " said Blackin. " We will have to kill them if they dare intervene with anything The Bear does " said Blackina. " Would you want them to be alive or dead ? asked Blackin. " The choice is very clear and obvious " " We will give you 30 minutes to have a long discussion with them, we expect that they will join us " said Blackina. " If not, there will be serious consequences " " It is not worth risking " said Blackin. Challenger was talking with Crayon and his friends. " The Bear wants you all at the wedding " said Challenger. " I wonder why? " asked Crayon. " They want you five to join them " said Challenger. " We cannot do that " said Warbler. " After all of this " " After the way they treat bakers " said Artby. " Bakers mean so much to Colourland " " Colourlandish people love bakers so much " " We will have to find a way out of here " said Colouruke. " We cannot let Whites, Blackin or Blackina see us " said Crayon. " Indeed " said Challenger. " We can take Whites on, but if all three of them fight us we cannot make it " said Crayon. " We would to need to break in to a van to have a chance since we surrounded by a forest " said Colouruke. " Sounds good to me " said Crayon. Blackin and Blackina then were talking with Whites. " Challenger was supposed to come here and have those fighters join him " said Blackin. " If they refuse, we cannot have them at the wedding " said Blackina. " I will deal with them " said Whites. " It will not be difficult " said Blackin. " I will end their lives if they do not join us " said Whites. " Blackin, you will be making Blackina your queen very soon " " Hahahahahahahahaha " they all said. " Blackin loves me so much " said Blackina. " I feel lucky " " Yes, you are " said Blackin. " I am lucky as well for being with you " Challenger, Crayon, Colourea, Colouruke, Warbler and Artby then saw the vans outside. " Hey, you can't come in here " said a Bear member. Crayon then used his Super Wind Blast while Artby used the Super Light Kick. The attacks hit and the man was knocked out cold. They then charged energy but not too much and broke open the window. They got inside and Challenger started to drive the van. They left the hideout and Whites went into the room and noticed they were gone. " Those five " said " Whites. " I will notify Blackin and Blackina. " I am so pissed " " We cannot be interfered with like this, Blackin will not stand for this " " Blackin deserves the best " " He is such a great man " Challenger continued to drive through the forest for about 4 miles. After that they were outside the main part of Colourland. During their drive Blackin and Blackina were notified and they sent Bear members to Colourland. They then made it into Colourland and got out of the vehicle. After all of that, they went to their respective homes and then went to bed. At the morning Whites then was up with Blackin and Blackina. " Whites, I need you to eliminate those five fighters " said Blackin. " I will do that and I will be a great best man for the wedding " said Whites. " They cannot be kept alive, we know of your brilliant Ice techniques " said Blackina. " If I cannot make Blackina my queen, I cannot accept that " said Blackin. " The Bear must have that happen, our members will keep robbing parts of Colourland while Whites fights " said Blackina. " Sounds like a great plan to me " said Whites. " When we unite, there is nobody that stands a chance " said Blackina. " The Bear is great " said Blackin. " We will get rid of Crayon and his friends for good " " Yes, I will take them down " said Whites. " They cannot defeat me " " Yes, you are too much for them " said Blackin. " They will be taken down " said Whites. " Your wedding is way too important for Crayon to get in the way " " Yes, my love for Blackina means so much " said Blackin. " The Bear must see the love " " Bear members will love seeing it " " Yes, it is a moment they will not forget " said Blackin. " I will be going now " said Whites. In the morning Crayon and his friends got up and headed to a bakery. " It's great to see bakers " said Artby. " Bakers have done so much for me, Warbler, Colouruke, Colourea and Crayon. They bought their bread and left. After that, they headed back to eat breakfast. They ate and later went to train. They were training their Bomb moves. Crayon used his Supreme Air Bomb while Warbler used his Supreme Sky Bomb. The attacks hit against each other with such intense power. Colourea and Artby used their Supreme Light Bombs and like the other ones also hit with extreme power. Then Colouruke used his Supreme Sea Bomb. " Glad to see our attacks have gotten better " said Warbler. " We are going to need it " said Crayon. " He's stronger than Easeion " " The asskicking that we will give Whites will be a good asskicking " said Artby. " The bakers have made us give better asskickings, I've been grateful of bakers because of this " " Better asskickings ? " asked Warbler. " We just give great asskickings, that's what we do " said Artby. " Plus eat great bread " After all of that, Whites had arrived in Colourland. He then was seen by a man. " It's the Bear " yelled the man. " Do you want to die " said Whites. " No " said the man. " Well if you don't shut up or you dare to defend Crayon you are going to die " said Whites. A different man rushed towards this street but Whites then punched him. " Crayon is going to die " said Whites. " What " said the man on the ground. " The thing is, that my cousin is going to arrive here " said Whites. " Colourland will belong to him " " There is no stopping us " The man got up but Whites then grabbed him and knocked him down. Whites then fired the Super Ice Blast, which left him defeated. Whites then went through Colourland looking for Crayon and his friends, he saw the van that was stolen. " This van " said Whites. " I know they did this " " Crayon's going to die " " I will not allow him or his friends to get in the way anymore "

Chapter 21 Blackina's Love for Blackin Bear members were then outside and they then started to look for Crayon and his friends. A Bear member then fired the Shadow Bomb knocking a man down to the ground. They took his wallet. After that, Bear members surrounded people and demanded the whereabouts of Crayon. " Where is Crayon ? " they demanded. " We don't know " said a man. " You had better not lie about this, if you want to fucking live " said a Bear member. " We will not hesitate to kill " Bear members continued roughing people up, taking wallets and other stuff. They then headed to another area of Colourland. " Get back here " yelled the Bear members at a man. " Have you seen Crayon ? " asked a Bear member. " I haven't seen him, but he has gone to bakeries before " " Do you know a particular bakery? " asked a Bear member. " No, I do not " said the man but Artby is a friend of his that loves bread " " Understood " said a Bear member. " We will head to the bakeries " The members went off and then found a bakery that was not robbed by The Bear. " Hey, you " said a Bear member. " Have you seen Crayon " said a Bear member. " Why Crayon ? " asked a baker. " We need to know where he is right now, we need him " said a Bear member. " Crayon will not get away " A Bear member then went into the cash and took all the money out. They then attacked another baker inside and they took his wallet. They left with the money and wallets left. The Bear then headed out of the bakery and then headed back to the hideout with what they stole. In the hospital, Crayon got up. " Crayon, your injuries are slightly less severe than the others " said a doctor. " Unfortunately Warbler's injuries are said to be worse than the rest of your buddies it appears " " Thanks " said Crayon. " I feel bad for Warbler " Time passed and more people and places were getting robbed but the Bear were unable to find Crayon. Blackin and Blackina were talking with each other. " It's great to see our members steal so much " said Blackin. " It is what we need not just for the wedding, but for our organization " said Blackina. " Yes " said Blackin. " I know " said Blackina. " I am proud of being with someone like you Blackin and it means a lot for this spectacular ceremony to happen " " It will be wonderful " said Blackin. " I feel so great being with you, I know that our lives together will be great " " There is no stopping us, our love will never end " " Your body is so nice to look at " " I never get tired of it " " Thanks " said Blackina. They kissed each other. Crayon and his friends were all better and they left the hospital. " Glad to be back " said Crayon. " The bakeries are waiting for us " said Artby. " We haven't visited them in so long, the bakers need us more than ever " " Well we could get something to eat " said Warbler. " Yeah " said Colourea. " After all of the great baking the bakers have done it is only right we go to the bakeries " said Artby. " Okay, let's go " said Colourea. " I love the baker, I will be the customer I should be " said Artby. " It is important for bakers for me to be there " They got their bread and headed home. They ate and then heard about all these attacks from The Bear. " The Bear have gone so far now " said Colourea. " I wonder how much more stealing they plan to do " said Colouruke. " Knowing Blackin, he will want all of Colourland robbed for Blackina " said Crayon. " We can't let him do that " said Warbler. " We are going to have to find out when they will strike and which part of Colourland " said Colourea. " We need to give them a good asskicking " said Artby. " After a good asskicking, the Bear will stop " " We need to train as well " said Colouruke. " I haven't given a good asskicking in a while so we should fucking train to give better asskickings " said Artby. " Bakers like having customers who can give one " " They know that we can give good protection " They then headed to train and Crayon was using his Wind Implosion against Warbler's Sky Implosion. While these attacks were happening, Colouruke then was practicing his Sea Implosion. Artby and Colourea were using their Ultimate Light Bombs. All the attacks were hitting with such intense power. They then saw Challenger. " Great to see " said Challenger. " Challenger, we have gotten better and our attacks are getting better " said Crayon. " It will be necessary, Blackina and Blackin are an insanely powerful couple " said Challenger. " They may both fight you at the same time ". " If that is the case, we will need to probably find a technique even stronger than our current implosions " said Artby. " Or we need to power them up by more " said Warbler. " Blackin's love for Blackina is almost as strong as his abilities " said Challenger. " He will not hesitate to have lots of people killed if he sees something Blackina desires " " Blackin loves Blackina a lot, but we can deal with them " said Warbler. " Good " said Challenger. They finished training and Challenger said goodbye. They headed home and were talking. " We need to approach the next attack from The Bear " said Crayon. " We will have to find out what streets they will strike " said Colouruke. " The five of us are strong enough to fight tons of them, which is quite the possibility " said Warbler. " Bakers have wanted us to fight for them " said Artby. " After all of the pain the bakers have faced, I will help end that pain " " The pain? " asked Colourea. " Bakers have gone through so much pain and suffering because of The Bear, protecting bakers is always a must " said Artby. " They make such tasty bread, I will always repay the favour " They will likely strike at nighttime " said Colouruke. " We will head out at night and find them on the streets " said Crayon. " Bakers will sleep better than ever due to our protection of them " said Artby. " When a baker sleeps better, the bread is tastier " " This is so good for the customer " " They won't rob anymore after this hopefully " said Colourea. " It is hard to say what the intentions are " said Crayon. " We will make sure we are ready " " Bakers would want that " said Artby. Blackin and Blackina had sent in lots of members to rob even more stuff and they left the hideout. Crayon, Colourea, Colouruke, Artby and Warbler then left the house and then headed on the streets. Bear members saw a building. " So this is where we are " said the first member. " We will go inside " said the second member. " Well we are going to take over and I'm sure there is a lot of great stuff to steal " said the third member. Tons of Bear members then used their Shadow Bombs on an area and were able to create an opening and they went inside. " We shall see about that " said Artby. " Don't be a fool, Blackin's love for Blackina is too strong " said the third member. " You cannot compete against their power or love " The Bear members then used their Shadow Strikes while Crayon and Artby used the Super Light Blasts. The attacks hit, and the men got up but were seriously damaged. The men then charged their Shadow Bombs while Artby used the Ultimate Light Bomb which finished the men off. After that, they were thanked by some citizens and Crayon headed home with his friends. All of them headed home for the night and slept. At the hideout Blackin and Blackina were talking. " I hope that Challenger can force Crayon to not fight " said Blackin. " Crayon might not listen " said Blackina. " If he's not willing to let us rob Colourland to make our lives better, I'm not sure how that Challenger can convince him " " We have put the lives of Crayon and his friends in Challenger's hands " said Blackin. " It will be great that way " said Blackina. " Hahahahahaha " said Blackin " " If Crayon's friends die because of Challenger, that will be something " said Blackina. " Regardless of that, we will take over as a couple and it will be great " said Blackin. " We are so perfect together " " The desire that you have for me cannot be stopped " said Blackina. " Hahahahahaha " they both said. " My love for you is so strong " said Blackin. " Nothing can stop it " " I am glad that it is so strong " said Blackina. " I feel it getting even more strong " said Blackin. Blackin and Blackina were kissing each other. In the morning, Crayon and his friends got up and they ate breakfast. After that Crayon received a message from Challenger. This message read this: Crayon, last night I was with Bear members at this area. When I was there, they had this very serious request for you and your friends.

the abyss engulfs all. ... A dim shimmer slowly seeks its way into his eyes, he started to regain his consciousness. The once dark and vast domain of the star has turned into an empty confinement that are painted in gray with a yellow undertone. It's a wide open space that can fit almost 200 people that are shaped like a half of an oval at a staggering height, with a large blue carpet laid on the floor and it's loitered with corroded benches all over the places. The building structures are filled with a gothic styled structure but yet, the shape, curve and sharp angles aren't too overwhelming. As he turned to his back, he finds an altar that are made out of a shiny blueish material. Standing tall behind the unlit chandelier, a large curved window that are made out of glass pane with a thousand of color stacked into a abstract shaped mosaic emits light that lit up the whole building. And carved within that window, some kind of a character or an idol that somehow resembles a squiggly line with some sort of a branch all over it stands as the center piece of the building. 「Spawnpoint reached : " The Sunken Cathedral, Praya Caelestis "」 "I was...in the spaceship just now..." as his eyes are fully opened, he glance to his right, left, down and...up, there are no sign of his spaceship anywhere. "Just how-" he turned to his back. "HOLY FUCKING SHIT!!!" he catches a glimpse of a dislocated arm covered in blood, staining the blue carpet while behind him was... His Spaceship, piercing through the ceiling of the cathedral blocking the outside of the cathedral. "I...crashed through...-" he then catches a glimpse of the dislocated arm again. "M-MY ARM!-" he touched his right arm and noticed that... "It's here...? Hahaha...what a relief-" he then saw his last remaining body hanging by the spaceship cockpit. "Is...that-" he then passed out again. For god sake...who's body is that? He opens his eye again and gets up, brushing off dust from his clothes and takes a look around while pretending not to see the arm and the body. He breathes deeply while gazing at the water slowly dripping to the cathedral through the body of spaceship that are critically damaged with a lot of dents and hole carved into it. "Just... what in the god's name just happened? It's a sub-glacial ocean- my spaceship shouldn't be able to pierce through the ice and why is there a cathedral like this underneath the ice?" "What's more though..." "How am i still alive?" he slowly takes up his courage to look into the severed arm and the corpse on the spaceship and walked into it. "There's still a bit of a shrapnel from the emergency button...that's definitely my arm...but it's still here..." "And that corpse...it's the squadron uniform, did someone sneaks into my spaceship?" THERE ARE NO WIRE ATTACHED TO IT!? "Well, even if he's the cause of all of this...he's dead anyway...that is deserved." He looks around again and found a several coffin scattered close to the spaceship debris. "That's the coffin from before right...? Why is there a white smoke coming out from one of them?" he slowly approaches the coffin while stopping and turning his head to glance his surroundings. He then reach for his handgun but realized he's not carrying it anymore, he glanced once again, now focusing on his spaceship debris- he found it, under the hanging wings of his spaceship. "That thing could fall off at any time... but if i don't get the handgun i'm going to be defenseless, i'm not confident on my fighting skill either-" he then hears a loud thump coming from the same way he's facing, the wings are falling apart. "Fuck! I'll go for it anyways!" As his feet stomped the cathedral floor multiple time in a hurry, the sound of his running reverberated across the chamber, as well as his quick heartbeat caused him to become restless although he's hyperventilating at the time. Thump thump thump. ##### The wing suddenly lets out a deafening screech as it came crashing down on top of him. "AHHH!!! SHIT!" he kicks the gun as he ran beneath the spaceship and jumped with it. A cloud of dust appears as the wing reached the ground, drowning the cathedral with it. "...well that's some reckless action...i could have died at that time-" Thud. And there, it flashed before his eyes. "That..." he pinched himself as the thing that has just dropped from the spaceship was... "is..." "...me" 「 Renomia , you have died :」 「0 Time → 1 Time, 2 remaining」 "2 Remaining...? What is that supposed to mean...-" Wait a second, so i have died one time, and then... 2 remaining...that means i have- "2 Lives Left! Could it be!?" he picks up his handgun and rushed toward the coffin that are emitting white smoke he's trying to reach before. It's empty. He then reached out for the other coffin besides it and he froze, through the coffin frosted glass, he can see a body of a man that are consists of 1 : 1 resemblance of him lying motionless inside of it. "...haha...that's nuts...so this is the revival armament i activated ealier..." ... An unknown echoes reverberated across the building. "...alright let's find a way out."

「20」 "...SHIT!!!" 「13」 "MOVE!!! MOVE!!!!" 「8」 "COME ON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" 「3」 "WHY WON'T I MOVE!?!?!!?" 「1」 "Motherfucker..." 「0」 "What kind of joke is this...?" . . . 「 Renomia , you have died : 2 Times, 1 Remaining」 ...goddammit... How the fuck am i going to progress... ... First the crash...then this, am i actually an idiot? . . . 「 Sunken Cathedral, Praya Caelestis 」 The once lit up room came back to his vision, this time he has woken up inside the so called coffin with all of his inventory still intact and strangely, the whole vicinity seems darker than before. "Shit...one more left huh..." he brushed his hair to the back and gets out of the coffin. After brushing off his body from the dust he takes a good look at the idol that are engraved to the large windows behind the altar. "Could that be..." He takes a look at it again. "...no, that's just way too abstract to get the whole sense of it" ... ding. dong. ...! ding. dong. A disembodied church bell noises echoes through the vicinity as the cathedral lights that came from the windows vanishes and the once unlit chandelier lit up, basking the cathedral with an unnerving violet glows. "What is it now...?" he holds his pistol and picks it up from his waist, though he doesn't know where to aim it at. Clang. BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ. ...! Suddenly, the ceiling starts to open and reveals a large skylight roof displaying the seawater rushing through following the current of the ocean. "Holy good god...that's the..." his pupil shrunks once again and his body shivers in fear. For the horror that are observing his every moves, in full display before his pair of eyes. "T...that's no ordinary organism...c-can you even call it an o-organism...?" Its "Orb-like" organ pulses and emits a blinding red light periodically mimicking a cosmic event as if it's scanning the whole ocean like a god looking down on its creation. ... Then, its "Branches" begins to throbs, displaying a small dot of violet light rushing to the orb. And all the lights goes off. ... Nothing but darkness remains in those time windows. Then, after the lightning... It's as if a roaring thunder came sweeping from the sky down to the abyss. A hail of violet light came raining down from the sky, if you may call it "Sky". ... It falls through the sky as it was a meteor shower and what's dreadful is that... A distant "Explosion" was heard through the seawater medium. ... And after another second of silence, one came and hits his spaceship, creating a shockwave that blows him away as he came crashing through the corroded benches that also got knocked away. 「47」 "Fuck!" he gets on his knee and kicks one of the bench away. 「46」 And as he stood up... ...he immediately know where to aim his pistol at. BANG! 11/36 「-5」 「HP = 999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999994」 ...! "...fuck." he loses footing in retaliation. "So you....no-" "...you guys are the final boss of this planet huh...!?-" Inspect. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ 『"Quaoar ", ??? - Lv. 100 』 Class : Hive Mind HP = 999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999 MP = Unknown ATK = Unknown DEX = Unknown DEF = Unknown - - [ Further information are not available due to the properties of this entity] - Status : Curious ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ "Heh...heh...heh..." "...that is just way too early..." "But..." He clenched his teeth and stands up before once again- Aiming his gun at the "Swarm" that are slowly engulfing and lifting his spaceship out of the cathedral. "There's no way i'll let you take my spaceship without a fight!!!" BANG! 10/36 「-5」 「HP = 999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999989」 . . BANG! 9/36 「-5」 「HP = 999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999984」 BANG! BANG!- BANG!!- 6/36 . . 「HP = 999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999964」 It won't budge. His spaceship are getting closer to leaving the cathedral as it reveals the glass dome and both the north and south transept of the church. "...fuck" he lowers his gun and watches as his spaceship are taken away by the "Thing". "What the hell even is that..." The chandelier goes out and the skylight as well as the dome are closed off again, not long after that, the light from the window came back. "...intriguing" "Heh." . . . "He he he he he" his breath are heavy and his hand trembles as he gaze deeply into his gun. . . . "So it's not going to be as easy as the first time huh?"

As i emerge from the cloud of sand, i noticed that there are some kind of dark blue haze surrounding the whole area- what the hell is going on!?- where are the scavenger right now?!? " Map!" ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ 《 Level 0 : Abyssal Plains 》 Depth : 9,800 ft ⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜ ⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜🔴⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜ ⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜ ⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜ ⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜ ⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜ ⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜ ⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜☐☐☐☐☐⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜ ⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜🟡🟡🟡☐☐☐☐⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜ ⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜☐☐☐☐🟡🟡☐☐☐☐☐☐⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜ ⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜☐☐☐☐☐🟡☐☐☐☐☐🔵☐☐☐☐☐⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜ ⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜☐🟡🟡☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜ ⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜🟡☐☐☐🟡☐⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜ ⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜ ⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜ ⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜ ⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜ ⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜ ⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜ ⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜ ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ Oh there you all are- "They crumpled on the right side! I'll jump again- my stride are just enough to reach it!" I used my whole body weight to extend my left foot and once it landed on the sand i dragged my right foot beyond my left food pivot, once that one landed i then throw myself using my left foot once again to one of the shrimps- 「MP = 75」 ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ ⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜🟡☐🟡🟡☐☐☐☐☐⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜ ⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜☐🟡☐☐☐☐☐☐🔵☐☐☐☐⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜ ⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜☐☐🟡🟡☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜ ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ "Two foot!-" click- BANG! 1/36 「CRITICAL!!!」 「-11」 『"Euphausia Vathys" - Lv. 05』 「HP = 4」 It arched just like the first one and falls into the sand below and i didn't waste any second. click- BANG! 0/36 「-5」 『"Euphausia Vathys" - Lv. 05』 「HP = 0」 「EXP = 32/100」 + $15 Credits "DAMN RIGHT!!!" I clenched my fist and fell head first to the sand as there's just a TON of pressure under here! And while i'm on the sand, i quickly reloaded my pistol and get on my knees. 12/24 「MP = 70」 "Map!" ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ ⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜🟡☐☐🟡☐☐☐⚪☐🔵☐☐☐☐⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜ ⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜🟡☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜ ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ "Shit, that's a bit too far- let's just keep leaping for now!-" Hop!- The sand scattered as i landed my left foot. Step!- The haze were slightly thrown aside as i crashes into it. PYON!- And my hair waves around as i lunged on top of one of this HUGE hairy crab- "Oh! Hello there!" and i accidentally front flipped in front of the crab claw that it looks like it is about to crush my skull but- 「MP = 65」 click. BANG! 11/24 「-3」 The crab claw were diverted skyward by the bullet and i managed to land on my back. 『"Crus Pilosus" - Lv. 06』 「HP = 27」 But then here comes the his left claw- BANG! 10/24 「-4」 「HP = 23」 . After diverting another claw, i rolled into it as his right claw suddenly came crashing down to the sand- barely killing me but there's just no way i will go down that easily- 「MP = 60」 I used my left arm as a spring to bring myself standing again and as i'm on my right foot- BANG! 9/24 「-10」 「HP = 13」 I shot its head, he flinched to that shot but came charging at me with both of its claw open- and DAMN! IT'S FAST- 「36」 "Tch-!" I quickly aimed at its claw that are crushing my right foot in an instant and- BANG! 8/24 「-4」 「HP = 9」 It flinched again and tried to flee upon releasing my leg but- BANG! 8/24 『"Crus Pilosus" - Lv. 06』 「HP = 0」 「EXP = 68/100」 + $30 Credits "YEAHHH!!!!" Alrighty- that's another one down!" 「MP = 55」 . . . -the abyss strangely howled and i noticed that the haze hasn't gone away at all. 「MP = 50」 . . . "Alright...i have been spacing out for a while so let's-" Splash. "...!" I just saw a flash of red passing from my right side- that's definitely another mob! How come i not noticed it-" "Map-" 🔵🔴 "FUCK!" I ducked immediately as i saw something was coming on my back and that thing just able to grazed my back- 「18」 『"Dracul Infernalis" - Lv. 12』 [ Nicknamed the "Red Goblin" these eight-armed speedster are typically seen around whalefalls and is known to be highly aggressive toward everything it runs into ] HP = 75 DEF = 0 《 Attribute 》 「Hell's Facade」: An ability to cover the area with a radius of 25 meters with ink, rendering low visibility range. 「Claw of Barghest」: A multi-target grazing attack equipped with an insane speed. . And there, the demon just glued itself to the crab's corpse as if calling it dips. "I mean i don't really eat crab so, i guess i'll just scram-" Cosmic Drop Nearby 『 Blanc Mahakala 』 ...shit that crab's claw smells like money and it sounds pretty OP- "Changed my mind, that's mine!-" I aimed the pistol at the eight armed demon. "Out of the way you overcooked calamari!" 「MP = 45」

the light shimmer flickered. Going through the gap between his spaceship, he finds a wooden gate that are twice of his height. Upon closer look, he notices that there are a various symbol carved into its frame that supposedly made out of stone, but he didn't seem to bother looking at every one of it. "That's the way out huh?" ... "...hahaha so...on character" He grinned. "That's some crazy degree of psychosis..." He steps back and looks around the vicinity that are glimmered by the colored light that are the results of the refraction by the stained windows. "-So this is 『 Cosmic Dreamscape 』..." ... "Alright, now that i have already acquired the gun...i supposed to enter the first level now." He walks to the wodden gate and got his hand on the handle when he refrains himself from opening it. Ah, before that- Profile. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ 《 Player Stat 》 Renomia - Lv. 01 [ 0 / 100 ] Class : Gunner HP = 100 MP = 100 ATK = 50 (+15) DEX = 100 DEF = 10 《 Equipment 》 Standard Issue Q-01 Pistol (12/36) Class = Mass-Produced "A standardized combat equipment given to all member of the squadron, there's nothing special about it." Stats = +15 ATK Special Effect = 「Headshot」: 100% Chance of instant-kill if it hits the head of the target (Humanoid Only) 「Pierce」: Increased chances of ignoring defense to hide/skin/fur/scales (50-100%) 《 Status Effect 》 - ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ Close. ─✕─ "Yeah...to be expected, i'm still level 1 anyways- but the pistol though, that's pretty solid-" he muttered. "Gun really are the best weapon..." as he hold and looks at every inch of his pistol. Without further ado- He holds the wooden gate handle and slowly pulls it in, it was a lot more like a blast door judging by its weight and it makes a lot of a creaking sound in the process. ... As the door fully opens, a distant whimper gets into his ears, the light level are much much more lower than it is inside the cathedral, there were barely any view distance. He gulped and readies his gun- his head are telling him to go back inside to further analyze the area but his feet already set its path to the exterior of the cathedral. thud. ... thud. thud. The soft muddy surface dampened his step. thud. thud. As he gets further and further, the lights from the cathedral leaves him alone in the cold void of the abyss. "...but there was definitely a light sources coming from above...where is it now?" thud. thud. His step becomes more audible as the void closes in on him. t-thu.. d. bang. and then the wooden gate were closed shut. "...there's no turning back now huh?" ... thud. ...! "...that's!" his pupil widen and shrinks instantly, a pulse of light just flew right passes him. crackles. He heared his joint moving as stopped his blinking and turned his head above. flap. flap. Everytime he blinks, he can hear his eyelid closing and opening, until at some point- He glared at something far beyond than what he can imagine coming down these abyss. shivers. thud- thud- thud. Even the sound of his gun hitting his hand repeatedly became audible as he trembles in a cold sweat and his eyes wide open and his pupil turns to the size of a rice grain. "...i...i-...it's....br..brr..no...pulsing..?" "...that's-" Until all of the sudden, the sound of running water closes on him. ...! ############################## ############## #################################################### It's choking him. Fuck...! What the hell is this!!?!?!? In a flash, his body were covered in the dark sea waters. ($&!&^#!^!^!^@..>!?!!? Until it stopped. ... On all fours, he tried to get up. "Sh...shit..." but he can't help it. x ✕ Warning ✕ x " ...!?" his pupil shrunk as what he saw are alarming. 「49」 「43」 「39」 「28」 !!! 「23」 "STATUS!!!" ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ Status : . . . "What the hell was that...!?" . . . . , 『 ??? 』 Effect Duration : ∞ Effect List : . . . • Abyssal Pressure -100% Defense -90% Attack Damage -70% Movement Speed -70% Projectile Speed -70% Attack Speed -50% Health • Sea Salt Poisoning -1 HP per Tick -50% Healing Effectiveness • Drowning -3 HP per Tick -50% Critical Chance • Cold Waters -1 HP per Tick -25% Movement Speed -50% Critical Damage "WAS IT THAT THING THAT CAUSED ALL THIS!?!?!?!?!?!?" no. "...!?!?!?!?!?!?" You're simply under a million tones of seawater, haven't you heard? "...there's no fucking way..." Indeed. . The deeper you go... ...the greater the pressure. . . This is... . . . 『 Crushing Depths 』 "From here on out, you will be under the perpetual limbo of the Primordial Sea" . now... . . Collapse ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ Level 0 : Abyssal Plains ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

In the vast loneliness of the cosmos where the distance between million of lights are further than its ray can even reach, the sixth squadron fleet of the Triangulum Galaxy Alliance that are consists of 2 motherships and 7 flagship, are on a standby near the star of Mimosa. Their spaceship are an older model compared to the other squadron conveyance, as they still need to recharge their fuel by deploying dyson swarm stored in one of the flagship instead of a advanced compact sized nuclear fusion on each and every spacecraft. And on one of the flagship, a cadet has been called to meet the squadron captain through the ship command center. As he walk through the hallway, a distant whispering voice can be heard coming from the inside of the command center, it seems that the captain are having a conversation with the higher up. "So, about the planet." "...the preparation are almost complete...-" "It has been a year captain, we were counting on you all this time and yet-, no progress has been made, you're lucky that it has come to halt because of the intrusion" "Didn't you forget that IT might withers away captain?" "It's..." as the cadet enters the room, the conversation has been halted by the captain welcoming him as he turns away from the large monitor on the cockpit. "Welcome cadet, how's your day?" "Well, the food in the cafeteria are great as always" "Haha, i thought so, they have been putting a lot of work there" the captain sits on his desk, so does the cadet. "...so what are the detail?" the cadet watches as the captain ravages through a thick paperwork on the desk, he picks up a small bundle of document and read it for a bit. "To be honest, i'm actually pretty surprised for you to be interested in this mission, it's both urgent at the time and pretty close to where we are right now so...it makes it easier somehow." "Well, ain't that great! You know, this one are pretty embarrassing but i'm also surprised that you're okay with me eavesdropping you when you talked about this mission with someone else at that time" "Yeah, it is, to be honest, quite secretive but i was given the task to look for candidate so that works well." "Hm~ Hm~ i know right?" he grinned. "Do you think i can leave everything to you?" "Bet-" "I'll finish it in a flash captain." After that short briefing, without any breaks the cadet has already been inside a spaceship, going on his way to the assigned planet while carrying one mission : "Ignite the fusion reactor, and get back safely" the captain said to him. Suited in a white and gray coveralls with the sixth squadron badge embed ontop of his right chest, he inspects his handgun in the back of a spaceship lended by his squadron. "I wonder what kind of planet I will be landing on? He does say that it's on a rogue planet though, i guess it's going to be just a large floating rock with nothing on it, except that fusion reactor." As he spaceship ventures through deep space, the spaceship sensors detected a sea of asteroid and other stray celestial bodies ahead of them, he then came across a scattered debris of an unknown material coming from above barely hitting the spaceship but the sensors are able to do a maneuver to avoid it, though it caused a bit of waddle that startle the cadet when he was putting the handgun to a convenient carry bag on his waist. Walking up to the front of the spaceship, he notices a room in the hallways that connects the back of the ship to the front of the spaceship. It was a room full of dust, a rundown computing device with a bunch of cable detached from it, and in the center of that room lies five identical "Coffin" that has a window that displays the content of it, which are empty. When he decided to check the room and out of nowhere, the spaceship gets thrown off the course and it send him flying into the rundown room as the spaceship emergency siren goes off. "Dammit! What the hell was that!?" He gets up from the ground and sprinted to the cockpit without realizing he has turned on the rundown room back to it's service as the room lit up by the fluorescent lamp above. "It turned on?- ah doesn't matter- what just happened!? Isn't the sensors and system was supposed to be calibrated enough to be able to avoid the debris!?" As he arrived to the cockpit, almost all of the sensors emits a spark and the whole display has turned red. "Shit-" In a flash, he pressed the emergency call button to call his squadron for a rescue. Nothing happened. "Huh? Did i miss it somehow?" he pressed it again. "That was definitely a mechanical feedback- am i tripping or something!?" he then pressed twice this time, while the button clicks after he pressed it, there are no reaction whatsoever. He then take a closer look at the button. ... "Tch! It can't be-" and when he notices a slight misalignment on the module he rips the emergency button out of its place. "There's no wire coming out of the button!? " he noticed that there are no wire coming out from the input, meaning it won't relay any input to the system, his grip tighten up on the button and then shake frantically. "WHAT THE HELL IS THIS!?!?" he screams as his grip crushed the module. "WHY IN THE FUCK THEY ARE PUTTING IT HERE??? IS THIS SOME KIND OF JOKE!?!?" He bashes the emergency button into the instrument panel as he's gnashing his teeth. "OR AM i... an idiot who didn't checked on the spaceship thoroughly...?" his pupil shrunk. There's just no way i just did this to myself... "FUCKING HELL!!!!" he snapped and grips the module even tighter that it started to come apart. "SHIT!!! SHIT!!! SHIT!!!" he bashes the module again. "I'M A RETARD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" and again. Besides the loud noises coming from the outside as the spaceship are being thrown around the sea of asteroid, he just keeps smashing the module over and over again followed by a horrible shriek, he's deafened by his rage. Until his right hand drenches in blood and he found himself breathless and sweat covered his whole body. "Revival Device Activated, please insert your DNA sample" he glanced over a small display monitor coming out from the control desk stating that he should register his fingerprint on the sensor that appears under the display. revival? He instinctively puts his bloody thumb over the sensor and a needle came out from the middle of the sensor stabbing him and it makes him pulls out his thumb in a flash, despite that it still register. Suddenly, he felt a sudden gain in centripetal force and it throws him backward through the cockpit door, and it looks like the spaceship rapidly accelerated due to some sort of force attracting it. He then gets on his knees and hurries to the spaceship windows to see the cause of the disturbance he's been experiencing. And that's when he saw a looming presence, even the biggest planet in his solar system couldn't even compare to this titan. "T-that's..." "A subglacial ocean...?" "...within a planet that massive?-" As his spaceship falls into the influence of gravity within the planet, a pop up windows suddenly appears before him. 「Greetings, Renomia 」 ...! 「Now Entering...」 「Primordial Sea, Tenebris」

I have settled things with one of the people I cut off. I made a very bad and dirty joke to him which made him uncomfortable and him blaming it on me made me angry. I told him that if he doesn't like my jokes then don't come to me and thus I cut him off. One of my female friends convinced me that I was the one in the wrong and I should apologize to him. Her convincing made me realize how much of a bitch I was to him. I blamed him for not liking my dirty joke. I blamed for being sensitive about my joke. But in reality, it was me who was in the wrong. I shouldn't have said such dirty jokes to him or anyone for that matter. I cut him off for my own comfort. I blamed him so I can feel good about myself. At the end, I apologized. I have fixed things with him and he is no longer treated as a shackle to me. During these teenage years, people starts to say a lot of dirty jokes and the people starts revealing their dirty side. As we become a teenager, we get dirty minded after knowing things about sex and other dirty stuff. We gain more knowledge about everything related to these as we grow up. The thing about these dirty jokes is that it's okay to say it to people who understands it but there should always be a limit kept to the amount of dirty jokes said. And that was my mistake with that friend. There should be a line drawn to the dirty jokes you say to a person and I crossed the line with the joke and made him uncomfortable and that was my mistake. I was the one in the wrong here. I shouldn't have blamed him. I have started to talk to him and recover from my mistakes. As for the other person I cut off, I want to apologize to him. I did him wrong by telling him to kill himself and not exist. I was harsh to him. I shouldn't have said anything like that. I should have cut him off by mentioning the problem properly. I still regret being that harsh to him and whenever I see him, it reminds me of how much of a bitch I am to him. What I mean is that I want to cut him off, but shouldn't have done it in a harsh way. Even though I wish to apologize to him, the fact that I cut him off always comes in mind so I ignore him every time, cutting off all communication with him. The reason I cut him off is because he was annoying to me but that doesn't give me any right to tell him to kill himself but at the heat of the moment, it just happened. I don't feel like apologizing now, but I will do it soon. For now, I don't feel suicidal and I feel much better now. My heart doesn't feel heavy now. I have some hope for the school tour and I decided that I'm going. I don't know if it would be boring but I will never know that unless I go.

the light shimmer flickered once again. . . . "Reduced health, attack damage...that's going to be tough to go against, not mentioning that crazy movement debuff... and to count all of the debuff out there- my stat will be..." Player Stat, apply "Crushing Depth" debuff. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ Renomia - Lv. 01 [ 0 / 100 ] Class : Gunner HP = 50 (-50) MP = 100 ATK = 5 (+15) (-45) DEX = 5 (-95) DEF = 10 (-10) ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ Close. ─✕─ . . . "WHAT DO I DO!?!!?!?!?!?!?!!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?" he rolls around the cathedral floor as if he's a vacuum cleaner sweeping the floor. "Oh yeah- there are also like a debuff where 5 hp depleted every tick, that's like 5 or 10 second i think? That damned drowning, sea salt poisoning bullshit, at all times- this is the worst time to be too realistic!!!! Are they expecting me to go through this!?" "Let's say the worst scenario is that i can stay outside for the maximum of 50 second..." . . . "WHAT THE FUCK AM I GOING TO BE ACHIVING IN THOSE 50 SECONDS HUH!?!!?!?" he gets up from the floor and jumps repeatedly while punching the air around him. "...hngh..." he lays on the floor once again, with both arms on his face. "..." some kind of shadows passes on top of the cathedral as a certain music piece are played on the background inside of vicinity. "...where even did this music came from?" his eyes went on all corners of the cathedral. Until he noticed something on the north transept of the cathedral. "...Oh!" he gets up again and jogs into it. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ [ Cosmomart ★] "Ranging from bottled water all the way to a fucking supernova explosive, Cosmomart ★ provides all kind of items and instant delivery technology as well as your onestop shopping center! And we're totallyyyy didn't monopolize the intergalactic retail center nya :3" Free delivery fees for first purchase!* *terms and condition applies. [ Open ] ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ "Those fucking developer, being specific on that realism thing... and they had shit like this!? A cat girl even!?- Not that i'm complaining, well, let's see if i can somehow use this to my advantage." Open. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ │ Search : 🔍︎ │ . . . "Allright, so it's going to be something that at bare minimum weaken the debuff that causes me to take damage, what could that be?" . . . "If it's like... pressure then it's going to be a suit or some kind...but the way i also need something to breathe on because of that drowning debuff...i think that's going to be pricy...not to mention i got to refill it everytime...for fuck sake." "..." he stares at the shop menu for a while. . . . "A health potion could definitely be helpful to get my health back up but that -5 hp per tick are just going to eat it all up again..." "Hmm...ah!" "Is there like an artifact that recover health per tick? Even if it's just 2 or 3 it's alright!" │ Search : Health 🔍︎ │ - Health Potion (Small, recovers 50% of your health) • $10 Per Item (Most Popular!) - Health Potion (Large, recovers 100% of your health) • $15 Per Item - Health...... . . . . . . . . "Shit...there's no end to it..." "Dammit, should i just take the health potion? I got like..." Balance. $1000 "So like... if i got 100 health potion i'll be able to prolong my time for about...man i hate math, let's say 5 minutes and that is even if i don't level up at all, if i can somehow find something and get a lot experience...maybe i'll be able to get like-" "Nya~ do you not see me here?" "Huh?" "Yeah, over here you idiot-nya~" "Uh...you're suppose to be the mascot of the shop aren't you?" "Well, not just a mascot for the otaku out there-nya~ i can do more than just being cute-nya~" "Good god this is super cringe..." "Shut up-nya~ you're the one that are being cringe-nya~" "Huh? SINCE WHEN!?- Listen, i know you're an AI that can calculate every possibilities in second and are super smart so tell me...how is this possible if you literally can't move, your health got depleted every tick and how BARREN everything look outside!?" "Well, that's just skill issue-nya~" "UHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH FUCK!" " But well, after seeing you being that helpless after arriving i guess i'll help cha-nya~" "How?" " Just buy an item from the shop-nya~ we got everything here-nya!~" "But that everything actually drives me insane...there's just too many shit to look at..." " Well, would you let me recommend something for you then-nya?~ " "..." he stares deely into the cat girl with a maid outift on the screen. "AHHHH! Whatever! Sure thing...can i get something that has regeneration-" " Such thing did not exist. " "...wait, really?" " You gotta think about it closely, Renomia . You can't create something out of nothing unless you're a god, let alone something that generate something out of nothing, you really got to think about it of what you have right now, what can you do with it-" "-nya?~" "Well...what i'm currently have now..." . . 100 . . "Ah! It's MP!" " So? " "...to compensate with the loss of health i have right now then..." "I'll trade my MP for it." " I see, i see. Let's see if we actually had something like that in store-nya~... " . . . "...gulp." " Ah you're a lucky one-nya~ " "LET'S FUCKING GOOOO-" - MP to HP Converter (Standard) • $1000 Per Item "IT COST HOW MANY AGAIN!?!?!?!?!??!??!?!?!?" ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

I'll keep it short for your convenience. Cosmic Dreamscape is an RPG game where there are no actual "Fixed" storyline, it's a game that has been out for around 10 years, at first it's centered around space battle, sci-fi kind of RPG and it has been improving since then. And what i meant by it has been improving is that...it can generate it's own storyline, unique to one player, essentially assigning each plater into their own story protagonist- it's honestly pretty crazy on how they figure that out. And now, i've got to play it, after all this time... "Let's jump in shall we?" his cursor hovers to a blue button at the center of the monitor. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ 『 Blast Off! 』 . . . 「 Manifesting... 」 . . . 「 Complete! 」 「 Initiating teleportation to the Ark. 」 . . . 「 Welcome, Renomia 」 . 「 Planet of Cosmic Artifact, Ark 」 . 「 Please take your time picking a starting weapon of your choice, until then you'll be able to start the game 」 . . . ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ "Sick." I found myself on a some kind of a spaceship with a big open windows where i could see the planet of Ark, well- it's not like i can call it a planet, it's some kind of a manmade blue sphere. Looking around the spaceship, i saw several player, two was sitting on a bench, three standing and one besides me. The one guy besides me are built like some kind of a tower, a crazy muscular humanoid body and a not surprising- actually, a super cool dragon skull head with 2 pairs of hair shooting out to his back, i would definitely pick that out if i was on my phase. But for now, a modest sized humanoid that are from a race called the "Centauri" would fit me better, i'll show you what i can do later, we have arrived. The spaceship backdoor opens, one by one, the players got out of his seat and some just walks out of it as they're standing, including this big guy right here. 「 Aurelius - Lv.01 」 "Alright, i guess this guy has the same taste as mine, i'll have to befriend him later" Upon exiting the spaceship, i was treated to some kind of a shopping district with buildings that are about 5 stories tall that are loaded with many kinds of weapon, with a glimmering lights of many colors, and there are a lot of player here crowding the hallways stretches as far as the eye can see. I take my walk through the shopping district, looking at my right and my left, it seems like there are no end to the variety of the weapon and even though almost all of the weapon here are a "Starter" i can already see one or two weapon that looks super strong. To be honest, it's not like i was just wandering around aimlessly here until i found a cool weapon to use. You see, these "Store" are labeled, there are these medieval weapon section, ancient weapon section, myth weapon section and cosmic weapon section are definitely my favorite. But the one i'm looking for are one of the classic, and coincidently...i looked like a child following his parents!- Aurelius are also going in the same way with me! We took a short strolls and finally arrived at the section i was talking about- He suddenly stops in front of me. "Goddammit, why are you always following me?" I'm not a kid though... "It's just a coincidence mate, i think we got the same interest" "I see, whatever then" "Oh by the way, your character looks super cool with that dragon skull" "Hmm...? Thanks." "What are you looking for anyway?" "Ah nothing in particular, it was this-" !!!- BOOM!!! 「-23」 A cloud of dust filled the whole room and slowly fades away...all i could see before this was a blinding light coming from the outside. "Huhhhhh....? What the hell- this newbies are pretty studry!" "Hmm...? That guy is huge and..." Two player...and it's all girls- nah, it's just their character, both of them had a short twintails, one is colored in pink and the other are purple, the purple one has some kind of a rifle...- no, it's some kind of a hand cannon with that huge caliber colored in gray with some of a yellow particle around it? And the other one are holding a kodachi (Short Katana) with a red blade, and their outfit are just a sweater and shorts with matching color (White and Blue) too, are they a twin? "There's a kid behind him...with a pretty cute jacket" Ah- i told you i'm not a kid and this thing has a purpose!- "What are you two doing here, we're here just to choose our weapon and not fight right? said Aurelius with a stern face- actually a stern body language. "Well, i mean it's only for you newbie and..." the purple one smugs. 「Redline Step. 」 "...we're not here to choose our starting weapon." the pink one suddenly gets infront of Aurelius with her kodachi aimed for his neck- Slash. "What the-" her slash goes through Aurelius because well... "Then, what are you doing here you brat!?" his head are literally a floating skull- 「-100」 「-75」 She just got blown away all of the sudden and hits the other twin- "Say...what's your name?" "You can literally see it above my head but... it's Renomia, and they're..." 「 Phobos - Lv.15 」 「 Deimos - Lv.17 」 "Ah, so they have been playing for quite a while huh?" "Oh, and it was this, XM25 have you heard of it?" a huge gun just appeared on his hand, it's really bulky and blocky including the caliber and the scope. "Wowwww, sick- you like some exploding bullet." "Are you mocking me...? You're not even looking at me..." "Yeah whatever, you better heads up because i think both of them are mad-" 「 Redline Step. 」- 「 Chainshot 」 "I'll take care of the kid right here-" "I'll destroy the big one here and now for touching you" BOOM!!! BOOM!!! BOOM!!! BOOM!!! BOOM!!! 「-12」「-0」「-26」 Slash! 「-1」 "Welp...we're not even in the game yet and this just happen...-" Both of them goes in for another rush, Both Aurelius and Deimos just dissappear because of the smoke emitted from that blast, and the pink one just barely misses me as i ducked in by reflex. "COME ON LIL MISSY! YOU CAN'T JUST NOT HIT US EVERY SINGLE TIME!" 「-5」 Renomia charged through her and went to the upstairs of the building, Phobos are not so behind either. As a firefight has broken outside Renomia just keeps getting faster and faster, clearing 2 floor of the whole building in a flash in search of... "Fuck! It has been like 3 floor already and there's literally no traces of them-" "Looking for something?" 「 Crescent One 」 Slash! 「-78」 "Or perhaps you're lost? Boy ." a wide horizontal slash engulfs the third floor of the building, it connects to Renomia torso. "Well, an AOE (Area of Effect) attack huh, don't worry-" "I just missed a floor!" he rushed to get back to the second floor and right ahead of him is- "Too reckless aren't you?" Slash! "EHHHHHHHH!?!?!?!" 「-19」 "YOU ATE UP THE SLASH WITH YOUR LEFT WRIST!?!!?" "Hell yeah...NOW MOVE!" Renomia blasted through the third floor into the second and his eye are set on one weapon... "There you are!-" as he's about to reach the weapon, she came back appearing just behind him. "2 HP left." "...!" "And no weapon to even hurt me-" 「-2」 "Your fist huh?-" "But that won't be enough-" he silently gets behind her as he's throwing the punch and sprinted all his way to the third floor again. "Tch! You still got some gases left huh!?-" "FUCKING HELL!!! WHY IS IT SO WEAK!?!?!?-" after she heard his scream, she rushes to the third floor again and found him- "P-please..! I waited my whole life for this" on all four while one of his hand are pressing down on his cut from before. "..." "PLEASE! WHAT WAS YOUR REASON FROM KILLING US NEWBIE!!!???" "Well..." she raises her sword. "I just want your outfit-" she brings down her kodachi in an instant. . . . 0,1 Seconds. . BANG! 「-239」 Was all it needed. . . . "So, you basically gets someone character outfit from killing them huh?" a smoke came out from his arm as he gets up standing. "And being able to hurt each other...-spawn killing at the start...that's very twisted" "But unfortunately, i don't think your that twisted enough ...you still had a little of that good side of yours, believing me that i have surrendered." "Without knowing all of that is just a bluff" he raises his pistol once again. BANG! . . . 「Phobos has died」 「PVP Kills : 1」 . . . "Yo! Aurelius." "...oh, you're alive." "And you did too right?" "..." I looked into him, there's just a lot of wound and even one of his horn are missing, i mean it's a firefight, you're bound to lose your limbs or even other body part but damn... 「17」 He's also one shot away from his death. "Where's the gal anyway?" "Ah, she ran" "I see, that's actually pretty crazy" "What's crazy?" "That we're only level one, and they are just way above us, isn't that crazy?" "Hmm...i guess it's not impossible too after all." "...right- hey where are you going!?" "Well, i'm going to get on to my story" "Fair enough, go ahead then- you got no use of me right?" "..." he stares at me. "...nope, see you then" "Yeah!" Aurelius walks back to the avenue slowly as he's injured and at the point of being one shotted, the destruction he caused on his fight against Phobos has left almost all the light on that specific section flickering, some are dead, and some are slowly progressing to dies out. "Well, i mean...we're going the same way too so i guess i'll just wait a bit until he can't see me anymore" As Aurelius has walked for 15 meters, Renomia started to walk to the same direction. "Ah, come on man i just want to be your friend because your taste are literally the same as mine but you are just going to walk away like that?" "..." "Well, whatever." . . . . . bang. 「Aurelius has died」 「PVP Kills : 2」 . . "Fucking show off." . . . 「You have choosen : Pistol」 . . . 「 Would you like to proceed? 」 「Yes / No」 . . . . . 「Yes」 . 「Okay! G enerating story for Renomia ... 」 . . . 「Completed」 . 「 Now teleporting... 」

Am I changing? Am I being too angry at people? Do I have anger issues? Where is my kind self? I thought showing my anger towards the people I hate was good but am I being too harsh? I want to degrade people's humanity like I did to one of my shackles. I wanted them to be depressed. I wanted to see them cry. But what am I doing? Am I doing the right thing? Like I know this isn't a good mindset. I never felt this kind of anger before. I never had the urge to say someone to kill themselves before. What's happening to me? I have an urge to get a girlfriend. I want someone to care about me deeply. I want someone to hug me and say "Everything will be alright," to me because I am lost in this puzzle of life. I didn't want to continue fake smiling at people I hate and said the truth. Even others felt my hatred toward those people were valid. But why are they not showing their anger then? Why am I being the villain? Why are they still friends with them if they secretly hate them? Why am I blamed on? I do not regret cutting them off. I know I did the right thing. But it's hard to ignore their existence as they are my classmates. Their existence makes me lose my focus on my studies. I am not going down academically. I am getting worse and worse everyday just because I spent my day thinking about this and sleep while listening to music. I was tired of bottling up my anger everyday in school so I opened it. Now I have a big hole in my heart. I am annoyed when the people I hate talks to the people I love because I won't be able to talk to the people I like when the people I hate are around them. I am annoyed, angry and sad when people call me a robot but I kept on smiling. I never told them I found discomfort when they say that. I wish to be angry at them, but does it really matter? Because this is how everyone looks at me. Being angry at one person wouldn't solve the problem. But should I tell them that I am angry? Would it help the situation in any way? There are people who don't like me as I am way too formal, way too kind, way too robotic etc. I mean like...what do you want me to do? I just happened to be this way. I can't be someone else. I am me. I can't be like the cool kids in class. I would see my classmates being able to make the class laugh but what do I do? I can't be like them. I am just some dude. Just sitting there. There is a school tour coming. I don't know if I should go because the people I hate would be in the same tour bus. The tour is 4600 rupees. Its a huge amount. I don't know if I should go because if I end up not enjoying the trip then its a huge loss of money. I could buy a game with that money which is sure to make me happy. But my friends are forcing me to come and I am happy that they care. But they have other friends. Wouldn't they leave me to hangout with their best friends during tour? So is me coming for tour really worth it? They might hangout with the people I hate which make me not want to go near them. I am in a dilemma. I...do not know what to do. My head feels like its about to burst. Like as if a chain is wrapped tightly around my head and its only getting tighter the more I think about the people I hate and the way I cut them off. I want to die so I can be free from this headache. I can't bear it.

I tend to space out whenever I feel bored. I feel bored most of the time. Whenever I am in school, I space out all the time. So my mind starts to get creative at the time. That's when I think about stories. I imagine beautiful colors and characters running around my head. I create a world and its like I am watching a movie within my mind. I exist physically in school but mentally I am in my world. My imagination is my happy place. I wanted to show this imagination to people. But how? I wished to show it as a movie or as a comic. I wanted to show the same thing I imagine to others. But I can neither make a movie nor know how to draw. So I thought of writing. Somehow try to paint a picture with words. But so far I don't know how it's going. I am not completely good with words and it feels like only I will be able to understand my stories. I don't make stories stuck to reality. I always add some fantasy to it and describing fantasy is world. While I might imagine something, the person who reads what I wrote might imagine something completely different. I am not a professional writer. I never wrote stories much until now because I didn't know how to explain some stuff in words. Some stuff you see can't be expressed in words, in my opinion. Whenever I watch a movie I try to translate the magic stuff going on in words and its impossible to translate it sometimes. I have read enough fantasy, unreal books and I am still confused as to how it is written and how I imagined correctly as to how it was described. There are some scenes of my story I would wish to draw and show as I had no idea to explain it in words. Some things which I try to explain would end up only being understandable to me and not to an average reader. I always thought this was a lost cause but I still gave it a try. I tried to translate my imagination in words and now that I have already started, I should finish it. If I had the ability to draw, I could have made comics which would have been easier to read and understand the events going on. As for novels, there should be a good set of words to give the reader a clear cut image of what's happening in the story and I feel like I am failing at times. Sometimes I give up explaining a complicated scene and remove those kind of scenes and replace it with something simple so it is easy to explain and I hate that. To me, it ruins the story and there were times I did it. As I said again, this is only my beginning and this is a learning process. I learn more as I write more. I hope you enjoyed and understood the stories I published so far :)

Close. ─✕─ . . . In the end, i ended up buying it anyway. That damn catgirl didn't tell me shit that it is going to cost all of my starter money, but at least i can survive a bit longer to actually do some stuff, it's not like i know anything about what kind of mob i will encounter, but i supposed it's going to be some kind of a deep sea fish. Oh, on that note, better check the map aren't i? I just realized that there are a lot of useful menu i can use after equipping the converter, including some that i could have use such as the command [ Spawn ] that i can use to get back here...it really is a skill issue, fuck that... Well, now we know what to do. Map. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ 《 Level 0 : Abyssal Plains 》 Depth : 9,800 ft ⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜ ⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜ ⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜ ⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜ ⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜ ⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜ ⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜ ⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜☐☐☐☐🟡🟡☐☐☐☐⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜ ⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜☐☐🟡🟡☐🔵☐☐⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜ ⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜☐☐☐☐☐🟡☐☐☐⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜ ⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜☐☐☐☐☐⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜ ⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜ ⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜ ⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜ ⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜ ⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜ ⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜ ⬜☐☐☐☐☐⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜ ⬜☐☐🔴☐☐⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜ ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ So i guess the square are the part that i haven't explored yet, and the dot are the one indicating the entity including me with in blue, looking back i think this is some kind of a mob/entity detector or some kind- 🟡 Wait, that yellow dot- that must be a...- "A mob!" I immediately ran to the front gate with my gun drawn and high hopes that i would be able to actually progresses this time. Using my left hand, i hastily pulls the large wooden door which is fucking heavy i remind you- and then there, i see something that are horrifying but i'm actually glad that it actually happens. ...how can i put this? Surrounding my corpse...there are a bunch of... ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ 『"Crus Pilosus" - Lv. 05』 [ Nicknamed the 'Hairy Legs' this species of white crab the size of a adult palm has a pair claw that are comparable with a Lobster claw. It's virtually harmless though it is not recommended, as it is known to dismember a humanoid finger if it's disturbed] Shield = 15 HP = 10 DEF = 20 《 Attribute 》 「Hard Shells」: Additional health bar as a "Shield", adds a bit of defense. . . . 『"Isopoda Gigantes" - Lv. 07』 [ These "Living Sandals" aren't your regular isopods, they're one of the few sea "Roly-polies" species that has adapted to the deep sea that feeds on small fishes and crabs, they're quite aggressive but a slow crawlers ] Shield = 10 HP = 20 DEF = 15 《 Attribute 》 「Hard Shells」: Additional health bar as a "Shield", adds a bit of defense. . . . 『"Euphausia Vathys" - Lv. 03』 [ There are nothing special about this specific species of Krill, despite its impressive length of 9 inches, its adaptability in the deep sea and their change of diet into a carnivores, they're basically harmless ] HP = 10 《 Attribute 》 - ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ "Scavengers." . . "I mean, it's obvious on which one i can kill off to get exp but..." Standing by the doorway, i gaze deeply into the mob, one after another and realize just how defenseless they are...munching on my bodies like that. ...Isn't this going to be super easy? Turning their back right at the place where i could have just camp and farm all day? ... Well...if there's an easy route... ... I can definitely see myself striking quite an evil grin- ... "MIGHT AS WELL TAKE IT!" I grabbed my pistol and aim it straight to one of the shrimp (Krill) and pulled the trigger- BANG! 5/36 . . . . . . "Huh?" . . . thud. . . . "EHHHHHHHH!?!?!?!?!?!?!?" . . . "THE BULLET STOPPED MID-AIR!?!?!?" . . . I fell on my knees with both of my eye's pupil disappeared, leaving only its white and there i can clearly see the scavengers not even glancing at that gunshot- swish~ Good god...so that's not mid-air but...fuck- I really are under the wave right now, bullet won't travel that far... ... Seeing them keep on chewing on my corpse makes my eye twitches...you fucking bottom-feeders...like literally- always gets all the good stuff where here i am- on my last live trying to freaking survive on this one hellscape... ... The bullet travels around three foot or so before it completely stopped...i guess that's because of the high pressure out there, there's just no way i can shoot from this distance, i need to get a little closer, i even think that just one step is enough. gargle Not to mention, that crazy debuff are still present...even if i did able to land a shot, worst case scenario i'll only be dealing 5 damage or even but that thing has little to known defense so i probably will able to land some pretty clean hit because my pistol can penetrate through shield...should i just go with it? ... "Alright, fuck it- let's not waste any more time, I'll jump in!" I took one step with my right foot to the Abyss and push that same leg followed by a swing from my left foot- 『 Crushing Depths 』 - 100% Defense - 90% Attack Damage - 70% Movement Speed - 70% Projectile Speed - 70% Attack Speed -50%...- . "ACTIVATE...!" Converter Activated- . . . 「MP = 95」 click- "GOTCHA!" I stretched my hand and put the gun on their head at a point blank ranges. BANG! 4/36 「-4」 『"Euphausia Vathys" - Lv. 03』 「HP = 6」 "Fuck! That's not enough!?" As soon as i hit one of the shrimp, the other mob that are close to them started to flee, the shrimp i was targeting are not behind too- 「MP = 90」 swish- "You're still within the range you underwater hyena!-" click- I took another leap- then grabbed its tail and drags it into me and as it gets close enough- BANG! 3/36 「-5」 『"Euphausia Vathys" - Lv. 03』 「HP = 1」 「MP = 85」 It arched and squirm on the sand from the immense pain, forming a cloud of sand around and then- . 「MP = 80」 . An ephemeral red light flashes from it. . . . 『"Euphausia Vathys" - Lv. 03』 「HP = 0」 . 「EXP = 16/100」 + $10 Credits "Alright...let's go for more."

" You Either Die A Hero Or You Live Long Enough To See Yourself Become The Villain ." - Harvey Dent, The Dark Knight I am living in regret. Looking back at it now, I do not enjoy what I did yesterday. I decided to change myself and cut people off. But due to my kind and caring personality, I found it hard to do. I wasn't able to be angry. Everyday I smile and laugh everything. All insults and jokes which offend me, I laugh it off because I am a scaredy bitch to be angry at them. There was this one guy I hated so much. I messaged him about my hatred towards him. The problem was that...I did it in a harsh way. I messaged him and said stuff like "Kill yourself," "Get hit by a car," "Nobody likes you," "Your face disgusts me." At that moment, I just snapped. My anger consumed me. My goal at that time was to degrade of his humanity and completely break him. I was turning into a villain. I had no regrets at that time. I enjoyed every bit of it. The bottled up anger went off. At the end, it worked. I cut him off from my life. He was no longer a friend to me. I felt free. I felt the shackles I had on me for so long has finally been gone. I got the desired result...but at what cost? Now that I look back at it, was those insults really necessary? There were ways to cut him off without telling him to die. It was the first time I told someone to kill themselves in a serious tone. I started regretting my actions. I had no idea what to do. Felt like my life was going downhill. I am failing academically and I have these kind of problems coming in between. My schedule is fucked and nothing is going as I wish. I go to school, smile, bottle my emotions up, come back home, cry about it, get angry and sleep and then the cycle just continues. To be honest, I don't know what I am doing. I wish there was someone who can guide me. I am stuck in dilemmas. I do not know what I am doing is right or wrong. I do not know how my decisions are going to affect me in the future. I really wish I could just kill myself thinking about what I said to that guy. Why can't I just face the people I hate? Why can't I just tell them face to face that I hate them? Why am I so kind and caring? Why can't I be angry? Why do I always have a mask covering my mask which always shows that I am smiling? Why do I act happy when I'm actually not? Why do I have to bottle up my anger and sadness inside every time and not mention the problem to them? Why do I have to act as friends with the people I hate? Answer is that I am scaredy bitch. I can be angry at people through text but not when I am face to face with them. I smile because that's all I can do. My body won't allow me to be angry. I am done complaining to myself saying it's my personality trait. Deep down, I know I am just using that as an excuse to calm myself. The people I hate were like shackles on me. I knew there has to be a time to cut them off. And the time was now. One way or the other, I had to remove them. I do not care about what is going to happen anymore. I can't continue coming home and crying about it. If I have to get something fixed, I had to do something myself instead of complaining about it. I cut one of the shackles. It was time to cut the others. I can't be bothered to check about their feelings. I mean, is this surprising? Everyday I get comments from people saying that I am a robot with no feelings or emotions. I bottle up the sadness, come back home and open up that bottle. I would get really sad hearing those kind of comments but at this point I was done and just accepted it. So I decided to stick with the people who truly understands me and supports me instead of hanging out with some other idiots who keeps insulting me not knowing it would make me sad. So this time, I will cut ties with the people I hate. Today, I cut another shackle. I was having difficulties with my friend and I cut ties with him. But this time I wasn't harsh. I cut him off in the right way. This school and the whole world treats me as someone who just has no emotions or feelings. Screw this. All relationships can break up. I do not care if someone dies. This school and the whole world can fuck yourself for all I care. Just because I am smiling all the time doesn't fucking mean that I have no feelings about what people say. Fuck you. I hate everyone. This world can burn for all I care.

I have been walking on this narrow path for a while. There was nothing but grass everywhere and a brick path going straight endlessly. Its been a long time that I have been walking on this path but I do not wish to see the end and wish for it not have one. For some reason I enjoyed being in this chill and calming atmosphere. Life was cruel and all I did was drown in my own thoughts and sadness. I never enjoyed anything. I felt like nobody truly liked me and I was easily replaceable. How much ever happy I was, that much sadder I would become later. By walking this path I feel relieved. I feel like I escaped the realities of life. I feel reborn. There was no living organism here other than me. I thought what if I walk on the grass. Would it create a new path for me? A new choice? I stopped walking for a second and stood there looking as far as the eye can see and there was no sign of any new path. It was just grass everywhere. If I were to try something new, how would it affect me? What will happen once I step on the grass? As time passed, more doubts started arising. I stood there thinking for a long time. I could either stay on this straightforward path already laid down for me or try to take a different route. The only demerit about taking a different route is that I wouldn't know the risks and dangers I would be having by stepping away from the bricked path and stepping on the grass. Instead of just standing here and wasting my time and overthinking about this I stepped on the grass. Nothing special happened. I started walking forward. Overthinking never really ends with a solution, it ends with just suicidal thoughts. I never had a will to live and always wanted to kill myself. Probably I already did and this place might be heaven. If I really am dead and this place is really heaven then who all would care to see my funeral in the real world. Probably nobody. I would consider myself a temporary friend. Just someone who becomes sad every time and talks about me being sad all the time to other people and pushing everyone away and isolating myself which make everyone hate me and they would also ignore me. Puberty really changes you not only physically but mentally and emotionally too. Life was never easy. You think things get better soon but it only gets worse. I couldn't make much friends because I wasn't very talkative. All I would do is reply to whatever the other person might say. I would even ignore the people I know when I see them but when they start talking to me I would definitely reply. The only person you talk to the most is yourself which is what's happening right now while I walk the grass of no end. I turned back and the bricked path was no longer seen. It means that I have walked pretty far. Time seems to go faster whenever you drown yourself in your own thoughts. The only happy and nice place is my imagination. I was no longer walking straight anymore. Since there is no path now, I don't know where I am going. But now I was able to walk anywhere since there was no path. I had a feeling of freedom. I thought that I should not think anymore. In a world where there is nothing but grass, what is there to think? Whatever I do won't effect anything. There's nobody I should care for. Nothing to worry about. I don't need to worry where I am going. I should think less and act more. So without having any second thoughts, I ran. I ran as far away as possible. I ran till I had no energy left. I ran like there was no tomorrow. I ran in excitement thinking there is now nothing to stop me. Nothing in my way. I ran as tears of happiness started running down my cheeks. And I continued running...

It was a night like any other. Me and my friend went to the theatre to watch a movie. The movie was fine, wasn't too good but wasn't bad either. We walked to the bus stop. Me and my friend talked while walking. I was a bit down at that moment and it felt good talking about it to him. Its interesting how much of an effect just having a good conversation can have. When we reached the bus stop he called his father to pick him up and we sat there and continued our conversation. We stared at the beautiful night sky. Its hard to find someone who has common interests and who you can rely on to so much. We talked a lot that night. You can't have a good conversation with everyone, just with some good people who you relate to. It was fun talking about our passion of writing stories. We both shared ideas, thoughts, etc. We laughed a lot too. Usually whenever I would have a conversation with someone it would end up as us being silent and looking at our phones the whole time. But this time that didn't happen and that's what made me happy. I didn't regret a single second that day. I opened up about my problems to him, shared our interests in stories and movies and laughed at each other. A good conversation can effect a person greatly in ways you can't think off. From the outside it's just 2 people talking but there's more to it than what meets the eye. Everything has its ending, my friend's father finally arrived after a long wait. I stood there watching him as he goes to his father's scooter, climbs on its passenger seat and goes away as I wave goodbye to them. I felt sad as he left but felt happy for having a good conversation. Just like how the old saying goes, "Don't be sad because it ended, be happy because it happened." I enjoyed every minute of it. It was very rare to have conversations like that. Conversations where a phone wasn't involved and it was just us talking. I went into the darkness of night to my home which was the only place giving light at the time. That night will always be precious to me.

I have made things right. I have apologized for telling the person I cut off to kill themselves. I said that the problems I mentioned about him are true and I would still cut him off but I apologized about how harsh I was during the process of cutting him off. I feel free now. The chains of regret I had wrapped around my heart is now free. I have settled everything. My anger has gone low as I felt angry at everything for the past few days. For the past few days, I said my heart had a big hole. To one guy, I cut him off for the wrong reason and to the other guy, I cut him off but in a harsh way. Now all of that is settled. I have went and apologized and now the guy I cut off for the wrong reason is now friends with me again and the one I cut off in a harsh way, I apologized to him too but I said that I would still cut him off. I knew I didn't have the right to tell someone to kill themselves even if my goal was to cut them off. I had a migraine always thinking about what I had to do and how I had to approach the situation because I hated apologizing a person after being angry at them. It takes guts to apologize to a person you hated at first. Now that I have settled my problems with them, I can now rest easy. At first I was suicidal, thinking nothing would go correctly and the only way was for me to not exist. I just kept crying about it thinking nothing was going to be right. But of course I had people who cared for me even while I was angry at them. It was good to know that they cared. I feel like I can go to school more easily now without feeling any hate towards anyone or overthinking anything. Every human has obstacles to face and this was one of them. During the teenage phase, you go through a lot of emotions. I knew I had to remove my smiley mask and start revealing myself more and show my anger towards what I hate and stop pretending. I have done some mistakes myself and now I have fixed it. I have learnt that once you are faced with sadness, you can either let it break you or you learn through those mistakes and try to fix it and make sure to not do those mistakes again. The teenage phase is just a transition to adulthood. There will be days to fight and overcome during this phase. You are not a small kid anymore. Nobody is here to help you. Some things you have to deal with it yourself. You can't smile forever because the world won't be smiling back. And what I told now was one of the obstacles which I have now overcome. I won't let sadness break me. It's time to accept that you can't be truly happy at something as whenever there is happiness there is also an amount of sadness equivalent to that happiness coming your way. For now, I am happy.

The room was vast, a sight of luxuries and paperwork. Dead silent. Heavy air kept flowing through the messenger's mouth. The glare of the Ogōshi King made her shake. "Are you deaf?" "No, your greatness. But ... I have noticed something strange." "What?" "The title, it states ... 'The Siksukī's Final Duel: Wan Kō's Fucking Fury', your greatness." Don Shī looked at the balcony. His eyes searched for meaning. "Did my ears mistaken heftily?" "N— no, your greatness. If I am to pronounce it more clearly, it states 'Zā Siksukī's Finaru Duer: Wan Kō's ... Fāking Fiyuri'." Sighs . "You know what? I will read it myself when I have the time. Leave that sacred paper nonsense in that table and take your steps." "Uhm ... yes, your greatness," the messenger replied before leaving the scene. Rerolled and placed along with the others, the Ogōshi King ignored the letter before laying in his bed. Fatigue left already, halting the king to resume his nap. Rolling his eyes and standing from his bed, he walked through the thick curtain door. Outside stood the Royal Guards. Their armor resembles that of a samurai; breastplates show the king's passing reflection. With them following their irritated king, steps on the wooden floor began louder and louder. It was five floors down. Royal gates gave way as Don Shī decides to find tranquility in the streets of his capital. Ryudonjū unveils its status as the most crucial part of Ogōshi. The vastness, variety, and influence are unmatched. Most believe that its fall would bring this kingdom to its end. Meanwhile, its ruler saunters the city like a lost leaf. Sounds of labor and leisure sprout throughout the city. However, everything halted when the greatest zōjin passes by. They acknowledged Don Shī — raising both palms about head level facing the king. "Well well," the king thought. He then decides to have a word with his royal guards. "You, I have a question." "What is it, your greatness?" "Why do the Zōjin people greet in such a manner? Explain your thoughts with all your heft." "... Understood, your greatness. The Zōjin greeting — arms raised about head level with palm facing the person being greeted — is officially called Zōrikadonū . It is the most common form of greeting or giving gratitude in the lands of Uzōjin. The term is usually formed from the name of a young princess of the ancient kingdom who successfully befriended several hostile creatures with kindness and bravery. Her name was Don Rika. She existed about seven hundred years ago, your greatness." "Splendid answer. Carry on." The strolling in Ryudonjū along with questions from the king continued. ◆ Sunlight started sinking. Don Shī drew the curtain doors in the nearby Candy Restaurant. What lies before his eyes was an endlessly long line of Zōjin. Seats and tables were full. Chattering and munching occupied the ears. However, the first eyes to see their greatness alerted the rest like dominoes. They welcomed him with Zōrikadonū; any sane citizen in the kingdom would do that. Everyone gave way to Don Shī, giving him the chance to order just about ten seconds since he entered the restaurant. "Hello there, your greatness! What candy do you desire at this late afternoon?" the young cashier smiling at her finest. "Guwi Candy, that is my order." the Ogōshi King sighed. "The last time I ate any Pero candy made me dream a silhouette of a young girl and a mace for lord's sake." "Ah ... then the Classic Guwi candy it is, correct?" "Yes, only the Classic." "With pleasure, your greatness!" Don Shī sat on a wooden stool not far from the counter. His guards observed all possible corners except for his mind. Yet again visualizing, the king held another thought during his wait, "Shit of Purity. Why does my mind start to show vague things more frequently when I have a relaxed mind? This is heftily one of the worst traits that were bestowed on me. I can barely have any peace of mind since 1046. Well well, calm down. I can not afford another breakdown since I am not born to perform that action. This is one day before my birthday so I expect myself to enjoy this day and regulate these visions for once. So what do I see ... a sword ... This vision is indeed blurry but I think ... this is a young rōjin? Raising his sword ... wait. There are more of them. Based on their sizes ... they are a bunch of kojin ranging from eleven to nineteen perhaps. Raising a flag ... I cannot see what is written on it for lord's sake but ... are they claiming victo—" "Your order is ready! Your greatness," the young rējin calls. "Already? That was heftily fast." "Yes! King Don Shī cannot be delayed as the hope of Ogōshi!" "... ... Very well then. Also, take care of your black hair. With that being long, tying it with two ponytails is heftily not enough, Fon Kāni." "Really? Well hm, I think I'll cut it from waste to elbow length then." Sighs . "Your choice, not mine." The king went returned straight to his palace, residing in the middle of the city. He refused to eat dinner — told his servants that the Guwi Candy he ate was thus far a hindrance to digest. Rushing to the paradise pool of Kojin without hesitation, the children scattered with confusion, "Are you sure, King Don Shī?" "Did you really say that, your greatness?" "Your greatness wants to be alone?" "This is the first time you have wanted that, your greatness!" "Everyone look! The king is wearing a special type of undergarment!" "Wow ... isn't that the cotton that Queen Don Chī likes to make clothes?" "Oh yē! That's amaz—" "Hey! Didn't the king say he wants to be alone? Now let's go!" "Eh..." "Okay!" ◆ The palace pool was like an empty cave with Don Shī inside. It was bright but dark. It was silent but loud. It was peace but chaos. Evening hours kept slipping through the king. Several hours before midnight came yet he did not a single syllable was heard, inside out. Breathing and gazing in the nothingness enveloped the scene. Then it arrived. His monologue began inside his cluttered mind, "Well well, to think the most inevitable enemy, death, is coming closer than I anticipated. Five years, that is what I can predict. That remaining time is not enough. I am unsure if my only heir would be able to take over. Not unless she cuts her long hair. Giggles. Well well, to think I am resorting to joking is a hefty indication that this body of mine is not very much tolerant of pain like this before. The disease that Father gave me is quite hefty. If Mother did not have such a unique trait I am sure that the Kingdom of Ogōshi would fall with my death being splendidly earlier." Slowly walking to the left corner of the knee-level pool, Don Shī continued, "I do not know if these visions are a curse. In my whole life, it was nothing but a time-wasting piece of nonsense. I do not understand them nor have the time to analyze them since I am dumped with duties and a desire to relax. I want my kingdom to achieve victory and peace. I have already tried peace talks with the king of Oyōhen yet he refuses to and wants to claim this 'so-called' gold that lies in the capital. The king of Okonfē, on the other hand, wanted to collect all the Iron which is also located at the capital. If that was easy, I do not want this war to continue by giving them what they want. However, I saw what those foes would do to my people. Generations have passed and these bloodlines are always terrible to negotiate with. Heftiliy, even their citizens, usually near their capitals, are quite hostile to my people to the point that they enslave them. I cannot take loose of my life until I achieve unification in my own grasp. If those Zōjin desires to wage war in a violent approach then my soldiers would show no mercy to any hostile citizen of their kind." He sauntered to another corner of the pool, "Hm ... I think this may be the chance to acknowledge this vision of mine. As of now, I can see the same image ... back when I was at the candy restaurant. It ... is hard to concentrate but I am starting to see ... the written word in the flag ... Gasp!" His eyes were blinded by what he saw. The written thing in the flag was too good to be true. "Ogōshi ... are my eyes really seeing this? I can't believe it. So ... this vision tells me that young generations would bring my kingdom to victory? Is that true? My goodness ... this feeling, I can feel that this may be true. Although this is a big risk, I am prepared to sacrifice the young Zōjins' lives to fulfill our mission. Ughh. I can't breathe anymore with this warm temperature." Legs went to the royal bedroom. Sights gazed at the table of his paperwork. There lay the unrolled scared paper on his desk. It was set aside, taking a new piece of paper and a wooden pen soaked with black ink. He wrote everything he could in his request for this new law. A lit candle on the king's desk was his vision, either showing him the light or burning them all in blindsight. ◆ Everyone in the royal room greeted Don Shī in his eighty-second year of age. The sun entered the royal dining hall gracefully. There where lots of food that were majestic as jewelry: manservants and maids serve them with their robes having formality of circular designs. Although true, everything went to a sudden pause when the king handed the formal request letter to one of his advisors. "Is ... this true, your greatness?" the advisor after reading everything. "Do you think this five-hour written letter from last midnight is a joke?" "But your greatness, I thought it is part of your morals in never wanting the young or old Zōjin to become soldiers at wa—" "That is why I splendidly indicated it as "No Age Restriction. Only the Competent" isn't it?" "But your greatness, this also means that even a mere nine-year-old can join the chaos in the warring kingdoms?" "Yes. As long as they pass the regular training of the Zōjin in Ogōshi then I say they are heftily valid to fight for their kingdom." "Then you are nothing different to the two kingdo— I'm sorry for that escalating tone, your greatness." "I do not mind. I know that if this kingdom declares that law, it would be no different than Oyōhen and Okonfē. However, this is not forced but rather finding the ones who have the potential to aid the Unification of all three kingdoms." "Potential ... to unify?" Manservants, maids, royal guards, and everyone else had all their ears open to the clash of words. Even the wind-gushing sounds from the windows were a mere audience. "Yes, my royal advisor," Don Shī continued. "Do you remember from sixty-eight years ago?" "... ... Are you talking about the vague sights that you see in your mind? Of course, I remember that. From the recent days of this year up until when we were at the age of fourteen, our first meeting." "Quite unusual isn't it? Well well, the crowd around us may seem bewildered yet I am confidently speaking these words to you without privacy." Sighs . "So you decided to acknowledge these 'visions' of yours after all these years?" said the advisor. "Well, I do not think I have the further strength to argue with this formal request of yours. It is extremely detailed. Chuckles . I remember this is the exact same taste of absolute when you wrote the letter about your findings in the betrayal of the former queen, Don Chī, your mother. If you are to declare this law for the sake of Ogōshi, then I shall support you with this decision. After all, I did not live for eighty-two years just to reject this eager request," the advisor smiled. Visions of their youth flashed in his wrinkled eyes. "I see, then it is settled then." "Yes, your greatness. However ..." Sighs . "What is it?" the king smirked. "You surely agree with me yet you are full of 'however' in all these times. Giggles . Indeed, such an excellently critical advisor." The advisor continued, "It means we are bound to have casualties with children starting now ... I do trust your will but it would obviously bring the demise of many kojin as the harsh environments of war brings it. We even received gossip about Zōjins aged from 14-17 years old being killed in battle on the borders of Tsushido. Based on the reports from Supreme General Den Goro, one young Okonfē girl was an excellent fighter that has killed the majority of his commanders during that night. Although she was brutally obliterated by one of our best fighters in Ogōshi, Tun Rei Fairukā." " ...," Don Shī paused. "Well, I am aware that it will also happen to our side but I am confident that my visions are true and SHALL be true. The conquest to conquer our enemies to Unification begins now." "Very well, your greatness." Everything about the festivity of their greatness's birthday resumed. ◆ ◆ ◆ The freshly declared law traveled day after day. Every Zōjin around the land received the news. Cities, Towns, Villages, and other settlements had different voices about it. In the late morning city, "Yesū! No more lazy-thing age restriction for Ogōshi Military at last! I can't wait to kill those evil-looking enemies when I get a hand of a real bladeee! Yawns . "Shut your mouth, brat. I'm trying to sleep here. Besides, I'm better than you at fighting, heh." "Beh! I'm Fifteen while your Seventeen you lazy-thing slice of shitū!" "Whatever, Shorty." "Wha— you mangkō ... Beh! Well then. What if—" "We make a challenge on whether who gets the most kill this year?" "You mean as this year, 1114?" "Heh, yeah ... Yawns . We should have at lea—" "What if we just record our first fight, tall shitū." "Whoever gets the most kill in our first fight? Bring it on then!" "Deal!" "Don't die, shorty." "Neither do you, tall shitū." In the evening village, "My son! You can finally join the war!" " ... ... But father ... I am still youn—" "Do not fear my son! It is your time to serve our kingdom!" "I'm ... going to die ... I don't know how to fight, father. I would rather cut wood here and take care of you." Sighs . "If you're being held back because of me having one leg then you should really join the battlefield." "Why ... Didn't my big brother die already because of the war? You also got your leg cut during your army days ..." "Your brother fought for his kingdom. You should do it as well, my son. I know what you are thinking ... Chuckles . I'm a bad fath—" "No your not, Father." "Listen, my son. It is best to fight like a real rōjin rather than take care of a helpless man like me. If you are to die in battle then it is fine. Overcome your fear. This world we live in, it's real. You've got better chances of living if you are able to fight for yourself." " ... " "You can do it. The blood of a warrior runs in our family. Generations from generations." "... then I'm going ... to join then, father. I'll try my best." Laughs . "Then I wish you luck then!" In the afternoon farms, "So you decided to join the military?" "Yes, Father." "I see ... well good luck there, you young rējin." "I promise I won't die. I'll still help you farm during my vacations." "I'll remember that promise." "Thank you. I'll do my best to fight for Ogōshi." In the dawn rivers, "Wow ... I can finally join the war. I'm past my sixties but I guess it's fine since my old ass doesn't have much to do in this place. I remember the battle of Diezerland. Phew ... good times." On the dusk coasts, "I want to reach beyond the seas." "Uh you listening, roysan? The news said that we can join the war." "Yē! My fifteen-year-old back is killing me from this heavy work on the coast!" "Rēysen, you know you are gonna get destroyed in the military." "Huh?! Let's see about that, fat-boya!" "Oh, you want some hands—" "What are these idiots ... The fact that the four of them have different conversations; must be tree-burning if I'm going to read these conversations." "I want to reach beyond the seas. But I guess I won't have a vehicle that could float on the deep sea waters if I don't have any money. I'm going to join the military. Maybe there's some valuable money there." "Ughhh ... This roysan here is just saying nonsense. Whatever, I'm not joining the military." In the night mansion, "Such a piece of news to hear. This is now the time to show my honed skills. Smirks . You bunch of dogs should prepare yourselves." "Yes, young master!" ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ Don Shī ambled to his bedroom after a whole day of work. Night shined. The king gets inside the bathroom. Quick splashes of frost were done, soap scrubbing his exhausted body. He took a towel, drying off with a yawn. The king organized his paper works for tomorrow. By faith, he saw the sacred paper untouched. Don Shī took a deep breath with his eyes closed. Upon opening, his iris reflected on the sacred paper being held by his hands. He let out a sigh, giving himself the long-awaited opportunity to read it. "So ... what do have here? Oh. Again, this title page seems unusual. And the fact that the content is heftily long makes it even worse. Well then, based on my skim, it is heftily literal in terms of descriptions. Though it feels like a story rather than a letter. Sighs . Very Well then, I'll give this one a chance to be read. The night was bright with Wan Kō the Mutinous-Siksukī ... ◀ ◀ ◀ ... riding her Horusu with her junior Jo Rā the Obedient-boy along the way return. They arrived at the Tsugā's camp in the Okonfē Borders with blood dripping all over their bodies — it was about four hours before sunrise. The soldiers of Ren Tē Tsugā saw the two arrive. Instead of helping them, they laughed like they had Limitless Crops in front of them. Even the healing units of the camp were laughing at them like crazy and kept whispering "You're dead, Bichkā" to Wan Kō's ears. She ignored them all. Walking without even stopping. Her fists were so tight that it was bleeding. Ren Tē Tsugā was still asleep as the laughing soldiers said. With that, the Mutinous-Siksukī stopped her walk. Jō Rā Eitorā was anxious as he saw Wan Kō lying straight on her back, waiting for the Tsugā to wake up. The other soldiers continued laughing as they talk about on she was going to get executed for intruding on the Supeshāru's mission. Meanwhile, the remaining survivors of the special units were treated. Based on the healers' faces, they were obviously enjoying the painful sights of the victims as if their Tsugā had pre-planned a sadistic circus act for them. Ridākurashā was one of the remaining Supeshāru who was saved by Wan Kō Siksukī. During the healer's treatment of him, he opened his eyes like he was a miracle. The reason for this is that his insides were already crushed. It was barely holding on which prevented him from dying from internal bleeding. Hours later, Ridākurashā was left by the healer after reassurance. He was alone in the small tent. Probably the reason for having the most fatal injury out of all survivors. There he went to talk with a serious face, " Ughhh . am I still alive? Tē'kī, I got a nice punch from one of the best fighters in the whole Uzōjin, heh." He looked at his surroundings as he lay on his back. "I can't move my torso yet, huh? It's insanely painful to move. Anyways, the soldiers in the camp seem to be all up. Wan Kō Siksukī ... went to the rescue at the enemy camps. I feel like what she had done was not a part of the mission. So I guess she's gonna get killed for that. Sighs . Like I Tē'kī care. A soldier using her emotions in war ... heh ... that's a flaw for sure. Reminds me of my whole life with that attitude before I went to join the military." The severely injured soldier breathed heavily. "Two years to go before I turn twenty. Fyu Gō ... his birthday is near. I saw that he was selling candies in Tsushido yesterday ... Bikurō, I'll talk about some more tomorrow. I'll take a short sleep before I think of anything else." Ridākurashā closed his eyes as he slept with a mad face. Sunrise was near. The Tsugā of the camp finally went out of his tent with Wan Kō Siksukī standing right in front of him. She stared at Ren Tē with a bloody expression. A heated talk went on when the Tsugā began talking, Smiles . "What are you doing here?" "What do you think?" "Because you ready to die for making illegal missions?" "Because I'm ready to take your head." "Hahaha! You make me laugh, Wan Kō the hobo." "You said something?" She clenched her fists. "Or do you want me to fix your mouth by chopping it?" "Sure sure, Hobo Siksukī." Ren Tē looked down at the Mutinous-Siksukī even though they had the same height. He was looking at the ground the whole time as if Wan Kō was below it. The other subordinates of the Siksukī arrived at the place while the intense stare goes on. They had different expressions in regard to what they are witnessing this near dawn. "Shit. Wan Kō Siksukī really burned the crops this time." "Fesukā Siksukī really is in big trouble. Doing that all of the sudden. She didn't even tell us where she was going." "Yē. The fact that we are now here in this heated situation is also going to give us punishments." "Ha?! Stop the crap. We went here because we are concerned with Fesukā Siksu—" "Stop putting 'Fesukā' in Siksukī you ... Forget shit. Anyways, look! That's Jo Rā over there!" "Yeah, shit. He's also going to get punished or even get killed considering Ren Tē ..." The conversation stopped when Jo Rā Eitorā walked and held Wan Kō in her clothing, "Wan Ko Siksukī, please stop. You going to get killed. Accept your mistake to avoid that, please." Obedient Boy breathes fast from tiredness. After seeing her subordinate, the Mutinous-Siksukī finally accepts her actions. The three other subordinates in the far distance discussed, "Phew! Good thing that Jo Rā was there to stop her." "Yē, or else that would be their final steps before Wan Kō gets killed along with Jō Ra and maybe us as well." "Shitē right. Ren Tē Tsugā has been notoriously a suicidal general with missions usually killing rookies in his army. I remember the time when our friends got killed because of that reckless ... Handsome ... looking rōjin ..." "Shit. Why does he have to be such a good-looking male really ... I'm pissing myself." "Yē ... even Wan Kō had a crush on him when she was an Eitorā back then." "Well, too bad our Fesukā Wan Kō got triggered for real on that fool after years of bad-quality soldier treatment. Especially with the rookies... poor Zōjins ... " Wan Kō and Jo Rā were already set to leave the camp. They looked ready to accept their punishments for illegal acts once they face Ryō Ken Wanugō. The Siksukī calmed do— "Ren Tē Tsugā! One of the remaining survivors has died!" a healing unit said. "The one who had the most fatal injuries to be exact!" This Novel Contains Mature Content Show This Chapter? Yes

◀ ◀ ◀ ◀ ◀ Well well ... the year 1046 in Zorian Time. If some are wondering what I meant by 'Zorian Time', it refers to a trace of time in my world which is a large landmass named Uzōjin. It is divided into three Kingdoms: Ogōshi from the South, Oyōhen from the West, and Okonfē from the East. Being the next ruler of one of these kingdoms is another hefty task. Asking me why would be due to how much expectation everyone has for me. Don Shī at age fourteen is my name and current age. If some want to know which kingdom am I residing in, well well then it is Ogōshi and I am a direct heir to the Queen. I do not want to talk about my kingdom and myself much since it is quite a hefty thing to share especially with those I do not even see. Wondering if I am a crazy fourteen-year-old young boy? Well well, probably but I have been thinking about beyond something I see or sense. I want to ask something, is there someone there? Are YOU there watching or hearing my thoughts right now? I feel hefty strange but I believe that someone right now is doing that. That is why I am speaking quite unusually in order for those who are here to understand my speech clearly or dū YŪ? Ay am seruten'ri hōping ito'is sins dei aru furam anazer warudō dat kēm furam may mayndē. Since my watchers are possibly not of Zōjin origin, then I must recall some lessons that I splendidly think it is only exclusive to my race ... ◆ ◆ ◆ Well well, what do we have in mind from the last twenty days ... oh I remember. I am to share with my fellow unseen listeners about different distinct Zōjin speaking such as Zorian Time, Pronunciations, Terms, and Places. Hahhh. But before all of that, let me have a fresh drink since I have undergone a hefty amount of lessons and training in becoming the next ruler. My supposedly ' dark little luxuries ' are halted for a while due to the hefty schedule. Anyways, let us begin. The Zorian Time is compromised of six main time scales: seconds, minutes, days, weeks, and years. Oh before that, let me mention the mini-seconds which are commonly used by most of the Zōjin but are not considered an official scale of time. An Example of this is twelve-tenths of a second or any scale of time that does not exceed one Zorian second. After that splendid time scale is the official Zorian Second. By the way, I have wondered already that there must be a different concept in my listeners so I am hoping there would be ' conversions ' while I am saying this despite me not knowing it. The Zorian second (at least 1 / 10^100^100 Earth seconds) is the first scale of time for the Zōjin Race. The next units above this are just groups of hefty smaller scales. For an instance, a minute is about seventy seconds, an hour is seventy minutes, and a day is twenty-four hours. For the last two, a week is ten days and a year is about one hundred weeks or one thousand days. In terms of its origins, I do not like to share since some may be overwhelmed. Since being overwhelmed by education is such a hefty pain, let me tell you about who I am instead. Currently, I am speaking these thoughts like a speech while I am laying on my outdoor bed in the royal palace of Ryudonjū — the capital city of Ogōshi. It has been an exhausting day full of practice and despair. My mother, which is the current Queen has done nothing but a luxury to the point that since the age of eight, I feel like I am the advisor of her advisor. However, all of these hefty duties are erased when I lay down in this bed specifically made by my deceased father. My family name 'Don' came from my mother since she is the splendid direct daughter of the late king. In the Zōjin manner, the one who has more influence than the other has the utmost right to pass the family name to their offspring. Yawns . I suppose this is enough for this night; I have four hours left before my next day of work begins. ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ Where was I ... oh I see. It is about my imaginative lecture from my non-Zōjin dwellers in my mind. It is now the year 1052 and I led all of Ogōshi to perform public murder on the Queen — in other words, my mother. With this, I have now the throne of the kingdom. Splendid, right? Before I explain that in heftier detail I would like to ask you all a question, are you a rightful individual? How so? Are you rightful because your ancestors have told you that or are you rightful because you are being controlled by a system under which you live? The reason for my thinking is that I observed something thanks to my ' dark little luxuries ' that I utmost care. Based on those observations, the privileged ones have more power than those who are lesser in form. With me being the Highest of all Zōjin, I am capable of performing any sort of thing in the kingdom. If I am to be hefty dark, examples of what I may do at will are: abuse any kojin from top to bottom, feed anyone to the animals while conscious, torture someone in front of their family members, and many more. I am aware that the power depends on the ruler in this Zōjin world. And ... well well, I believe that the reason why this Kingdom fails to achieve unification is that all of them were succumb to the overwhelming power. I am not mentioning that they are all the same but rather the momentum to victory gets postponed, like Mother who was better rotting dead than freshly alive. Power hinders true power which is realizing that power comes from consciousness. Despite all my sayings on this topic, I am not perfect and therefore an enjoyer of darkness. All I may say is that do not be limited by what is around you. Be limited on what your awakened mind is from within to be loved by yourself. And I do not love myself entirely. Especially that now I am King of a large territory in an official manner. My mother was heftily a luxurious person in her whole life. In all history of Ogōshi, she may be one of the worst rulers that this kingdom has ever had. However, Mother was barely punished since she was considered 'special' to the kingdom. Well well, if I am to answer that then yes she is. A Zōjin that never ages despite how many years have come. Paired with her intelligence which she rarely uses for her kingdom, Mother's ageless beauty is somewhat terrifying. Despite her charismatic nature, I was not attracted to nor fooled in any way. If I am being bold to my non-Zōjin fellows, I am more attracted to that one maid who cleans my pool of dark little luxuries than her. With that, as soon as I felt a hefty threat to my kingdom, I have done a splendid investigation on each suspectable interest. This has led me to prove that she was indeed a traitor to her own people. She was in love with the current King of Oyōhen and therefore secretly gave the cities and lands of West Ogōshi. To be honest, I am filled with overwhelming heft of rage since several generals have also followed along with the Queen's Plan. The moment I have collected enough evidence of her traitorous actions, she was punished by the remaining Zōjin of Ogōshi. Her punishment was sacred and brutal, forced to be bathed with divine oil and fired with burning arrows crafted by a historical figure named Ju Mari. If I recall my historical records about her, she is the wife of an ancient Zōjin King that existed quite a long time ago, more than nine hundred years before. With the burning sensation, my mother of course beg mercy while her body crumbles from the outside to the inside. However, there was no such thing as pity since the Queen broke the highest rule of all Ogōshi: never betray your people. If I am to recall another historical fact, the first King of this kingdom made this rule. Being king at the age of twenty may be overwhelming for most of my class but not for me. I am only tired of my duties due to me exerting my all to plan on retrieving our previous lands and the main goal of this kingdom which is Unification. I guess that is enough talk in my mind for this day. Perhaps next week I would have enough time to continue my lectures while I eat my BonBon rice serving. ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ The year 1080. It is quite shocking if you are to ask me. How many years have passed? To think I forget and remember this imaginative lecture is splendidly shocking. Concluding that, it has been twenty-eight years since my reign. The retrieval of the cities is quite a hefty task to such a point that we have yet to conquer at least two cities and instead have been defending other cities due to the eastern kingdom's invasion. My generals have been struggli— wait. Hm ... what was the main purpose of this act if I recall? Oh, I see, it is about sharing basic information about the Zōjin People. If I am to recall our basic lessons from about thirty-four years ago, it was about ... time scales. Well well, these are the mini-seconds for the which is still unofficial, and then the second, minute, hours, days, weeks, and year which are official numbers of Zorian Time. Now let us go to pronunciation. I think this topic may be hefty for some but I assume that some will. The letters that I think are somewhat exclusive to the Zōjin are the Ō, Ā, Ī, Ē, Ū which have lines in them that indicate that they are pronounced differently as opposed to the counterparts that do not have a line above them. The main characteristic of these letters as opposed to normal ones is their lower and stronger pitch. I do not know how to give an example of sound because I am currently on a carriage crossing the longest bridge of all Ogōshi. It is quite narrow in my own opinion because if three carriages were aligned with each other, one would certainly fall. However, the new ongoing bridge near the city of Doribā is incredibly large and hefty. Perhaps in less than two years, it will be splendidly built. Well well, speaking of which, I may share with you some common terms that the Zōjin usually use that of course non-natives would not know. There are plenty of them, to be honest, but let me introduce you to several words that I think would be the most commonly used by the Zōjin. Now speaking of which, it would benefit me in terms of conciseness if I make a list of it in my mind. Here are the following: Zōjin — The general name of my Race which somehow translates to 'Dotted Dwellers'. Rōjin — A Male Zōjin. Rējin — A Female Zōjin. Kojin — A young Zōjin. It can also be a Child. Roysan — A friendly term to address a Rōjin. Now there are some varieties of these due to historical reasons such as Roysen and Roysu. Reysan — It performs in a similar manner to Roysan but is used for its female counterpart. This applies to the words Reysen and Reysu also. Tē'kī — A common cursed word. I do not know the meaning or origins of this disgraceful word but it is truly unjoyful to the ears so I expect there is something at least similar to my non-Zōjin listeners (roughly translates to FUCK or FUCKING expression in Earth). There are other common cursed words such as Sempō, Bichka, Dikurē, Mangkōjin, and more but I would not go into detail about these since I am heftily not a common speaker of these. Fresh Crops — An expression which means 'having a good day or time' Limitless Crops — An expression which means 'happiest time of someone's life. Breathing Dead — An expression that means 'exhausting'. It has different varieties such as Dead-breathing or Breathing Corpses. Tree-burning — An expression which means 'saddening or depressing'. This one is an example of regional expressions where it is often limited to those in that region. For an instance, this expression originates from the regions of Hon Kā . Well, what else ... "Your greatness, I would like to inform you that the Okonfē Wanugō has been slain and therefore our kingdom is the victor." "Well well, then I am grateful for the efforts of our Tsugā and his army. He will surely reach the rank of Wanugō soon." I apologize for that interruption from a messenger. But thanks to that I have thought of something that could tell you. Military Ranks are also somewhat distinct from others since it was formed by historical figures. Although I think my non-Zōjin listeners may be overwhelmed with the information I have given on this day, I may have to just state the main military ranks based on the number of units under their command. From least to most, the Zōjin Military have the: Eteruki, Uteruki, Nairurī, Eitorā, Seburō, Siksukī, Fairukā, Forukō, Surigī, Tsugā, and Wanugō. Well well, perhaps this is enough for the afternoon. I am quite exhausted while riding in this carriage due to another lack of rest. A typical Zōjin needs about six to nine hours of splendid sleep. I, however, normally rest about four hours, having 2 hours in the past ten days due to my desire to manage my kingdom and avoid the image of my deceased mother. However, I have some of her blood. My body seems to age quite slower than usual: I am forty-eight of age yet my looks and feel seem like twenty-five. My people and my ' dark little luxuries ' noticed this as each year comes. By the way, I have been noticing something different in these past few days. I do not know if this is just a result of my hefty tiredness but somehow I have been having unusual dreams in my periods of sleep. In actuality, it has been like this since I was young. Only during this period in my life that I began to be heftily irritated by it. For an instance, I somehow dreamed about a rōjin discussing the concept of Endā. He looked like a military recruit and was shaking. Oh, well well, this may be a splendid time to talk about Endā. To put briefly discuss this, it refers to the speech of the Zōjin where they include dummy vowels or syllables in some words. This is quite common in the words that end in the sentence while some can be found either in the front or at the back. If you are wondering why I am not speaking like that well, actually, I am since the very beginning of these thoughts of speech. I was even wondering if you can hear my voice. Or are you reading it with a translated text from your own world? Or something else? I am uncertain of what it is but I am speaking with the concept of Endā being heard by my own mind. I have more things to discuss other than this. It is not limited to a dream but rather I can see some vague visions about something. One thing that captured my mind was a person. I certainly know it is a Zōjin based on the dots and if I am to recall, it was using a crutch. It was crying while hugging another vague individual. Well well, probably tears from joy if I were to interpret. If I were to describe their looks, it could be as close as a silhouette. Those are the two things that were probably the most interesting of them all and also the end of my talk for this afternoon. Due to the tiredness of my body, I may as well visit my Palace Pool of Pleasing Kojin when I am finished with my duty for this day. ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ I ... feel ... horrific. How long has it been? All I remember is that it was the Zorian Year 1089 while I was at the Pool of — Spurts Blood . Well well, this must be my hefty punishment for pleasing myself through my ' dark little luxuries ' over all these years. I am both proud and afraid of myself for how I can still think straight after what I have heftily been through. I am currently laying on my fully lacerated back. My destroyed bleeding ears can hear the faint sounds of my people as they rush me to the best healing house. I could not speak with my parched insides nor could see yet with my exhausted eyes. If ... I can recall what happened, I was torturedly punished. I do not know where was that place but I could surely recall it was dark with having a single torturer that removed my private parts. I did not see who it was with a clear vision but rather I could see the words it was making. If I am to be asked, I am heftily frightened by these words as they formulate through the vague hands of the torturer. During those times, I asked who is it. The only answer I saw was, "This is the place called paradise, Fucking Pedo ..." I do not know what it meant by 'Pedo' nor the word 'fucking' but this is certainly not a paradise even in my own religion. It took my tooth one by one using its bare fingers, pulling in a very slow manner. I cannot wonder about the pain but rather scream in horror while I was incapacitated. A variety of different torments were performed on me for a very long time. Based on the writing style of the floating words, it resembled something of Zōjin but was quite unusual despite my excellent knowledge of Zōjin writing distinction. However, I can somehow feel the overwhelming feeling of those words of the torturer and it was full of enthusiasm in seeing me suffer until my last breath. The sensation of being murdered alive continued for a hefty thousand years. I may sound crazy but it is indeed true based on feeling. It is a disturbing experience. I did not die, starve, or change in age but can clearly think there is a change in time. It fed my mouth with one worm-like creature every single day. Heftily concluding this, that must be the reason since it was suspicious. "Would you please Tē'kī kill me once you are finished with this sadistic act?" that is the beg that I asked it every single day but it did not reply, continuing to skin my ballsack. After countless years when my voice was already drained out, it finally replied to me with another set of floating words, "Who said I'm going to kill you, Fuckhead? This session is just a lesson for you to stop being a Pedo-freak. You're the King that really desires to Unify this whole country for good-sake right? I took an eye on you for quite some time. Kojins sucking and deepthroating your cock for the last forty-seven years was a heavenly slurping taste. But, they were treated in good condition to the very least as you age. Life has been rough on you in terms of responsibility huh? That's why I'm going to let you live to take care of your cute kingdom, hehe." I still recall ... ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ... those exact same words that float through the dark chambers of torture." The king opened his eyes as he glared at the children accompanying him in his relaxing pool of Kojin. The pack full of young zōjin shouted their opinions in regard to the King's story of Torture from about twenty-five years ago. " Giggles . You are not going to scare me, King Don Shī." "That ... was a scary story. My mother says that you are the king so I think that is why you are able to tell stories without being arrested." "What a great story! To think it happened twenty-five years ago wowww!" "Wow! I am glad you are able to survive that, your greatness." "Ehh? I don't understand those words at all! Also, my mother told me that during her time, she was fully naked when she was serving here in the Palace Pool of Kojin. If that is true, why are all the kojin here dressed?" The King answered with a smug, "Well well, it is due to my story. It is your choice to believe or not as it is not my duty to convince you of these matters. Also, maintain some space away from me." "Okay! Your Greatness." all the kojin continued to splash in a distance. The King returned to his room after the pool of kojin washed away all of his built-up stress. Each step was shaking. Don Shī remembered those thousand-dark nights full of anguish. Stomach-twisting when his tongue no longer feels his teeth as it was pulled then plunged back in by the tormentor of the past. The King of Ogōshi opens his curtain door, looks at the mirror, walks to the balcony, observes the late morning city scenery, and then drank a circular glass of water before falling into his bed like a torn feather. As soon as his eyes began to fall asleep, "Oh ... what a splendid miracle. To think I have recalled this sixty-eight-year-old discussion in my mind is quite amazing. Perhaps it is the hefty rest that I am to have since this morning. I am now turning the age of eighty-two this year and apparently, it is tomorrow. Well well, this is the reason why I am here napping freely at this moment and I am being allowed to rest for at least twenty-four hours before my day of birth celebration. Although if my Non-Zōjin listeners can recall, I am aging slower than my actual age and I look forty-one without exaggeration. However, I can feel my long-running disease from the insides of my body. Perhaps I have attained most of my father's blood which is common to diseases at any age. Concluding that matter, are you still there? Can you still hear or read my thoughts? I am certain that there is no response to that but I hope you are to cherish the lessons that I have taught you in terms of the Zōjin and in terms of my Life." King Don Shī makes his first tranquil breat— "Message. There is a royal letter that has been sent upon you, your greatness," a voice spoke outside the King's room. "Such nonsense load of shit. I have strictly declared that I shall rest for one day before and on the day of my birth every year." "It is written in a sacred paper, your greatness. A sacred paper that has been extinct from a hundred years ago." Eyes glared at the door. Don Shī stood up from his bed and allowed the message-bearer to enter his room. There he saw the rolled paper: almond in color with unusual circle patterns visible to the naked eye. The King released an order, "Read its written message." This Novel Contains Mature Content Show This Chapter? Yes

"Nine-hundred Fifty-Eight of Honkasūri! Today is the first day of your Military Trēningu . Miritāri Rekuruto or Mikuruto , that is all your official name starting today! Our first day of training begins tomorrow! May the First King guide you all!" Wan Kō Siksukī awakened the Zōjin People who desired to continue the training: their thoughts once again slide out of their tongues as they walk back to Honkasurī . "Ughhh my back... . Got to hide this from others." "We got one day to rest, roysans ." "Huh? What's does 'Roysan ' mean again?" "Are you a wood-hugger ? Heh, don't tell him, roysa—" A large Shadow appeared behind their backs. "It means 'Boy' right? " "... You didn't have to tell that to this wood-hugger, Dan Dū." "I know that wood-hugger means 'Idiot'. Chuckles. At least I didn't lose ten times straight in the previous training duels." "What? Did you say something, short Te'k—" Hit in the face, down flew the Thin-Bodied Rōjin into the muddy grassland, unawakened. "Sempō Loser. You should've chosen to be a Watch Unit if you keep using your mouth to fight." The rest of the Mikuruto walked past the Thin-Bodied Rōjin whilst shaking — his face was bent due to the dealt punch. Dan Dū and the others did nothing but whisper among each other. "Cold Shits. That's Ridākurashā , I heard that he was the one who had the best record in our previous training." "Correct, Dan Dū. That young rōjin had Twenty Wins, Zero Losses. I don't even know why the trainee chose to fight the Kojin rather than him." "So uh, we are going to leave him there?" "I don't know, but I do want to let my throat further heal in the city as soon as possible. That Coal-Kojin really pierced that wooden dagger deep in my left neck." "Just leave him be, Dan Dū and you all. That stick-roysan can find the trail since I'm the 'idiot' and not him." ◆ The zorian evening went by and the Mikuruto cherished their one-day vacation. They either snored through, drank out, reunited, or became a tale of the fallen. Little Legs began moving as fast as a hare, hands away from the sleeping stomach, height was four feet tall but the sight was ten feet above. The Coal-Kojin dashed through her so-called home: it was the same dirty corner as ever. Her body dropped to the floor of warm soil, greeting her return for the last time she would lay upon it. Breeze glid through the Coal-haired girl's beige skin causing the chills. However, she knew its minuscule feeling compared to taking on the Sikisukī's short sword blows. Attempting to think about that duel, her eyes gave up until mini-snores were left heard throughout the night. ◆ Morning shined through the Military Recruits where they marched back to the training camp far to the north of Honkasūri. They seemingly again talked about a variety of things while their body ignores the historic fatigue enveloping them. "Not this shit again, let's just walk Quietl—" "Hey did you know that Wan Kō Siksukī saved our village once?" "Yeah, she's steaming hot. Those pink lips of hers seem squishy." "Roysan ... Stop being a pervert and fix this damn door!" "What the? What's with these conversations right no—" "I said NOT this SHIT again, let's JUST walk QUIETLY, OKAY?" Arrived at the Training Camps in just nearly five hours, they felt a bit of accomplishment compared to their first march. The Military Recruits begin their training after the sun appeared. Muscles tore and bones broke but kept reforming into finer ones as the days end one by one. Intense exercises, teamwork drills, and duels began to pave through the Mikuruto. Bird-like creatures chirped softly; another typical period for the animals around the grounds of training. ◆ ◆ ◆ On the fiftieth sunrise in zorian time, "A single event, this is the only event that all of you are to experience today! No training today!" the Siksukī continued giving the bunch of trainees a guess what it is for a brief mome— "It is the duel between Dagger Kojin against Arrow Kojin! Long Range versus Short Range! the last roaring words that Wan Kō released. The atmosphere shifted into something out of ordinary. Recruits who joined the military were about to witness their first duel between the best Dagger Cub confronting the top Juvenile Archer, both originating in Honkasūri. Both of the fighters had been given to warm up by showcasing skills. Proving that she's the best among dagger Mikurutosu, Coal-Kojin carved through the bark of a nearby tree: the view was nothing but gashes that happened under ten seconds of hailing swings. Wan Kō Siksukī began talking casually to her fellow subordinates about Coal-haired Child's performance. "Solidly, an attack with that much damage under twelve seconds. Isn't that worth witnessing?" "Wan Kō, you're better than that when you were a little girl or kojin like her." "Yeah quit praising her too soon, Fesukā . Wan Kō glares her eyes, "Oy, don't call me "Fuck Face" casually here." "Heh, why not, Fesukā— wait look over there." Thunk! Thunk! Thunk! Thunk! Thunk! Bows pierce deep through the trees like a person's skin, leaving the bird-like creatures flying away from it. " Shitē, her archery reminds me of Ju Fyon Wanugō." A subordinate of similar ranking reacted, "First is that you said 'Fesukā' to Wan Kō Siksukī. The 'Shitō' wasn't really a concern for the second. It was the fact that you compared her archery to the best of not just Okonfē, but the best archer Rējin of all three kingdoms in existence." "Eh? What I said was a joke for Te'ki sake. And what's with the 'Rējin' or 'Female Zōjin' emphasis? Are you a Te'ki feminist or something?" she placed her face near her, taunting her fellow Seburō . "Shut your lips, it's almost starting" as Wan Kō and her arguing subordinates observe the heat-rising fight. Making Honkasūri a reference direction of the south, the northern lands near the camp were packs of jade to emerald-colored trees. Shrubs were shaking as different animals inhabiting them. Then a time came — a pair of puny hands loom from a bush. It was twitching like a corpse that was awakened from its lunatic daydream. Pale brown in color, its fingernails were slowly slipping down and if it weren't for its gloopy blood, it would fall straight to the ground. Slowly, hands began moving in a freeform matter; words materialized out of thin air. Within seconds, the message was freshly made before the needles were pulled back into the darkness. It stated, "This duel's going to be quick hehe ... and a little fucking noisy." None of the Zōjin noticed the unknown due to the heavy pressure between the two fighters. The Dagger Kojin was a hundred steps away from the Juvenile Archer. Her raisin eyes met the Archer Kojin's eyes of pecan color despite the range in between. Her blade at this moment was an iron dagger — triangular with two sharp edges and one circle hole on its ricasso. On the other hand, the kojin with Pecan eyes holds her bow firmly and then lowers it. The crowd mixed with Mikuruto and Trainer Subordinates made internal thoughts among themselves. "One-sided, despite the kojin with the dagger having superior skills, I don't believe she'll be able to dodge Sei Wen's arrows." "It's going to be a balanced battle." Achoo! "But I'll put Dagger Kojin with the slight win." "The girl with the archer is taller and about two years older than her opponent based on her looks. She even defeated all of her opponents in archery during the previous duels. I won't be so sure about a full-fledged victory though." "Boring, this is why I hate being in Wan Kō Siksukī's squad. Always ending up here in this training camp and watching boring fights." "It's beginning." Coal-Kojin's little feet stomped the ground which flew a hefty amount of dirt with each step. Sei Wen instantly released a hail of arrows at her dashing foe. However, "Huh!?" The Archer Kojin Sei Wen's body went to a full stop after witnessing the Coal-Kojin was already ten steps near her and what she had done to her arrows in those ten seconds of simultaneous harassment. Shank! Pecan Eyes of the Juvenile Archer melted upon seeing the spurting blood flowing from her arms — the right hand of Archer Kojin fell off the ground while three remaining fingers from her left were barely clinging. Every being around the camp heard her scorching scream. The Mikuroto were shivering with sweat while the Officers sprinted as something unpleasant was about to happen. Coal-Kojin's dagger was about to make an additional blow worth splitting her opponent's eyes into two. Before such a thing would occur, a rock was thrown into the Dagger-Kojin's head in an instant. Her raisin-colored eyes felt the disturbance and struck the rock with the blade tip near the holed ricasso. Upon deflection, four officers grappled her to the ground, ensuring she was unable to perpetrate any further. Wan Kō Sikisukī yelled, "The Duel is over!" while Sei Wen the Juvenile Archer continued to scream in agony for the next minutes to come. ◆ The wind of the bright night whistled as the Squad Leaders along with Wan Kō Sikisukī shared their thoughts full of confusion, "Did ... she deflected two arrows... ?" "Yes, she did. She even catches one of them before releasing it quickly... . That's a Rookie, right?" "One arrow shot would've decided the battle and immediately bring the Dagger Kojin to the medic for healing. But instead, she's unscathed from any arrows shot at her ..." "Shitē ... I don't think I could do that even now. She can definitely give Ju Fyon Wanugō some limitless crops if she trains mo—" "NO. But for a trainee to do that, she can definitely surpass any of her class across the whole Uzōjin." "Solidly yes." Wan Kō spoke. "Her ability to intercept arrows is something unusual for a homeless person. She can't or won't speak about her origins. So our only hope is to ensure she gets enough training to become a formidable warrior in the future." Everyone agreed on their own accord on what their Commander stated was indisputable. "Also, take Sei Wen back to her family, she can't use her archery anymore after losing her right hand and left fingers. Ensure her proper treatment and return her safely." The Sikisukī added. ◆ As the midnight gazed upon the exhausted Mikuroto, one had her raisin-colored eyes slightly open. Feeling the grip of her left hand, she rewinds the scene where she slices the hands of her recent foe. The dagger was quite hefty for her age yet the Coal-Kojin swung it through the duels as if it was a mere plaything. About an hour later, her lungs unchained all of her gloom with one exhale: she unsheaths the dagger in her cloudy mind then sheaths it once again. Fading sights emerging from her iris, the child with the raisin eyes slept with her coal-colored hair scattered on the ground. ◆ ◆ ◆ Days continued its run for forty-nine laps. The remaining nine-hundred Military Recruits were divided into two groups and were led by actual squad leaders to order commands from one group. Weapons of wood with the weight of real weapons were used by the Honkasūri Mikuruto. The aspiring soldiers fought hard with each other until the clash of two fighters paved the way for the others. Thump! Coal-Kojin was pushed backward after that encountering strike. The crowd of Mikuruto paused their actions and encircled a ring for the two arising competitors. Their mouths and minds were emptied with silence, ready to be filled with another breathtaking scenery. The coal-haired girl heard her opponent's words, "My twentieth day of birth is around two years from now. Beating you death-near would be an early gift then, Tē'ki kojin." the young rōjin who was yet to be defeated from his duels released a taunting smug. A hundred twenty seconds of clashing made the watching Mikuruto stand still with a deep gaze. Dagger Kojin had more numbers in dodging the Ridākurashā's heavier blows. Another round of engagement started to give the two fighters injuries of hindrance; they were both starting to lose breath. Ridākurashā had two broken fingers on his left while the Coal-Kojin have broken three on her right. Clank ! "Continue!" Wan Kō Siksukī roared at the two opposing foes after dropping blades of fatality. By picking up actual weapons in their resumed fight, more experienced medics were preparing as Ridākurashā had a fresh margin on his left outer forearm while the Coal-Kojin had a lightly-lacerated right leg. Despite the injuries, the two continued unt— "Inform! Ryō Ken Wanugō is approaching the training camp!" All of the Zōjin stopped, their eyes enlarging at the shadow of an enormous predator approaching. All the squad leaders along with Wan Kō went into a rectangular formation in the span of five seconds. The Wanugō laid down his words, "The training is now complete! All graduates must have their respective units by tomorrow!" All officers with at least five hundred units in the camp went to the main circular tent — a meeting was held. With the confusion swirling inside the minds of the Mikuruto, they were informed by Jo Rā Eitorā that the nearby towns before the fortified city, Tsushido, were captured by one of the enemy kingdoms, Ogōshi . Additionally, another city named Marufotu was reclaimed by the same opposing kingdom and thus more soldiers are needed to support Okonfē. The two dueling foes were immediately picked up by the medic for treatment. ◆ The night decided to check the two fighters who had more serious injuries than any other fighter dealt that day. Ridākurashā slept with his light eyebrows touching each other, pissed. Coal-Kojin, on the other hand, stared blankly while lying down. She felt it, the burning pain slowly disappearing due to the application of the best medicine on her previously lacerated right leg. Her raisin eyes were ablaze with hope, eager to show her people that she wasn't the person she previously was during her luxurious days. ◆ Morning walked in front of the Mikuruto as they were in formations based on their chosen unit type. Their armor was all light as one would need to buy or achieve higher ranks to gain better equipment. Then came the announcement. "Mikuruto, Rising Sun! Congratulations on completing the One Hundred Day Military Training!" Wan Kō Siksukī shouted. "Five Hundred Seven 'Fixed', Three Hundred Twenty Three 'Centered', and Seventy Eight Special Units! You may now serve the kingdom as official soldiers of Okonfē! May the first King guide you!" Those were the last words that they used before departing: the Fixed Units are the ones who have a fixed position in an army till their retirement, the Centered Units defend the cities near and at the capital, and the Special Units whose task is more vivid and has the ability to join different armies to aid the main force. ◆ ◆ ◆ One day has gone by since the graduation of the New Soldiers. Units in the special category talked about each other, " Sighs . At last, I don't feel the like a breathing corpse anymore with that insane trēningu ." "Uh yes, but we still don't know who that kojin is." "To think she would join the Supeshāru Unit." "Suitably though, she's perfect for the Special Unit with her insane amount of skills." "Yeah ... Catching an Arrow is something only a highly trained warrior could do." "Or maybe gifted? Who knows. She isn't talking anyways." "Or maybe both?" ... "All of you, stop chatting and get on the carriage now. The urgent aid of Ryō Ken Wanugō's subordinates needs quick forces." "Yeah, I've heard it's a Tsugā who we are to serve right now." "Correct, he holds about Twenty-thousand Soldiers and is placed on the Second Shield City." "Second Shield City?" " Tsushido , roysan." "Oh, that's what it meant." The Supeshāru Units brought their long-lasting conversations in the moving carriage. Eyes lingering through the scenery of crops and grassland, the Coal-Kojin looks back at the shrinking Honkasūri. It's her first time leaving the city for the purpose of war. Reflecting vague memories of her smeared past, she looks away from the city with a quick turn. The last remaining hesitation wasn't able to keep up to her carriage made of absolute resolve. Carriages were drawn by four-legged creatures resembling a horse. However, small spikes are found on its forehead vertically before the muzzles reside with thick-skinned legs and a razor-sharp extending tail when hostile. Colors vary from different shades of brown to a height of six feet. Aggressive as they can be, these are highly trained that exhibited both dragging heavy carriers and are prepared for war — the Horusu . ◆ Trots and breaks led the seventy-eight Juvenile Special Units to arrive at the Southern Gates of Tsushido under a day. They chattered with each other about the trip. "Woah, we came here quite faster than the Fixed Units of our batch." "We're not called 'Special' for nothing, roysen ." "... Confused with those variations. Sighs . I still can't get that 'roysan', 'roysen', and even 'roysu' just means boy or guy." "Same." "You two are just Sempōsu ." "Huh? What did you tell us—" "STOP. I'm tired of you Tē'kī idiots making a fight full of shit talk." ... All the Supeshāru shut their mouths to the fullest as they accepted Ridākurashā's polite advice. The other carriage dropped the once aimless girl that now has one current aim in her life — defeat her enemies with all her might as Tsushido welcomes her. This Novel Contains Mature Content Show This Chapter? Yes

"Life is full of patterns that we eventually see. But what if we're drowned by a cup of patterns that we eventually tremble into the abyss of Life?" Shadows began to dissipate as the flat Sun took its time laying on every reachable existence. Honkasūri wasn't able to react but its locals does. Each of them went to perform their usual task in the daytime — forge objects, harvest things, worship beings, and many more that can be visualized to sustain the city. Although when the View gazes into an eating place, it was contaminated, both front and back. A 'finished' bowl was thrown into the backyard bin faster than usual; it was the fastest throw made since. Despite this, a palm went in between the bowl and the ground with an inch. Guzzles ... as the Zōjin child ate the scraps that somewhat prevented her little belly to devour herself once more. Little legs began moving like a turtle and hands enveloped her dreaming stomach. Height was about Five feet tall but the sight was Fifty feet below. Walking down the alleys of taint, voices of 'fellow settlers' enter her ears; reminding her of what the Zōjin Race including her speak like after being dragged to listen by her meaningless self. As usual, some letters were replaced, the most notorious being the letters L and V by the famous R and B; the letters C, Q, and X however, changed appearance and were biased sounds. Reasons for all of these are buried — yet to be dug. Reaching her so-called home, she slowly dropped into her bed while her coal-like hair poured through like strands of rain. Soil warming her, kissed by the sun and whispering to her "I am sunlight, be like me and don't be like me." She heard those sentences in the last four years of her aimless life; the usual, she slept over them. ◆ ◆ ◆ Days ran like eighteen laps. On the far east of Honkasūri, chattering sounds scattered — harvests, forges, and celebrations. In a busy eating place, the young girl prepared herself for another dive. However, today's a different one because she was aiming not to catch something but rather to snatch. In her four years of experience as a homeless person, stealing wasn't even a last option in her mind — but after acknowledging the sun's whisper, it became the first option as the gut grumbled. With her nimble reflexes, she began to snatch food in a dash. This afternoon was her first major task: stealing a bowl of BonBon rice , said to be appetizingly dense it could seal hunger for a whole two days. Although she didn't think of it as two but rather saw it worth thirty. Moments when the crowd went busy selling/preparing the newly arrived product, Swoosh! A bowl of cooked BonBon quickly disappeared — no one in the crowd even changed course. Sounds of crowd munch slowly disperse, dashing her fastest whilst cloaking her BonBon rice from the eyes of anyone. Zōjin People, Animals, Pebbles, and any obstacle you can find were evaded by the coal-haired girl. Her stomach was already dreaming of the wonders that this rice would bring. Starting to run down the main street near ho— Bump! Her body crashes to the ground; the rice was scattered and filled with dirt. Before even knowing who she collided with, her raisin-colored eyes were ablaze — half a dozen of teeth was her goal today. However, upon seeing what she stumbled into, her body went full pale: her muscles were locked into her rising position as if she has seen a ghost that haunted her home once ago. The armor reflected into her eyes, having a sign of Wanugō in it. He took a deep breath before unleashing his deep roar. "Soldiers, the kingdom asks for more. If none steps forward, then force is the answer!" The whole city stood shivering still: it was something anticipated now and then yet steps weren't clomping. Crowd chattering, animals screeching, and footsteps lightly mark the ground leading to the enlistment area behind the Wanugō. The girl's dream resettled from her stomach to her mind; thinking that it may be the time to abandon her hobo life, she gushes through the crowd with blank thoughts. Upon attempt, those raisin-color eyes of hers shined through futures after being accepted by the recruiter. Sun was packing up to end its shift; meanwhile, the recruitment number met its need. The Wanugō orders one of his commanders, seemingly responsible for the whole training of the recruits. They gazed at that officer wondering what happens next. She yelled, "Three Thousand! Training is everything! May the first King guide you all." The conscripts either gulped, sweat, or held their breath after taking those words into their minds. Before attempting to recover, she immediately says, "Starto!" a strong 'O' accompanied by the last letter of her word. "Endā , a concept instinctive to Zōjin People to put vowels at both beginning and last word in a sentence ending with a consonant, but HERS seem to remind me that we're actually speaking like that regardless of what we do as I remember my old learning days in the Language School of Honkasūri before becoming an unemployed personu," a random recruit thought, shaking. Steps began to accumulate as their assumed trainer moves north. The second step wasn't going to proceed until the first one did: the coal-haired girl that left her doubts in the city though not the soiled BonBon rice in her mouth, unnoticed. ◆ Looking back at the eastern gates of the city, its shrinking size at a distance was also portraying their breaths. Eyes were dimming while the sun was sinking. Despite the darkness arising, they would continue to footslog. Barely clinging to their hopes, they gaped at their training officer: not even a single flinch of exhaustion was observed under her iron clothing — four hours in the walk. ◆ "Death, I'm starting to feel it shitū," mutters made by a conscript with the grassland chirping all night. With the rice she had eaten, the girl's legs continue to stride along the eight-hour madness. Her eyes were still looking to the future; too bright to see what lays before her until she saw several dots within the light of nothingness. "Fire ... Camp, we're finally ... here," a recruit praying for his breath. Raisin-color eyes exited their inverse senses, her nose began to recognize the scent of noble meals within the settlement. Arrival at the camp for the conscripts was too good to be tru— "Three Thousand! NO, Two Thousand Six Hundred Eighty! Congratulations! Eat and sleep within the camp for now! Our official training begins at sunrise," her voice dashed through spaces as the trainer proceeds to her tent. Welcomed by the trainer's men, the rookies were prepared for a meal. " Nukuriya Pasta todayū, Jo Rā Eitorā , " his presence starts filling their empty wills before the meal even began. The whole camp accompanied squad leader Jo Rā in drawing tranquil stories about how the Nukuriya Pasta is the softest food in the whole Uzōjin that doesn't even need to be cooked: a degree that it is a part of a baby's diet. Coal-haired girl collected pasts on every gulp. So many, she eventually formed an album of vagueness — focused on herself on the edge of the camp. ◆ The sun went clearing up both darkness and the regular day of Honkasūri conscripts. They were still exhausted, begging for sleep as their minds wander. However, they immediately returned after hearing the ear-breaking yell of the Training Officer. " Rekurutosu , rising sun! I am Wan Kō Siksukī and I will be your Official Trainer for this Hundred Fifty-Day Entry-Basic Training. First Day, start!" ◆ ◆ ◆ Recruits took the impending pain from different viewpoints as they glanced south, tiny Honkasūri watching them. The training consisted of a Mind, Body, and Soul competition but depended on the individual's highs and lows. Coal-girl excelled in categories that require light-footed movements whereas the majority aimed for brawns. Self-drowning trials began to drain time until seventy-five days remained. Some of them had the same reaction, "We're cut to two thousand five hundred ... Bikurō ." Hills of training got steeper. Numbers of fallen gone deeper. Their formations are full of gaps while the scorching sun covers them. ◆ ◆ ◆ Completing the Entry-Basic Training was twenty days away. A new trial in the training camp was introdu— "Duels, today will be the beginning of this training to improve your strengths and weaknesses when fighting a single opponent, often a battle of the Leaders that decide the victory of the battle! Starto!" Wan Kō Siksukī's voice, alarming all of the newcomers on what is to go about. Blow by blow, each pair of trainees held their respective weapons of wood, slashing into each other until one of them falls into the sleeping abyss. The Daylight watched the battles from different angles. Then came the awaited moment — the biggest rōjin against a small kojin . The crowd of the victorious whispered to each other, " Cold Shits . Is she even going to live?" "I don't know, like that Kojin ain't going to win against our Big Guy, Dan Dū ." "Uh guys, the question is, who is that kid?" "Clueless, we haven't even heard her voice since we got here." "Eh, isn't she a beggar that lurks in the east Honkasūri?" "I believe yeah? But something isn't right." "Yeah. With her not looking like dirt any more, she looks like a no—" The atmosphere snatched away their conversation — coal-haired kojin proceeded to rush through: dagger was wood but eager to cut like steel. One meter close to her opponent, the large club reflected in her eyes of raisin, swinging from the left. Without a sweat, she ducks low as the wooden club hits nothing but air. She then proceeds to land a blow on the opponent's right knee before retreating several steps; her left-hand grips the wooden dagger, guarding herself. "Kojin, that's not going to cut my knees down," Dan Dū spoke. The standing recruits admired the two fighters with their mouths shut. Despite just the first strike, it was enough to make their will shatter and then reform simultaneously. The duel began its second peak. The child with the coal-colored hair rushed once more; Dan Dū responded and hit like before. However, a noticeable feeling came in the sinking-sun fight. "Hm?! So this is your plan against me," Dan Dū flinched. Dark red doubts started slipping through his right shin; a swift cut from the right knee became visible. Coal-Kojin again raises her guard, ten steps away from Dan Dū as the crowd surrounds them like a ring, eyes wide. The battle between the dagger and the club of wood carried on for the next hundred seconds. Sweat and dirt attached to the Small Kojin's Body while cuts and gore emerged from the Big Rōjin. His left hand held the heavy club resting on his right shoulder, chasing his breath. She proceeds to rush short steps for the deciding blow unti— Grabs! "Kojin, out of ... Breathū?!" she then flew towards the ground while still being held by him. It was landing fast — faster than the 'finished' bowl that she used to catch. Shick! "Argh?!" Dan Dū struck in doubt from what he had seen. The Coal-haired girl was able to thrust her sword in one of the prior cuts that the Big Guy had. Reducing the impact of landing, she delivers the neck-finishing thrust on him about an inch through; causing him to drop to the floor in screeching agony. ◆ Out of all duels fought, the kojin's victory was seen by the evening, recruits, and trainers whilst shaken by the Rōjin 's defeat. The night went by and the meals were served. "Cold Shits. Did she really just win?" "I don't know like that Kojin just cut the weakness of our Big Guy, Dan Dū." "Uh guys, is she really a kid?" "Clueless, she's still not talking after that neck-full victory." "Eh, that hobo has extreme reflexes if you want to know my opinion." "Right about that for sure." "What? Forgot what I said. Munches ." Wan Kō gazed at the Coal-Kojin child and asked, "Rekuruto Kojin, what's your name?" ... Not even a single syllable came out of her semi-dry mouth. She continued, "Don't have the ability to spea—" "Wan Kō Siksukī! Ryō Ken Wanugō is arriving at Honkasūri this evening, assistance is needed!" said a messenger, standing in front of her eyes. The Siksukī vanished as the eagerness rode along her gallop. ◆ ◆ ◆ Another sunrise laid upon the Camp. Training continued for another nineteen days of challenging duels — wins and losses smearing in the faces of the conscripts. " Tē'kī , my muscles hurt so much. Sighs. " " Chuckles. Are you telling us that now? We're at the final day, Sempō ." " Breathing Dead , that's how we're feeling guys." "Fourteen Losses, Tē'kī my throat hurts and medication isn't helping!" "From Deepthroat I guess? Pfft . " " Tē'kyū ... You lost your ballsa—" Something made the heartwarming gossip slit shut. An unnoticeable air began steaming in the camp. The Zōjin Child prepared her stance — Left Foot in front of the right while Left Hand Grips the Steel Knife. Eyes searched for meanings behind her pose until they realized what was that steaming air from before. "Wins of seventeen, five were Fatal Blows. This is the last day of your Basic-Entry Training, fight at your best, Youngest Rekurutō." The sounds of articulation made ears flinch; it was Wan Kō Siksukī's normal voice in a scenery filled with humming winds and clinging grass. The Siksukī's short sword slowly reveals itself from its sheath of circle patterns. Her was the same as Coal-Kojin's stance, but the difference was clear as the raisin-tinted eyes kept glaring at the impending future before them if they were to fuck up. Nevertheless, she rushed to the Siksukī with all she had gone through in these Hundred Forty-Nine Days of aimful life. Her short and thrusting strikes took their last loose after Ten-whole seconds. The coal-haired girl went on for another Ten-second burst. Conscripts' skin started sweating. She proceeds to try another, and another, and another, and another. Lungs started tightening, she switched to a defensive position succeeding in the failed offense. Wan Kō Siksukī lowers her head and then, "Finished? Then it's my bursts now..." the palm of her foot pressed the ground forward to the Coal-haired Kojin . The commander's sprint was enough to make her eyes reflect nothing but shiver. ◆ Night sat upon their final meal. Jo Rā released his departing words to the Honkasurī Rekurutosu during his sip. "Ahhhhh, this Juice from Itsūchi is always refreshing after a hard day. Although it came from enemy territory, the merchants who sold this to us gave us a good amount to pay for it. ' Although this taste like shit, Te'ki merchants.' Back to my main message, I am content that a majority of you survived this basic training. Graduation, tomorrow it is and you will have the right to choose your future positions in war. Good luck. Sips." The trainees became grateful for the Eitorā's kind words and continued to eat their supper, surrounding the crackling campfire. Meanwhile, the Zōjin Child and her coal-colored hair remained in the medic tent to patch her wounds. She began moving her feet but was stubborn as a boulder. Looking at the arms, it was filled with cuts of restrain. Seeing her battered state, she tried to look at her surroundings instead. Crickets chirping, campfire crackling, and crowd chattering. Her head shifted right then she saw the one who defeated her mercifully this morning, sitting and gazing at her. "Solidly, I've never fought a rookie who can practically stand for more than Twelve Seconds against me. I recommend you were to join the special unit by training for another hundred days. You'll become a solid piece of the Ryō Ken army by then." Coal- Kojin responded with a short exhale. "Sighs. I guess you really can't speak for at least twelve-tenths of a second." She left the injured child in the medic tent. As she holds her thickly bandaged left arm, thoughts began to sketch in her mind. "That Child looks like a Twelve Yea— NO, somewhere near Fourteen or Fifteen Years Old in Zōrian Time. Kojin like her should've been in her parents' arms yet she fell for the dark path. Though, she would become to be a strong attractive Rējin that would get a lot of Rōjin falling for her. Still, heh, I can't believe she actually lasted for a whole minute of my attacks meant to crush a rookie." ◆ The day of tomorrow finally arrived. The Little Kojin remained in the medic tent due to her sustained injuries. Meanwhile, the outside was filled with the sunlight of the One Hundred Fifty-First Day since their hellish march from their home city, Honkasūri. Congratulations greeted the recruits who worked hard to accomplish the first level of training. Wan Kō Siksukī stood in front of every Zōjin individual in the training camp. "Two Thousand Three Hundred Seventy-Seven! You are now available to choose whether to choose to be a Public Watch Unit, City Reserve Unit, or continue to the actual military training that will be held for One Hundred Days! Sun Rising!" Speed-walking menacingly, the graduated recruits rushed through the enlistments of each position they would choose — thoughts scattered. "I'm taking the Watch Unit Position, clowns." "Watch Unit. Watch Unit. Watch Unit. Watch Unit. Watch Unit." "Eh? Choosing Reserve Unit it is. I need to sell more vegetables back home." "Te'ki, I'll continue this hundred-day short-tailed training for the sake of crushing Wanugōs for my Twentieth Day of Birth." "I'm Hungry." "Damn, my friends really died along the training huh. Guess I'm choosing Public Watch Unit then." "Weaklings! Only cowards choose the Public Watch Unit position in Okonfē. That's why I'm choosing the thing that my strongest mind chooses, the Public Watch Unit." While they were busy choosing. The squad commanders laid a special treatment for the Coal colored hair Kojin. Jo Rā Eitora took a deep breath before he spoke. "Since you are not able to talk and is badly injured, we are to give this paper survey instead. You are to Point to one of the three signs: Public Watch Unit which you are to be stationed in your city to protect it against bad locals; Reserve Unit in which you are to be stationed in your city but will be called by our Wanugō when numbers are needed; or continue to the Military Training in which is an additional One Hundred Days and when completed, you will have the right to choose more high rewarding ranks in the Military and upon retirement, you are to have your own residence and a quarterly allowance of honor." "The King of Okonfē's will is not of Pure Iron Chain ," Wan Kō Siksukī said. "A Fourteen year Old Kojin has the same right as a Twenty-five year Old Rōjin who is in his strongest form." Coal-Kojin began to raise her right arm. Raisin-colored eyes reflected on what her finger pointed: her Iris was shining through that one symbol out of the three — the gleaming symbol that states "Military Training". This Novel Contains Mature Content Show This Chapter? Yes

A warm afternoon shined through Tsushido. Walking through the main streets from the southern gates, the newly arrived Supeshāru had their questions jumping out of their minds of brick. "I'm out of lines. I can't do this anymore." "Same, but I got a question. Isn't Tsushido a military city? If so, why do people here look like civilians?" "Those are soldiers, reysu ." "Eh? Then how would you explai—" Bumps! She gets hit by kids running at joyful speeds; playing tag with their shirts and shorts patterned with circle designs that are elbow and knee length respectively. "What the— Sighs . Not going to curse at them but how could you explain that then?!" "Those are children of soldiers. Most of the 'civilians' here are soldiers that serve the battlefield when called upon." "Correct. The current numbers are about ten or eleven thousand." "Where do you even get that information?" "Based on the size of the city." "... Well, shitū." The other groups talked about, "Weird, their clothing styles are mainly different back from Honkasūri." " Yē right. We got four big circles then the rest are smaller with less space between each other, that is what ours are like in Hon Kā regions." "And? Roysans, that's basically just circles. The ones we see here in Tsushido are just compromised of five big circles. It's not that differen—" A shout from the other group of Special Units disrupted the rest. "Oh, shit look! Is that candy? YĒSUUUUUU !" "Wait what?! Where!?" "No way, there is a candy shop in this Military Place? LET'S GOOOOO!" The Supeshārus' feet dashed menacingly to the said candy shop — a thousand steps ahead of them towards the center of the city. However, they stopped in their tracks after they witnessed something glorious, "What the? There are lots of fellow Zōjin People inside!" "Tē'kī! And here I thought I would be able to taste some good food— wait, that small girl inside seems familiar." "No way, that's the girl with the dagger! How did she end up there quickly?!" " Burning crops , even at these she's the best?" Clenches both fists before screeching randomly. "Well, waiting for it is then if we want a taste of food. But keep in mind that we have three hours left before we need to be in the actual camp sight in the southern parts outside of Tsushido." "Eh? Then why did our carriages bring us here in the first place?" "We have extended time due to some untold thing in the front and thus giving us some time to explore remember?" "Is ... that ... so ..." Sighs . "Wan Kō Siksukī told us before right? You wood-huggers don't listen huh? Additionally, we march to that camp as a warm-up. The Siksukī also SAID." ◆ While the Supeshāru were chattering and gazing outside, the time eventually gave way to the young girl in front of the wooden counter. Coal-Kojin's eyes were rotating in different directions where various candies are shown. "Welcome, young lady! You seem to be a new one here so let me give you an introduction to this place if you would like?" The young boy's voice reached through the Coal-girl's ears. Nods . "Oh. Can't speak? Hm ... But with that Nod of yours, I think it's a yes." The young rōjin sparkled his eyes with his mouth releasing an introduction of jaunty. "Hello there again, this is the Tsushido Candy Restaurant which is the only one in this city! You are quite lucky today since the number of customers here is usually twice as much as it is now. Like the name says, our primary food choices here are candy! These ball-shaped food are very beneficial in regulating your energy as the Zōjin People say. We have lots of amounts of candy recipes here but I will make it into two most basic categories here that are the most common in all three kingdoms in our lands." Reaching into a menu carved in a sheet of wood before continuing, "We have the ' Guwi ' and the ' Pero ' Candy. The first is simply a ball of candy that is coated with a wet-slimy substance called Guwi. On the other hand, the second one is coated with a special powder called Pero. If you want to have the most basic candy meal of all, you can choose either the Classic Guwi or the Classic Pero." The Coal-haired girl did the same response, she nods while looking at the more complex menu with nostalgic whispers in her ears. Looking back at the basic wooden menu, she points to her desired food. "Oh. You like the Classic Pero Candy. Good for you! Now since you are the fiftieth new customer to enter our restaurant, you are to be given One Classic Pero Candy for Free!" Raisin-tinted Eyes shimmering whilst the food is given wrapped in a leaf — Coal-Kojin stood still as if she was waiting for something memorial. Then the young rōjin raised both of his hands at head level, palm facing forward while he looks into the girl's raisin-colored iris. "The first king is grateful for your visit, Fyū Go, Eighteen Years of Age." After introducing his name at the end of his thanks, "What about you? You seem familiar after I saw a closer look at you." He reached out for a piece of wood that can be written with bare hands; it is suited for writing the names of Zōjin People who come by. ... . . "Oh. I see. Then I hope you have a nice day." He pulls back out of the unwritten wooden sheet as he gently smiles at the Coal-Kojin whose feet slowly leaving the Tsushido Candy Restaurant. A last batch of thoughts formulated from Fyū Go before his customers drag him to work. "Familiar, that quiet girl really seems to be seen years ago. A ... carriage? Nevermind. Back to work for your nineteenth day of birth." Leaf unwrapping, Coal-girl's gulps were preparing for a feast. Classic Pero Candies sized like a tennis ball, she was given the regular five-piece order. Eyes glared at her during her first steps outside the restaurant. "Look ... It's the Classic Pero Candies ..." "I can smell it ... The sweetness and squishiness of that candy." " Sob sob . It's beautiful, roysens." Silently Screeches. "Oy, we got three hours left; two of it is used for marching to the camp." "Yēsu, sir." Upon seeing her fellow Supeshāru drooling, Coal-Kojin gave them a sweet blessing. Tosses "Huh?! The Candy!" "Let's GOOOOO!" "Only One?! Oh, that's mine!" "No Mine!" "We got three hours left so it's MINE NOW." Down-charge the bunch of rōjin and rējin Special Units with scenery of sloth-speed motion. ◆ One or Two-story buildings sniffed the exploring Coal-Kojin and her Sweets along the streets of Tsushido. On the exterior, walls were designed with web-shape patterns of five edges — cone-shaped roofs on their heads. Continuing her stroll toward the center of the chattering city, she found an alley similar to her previous home. Abandoned, the alley was nothing but grim and filth — somewhat a place used to throw garbage before piling up. As similarities lay in the eyes of Coal-Kojin, little hips sat down on top of a blanket, given by the military. Imagination defeated reality in a blink of an eye: she was back again in her alley home in Honkasūri. Left-over bowls beside her while the Sun blethered with smiles. The Coal-haired girl never understood the smile but a warm welcome. Each munch of Classic Pero Candy was full of squish and vivid sweetness; lips were covered with a powder of purple. Thirty minutes felt like a thousand in her visions whilst munching. Although truly a fantastical afternoon snack, she returns to reality with a stride directing back to the Southern Gates of Tsushido. ◆ Thirty minutes flung again and Supeshāru exited the Candy restaurant, "Fi ... Munches ... nally! This is what good food tastes ... Munches ... like!" The rest kept devouring it like animals. "Oy! Munches ... Straight to Camp. Munches ... Two hours left! Munches ..." "BUURRRPP! Yēsu, sir." "... Ahhhhh . Tē'kī that was delicious." "All of you, start walking to the gates. We don't have a whole day to reach the Tsugā's Camp." Gates of Tsushido began to look smaller; eyes crystal clear with the Pero Candy they have shared and eaten. Cricket-like sounds began entering their ear tunnels. "Well, another Zorian Night Again" as most of the Supeshāru thought of that phrase. Quiet winds contrasted chirps and were barely touching the marcher's skin. However, the grass brushes the Zōjin who were hiking near the trail edges. ◆ Two hours marched and the Supeshāru arrived at the camp. Observing their surroundings, a new atmosphere enveloped their dry mouths. Wan Kō Siksukī and the other officers weren't there anymore. 'Actual' soldiers layered with scars looked at them with an underwhelming thought — some even said "New Idiots" that the newcomers only heard. Deep Bleats of Horusu were heard around the camp as they smelled the scents of unfamiliar Okonfē Soldiers. All of the unwelcoming pressure halted when the General of the Camp finally went to greet them. ◆ Midnight was approaching, the Supeshāru walked to the enemy camp unheard. Quiet as their first objective, a whispering discussion flew by, "Cold shits, so this is our first mission. To kill enemy commanders located in the recently built military camps in our previous borders of Tsushido." "Yē, I've heard that these commanders are one of the best in their army." "Well, then why the Tē'ki shits are we doing here?! We're gonna die..." "We're not sure about that. We are forty in number while the other forty are on the other edge of this camp. We are tasked to kill these soldiers after their celebration of winning. They're probably drunk by now considering our scout reports, the enemy has drunk booze and all of them are sleeping deeply." "Correct. But still, be careful and 'prioritize' the commanders, most notably the ones with the sign of Fairukā and Siksukī." "Yeah, the largest heads here are those two ranks, possibly holding a thousand to half five thousand units." "Heh, although true. I still think Wan Kō Siksukī is superior to them Ogōshi Mangkōjin ." "Not to mention the mute girl on our side, she's a monster, to begin with." "Don't forget Ridākurashā as well. " "Roysen, he's at the other group in the west." "Oh ... yeah, right." "I'm sure Mute Girl is going to kill more commanders this night considering the enemies are handicapped." "High chance yē. However, I expect she would have some difficulty like a lacerated body part again so we better look after her. She's a gem." "We kno— wait. Where is she?" "I think she's peeing behind the bushes base on that sound." "Oh ... I guess that's better than her suddenly disappearing." The Supeshāru arrived, waiting till midnight fell before unleashing their first assault. The army of Ogōshi snored through the night with its guards seemingly about to dream — they wore undershirts, sleeves at bicep length. With their chance being as easy as catching turtles, the New Special Units of Okonfē rushed through the enemy camp containing slits and slashes. Ears never responded well to the soldiers since they were killed without screaming in agony by the swift Supeshāru. Coal-Kojin was in a state of bloody frenzy, lacerating dozens of rōjin and rējin foes who are in a state of slumber. Then the golden seconds came: the hexagonal tent where a commander resides was in sight. Quiet steps took place at the tent's entrance then followed by a gushing strike to the resting rōjin Commander. CLANG! Gasp! The young girl labeled special unit jumped backward with no hesitation. She rewound in time, this Ogōshi Foe blocked her attack with a metal shaft in the middle of a night's rest. Despite the rōjin standing slowly, Coal-Kojin felt the threat that she is about to confront. In the minds of the Supeshāru girl, it was like a second duel Wan Kō Siksukī. However, upon exiting the tent where the nightlight saw, she reminds him of Dan Dū with his wielded weapon. It was a blunt weapon used one-handedly — mainly had an essence of a flanged mace. ◆ Turning tables around the western camp. Special Units were battered by an awakened commander. " Ughh! Is that Ogōshi bichakū some sort of Wanugō?! Half of our group was killed by her—" the Okonfē Soldier's head fell: slashed by a barely sobering enemy troop. "Jun Se Siksukī! Is your status okay?" " Yāru , everything is all right." Jun Se replied to her subordinate. "I'm glad some of you have awakened or else our whole drunk camp is going to be slaughtered. Are you not drunk? Hiccupu! " "Not much, Siksu—" Stabbed back in the throat by a Supeshāru; a presence that the opposing Siksukī acknowledged with her guards up. Ridākurashā was making brief impressions with tense. "Calm Down, I've killed several Eitorā and Seburō just now so I'm sure it wouldn— Gasp!" the Siksukī was right in front of him, eye to eye. Her first punch shook the young rōjin who dodged. However, the second punch connected. Ridākurashā's light armor was bent, pushed backward with his pressing foot marked ground straight. The young rōjin clutched his stomach, legs shaking from the blitz punch of Jun Se Siksukī. Agonies of his comrades were heard by his barely conscious ears; each and every one of them perish through the midnight sky. "Bi ... kur ... ō ... . I took one of her strongest punches, haven't I? I don't know if that's an achievement, heh. The most embarrassing part here is that she's Tē'kī Drunk without any ... weapons. If she wasn't drunk, she would have killed or knocked me out during my monologue here. Tē'kī ... forget my Twentieth Birthday, I'm going down. Right here, right now." Ridākurashā's only option was to lift his sword in front of him for the last brace. His comrades, on the other hand, ran away. The soldiers of Ogōshi already slaughtered every opposing enemy they had seen. "Jun Se ... Fesukā ... It is an honor to at least fight you for a mo ... ment." Panting. "Ugh, I can't feel my stomach anymore," Mouth slowly dripping with the blood of regrets. "Is that so?" The Siksukī smiled. "Then tell me your date of birth like the traditional ways do— Hiccupu! ." Schwing! Blood came out from her left forearm after dodge-blocking the swift blow from nowhere. "Fucking Shit!" Wan Kō muttered scorchingly. "What kind of Ta Rō's Bitch would order Juvenile Units to slay some of the best Fairukā and Siksukī in the land?! MANGKŌJIN Zōjin, the fact that this Ren Tē Tsugā keeps ordering suicidal missions makes me want to take his head off in front of Ryō Ken Wanugō when I get back!" Her face was a pure reflection of rage. "Charge!" Spears thrust towards Wan Kō. With the use of her feet, specks of dust flew into the sights of Ogōshi Soldiers, breaking their uniformed charge and giving the Okonfē Siksukī ample amount of time to vanish bringing the beaten young rōjin. The drunk opposing army had no choice but to surround their drunk commander that slept midway through Wan Kō's quiet grumble. ◆ The lone commander dashed away from the Military Camp of Ogōshi. Wan Kō sprinted so fast: she was surpassing the full-on speeds of an Ostrich. Despite her hasty retreat, hands grabbed one more rōjin while the camp was more distant in sight. About three special units were saved by the Siksukī as she arrived in her bush-hidden Horusu. Retaining her lost breath, " Hah ... Hah ... you got to be joking. After twelve seconds of thinking about it, that Siksukī was Jun Se." she continued to catch her breath. "That Rējin is not the type of person I would fight on one and one combat. Never in my life, not going to unless I'm ordered and ready to break my ribs again." She retrieved more air before continuing her thoughts. "But still, I'm glad that the West only has Jun Se Siksukī in it. If they were to encounter that Fairukā Monster then—" her hands went cold after realizing what may lay upon in the east part of the enemy military. Her feet were hot then began to dash ba—, "Wan Kō Siksukī." Jo Rā Eitorā spoke. "We can't perform another save. The army of Ogōshi has finally built enough resistance to stop the pursuit. Additionally, the injured Supeshāru would die. The fact our mission is beyond orders would really put the both of us in grave danger." He was shaking, trying his all to convince his commander. Clenching her fists, "Retreat now." The Siksukī was at last persuaded, galloping with her subordinate while carrying the shattered soldiers. Her final wish of good luck gazed at the views covering the West Enemy Camp ... ◆ Pain and Demise darkened the natural lights of midnight. Nearly Fourteen Minutes already since Coal-Kojin stood in her position, unmoved. Air surrounding the rōjin was heavy. She knew this nearly six-foot Zōjin was something to keep watch of. The place was nothing but moving nature, making them the only two Zōjin People who were currently breathing within a 7-foot radius. While the young girl's comrades were busy with other drunk Ogōshi, she continued to hesitate her resolved dash until minutes proceeded to tick until, "Are you done observing?" the rōjin asked. "You seem to be a fourteen-year-old that killed twenty soldiers around my tent." he adjusts his weapon grip in an optimal manner. Slightly placing his dominant right foot behind. Shined through the night light on the tent's flag head. There, the girl with a raisin-colored iris saw the sign written on it. "Tent of Tun Rei Fairukā," floating words flew between the two opposing foes before dissipating. "Floating letters? Tsk! Being drunk is just Tree-burning, " Tun Rei looked to the ground. Coal-Kojin sensed it. Doubts hid behind the young girl: something is with them nearby. Heartbeat started jogging: her visions knew those materialized words float even before she could read the flag above. However, she went for a deep inhale, all those doubts were left behind as Coal-Kojin dashed through the Fairukā. The one-handed mace swung from her left side. She slipped under it, swinging her triangular dagger with a draw-in of air after. Gasp— Thump! The Supeshāru girl flew after blocking the right knee kick by Tun Rei. It was fast, the Kojin barely stopping the Fairukā's blow. Despite that fast fact, landing on both feet at mid-air speed was nothing but an easy stunt. "I see. Now that feeling better, you're a prodigy, a 'special' one at that," Tun Rei praised the young girl. Lofty voices sketched her contemplations from within, "Shitū, this rōjin is strong ... my blade was bent from that. My fellow Special Units are still doing great. I wonder if the other camp with that Ridākurashā is doing the same. Anyways, this really feels like Wan Kō Siksukī by the impression this Tall Ogōshi bastard has." hands shaking since the explosive block. The Fairukā asked, "What is your date of birth? Unmatched Kojin." Only the sound of breathing in and out was heard from the Coal-girl's mouth. "Can't speak? Then that's that." he went straight front for his shorter foe. "Eh?" The first expression that the young girl released before witnessing something unseen: her left leg flew sideward off her. Blood scattered. The girl couldn't voice the sensation, only her eyes vein-crawling red like never before. Dropping to the ground while biting her teeth, "That foot-ground connection of yours seems strong," Tun Rei said. The next set of blows came from above. The one-legged victim felt it like a monstrous rock. The first strike broke shattered her bent dagger. Both Forearms of left and right were destroyed by the second blow. Fairukā's third flanged mace strike disfigured her face, skin-twisting to look upon. The left eyeball burst out of her socket — all teeth from her left cheek were ghastly ripped out paired with spills of dark red fluids. She restrained crying out a scream, only tears of begging to stop were visible. Not a single sound of an Okonfē Supeshāru entered her ears; all that remained was the footsteps of closing soldiers shouting Tun Rei's Fairukā's name. Then unleashed the fourth blo— "Halt!" A mounted rōjin released a thundering yell. The commander lowered his mace as he perceived the written signs on both of its armored shoulders. "You've done enough. Recall all of your troops against more possible attacks!" Tun Rei moved his legs as he sighs to his superior, "Yēsu, Den Goro Wanugō." Coal-Kojin continued her quiet weep. Lying down in despair, "So this ... is ... War ... Reality ... I ... don't want to die ... yet ... I want ... more ... mo . . re ... memories ..." gleaming eyes rewound her whole life — a vague scene of her old home, her family, Ryō Ken, her dirt alley, her comrades, her last Pero candy, the night sky. One last view was the Ogōshi Wanugō who gave her time to pack up her memories. The Coal-Kojin heard a dying question from him, "What is your name? Mighty Kojin." She softly replied, "Mē ... Ri ... ... ..." as her fading right raisin sight began dissipating in the cold blood-soaked night. This Novel Contains Mature Content Show This Chapter? Yes

Chapter 23 Blackin's Desire for Blackina Crayon and his friends then ate breakfast and they headed to train. " We need to be ready for those two " said Crayon. " Our abilities need to be stronger " said Colourea. " We cannot fail to give them the best asskicking possible so let's train " said Artby. " Bakers want that from their customers, they love having a customer that can fight " " Let's start " said Colouruke. Artby then charged up the Light Implosion while Colouruke then charged up the Sea Implosion. Crayon then was able to use the Sky Implosion while Warbler used the Air Implosion. The attacks hit with power that they were not able to hit with before. Colourea then was using the Quadruple Light Strike while Colouruke used the Quadruple Sea Strike. Crayon was able to use the Ultimate Sky Bomb while Warbler used the Ultimate Air Bomb. All the attacks were getting stronger. " This is what we need to stop those two " said Colouruke. " We have a chance " said Warbler. " We must use it perfectly, if we do not succeed then Blackin will take over with Blackina " " The bakeries have been robbed so much now " said Artby. " I'll never let the bakers down, bakers have been baking bread that has made us heroic " " We should contact Challenger about the new techniques " said Colourea. " Yeah, that is a good idea " said Crayon. They contacted Challenger. " Challenger, we have been able to use new moves " said Crayon. " Excellent to see " said Challenger. " We have been able to use the Quadruple Strikes and a new implosion " said Colourea. " You five will need it " said Challenger. " Bakers are counting on us, they have baked so much tasty bread " said Artby. " I can only imagine what will happen with Blackin and Blackina in complete control of here " " I know you five can win but you will have to be absolutely perfect " said Challenger. " Challenger, have you been eating the bread a lot recently ? " asked Artby. " I have had some bread " said Challenger. " Why ? " " I am glad to see, bakers have made us so heroic now " said Artby. "I have heard about King Bobby " said Colouruke. " He is the king of Bird's Isle " said Challenger. " You will probably meet him at some point " " You know a lot about him, Challenger ? " asked Crayon. " He is a king who has a council of advisors, he is a king with a lot of money " said Challenger. " Other than that and some Colourlandish idolizing him, I don't know too much " " For now, we should focus on Blackin and his girlfriend Blackina, they are the ones trying to take over Colourland " said Colouruke. " Sounds like a plan to me " said Challenger. " We will keep eating great bread and fight like we usually do " said Artby. " Anyways I have to get going so see you later " said Challenger. " Bye " everyone said. Blackin and Blackina then headed for Colourland, they then found a man. " You there " said Blackin. " What do you want ? " asked the man. " Crayon and his friends " said Blackina. " Why them ? " asked the man. " They must truly be killed, if you want to not be robbed then you will tell me where they are " said Blackin. " They are in the streets of Colourland not too far " said the man. " They had better be there, if they are not then you will truly fucking regret it " said Blackina. " We will not keep you alive if you lie to us " said Blackin. " This is very serious to us " Blackin and Blackina then kept moving on and they surrounded more people and they then demanded Crayon and his friends. " Crayon and his friends must be revealed now " said Blackina. " " Their elimination from Colourland will happen, they cannot hide forever " said Blackin. " I do not know where they are " said the man. Blackin picked the man up and then threw him down. Blackina then took his wallet and other belongings and the two of them then left. " We are taking over and the wedding is happening no matter how many people die " said Blackina. " Exactly, my desire for you is too strong " said Blackin. " I love you a lot " " Same here " said Blackina. Blackin and Blackina then went through the streets and continued searching for them but did not see them. Bear members were heading to Colourland, to make sure that Blackin and Blackina's wedding would be guaranteed. They eventually arrived and people were starting to freak out. Bear members then started tripping people and they then stole some wallets. A man tried to get up but a Bear member then used the Shadow Blast and knocked him out. " Blackin's desire for Blackina will lead him to victory " said a Bear member. " The power they have is out of this world "said another Bear member. Bear members then continued using their Double Shadow Strikes and they kept knocking people out and they contacted Blackin. " Blackin, we are all here " said the Bear member. " Good, if you see any of those fighters stall them " said Blackin. " We want to be able to end their lives together " said Blackina. " Then our wedding will happen " said Blackin. " If any people dare try to save them you must knock them out " " We will keep it up " said the Bear member. " We will steal anything on them and succeed " " Yes, it would be better that way " said Blackina. " Spread out through Colourland and station yourselves so that finding them is much easier " said Blackin. " We will do that, Colourland will belong to us " said the member. " It sure will " said Blackin. " Hahahahahaha " "It will be great as lovers for us to have everything " said Blackina. " It will be nice " " Yes, it will " said Blackin. " We are lovers not like any others " said Blackina. Crayon and his friends went outside where a Bear member saw them and contacted Blackin. Bear members then surrounded them and then fired their Shadow Bombs at them while Crayon used his Ultimate Wind Blast to counter. The attacks collided and nobody was defeated. They got up and then aimed with their Shadow Strikes towards Artby who then used his Super Light Bomb to knock them down. The Bear members had taken damage but were able to get up. " Hahahahahahaha " they said. " Blackin is going to be here very soon with Blackina" " We will make it through this " said Colouruke. " No you won't " they said. " Let's fight " said Colouruke. " Prepare to be finished " said a Bear member. Colouruke used his Ultimate Sea Punch while half of them used their Super Shadow Bombs and the other half used their Shadow Strikes. Crayon then fired his Ultimate Light Blast. The attacks then hit their respective targets. The Bear members were struggling, but Blackin and Blackina were getting closer to the area that Crayon and his friends were fighting in. The Bear members then started to talk about Crayon. " Crayon is going to be finished against Blackin and his lover Blackina " said the first member. " He's going to die " said the second member. " Blackin's desire for Blackina is too much, his ability too strong " said the third member. " We'll see about that " said Artby. " Bakers have been baking so much bread, they have done so much " " Blackin just loves Blackina too much, no fucking baker is going to stop them " said the fourth member. " Bakers have allowed me to fight better " said Artby. " The bread they bake, the flour they use and the ovens have done wonders " " The flour has an effect on fights " " The ovens ? " asked Colourea. " The baking that they do in the ovens have done so much for me when I fight, bakers are some of the most brave people I have seen " said Artby. " Blackin's desire is just too much you will see it very soon " said the first member. " You have no chance " " Bakers say I have one " said Artby. " They are confident in me " " Confident ? " asked a Bear member. " Yes, bakers are confident in me " said Artby. " They believe in a customer that can fight " " Bakers appreciate a customer who can fight " " It matters not to us " said a Bear member. " We will remain fighting " The Bear members got up and then they used their Double Shadow Strikes and they aimed towards Warbler, while Warbler used the Ultimate Air Kick while Crayon used the Ultimate Wind Kick. The kicks landed directly and the Bear members were defeated. " Time for us to leave here " said Colouruke. " Good idea, let's go " said Crayon. They left, Blackin and Blackina arrived but just barely missed them but they sensed people just barely and they rushed. Blackin and Blackina were chasing the five fighters but could just barely see them. They kept running and they turned a corner then kept hurrying through. A Bear member then saw them and pushed Crayon into Colouruke. The Bear member left but Blackin and Blackina were able to catch up to them. Blackin and Blackina saw them and they were about to speak to them. " So we officially meet " said Blackin. " It is quite a moment " " Yeah " said Crayon. " Me and my friends faced your strongest members " " Yes " said Blackin. " I never would have expected you five to win against them " " It is clear you have all been training " " Crayon, you and your friends will not stop us" said Blackina. " Our love for each other and our power knows no limits " " It is so powerful " " I will give you all credit for beating our members but you will not win " said Blackin. " You have to deal with the two best Bear members at the same time " " That will be too much " " Yes, our love for each other and our power has no limits " said Blackina. " My feelings for Blackin are so strong " " Bakers are counting on me here " said Artby. " Baking cannot end " " We need baking " " Bakers are not our main target " said Blackin. " We will take everything " " It is time for our battle " said Blackina. " I am ready " said Crayon. " Bakers have made Crayon extremely ready " said Artby. " Baking can do that " " As customers we are ready " " Customers ? " asked Blackin. " My love for Blackina and power will make that do nothing " " We are a poweful couple " said Blackina. " I will show you how baking has helped " said Artby. " Bakers have done so much " " Time to fight " said Blackin. " Bring it on " said Crayon. The fight started.

Chapter 25 Fight With Blackin and Blackina Part II: The Couples Fight " Now it is down to a match of the couples " said Blackin. " Our wedding is getting sooner and sooner " said Blackina. " The Bear will love every second of this wedding " " It will be a great Bear ceremony like no other " said Blackin. " Bear members will remember this " " They cannot forget our love " said Blackina. "Bear ceremony ? asked Colourea. " Our members stole so much, so Bear members will be giving different stolen goods that Blackina would like to Blackina, while the stolen goods that Blackin likes will go to Blackin " said Blackina. " It represents the love that I have for Blackin and that Blackin has for me " " Our love is so strong " " It is a real shame that you refused to join the Bear " said Blackin. " You could have one day been the type of couple we are " " It would be a great sight to see " " Yes, it would be amazing " said Blackina. " Stealing all this and harming so many people " said Crayon. " I couldn't do that " " Crayon, you must have the confidence " said Blackin. " I would never put those people over Blackina, Blackina loves me while they do not " " Blackina has done way more " " I am with her, not these people that are getting harmed " " Crayon, Blackin is right " said Blackina. " The gifts I am getting because of this are great " " What the organization is doing is so wonderful " " These gifts make this worth it " " Yes, great gifts Blackina is getting because of this " said Blackin. " She will be so happy " " I am very happy because of these gifts " said Blackina. " The fact that Blackin is having Bear members steal items that can be used as gifts shows how much he loves me " " Gifts ? " asked Colourea. " I understand wanting this life but harming all of Colourland for gifts ? " Yes " said Blackina. " These gifts are worth it " " It is very meaningful to receive gifts like these gifts I am getting it " " If Crayon wants to keep refusing to do these types of things for Colourea that is fine but this is the life that Blackina has chosen " said Blackin. " Blackina wants to be with a man who does what I am doing with her " " Not someone who puts these people over who they are with " " I am the right guy for Blackina " " It is good that Blackin is doing what he is " said Blackina. " Colourea doesn't need me to harm people for her " said Crayon. " Like I said that is your choice Crayon, but since you insist on stopping our dream wedding you cannot be alive anymore " said Blackin. " Our wedding is so meaningful " " Bear members will see us kiss " " You five refused our offer to the wedding, you decided to fight us instead " said Blackina. " I just love Blackin too much " " Offer to the wedding ? " asked Crayon. " You are planning to take over Colourland it looks like " " The Bear does plan to take over Colourland, after our great wedding we will have decisions to make about Challenger " said Blackin. " There is something you should know about Challenger" said Blackina. " What is that ? " asked Crayon. " Challenger will have to experience having you all dead" said Blackina. " I know that she believes that I can save Colourland but there is nothing more than that " said Crayon. " I am with Colourea " " It matters not " said Blackin. " Once Crayon dies, none of this will be an issue anymore " " Let's continue the fight, I am itching be the bride that Blackin has always wanted me to be " said Blackina. " I will be a great groom and the type of groom that you truly deserve " said Blackin. " I will be a great bride " said Blackina. " Yes, you will be amazing " said Blackin. Blackin and Blackina then used the Bear Implosion while Crayon and Colourea used their Ultimate Light Bombs. The attacks collided with each other. Blackin then used the Tenfold Shadow Strike while Blackina used the Ultimate Shadow Blast. Crayon used the Ultimate Light Blast while Colourea used the Ultimate Light Bomb. A huge explosion happened, everyone got up. Blackin then started charging for his Ultimate Shadow Blast while Blackina used the Tenfold Shadow Strike, Crayon and Colourea launched their Ultimate Light Bombs. The attacks hit, and Colourea was slightly struggling. Blackin and Blackina used the Bear Implosion while Crayon and Colourea used their Light Implosions to counter the attack. Colourea was struggling. " Hahahahahaha " said Blackin. " Now this is the time to end Colourea " said Blackina. " When we face Crayon by himself, our victory is imminent " said Blackin. " I will be a great groom for Blackina, just like Blackina will be a great bride for me " " The fight is still on " said Crayon. " It's time " said Blackina. " Colourea will be done, it is over " said Blackin. " We will take everything from Colourland soon " said Blackina. Blackin was charging his Ultimate Shadow Bomb while Blackina was using the Ultimate Shadow Blast, Crayon used the Air Implosion while Colourea used the Light Implosion. The combined attack was super powerful, the attacks hit their respective targets and everyone was knocked down. Colourea was seriously struggling and could barely move, Blackina was slightly struggling. " Hahahahahaha " said Blackin. " Now Crayon is time for you to be alone in this fight " " Colourea has more " said Crayon. " I do have a little more left " said Colourea. " It will be a wedding in the true fashion of the Bear " said Blackina. " It is a shame that neither my cousin Whites nor you will get to see it, but my love for Blackina is so strong " said Blackin. " It can never be matched " " Our love is not like other love " " It cannot " said Blackina. " Blackin has such a great desire for me " " I love Blackina so much, life around Blackina is truly amazing " said Blackin. " I will still give it my all " said Colourea. " Now, I will use a combined attack with Blackina and it will be over " said Blackin. " When we combine together like this, we cannot fucking be stopped " said Blackina. " Hahahahahaha " said Blackin. " Hahahahahahaha " said Blackina. " Time to resume this fight " said Crayon. Blackin and Blackina used their combined Bear Implosion attack while Crayon and Colourea used their combined Light Implosions together. Both sides were charging as much energy as they could. " It's no use " said Blackin. " We have not taken as much damage as you two " " Crayon, your alone time starts right now " said Blackina. The attacks then collided with each other. Crayon took more of the damage than Colourea. It was not clear yet if Colourea had been defeated yet. " Crayon, take a look at Colourea " said Blackin. " Colourea, no " said Crayon. " Get up, I know you can do it " " We have a decision to make after Crayon is defeated " said Blackina. " For the time being we must continue fighting " said Blackin. " Exactly " said Blackina. " Colourea is pretty much finished off, if she was still alive it would be smart for her to not act like it " said Blackin. " We will see if she does that " said Blackina. " At this point, it is just us and Crayon " " I believe that Colourea is not dead " said Crayon. " Crayon, I know of your love for Colourea " said Blackin. " I know that you feel for her but since you five refused to join us or stay out of it so we cannot have you be together anymore " " We cannot take the risk " " I love Blackin so much, his plan that our great members did was brilliant " said Blackina. " We cannot allow our lives to not be perfect, the gifts are so good " " Blackina has always shown that she loves me, all these robberies show that " said Blackin. " She looks so happy, look at her right now Crayon " " I see that she looks happy Blackin, but I cannot let you two do this " said Crayon. " I know that you two are much in love but all this suffering is too much, I know what you will do to Challenger as well " " I will continue fighting " " Challenger is going to join us or he will not be kept alive " said Blackina. " Challenger will come to his senses unlike you which is unfortunate " " Challenger will not join " said Crayon. " He has no choice, he has to or he dies " said Blackin. " Challenger must do what the organization demands here " " We are not giving him a choice " " He won't " said Crayon. " Then he can be dead " said Blackina. " That is not a decision we will allow from him " " The Bear will not allow him to go against us " said Blackin. " Bring it on " said Crayon. " Yes, we will make sure that we are married with you out of our way " said Blackina. " It will be a wedding which the Bear will remember always " " The Bear knows that our love will be on display " " Every Bear member will be happy to see it " said Blackin. Crayon then charged up his Air Implosion while Blackin and Blackina then were charging up their Ultimate Shadow Blasts, then used the combined Ultimate Bear Blast. The attacks collided and they hit their respective targets. Blackina was struggling. Blackina then rushed for Crayon with the Shadow Implosion while Crayon countered with the Ultimate Light Blast. The attacks hit. Blackina then used the Tenfold Shadow Strike while Blackin used the Ultimate Shadow Blast and the attacks aimed for Crayon. Crayon used the Light Implosion. Blackina was starting to seriously struggle while Crayon was slightly struggling. " How could this be " said Blackin. " Blackina cannot go down like this " " She is too strong " " I have more " said Blackina. " It seems like you have underestimated me " said Crayon. " My love for Blackina will never die, I am not going to allow this " said Blackin. " Blackin's desire for me will keep me alive " said Blackina. " It is a desire that cannot be matched ever " said Blackin. " Trying to do so would be pointless " " Yes, we love each other so much " said Blackina. " Our love will not stop " " It cannot, it cannot end " said Blackin. " Let's keep fighting " said Crayon. " Yes, we must " said Blackin. " Our love will never end " said Blackina. Blackin and Blackina then charged for the Bear Implosion charged with tons of power and aimed it towards Crayon. Crayon then used his Air Implosion, the attacks were about to meet. The attacks then hit, Blackin took the most damage allowing Blackina to still be able to fight. Blackina was getting very close to the end. " Blackina is still here " said Blackin. " My love for Blackina will last forever " It sure will, Crayon has taken a lot of damage " said Blackina. " It is a love that cannot be matched ever " said Blackin. " This romance will never end " " Our members are still around " said Blackina. " They will be approaching here quite soon " " Approaching here ? " asked Crayon. " They are coming here with the gifts, Crayon " said Blackin. " There are tons of them coming to celebrate the romance between me and Blackina " " These gifts resemble how much our relationship means " " Crayon you may be strong but it is not enough " said Blackina. " These gifts are amazing " " Our love and our power is too strong " said Blackin. " Hahahahahahaha " " Yes, it is too much for Crayon to handle for sure " said Blackina. " Our love will never end " said Blackin. " I will keep fighting " said Crayon. " You will not stop us " said Blackina. " Hahahaha " said Blackin. " Our ability and love for each other is strong " said Blackina. " Nothing will stop this " Blackin and Blackina then used their combined attack the Bear Bomb and charged it with a ton of power and aimed it towards Crayon while Crayon then used the Light Implosion. The attacks were hitting with such intense power, Blackina was knocked down to the ground and looked to be defeated. " Blackina " yelled Blackin. " Noooooooooo " " This cannot be truly happening " " Blackina will get up, she has not died " " Blackina will live " " Our love means everything " " As lovers, it can never end " " She has not died but she cannot fight anymore " said Crayon. " I am ready for this 1 vs 1 fight " " Blackina's the greatest woman ever " said Blackin. " She knows of the desire that I have for her and she will make it " " She knows of everything our members have risked for us, my love for her is stronger than anyone could love " " Nobody could love more than me no matter how hard they try " " Anyone could love ? " asked Crayon. " I am not so sure " " Yes, Crayon " said Blackin. " Blackina returns the favour just as well, she loves me too much " " Nobody has a relationship like ours, it is so wonderful and unique " " Our love cannot end " " Our love is so special, no relationship like ours has ever existed " " Ever existed ? " asked Crayon. " Yes, our relationship is so strong, powerful and unique " said Blackin. " Well we will continue the fight " said Crayon. " Yes, we will " said Blackin. " Blackina is counting on me, so there is no way I will lose " Blackin then used his Shadow Implosion while Crayon used his Light Implosion. The implosions then hit each other and both fighters were knocked down. They both got up, Blackin used his Ultimate Shadow Bomb against Crayon's Ultimate Light Bomb. The bombs hit their respective targets and Blackin was starting to slightly struggle but Crayon was struggling. " When I win this fight, Blackina will wake up soon after " said Blackin. " Blackina will get to see me again, it will be wonderful " " The way she looks at me is special " " You haven't won yet " said Crayon. " My love for Blackina never dies, Blackina's love for me never dies and the Bear never dies " said Blackin. " The Bear will never stop existing " " The members remaining will be stopped " said Crayon. " All of your major members have lost " " There are lots of them left " said Blackin. " They will be fine " " I believe this organization " " They cannot hide for much longer " said Crayon. " Blackina will get up and she will ensure that nothing will happen to them " said Blackin. " That is just the type of woman she is " " She will not give up " " We shall see about that " said Crayon. " Blackina is just too amazing " said Blackin. " She is one of a kind " " Anyways I will end this " " Time to continue fighting " said Crayon. Blackin then used the Ultimate Shadow Blast while Crayon used the Ultimate Light Blast. The blasts hit and both of them were knocked to the ground. They both got up, Blackin used the Tenfold Shadow Strike against Crayon's Ultimate Wind Blast. The blasts hit and collided with each other. Blackin then got up and then he approached Crayon and he said this. " Crayon it is officially over, Blackina will wake up " said Blackin. " Crayon you cannot fight anymore, you fought well for a non Bear member " " My love and desire with my combined abilites were too much, Bear members will be arriving here soon " " Blackina, my love for you is never going anywhere " Blackina, I want you on a level that cannot be matched and because of this love I cannot let Crayon live " " This love is unique " " I will keep fighting " said Crayon. " I have more to give " " Yes, we must fight to the end " said Blackin. " This battle has been great " " It has " said Crayon. Blackin then started charging up his Tenfold Shadow Strike and the attacks was about to hit Crayon but Crayon was able to trip him and Crayon was about to use the Ultimate Light Blast and it hit Blackin. Both of them were very close near the end. " I cannot let you stop the wedding " said Blackin. " My love for Blackina, the dream marriage must happen " " It won't happen today " said Crayon. " You must find a way without taking over Colourland " " I do understand loving someone but takeovers are not needed " " I must do this " " The gifts are great " said Blackin. " Blackina is so happy with all of it " " These takeovers are necessary " " Our wedding is better this way " " This wedding must be perfect " " The Bear demands that happen " " I know what you two have planned, I will not allow it " said Crayon. " I know you plan to hurt Challenger " " Challenger is not going to die " said Blackin. " We need him with us " " You will be finished off due to refusal to support the Bear " " Challenger is important " " I won't support the Bear " said Crayon. " Challenger won't either " " Then your death must happen for the sake of the organization " said Blackin. " The Bear cannot have what you have done " " The Bear will not be stopped " " I am proud to lead the Bear " Blackin then charged up his Shadow Implosion while Crayon was charging up his Wind Implosion. The implosions were about to hit their targets. " For Blackina " said Blackin. " I must take over so this dream wedding must happen " " I love her so much " " Our relationship will never stop " " For Challenger " said Crayon. " Also all of Colourland " " This will be it " said Blackin. " My marriage to Blackina is extremely important " " Here I go " " Your death is here " " Bring it on " said Crayon. The attacks hit their targets and they look to be both knocked out. After about ten minutes or so, Crayon got up and he checked on his friends. Crayon then had a feeling that him and his friends needed to leave so he called the hospital service. Crayon won the fight. Before they got there, he called Challenger.

Final Chapter The Celebration " Challenger we won the fight " said Crayon. " Amazing, you stopped the Bear " said Challenger. " We took an insane toll, we fought so hard " said Crayon. " You five need to rest up though " said Challenger. " I imagine that you all must be very hurt from fighting the best of the Bear " " They are all alive, I don't know about Blackin and Blackina " said Crayon. " I called the hospital, an ambulance should be here soon " " Great idea, I'm not sure about their regular members though " said Challenger. " They will probably find out and they will probably flee " said Crayon. " All their special fighters are not ready so they will not be able to do much " said Challenger. " We should plan something when we are all in good condition " " Sounds like a good idea " said Crayon. " Anyways I see the ambulance so I have to get going. The five of them were on the ambulance and headed to the hospital. They checked into the hospital and got a lot of rest. While that was happening, the Bear members saw Blackin and Blackina completely knocked out and they put them in the van. The Bear members then brought them back to the hideout. At the hideout, the members were talking with each other. " This cannot be " said the first member. " How the fuck could this happen, we stole all these gifts " said the second member. " There will be no wedding now, I am not happy at all " " Blackin and Blackina are an amazing couple, so strong " said the third member. " This cannot end like this " " Their love means a lot " " If they stopped him, what is going to happen now with no leader " said the fourth member. " I cannot imagine this " " We will have to hide here " said the fifth member. " We should check the bodies of our fighters " said the first member. " Yeah, that is a good idea " said the second member. The Bear members did that and they found that none of them had woken up yet. " Nooooooo " they said. " This cannot be it " " The Bear is so good " " I love the Bear, how could this happen ? " Meanwhile a man had arrived that looked like a Smithson but older. " You look like an older Easeion " said a Bear member. " My name is Brett Smithson " said the man. " I am the father of the Smithson family you know of " " Are you here for their bodies " said a Bear member. " I am here for their bodies, I hate to tell you this but Blackin and Blackina will not be returning most likely " said Brett. " This is very unfortunate " " I hate to have to tell you this " " What " said the Bear member. " I cannot believe this " " Easeion will make it, the siblings will " said Brett. " I was contacted and it does not look good to be honest " " It is disappointing " " I can't give up on them " said the member. " What about Whites ? " the member asked. " It is hard to say " said Brett. " We must head out of here at some point " " I don't want us going to jail " " To where ? " asked the Bear member. " I know a place " said Brett. " Alert the members " " We must head there immediately " " We cannot stay here any longer " " I understand " said the Bear member. " Good " said Brett. " I am glad you understand " The Bear member then alerted the members and then they took everything that had been stolen or had value with them and then they headed to meet Brett. Brett and the members with all the bodies flew away from the hideout. Time passed, Crayon and his friends were in good enough shape to leave the hospital. They then went into the bakery which Artby was happy to see the bakers. " Love you bakers so much " said Artby. " I have missed your baking so much " " Bakers are so amazing " " Your baking means so much to me " They got their bread, Artby thanked every baker for their baking. They headed home and ate. They got a message from Challenger. Whenever you are ready to celebrate let me know, everyone in Colourland is so proud of what you five have done. There are a lot less robberies and dangerous incidents now. Colourland is so much safer thanks to you five. Can't wait to see you five, Challenger. The five of them headed to meet Challenger. The six of them then saw him and they had champagne to celebrate. " This truly is awesome " said Challenger. " I am extremely proud of all of you " " It is truly amazing how good you five can fight " " We have done it " said Crayon. " It really is great " " Yeah, we have came so far " said Colouruke. " I am excited to see what is to come for the future " said Colourea. " Baking and fighting " said Artby. " This is so likely for me " " Yeah, I can see that " said Warbler. " Same here " said Colourea. After all the celebrations, King Bobby the leader of Bird's Isle had a statement which said this: Crayon, you and your friends have shown something truly amazing. We want you to come to Bird's Isle, we have discussed this a lot as well. Bird's Isle is a great place, we have this special group of advisors that we want you to meet. Challenger is invited as well, it will be truly great. You will leave tomorrow night at 10pm on the flight. I want you to get everything ready as soon as possible. It will be great for us to be together and we can truly discuss so much since there is a lot to talk about. All the best, King Bobby Crayon, Challenger, Colouruke, Colourea, Artby and Warbler read the statement. " Bird's Isle, sounds great " said Artby. " Would love to see what bakeries they have there " " Sounds like a plan to me " said Colouruke. " I really want to know what the king is like " said Challenger. " Same here " said Crayon. " It sounds like it could be a great place, besides Warbler is from there " " It is true " said Warbler. " You will get to meet some people I know pretty well " " Sounds great to me " said Colourea. " People you know ? asked Colouruke. " Yeah, you will meet them there " said Warbler. " Grackle and Dove are there " " Sounds good to me, maybe they know the bakeries there " said Artby. "I'm curious what the bakers are like " " Well we should get a good night's sleep and then prepare for our trip " said Challenger. " Bakers would want that " said Artby. " Bakers want us in great condition " They headed back home went to bed, before bed Crayon kissed Colourea. They got up and got things ready, they packed everything and made sure it was all ready. King Bobby has invited Challenger, Crayon, Colourea, Colouruke, Artby and Warbler to Bird's Isle. Meanwhile King Bobby was talking with Queen Starling and Blackburnian who is the lead advisor. " So you have invited the six of them ? " asked Queen Starling. " Yes, I have done so " said King Bobby. " I want to meet these fighters " " Warbler must have done a lot in these fights " said Blackburnian. " He is my brother, so I know he can fight " " He has potential to be insanely strong " " Yes, he is quite the fighter " said King Bobby. " The other four must have met him soon when he left for Colourland " " It will be great for him to be home " " That is true " said Queen Starling. " All the advisors have met him before " said Blackburnian. " Yes " said King Bobby. " We must contact the other advisors about them arriving " Time passed and Crayon, Challenger, Warbler, Artby, Colouruke and Colourea headed to the airport. The plane arrived, they all got on it. The pilot announced that it would arrive in Bird's Isle in 3 hours. On the plane they were talking. " This view is awesome " said Colouruke. " Yeah " said Colourea. " I cannot wait for bakers " said Artby. " New bakers will be awesome " " It will be nice seeing them " " Yeah, we can go to the bakeries " said Warbler. " There will be a lot of people to meet " " It will be fun to meet them " said Artby. The time zone in Bird's Isle was said to be 1 hour behind the current time so they were scheduled to be in Bird's Isle at midnight at their time. This is the end of the first series of Colourland, the Bear series.

Chapter 24 Crayon and His Friends vs Blackin and Blackina Artby then used the Ultimate Light Blast while Colourea used the Ultimate Light Bomb and Colouruke used the Quadruple Sea Strike. All these attacks were aiming for Blackin while Blackina then used her Ultimate Shadow Blast to stop the attack from hitting Blackin but Blackina took damage. " Not good enough " said Blackina. " Hahaha " said Blackin. " Our love is so strong " said Blackina. " We will be together forever " " Yes, our love will never end " said Blackin. Blackina and Blackin then started charging their Shadow Implosions and they combined into a stronger implosion called the Bear Implosion. " This is the Bear Implosion " said Blackin. " You have never seen anything like it " " It will destroy you " said Blackina. " We will be married very soon now " " Our wedding is more important than anyone Crayon tries to protect " said Blackin. " Crayon will be taken down " " Well, let's continue fighting " said Warbler. " Yes, let's do so " said Blackina. Crayon and Warbler then used their respective Wind Implosions while Colouruke then fired the Sea Implosion which all combined into an extremely powerful attack. These attacks collided, but Crayon and his friends took more damage than Blackin and Blackina. Blackin then charged up for a different technique called the Tenfold Shadow Strike. " Tenfold Shadow Strike ? " asked Colouruke. " It is a new variation of the Shadow Strike charged with way more power " said Blackin. " Our members do not have the energy to use it " " Even the mighty Whites can only use the Quintuple Shadow Strike " said Blackina. " You five will see the real power of the Bear " said Blackin. " Hahahaha " " Bring it on " said Crayon. Blackina then used the Shadow Implosion while Blackin was using the Tenfold Shadow Strike. Crayon then charged up the Light Implosion while Artby and Colourea then used their Light Implosions creating an insane attack. The new attack which then was so powerful that it was enough to rival even the special technique that Blackin used. The attacks all hit but Blackin and Blackina took 1 percent more damage. " Now it is time for this technique " said Blackin. " The power is insane " said Blackina. " Yes, it is so strong " said Blackin. " Bear Implosion " said Blackin. Blackin and Blackina combined their Shadow Implosions together again while Warbler used the Sky Implosion and Colouruke used the Sea Implosion. The implosions combined into this hurricane like attack and the attacks collided. Everyone was attacked and Artby was starting to slightly struggle. Blackin then used the Tenfold Shadow Strike while Blackina then used the Ultimate Shadow Blast which were aimed towards Artby. Crayon and Colourea used their Ultimate Light Bombs. The bombs then went off, creating massive damage but Blackin and Blackina's attacks also did a lot as well. Artby was struggling. " This is for every baker who has baked me bread and for the bakeries " said Artby. " I will never let a baker down, forget a baker for what every baker has done for me. " I fight for bakeries " " As a customer, I will never let down the bakery " " Bakeries ? " asked Blackin. " Yes, he talks about bakeries and baking often " said Blackina. " Well he will be finished for good " said Blackin. " That is true " said Blackina. " I will fight " said Artby. " Bakers want me to fight " " Bakers like a customer that can fight " " Let's continue " said Crayon. Artby used the Light Implosion and he hit Blackina but Blackin grabbed him. Blackin and Blackina both used their Tenfold Shadow Strikes, combining together for an insane strike called the Times Twenty Strike which went towards Artby. Crayon and Colourea then charged their Ultimate Light Blasts, the attacks hit and they all were hit. Artby was seriously struggling, Colouruke and Warbler were starting to slightly struggle. " Now it is time for your death Artby " said Blackin. " " I will not die " said Artby. " I promised bakers, that I would not die at all " " I'm not dying " " I don't believe any of this " said Blackin. " Same here " said Blackina. " I'm not going to die " said Artby. " I am not convinced " said Blackina. " I'm not dying, I promised a baker " said Artby. " The baker will be let down " said Blackin. " Very true " said Blackina. " Bakers cannot be let down " said Artby. " I will do a lot for them " " I don't see that all " said Blackina. " Same here " said Blackin. " Let's continue this fight " said Crayon. Blackin started charging up for the Shadow Implosion while Blackina used the Tenfold Shadow Strike. Crayon and Colourea used their Ultimate Light Bombs while Artby used the Light Implosion. The attacks collided, the attacks of those five fighters were stronger but Artby looked like he was unable to fight. " Now, it is time for the rest of you to face the same fate that Artby has faced " said Blackina. My love for Blackina has no bounds just like our combined attacks " said Blackin. " I love when you say that " said Blackina. " Blackina, when I am with you nobody can be as happy as me " said Blackin. " Thanks, you do so much " said Blackina. " I love you so much " " I am glad that you are showing me the love " said Blackin. " It is not over yet, four of us are standing " said Crayon. " You four just happened to last a bit longer, the end is very near " said Blackin. " The desire for Blackina I have is like nothing ever seen before " " Never seen before ? " asked Crayon. " My desire for Blackina is on a level that nobody has seen, the robberies that have been done by our organization are for her " said Blackin. " You notice how happy Blackina looks, how Blackina feels " " Look at Blackina right now " " She looks so happy, I have done this " " I have done this " " It is truly amazing " " You are right that Blackina does look happy but a lot of people have been so hurt " said Crayon. " I do love Colourea but this has gone too far " " Blackina's great " said Blackin. " You may love Colourea but my desire for Blackina is still unmatchable Crayon " " Blackina is so amazing, women like Blackina are truly one of a kind " " I'm not robbing all these people for Colourea " said Crayon. " That is your choice Crayon, but I am going to make Blackina my queen whether you fucking like it or not " said Blackin. " It just shows how much desire I have for Blackina " " Blackina means so much so it makes sense that I would do this " " I have shown my love for Blackina so many times " " He loves me " said Blackina. " A lot, he does like always " " I make sure to always return the favour, it must be done " " Well we should continue the fight " said Blackin. " I am going to make Blackina my queen " " My love for Blackina knows no bounds for sure " " That is for sure " " He loves me so much " said Blackina. " Let's resume fighting " said Warbler. Blackin and Blackina were charging their Ultimate Shadow Bombs which combined into an attack called the Bear Bomb. The power of it was insane, Colouruke used the Ultimate Sea Bomb while Warbler used the Ultimate Wind Bomb. The bombs collided and a giant explosion happened. Colouruke and Warbler were struggling, but they got up. Blackin then rushed with the Ultimate Shadow Bomb and aimed it towards Colouruke. Crayon then hit him down with the Quintuple Light Strike, both of them collided with each other. Blackina then rushed for Warbler and grabbed him, Blackin used the Tenfol d Shadow Strike on him and knocked him down. Blackin then used the Ultimate Shadow Blast while Blackina used it as well which caused a new technique called the Ultimate Bear Blast which aimed for the five fighters. Crayon and Colourea then used their Light Implosions to counter, the attacks collided with each other and everyone took damage. Warbler was defeated, while Colouruke was seriously struggling. " Hahahahahaha " said Blackin. " We are getting closer to this great wedding " It is not over " said Colouruke. " You can barely move, my love for Blackina is too much " said Blackin. " We gave you a chance but now because of this we have to end it " said Blackina. " You ruined your chances of living by going against us " " We can't let you stop our happiness " said Blackin. " Blackina needs to be the happiest woman in the world, just like me being the happiest man " " We are so perfect together " " Happiest man ? " asked Crayon. " When Blackina is with me, married to me then she will be happier than any woman has ever been " said Blackin. " We are perfect for each other " " It is true, Crayon " said Blackina. " Blackina is a perfect match for me " said Blackin. " We are so happy together " said Blackina. " Whether it is or not let's continue the fight " said Crayon. " Yes, let's do so " said Blackina. Crayon then charged for his Ultimate Light Bomb and aimed it towards Blackina while Colouruke used the Sea Implosion. The implosion was full of water and light energy and it blew up knocking Blackina down. " Now it is time " said Colourea. Colourea then used the Light Implosion while Colouruke then used the Quintuple Sea Strike. Blackin used the Tenfold Shadow Strike. The strikes hit each other while the implosion hit Blackina. Now it is time " said Colourea. Colourea then used the Light Implosion while Colouruke then used the Quintuple Sea Strike. Blackin used the Tenfold Shadow Strike. The strikes hit each other while the implosion hit Blackina. Colouruke was struggling to insane degree and had a hard time getting up. " Fuck " said Colouruke. " I will use my last bit of energy for an attack " " Colouruke needs all the help right now " said Crayon. " We will be able to help him " said Colourea. " Yes, we will do what is necessary " said Crayon. Crayon and Colourea used their Light Implosions and struck directly for Blackina while Colouruke then used his Sea Implosion. " Now " said the three fighters at the same time. The implosion was insanely strong, Blackin and Blackina combined their Shadow Implosions to use the Bear Implosion. The attacks had such insane power and all of them took damage. " Colouruke, no " said Crayon. " Colouruke " said Colourea. " Colouruke fought hard, he probably has surpassed the Smithsons by now " said Blackin. " But that is not enough against a happy couple like us " " Hahahahahahaha " Blackin and Blackina said together. " We are the perfect couple " said Blackina. " Yes, we truly are " said Blackin. " Our feelings for each other are so strong " said Blackina. " We will not stop loving each other "

Cats are absent from public life. Though the cast visits amusement parks, the beach, the mall, and a variety of other places, other cats are notably missing from these spaces. Where are they? Do they ever stop in to have some tea and cakes at La Soleil like the humans do? Are they even allowed to? - Chiaki Hiraki , The Worker's Nekopara: A call to arms against nekonomic exploitation (2020) Brown and the catfolk weren't planning on letting things 'blow over' like some hoped. It was the right time to press the bitter grapes of wrath to let flow the sweet wine of change. The "Tamaside Incident" had brought nationwide and limited international attention, bringing with it the acknowledgement of Brown's existence. Most thought that he was an insane man that pretended to be a long-dead 19th century American. Actually, to be more accurate, nobody believed that Brown was the Brown. Regardless of doubts about his authenticity, Brown now had a chance to contact other groups in the country who were sympathetic to the cause of catfolk liberation. Now came to, in Brown's own words, "quickly, quietly and efficiently" uniting together to enact a solid plan for action before the government could begin organizing a proper response to the rising unrest in Japan. What was needed was something that'd affect the economy, nekonomy, and society like a train at full speed affecting someone's velocity after it crashes into them. After a week of restless nights, shouting matches and passionate speeches, what was dubbed "The Great Mayday of Maydays" (working title that became permanent when no one had a better idea) was conceived. Today was to be mayday. Brown was just one of the many people taking part in this plan. This was not a one-man job; it was a tsunami made of the lumpen flooding the streets. He was walking towards their destination, joined by a small group comprised of Maya, Misha and Miss Watanabe. The streets of Tokyo were quieter than usual as many businesses had been forced to close down for the day due to workers refusing to come to work. Police in civilian getup blended among the streets, trying to find something that they could arrest this 'uppity' crowd for. Brown wasn't planning on something that could get them arrested, though he feared that the supposed enforcers of the law would just ignore the law. The group reached their target without much incident, other than a few insults and attempts (emphasis on attempts, as nobody really dared when they saw Brown ready for combat) at physical assault thrown their way. Their target was a café, with a sign in front of it that stated (like many other businesses in the country) "No cats without bells allowed!" They entered the establishment and took a seat. A catgirl waitress came to greet them at their table. Miss Watanabe recognized her from the last time she had come here. "Welcome to La Lune, what'd you like to..." she paused when she noticed Maya and Misha "...Sir, we do not allow unbelled cats at our establishment. Could you please-" The Brown sisters were ready for such a situation to arise. "Sis, we're legit here. We've got the dosh, why wouldn't you want to serve us?" "Money... uhm... you, need. We, er... have. Ha... have... have money. Serve, serve no problem? Please?" The waitress couldn't bear to throw the sisters out, nor did she herself particularly care about unbelled cats. I heard the strays are uncivilized, but these two seem to be one, uhm, two of the good ones... " Ahem... What'd you like to order?" "A medium-size raspberry-syrup white chocolate frappuccino with no caffeine." "Whatever Miss Watanabe is having. But, like, larger." "Same." Brown didn't like coffee himself, which was what inspired the Brown family's plan for contribution on Mayday. "What'd you like to order, young lady?" The catgirl waitress was used to dirty old men attempting untoward advances towards her (though, admittedly, it was unusual for dirty old men to try such untoward advances while having others sitting with them). She assumed a sterile smile, one gained by experience in years of customer service, as she thought of the most expensive thing she could order. "I really like an extra-large La Lune Specialty Javaccino with extra milk, extra cream, extra..." she continued speaking like this for about a minute "...and with extra dip." Brown laughed after she finished her order. "You have some expensive tastes, young lady. I'll have an extra-large La Lune Specialty Javaccino with extra milk, extra cream, extra..." he continued speaking like this for about a minute "...and with extra dip." "R-Right..." After a short ten minutes, everyone's drinks were set on a table. "Here you go sir your... drink." "I actually find coffee to be quite disagreeable, young lady." replied Brown. Then why did you order it in the first place, thought the waitress. "She can sit down with us, Mister Brown. Waitresses deserve a break too." said Miss Watanabe as she slid Brown's monstrous order towards the waitress. "Though, I do hear that the catfolk aren't given their due breaks. What's your name, miss?" The waitress looked behind her. The manager wasn't looking and she didn't have any orders to serve. She sat down with her customers. "I'm Robusta, and..." She didn't usually have a chance to complain about her employment to someone that was listening, so she ranted about her problems for ten minutes. "Now for some breaking news regarding what has been dubbed 'The Great Mayday of Maydays'. The stock markets came to a grinding halt today as thousands of catboys working for the Tokyo Stock Exchange and Osaka Exchange refused to show up to work. One of the hardest hit was the Tamana Corporation, whose employees have gone on strike for an indefinite duration until their demands are met. In Anan, Tokushima, cats have organized a gathering where they have burnt their bells, calling for an end to the Bell System." The TV showed live video footage of cheerful catfolk standing around a large pile of burning bells. Robusta stopped speaking while she watched the news report on the café's TV. The waitress watched the unbelled, free Brown sisters, who were cheerfully drinking their overpriced coffee. Her hands instinctively trailed near her collar, as if she wanted to tear the damned thing away. "In our studio is Minatsuki Jiu, self-made entrepreneur and licensed catgirl expert. Sorry for calling you on such short notice, Miss Minatsuki." The lady on the TV seemed to be a bit more distraught than usual. "No problem, I am proud to be of service in such times of crisis." "Well, Miss Minatsuki. You'll have to excuse me for my rudeness; I have reported what I wanted to report for today." The news reporter stood up as Miss Minatsuki watched in shock. "I have a Mayday to attend to. Your trite speeches can be given without me." He left the room as several of the background crew could be heard shouting for him to stop. The cameras were still showing the abandoned studio, empty except for one lonely Minatsuki. "Young lady, use these." said Brown when he handed Robusta a pair of cheap scissors. Robusta hesitated for a second, the scissor shaking in her hands. She had a stable-ish job nor was she out in the streets like the strays. Yet, she couldn't go anywhere without her "owners'" permission, she couldn't drink something in a café like this, she wasn't free! Snip. Her collar snapped in twain. Robusta stood up, holding her broken collar and bell in view of everyone in the café. One of her coworkers shouted at her when they noticed the triumphant Robusta "Ro-Robusta? What the hell are you doing?!" "I have a Mayday to attend to!" She left the café with the Brown family. Before long, her comrades in the café had joined Robusta, trailing her from behind as they carried their own broken collars. ------- Countless people had gathered in front of the National Diet Building, chanting for freedom and equality for the catfolk. The Riot Police Unit had also assembled in front of the building, standing with their shields up. Standing near the riot police were a small crowd of pro-government counter-protestors. The middle was reserved for the trucks of the fire department, who were the only neutral party, only doing their jobs of making sure that the city didn't burn down by the end of the day. A great fire raged, within the hearts of the people and also literally in front of the Diet building. Tens of thousands of bells were burning in a pile, flanked by even more people who refused to leave until there would be no more bells in Japan. "It seems we've arrived at a good time." muttered Brown as his group (without Maya and Misha, who had been sent back to the patisserie since protests weren't exactly safe places for the young'uns) finally made it to the protest grounds. Like a snowball rolling down a hill, what had begun by Robusta cutting off one collar had grown into thousands following her example on her march. Seeing Brown's group arrive had only greatened the police's anxiety. There weren't many ways that they could suppress the situation without causing too much trouble for the government. Yet, what'd be worse than bad PR for the ones in government would be the freeing of the catfolk. The bottom line of many companies depended on cheap, cat-sourced labor. Strikes would eventually die off; catgirl liberation would permanently eat into profits. Therefore, after emergency deliberation, the riot police received explicit permission to do 'what they must' to 'quell the significant unrest threatening the capital'. An announcement from the megaphone of an armored vehicle rang throughout the city. "This is your last warning! Leave the premises of the Diet building immediately, or else we'll be forced to take special precautions to protect the wellbeing of the members of the Diet!" Brown had equipped himself with a megaphone in preparation of this event. "Sir, we're only taking precautions to protect the wellbeing of the members of the catfolk! We have you outnumbered by God-knows-how-much by one, accept the will of your people or prepare to be punished for your sins against your own people!" The protestors weren't budging, for now. It was time to do 'what they must'. The riot police and the counter-protestors began marching forward, intending to clear the protestors from the driveway in front of the Diet. Tear gas was launched and water cannons began spraying at protestors to make their march easier. Chaos now reigned in the crowd. Many were temporarily blinded by the gas; some were writhing on the ground in pain. The protestors became disoriented while the riot police marched mostly unimpeded thanks to having proper protective gear. Some protestors swung wildly in an attempt to spray-and-pray themselves to victory. This obviously didn't work. The riot police swiftly gained ground, taking the area were the ashes of the bells lay. The protestors hadn't dissolved yet, though. Those who were able to get used to the effects of tear gas were slowly able to reorganize and attempt a push back. The riot police were highly outnumbered by the protestors who slowly made them retreat back from the pile of ashes. It would seem the riot police would lose this battle of attrition if the situation continued like so. The situation wouldn't continue 'like so'. Gunshots rang out. Some of panicked members of riot police had fired their pistols. Some warning shots flew into the air, some shots flew directly into the crowd. Their comrades joined them in their panic as other shots followed. The protestor crowd fled, fearing for their lives. Even the most fervent of men wavered in the face of certain death. Many of their escape paths were blocked by other members of police, further clashes happened as the panicked crowd fled for their lives. It was a tactical victory packaged with strategic defeat for the government. The National Diet Building was secure; its driveway was now painted red with the blood of forty-two victims. ------- Maya and Misha were doing their best to read the front page of today's newspaper. "Er... Tō. Kyō. neko. Horse-again-bug-movement?" Misha was occupied with the reading while Maya was skimming through a dictionary in an attempt to find the letters her sister couldn't read. "Lemme see... Those two letters together mean 'riot'. Already knew that it was a riot, what else? There are some English numbers under the pictures, what's next to the 7 and 35?" "Seven, dead-ed. Thirty-five wound... uhm... ed." "Seven people died?" Maya paused as she realized what this implied "...That geezer was with them, wasn't he?" It's been an entire day; gramps should've come here by now. Miss Watanabe is gone too... The patisserie was unoccupied, except for the Brown sisters. There was nobody to hear them as a rapid river of tears flowed for old John Brown.

While I cannot approve of all your acts, I stand in awe of your position since your capture, and dare not oppose you lest I be found fighting against God; for you speak as one having authority, and seem to be strengthened from on high. - Letter from a "Christian Conservative" addressed to John Brown after his imprisonment (1861) An alarm bellowed from the loudspeaker. "It's 6:30! Time to wake up!" The speaker sounded cold and unpassionate. Misha, Maya and other catfolk of Tokyo Metropolitan Special Education Facility No. 011 woke up, ready for another long day. Their room was cramped, with fifty beds in a space that should have six at most. There was no proper ventilation, heating, or cooling to deal with whatever the Japanese climate decided to throw at them. "Hardship breeds character and purifies immorality." is what they said, though the lack of proper accommodation was mostly due to budgetary reasons a smidgeon of ever-present sadism. All the catfolk, with the same drab white uniform that had stopped being white a long time ago, lined up at the conference hall at the middle of this horrible complex. Posted along the winding corridors were slogans that were supposed to be motivational, like "Work is what sets you free." and "To overcome your animal nature is done by discipline and obedience.". These slogans really only worked as material for gallows humor in practice. Maya and Misha ended up in the front of the lines assembling at the room. There they could see the overseer of the facility, flanked by guards and dressed up in the sharpest suit that they could as if to taunt their prisoners. Behind them was the flag of Japan, a Rising Sun flag and a portrait of the incumbent emperor that made him look most pompous. It was clear that the people that worked in these facilities came from the most zealous and insecure kind. "Is this thing working? It is... Ahem! " The overseer's voice echoed over the speakers. He was reading from a pre-made script that sat in his hands "Dear students, we welcome another day in the furthering of your education to beat your animalistic instincts. Only through work can you become a proper part of our great Japan! Now, extend gratitude to His Imperial Majesty for granting you amnesty!" The "students" had already been forced to recite and memorize this part a myriad times over: Thousands of years of happy reign be thine; Rule on, my lord, until what are pebbles now By ages united to mighty rocks shall grow Whose venerable sides the moss doth line. Most of the "students", who were young and mostly uneducated, didn't understood anything from the anthem full of obsolete words. Yet they sung to please the overseer and to apparently "bless" this emperor that they had never seen once in their miserable lives. Maya was a bit tired that day; she was just randomly flapping her mouth to appear as if she was singing. The overseer's voice ringed throughout the hall after the anthem ended. "Number 44, Maya! Bring her here!" Maya couldn't do anything as the guards brought her onto the stage, in front of the overseer. She was terrified; what child wouldn't be terrified in such a situation? The overseer grabbed the little Maya by the collar. She could hardly breathe as they spoke. "You! Why aren't you singing?! Why wouldn't you want to glorify His Imperial Majesty?" Maya, still in her tired and fussy state, committed a grave mistake. "'Cause he's such a massive prick for puttin' me here!" she said and struck at the portrait of the emperor with one of her hands. The hall became so silent that one could hear a pin drop. Pins dropping could no longer be heard when the overseer spoke after joining the pause. They were furious, but they took care to not look offended by some meek catgirl. They took out their sword, all good officers carried a sword, from their scabbard. "You dogs are all the same, never understanding anything until you're shown the stick and beaten down. Haruto, hold that arm that dared strike His visage. Make sure she doesn't move." One of the guards seized Maya, forcing her to hold one of her arms out in a straight line. The crowd of "students" watched, none of them daring to stop what was happening on the stage. "Now, little dog, I am going to be merciful in making an example out of you. My grandfather would have gone for the head back in his days; be grateful that you live in better times." The overseer swung the sword downwards, hammering the nail that stuck out. _____ "N-no... Have mercy!" Brown was awoken by the semi-lucid cries of Maya. Her face was one belonging to someone who was great pain, and she was shaking with a cold sweat running through her brows. She was breathing rapidly, gasping for air. Brown decided that it'd be best to wake her up from whatever nightmare was ailing her. He gently shook Maya by her shoulders. "Young lady, are you fine?" Maya opened her eyes to find Brown looking straight at her. He was a scary sight to see waking up, with his hair and beard having gone unkempt from a month of lacking proper care and the lack of proper lighting helping in making him look straight out of a horror movie. She instinctively grabbed one of the shoulders of Brown to push him away, before her brain finally finished processing the fact that the old man in front of her didn't mean any harm. "I-I-I-" A dam full of once bottled emotions broke open once she realized that she was safe. Still holding on to the shoulder of Brown, Maya began crying while trying but failing to speak. She then hugged the old man tightly Brown was rhythmically rocking her back and forth while singing to lull her back to sleep. "It's all going to be fine, young lady..." Her breathing became calmer and tears subsided until she was back to sleep once more, still holding on to Brown. _____ One more peaceful year passed in the Tamaside Patisserie, though calling it an "abandoned patisserie in the middle of nowhere" would be inaccurate by this point. The former patisserie had become somewhat of an unofficial charity thanks to the overwhelming amount of support Brown had gotten from his ventures into the city. Brown wasn't too interested in hoarding extra items that his household didn't need, so he had begun distributing what he didn't need to the homeless men and catfolk of Tama River. Slowly, a small village of tents had formed around the Tamaside Patisserie which now acted as a sort of community center (and a church with a few goers, led by John Brown). The first floor was now fitted with one big charcoal stove, food and seating, all for public use. The second floor was left to the Brown household. The Tamaside community (as it began to be called) had begun convening inside the patisserie once in a while for debate and to pool together their resources for their makeshift community. One such project was the renovation of the patisserie; a group of former construction workers helped install doors, windows, and even paint the building so that it didn't look as depressing with its former drab gray walls and floors. Brown quite disliked the fact that the Tamaside relied on donations to keep afloat. He was a frontiersman from birth, making him used to living autonomously. Thus, he had begun from the most basic need, that being food, to help the community less reliant on handouts. Brown surveyed land suitable for farming, he was known for his experience in surveying land back when he was in the United States, and began educating a group of volunteers on farming. He had to combine older 19th century knowledge with modern, scientific 21st century knowledge that he had read about in the library. Brown was beyond amazed when he saw the first harvest of rice and potatoes: modern cultivars of such plants combined with modern fertilizers exceeded anything from back in his time. Selling of excess food resulted in a tidy profit for the Tamaside community. Another source of income, and a passion project, that Brown wanted to pursue was sheep and wool. Unfortunately, cattle was rare in Japan, especially sheep who numbered only in the thousands, nor did Brown have the means or capital to import animals. The climate of Japan wasn't suitable for raising wool-growing sheep either, meaning that Brown had to completely give up on recreating the wool empire that he made back in America. Moving on from the economy, with the help of Miss Watanabe who had begun spending more and time in the patisserie, an elementary level of education was set up for the younger folk. The education of the Brown sisters was going well. Maya had finally gotten over Latin script while Misha had already moved on to learning simple kanji . Today was another day that had started peacefully. Brown was off in the fields, helping sow them and the sisters were spending their free time in the patisserie. "Misha, look at what I can do!" said Maya as she took a piece of chalk and wrote on the blackboard. "In-com-pe-hen-si-ble-ty! How cool is that?" Misha chuckled in response "That... er... wrong. Write... wrong." She wrote her own name on the board. "美沙... er... this... uhm. Right. This right and... and... ah... more cool. Right cool." "Such a showoff..." said Maya as she heaved a sigh. Before she could concoct a suitable response to her sister, she was distracted by cries of distress coming from outside the patisserie. "Help! Someone's been injured! Or, actually, multiple people have been injured!" "Do we have any doctors?" "There are like ten former doctors here! Which ones?" "Are we really going to have a debate over this? Grab the first few you can!" The sisters rushed to the scene out of curiosity. There they saw a crowd formed around a group of beaten up catfolk. Like any other curious crowd, they had begun questioning whoever they could question. "Was there a drunken brawl? What happened?" asked one of the crowd members. One of the men who had escorted the injured was about to reply, when a reply as to "What happened?" revealed itself when the perpetrators showed up over the horizon. The perpetrators in question were a mob of angry looking young men, holding various weapons like baseball bats, golf clubs and mall ninja grade katanas . Some of them were holding torches and flags, with one particularly large Rising Sun flag being held by someone next to their leader. They looked like a ridiculous knock-off version of a military parade. The mob chanted in disunison while marching towards the patisserie. "Purge the vagrants! Long live the Sensible United Citizens' Kindness, Edification and Rejuvenation Society, long live Japan!" This mob could be compared to a clown posse; the only difference being that most clown posses are respectable businesses that actually contribute to society in some manner. A misshapen man who seemed to be the leader of the mob began addressing the crowd of Tamaside residents. "Vagrants who defile our beautiful Tama River, the citizenry of our great country demand that you cease occupying our land and cease the harboring of animalistic strays at once!" The Tamaside crowd was filled with angry chatter. One of the bolder members shouted in response. "I've been livin' here for a whole year, what have ya done ya right prick?!" Their leader's speech ceased not. "If you do not stop your wanton acts of anarchy and disobedience to the rule of law, then we shall have to take action to ensure that righteousness rules over this river." He drew his sword to make what he meant clear. Brown had returned from the farms by the time the group had reached the patisserie. He stepped forward towards their leader, making sure to look directly at him as he did so. Their leader tried to keep distance by pointing his sword towards Brown. "Young man, the residents of this river demand that you cease occupying their land and cease your wanton acts of aggression immediately." Brown was still wearing gardening gloves since he had rushed over from the farms; he quickly took hold of his adversary's blade with his hands uninjured. Brown twisted the blade before their leader could react (nor was the man skilled enough in combat defend himself if he could react), painfully twisting the man's arm that held the grip. Their leader let the sword go, fell down, and began crying in pain while rolling on the ground. The situation was now reversed; Brown held the sword and pointed it towards their leader. "'Whoso mocketh the poor, reproachesth his Maker; and he that is glad at calamities, shall not be unpunished'. Do not forget this, young man. Skedaddle and never come back, for the Lord shall be with His poor and not on the side of chains!" The leader's aching arm made him unable to think anything fancy to counter Brown. There was too big of a crowd gathered near the patisserie for them to attempt anything today. "We- We shall return! Boys, this is only a tactical retreat!"

Had I so interfered in behalf of the rich, the powerful, the intelligent, the so-called great , or in behalf of any of their friends, either father, mother, brother, sister, wife, or children, or any of that class, and suffered and sacrificed what I have in this interference, it would have been all right; and every man in this court would have deemed it an act worthy of reward rather than punishment ... I believe that to have interfered as I have done as I have always freely admitted I have done in behalf of His despised poor, was not wrong, but right. Now, if it is deemed necessary that I should forfeit my life for the furtherance of the ends of justice, and mingle my blood further with the blood of my children and with the blood of millions in this slave country whose rights are disregarded by wicked, cruel, and unjust enactments, I submit; so, let it be done! - John Brown's speech to the court (1859) Tamaside Patisserie was in a state of emergency, alone on a stranded island in the middle of the sea of (what was ostensibly called) civilization. They couldn't request help from any authorities; they were illegally squatting on what was considered to be private land. It was also illegal for catfolk to walk freely without government certification (granted in the form of a bell) or without permission from their 'owners'. The people of Tamaside could only rely on themselves and their allies when facing the Sensible United Citizens' Kindness, Edification and Rejuvenation Society. Yes, the Tamaside folk did have allies. Brown had been busy giving many a passionate speech in the churches and streets, calling for catfolk liberation. He now had a sizeable following that was called upon to defend Tamaside from the upcoming attack by the Society. All walks of life desiring liberty and freedom for their fellow sentient beings united in watch. Unfortunately for Brown, he couldn't bring his beloved Beecher's Bibles for battle. Importing the Sharps carbine, or any sort of firearm for that matter, was next-to-impossible in Japan. Not to mention, using lethal force would most likely only lead to the Tamaside getting further into trouble. Brown wasn't wont to causing needless bloodshed. One week, full of uncertainty and fear, passed. The folk of the Tamaside Patisserie didn't have to wait long for their adversaries to show up once again... The Sensible United Citizens' Kindness, Edification and Rejuvenation Society marched once again next to the Tama River. They were greater in number; their leader didn't intend to be humiliated once again by some 'geriatric gaijin '. Surely, the 'superior spirit of the Yamato race' would today prevail over the 'degenerate bums infesting our beautiful Tama River'. Yet, something seemed off to them. The lonely makeshift camps around the Tama River were abandoned, depriving the mob of easy targets. They could only march forwards to the Tamaside Patisserie in hopes of destroying their enemies' base of operations. The Society's march through the suburbs wasn't as smooth sailing as they initially hoped. There seemed to be new problems in every corner wherever they marched to in the suburbs. Roads blocked for maintenance, cars blocking their way, dogs off their leashes attacking them... These didn't hurt the members of the Society physically but it drained their morale as they went more and more off schedule with every meter they marched. What they saw when the patisserie came into view wasn't too pleasant for them either. Unbeknownst to them, the Tamaside folk had already mobilized. They stood in somewhat disorganized rows, a week wasn't exactly enough to train a militia properly, holding sticks of bamboo and wood. Most of them also held slings, bottles, anything that could be thrown in someone body else's face to hurt them. The treachery of the suburbs and the militia being ready in time were not just lucky coincidences. Thanks to Miss Watanabe's help Brown had gotten ahold of the greatest wonderweapon of all: the Internet. He had borrowed her phone and organized a chat group full of sympathetic plants that were placed around the suburbs. The plants had been reporting the whereabouts of the Society as they marched, coordinating small attacks to wear them down psychologically. Brown was already informed of the unwelcome visitors hours ago, giving the Tamaside ample opportunity to mobilize. The mob hesitated upon seeing the militia ready to receive their visitors. Still, many of them were blinded by a horrid fervor that made them feel that final victory was certain. How could they face their oh-so-glorious ancestors if they didn't charge down these vagrants dirtying their more-so-sacred lands? Their leader brandished his sword (he was most furious about the fact that he had to go buy another one), their colorbearer raised the Rising Sun up high and a cry that signaled the beginning of the battle rang out: " Wagakuni banzai! " (Long live our country!) The Tamaside responded with a battle cry of their own as the Society clashed with their staves " Jiyū banzai! " (Long live freedom!) The fighting was sluggish yet fierce; both sides weren't trained or experienced in combat. The Tamaside had planned to maintain formation with their staves but their untrained formation didn't last long against a wild banzai charge. Unlike the already-battered Society though, the men of the Tamaside were rested and in high spirits. Their long staves gave them an advantage in keeping their foes far away; many frustrated Society unintentionally reenacted Pickett's Charge by going for a frontal assault that ended with a staff smashing their skulls. The fighting slowly died down as both sides got tired. They retreated away from each other instinctively, only a few projectiles continued to be exchanged during this tense interim. Left in the middle was a mess consisting of wounded people, crying out to whoever or whatever came first to their mind. Nobody could properly tell who was getting the upper hand in this environment of chaos. Brown thought that it was the right time for a wild yet calculated gamble. "Brave men of the Tamaside Patisserie! Your foe is beaten, they have gone through Hell on Earth just to get here! 'As ye deal with my contemners, so with you my grace shall deal.' Let us deal with our contemners who have no regard for their fellow man, for the grace of liberty and freedom! Forwards, charge!" The Tamaside militia charged forth with their last remaining energy, catching the Society off-guard. The last thing they wanted or expected was a counter-charge from the Tamaside. Their morally and physically beaten men completely shattered before their foe even made any contact. The Society scattered to the suburbs, where they never met each other again out of shame after this shameful display. ___ "Here you go miss, enjoy your raspberry-syrup white chocolate frappuccino with no caffeine!" Miss Watanabe slowly slurped on her drink provided by the catgirl waitress. She wasn't sitting in some stylish catgirl café in the middle of Tokyo for fun though; Miss Watanabe had been tasked by Brown to keep track of the situation inside the city. Such a busy establishment was the perfect spot to do just that. The frappuccino is a nice bonus though, I have to admit. She was closely monitoring the TV in the café in particular (she didn't want to spend money or space just to install television at her already miniscule apartment room). What she had been waiting for finally came up on screen after a couple minutes of idle frappuccino-drinking. "Now for a report on an incident that has developed recently near the Tama River..." The news presenter presented a summary of the events, showing recorded footage of the battle. There was also talk of various protests happening across the country in response to this attack. Brown had discovered yet another dangerous weapon: modern mass media. He had made sure to assign a few volunteers to take footage of the fight and spread it around social media, especially footage that'd make them look good like the Tamaside catfolk taking care of the wounded left over from their retreating enemy. His plan already seemed to be working, judging from the reactions of the café's patrons. "They attacked them? For what?" "The real animals are those from the Society!" "Here you go mister, enjoy your Americano with extra sugar!" The report ended as the cameras returned to the studio. "In our studio is Minatsuki Jiu, self-made entrepreneur and licensed catgirl expert. Miss Minatsuki, any ideas on what might have caused such an incident?" The guest on TV spoke with a calm, posh accent. "I think the main problem is the ingrateful attitude of the cats instilled by foreign liberal influences. Japan is a cat's paradise; there should be and there is nothing to cause dissatisfaction for cats. Their owners protect them, those without owners find suitable work in government facilities. Despite that, the number of strays increases each year, forcing responsible citizens to take extreme measures to defend their communities." The news presenter raised his brow. "Are you saying that the actions of the S.U.C.K.E.R.S. was justified?" "No, no. Of course not. I do not condone vigilante action, policing of the catfolk should be left to the police. Getting back on point, the state of cats in Japan is the best in the world. Look at America – cat unemployment is a major issue there, despite them being declared legally equal to humans. In Japan, such problems of unemployment are dealt with our special education facilities. Yet, Japanese cats are radicalized with ridiculous notions of 'equality' and 'liberty', dangerous anarchistic ideas that threaten to rip our harmonious society apart if not stopped." The interview continued like so for about half an hour, full of horrible ideas glazed with the dazzling varnish of ostensible concern. Its contents were laughable to someone-in-the-know like Miss Watanabe, who had heard firsthand accounts of what the catfolk experienced. "My family owns a few catgirls, and they're all happy! I wouldn't want them being taken away." "The catfolk do seem intelligent, is it right to put a collar on them?" "Don't you think these cats are getting uppity? They should know their place and be grateful." Only a few bubbles of doubt had begun rising up from the boiling stew of public opinion. It wasn't going to be easy job changing the opinions of the common people who believed in whatever they were told last. "On to the ongoing siege of Moscow, where another wave of mobilization has been initiated..." The interesting part of the news segment ended as patrons went back to dining. It was getting late; Miss Watanabe had papers to grade from her students. She rose from her chair to pay her bill, leaving a small tip for the waitress. "Have a nice day miss!" said the catgirl waitresses as she bowed down to bid farewell to yet another customer. Miss Watanabe smiled in response. "May you have nicer days, dear." The 'nicer days' were coming soon; she was sure of that. ___ "Now for a report on an incident that has developed recently near the Tama River..." Today was more than busy for the Governor of Tokyo, all thanks to one incompetent underling. It was supposed to be an easy job, how did the boys mess it up? That question was only rhetorical. The Governor already knew how they had messed up. I should've sent the boys in before they got as organized as... this. They weren't worried about their men that had been wounded. The Society was just composed of the disposable, zealous members of their party, nothing much more. Suckers were dime a dozen nowadays. What was worrying them was the fact that they had been unable to suppress the flow of information. They had contacted news stations close to them, making the stations spin news in amicable fashion. Unfortunately for them, they were not in control of everything; negative news had spread like wildfire regardless of their best efforts. Some foul crap in Tokyo would end up smearing them, the one governing the city, eventually. Pushing this matter further, of 'clearing the vagrants', would just cause more unrest, more problems for the Governor. If they didn't push this matter though, then their dear campaign donors over at the Tamana Corporation would be displeased. Other business friends of theirs might look upon the Governor with distrust as well. The Governor heaved a heavy sigh. They were stuck between a Brown-shaped rock and a Tamana-shaped hard place. I'll just wait until this all blows over. The people will be outraged for a week or two before they forget and move onto another thing. That's what always happens.

Cats in Nekopara are undoubtedly second-class citizens, if that. They are closer to sub-human, as society treats them as pets and beings who lack autonomy... There still exists a shortage for places where cats can live and their inevitable fate appears to be finding an owner who will put them to work. - Chiaki Hiraki , The Worker's Nekopara: A call to arms against nekonomic exploitation (2020) Today was a beautiful day like any other in Japan. The sun was rising, the cherry blossoms were gently falling, the catgirls were being oppressed... You know, the usual. Hidden behind a veil, one made out of the backstreets of a sprawling metropolis, was a young girl going through her daily routine. She only had a dirty, oversized dress, a pair of cheap plastic sandals and a canvas bag full of junk, which was hanging over her one and only arm, to her name. She was of short stature, her unkempt hair brown and unremarkable. Someone of her sort easily blended in to the backstreets that set the stage for her day-to-day life. Smelly streets, the oft rude yet scarce inhabitants, a never-ending stream of recyclable waste... She felt as if this routine would never come to an end. Quite frankly, it'd never end if some miracle wasn't to happen. This girl wasn't looking for a miracle at the moment though, she was more concerned rummaging through the contents of a garbage can that had been left next to a rusty, abandoned office cabinet. Paper, paper... Wait! No, that's just even more paper... How much paper do you people need?! She continued dumpster diving until she reached the bottom of the accursed paper laden bin. Her paper-related disappointment was cleared when she found the miracle that she wasn't looking for: a whole can of tuna. "Finally!" she shouted in excitement at what was clearly a miracle. There was no one to hear her celebratory exclamation in the lonely backstreets. She spent a minute of lonely merriment before moving on to her next target. My luck seems to be good today, there'll probably be something valuable in this cabinet as well! Okay, now I gently open the door... "More tu... nyah? " Inside the cabinet was not tuna, far from it, but an old Westerner supporting a bushy, magnificent yet wild beard. He was quite the monster of a man, being around an inch or two taller than the girl. The leather coat he wore looked fashionably vintage as if it belonged to two centuries prior. He stared at her. She stared at him. Silence reigned 'till its reign finally came to an end thanks to the old man. "Hello, young la-" Kerchunk. His polite greeting was cut short by the young girl rudely shutting the cabinet. Don't wanna' get caught up in your shenanigans, gramps. Best to leave drunk tourists alone. She turned back, intending to forget this queer incident. Yet, it seemed that the queer incident didn't intend to forget her that easily. The cabinet doors flung open again, revealing an old man who looked to be ever so slightly ticked off. " Ahem. Young lady, it is quite rude not to reciprocate greetings and I believe that it is especially rude if you shut a door in someone else's face!" Seeing such a man run up to her was quite scary, to say the least. I'll just quickly apologize to get him off my tail! She bowed as much as she could in a show of apology. "I'm so sorry, gra- sir! I was just a bit surprised when I... uhh... suddenly found an old man in a cabinet." "Right... It is understandable that a young lady such as yourself might be discombobulated when having an encounter of the unexpected kind with an old man in a cabinet. Nevertheless, do try to conduct yourself better next time young lady." The old man now had a more relaxed, cordial expression. He was conducting himself surprisingly well for someone who had just come running out of a cabinet. "Right, excuse me for my rudeness, I haven't finished introducing myself. My name is John Brown, young lady." "I'm Maya, nice to meetcha sir!" "Maya, is it?" Maya was still ceaselessly bowing. "Young lady, could you stop bowing? I'm not going to be birching you or anything, you have no need to be worried. It is also quite hard to hear you when your head is so down lo..." Brown paused as he slowly noticed the existence of something unusual near the posterior of the bowing Maya. "By the Lord, what is that furry object which is wagging behind you?!" "This? It's called a tail." Gramps must have had a wild night if he can't recognize a cat's tail. Brown's eyes were wide open in surprise. He pointed at the top of Maya's head "And if I'm seeing correctly, the young lady has ears of a feline as well..." "Yeah. You're seein' correctly." Never seen a catgirl before? What's the big deal? "By our Heavenly Father above... am I still of sound mind?" Brown looked around him, only to find towers of concrete and glass that dwarfed the Tower of Babel in their height. "And- and the language that you and I currently speak is definitely not English... Where has Providence led me to?" Huh? Maya was beginning to think that Brown might not be a lost, drunk tourist. Eh, can't hurt too much if I humor him for a bit. "Gramps, we're in Tokyo. In Japan." "Japan... That is an Oriental nation, isn't that correct, young lady?" "'Oriental'? Okay boomer, it's the 21st century already. Get on with the times." "We're in the second millennium?" This guy ain't making fun of me, is he... No, he sounds way too serious and grave for someone just messing around. Maya was beginning to feel sorry for the lost old man. "Got any relatives or anyone else? Maybe they'd help you out?" Brown looked somber in his reply. "21st century... that would be over a hundred years. No, young lady, I do not believe any one of my acquaintances would have survived that long. Even if they did, it would be impossible to contact them, so far away in the United States, all the way in the Orient." Maya didn't exactly know how long humans could live for. Someone possibly living for over a hundred years sounded impressive to her nonetheless. "Then, you got nowhere to stay?" "That is unfortunately the case, young lady." replied Brown. "Though, in my short stint being locked in it, I have found this cabinet to be decently insulating and comfortable. I surmise that it should be suitable as accommodation in the great pinch that I unfortunately currently find myself in. Thank the Lord for providing me with such a suitable place at such a time!" Maya shook her head, crushing the cabinet-sleeping related plans of Brown. "Gramps, you're not going to be thinking that for long. Believe me, I've slept in a cabinet once or twice. It definitely ain't fun." He looks to be trustworthy enough. "Follow me, there're better places for your catnap." Brown, obviously, had no idea about the layout of the city he found himself in. He concluded that the best course of action was to follow someone who did have an idea. "If that isn't going to cause any trouble for you, young lady, then you may lead the way." And so, Brown and Maya navigated through the labyrinthine backstreets of Tokyo. She avoided crowded areas; the authorities weren't too keen on strays being in the public eye. Brown, as if a curious child navigating through a candy shop, kept a close watch on everything he encountered. The cityscape of a 21st century city seemed as alien to him as the surface of Mars. He kept bombarding Maya with inquiries as he encountered the products of two centuries of scientific advancement. She asked various questions about Brown's life in the United States in turn. "Young lady, what would that queer little metal box with a yellow triangle on it be?" "It's... a box for electricity, I guess." "Electricity? Electricity is now used inside cities?" "Yeah. I think. It lights the streets and powers real big machines 'n stuff." "Interesting..." "You don't have electricity back in America?" "No, we used gas for the lamps and steam for the machines, young lady." "Poor Americans..." The backstreets eased into suburbs of neatly lined residences along the Tama River. Brown, a foreigner in terms of geography and chronology, stuck out like a sore thumb. Residents watched this incongruous pair go on their merry way with a mix of mild confusion and much amusement. "Young lady, why is that gentleman holding that bar of metal towards our general direction?" "That's a phone. Think he's tryna' snap a photo of you." "How does a camera fit inside that tiny space? The picture that gets developed from that is most certainly going to be too tiny to be of much use." "Dunno. Beats me." Suburban development began to make itself scarce while the river continued to flow on and on. Scattered among these undeveloped parts were makeshift tents of plastic, housing those who had no better option. Maya led Brown along a path that deviated from the river that'd eventually end at their destination: a run-down two-story concrete building that seemed to have been abandoned long ago. It lacked windows, doors, or anything that one would expect from any respectable building. There was a huge discarded sign next to the building with "Tamaside Patisserie" written on it. One didn't need to rack their brain to figure out why a patisserie in the middle of nowhere would be abandoned. Maya approached the front of the building. She knocked on some concrete that'd normally house the doorframe. "We're home!" The inside of this former patisserie wasn't much better compared to the inside. Its walls had long ago been conquered by invading armies of mold. Over the moldy concrete laid an earthen charcoal grill and various bits of food that had been strewn alongside it. Its occupants didn't have anything else that could occupy the room. First to reply to the arrival of the Brown-catgirl duo was the only other person inside the building, that being another catgirl warming her hands near the charcoal grill. "Sis!" She wore a tattered suit that was a few sizes too big for her, fastened to her with a belt made out of salvaged fabric of some description. She looked exactly the same as Maya in terms of appearance, other than the different outfit and her white hair. "Misha, I've got something special for you!" Maya handed her currently most valuable possession, that being the invaluable can of tuna, over to her sister. Misha spoke slowly and her speech lacked consistent intonation. "Uhm... tu... tuna, er... tasty. Thank you... very." The sisters warmly embraced each other, before Misha took notice of the century-old abolitionist in the room. "Er... geezer. Geezer who?" "This geezer's John Brown. Geezer, this is Misha." Brown was slightly dissatisfied at being called a geezer but he kept cool for now "He has nowhere to go so he'll be staying here." Maya proceeded to summarize everything she knew about Brown to Misha. With the end of introductions came time for food. The can of tuna was all that was available, which amounted to little food for the three of them. Brown didn't even have time to thank the Lord for granting him the meal before the sisters finished the entire can, leaving nothing for him. He didn't mind it; food was more important for the young'uns who were still growing up. It had gotten quite late by the time they arrived and finished the above. The sisters went to bed, 'bed' meaning 'laying on the cold concrete floor', after having finished their meal. Brown couldn't sleep; he was kept awake by his own thoughts. He had not died after being killed. Such a miracle could only be described as a divine act for him. There must have been a good reason as to why Providence had sent him to the new millennium. Yet, as he had learned from Maya, there were no slaves in this country. What was Brown, or more accurately, what was God's divine instrument for the deliverance of the slaves meant to do in Japan? His deep thoughts were interrupted by Maya. " Ugh. Can't sleep." My back's hurting like hell from the concrete floor. She was surprised when this complaint got a reply from Brown in the form of singing. Blow ye the trumpet, blow The gladly solemn sound; Let all the nations know, To earth's remotest bound. The year of jubilee is come; The year of jubilee is come; Return ye ransomed sinners, home. She didn't understand the lyrics at all, but the voice of Brown was a surprisingly comforting one. It was a warm, reassuring voice that only an experienced father or grandfather could conjure. Brown watched Maya fall asleep, in a soundly manner as if she was not resting on bare concrete. That night, Brown came to realize his purpose in this new world. It was true that he couldn't continue his fight against the horrible injustices of slavery like he had done previously. Yet, he believed that every day that he was alive was by divine mandate, a mandate which ordered him to fight in the belief, nay, in the truth that all men were created equal. If he couldn't fight against slavery then old John Brown would fight for the catgirls.

After work in the evenings, Brown's concern for "physical and mental culture" was expressed in organized "contests of skill" among the workers and young people, events ranging from debates to well-controlled sport and gymnastic competitions. - Louis Decaro Jr., Fire From the Midst of You – A Religious Life of John Brown (2002) Libraries, those that are properly run anyways, are isolated pods of peace and quiet in the booming metropolis. A font of wisdom preserved in physical form. An egalitarian institution where every citizen can access all of the world's knowledge freely. Other vaguely positive and lofty things that could be said about libraries, so on and so forth. Most importantly for one English teacher called Miss Watanabe, libraries were a place of respite where she could escape the infernal crowd of young adults that occupied her life. A place of order and quiet like the library was the polar opposite of a high school English class. She had planned to go to the Tama Library like usual, pick some random thing to read and forget about the fact that she had wasted the last twenty years of life, stuck in a dead-end career. Her usual plan for respite was progressing as usual until she encountered the most unusual sight. "Shooting one of these 'drones' with the old Sharps rifle doesn't seem to be a credible way of dealing with them. Oh Lord, what hath ye wrought... " She saw old Brown surrounded by a motley congregation of books. There were books on 19th-21st century history, modern military hardware, children's books... While the sight of a foreigner in Tokyo wasn't too unusual, seeing a foreigner in a library with an incongruous pile of books was . Watanabe was quite curious as to what this strange foreigner was seeking. " Hello, sir. Sorry for the intrusion, but could I ask you what you are... uhm... researching? " Brown was surprised to hear someone speaking in English to him. He replied to the woman in English as well "No need to apologize, miss. It is man's nature to be curious. I'm trying to the best of my ability to bring myself in line with this new millennium." For old Brown, who had been well-read, it was of utmost importance to be well-read. Brown had spent his first few weeks in the new millennium for this purpose of enlightening himself on contemporary circumstances. He had first begun with finding out whether slavery had been abolished in the US – it (mostly) was, which brought him great jubilee to see that great evil struck down. It was surreal to see himself be referred to in the past tense, as if he was among the dead, to see that his final sacrifice had worked out as he had thought. It was also surprising and disappointing how the Southerners had insisted on clinging to their old ways even to the new millennium. Brown would have flown (he really wanted to fly in an airplane after he learned about them) to the US immediately if he wasn't currently a penniless, stateless illegal immigrant with two adopted daughters to take care of. With Brown up-to-date on the United States, he had proceeded to update himself on the situation of the rest of the world. Many empires had fallen in his absence: the British, French, Russian, Habsburg, Qing, Ottoman... From their ashes, new states populated the world map. Millions had died in two World Wars (Brown was baffled as to how they decided to have a second go after experiencing the first round) that seemed no different than Armageddon. Finally, this was something that Brown still didn't get no matter how much he read up on it, some odd network called an "internet" allowed one to contact anyone around the world at will. One thing that surprised Brown, something that threw a thermonuclear-explosion-sized wrench in his works, was the development of military technology. He had left the world when the deadliest weapon in the world was a hand-cranked machine gun or a well-placed artillery blast. Humanity had advanced surprisingly fast in the art of killing itself since his death. Now death could rain more furiously than hellfire from jets up above, every man was a Gatling gun when wielding an assault rifle, human civilization could be wiped out within moments when it came to mad nuclear exchange. It was clear to him that starting any sort of armed catgirl revolution would end in Brown being personally lacerated by a kinetic warhead. Brown would have to find another way to bring about the divinely-mandated liberation of the catfolk. 'Bringing in line to a new millennium' sounds like an advert for something... "Excuse me if I'm being rude, but what do children's books have with it?" "Oh, these?" Brown pointed at the children's books. "These are for a different purpose. I'm looking for educational material for my daughters who cannot attend school. I am unable to borrow books, most unfortunately, so I've been memorizing them." Watanabe was a bit surprised; it was rare for children to be unable to attend at least a public school. So was someone being unable to borrow simple children's books from a public library. Something fishy is going on here, I can feel it... "Good luck sir, on your endeavors." "Godspeed, miss." Brown immediately went back to his study after Watanabe left the scene. "Now, where was I? Right, 'The collapse of the Russian Federation was brought about by...'" Brown wasn't only spending his time reading, of course. Knowledge was important and nourishing, yes, but not in the same level of "important and nourishing" as food was. Three mouths were a lot to feed, especially as Brown couldn't legally work (nor were employers willing to employ an old man such as him). His source of food came to him from a place that was most unexpected, even to Brown. It had surprised Brown to learn that there were churches in Tokyo (last he heard the Shogun wasn't too keen on having them). They wildly differed in doctrine and practice compared to those of a doctrinally conservative 19th century evangelical Christian; Brown chose to attend anyways to stay close to a community of fellow Christians. Churchgoers had taken a liking to this odd old man with his passionate sermons, excellent knowledge of the Bible and his philanthropic outlook. He had begun receiving donations of food and other essential items, such as clothes, charcoal, one generous soul had even donated three sets of futons . Brown had even received help from charitable folk outside of the small Christian community as word-of-mouth spread itself, allowing the patisserie to achieve a standard of level that was above the usual "one can of tuna for three people". It seemed to Brown that the positive side of humanity persevered in the new millennium. This gave him hope for his fight with its negative side. "Maya, Misha, I'm home!" declared Brown with his return home from the library. What was called "home" was still a run-down patisserie in the middle of nowhere, sure. It had gotten slightly better though, especially with the addition of proper bedding and plenty of charcoal for heat. The sisters had a lot more free time thanks to not having to scavenge for food every day. They were currently busy with their writing exercises, in Latin script for now as it was quicker to learn (and Brown had no idea how to write Japanese despite being able to perfectly speak it thanks to isekai shenanigans). Brown had gotten a small blackboard as a donation from a former teacher that the sisters used to write with chalk; they were too engrossed to notice Brown's arrival. " Yo... Yo-me-ru. Ma-ya. Maya. Ken. Reed. Wait no... Gah , this is so stupid!" declared Maya as she shook her fist in anger. "I've been doing fine without reading n' writing for all my life!" "No... re... read, er, important..." replied Misha. "...Book. Ehm... read, fun." She had been able to comprehend reading faster than her rowdy sister. "Watch." said Misha before she wrote the longest word she memorized, "Incomprehensibility." Misha had the smuggest smile as she completed the writing the word. "See? Uhm... this... this, how... write. Proper." "Such a showoff." said Maya as she heaved a sigh. She turned her head around to encounter Brown. "Oh, 'ello gramps and..." she noticed someone standing outside the house, failing to hide behind some bushes. "Gramps, someone's behind you." Brown quickly turned around, ready to brawl, only to see Miss Watanabe. He recognized her from the library. "Miss, would you happen to have any business with us? If you do, I'd prefer if you were to state it openly instead of doing... that." Watanabe stopped her cartoonish attempt at stealth and stood up to defend herself in speech. "No, Mr. Brown, it wasn't anything malicious I- I swear!" she pointed to the sisters. "I just thought that something unsavory might be going on. I'm just doing my duty as a responsible citizen!" "By the Lord, did I look like an unsavory man to you?" Yes, you did, replied Watanabe silently. "I hope you've cleared up any fantastical misunderstandings, Miss... May I have your name, miss?" "I'm Watanabe. Watanabe Haruhi." replied Watanabe, finally officially introducing herself to Brown. "I didn't expect that you'd actually have two daughters, let alone them being from the catfolk!" Wait, we're his daughters? thought the sisters when they heard Watanabe. "I actually have had twenty children, Miss Watanabe, though they are all with our Heavenly Father now." replied Brown. He awaited the day that he'd get to join them in Heaven when his mission was done. Watanabe didn't exactly know how to respond to someone having twenty children. She thought that Brown must have cracked an American joke that she didn't get. "Right... Since there isn't anything suspicious going on..." she took out a stack of printed papers from her bag and presented it to Brown "...I printed some of the material you were having to memorize. I hope this is of use to you." Brown smiled as he received them. "Thank you very much, Miss Watanabe." "One last thing, Mr. Brown..." Watanabe had thought long and hard during her voyage; she had gotten sick of only educating the bunch of snobby kids in private school. She couldn't quit her job; she still needed money, but she could use her spare time for something more beneficial. "...do you need a teacher for your daughters?" It was always a busy day for the Governor of Tokyo. This was no surprise: they held responsibility for 14 million citizens, 160,000 government employees and a 13 trillion-yen budget. Being governor wasn't an easy job, nor was it supposed to be a profitable one. To someone keen though, such a position afforded many... "unexpected opportunities", to put it politely. Such opportunities meant keeping close ties with the fat-cats of the city. One such keeping of ties was currently happening in the Governor's Mansion between two people. After a lengthy bout of formalities, involving many bows, flowery words, and other banalities, the two sides were seated face-to-face. One was the Governor, of course, and the other was a representative from a major construction company (who had donated greatly to the election campaign of the Governor) operating in the city. "We hope that you understand that time is of the essence, Governor, and that you'll excuse us when we're direct in our request." "Of course, I understand that time is money. Please, do continue." "Soon Tamana Corporation will come into possession of land in the outskirts of the city, near the Tama River. We intend to launch a renovation of an abandoned patisserie nearby and expand it into a nearby shopping mall that shall provide for the nearby suburban area." "Please, I have no need for the details. Your company should have all the required permits for construction in that area. You'll receive my utmost support if any unexpected problems do arise." "Of course, governor. Our trust in you is absolute, we are here for an unexpected problem has arisen. Simply put, there are many vagrants in the area we intend to build on. Our company lacks the means to clear these... problematic elements blocking construction. We hope that we can get your help when we begin construction." "Then I shall send our boys in when that time comes. Pleasure doing business with you."

It had been years after a long and bloody war for freedom. At the center of the Main Imperial Square was a scaffold that had been build shortly after the end of the revolution, punishing those of the old Empire who were deemed guilty. Today was the last sentence, the last remaining evil before entering a new age of change and progress, today was the execution of the cruel and tyrannical last princess of the Storm Empire, Liliana Storm. The princess looked upwards at the bloody blade of the guillotine before biting her lip. Why? It had been the only question on her mind ever since she was captured and brought to a dungeon, where she had been imprisoned for years. Why, why did people hate her so much to demand her head? What had she done to deserve the look of hatred in their eyes? Sure, she had been - a little hard to work with during her early childhood and young teen years but what did that matter at all? (notice that this is basically all her life). She was the Princess after all, wasn't she allowed to demand attention? To ask for a party? To punish those who insulted her? People don't make sense. Suddenly things go wrong and everything is her fault for some reason, to her, it all seemed like an excuse. Unconditional hate. No matter what you do or who you are. The princess looked around and saw her mortal enemies standing at the far back off the square, the same hate as always in their eyes. She could understand the commoner for hating her but she never understood the other's reason for it. "Why..." The princess said once looking back at guillotine, thinking again on the same question, to the one next to her it sounded like an uninterested remark but in reality, it was the most she could muster, she didn't want to die, she knew the answer but she questioned the reason why nonetheless, whatever she said didn't mattered anyway but what else was there to do? They didn't even ask her for last words... Suddenly a knight hit her from behind, making her go on her knees and into the artifact. Without opportunity to process anymore she tried turning around before hearing a rope being cut and the next thing she felt was for some reason, a cold wave leaving from her spine along with a sense so bizarrely strange that it felt wrong, so wrong...she wanted to scream at the top of her lungs - And so, the Evil Princess of the Storm had been punished for her crimes against the people of the Empire. It was the beginning of a new era - or so, it should have been if not for a young girl who had just woken up from a nightmare. "NOOoooo!" Liliana woke up with a weird side jump, as if rolling away from danger but her efforts only made her drop to the ground and hit her head with a thump! "Ugh!" The room was filled with silence once again after that. The princess laid with her face towards the floor for a couple seconds, motionless. And so, it seemed like the Princess had died once again. "grrrrrh..." Or not. The little princess pushed herself up so that her knees and arms were supporting her. "Ugh...what happen?" Opening her eyes she didn't saw much, she was looking at the side of a bed and night stand after all. Right...a bed, when was the last time she saw one? Her eyes quickly went wide and looked to the sides before sitting next to the bed and got a look at the rest of her surroundings from there. In front of her was a big window, with beautiful curtains that barely let any light in, just enough to know it was sunny outside. It all felt nostalgic, what was happening? She recognized the place she was in, without a doubt, it was hers, it had been her room for many years in the past. "Am I...alive?" She said while looking at her body and feeling her head and neck. Confused, the little Liliana sat there for a while, with tears in her eyes slowly dropping, the only other thing that had the strength to move was the light from the window, moving along with the sunrise.

This is a beautiful country. - Last words of John Brown (2nd of December, 1859) The Bloody Mayday of 2023 heralded game over for the political careers of many in the government. The economy had already grinded to a halt during the protests – the Japanese stock markets saw a bear economy like never before that affected even those who lacked sympathy for the catfolk. Businessmen were angry; Hell hath no fury like a businessman scorned. The ruling party, which had a long historical record of being the dominant party in the country, lost its dominance, with approval rates at an all-time low according to polls conducted after the incident. Of course, for anyone with a heart bigger than that of a sardine, the police killing seven people also mattered as the violent suppression of one protest led to a dozen more protests that couldn't realistically all be suppressed without calling the totally-not-an-army (the JSDF) to just shoot everyone protesting (which was seriously debated as a course of action for an entire week in the Cabinet before they realized that shooting more people was not going to help calm living people down). Before they had a chance to properly resign from their position, the Governor of Tokyo was forced into permanent resignation by a former S.U.C.K.E.R.S. member barging into the Governor's mansion with a butter knife. The public's collective anger was now focused on to the current government instead of the dead-as-the-Confederacy Governor. After a week of futile deliberation and attempts to scavenge the situation, the Prime Minister and his cabinet collectively shrugged and then resigned. The National Diet convened to designate a new Prime Minister who might (presumably) do something for assuagement. On March 19, 2023, after countless bouts of politicking finally leading to the appointment of a new Prime Minister who was a lot more cordial in regards to catfolk liberation, the Diet again convened to finally answer the demands of the protesters. The Nationality Law was amended to allow catfolk to be equal citizens of the country, which would also force 'special educational facilities' to be closed down and make the bells obsolete. Legally, the catfolk were now equal to their human counterparts. This was far from the de facto situation; the fight wasn't over. Many were now left unemployed and homeless when they were freed from their 'owners' and the 'special education facilities', millions had to be registered as citizens in a slow and painful process laden with needless bureaucracy and corruption, not to mention the fact that there was oft violent reaction by those who'd never accept 'those damned beasts' as their equals. Not to mention, those who had ran the special education facilities and those who had allowed this system of nekonomic exploitation to exist in the first place were still free despite their crimes. There were many that'd need to be brought to justice one way or another. The above were fights that'd take a long time, generations would need to pass before some fights would conclude. Maybe some would never even end until the end of time. Perhaps they would. What was important was to keep the powder dry, never surrender to apathy, and to never let go of the desire to make things better. ------------- It had been a month since Brown and Miss Watanabe had gone missing. The Tamaside Patisserie had lost some of its population to catfolk emigrating to the city, many of them remained as the Tamaside community wasn't honestly that bad that to live in. Other similar small independent communities had popped up in Japan as the newly freed catfolk took example from the Tamaside. Maya and Misha had mostly spent their days idly as they had lost their motivation. The sisters were again spending an idle day in the former patisserie when they heard the door open. "Maya, Misha! I'm home!" Standing at the door was a disheveled Brown, though he looked elated in a manner contrary to his disheveledness. The sisters looked at Brown blankly, thinking for a second that he might be some illusion. They rushed to him in teary eyes when they realized he was, most likely, real. "Gramps, where were you?! You weren't taking some unannounced vacation, weren'tcha?" exclaimed Maya as she ran into old Brown's embrace. "...Good!" shouted Misha concisely as she did the same. "No, if I was to take a vacation I'd do it in an announced manner, young lady." replied Brown. "Let us sit down to talk, I hope you'll find it in you to forgive me after hearing what I've gone through." Brown began relating what had happened since last month. During Mayday, Brown had continued to stay on the driveway even after the gunshots had rung. He had not fled or surrendered, only being arrested when the police fully surrounded him and beat him until he fell unconscious. Upon hearing Brown's claim that he was American (and that he didn't have his passport with him), the police had gotten in contact with the Embassy of the United States in Tokyo so that they could extradite him to avoid any incidents of the international kind. Of course, for those in the US Embassy, someone claiming to be John Brown was only some amusing incident at first. It became less amusing when genetic testing revealed that this John Brown was the same person as the John Brown that was supposed to be (and was coincidentally) buried near Lake Placid, New York. Someone being falsely declared dead and then coming back alive wasn't impossible; someone coming back alive after moldering in the grave for 164 years was. With one alive and one dead, making two Browns in total, one of the Browns had been stuck in a state of legal limbo (and existential crisis). The unusual case of Brown would have probably been never solved, if not for it gathering widespread attention in America, leading to the President personally interfering to save old Brown. He was legally resurrected (making this the first case of presidential necromancy in America, establishing precedent if any other historical figures got isekai'd) on April, making him the oldest American citizen at 223 years old (biologically he was only 60). It had admittedly taken him a bit too long for resurrection; as far as he knew it usually only took three days for resurrection, not an entire month. Brown proudly held up his shiny new passport as he concluded his story. "Thusly, thanks our Heavenly Father above and the President below, I walk amongst ye once again!" Maya had only one question left "What about Miss Watanabe? Is she..." He has avoided talking about her, something bad must have happened... Maya and Misha felt tense. Brown paused, as if thinking hard on how to phrase what had happened to her in a palatable manner. "Oh, Miss Watanabe? She's... not fine." Brown gulped "She has been most busy this month with preparing her students for some major exams." ... That was way too anticlimactic. ------------- The Great Mayday of Maydays seemed to have awoken something that had been missing in the common people for a long time. Seeing a grassroots movement be successful emboldened and inspired other peoples to attempt the same. The New 20s were marked with global social change. Some were peaceful, some less so. Those events are a story for another time though, for this is a story about John Brown and the catgirls. Two women of the catfolk were standing in front of one particularly old gravestone. One was reading aloud the inscription on the grave. " John Brown. Born May 9, 1800. Was executed at Charleston, Va. Dec 2, 1859. Geez, the old man's a real boomer." The grave was enclosed in glass, it was a historical artifact after all. The best the two women could do was leave some flowers and burning incense in front of the grave. They got some weird looks from onlookers, for whom leaving burning incense in front of graves was unusual. Another person who thought that leaving incense wasn't usual was the one whom the inscription addressed: John Brown. He had been touring his former home (now the John Brown Farm State Historic Site) only to see his daughters burn some weird-smelling twigs in his sake. "Come on, young ladies. Let the old man rest." "He's clearly restless considering he's still marching on." replied Maya, prompting boisterous laughter from Brown. Yes, it was true that Brown was a restless man. He hadn't stopped at Kansas, he hadn't stopped in Virginia, nor had he stopped in Japan, for he was continuing his work in the United States. Brown had become a minor celebrity after returning to his home country; the autobiography he wrote had given him more than enough capital to travel around the country without needing to find work. He didn't intend to cease working and preaching to make all men equal as the Lord intended. As for Maya, she had finally learned how to read and write after a long and painful process. She intended to become an English teacher, following in the steps of Miss Watanabe. Misha had taken quite a liking to computers after having been introduced to one, she intended to be a computer engineer of some sort. "Boomer... keeps, booming on." muttered Misha. "Quite... erm, an incomprehensibility." Old John Brown spent a few minutes praying at the grave for the salvation of older John Brown, he wasn't sure whether he was technically praying for another person or for himself at this point, and for the salvation of all the others (his sons Watson and Oliver Brown, along with ten raiders that had joined him in Harper's Ferry) that were buried below these grounds. He also prayed for the modern martyrs of liberty, for the seven protestors that had died back in Japan and all the others that hadn't been able to see the light at the end of the tunnel. With an "amen" Brown concluded prayer. While he had been praying, Maya had been preoccupied with something trivial. "You know, I think they should expand the inscription on the gravestone." said Maya. "It ends with you being executed, but you're clearly alive. How about something like, 'executed, but his soul is marching on'?" Brown paused to think seriously on this clearly tongue-in-cheek suggestion. "I don't think my soul marching on has anything to do with me being alive or not, young lady." "R-right..." muttered Maya. The old man takes this stuff too seriously. The old man took a good look around his surroundings. He had been executed as a traitor, deemed fit to be hanged with rope made out of Southern cotton. His actions had been dealt with contemn. He had been branded as a radical by many for thinking of men as equal regardless of creed. Today, he had many visitors here. His ideas weren't so radical anymore, those who'd treat him with true contemn were a (really) loud minority. It matters not if I'm dead, nor does it matter where my soul marches on, as long as we live and die to make men free.

Running through the hallways Liliana could only be mesmerized, everything was pristine. It had been so long since she saw the palace so neat, although she hand't seen it for the better part of the last three years mind you. When she reached the tea room, she was awfully out of breath, the guard outside the door saw her and made himself stand even more straight, a scary little girl was panting in front of him and he only thought about looking like a decoration. "Her highness Liliana Storm has arrived." The other guard said and opened the door. Inside the room, sat a lone girl with red hair, drinking from a cup with gracefulness, she also looked about the same height and age as Liliana. "Your highness" Eclair said and stood up before bowing and lifting her skirt a tiny bit. "E-Eclair! You're alive!" Liliana said as she ran towards the other girl and knocked her over. "Eh? Y-your highness? What's wrong?" Eclair was utterly in disbelief, her highness had never been one to be all touchy with someone. "Ah- sorry, Eclair. I...Had a nightmare" Liliana said and stood up while helping the other young lady as well. "My! Is that so?" The pair sat down and drank in silence after that for a bit before their conversation continued. "Has her highness tried this tea before? I bought it thinking it would be a nice surprise, is it to her highness' liking?" Rosetta said in a most formal way. "Eh? Yeah...I guess I like it, how you know?" "Her highness hasn't stopped staring at it." "Oh...well, didn't thought I would get something as nice as this again" Liliana said while stirring the tea. "mhm?" Eclair tilted her head. "Eclair, this might sound weird but...How old am I?" "huh? My, Your highness of course I know! We've known each other for far too long! You're turning fifteen this year, right?" Eclair said with all smiles. It would be important to note that, contrary to Eclair's name she wasn't a sweet and warming looking girl, she was beautiful but her eyes, just like Liliana's, looked mean and ferocious, her voice sounded mature and collected (not that she was) and in the future just her laugh would make a weak minded person cry... Saying that, she was not being mean or having any double meaning on her answers or anything, Eclair proudly answered the odd question without hesitation. You see, she genuinely respected her highness...almost too much. That's right, in the tea room sat two mean looking girls, from very high and noble families. In the future of another world, they would be called the villainess and the villainess' side kick. But at the moment, they were just a bratty pair of girls who had never been scolded for anything. "That's right! We're going to the academy in a couple months, right!?" Liliana said as if she found some answers as to the time period. "My, is that why her highness invited me today? Is something the matter with the academy?" Eclair asked. To Liliana, it now made sense, at least Eclairs behavior, calling her in such a formal way, they had not yet gone to the Academy, it had been there where she gave Eclair permission to call her by name, a nickname rather. "That's right, Eclair, I...Yes, I wanted to talk about the academy..." It was a complete lie, but it wasn't untrue, she honestly didn't remember why she had called Rosetta in her previous life, but maybe it did had something to do with that. "I heard that Lord Gawain is going to attend this year as well, wouldn't it be wonderful if the two of you got closer?" Eclair seemed excited for the idea but was taken by surprise when Liliana dropped her cup, breaking it with a splash.

Who knows how long had it been since Liliana woke up. There was a clock on the other side of the room but the princess didn't want to move, she had stopped crying a while ago, but it still felt surreal to her, she was currently processing what had happened. The how, or why she was alive, were to her, actually really irrelevant at the moment. Her head had just rolled and now she was tiny and without scars. How could she care? Anyone who said otherwise was a complete lunatic, are you a moron? Just take the win. Yeah, you could question the veracity of the situation but did that even mattered? She was alive, she even tried slapping herself and it hurt! - Quite a bit!! And it still stung a little. So, she didn't care 'how' she was alive, she was. She didn't question it. The reason why she hadn't move and just sat there on the ground till now was much simpler. It was just that she needed to process the fact - before - that. You know, her head being cut off with a guillotine. She felt she needed to be praised for her efforts of not freaking out but, she was an adult of course, she didn't actually 'need' praise. It would be nice thought... "Okay! Enough of this!" Liliana proclaimed. "Ah-That-My diary!" As if having a revelation from the heavens, she quickly got up and went towards her desk, throwing everything away, searching frantically. "Why isn't here!?" The dairy in question was nowhere to be seen, although she didn't search all that good it had to be around here somewhere, right? I need to know where I ended up! Where is it!? Before she could scream in frustration a knock on the door took her by surprise. "Eyyk!" "MyLady, I-I come to help you get ready for your afternoon tea with Lady Rosetta" A maid on the other side said. "Rosetta!? I...Okay! Y-you can come in" The princess said. "?" With a second of hesitation the maid opened the door. Liliana looked at her in detail, uncomforting the maid, she didn't recognize her completely but, her hair and face seemed familiar somehow, whatever it was it wasn't important, just a maid. The palace was immense and the cycle of the maids changed every month, either being fired by her or just a normal rotation, chances were it was just a sense of déjà vu she would need to get used to maybe. The princess motioned her to move. The most important thing was Rosetta anyway, she had been her friend since early childhood, her sidekick if you will, back during the revolution the Rosetta family, lords of an important Duchy, had remained loyal to the side of the Empire but their forces lost the will to fight when the whole family got executed and with their death, the revolution gained momentum and eventually toppled over the Empire. The Lady Rosetta the maid was referring to was almost certainly the young Eclair of Rosetta. Her childhood friend. Although friends, the young lady of Rosetta always behaved as an underling kind of way, following whatever Liliana said or did by example as well. Liliana had mixed feelings, as she was without a doubt one of the main reasons people or rather " she " hated her, as Rosetta's actions were linked directly to Liliana. But, she was an ally a loyal one at that, in this life or another, good or bad. If she remembered correctly, they first met at a ball and had taken off rather quickly, how long had that been from this point in time? She needed to know, if her diary was missing she couldn't know her situation, by the looks of her body and her tea date with the lady, she was young, maybe thirteen or sixteen. The maid continued with her work without a hitch, and doing just that, was actually baffling, the young mistress was strangely docile at the moment, and her eyes seemed a bit tired. Although it was hard to tell, given her sharp gaze and thick eyebrows and eyelashes. She dared not say anything, who knows how she might react if she mentioned anything, regardless she prepared her like how a princess should look like and fixed everything. "Thanks. I'll go to the tea room myself" "? I-I" Completely surprised, the maid tried thanking her mistress for her words but Liliana ran off into the hallways, leaving her alone. "Is her highness sick?" The maid turned around and saw a mess around the desk, what had happened? The Princess might have been so angry at something else she forgot all about her, maybe the maid had been lucky.

"Th-!" Liliana made an unintelligible shriek. The look on her face was one of panic or so it seemed to Eclair. This was totally uncharacteristic for Liliana's previous self. Seeing the always cool princess with an expression like that surprised Eclair, she thought the princess would love the news, why not? Didn't her highness talk about Lord Gawain with fondness just the other day? Was the prospect of getting ever so closer of meeting the Prince, be the reason why the princess was in such a panicked state? Wasn't that also kind of cute in someway? "There is nothing to worry about your Highness! I'm sure Lord Gawain will fall in love with you the moment he sees you at the next dance!" Eclair tried to cheer her up but her happy expression of an understanding friend froze for a second. As the name of the guy further sinked in on Liliana, Eclair realized that it wasn't the face of a worried lady but one of anger, teeth started to show on her face too, still kinda cute though...(only Eclair could ever think this) but it was still weird and worrisome, had she made a mistake? why? wasn't she a maiden with worries about meeting her destined partner? Certainly not! The Storm Princess was seething and just as quickly as her face had turned blue, it turned into one of anger. Eclair couldn't hear her the first time, since Liliana couldn't help herself but speak so fast that it had turned into an unintelligible shriek but, she was ready to correct herself, now with a fire coming from the bottom of her guts. "That lying-snake like-conspiring-Bastard!" Making a stop every word to make herself be clear, Liliana squashed an imaginary insect on her fist while thinking on the guy. Well, it would be pretty obvious to say, but Eclair was completely lost now, what the hell was she supposed to say? Was the princess angry at her? Or at Gawain? If so, why? Seeing her friend's surprise, Liliana immediately tried to correct herself and fix the situation. "Ah, no, I..., I thought about it! Yes, I thought long and hard - " The princess said while she sat back trying to look all composed. It wouldn't be wrong to say that if anyone was to enter the room at that moment, they would see a confused looking Eclair as a girl full of annoyance and Princess Liliana as a villainess seating with her legs crossed and holding her laughter with her hand while looking all mighty in her hubris. Of course, this wasn't the case, it was just a product of both of their evil looking eyes and features combined with their efforts of trying to compose themselves. At the moment, the princess was only thinking something really simple, how could she avoid looking like a total lunatic who just smashed a cup and yelled out of nowhere? "- I believe, he is not suited for me" She continued. "I-is that so? I thought Lord Gawain was pretty nice though? Doesn't he look nice? Compared to the rest of the foreign royalty, he's far the better looking one" Eclair did have a pretty good and albeit shallow point. Gawain was the first prince of the Kingdom of Brilum, and he was basically the perfect human specimen of beauty, blonde with sweet blue eyes that melted anyone who laid his eyes on him. It her past life, Liliana had fallen for this, and she had tried her best to be his partner, that turned out to be a big mistake, huge mistake, but now she knew. He absolutely detested her. No matter what she did, he would find a way to make it so any wrong in the Empire was her fault and hate her even more for it, he was one of the reasons she had died in the first place, he was actually the guy who signed her execution! With an irritation on her brow, Liliana's slim eyes looked from one side to another, before focusing on a bookshelf on the other side of the room, searching for anything that could give her something of an answer to her, at the moment, undeserved hate of the prince. "That's true to a certain extend, Eclair." Liliana, having found her answer in a way that would not make her seem insane with her actual reasons was. "You see, I...yes, I was reading a romance novel not long ago." "My!" Eclair was surprised, no one could really tell if she was following along or if her expression was true towards the act of reading... "And I learned many things about people like him." "Really?" Eclair was paying close attention. "Really. Imagine this, there is the Prince and a princess, but only the princess has interest in him and not the other way around, this is clear, like water. But why does the prince never say anything to her? He is either a coward... or a bastard!" It was all going alright, really, she had the right sort of idea to make her analogy with a romance novel but right at the end Liliana started to get pumped again with her inner anger. "!" This was not obvious to Eclair who was really paying attention. "You see, I have no doubt in my heart that he hates us. People like him...People like him! might look all nice, but I know they are just twisted! One moment they tell you something nice, you follow them and then...BOOM!!! They tell you how much they hate you! Just because you are you!!" Liliana stood up and used her arms to express her revelations. "! Does the prince hate the Empire!? How could he!?" Eclair was taking everything as truth without a grain of doubt, and hating on the Imperial princess was just about the same as hating the whole Empire. "He does and he's a schemer! That's why, Eclair, we should look for someone who looks at us and not the other way around!" Dropping her conclusions, Liliana got closer to Eclair and held her friend's shoulder. "We might look like innocent flowers but! We are not to be messed with! Hell, 'if' we like someone... first ! we need to make sure they are proper, nice, and above all! - loyal !" With that, she pointed at Eclair's heart as if revealing a truth of the world. In a roundabout way, she was saying 'looks aren't everything' but neither Eclair nor Liliana thought about that like so exactly. Eclair seemed to have had a revelation of her own, completely different from what the princess was trying to convey, since any minded person would think that with pointing at her friends heart she meant "loyal to one's heart" but to the princess who only wanted to make her speech more grand, only meant a literal kind of loyalty, the kind that would not waver with bribes or rumors and would certainly help someone escape death if necessary and definitely not sign on their execution. "I see! Your highness is so knowledgeable! I will take your words to heart and rethink my own judgment henceforth." Eclair found her highness words truly marvelous, she didn't even doubt it when she mentioned they both looked like innocent flowers, and that was an utter and blatant lie, they could make kids cry with just looking at them in a mean way, but maybe you could say it was a matter of the perspective of who said it, right? "Would it be alright if I borrowed some of these books, Your highness?" Eclair now seemed interested in the source of romantic knowledge, not once in her life had she ever been interested in reading as she was now. "Book? What-Ah, sure I do have some..." Liliana said without giving it another thought. There had to be something interesting around, she would just ask some of her maids to recommend her one to hand Eclair. It is obvious but what might have looked like an excuse to Liliana was in fact, something like a self taught lesson, deeply ingrained into her mind. It was true she had absolutely no interest in Lord Gawain anymore because she knew he had no interest in her in the first place among other obvious things... And could you blame her? The guy had basically ordered her execution. That really put a big X across her mental image of him along with a huge sign that said 'DANGER' As one of the people she needed to be wary off, at all times, since he had been a key player in the success of the Empire's revolution after the Kingdom o Brilum interfered in the name of 'justice'. "My..." Eclair was deep in thought. Liliana turned around to get herself another cup of tea before looking back again to Eclair and wonder.

In a world where human-like cats and dogs ruled the world. They stand on 2 legs, have 10 fingers, and can hold objects, behave and act like humans. In short, they are a human but has dog ears and a tail, and a good sense of smell, and they refer to themselves as, "people". This is the kind of world where this story began. The great non-ending war between cats and dogs; cats and dogs have been mortal enemies since the dawn of time. Wherein millions were inevitably killed. And this war doesn't seem like it's ending soon. Hundreds upon thousands of terrifying weapons were made; of which the dreaded Arcgeomedons of the cats ravaged the dog army. In the past few years, the dogs had been on the defensive, while on the contrary, the cats, are cranking up their attacks. Brutal attacks were made by the cats, this changed the lives of many dogs, including me. Ah yes, I still remember what had happened as if it was yesterday, it was one sunny day in my village. The children were playing; the streets were bustling, Birds were chirping, and the colourful flowers were blooming. It was an ordinary day, or so I thought." A voice told a story. A young boy walks downstairs and greets his mom with a smile. "Ah, Katsu," as the boy's mother prepares a basket for him. "Can you buy me some bread?" she lovingly asked while giving the boy the basket. The boy replied "yes! I can!" he leaves his home, and blissfully walks downtown to the bakery. While he is walking, he notices flocks of birds flying in the sky. He wanders to himself of the reason for the distress in the sky. He continues his walk, marveling at the birds along the way. After walking to the main town square, he saw Hiroto an air force pilot looking up at the birds with a puzzled look. "Good morning!" he exclaimed while waving his hand out. "Ah, Katsu. I didn't see you there." Surprised as he didn't notice him coming. The two of them walk up to each other. "What are you up to today kiddo?" "I'm off to buy some bread again today." "Oh? Want me to go with you?" he humorously responded, "Hmpf! I'm not a little kid!" and grumpily walks away. Hiroto says "suit yourself then!" and chuckles while Katsu is walking away. Katsu arrives at the bakery; he starts looking around but the baker is not there. He then sees the baker sleeping next to the entrance. "Ehm..." he mumbles "excuse me, sir!" The baker wakes up startled, "Good morning, sir!" he greeted as he places his basket on the table. "Ah, it's you. Well," stands up and stretches "good morning, need the usual?" "Yes sir!" he answers. "Ok then, wait right there. I'll go get them for yah" the baker enters his shop to get the goods. Katsu waits outside the store, looking around while waiting. The garrison guards seemed troubled. Katsu stares as the guards were running around. "Something is not right." he thinks to himself. But he brushes those worries away. "I didn't know what was happening at that time. I didn't have a care in the world, how foolish of me back then" an unknown voice reminiscing about the time. The baker returns with several loaves of bread "getting pretty busy out there, it's like something big is happening." Katsu snaps back startled and replies "huh? Oh, yeah..." before staring back towards the distance. The baker places the bread in Katsu's basket, "well, it's probably someone just got caught stealing again." Hands the basket back to the boy "well, here you go, the usual" He grabs the basket paid him the usual amount he pays for and then heads home. "I was too young to even understand what happened back then." the voice lamented once again. Katsu was called by his friends while on the way home. "Katsu!" they yelled "wanna play!?" He turns around and declines "sorry everyone! I'm busy today! Maybe next time!" he replied. "I had a good life, a great future ahead of me. And unfortunately, it all changed that day" the voice silently stated. Walking back on his way home, the atmosphere of the situation has changed. Fewer people were on the streets; the cold dead street gets on Katsu. " I need to head back home, today seems weird." He thought. He starts walking twice as fast, eager to reach the safety of his home. But a black crow dove in and snatches a loaf from the basket, Katsu shocked at what happened chases the bird in an attempt to get it back. "Ah! Wait! Come back here!" he says, struggling to catch up to the bird. "You're not getting away from me!" he desperately pleads as he runs as fast as he can. Soon after that, he trips and fell. All the bread falls on the cold asphalt road. "Ouch, ouch, ouch." He painfully says after tripping. Struggling to stand up, he gazed up at the bird flying away. But it was then followed by hundreds of birds flying in the same direction as if it was trying to run away from danger; of course, Katsu did not realize this. He stands up, brushing dirt from his legs. He starts taking note of the bird's unusual flight. "Huh, that's weird, why are there so many birds flying?" Then, he sees the garrison guards panicking and alarmed, something is happening that is so serious that even they are frightened and in disarray, Katsu frantically looks around at what is going on. Then he sees something emerging from the clouds above. The air-raid sirens go off never before heard by villagers, people start to run amok, everything is happening too fast, Katsu is piecing everything together to better understand the situation he's currently in. Then it clicks... The terrifying sirens of several k-38 strategic katzbombers ring around town as the planes fill the sky. Katsu, in disbelief, falls over as he gets overwhelmed by the terror that has befallen him. "Huh? But how..." he mumbles to himself. The sounds of bombs whistling as they fall to the town below are terrifyingly mesmerizing. Katsu snaps back worrying about his parent's safety and makes a run for his home. He dashes through the town streets, the sounds of buildings collapsing, and explosions surrounding him. As he neared his home, an explosion detonated a few meters away from him, he was knocked out by the blast. At that moment he thought to himself, " am I dead ?" it is as if his life were balancing between life and death, slowly, it loses its balance. "That day is the day I will never forget." The voice sorrowfully remarked. Suddenly, rubble and rain start to fall; a high-pitched sound fills Katsu's ear. The sound of rain starts to intensify. "I knew I couldn't give up so easily back then, so wake up!" the voice shouts to his past self. This encouragement rang in his mind, and it was enough to wake him up. Katsu jolts up, desperately gasping for air. He looks around to see his beloved town destroyed, barely unrecognizable. The rain intensifies, and the sounds of gunshots echo in the streets. Katsu remembers what had happened and exclaimed "that's right! I need to get back home!" He mustered up his strength and continued to run to his home. However, his running attracted several cat soldiers, "hey you there! Stop!" they yelled to the boy whilst aiming their guns Katsu doesn't stop running and he just hopes he doesn't get shot. Bullets whiz past his head, narrowly missing him. Hiroto notices the soldier shooting at the boy, and shoots the soldier trying to help Katsu. Hiroto watches as Katsu runs in the general direction of his home, and then Katsu attracts 3 more soldiers and follows him toward his house. Hiroto worried about what may happen, follows them. Katsu arrives at his house and barges through. "Mom!!!! Dad!!!" he screams. A dark silhouette behind the door holding an ax prepares to cut Katsu in half. Katsu is scared; he tries to block the attack with his arms. But the ax stopped at the last second, the dark figure is revealed to be his dad. "Katsu!" his dad relievedly exclaimed. His mom comes out of hiding and quickly hugs him, "Katsu! I'm glad you're safe" she relievedly said while shedding a tear. His dad looks over and sees the 3 soldiers that followed them, aiming and fingers on the trigger. He immediately told everyone to duck. Bullets fly past their heads, as the loud bangs seem to never end. But then it stopped, the high-pitched sound begins to sound in Katsu's ear once again. "Private, stay out here and guard us, we'll check if they're dead," the captain said to his troop outside. "Yes, captain!" the soldier replied. The two soldiers walk towards the house. "Surely, we got them, right?" the soldier asks the captain. "Let's check to be sure." He replied. They proceeded to head inside. "Huh? Where are they?" the soldier said, "They must have escaped, but how can they escape in such a short- "the dad comes out behind the counter and swings his ax, but the captain dodged it, and it narrowly misses the captain. The captain whips out his pistol and shoots his dad in the abdomen. His dad screams in pain and drops on the floor. The captain kicks him, further intensifying the pain. "Hehehe, you think you can hit me by surprise? Think again!" he says while kicking him. Katsu runs out from hiding and says "dad no! stop it! stop kicking him you dirty cat scum!!" "Shoot him," he tells the soldier. "Yes, captain!" the soldier says, aiming his rifle at the boy. "At that point," the voice says "time began to slow, as if it was my end, well it was my actual end. I couldn't back then, I couldn't stop it, I was young and too weak to fight back. If only I was stronger" In the boy's eyes, time begins to slow down, making the experience a lot more agonizing. The soldier pulls the trigger, and Katsu watches as the bullet draws closer. " This is my end, " he thought... But he saw someone in front of him, someone jumped in to save him... and that someone, was his mother. His mother was shot ... Katsu horrified by what had happened, yelled out with utter pain and sorrow. "MOM!!" His dad mustered up his strength, picked up his ax, and swung it at the soldier who shot the boy's mother and killed the soldier. The captain quickly shoots him at the side and prepares to shoot him in the head. Katsu is scared, fearing he might lose his dad too, his heart is pumping fast, and he begins to lose his vision. "Fight, fight, fight! You must take up your strength and fight! You must not repeat the same mistakes as I did!" the voice pleads to the boy. Katsu's hands are shaking, vision is darkening, as he sees the inevitable doom of his father. "Fight! Fight! Fight! Never give up! Whatever you do, don't give up! This choice will lead to a change in your life forever!" the voice continues. As the voice pleads with the boy, unknown energy is surging within him, with each heartbeat it grows stronger. "FIGHT" the voice pleads for the last time. The energy grew stronger, an unknown power kept brewing inside him. And, as if his body moved on its own, leaped onto the soldier tackling him. The soldier falls on the floor "ugh! You little brat!" the soldier punches katsu and pushes him to the side. The soldier stands up and says "I should have taken you out sooner." And starts beating katsu. "You can do it! You can win!" the voice cheering him on. Katsu kicks the soldier and the soldier fell on the floor. Katsu sees the rifle on the floor, an opportunity, he rushes towards the weapon. "How dare you..." standing up looking at katsu with an irritated look on his face. Katsu grabs the gun and aims at the soldier's head. But wait, he knows what this weapon can do, it can kill, like what he saw happened to his mother. He puts his finger on the trigger but is reluctant to pull the trigger. "I can't kill someone..." he thinks to himself. The soldier saw the opportunity and takes it. He raises his hands and provokes the boy. "Hehe, useless pup you are, come on, shoot." Katsu is shaking, he can't bring himself to shoot. "Hehe, you can't shoot me, can you? You're too weak, just accept your fate already" as he continues to provoke him. "Prove him wrong, I know you're strong, you can do it. Pull the trigger " the voice encouraging the boy to shoot. Katsu still doesn't know what to do. "Heh, give up," he says as he walks towards the boy. Katsu shakes as he is scared and confused about what to do. "Do it." the voice once again says. The soldier reaches his hand out. "Do it now!!" the voice pleads. Katsu gets provoked, steps back, and yells "GET AWAY FROM ME!!!!" Katsu shot him. "Good job son." His father tells him while grunting. "Dad, what should I do? What do I do?" as he desperately tries to help him. "You need to, you need to escape, ugh!" as he crawls to the boy. "I need to do what?" kneels to him. "You need to... escape." "What! What about you!? I'm going to save you! I'm not going to leave you!" desperate to save his dad. "Don't worry about me, gah, there is another one outside, he might come inside, escape while you can." "But I need to help you!" katsu starts to cry as he doesn't know what to do next. "Don't worry," he reaches his hand out to him, "I know you're strong." "You don't know that." The voice adds. "ha-ha, sorry kiddo." His dad knocks katsu unconscious, and then katsu falls to the floor. His dad died right after. The soldier waiting outside wonders what had happened inside. "I wonder what happened inside... I should go check" The soldier gets Shot by Hiroto, as Hiroto despairingly walks towards the house. "don't be dead, don't be dead." Muttering as he is hoping that everyone is not dead. He opens the door and see's the massacre inside. "No! I was too late!" he punches the door in frustration and begins to tear up. "I will never forget the kindness you showed me." As he is about to walk away, he notices katsu still breathing. He reached down and checks his pulse. Surprisingly, he's still alive. "Still alive huh? Well, at least you survived." Relieved that katsu survived he carries katsu. But while the pain hasn't hit him yet, he turns before he leaves, shedding a tear, and clenching his fist, he faces his friends one last time. "Thank you for everything you've done for me, I will repay you for every single one. Sadly, it's goodbye for now," he says farewell to the boy's parents, Hiroto is close to them, they treated him like family, when his own didn't. Hiroto carries katsu to the riverside. "I'm so sorry kid, I couldn't save them. But, if you're alive then, I'll support you all I can. That's what your dad told me when you were firstborn. A promise is a promise and I cannot break one." He says to katsu although he's still unconscious. Hiroto finally arrives at the river. He places katsu inside a barrel and places the barrel on the river. "I know you will survive. Be careful out there. There are a lot of corrupt people, but. I know we will meet again. I can feel it if it's not in the streets of the city but on the deadly battlefield. And I will be there to support you in the air." He says his farewell to the boy and sends him off. Katsu in the barrel goes down the river. "Until then I guess... see you there!" he says as he walks back to the destroyed town. TO BE CONTINUED. END OF CHAPTER 1

At that point, everything was hazy, katsu felt cold and cramped. All he could hear was the river flowing, splashing around as the barrel he was inside got pulled by the current. Katsu is now in a deep sleep, but that sleep isn't a peaceful one. As that moment, when both his parents died, haunted him in his dreams. His parents were bloodied, pale, and skinny as if they rose back from the dead. "Why didn't you save me?" his mom disappointingly yelled at him in his dream. "You are too weak to save us, you could've done something, but you didn't," his father said. Blood rushes down and starts flooding the empty void. "NO! NO! Please! Leave me alone!" as he starts to cry. That moment will forever haunt him... "You're useless! From the moment I gave birth to you!" his mother continues. "I am very disappointed in you" He felt a pain in his dream that scarred him. That dream, felt like it lasted for hours, it was like he was going to be stuck there forever. Until... He heard an unfamiliar voice calling, it kept getting louder and louder until. Katsu finally wakes up, his vision blurry, but it got a little better, and trying to open his eyes he sees a silhouette of a man. The voice he hears got louder; he starts to regain his consciousness. "Hey, kid, kid you alright?" a stranger asks whilst shaking him to wake him up. "What, what? What happened? Where am I!?" he says as he frantically looks around. He tries to reassess himself on what had happened. "Woah, kid. What happened? Why are yah in a barrel in the river?" he asks Katsu. "I was heading home, and, and, after that, I- " "Woah, slow down kiddo, one at a time." He told Katsu and then sat down afterward. "We... we were attacked and-" "Woah! You were attacked! Woah, so the rumours were true. Hmm." He says while having a thought. "Is, is something wrong?" Katsu was wondering why he had this reaction. "Ah, nothing," he dismisses the thought, "ah, you know what? Tell me about this later, let's get you fixed first." As the stranger lends out a hand. "Huh? Oh, ok." He grabs his hand and stands up. "Follow me, kid." And they start to walk out the docks. Katsu found himself walking out of the large river docks, through stairs mad of marble, and towering buildings can be seen on the cities skyline. Large marvellous Victorian era houses, Arches, towers, fountains and towers which surround the city streets gives the air around the city a posh and noble atmosphere. On each houses, a flag of the Empire was flown, giving a nice patriotic touch to the already heavenly façade of the city. At that point, he didn't know if He was dreaming, what happened was real, or where he was, he only knows that a kind man saved him from doom. "Where am I?" katsu asks the stranger. "Hmm? Oh, you're in the capital of the largest kingdom of dogs in the world, the city of Landon!" he replies. "Oh, So, this is the big city?" he wonders. A big city is a place he only hears stories from Mr. Hiroto. He never thought he would have stepped in on one. So, he was amazed at the sight. " This stranger is so kind, but I can't just trust him so easily, mom told me to not trust anyone I'd never seen before ." The stranger looks back at katsu, and remembers something "Oh, I forgot to introduce myself!" he stops and turns to the kid, he clears his throat, "My name is Vin, Vin Fredrickson. A pleasure to meet you." "Oh, my name is Katsuro Arius Everest, nice to meet you." Both of them shake hands. "Katsuro? That's a weird name. Your parents are from here, aren't they?" he questions the child. "Oh, they said that their ancestors were from a different place." He answers. "I see, well, let us continue." He invites katsu. He followed the stranger to a small apartment complex, katsu was starting to doubt him, but he had no choice but to follow him. "Up here." And both of them walk up the stairs and arrives at Vin's room. Vin opens the door and walks inside, he has a 1 room apartment, on the left side there was a couch and a small round table in the middle, a small kitchen at the back of the room with a small counter that acts as the border between the living room/bedroom and the kitchen, the apartment was messy, full of trash, and had a profusely strange smell. "Eh... sorry, it's messy in here." He says whilst cleaning some of it up. "Well, go ahead, take a seat, I'll prepare some food for you. In the meantime, make yourself at home," Vin then starts to cook some food for the boy. Katsu sits down and tries to remember what had happened and how he got himself in this situation. He starts to remember little bits and pieces of the incident. Then, as if a flash flood of memories came rushing into his mind, he remembered everything. This causes him a lot of mental and emotional pain, and it caused a strong headache to occur. "Agh!" he exclaims in pain. Vin noticing the child is in pain, immediately rushes to him. "Woah, what's happening? Are you alright? What are you feeling?" he asks. Katsu continues to remember everything that had happened. From the moment the bombs fell from the heavens to the soldiers massacring the village folks and following him to his home, to the death of his parents. It caused great pain and the aches intensified. And, a strange voice whispered to his ears, the voice told him. "Live." He then gets a sudden burst of energy, similar to the one he had when he had tackled the soldier. The burst of energy calmed him, and the pain went away. "Here, drink some water." Vin says while handing katsu a glass of water. Katsu drinks all the water and then eventually, he calms down a little bit. "Are you ok?" vin asks him. "Yes, I'm ok now, I... I remember now." "Ahh, here, some food. Although I'm not a great cook. You eat these, right?" he says as he puts a plate of food on the table. "Ah, yes, thank you." He says and starts to eat. "So, tell me about what happened to you." Katsu begins to tell him everything that he can remember, everything that he can tell him. He still doesn't trust him. But what other options does he have left? He couldn't run, if he did, where would he go? At the time, he felt numb, he knew the situation that was in, but he can't feel anything, he doesn't feel sad, nor angry. He had nothing left to do, no family, no friends, he is in an unfamiliar place. His face turns pale, his soul is gone. Nothing left, but an empty shell... The stranger is shocked at the story that katsu told him. A survivor of cat brutality. "Wow, I mean, wow, that- that's... I'm sorry about your loss." He said. Katsu finished eating and deeply sighed. "You have anyone to go to? Relatives that might take care of you?" vin asked, being worried about the boy. "No sir, I... I don't know..." His heart is moved by the story. Although he knows he just picked up a random kid in a barrel in the river but it would be against his morals if he would send him away. As for the boy, his mind is blank on what had happened to him, he is in a state of denial. After some careful thought, the stranger had decided. He sighed as he stands up. "Alright boy, I know we've met for like 12 minutes, but hearing your story, it can't be helped, I'm going to take you in." "Huh? Why would you do that for me, going through a hassle just to take care of a weak boy who can't even protect his parents..." "Trying to counter my offer huh?" vin thought. And then gave katsu a choice. "Well, that story of yours can make any grown man cry. Plus, if you don't want to, I won't push, but, what will you do then?" Katsu realizes that He's right, he has no other choices left. But he still can't trust him. "Don't worry! I'm kind, I won't hurt you. I'll protect you from anything that'll harm you! I promise." He offers katsu again. "Well..." "I guess I have no choice." He thought. "Ok, I accept your offer. I will try my best not to be a burden from now on!" bowing and accepting Vin's offer. "Don't fret, I will take care of you. Katsuro." "Ah, please call me katsu, it is my nickname." "Alright, then katsu, let's get you fixed up. Come with me." He prepares to leave the apartment. "Where are we going, sir?" he asks. "There is a shop I know where we can buy new clothes for you. And don't call me sir, call me vin." And opens the door and prepares to leave. "Clothes?" katsu wonders as to where or what they're going to do. "Come on now! what are you waiting for? Let's go!" he calls katsu downstairs. "Yes sir! Coming!" he heads down. "I told you to call me Vin," And then they start walking down the street. The voice once again narrates over. "I was confused and don't know what happened. I was an outlander, a stranger, and helpless. You didn't have to save me, but you did." They walk through the city's busy market streets. Many people walked around and yelled. This is amazing! Katsu thought as he doesn't see this often in his village. "Wow! it's busy here, here I thought that the town market is busy, this is like 10 times more. I would never think of getting here." He remarks. The crowd keeps getting bigger, and bigger, and as they keep walking, he sees the other side of things. He saw many scary beggars on the side of the road, and it scared katsu. As katsu isn't accustomed to the sight, he can only direct his gaze to other places, but they're everywhere. "Ah, here we are, the best store that offers the best quality at the lowest price." He says while pointing at a shop. Vin led katsu to what looked like a shady nameless store at a corner of the street, the windows were blocked by curtains, making it hard to see what was inside. But Vin seems to be a regular customer here. "let's go inside!" Vin tells katsu. They both entered the shop, the bells ring as Vin swings the door open. "Bon! I'm here!" he yelled. "Hmm?" he then looks over the counter and see's, Vin. "Ahh! Monsieur! Looking energetic as usual!" he says, with a very heavy French accent. Inside the shop is very messy, with a lot of random things scattered around. Last store you'd expect to be a good one. Vin approaches the counter. "So, how's the store running, eh?" he asks bon. "I'm giving it some small renovations, but overall, doing good," Bon replied. "Yeah. No one is going here if it looks so shady." He humorously says. "Hahaha- "notices katsu "who's the child?" bon asks. "His name is katsu." Vin answers. "A close family relative or what?" "ha-ha," he laughs but it sounded depressing. "Come on bon, you know I don't have relatives, nor family" A sad melancholic silence ensues "Right, you left... then who is he to you?" "I found him in a barrel in the river, his village got attacked so I'm taking him in my care." "His village got attacked!? Man, the cats are attacking more aggressively, to think that they were able to cross the channel. You're taking the child in? do you even know how to take care of a kid?" "don't you worry, I can manage!" "Anyways, what does he need? I'll give it for half the price." Vin had a slight smirk on his face and then said "some new clothes." "Find what you need" "Ok, katsu! Come! Let's find some good clothes on ya." Calling katsu over. "Ok, Mr. vin!" katsu responded and follows Vin to an aisle. After that, katsu tried on new clothes, it took them a while to find a good fit. And they bonded for a while, this bond will continue to harden through time. While they're shopping, the voice once again said "You were so kind to me; you were the reason I got here." Vin puts all of the clothes on the counter. "Is that all?" bon asks. "Yup! That's all of it!" "The total of that will be 12 pounds." "12 pounds!? I thought you halved it?" "I did, you just bought a lot of clothes" "Oh, come on, can you sell it to me for 3?" he says as he tries to bargain. "3 pounds and 10 shillings," Bon says, unwilling to take his offer. "Come on, please?" begs for a discount. "Agh, fine, I'll do 2 pounds and 10 shillings, you are buying it for that kid. And to help ease your expenses." "Yes! Thank you, thank you!" pay for the clothes and puts them all in a bag. "Alright, katsu let's go back to my apartment!" "Ok, Mr. Vin!" They leave the store, and it was already noon. "Woah, we spent a long time there." "Yeah..." Vin notices katsu still has a scarred face. "katsu" "Ye-yes, sir?" Vin kneels and puts his hand on his shoulder. "No need to be scared, ill protect you. And I will not let anything hurt you, trust me." There's nothing he can do but trust him. His mind is now at ease, and he'll always think that he's protected by a good stranger named vin. "Ok, sir..." They both returned to the apartment, Vin prepares a bed for katsu. "Ahh, sorry about this, I rarely accept visitors, let alone let them stay here." Vin finishes preparing the bed, but it was so uncomfortable to sleep on, so katsu declines. "ill sleep on the sofa, it feels better to sleep on," Katsu says as he lays on the sofa and closes his eyes. So many things have happened, I wonder what the future holds. Katsu and vin both say their goodnights. And katsu fell asleep. "Sleep well, for your story is just beginning." The voice narrated. To be continued End of chapter 2

It's been a few months since katsu was saved by vin, he is now living a new and peaceful life... Unfortunately, That's a lie... Ever since that day, something changed in him. Every night, that day comes to haunt him in his dreams, and it won't stop... And he gets a feeling, of emptiness, without a purpose, he tries to fill the void that got punched through his heart, Every night, the voice tells him to avenge his parents' death. But he doesn't know how to, he feels powerless, he wants to become stronger and wants to do something. Katsu is now living with the stranger that saved him. 8 months of not doing anything. Every day, this feeling of revenge in katsu grows stronger. The stranger that saved him, katsu now trusts him with his life. They've been close to each other; he has been taking care of katsu and keeping him company. He is kind and caring, as he also teaches Katsu new things. But still, he can't fill the hole that the incident left in katsu's heart. And now, another day starts, a day, where his lives moves forward... "Katsu! Wake up!" Vin as usual, waking katsu up early. Too bad he doesn't feel like waking up early today. Katsu turns and says "Just a few more minutes' vin, just let me sleep more" And refuses to wake up. "You are hard to wake up aren't you, you little rascal, what would happen if I tickle you?" vin threatens katsu that he'll exploit his biggest weakness. "Tch, fine, I'll wake up now." Disaster prevented. "Get up and ready now, breakfast is on the table." "Okay!" rubbing his eyes, still has sleep inertia. Katsu stands up and sits, and starts eating. "I've got business to attend to today. You're free to do anything today." "Business again?" "Yeah, they don't seem to give me a break." "what's this business for again? You never told me." "Just some business from some old friends, well I'm off then" "See you later!" Vin leaves the apartment. Vin has been going out quite frequently lately, katsu keeps on wondering what this business is all about. "Well, whatever it is, time to finish my meal so I can go out." He thought to himself Katsu finishes his meal leaves the apartment and heads out to find something to do. Katsu felt quite bored without vin around, they would go around exploring the city, or he would teach katsu something. "I guess I would go visit Bon again." He muttered and starts walking down the street. Katsu walks towards Bon's store. And walks past several poor people begging for money. Those who do not follow the conscription acts will be treated as traitors in this city. As well as those who did not follow orders, of them are shunned by society, as a result, their rights are stripped, forcing them to live on the streets. A harsh reality in living at the time, vin taught katsu well about all of this. Katsu arrives at Bon's store and goes inside, and then he greeted Bon. "Bon! Anything you need help with?" katsu asks, "Ah! Mr. katsu! Sorry, unfortunately, don't have anything for you to do today." "Oh, ok then." "Why? Is vin not available today?" Katsu walks over to the counter, sits down on a tall bar chair, and then sighs. "Vin's been busy with his "business" for a few days now, I'm starting to get bored." "Ahh, forgive him, he has no job, he has to resort to... other ways to earn money." "Ehh?? Is that so? Well, then it looks like I've got nothing to do today again." Katsu slumps over the counter. Since Bon is the other close friend he trusts, every time vin does his business, katsu always goes to Bon's store. Bon then thought of an idea on how to make katsu entertained for the time being. "Hmm, how about this?" Bon pulls out a coin. "There is a vending machine in the street right next to the station, take this, buy whatever you like." Katsu burst into excitement. "Really!? Thank you so much!" "Be careful on the way there!" Bon says while pulling out some cigarettes "I will! Bye!" Katsu leaves the store. Bon lights the cigarette and smokes. And then sighs, "Vin, how long are you planning on hiding this? sooner or later, it will eventually reach the boy, it's inevitable." Bon mutters to himself. The door opens and the bells ring, customers have arrived. "Ah, bonjour, and welcome to the shop- " "Where is vin!?" As three large men surround the counter. And starts to question Bon. "I-I don't know where he is!" "you're lying! You know where he is! Tell us now!" Bon gets grabbed by the collar and was getting threatened. "Boys stop it!" A deep voice yells out from outside the store. "we'll find him soon enough, it's not worth it to interrogate him, we'll get nothing out of him." A shady man with a long dark coat ordered the 3 men. "let's go, we'll find him eventually, he can't hide from us." The shady men left the store. Bon just laughs off this situation, and just continues working. "Vin, you're in deep trouble now." bon mumbles to himself and continues to smoke. On the other side of the commercial district is Katsu, now walking to the station with a coin in hand, is ready to get a refreshing drink! "I would've never known there was a vending machine near the station if it weren't for bon!" remarking as he feels excited about getting a fresh drink. He arrives at the station entrance looking for the vending machine. "Now, if what bon said was correct then the vending machine should be around here." He walks to the side and see's the vending machine. "Ah, there it is!" He quickly runs towards the vending machine and got some lemon soda to drink. He takes a sip. "Ha! So, refreshing... hm?" He was enjoying my refreshing drink until he saw someone familiar at the corner of his eyes heading into a dark alleyway. "Vin?" "No, why would he be here? He said he was going to do some business." He questions himself if he thinks he saw the right person. "Maybe his business is in a dark alleyway? ...No, no, no. maybe I have just mistaken him for someone else..." He starts walking back and forth deciding if he wants to follow the person he saw. "Tch, I guess I'll just satisfy my curiosity." After some thought, he decided to follow the stranger in the alleyway. "Eek, this is too scary for me, I should go back." He says to himself, and then hears voices "What? Why would you do that!? Our future is at stake here!" a muffled voice from heard further down the alleyway "Ehh... Yeah, looks like this was a bad idea after all." He thought to himself. But just as he was about to leave, he hears another voice. "Vin, you know what will happen if we tell the boss about this." Vin? I knew it! vin is here. "Come on guys. Take it easy on me, I just took a break, that's all. I'll pay you guys back in no time!" a voice that sounds like vin explained. Katsu leans against the wall trying to eavesdrop on the conversation. "You always say that boss won't forgive you again." "Yeah, he is particularly hotheaded when it comes to you." "don't worry about it! he and I are best buds!" "If you don't pay your debt, he'll have to cut your head off for payment!" Katsu shocked, gasps out loud. Vin hears this and quickly responds. "Katsu, katsu is that you? Come out! I know you're here!" "Wha!? How did he know!?" katsu is caught off guard. "Ah, yes sir." Katsu comes out of hiding. He saw 2 buff men in black suits. "Vin, who is this?" "Oh, he's none of your business." "Tch, how dare you to talk to use like that!" "Now, now, there's a child with me. You don't want to scare him and make him cry right? It will cause a scene." "What a cowardice way to get out of this situation." "Our business here is done, now scram." "we'll tell the boss about this." The 2 men leave the 2 behind. Vin turns around to katsu. Katsu expected a scold after he disrupted his business. "Thanks for getting me out of that sticky situation." "Huh? You're not mad at me?" "I would be, but since the situation would have escalated if I just didn't give them an answer, good thing you were here." "Oh, is that right..." "don't worry about it. I'm not mad." "Ah, that's relieving." "let's go back to Bon's store now." They now left the alleyway and headed back to the store. While they were walking back, katsu was conflicted on whether he'll ask him about what happened or not. But he once again let curiosity get the better of him. "Umm, might I ask what just happened?" Vin stops and pauses for a moment then sighs. "I guess I can't hide it anymore." Katsu got goosebumps, utterly shocked at Vin's response was, in all the days they've spent together, vin... hid something from katsu. "I... there is a reason that I've been doing these 'business meetings' because... I'm in debt. And I have a bounty on my head now." "In debt?" "Yes, if I don't pay it back, I might be beaten. Well, judging on what the messenger said, I would guess he is already on his way to find me." "Why? Why are you in debt?" "it's a long story. I'll tell you later." They continued walking... but after hearing something like that from vin, he can help but feel uneasy. Paranoid that every moment they're being targeted... Worried that the traumatizing incident might happen again. "Tch, my heart is pumping fast, I need to calm down... Deep breaths deep breaths." He tries to calm himself. All the while, vin is casually smiling, trying his best to suppress his emotion so katsu won't get nervous. "Katsu." "Huh? Yes sir?" Vin turns back and faces katsu. He said something similar to when they first met. "don't worry about it, I'll protect you. And I will not let them hurt you, trust me!" A burst of energy, similar to the ones he had before occurred. It was powerful enough to start knocking him unconscious. "Katsu! Katsu! What happened? Hey! Hey! Can you hear me!" He fell unconscious... Katsu then found himself waking up at the riverside, on a bench, his head on Vin's lap. The beautiful sunset illuminated the towers and buildings on the other side of the river. Realizing he was awake again, katsu quickly sits upright, which startled vin. "Woah there! Ha-ha, are you alright?" vin says while casually smiling and slouching. "Wha-... ye- yes sir..." he says with a confused look on his face. His appearance has changed, every time he gets these bursts of energy, something changes in him. "You passed out while we were going back to Bon's store, I had to carry you to a nearby clinic, but they said you're fine. So, I carried you here until you woke up." "Oh, is that so? Thank you, and sorry about that." "it's alright," he starts to sit straight and looks at the sun to enjoy the view. "Something like this happened to you when we first met." "Yeah..." katsu starts to do the same. Vin starts to put up a mildly serious face. Katsu knows it's going to be serious. "You know katsu, I see myself in you" "Huh? Really?" "we're practically the same, I've experienced the same thing you've experienced." "Wait!? You mean-" "Yes," he interjected. "I too was a village boy." Just like you, I had a family, friends, and a happy life, just like you, it was just a normal day, or so I thought. Just like you, we were attacked. And just like you, I lost everything. My village was invaded, bombed, burnt, and destroyed. My family killed, trying to save me... Like you, I lost everything. I ran away as fast as I could, trying to escape the onslaught. After that, I ended up alone, in the cold hard streets of this city. Sleeping next to rats, eating from trashcans... I was hopeless. Until I was found by a gang, a young, enthusiastic man offered me to join his "Gang", and if I refused... I'd be killed. I accepted, I was taught their ways, which made me do things I didn't want to do... after a few years... I knew it was not right for me, I know how to take care of myself, so I left. But they didn't allow me, eventually, I talked them down on releasing me, but had to pay them a huge sum of money. Even now, that I'm not in that horrible gang anymore, I don't feel free, I'm still chained to them. I've been free from them for 3 years now, and then I saw you. A barrel flowing down the river, at first thought, the barrel might be full of cash. So, that's when I met you. Katsu, I don't want you to be like me. You're still a kid, you have a future ahead, I don't want anything that happened to me to happen to you as well. Well, even if the invasions have stopped, and the cats have been pushed back. I have something to ask of you. I'm not as young as you, I am bound to this city, I cannot do anything, but you, you can do something, do something like what I've done, don't let others experience the pain we went through. Promise me, to do this..." Shocked at the story, katsu replies "yes, I promise. I will." Vin smiles, stands up, and stretches. "it's getting late, let's go back." "Yeah..." the 2 head back to Vin's apartment. In katsu's mind, he was reassured he had made the right choice back then. This good feeling only lasted for a short time. All was well... until katsu starts feeling strange once again. He felt like someone is following them. Katsu looks at vin. And Vin's face looked irritated, annoyed, and stressed. "Vin, what's wrong?" "they're here." "What!? Who's here!?" Katsu looks back, and see's two men with hoods following them. "Come now, we're taking a detour." Vin grabs katsu and runs into an alleyway. The pursuers follow suit. Vin begins to stress out and makes katsu worry. Vin stops running. Two people had cut them off and aimed pellet guns at them. The other two men who chased them caught up and pulled out knives. They were surrounded. Vin pushed katsu back and yelled at him to "RUN!" The guns fire and katsu's vision flash. Although not real guns, these pellet guns can fire pellets at a speed of over a hundred meters per second, if it hits you in the head, you'll get knocked out. Katsu finds himself on the ground, ears ringing. He gets up, he can feel the blood flowing down from his head. His ears start to work again and start to hear vin talking to the henchmen. "Look, he-he, we don't have to result to violence, don't worry, give me like 5- no 4! 4 more months!" "This is not about your money problem anymore; the boss wants you back!" the henchman threatens Vin. "Vin!" "Ah, katsu! don't worry, I got this!" "So, your resisting?" the henchman asked. "What do you think I'm doing?" The two exchange blows, but vin gets overpowered by the more experienced henchman. Katsu starts watching as vin gets beaten. Katsu gets reminded of what had happened to his parents, they get killed, while he, does nothing. "Do it, go and do something, or you're too weak to save him." A voice whispers into his ears. Vin falls to the ground, bloodied. "The boss said just to get vin alive right? So, it's fine if he's a little beaten." Katsu's heart starts to pump faster, he starts getting adrenaline. "Steven, you should stop now." Another man told him to stop. "Sure, but one last kick to make him know his place." Time begins to slow, and the unknown energy bursts once again. Katsu runs and charges at the man who's going to kick vin, and knocks him down. "Katsu! Stop it!" "you kid! What are you doing!? Stop it!" as he grabs katsu on the shoulder. Katsu pushed him away. But with great force. The man was sent flying, and hit a wall, even cracking it. This unbelievable strength surprised everyone. "Stop that kid!" one yelled. The people aimed their guns at katsu. Katsu stands up and walks up and grabs the man called Steven, ready to throw a punch. "You, who are you? No, what even are you!?" Katsu stops and thought about what had happened. "Katsu! Stop it! You'll only get hurt!" vin pleads while trying to get up. Hands shaking, he lets go of the man. As Many more gang members arrive and surround the two. Katsu is heavily bleeding from the adrenaline. "it's ok, I'll get us out of this situation." Vin is trying to calm katsu down. Then suddenly, an unknown voice yells out "shoot him now!" Katsu has been shot once again and was knocked out. Lying on the ground, slowly losing consciousness. "Katsu!" Vin runs over and starts trying to treat katsu's wounds. From the small crowd of gang members, one steps out, his figure similar to the one seen back at Bon's store. "That's enough Vin!" He walks up to vin. Vin gets a terrified face and starts shaking in terror, for the man in front of him. Known as the great crown prince of crime. Ivan Hanzai. Leader of the largest gang in the kingdom. "I-Ivan, look..." shivers in fear, and stutters. "I'm here for you, we need you back," Ivan tells vin. "W-why would you need me??" "we've realized your power and talent. And of course, the thing you've told me." "Thing? W-what thing??" "You know that's classified within our ranks, anyway, I've got an ultimatum. Join us, or the kid dies." Ivan pulls out a real pistol and aims it at katsu, but vin blocks his view. "Ivan! Don't let the kid get caught up in this!" "I will if you don't go back." "Tch..." vin paused, thinking of any other way to escape, but alas, he realizes there are no more options left. "Fine. I'll join you, on one condition! Patch up and treat katsu and return him to my home safely." "Pff. It's not like you're in any position to bargain but since it's you... deal." "Thank... thank you, sir." Ivan turns around. "Men! Back to base! Also, treat the little twat and bring him back to Vin's apartment. Let's get a move on!" Ivan's men start to leave. Katsu still has consciousness, having heard everything, he tried to speak. "Vin... no..." Vin faces katsu with a smile. "don't worry, ill be back..." And then katsu fell unconscious. A voice lamented. "I have failed, once again ..." ... ... Katsu wakes up in Vin's apartment bandaged up, it's morning. Katsu looks around to find vin, and starts realizing what had happened... "no... not again..." Starts to curl up and shivers in fear... "what should I do now??" he wonders to himself. He then finds a note right next to him. He picks it up and reads it. The note says "katsu, I'm sorry, but I had to return. Don't worry, I'll get out of this. You've got the keys to my apartment, just go to boy's place if you need some stuff..." Katsu was about to throw the note away but notices something written on the back. "Take your time to recuperate, once you've done that... here's the plan." Vin had planned for this situation. Now it's just a matter of will katsu do it... And of course... he will ... End of chapter 3

Chapter 2 The Training Crayon and his friends went outside and were talking. " We are going to have to figure out something " said Crayon. " I don't want to fight " said Colouruke. " This shit has gone far but if all the advisors were to fight us at once it would be tough " said Colourea. " I think we should complete the training but not go to war " said Dove. " That seems like the best idea for now " said Artby. " I am wondering about bakers " " I think about bakers so much " " It does, we can get stronger " said Grackle. " What are you thinking about bakers ? " " Baking is so important so I can get stronger for bakers " said Artby. " Bakers are so useful and helpful " Meanwhile King Bobby was talking with Blackburnian and Queen Starling. " The training will start tomorrow " said King Bobby. " So what training do you have in mind ? " asked Blackburnian. " We need them to use their Bomb techniques " said King Bobby. " If used properly, they can blow up a lot of Numerians " " This type of explosion does a lot for Bird's Isle " " That is something very useful " said Queen Starling. " War is something that must be taken seriously, so we cannot have people sent in if they are not ready for it " said King Bobby. " I will let them know " said Blackburnian. " Curtis talked with them this morning and they seemed up to it according to him " " They must be " said King Bobby. " I will meet with Challenger as a meeting of the two leaders later on " " We have a lot to do " " Yes " said Blackburnian. " Hopefully Challenger will be on board " " He has to be " said King Bobby. " He must be for Bird's Isle and not Numerians " Time passed and then King Bobby met with Challenger. " Challenger, do you have people in Colourland ready to fight " said King Bobby. " We will see the situation " said Challenger. " Colourlandish people will unite with us in this war against Numeria " said King Bobby. " Crayon will love this opportunity to be a hero again " " This war is giving Crayon a great chance here " " Well Crayon has shown tremendous ability " said Challenger. " Colourea finds him heroic now, could you imagine how heroic she will find him after this " said King Bobby. " Colourea would be more attracted to Crayon " " Colourea loves the bravery from him a lot " " Colourea does love Crayon a lot, but I'm not sure it is the fighting " said Challenger. " I am not sure about what causes the attraction " " I am not entirely sure what this has to do with the war " " Well it is another reason for Crayon to fight, he loves Colourea " said King Bobby. " He will be a hero like he was against the Bear " " Colourea loved what Crayon did " " Colourea being happier is good for Crayon " " Anyways, let me know about Colourlandish people willing to fight " " I will do so " said Challenger. " Good they will be useful " said King Bobby. " They will help Bird's Isle take what they need from Numeria " " This war is a great war " " It is time for me to head to the other advisors, it was nice talking with you " " See you later " said Challenger. Crayon and his friends went to a bakery when this happened, Artby had thanked more bakers. " You bakers are so brave, I never forget any baker " said Artby. " Forgetting bakers, I cannot do out of respect for bakers " " So brave ? " asked the baker. " Bakers cannot be forgotten, baking bread is something that can never be forgotten " said Artby. " Flour has made me a better person " " I feel better as a person thanks to bakers, I love bakers so much " " Uh, thanks " said the baker. Bakers are always welcome " said Artby. " I love eating bread so much " " Bread means so much " " Thanks " said the baker. They left the bakery and enjoyed their bread. After that, they headed back to the castle where King Bobby was talking to them. " Blackburnian will lead the Bomb style training " said King Bobby. " Looking forward to it " said Colouruke. " He will not take it easy on any of you " said King Bobby. " Not even his brother, Warbler " " I would expect that, will be great " said Crayon. " Good " said King Bobby. " We must be ready " " This war is so important " Curtis entered the room. " Since that Blackin was defeated this shouldn't be too difficult, I'm not sure about Grackle and Dove " said Curtis. " We will give it our all " said Dove. " Blackburnian is one of the strongest Wind warriors out there " said Curtis. " Warbler, you will enjoy getting to learn from a family member " " That is true " said Warbler. " Anyways you will need good sleep for tomorrow " said Curtis. " True " said Warbler. Crayon and his friends headed up to their rooms and they were talking. " I am hoping that we learn more about this war " said Crayon. " Exactly " said Colouruke. " I talked with King Bobby " said Challenger. " He wants people from Colourland to fight " " He also mentioned the relationship between Crayon and Colourea " " Why ? " asked Colouruke. " He mentioned Crayon being a hero " said Challenger. " I am happy with Crayon and proud of the fighting he has done but the war is something else " said Colourea. " Yeah, I am not sure about the relevance " said Crayon. " Same here " said Colouruke. " I think the king feels that Crayon is more likely to fight that way " said Warbler. " Yeah, I believe that " said Crayon. " King Bobby has talked about Colourlandish people fighting in this war " said Challenger. " Would Colourlandish people do that ? " asked Colourea. " I have no idea " said Challenger. " We will find out " " This has gotten pretty fucked up but we must continue to learn more about the war " said Grackle. " Yeah, that is a good idea " said Dove. " We will have to think of something " said Colouruke. " Yeah " said Crayon. " I am not sure what but we will figure something out " " My brother's training will be something " said Warbler. " I imagine it will be tough " " We need to keep training hard and finding out more about this war " said Artby. " Also we need to keep eating bread, you never know what asskickings we need to give " " Asskickings are important " " Important ? " asked Colouruke. " When bakers are protected by a great asskicking, it matters to give one " said Artby. " Uh, okay " said Colourea. Crayon kissed Colourea and all of them went to bed. They ate their breakfast and Blackburnian went outside for training. " Today is the first day of training " said Blackburnian. " We will be using our Bomb techniques today " Bomb techniques are very useful, especially when used in an area where there will be a lot of enemies " " You can defeat a lot of people that way which is exactly what we need " " We must blow up people " " First we need to see your basic Bomb techniques. Crayon, Warbler, Dove and Grackle used their Wind Bomb while Challenger, Artby and Colourea used their Light Bomb while Colouruke used his Sea Bomb. The bombs all hit. " So far Warbler and Challenger appear to be the strongest so far in their respective elemental bombs " said Blackburnian. Such power by Challenger " said Crayon. " He's not the leader of Colourland for nothing " said Colouruke. " Yeah, he is extremely strong " said Artby. " Challenger has shown tremendous power " said Blackburnian. " Now we need to see your Super Bombs. " They all used their Super Bombs and they all hit. " Very good " said Blackburnian. " Warbler has gotten way stronger since he was last here for sure " " It appears that we have very similar results to last time, the invasion should not be impossible " " I do expect all of you to live and not die " " We have that confidence here " " Now the Ultimate Bombs, if you can use them " All of them used their Ultimate Bombs, the power was insane. " It appears that Challenger is the strongest here significantly " said Blackburnian. " That being said Crayon, Warbler and Colourea looked to be quite strong " " The rest of you did well, but just not quite on the level of the four " " Anyways, I am glad to see these Bomb techniques hit with such power " " Keep using these bomb techniques and get them more powerful, these explosions will be amazing in battle " Artby started talking about bakeries. We should see some different bakeries " said Artby. " They could help us out with what the flour can do " " Flour is extremely helpful " They went to this different bakery, Artby thanked the bakers for the flour they used. " The flour you have used in the bread, I will thank the flour and the baker who used it said Artby. " Thanks " said the baker. " You are welcome " said Artby. " We must always thank bakers for what they do for fighting " " Bakers do a lot for my fighting " " Fighting ? " asked the baker. " The flour awakens us and it inspires our punching " said Artby. " I am so grateful for bakeries and the bakers " " Bakers are such amazing people " " Punching ? " asked Grackle. " Yes, the flour helps us give great punches, makes the bread taste great and so many other things " said Artby. " Anyways it was great seeing bakers like you " They got their bread and left. After that, King Bobby was talking with some advisors. " Rourke, the training for them tomorrow will be those blast attacks " said King Bobby. " They need to get them stronger " said Rourke. " I will be glad to do that " " Good " said King Bobby. " We need this for Bird's Isle " " They will be unstoppable " said Draco. " It will be a good war for Bird's Isle " " It sure will " said Salvador. " Bird's Isle will do great " " We must encourage people to protect Colourea from Numerians " said King Bobby. " That is important to do " " Crayon will be able to do that " said Salvador. " Crayon loves Colourea " " Crayon will show his love for Colourea and will fight " said Rourke. " He does and he will protect her in the war " said King Bobby. " Crayon is very attracted to Colourea so he will make sure that he will fight " " Numerians want to take Colourea away from him " " Some Numerians want Crayon for themselves as well " " I will discuss the need to protect Colourea when the training happens " said Rourke. " Protecting Colourea is extremely essential " said Draco. " Crayon would hate to lose Colourea to Numerians " " Yes, he cannot allow that " said Rourke. " It would be a disaster " said Curtis. " Protecting Colourea is very important " " Colourea will want to make sure that Numerians do not take Crayon as well " " Yes, that will be talked about as well " said Rourke. " That is good " said Queen Starling. " Crayon and Colourea will make sure Numerians do not try anything " " Crayon cannot trust these Numerians " said King Bobby. " They will try anything " " Yes, we have to be careful " said Rourke. " Crayon and his friends must know about what can happen " " Yes " said King Bobby. " You are all now dismissed " Meanwhile Diana and Blackburnian were talking. " Blackburnian, I am glad you led them through the training " said Diana. " Thanks Diana " said Blackburnian. " I keep hearing what those Numerians want to do to Colourea " said Diana. " Why ? " " I have no fucking idea " said Blackburnian. " Anyways, Rourke will tell them about protecting Colourea " " It is something Crayon must do " " Numerians will take Colourea " " Yeah, Crayon must be ready " said Diana. " I wonder if Numerians will try to take Crayon " " It would not surprise me " said Blackburnian. " Crayon and Colourea must protect each other " They ate their supper and went to bed later. In the morning, they got up and everyone started to talk. " Good morning " said King Bobby. " As you know, Crayon and his friends will be doing the Blast training with Rourke today " " They will do great, we need more of this " said Draco. " Numerians will shake in fear " said Salvador. " They will fall to Bird's Isle " " They are no match for Bird's Isle " said Paula. " Bird's Isle is so strong " " The resources will be great " said Lord Grackle. " Bird's Isle will be a better place because of it " " It is an expansion if you think about it " " It sure will " said Queen Starling. " When we are united we are unstoppable, but when we are not it is no guarantee " " Yes, this unity must exist " said Blackburnian. " Rourke will also discuss about protecting Colourea " said King Bobby. " I heard about what the Numerians want to do " said Paula. " Yes " said King Bobby. " Numeria must be invaded " " What we can take will do so much " " Crayon cannot let Numerians take Colourea away " said Draco. " That would be terrible " " Crayon will not allow that to happen " said Blackburnian. Breakfast arrived and they enjoyed eating it.

Chapter 5 First Fight with Advisors, Part One Paula and Salvador then started to talk to Crayon and his friends. " You will give a name now if you want to not be arrested " said Paula. These Numerians must be defeated " " Crayon, Numerians want to take Colourea away " said Salvador. " As a boyfriend, I cannot imagine why you would not fight " " So, who is the friend ? " asked Paula. " I would think that Warbler would want to fight " said Salvador. " I can't imagine why he wouldn't " " The thing is that none of us want to fight this war " said Challenger. " Challenger is right " said Colouruke. " That isn't what we want to hear " said Paula. " Bird's Isle needs this war " " True, the nation wants this war " said Salvador. " But there is not very much proof of that " said Challenger. " King Bobby says it but where is he getting the proof " " He is the king " said Salvador. " He knows what he is doing " " He is such a great king " " But he does not have the proof of that " said Colouruke. " He does " said Paula. " Paula is right " said Salvador. " What proof does he have ? " asked Challenger. " Lots of people want war " said Salvador. " The point is that lots of people in Bird's Isle want the war and want to fight in it " " It is a war that people do want, Challenger " " Now you must come with us and explain yourselves to King Bobby or you will have to fight us " said Paula. " I warn you, that we are a lot stronger than the Bear " " We will fight " said Grackle. " Grackle, you will regret that " said Salvador. " You have been very disrespectful to the king " " King Bobby is insulted by this " " You could have fought in the war and got off free but since that is how you want it so be it " said Paula. " Yes, this must happen " said Salvador. " This is unfortunate " We will fight Crayon, Colourea, Colouruke, Artby, Dove and Grackle " " Warbler is the brother of Blackburnian and Challenger is the leader of Colourland so we will not fight them " " It is a shame that Crayon refused to fight in the war, he lost his chance of being a hero " said Paula. " He would have seen Bird's Isle people witness him being heroic " " Yes, it is a shame " said Salvador. " Time for us to fight " said Paula. " Yes, let's fight " said Crayon. The fight began. Crayon and Colourea fired their Super Light Blasts while Paula and Salvador fired their Super Wind Blasts. The blasts hit their respective targets. They got up, Artby used the Super Light Bomb while Grackle used the Super Wind Bomb. The bombs aimed for Salvador but he used the Ultimate Wind Strike which then hit down Grackle. Paula then was charging the Ultimate Wind Bomb while Salvador was charging the Ultimate Wind Blast. Colouruke then used the Ultimate Sea Bomb while Crayon used the Ultimate Light Blast, the attacks hit. " You aren't bad, but you will not avoid questioning " said Paula. " As a brother Blackburnian is very hurt by the decision " said Salvador. " Yes, he is unhappy " said Paula. " Warbler doesn't want to fight " said Dove. " Blackburnian wants him in the war, you must understand " said Salvador " " It means a lot " Perhaps you should ask him yourself " said Colouruke. " I don't need to ask him, he is in a tough position right now " said Salvador. " He wants to fight but you are not letting him fight " " He must have that chance " " Yes, he must " said Paula. " If he wanted to fight, he would have stayed back at the castle " said Crayon. " He went with us " " Crayon is right, he didn't tell us " said Colourea. " Well you can think what you want, let's continue the fight " said Salvador. Salvador launched his Wind Implosion and aimed it right at Dove, Dove used the Ultimate Wind Strike while Colourea used the Ultimate Light Strike. The strikes and the implosion collided with each other. Lots of damage was dealt to all three. Paula then charged the Ultimate Wind Bomb while Artby used the Ultimate Light Blast and Grackle used the Ultimate Wind Blast. The attacks hit and they all took damage. Grackle and Dove then used their Ultimate Wind Bombs while Paula and Salvador used their Ultimate Wind Blasts. The attacks hit, but the blasts were stronger. Grackle and Dove then got up and used their Ultimate Wind Blasts while Paula used the Wind Implosion which hit them down. Crayon used his Light Implosion while Colourea used hers. It combined to create a devastating attack called Sun Implosion which hit down Salvador and Paula. Paula and Salvador got up and they then used their respective Ultimate Wind Blasts and they aimed them at Colouruke, Colouruke used his Ultimate Sea Blast while Dove used her Ultimate Wind Blast. The attacks hit their respective targets, Dove was starting to slightly struggle. Paula then charged up for the Ultimate Wind Bomb while Salvador used the Ultimate Wind Blast, the attacks then aimed for Grackle but Grackle used the Ultimate Wind Blast and Dove used the Ultimate Wind Bomb. The attacks then hit their targets. Grackle was slightly struggling, while Dove was struggling. Artby then fired his Light Implosion with Crayon using the Ultimate Light Bomb. The attacks aimed at Salvador, he then used the Wind Implosion to counter. Paula then rushed for Dove with the Ultimate Wind Strike while Dove countered with her own. After that, Grackle used the Wind Implosion and aimed it towards Salvador while Salvador countered with his own but it was stronger. Salvador then got up and then used his Ultimate Wind Bomb while Paula used the Wind Implosion. The attacks then aimed for Grackle and Dove who then used their Ultimate Wind Blasts. The attacks created this giant wind explosion blowing everyone away and they all fell. Grackle and Dove were defeated, while Artby was starting to slightly struggle. So that is all for those two " said Salvador. " Now you really have seen what it is like fighting advisors of the king " " We are too strong " said Paula. " There are four of us left " said Crayon. " We have a lot more " said Artby. " Yeah, we do " said Colouruke. " You four are stronger than Grackle and Dove, I will give you that but it is not enough " said Salvador. " Bakers have helped us " said Artby. " The bakeries know what we are fighting for " " They know we are here for them " " The bakeries ? " asked Salvador. " Yes, the bakeries know that we are always fighting for bakers, helping bakers out " said Artby. " " Bakers are appreciated " " Helping bakers out, bakers will do nothing " said Paula. " I help bakers out all the time with the purchases I make " said Artby. " Purchasing bread is what I need to keep doing, bakers feel that they are rewarded for their hard work with flour " " If it wasn't for bakers, I wouldn't be the person I am today, bakeries have changed me for the better " " Flour does so much, I love flour " " No matter what type of person you have become, you will be defeated and will spent a long time in jail " said Paula. " I will not let bakers down " said Artby. " Bakers mean so much, baking is so useful " " Let us continue " said Salvador. " Bring it on " said Crayon. Paula then charged for the Wind Implosion while Salvador then charged for the Ultimate Wind Bomb. Crayon used the Light Implosion while Colouruke used the Sea Implosion, the attacks hit their respective targets. Artby then was charging his Ultimate Light Blast while Colourea charged her Ultimate Light Bomb. Salvador used his Wind Implosion. The attacks hit each other and all fighters took damage. Artby got up and he used the Quintuple Light Strike while Salvador used his Ultimate Wind Strike. The strikes hit each other. Artby was struggling, he got up and charged for the Light Implosion while Colouruke used the Ultimate Sea Blast. The attacks then aimed for Salvador, Paula and Salvador used their Ultimate Wind Bombs. The attacks hit each other, everyone took damage. Artby was seriously struggling while Colouruke was slightly struggling. " Now Artby it is the end " said Paula. " It is a shame it had to come to this but you refused the war that King Bobby had wanted so it must be this way " " I will give it everything I have left, which is what bakers want " said Artby. Salvador and Paula then charged their Wind Implosions while Crayon charged his Wind Implosion and Artby used his Light Implosion. The attacks combined into Sky Implosion for the advisors and Light Tornado for Crayon and Artby. The extremely powerful attacks collided and everyone was hit and took damage. It was looking like Artby was about to be finished while Colouruke was struggling. Paula then charged her Ultimate Wind Bomb while Salvador was using his Ultimate Wind Blast. The attacks aimed for Colouruke but Colouruke used the Sea Implosion while Crayon used the Ultimate Light Blast. The attacks then hit their respective targets. Salvador got up and he used the Quintuple Wind Strike against Colouruke's Quintuple Sea Strike. The strikes hit each other. Colouruke was seriously struggling and he was having a hard time moving but he could still fight. " Now it is going to be the end " said Salvador. " I will keep fighting " said Colouruke. " Colouruke you now have seen what it is like to fight an advisor of the king " " The king has great advisors " said Paula. " He is such an amazing king " said Salvador. " King Bobby is the best " Colouruke used his Sea Implosion while Crayon used his Ultimate Light Blast. The attacks then aimed for Salvador while him and Paula used a combined attack called the Ultimate Sky Blast. The attacks collided with intense power and everyone was hit. Colouruke was defeated while Salvador was starting to slightly struggle.

Katsu just woke up and with a bandage on his head, he reassesses himself on the events and reads the notes left by vin, on the note, it tells katsu what to do while vin is gone. Katsu stands up slowly, his wound still hurts, and he looks around the room, struggling to focus as everything seem to spin uncontrollably. "Everything happened so fast, it never gave me any time to think about what had happened." A voice narrates. Katsu takes 3 deep breaths. Stands up, gets some water, and drinks it. Finally, after everything that has happened to him, he is ready to take action. Moving carefully, he opens several drawers, his wound still hurts. He grabs a shirt and puts it on, he wore a small coat and hides his bandages with a hat and some parts of his hair. While he was searching and looking, a man opened the door and stepped inside, with a deep, somewhat scary, and manly voice, he spoke. "Hey, child! What are you doing!?" Startled, katsu falls. "Tch, get up... you should expect the unexpected!" He shouted. Katsu cautiously gets up and asked, "W-who are you, sir?" The man proceeds to ignore him and instead smokes a cigarette. Katsu reiterated, "What's your name sir? And-" "Speak louder!" the man responded. Katsu repeated but with a louder tone, "who are you, and what are you doing here??" The man smokes and then responded, "I'm a bounty hunter paid by a gang to watch over you so that you don't tell the police of what had happened. So, back to my question. what are you doing?" "I was looking for some clothes to wear," Katsu responded. The bounty hunter sighs, "well don't go doing sum stuff that I wouldn't want ya to do." He turns to leave but katsu stopped him to ask. "what's your name sir?" "Does it matter? Well, the names Von." "Von, nice to meet you, I'm Katsuro Everest," Katsu acknowledged with a smile. "Sheesh, paying me thousands just to watch over a child, what a waste of time" the bounty hunter mumbled as he left the room. Katsu continues to change. Katsu, although experienced a traumatic incident, is devoid from any form of urgency, and takes time doing things without worrying about the situation. He stops thinking about what happened and focuses more on following the notes left by vin. Katsu remembered that Vin said he'd need help from Bon, as a good friend of Vin, they'd been planning if something like this were to happen. "At least that's what I thought." A voice added. The letter contained another letter, Vin instructs Him to bring the letter to Bon and strictly said to follow Bon's instructions. Katsu looks at himself in the mirror. Looking at himself, he sees that he has grown, and is now ready to help someone he deeply cares about. "Looks like I'm ready, time to go to Bon's place." He leaves the messy room and locks the door; he makes his way downstairs but is stopped by Von leaning beside the stairs. "Hey child, where are you going?" Von asks. Quickly thinking of an alibi to not attract the Bounty Hunter. "Umm.... Going out to shop for some food." He nervously responded. "Well, then I'm going with you." "Well... you don't have to" "I INSIST" he cuts him off But he fails anyway. The man joins Katsu as they walk down the long empty road, lightly illuminated by the sunrise. Katsu starts sweating, his hand gets cold in the chilly morning. "I need to think of a way to stop him from following me." He thought. "Hey kid!" the man yelled. "we're just going around in circles, where are you going!?" He questioned katsu's alibi. "Umm... we're close, almost there, Hehe." He says, sweat dripping down his face. Entering the commercial district, crowds of people are packed in the streets, stalls and shops are everywhere. As rays of sun barely passes through the district's skyline. On the morning of a hot and busy autumn day, many shops offer large discounts to make their shops more popular, and people stampede to these shops in the thousands, getting there first while there's still stock is why the large number of people flock to the commercial district in early mornings. This fact gave katsu an idea. Passing by a jewelry store; katsu loudly shouted "All jewelry is 50 percent off!!!" Hundreds start to flock to the store within seconds, overwhelming the bounty hunter. Realizing what katsu had done, he turns to him but is quickly swept by the massive amount of people trying to rush towards the store. "Why you! Come back here kid!!" the bounty hunter shouted, and tries to catch up to katsu. Katsu slipped through the crowd. "See ya!" katsu taunted the bounty hunter. But the man grabbed katsu's hand before he could run. "Gotcha! You ain't escaping me!!" "Let me go!" katsu resisted. "Tch, stop resisting!" But as the crowd gets bigger, more and more people bump into them. He slowly loses his grip and eventually lets go of Katsu. Katsu immediately dashes away from the mob of avaricious people. "Come back here! Don't let me lose my money!!" the bounty hunter yelled, as he gets lost in the crowd. Katsu hastily runs away, not looking back. The faster he runs, the more his body begins to ache. With each step, he remembers when he was running toward his house leaving the destruction behind him. And now, he is running once again. He passes familiar landmarks and soon arrives at Bon's store. He swings the door open. And the familiar bell rings... Bon turns around while cleaning some mugs. "Ah, monsieur how is you doing-" Bon was suddenly alarmed when he saw katsu bandaged up and panting heavily, dropping the pricey mug, and shattering it. "Katsu what, what happened! What's wrong!?" Katsu walks up to the counter, heavily breathing, and handed him the note. "Monsieur, w-what's this?" "Vin told me to give this to you." "Vin... I see..." Bon opens the letter up, and katsu sits down and rests. As bon starts to read the letter. While reading it, his teeth start to grind on each other, he grips the paper and crumples the sides. He continues, then, his face changed, his face was shocked, the letter had something shocking to tell Bon. Bon gasps and then he slams the table, and shouted, "VIN!!!! THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE!!!" "Wait- What!? Bon, what's wrong? What did the letter say!?" Bon gulps and fell silent, deliberating if he would tell katsu. "What is it, Bon?? What did it say?" katsu persists. "Katsu, here's... wait-" Bon suddenly stops and drops the letter. And in a split second, his facial expressions changed once again. This time, his face was filled with anger and rage. He yelled and ordered katsu to "GET DOWN QUICK!!" He grabs katsu and throws him out of the way. A bullet slightly scratches Bon's face and hits the shelf behind him. A loud bang and the windows shattering echoed in katsu's mind; he still can't stop remembering his past. "Oh, Kid! WHERE ARE YOU! I KNOW YOU'RE HERE!" the bounty hunter calls out. He enters the store with his rifle. panic and chaos ensue outside, with hundreds of people running and screaming. Bon immediately pulls the emergency lever, grabs his gun from under the counter, and loads it. He comes out from behind the counter and fires back. Von steps to the side and missed by hair's breadth. Von chuckles and faces Bon with eyes filled with killing intent. "Your aim is as lousy as ever!!" Von criticizing Bon The two had a face-off, the scene was so tense, that the store's temperature rose by 2 degrees! A gunfight ensues, and with each loud bang, katsu gets reminded of the past. Katsu hides behind the store shelves, covering his mouth, and is shaking profusely. With each loud bang, tears fall, katsu shakes and shivers, and he can't move his body. Then, a voice whispers, "Do you want history to repeat itself?" Time begins to slow... His vision is blurry, he starts brushing away his tears, and he begins to muster up all of his strength and confidence. "You must fight for what you want. And protect the ones you love." The voice whispered Katsu jolted back up, and the smell of gunpowder fills the store. Katsu peaks over the shelves, and he sees Bon, slightly wounded, fiddling with his rifle hiding behind the counter filled with bullet holes. He's out of ammo. "What's wrong bon!? Are ya out of ammo? You always forget the most important rules of a hunter!" Von exclaims. "I told you not to return here ever again!" "Today is an exception. I'm here on a bounty, now, where's the kid!?" "don't you dare go near him!" Von aims his rifle at Bon, and demands "Where is the child, or ill blow your brain out of that PATHETIC head of yours!" Katsu closed his eyes and did the only thing he could think of and pushed the heavy shelf. The shelf fell and separated Von and Bon. Using his sudden burst of energy, he then grabbed a heavy sack of flour and swings it. Von shoots the sack, and the room is immediately filled with flour dust. Von steps back and covers his mouth and nose. Katsu makes a run for the door to escape. Von throws away his Rifle and catches katsu just outside the store. "Gotcha! You're not escaping again!" Von shouted. Katsu struggles to escape, so Von tried to tie him down. "Stay put kid, you're being way too troublesome! This is way more work than it pays." He says while having a hard time tying katsu. Then, a bullet hits Von in the side, near the liver. "Don't think that I won't hurt you just because you are my brother." Bon threatens Von. Bon walks out of the smokey store aiming at Von's head with the rifle that Von threw away. "Ehh?? Do I now?" Von teases him. Von grabs katsu and pulls out a revolver aiming at katsu's head, taking him hostage. "Don't move any closer or this little brat's brains will end up on the pavement." "Bon! Help!" katsu pleaded, struggling to move. "SHUT UP BRAT!" Von yelled. "Von! Don't do it!" Bon said trying to convince Von. "Make me." Von cocks the gun and places his finger on the trigger. Katsu closes his eyes, hoping that he'll get saved and something good will happen. He prepares for the worst. Then, the voice whispers once more... "Not yet." And the next thing katsu heard was a gunshot, and his ears ringing. Then, a voice... "Stand down! His Majesties Royal Military Police! And let the boy go!" Katsu opens his eyes. And he saw policemen surrounding the bounty hunter. And the gunshot he heard was someone shooting the bounty hunter's revolver, which sent it flying out of his hands. "I SAID STAND DOWN AND LET THE BOY GO!!" A policeman yelled. Von sweats and gulps. Von thought to himself, "well... this is getting out of control, I guess I'll give up, this is more work than it's worth." So, he let katsu go. Von sighs, and then he says, "Alright! You got me; I surrender." Katsu runs over to Bon. "Ahh! Monsieur katsu! Are you ok!? Are you hurt!?" "I'm ok... what about you?" "Ah, just little scratches, don't worry!" A police officer walks up to them. "You two! We're taking you in custody! You've got a lot of explaining to do..." "Eh?" both of them exclaimed. Both of them were taken to the Central Headquarters of the Landon Military Police, at the greater Scatland yard. It's a large 10 story modern style building that stands out over the severely outdated old buildings of Landon. Though lavish and futuristic its façade maybe, the interrogation room that looks more like a prison cell, inside is small and cramped, it smells like rust, and only has one light to illuminate the entire room. Katsu sits silently playing and fiddling with his shaking hands, he has never gotten into trouble this high. Usually, Vin would just time him out and not let him outside, but now, the stakes are high, and he can't help but feel nervous. But he tries his best to keep calm. Minutes later, they start to hear footsteps. And a decorated police officer enters the room. He steps inside, a young police officer. He is wearing the standard royal police uniform; he has 3 stars on his shoulder and many ribbons and awards filling his right chest. Holding a cup of tea, he removes his hat and sits down. His hair is messy, with dark circles under his eyes, his face is droopy. He furrow his eyebrows and stares deeply at the pair. He takes a sip and sighs. He turns his head up and stares at Bon and Katsu. A moment of awkward silence... Then, the man talked. "Alright, let's get this over with... I'm the chief of the royal military police of the city of Landon, lieutenant general Albert Wilson." Bon replies, "we are-" "I already know who you guys are, so spare me the introductions... let's cut to the chase, we have a bounty hunter in our cell for causing a ruckus at the commercial district, he was apparently after you guys... so I need an explanation for all this trouble I woke up to first thing in the morning!" He complains. Bon and Katsu proceeded to explain everything... "I see... so your brother, the bounty was hired to keep Mr. Everest away from the police because your friend was captured by a gang. And after he tried to seek your help, he went crazy and so this happened??" Albert clarified. "Ye-yes sir, that's all that happened," Katsu responded. "So, what gang kidnapped this Mr. vin exactly? We'll just save him and end this whole kerfuffle." "Well..." Bon was hesitant to tell. "Everything happened so fast, I can't remember if vin said anything to me about that... do you know Bon?" "it's..." Bon is still hesitant. "Mr. Bon, please tell us, this information is very crucial for us to take action. And, you're wasting my valuable time, I should be taking on more important matters, but I'm stuck here with you because of the duties I have to keep as a General of the military police, now tell me!" Albert demanded. Bon gave up and answered. "Vin is part of the Underground Pint..." The room falls into silence... The chief was so flabbergasted he dropped his cup and shattered it on the floor. This also shocked katsu, the chief's response confused him, so he turned to Bon, he saw Bon's head face down, covering his eyes in disappointment like he expected this kind of response. Moments later, 2 guards burst into the room. "Sir! What happened?? We heard a crashing noise so we thought something bad might happen..." Albert chuckles with fear... "S-So, y-your friend got k-kidnapped by the Underground Pint?" he stutteringly questions. "Yeah, that's what Bon said..." katsu immediately answers. Albert sits back and calms himself down. "Hmm... let me see... yeah, there's nothing we can do about that." "What!?" Katsu exclaimed. "Tsk, I knew it. You guys are too weak to stop them." Bon quietly says as he sits back up. "The Underground Pint Huh, we've been tracking them for the past 10 months. They are notoriously powerful, so we can't make a single move against them!" "But-" katsu tried to reason but was cut off. "ALSO! Another thing, we're keeping both of you under investigation, for the reason of a clear relation with a member of one of the most wanted criminal organizations. and we'll have to lock you up until this madness dissipates." "This is crazy! You refuse to save our friend and now you're going to lock us up because of it!?" Bon cuts in. "We can't just let you go, as a threat to national security, I'll be held responsible if you cause more trouble!" "Then if you're so loyal to your job then actually help us!" Katsu also joins in. "What else am I supposed to do? Send my entire police force to the base of the Underground Pint!? We don't even know where it is!!" he declares, standing up with an annoyed look. Albert turns to the 2 guards and told them. "After you clean up this place assign this case to a different guy, this is just too troublesome for me, be careful, they might cause trouble for you guys too, but be light on the kid. If you need me, I'll be in my office taking some more Z's." And then he continues to talk about their schedules. Katsu scowls and grinds his teeth in anger. Once again, he is powerless by himself... But today, he's not alone. "So, you think that I don't know their location?" Bon asked. "Pardon?" Albert replied. "I do happen to have a secret note from Vin, as my dear friend and a loyal customer, I have information that you DON'T have." Albert nervously laughs. "That's impossible." Bon grabs a piece of paper from his pocket and throws it on the table. "There is your impossible..." Pulls out a cigar. "How did he get that inside? We had them patted down, right??" a guard murmured. "That's not what's important here!" he told the guards. Albert quickly grabs the paper and reads it. "Tch, how do we know you're not lying!?" "Trust me or not, it's up to you to decide." Bon looks around for a lighter. "Even if we know where their base is, this is a high-security threat to the nation, we need to call on the army, which is out of the city! They will arrive here in around 3-4 hours for the army to completely mobilize! Giving the gang time to prepare, and I don't want the army to clash with them head-on, even one dead soldier would ruin our image!" "You are the Military Police, I KNOW that you can change the story however you want, plus! They won't know immediately, you have Von detained in your cells, they won't notice immediately if their bounty hunter is missing... but you're right, it's only a matter of time before they notice." Silence ensues once more. Katsu's face lights up as he stares graciously at Bon like he was his hero. "Woah! Bon is so cool! Maybe I can do something too, I want to help!" katsu thinks to himself. Katsu starts thinking about what to do, he wants to help but doesn't know how to. He doesn't want to become useless again. Hey... I'll tell you what you can do... An unknown voice whispers into Katsu's ears. Katsu gasps. Katsu begins to sweat as the voice tells Katsu of a plan. Shivers are sent down his spine, this is a risky plan... He couldn't remember what it said, but he knows its contents... Albert clears his voice and spoke, "Now, that's a risk I don't want to take. Now if you excuse me, I've got more important things to do." Time is ticking... Follow the voice or not? Time slows down as Katsu carefully deliberates. Opportunity is leaving the room. Albert was moments away from leaving but before he could reach the door. Katsu calls out. "Wait!" "What is it now!?" he irritatingly yelled back. "We can distract them!" This surprised everyone in the room, and Bon choked on the cigarette and starts coughing. Bon stops coughing and speaks. "Monsieur! What are you saying!" Albert joins in, "Yeah! What are you rambling about kid!?" Katsu gulps and repeats what the voice told him. With absolute confidence in his voice. "I'm saying that we can distract them, using the incident in the commercial district, Bon will bring me to their base, since Bon looks similar to Von, he will act as the Bounty Hunter, and I will pretend that I've been caught. And distract the entire gang for as long as we can, besides, not every member is at their HQ, right?" Everyone is utterly Dumbfounded at Katsu's plan. "Hmm. It is certainly possible, but wait a minute! That plan is just crazy! You guys will risk your lives just for this!?" Bon defends Katsu's idea. "Yes it has its risks, but you're letting the opportunity of arresting your dreaded enemies..." "PFFF! Kid, why do are you so determined to rescue him!? Who is he to you anyways?!" The whole room gasps. "Oh... I shouldn't have said that..." Albert whispers. "Because I..." "Nah I'm sorry, you don't have to answer that-" Katsu interjects with confidence. "Because Vin is my last family left... I am determined to save him, I WILL not lose another person close to me." "And you said it with such determination as well... commendable, but that just-" Bon pleads. "I never would have thought I would say this to a police officer but... I beg of you, please get my friend back!" "Wah, I... oh wow, this is such an eventful morning..." Speechless. Albert sits back down and rests his head on his hand. Albert ponders for a moment... Then, he had decided. "Looks like I've got no choice... Alrighty then, here's a deal, I'll allow you to go out and rescue your friend, in EXCHANGE for the subsequent arrest of the prince of terror Ivan Hanzai as well as the dissolution of his entire crime organization. Do we have a deal?" Katsu looks at Bon. "Well, if katsu is fine with this then sure," Bon answered. For the first time in a long time, Katsu felt happy, like a large boulder was lifted off of his shoulders, he finally did something to help. But still, something heavy was tied to his heart bringing it down. "Then it's decided," He calls on the guards, "You there, tell my secretary to cancel my other plans for the afternoon, and the other guy, go tell all available officers to prepare for an emergency meeting." "Yes sir!" "you two get ready, we are not wasting any time so get moving!" he ordered. They walk out of the room and get briefed while walking in the corridors of the police HQ. "So, based on the ridiculous plan that you just said, I'll call garrison general Sho. Do your thing and stall as long as you can until they arrive, so I'll ask you this one time and one time only. Are you sure you want to do this?" Albert asked. "Yep! Of course, I can! I'm strong!" katsu quickly responded. "Lies I said that day, just to get you back..." an unknown voice lamented. "Ok, you guys go and prepare, I'll go over to send the army a telegram." Albert leaves the 2 behind and got some brand-new tea. He walks down the brightly lit corridor and enters a small dark room with two officers on radios. He takes a chair and a sip, then he commanded. "Send a message that calls for this telegram to be sent over to general Sho, now listen closely, here's the message." The officer starts to do Morse code and a message was sent to the temporary army HQ in the countryside. On a hot autumn morning, leaves are scattered along the road heading towards a large mansion in the peaceful countryside. In a room, an officer hastily decodes the encrypted message and writes it on a piece of paper. He orders a messenger to bring the message to the highest chief of staff. The messenger runs inside the mansion, and barges into a small room, sweating and grunting heavily. "I've got an urgent letter for General Sho!" he yells. Large windows let in an abundance of light in the room, a large sofa and two chairs, and a table in between, on it, papers and cups of tea. Sitting in the center is a highly decorated general with his crossed legs, beside him are more high-ranking officers of the army. The messenger catches his breath, stands up straight then salutes. "We've received an urgent request from the Landon City Military Police!" he announced. "From the chief?" The general asked. "Yes sir!" "We are discussing important matters, and are subsequently busy, so the general will see to it later." A lieutenant general sitting adjacent to the general ordered. "But sir, this is also important!" "I said we're busy-" The officer yelled but was cut off. "If it's that urgent then I'll hear it." "o-ok sir!" He gives the general the written letter. His eyebrow twitches in annoyance. "Does Albert need more therapy?" He mumbles. He sighs. "I also want an audible report on this." "Ah, o- ok sir!" he stutters. The messenger starts to report information they've received while the general read the letter. "That's the report, sir!" "Hmm. I see, so this really IS urgent..." The general stops for a moment to think, he pulls out his pocket watch and looks at the time. "Alrighty then, we've got time." The general stands up and puts on a coat. "Lieutenant! Get the 16th and 18th infantry divisions ready, we're moving ASAP!" "Yes General! Right away Sir!!" the Lieutenant says and leaves immediately. The general walks up to the messenger and orders him to "Tell Albert that we're coming, and tell him that we're even." "yes sir!" the messenger replied." Back at Landon, they received the message from the General. "Sir! General Sho has approved the operation and the army is preparing to head out!" "Good, I'll tell the others." "Sir! General Sho also said that you two are "even."" Albert chuckles. "He never owed me anything in the first place." Then heads out. He leaves the building and see's Katsu and Bon dressed and ready waiting for him. "Alright. Are you all ready?" "Yep!" katsu responded. "Okay then, we're going to get you as close as we can to their base, after that, you're all on your own. "Got it," Bon said. "Alright! Get on! We're leaving pronto!" They board a small jeep and headed out towards the gang's HQ. Katsu's hands were cold, but he still wears a big smile. Bon closes his eyes and meditates. Albert puts his head on the window and worries about the future... He'll be waiting... End of chapter 4

Driving through the old streets, and into a dark dimmed road, it's a rough ride. The buildings were dirty and partly ruined, as they enter more and more secluded parts of the city. Far away from the glorious Victorian city, the ghetto is filled with old and new war veterans who are not fit to fight anymore, as well as tons of conscientious objectors who were stripped off their rights. Hundreds of abandoned buildings, factories, and warehouses left over from the Industrial Revolution, are commonly scattered in the outskirts of the city. A perfect place for a hideout. Katsu starts curling up, his stomach starts to ache. The Chief notices. "Hey kid, are you alright? There's no turning back at this point, but I could drop you off if you don't want to continue." Albert asked. "Ghh... I'm fine, I'll go and save Vin no matter what!" Katsu responded. "Terrific resolve... Mr. Bon, don't let this kid get hurt, he has some potential." "Of course, I won't let any of them hurt him." As they get closer and closer, Albert starts briefing them on what they'll do. "Alright, you two will go to their base, stall, and distract them until the army comes. In the guise that Katsu is too troublesome for Von to handle, if the leader is present, go directly to him, other than that, it's on you guys, improvise... remember, the entire operation lies on you guys distracting them long enough, is that clear?!" "Yes sir!" Katsu yelled in response. They arrive at a dead-end, the road is barricaded, and beyond that is a small unfinished road that leads to a small shady and dark warehouse. They dismounted the jeep and took note on the barricade and the shady warehouse. "Based on your notes, looks like this is the place, just follow the path to that shady-looking warehouse over there, that's most likely it. We'll return to base and we'll wait for the army to arrive. We'll leave you to do your part." Albert Concluded. The rest of the team got on the jeep while the two remain. "We're going to try to return as soon as possible." "We'll get going now before they catch wind of the incident," Bon said. "Godspeed you two!" Albert told them before leaving. The jeep disappears behind the buildings on the winding road. "Shall we get going monsieur Katsu?" Bon asked. "Hm. Let's go!" Katsu replied filled with energy. "Well then, let's go." They continue walking down the small road. The clouds block the sun, and the area gets gloomy as it becomes dimmer and dimmer. And with each step they make, the more nervous they get. Bon starts getting into character. "Ehem, c'mon twat! Get a move on you slow snail!" An almost perfect copy of Von's voice and words, a perfect disguise. This amazed Katsu at how similar both of them are alike, and a hyped-up Katsu needs to act upset like he's been captured to not ruin the entire operation, so he quickly calms himself down from all the excitement. As they near the entrance, they saw 2 guards sitting and playing cards right outside the doorway. The guards caught sight of the 2 approaching and quickly pulled out a stolen military radio to contact their boss. Before they could say anything, Bon yelled out. "OI!! I'm here to talk to ya boss, Ivan, ya hear me!?!" Confused, the guards mistook him for one of their "Customers" so they rang up their boss. "Um. Boss, there is someone here that wants to speak to Boss Ivan, should I let him in?" "Hm. Well, he knows our location, so this "Someone" must be authentic, let him in, I'll go tell the boss." The pair gets closer to the warehouse. "Umm... mind telling us who you are?" the guard asked. "Huh? You don't know me!? I'm the Bounty Hunter that your boss hired to keep this twat from snitchin on us." "Uh. I see, well, you may come in." The old rusty doors screeches as it opens up. On the other side of the door, a well-dressed tall man, who seems to be a manager of the organization is waiting for them. He welcomed and greeted them with open arms. And then the pair enters the warehouse, with one objective in mind... stall. The doors close, The Clock strikes 12, and the operation was officially in progress. Back at the Military Police HQ, Albert arrives and orders the police brigades to begin preparations. The Lieutenant-General then heads to the cellar to confront and interrogate the bounty hunter. Opening the door, he interrupts 2 Officers torturing the bounty hunter. The two officers were 4th Officer Lieutenant Colonel Aramis Payne and Research and Development Section Officer Slade Gray. The bounty hunter is strapped to a chair. Bloodied, nails were torn out, chemicals on a tray, beaten and bruised. "Oh, general, you're back so soon?" Officer Gray said. "You're fast aren't ya?" Officer Payne said as well. "How did it go Aramis? Did he spill out anything yet?" Albert asked Officer Payne. "We couldn't get anything out of him. Yet... we were planning on experimenting with new torturing techniques we researched to get him to talk." Payne replies. "Get out of here, start preparations, pain isn't enough for him to talk I'll handle him." Albert ordered. "Yes Sir!" Both of them responded and quickly left the room. Albert walked closer to Von and starts questioning him. "Ehem. Mind telling us some information about your contractor?" He asked while putting on some gloves. "Heh, like I'd tell the likes of you! Just because I am a conscientious objector, I was shunned from society as a useless dog who refused to serve this kingdom, that is the reason I'm working as a bounty hunter!" Von accused. "Yeah, yeah, I asked you about your contractor, not your life story," Albert caustically says while going through an array a good tool to use. "Your military police hides under the facade that you are here to keep and protect peace and prosperity, but look what you're doing, you guys are a bunch of degenerate psychopaths!" "Taking this time to go all out against the entire Military Police I see..." Von continues to vent all his anger. "You high ranking officers need to know how hard it is to lose a life!" Albert was very surprised by what he said that he dropped the tools he was inspecting. "Woah! Let's not take it that far!" "You sit comfortably in your high ranking positions, not knowing how hard it is to see friends and family die! That's what we have to go through just to fight your meaningless war!" Albert grinned at his comment, then he started to chuckle. Then it slowly became a psychotic laugh. Von immediately regretted his decision. The only moment Von feared for his life, was this one. Albert stops laughing, turns over to face Von, and he punches him, breaking his nose. "If I had a gun, I would've shot you dead by now..." Albert growled in a deep, quiet voice. "Oh wait, I do." He pointed a pistol at Von's head. "Don't ever say those things again, you never know what I've been through worthless bounty hunter!" Von remained silent. Eventually, Albert calmed down. He sighs. "Anyways, your brother is stalling for us for as long as he can, so I shouldn't be wasting time like this." He puts his gun back into its holster and heads outside, but Von said something important to him before he left. "You guys are underestimating Ivan too much." "Oh, so Ivan IS your contractor, now I've got something to pin against him." "Yes! He is! It's pointless to even hide it from you anymore. But that's not the problem here, whatever you're doing, you'll regret it!" Albert turns around trying to keep his cool. "Uh-huh, and how would you know that?" "Ivan knows" "What do you mean?" "I didn't work alone on this one, of course, their intelligent network is as large as the Central Security Division, and you of all people, would know that." Von pressured Albert. "Pff, are you trying to wear my confidence down?" "Whatever you're doing, it's futile, and you'll only hurt that stupid kid in the process!" He couldn't keep his anger for long, and tried to punch Von again, But still had controlled himself from continuing. "Well, that's enough chitchat with you, now if you excuse me, I've got something more important to do than to waste my time on half-witted imbeciles like you." Albert leaves the room with a worried look. "How did it go, sir?" Officer Gray asked. "We got a confession. That's everything we need." "I see... what happened in there? You look down." Albert fell silent as he thinks hard. Brushing those worries aside He entrusts Bon's ability to keep Katsu safe. "Nothing much, now, enough chat. Let's go, get ready to meet General Sho." The clock strikes 12, and the operation continues. Back at the warehouse, Katsu and Bon are getting led by a manager and are toured around the large warehouse. "So, what brings you here?" the manager asked. "This brat ain't-" "Oh, forgive my impoliteness, I'm Jones Weatherford, Senior Manager of this here Underground Pint." "Wow, even a crime organization has a manager." "Please Sir, we'd rather you not call this a "Criminal Organization" nor but rather... a Brotherhood perhaps." Walking inside the vast insides of the warehouse, they reach an area filled with boxes and workers. "You see, all of us here in the Underground Pint were famous criminals, and of course, some aspiring ones. The gang is a haven for criminals who can't live a normal life anymore and people who live a life of crime." Jones explained. "Oh, really?" "Yeah, I myself was a very well-known criminal, not to brag of course," He chuckles loudly. "But most of the time I've spent on hiding from the Police, but, after meeting Mr. Ivan and hearing that he would make a gang for criminals like us, I joint him, now I'm his most trusted manager, boom! best decision I ever made!" "Huuhh?? Good for u then." Realizing his actions, he clears his voice and reiterated. "And so, we behave more like a Brotherhood, give or take, with a collective goal to survive long enough until the Katz Reich invades us. But with the recent failures of the invasion, it looks like it's going to take a while though." "W-what!?? You guys are with the Katz Reich!?" "A little convincing will do the trick, we'll do whatever they say, yadda yadda... in exchange for us being spared." "You all don't seem to know how terrible the Katz are..." "Well, I trust that Ivan can convince them... anyway, as we wait, we need a stable source of income, and here is where the "Criminal Organization" comes in." Jones opens a large container, and reveals what's inside to be tons and tons of alcohol, drugs, and other illegal substances. Von, astonished at the number of things inside the container, looks around the entire warehouse, and he see's hundreds more of the same thing. "Our main source of income! Oh, excluding stealing, bounties, bank robberies, raids on military camps, and selling info of various high profile officers of the army to the rebellion, this is our main source of income!" Katsu is awestricken on how much they earn and do. Although Von already knows that they are dangerous, he is still astonished at the scale of their operations are. "U-huh, so that's why you need to sell these?" Bon asked. "Yeah! Above all of that is selling alcohol, hence our name, underground pint. AND! This gang working under the leadership of Ivan Hanzai is making our biggest move yet, taking down the entire Empire! After some preparations, we, along with the rebellion will conduct large scale attacks against the Empire!, through these constant attacks, and an intelligence system that rivals the Military Police's Central Security Division! And without a sustainable income to fund our large operation which stretches out for years, the Empire will obviously be doomed to fail. Weakening its defences and lead to a quick invasion by the Katz Reich. That should speed up the process!" Jones disclosed. A ludicrous plan the likes of which nobody can ever fathom. Although well planned and orchestrated, all Katsu heard was complete nonsense from an evil organization trying to overthrow the government. But still, he knows that these guys are dangerous, and mean serious business. And they continue on what seems to be an endless warehouse. "And you guys are perfectly fine with telling all these to me?" "You were hired by Ivan, Ivan told me that you resent authority and government. So, you are trustworthy." "Well, you guys do you. I'm just doing my job." "Not doing it good enough I see." He quietly noted. "Wha!? H-how... wait! What do you mean??" "Hmm? You're here because you can't handle the child, so I presume you must not be doing good for today. Am I wrong?" "Well, I..." Jones smirks weirdly. "Don't worry sir, we understand, you must be tired from all your work." "yeah..." "Ah, here we are." They arrive at a dark secluded part of the warehouse. The manager knocked 4 times. "Who is it?" A muffled voice from the inside asked. "Ivan sir, it's jones, the bounty hunter you've hired wants to meet you, he brought the child as well." "Well then, bring them in!" The manager opens the door to a small room lit up by a fireplace, with Ivan and Vin discussing important things inside. "Von! Welcome! Come in, come in." The two of them enter the room as the manager closes and locks the door behind them. Vin incredibly flabbergasted, his eyes wide open. As he saw Katsu's face, he began to shake uncontrollably. He takes a steps forward to confront them. Vin quietly stuttered. "K-Katsu, w-what are you??" "You've got something to say vin!?" Ivan roared. "N-nothing sir!" Vin went back into place and quickly hushed himself. The two walk closer to the fireplace. "You may sit down here. Vin! Go get him some Vodka, and probably some ice tea for the child." "A-alright." Vin complied. Bon and Katsu sit down and Vin placed the drinks on the round table. Vin stands parade rest at the side of the room. Ivan sits down facing the two. "Alright, welcome! How may I help you, Von?" he kindly greeted the pair. This greatly shocked the two, as they expected a more violent response. "Uhm. I am having trouble taking care of this brat, he's just too much for me!" "I see, well, I guess it's not your fault, you're a bounty hunter not a babysitter after all. Vin, what do you like me to do?" Ivan asked Vin "Huh, I..." Vin deliberates for a moment. He starts to think of the safest option, he takes a deep breath. Although it will hurt, he still goes for it. "Uh, I had him sent a letter to Bon, a good friend of mine, to have him stay with Bon and move outside of the city. But it seemed that he didn't get it." Both Bon and Katsu we're shocked but for completely different reasons. Katsu went completely frozen. He starts piecing everything together. Bon's reaction to the letter, he quickly realized what the letter contained. Vin never had planned for him to get back. Vin never intended to stay with Katsu. Breaking his promise, Katsu was hurt. Feeling betrayed, he slouched over, with his eyes devoid of life, completely silent. Once again, he's alone. Bon was irritated that Vin said what he had written in the letter, and annoyed that he completely ignores their effort just to save him. Vin, though painful to say clenching his fist, continues. "I suggest that Von deliver him to Bon, and after he ensures their safety outside the city walls, our agreement will be complete." "I see... Von, can you, do it?" "Huh? Oh, yeah, yeah... it's much easier than having to take care of a child, hehehe..." "Alright, then, that'll be your last mission, you can leave after you finish taking a break, I'll pay you for your troubles before you go." The clock strikes 12, and the operation continues. The Lieutenant-General calls on every available Military Police Personnel to the Metropolitan Police HQ. Amassing a total of 2,000 Personnel and 1,000+ more patrolling every street of the city. Even the Military Police Special Armed Combat Forces and Counter Terrorism Division, were there. Albert is on the upper floors of the MP HQ at his personal office overseeing the operation and waiting patiently for the arrival of the army. An officer bashes through the doors. "Sir!" Officer Payne exclaimed. "What is it, Lieutenant?" "Current report: We've got personnel patrolling the streets of Landon as well as temporary checkpoints in every major road/highway at the city borders." "Good, we need to swiftly overwhelm them and then divide and conquer from there... Using the information, we've garnered from months of investigation; we'll attack minor bases and annihilate all chances of a counterattack." "What about the army sir?" "They'll deal with capturing their main base, and that's up to their general to decide." "I see... Continuing with the report: Logistically, regarding how large scale this operation is, it is going to be a challenge just to transport our personnel to their designated sectors." "Pff, they can do it. Split them up into squads, so they can move independently from each other, c'mon, basic stuff." "Our PR Team is on standby ready to either cover up any mishaps or change the story to our favour. After this operation is finished, we'll gather the press to the city centre and hold a press conference with you and General Sho." "Ah, press conferences, my favourite." He said sarcastically. "As of now, the operation is going smoothly, but there's still a chance everything might go downhill, but only time will tell." "Any information on how long the army will take to arrive?" "We've received a report that they're already on the move, ETA: 1 hour." "Good enough for me. Now let's get started on creating an actual action plan." "Huh? But you said-" "Ignore my previous statement, that's just irresponsible... the 2nd officer and I will go with the SACF and the General to arrest the top officers of their organization, we are the Military Police, and it is in our nation's constitution that we, as makers and keepers of the peace to ensure that we do our duties without fail..." "I see..." "Gather all available Senior Ranking Officers for a meeting, pronto! Time is of the essence!" "Yes Sir!" Both of them continue to prepare for the incoming raid. The clock strikes 12, and the operation continues. Back at the warehouse, Ivan notices something different. "hm? What's wrong with the child? Is he not feeling good?" Ivan asked. "Ah, I dunno, he's probably just upset that all of this is ahh... Happening." "Hmm, yeah, life is hard, sometimes things like this might happen, he'll grow out of his traumatized state, right Vin!?" "Huh? Wha- ye-yeah..." "I was once like him, so I can tell you... he's going to be fine. Maybe I'll tell you some stories about me If you don't mind Von." "Oh, yeah sure! Take all the time ya need, really rare for my clients to have a long chat with me like this." "I was the son of one of the commissars. Although I was the only the 3rd in my family, they all ignore and despised me, as the clown of the family, I was often glossed over. Using this freedom, I did some crimes, including robbery, and murder, and I even got to orchestrate a small riot, I was pretty well known back in the union as a criminal." "Then, how'd ya end up here in the streets of Landon?" "Well... long story short, after my father died. The position of commissar was open, and as a loyal friend of the premier at that time, they honoured his wish for one of his sons to obtain the position. I was already a criminal and a shame to my family. So, I was guaranteed no way of taking the position. So, I sought to kill my brothers and take the position to myself." "Ah, but you don't seem to be a bad guy." "Oh, you think? Then you're probably not cut out for being a bounty hunter." Ivan suddenly accused with a deep dark voice. "Wait wut?" "in all your experiences in your work, surely you've learned not to trust someone so easily and always on guard, it may all just be deception." "I- I..." Bon's mind went blank, he ended up stuttering, and eventually paused into silence. "Anyways, after getting caught, I was convicted and sent to gulags, set to work until I fall. Punishing you for everything you do... it was hell on earth... in just a few days I was on the brink of death, but then a kind man helped me, he saved me from death." Ivan Continued. Katsu flinched; the story is way too awfully familiar. "After saving me, I thanked him, in return, I had to listen to what he had to say. After listening, my eyes opened to this world, he told me the secrets the governments are hiding. After that, on the very next day, he was executed. I knew that the government will find and target me next, using my expertise in persuasion to stage a small mutiny, through the chaos I escaped onto a ship headed for the city of Landon. But, in the streets of the empire, I wanted to change, but due to the past that I could not overcome, I wasn't able to turn back..." Ivan drank a shot, and continued. I became a wanted man, just like my old life in the motherland, I could not escape my past... that's why I have created this band of criminals, people who left their old lives, and now accept their fate!" Ivan remarked. He drank another shot and then slouched over the couch. "Nice and powerful story mate! I've got a question though; your friend who welcomed us here said that you want to help the Katz Reich to invade the mainland... why'd ya wanna do that? I mean, haven't you've seen the numerous atrocities they've committed?" "True, although we have amassed thousands of manpower, we still can't rival those of the government, any moment they can strike... as well as personal reason, I'm an anarchist... of all people I know you'd understand. Though the Katz Reich have done many unspeakable things, I am sure, any defectors are welcome there." "But aren't Cats and Dogs enemies since the dawn of time?" "that's what the government want's you to think. But I don't want to tell a bounty hunter any more of our top secrets." "Ah, my bad sorry." After some moments of silence, Bon drank a few more, stood up and spoke. "Well, if you don't mind me, I'll just go for a quick toilet break." "I'll escort him," Vin added. But before he was able to walk away, Ivan grabbed his arm tightly, and with an angered creepy face. "Where do you think you're going??" He asked with a deep and deadly stare in his eyes. Vin sweats in fear, but he did not reply. Ivan eventually stops and throw his arm away as he lets him go. "Go, and be quick." He commanded as he drinks another shot. The pair enters a room on the left side of the Office room. Ivan drinks some more as he and Katsu fell silent. The only sounds that could be heard were the crackling of the wood in the fireplace. Eventually, Ivan spoke. "Now, it's just the both of us... you've heard my story, and I've heard yours." Katsu remained silent... The Clock strikes 12, the operation continues. Albert and other High Ranking Officials are waiting tolerantly down at the front of the MP HQ. Albert readies himself as he awaits the Great Generals arrival. All the others can't help but feel wary, for this is the first time in quite a while the General is visiting, shivering on the very hot morning. Minutes later, the main force of the Imperial Garrison's 18th Infantry Division arrives at HQ. 15 trucks and jeeps roll into the HQ as hundreds of soldiers dismount to help the struggling Military Police. There the officers of the Garrison takes over the preparation phase. And seconds later, The General arrives. He hops off his jeep and immediately rushes over to the MP Officers. He stands proud with the High Ranking attire of the Garrison Army, many medals and ribbons. Although, he does look to young to be a General, as well as too short. But never the less, don't get fooled by his looks, as the man they see, is the greatest General in the army. Military Police Officers line up and stand honoured. Albert greets him. "General of the Imperial Garrison of Ingland, as the Lieutenant General and Head of the 5th Military Police Corp of the City of Landon, I welcome you back at the capital." All the officers saluted. "Alrighty then, 5th MP Corps, state Rank and Name, count off!" The General Ordered. "Senior Officer, Lieutenant General Albert Wilson." "2nd Officer, Colonel Chester Cross." "4th Officer, Lieutenant Colonel Aramis Payne!" "5th Officer, Lieutenant Colonel Esmond Reed!" "Hmm. You aren't a lot, that's all of them?" "Yes general, this is all our highest ranking Officers currently present." "Hm. Alright, briefing of plan!" "The plan is to overwhelm them with our numbers and using the element of surprise as an advantage to blitz through and arrest the head of the criminal organization Underground Pint, Ivan Hanzai!" Chester concluded. "Eh? Seriously? That's the plan??" "Yes sir, if all goes well sir." Albert answered. "Ah, well then... if the Kats did it, it'll probably work with us as well, carry on with the preparations!" "Yes Sir!" all of them yelled. Every soldier arms themselves and prepare for a massive assault on the enemy base. Albert and the General went up to a terrace to oversee the preparations, and also to chat. A rare time for both busy officers to chat, General Sho was assigned as Garrison General of Ingland after the Katz invasion of the mainland, spending all his time plotting the defence of the kingdom. While Albert is busy getting used to his new position as Head General of the Landon Military Police Corps. A somewhat awkward reunion. "Ey, Albert, long time no see mate!" "Hm... likewise." "Ehh?? I haven't seen you in just well over a year and that's how you answer me!? Come 'ere!" Sho gives him a noogie. The two laugh the stress off. "Oh, you're more cheerful than I last remember." "Huh? Yeah, I guess so..." "The therapy worked? You feel better?" "Hm, yeah, thanks to you." "I guess I have found a new job to distract me..." "That's nice..." "Well then, how many did you bring?" "Two Divisions." "Wha!? That much!?" "Well, you asked for help, so of course I'll do my best to help you in any way." "but... preparations will take twice as long!" "Don't worry, I trust your kid will hold up well." "Eh... if you say so..." "Im sorry Sho." "Eh!? For what!?" "An unauthorized crackdown operation on a dangerous criminal organization unapproved by the General Assembly would not be pleasing to hear in my record book." "Ah, Don't worry about those matters mate! I gotchu, I'll cover for ya!" "I see... thanks!" Both of them paused for a moment, as they witness the chaotic order as the soldiers prepare for the worst. The General can't help but question Albert's plan. "Why did you even agree with that kid's plan? It's not like you to send a kid to danger, aren't you close to children?" Albert faces Sho with excitement. "Hmm... after Mr. Bon gave me the coordinates, we would've done it either way, but after hearing his plan, it was... strange... his eyes were filled with resolve, his voice was filled with confidence, it felt like he had shaken the room, if that kid went to a fight, I'd say he'll beat even the best of your top recruits!" "Oh really?? I would like to meet this "kid" that so amazes you." "Yeah, after this whole operation is over... so then I was like, this kid is serious! So, I had to see for myself if he'd back down after I've agreed, but he just celebrated, no fear in sight!" "But why did you even let him go? Don't you know it's dangerous??" "I told you the plan earlier was to overwhelm them in a surprise attack, they'll distract them enough to shift their attention to them, lowering their guard even further. Besides, my team had already done some background checks on Mr. Bon, and he's not the guy you'd wanna fight. But I sense everything will be fine, as long as you're here, the blame will be thrown at you ha-ha!" "You're so carefree as always. Clever mind you've got there, you've cornered a General of the Army!" "Hehe, it looks like I've outsmarted you, but it's just a joke." "I'll remember this, I'll get you next time." "Hey seriously, it's just a joke, you've got the power to remove me..." he nervously said as he started to sweat. "don't worry, you're my friend, of course, I won't do that." "Ah. I see... t-that's, reassuring hehe..." "So you like it in the Military Police than the Brigades?" "Ah... I guess I do." "Well, whatever makes you happy, I just hope it doesn't go wrong and affect you that much, like last time..." he whispers. The clock strikes 12, and the operations continue. Ivan confronts Katsu about their similarities. "Truly... we are the same, both lost everything we love, sent to a faraway place, destined for death... but a saviour came to help, we both tried to change our lives, but in the end... failed... reverting to our past selves. I am just your future self, and if I don't intervene, you will end up just like me, someone who could not let the past go..." "..." Katsu refused to listen to his blabbering of delusion and remained silent. "Even our names are almost the same, I changed my name to Hanzai after the Japanese word for it, I once visited the place before the cats took over. And you, you are of Japanese descent." "..." Ivan drank once more and stood up. With a loud irritated voice, he spoke once more. "Listen to me child, I see potential in you, you're strong." A voice inside katsu's head interjected, "You're wrong." "You have the strength of hundreds of men!" No, you're wrong. "You have power that no one else has!" No, you're wrong! "We are the same! In the future, we will be the same! Your fate will end up like mine! So why won't you listen to me!" No, we're not the same. "Your past is the same with mine, my present, will be your future!!" No, we will not be the same. "Why won't you listen to me!? I'm giving you an opportunity. No, I've already promised Vin, I will never be like you. "I'll give you choice! An opportunity of a lifetime!" No! My past aren't the same as yours, and my future will never be the same like yours, I will fulfil my promise to Vin, someone who is more like me! These voices rang out into Katsu's empty mind. Even so, Katsu remained silent. Simultaneously, Bon and Vin arrive at the restroom. Vin shuts the door with an infuriated voice he quietly said; "What are you doing here!?!" "We're here for you." "Did you not read my letter!?" Bon snaps at Vin. "I did, but I'm not letting you just leave me with monsieur! After months of forging an unbreakable bond! You just leave him so suddenly!? From the very moment you saw him at the docks you knew you had to take him in, you had the responsibility to take care of him and now you're giving it to me!? If only you would've seen the amount of determination he had just to go here and risk his life to save you, because you are his only family left, Yes your plan might be the best course of action, but for him, and for me, it isn't... now stop thinking about his safety and start thinking about his feelings." Bon accused. Bon faces away with a sad frown. He begins to walk away. "And here I thought I'd never see you do something like this..." Vin stood there speechless, clenching his fists, he rethinks every decision he had made. Bon continues to enter one of the bathroom stalls. "Bon..." Vin called out. In a quavering voice, Vin reluctantly said. "I... I am sorry..." "Go tell that to Katsu." "W-what should I do now?" "It's all up to you my friend," Bon says as he closes the stall. Vin leans on the wall, tears falling from his face, as he rethinks every decision he had ever made. Meanwhile, Ivan walks closer to Katsu. "If you could hear me out... hm..." Katsu continued to remain silent, refusing to listen nor respond to his statements. Ivan couldn't handle his ignorance anymore. Ivan tackles Katsu to the ground. Katsu struggles to get out, and yelps in fear. "Listen here boy! I am giving you a chance here. And you should stop with that ignorant attitude or else I will have you killed!" Katsu was quickly reminded of why he went here. Bon and Vin hears the commotion and immediately rushes out. Ivan stops and let's go. Katsu fearfully crawls away. Angered by the sight, Vin walks forward to confront Ivan. "Tch, Ivan what are you doing!?" Vin gets grabbed by the shoulder and is held back by von. Ivan, panting, quickly reaffirmed himself. "As I was saying... Katsu, I have an offer for you. With your strength, you will certainly a valuable asset." This time, Katsu listened to his offer. "Katsu, as the head of the Underground Pint... I want you to join us." The room was filled with shock. Ivan cleared his voice and continued. "If you join as, not only will you be part of a family, you will also gain many..." Ivan continues to explain the benefits, but Katsu's answer is already certain. Katsu stops Ivan, and gave his final answer. "As tempting as your offer may be... But I already have someone with me that I know and trust, and is someone I cherish more than your group. I'm sorry, but I already have a family. I decline." These words melted Vin's heart, and teared up at the moment. "I see, a shame indeed... but, in the end, I'll have my way eventually." Ivan gets up and brushes his coat. "Boys, get them." Guards slams the door and bolted inside. Bon draws his gun but Ivan stopped him. "Don't go any further Bon!" Ivan pulls out a revolver, and aims it at Katsu. "Don't resist. Or the boy gets a bullet to his brain." Bon freezes with his hands on the pistol in his holster, while Vin's mind goes blank from how quickly everything happened. "Tch. So you knew! And yet you didn't say anything!" Bon raged. "I'm not stupid, in any case you all are stupid." "H-How did you know?" "Oh I knew from the beginning, there's no way I would let Vin give the boy a letter without letting me see it first." "So you lied!" Vin yelled. "That's already a given. After that, basic reaction would be for them to foolishly come here and save you, and look where we are now..." They could not do anything but watch as the scene unfolds. "Take the boy away." The guards picks up Katsu but he resists, and cried for help. "Bon! Vin! Do something! Please help!" The guards knock him out. And as Katsu's eyes close, he sees Vin's scared and worried look. Back at the HQ, the two Generals receive the report. "General! We've received reports from the surveillance teams!" "What is it soldier?" General Sho asked. "The pair who was supposed to stall, was found out!" "WHAT!?" The two generals responded. The clock strikes 12, and the operation grinds to a screeching halt. End of chapter 5.

Chapter 3 The Training, Part II After they ate their breakfast, Rourke went with them to head to where the training would happen. " First, before we begin there is something very serious that needs to be discussed " said Rourke. " Numerians want to take Colourea away from Crayon, we have ordered people to be careful " " King Bobby knows about this threat and when during the war, Numerians will try to take Colourea away so keep an eye for that " " Numerians want Crayon to be with a Numerian instead is what I have heard " " They will not stop easily " " You must all be careful " " There's something I don't understand " said Warbler. " Why do Numerians want to harm Colourea so much ? " Good question " said Rourke. " and King Bobby have said that Numerians want people to be with a Numerian instead " " We have urged people to protect Colourea " " Colourea could be hurt by Numerians, you have to be ready " " Crayon could be taken by Numerians, which would hurt Colourea a lot " " Colourea would hate to see Crayon hurt like that " " Why would Numerians take Crayon ? " asked Artby. " There are Numerians who are wanting Crayon for themselves " said Rourke. " This is not a good thing " " We must prepare " " Now, let's start training " " Use your basic blast techniques " Crayon, Challenger, Artby and Colourea used their Light Blast while Warbler, Grackle and Dove used their Wind Blast and Colouruke used his Sea Blast. " Very impressive, it seems that Challenger and Crayon had the strongest ones " said Rourke. " Now let us see your Super Blasts " " Challenger, Artby and Colourea used their Super Light Blast while Crayon, Warbler, Grackle and Dove used their Super Wind Blast and Colouruke used his Super Sea Blast. " Good attacks here, it seems like Challenger and Colourea were the two strongest " said Rourke. " Now if you can use the Ultimate Blasts, I would like to see it " Crayon, Artby, Challenger and Colourea used their Ultimate Light Blasts while Warbler, Grackle and Dove used their Ultimate Wind Blasts and Colouruke used his Ultimate Sea Blast. The attacks hit with amazing power. " Wow, very impressive " said Rourke. " Challenger was the strongest but all of you have gotten so strong " " Now the implosion is next " " Implosions are insanely powerful " Crayon, Artby, Challenger and Colourea used their Light Implosions while Warbler, Grackle and Dove used their Wind Implosions and Colouruke used his Sea Implosion. The attacks were insanely powerful. " Brilliant " said Rourke. " It appears that all of you have been training a lot " " It is said there are stronger Implosions " " Stronger ones ? asked Warbler. " Wind users should be able to learn the Bird Implosion " said Rourke. " The king knows how to use it and also the queen " " There is also the Sky Implosion which is stronger than the Wind Implosion " " I wonder if other elements have those ? " asked Colouruke. " There are " said Rourke. " Several kings know how to use them " Shadow and Light are stronger than the Wind and Sea ones but weaker than Sky and Bird " " Thanks Rourke " said Artby. " I would love to be able to use those attacks " " It takes time, Artby " said Rourke. " You will get there " " I will do my best " said Artby. " Bakers would want that " " Remember to protect Colourea from Numerians, Numerians are no joke " said Rourke. " Crayon, you must be ready for any Numerian " " My good buddy Draco will lead the Strike technique training tomorrow so see you all later " " Make sure you are ready " " We will " said Crayon. " Good, I would expect nothing else " said Rourke. Crayon and his friends were talking after Rourke left. " They all seem to believe that Numerians will split me and Crayon apart " said Colourea. " Do Numerians even want Colourea that much ? " asked Artby. " They are claiming that they want Crayon " " I am not sure what to think about these comments " " I have no idea, but I think they want us to hate Numerians " said Colouruke. " That sounds about right, these advisors want war " said Crayon. " Yeah, they do " said Colourea. " I am not surprised " said Dove. " Neither am I " said Grackle. " Anyways we need to be ready for tomorrow's training " said Challenger. " Yeah, that is true " said Artby. " Baking will help " " Yeah, we will keep it up " said Grackle. " Baking ? " asked Dove. " Yeah, we use baking to help us " said Artby. " Baking is so helpful " " Baking has never let me down in my life " Meanwhile King Bobby was talking with Queen Starling. " Challenger needs to send the Colourlandish people in " said King Bobby. " It will help our chances, plus Colourlandish people will get to fight with Crayon " said Queen Starling. " They will be honoured to see him fight " said King Bobby. " Crayon will be a hero again, Colourea will be even happier " said Queen Starling. " Colourea feels so safe with a hero like Crayon " said King Bobby. " Numerians want both of them for themselves " " They are not to be trusted " " Colourlandish people will see how Crayon has made Colourea so happy and the bravery that his friends have shown " said Queen Starling. " They will want to aid us in the war " " It is up to them and Challenger right now " said King Bobby. " It will be a war that is good for Bird's Isle " said Queen Starling. " It sure will be " said King Bobby. " Numerians will be taken down " " Bird's Isle will overwhelm them " " Yes, we will win " said Queen Starling. Meanwhile Crayon and his friends ran into Blackburnian and Diana. Glad to see you all get stronger " said Blackburnian. " We have been training hard " said Colouruke. " The bakers have helped us " said Artby. " Bakers ? " asked Diana. " Artby says the bakers have helped him fight and made him a better person " said Warbler. " Better person ? asked Blackburnian. " I have never heard of anything like that " " Bakers can do it, before the bakeries I was an okay person but now I am a good person " said Artby. " Well I really don't know about that but I'm glad that you are a good person " said Blackburnian. " I am really proud of Warbler my younger brother " " He has come a long way " " Warbler has gotten stronger, I am proud of him " said Diana. " It would be great if King Bobby lets us fight together in the war " said Blackburnian. " He's a great king but it would be great " " King Bobby knows what is great for Bird's Isle, he is looking forward to see how well in the war you will all do " said Diana. " Do you know who is going to fight ? asked Challenger. " It hasn't been decided yet but Draco will lead the Strike training tomorrow which Rourke probably mentioned to you " said Diana. " He did, he also talked about protecting Colourea what is this all about if you don't mind ? " asked Crayon. " Well, word is that Numerians are upset that you are not dating one " said Blackburnian. " The king has said this is true " " But why does a country care so much ? " asked Dove. " Crayon is wanted by a lot of people sexually " said Blackburnian. " After someone is a hero, people have this sexual interest " " Colourea cannot stand for it " " True, Colourea cannot do so " said Colourea. " I get that, but people will have to accept that he is with Colourea " said Challenger. " I don't remember Colourlandish people wanting him like this " " That is true " said Colouruke. " This happens to lot of heroes " said Blackburnian. " There are people in Colourland who want him but King Bobby says the number is not as high " " Perhaps King Bobby will discuss it at some point " " I don't understand, I am with Crayon, I love Crayon " said Colourea. " Yeah, I don't get it either " said Colouruke. " I know but this is how it is right now " said Blackburnian. " Crayon will protect you from Numerians in this war " " Not to mention everyone who will fight " " This will be a war that means a lot " " Well time has passed a lot and supper is about to be served so we should head to the castle " said Diana. " Yeah, we should do that " said Blackburnian. " Let's go " said Diana. They headed to the castle, had their supper which they enjoyed. Crayon and his friends went to bed when time got a lot later and they got up and had breakfast. Before breakfast was served, there was a discussion. " Today, we are doing the Strike training " said Draco. " They will do great " said Salvador. " We have lots of confidence " said Lord Grackle. " Give it your all " " I am very proud of my brother Warbler " said Blackburnian. " He knows what it means to be from Bird's Isle " said Paula. " Well he helped stop the Bear so that is something " said Curtis. " The Bear were a strong gang, but Crayon and his friends were able to stop them " said Challenger. " Colourland and Bird's Isle are great allies " said Lord Grackle. " They have lots of respect for each other " " That is for sure " said Diana. " King Bobby has been a great king and has always said great things about Colourland " " King Bobby loved the history of Colourland " said Queen Starling. " Before Challenger, there was a leader named Colour King but he had a mysterious disappearance " " Disappearance ? "asked Crayon. " Yes, he disappeared " said King Bobby. " You will hear more about it later " They finished their breakfast and headed out with Draco for the Strike training. " Now we are going to work on our Strike moves " said Draco. " Strike moves are very useful for head on attacks, something in the war that will be very useful " " So now let's begin, we will use our Triple Strikes " Crayon, Challenger, Colourea and Artby used their Triple Light Strike while Warbler, Dove and Grackle used their Triple Wind Strike and Colouruke used his Triple Sea Strike. The strikes hit with power. " Very good, now lets see those Quadruple Strikes " said Draco. Crayon, Warbler, Dove and Grackle used their Quadruple Wind Strikes while Colourea, Challenger and Artby used their Quadruple Light Strikes and Colouruke used the Quadruple Sea Strike. The strikes hit with lots of power. " Great to see, this will be very useful during the war " said Draco. " King Bobby will be very pleased to see this success " " Now, let's use our Quintuple Strikes if able " " They are some of the strongest Strikes out there " Crayon, Colourea, Challenger and Artby used their Quintuple Light Strikes while Warbler, Dove and Grackle used their Quintuple Wind Strikes and Colouruke used his Quintuple Sea Strike. The strikes were so powerful and hit with intense power. " Brilliant " said Draco. " Now, this completes the training, you are ready for war against Numeria " " Numerians must be taken down " " They are not a joke " " There is a lot to be decided for the date of the war and the plan that King Bobby and Queen Starling must do " " Remember to fight hard and protect each other as much as possible " " No mercy against any Numerian out there " " Warbler, your brother Blackburnian will be thrilled " Warbler has gotten so strong now " said Dove. " He sure has " said Draco. " Make sure you are ready, Numerians are no joke " " Anyways, I have to head back to the castle " Draco left. " I get the sense that the war will be pretty soon " said Challenger. " Colourlandish people have said that many of them do not want to fight this war " " I don't blame them " said Colouruke. " I don't want to fucking fight " " I understand " said Colourea. " I'm not sure how we plan to get out of this " " It will be difficult " said Artby. " I am not sure of what to do " " We may have to leave Bird's Isle " said Crayon. " Yeah, I could see that " said Grackle. " I'm not sure what King Bobby would do if were to find out about that " said Dove. " He would be infuriated, if he were to see it " said Warbler. " My brother will not be happy, he says he is looking forward to the war " " If he finds out we do that, things will get ugly " " Warbler, do you want to fight ? " asked Challenger. " I do not want to fight, but the advisors are incredibly strong " said Warbler. " Fighting any of them will be like fighting Blackina or Blackin at least if not tougher " " It will be very difficult " " We beat them and are stronger now " said Artby. " I am ready " " We should try to hide somewhere " said Grackle. " We should last there until the end, we must stop the war " " Maybe the bakers know something " said Artby. " Bakers are so wise " " They know so much " They headed to the bakery, where they asked about the war. " King Bobby wants to invade Numeria ? " asked a baker. " Why would he do that ? " " Apparently Lord Grackle wants their resources, King Bobby believes that Numerians are trying to take Colourea away and Blackburnian wants to fight in the war " said Crayon. " Numerians seem to be getting blamed a lot, I don't know a lot about them " said a baker. " King Bobby with his advisors want war so it is getting pretty serious now " said Warbler. " Anyways we should eat some tasty bread " said Artby. " I never get tired of bakeries, so much great bread here " " I love bakers, I love bread " " I never get tired of either " They got their bread and they left. Challenger got a message from King Bobby just now. Challenger, do you know how many Colourlandish want to fight ? Challenger, this war will do wonders for Bird's Isle as you know. Colourea will be extra safe if this happens, you want her safer I know. Challenger talked about the message he received. " War isn't going to keep Colourea safer " said Grackle. " Who knows with him " said Colouruke. " The number of Colourlandish people isn't that high, he will not be happy but we must accept it " said Challenger. " I will tell him the number " " I wonder how much ? " asked Crayon. " They say about 18 percent of our warriors want to fight " said Challenger. Mostly some very anti Numerian people and a few others " " Anti Numerian ? " asked Colourea. " There are some people that do not like Numerians and want to kill a Numerian but most of our warriors are not like that " said Challenger. " So, Grackle and Dove if you have to leave here would you want to ? " asked Warbler. " If it is the only way for us to not be part of the war then we will do it " said Dove. " If that happens we will need to find somewhere in Colourland " " For the time being we need to know when the war starts " said Colouruke. " Yeah, we do " said Challenger. " Let's try to find out " Meanwhile King Bobby got Challenger's reply and notified Blackburnian that 18 percent of the warriors want to fight. " How could this be " said King Bobby. " This war will do good for Bird's Isle " " Well if we do not get that many people, then we really need to be on point " said Blackburnian. " Crayon will make up for it " " His fighting will do so much " " The 18 percent will be useful, I am proud of them " said King Bobby. " Hopefully they will get here soon, we must wait till then " " Sounds good " said Blackburnian. " They understand what is at stake here " " They know what it means for the alliance of Colourland and Bird's Isle " said King Bobby. " They sure do " said Blackburnian. " This alliance is so great " " It will never end " Time passed, Crayon and his friends were notified that the warriors will arrive in three days from now. " When they arrive we will decide a date for the war " said King Bobby. " We will be united and we will win the war " said Queen Starling. " We will protect Colourea the way that is needed " said Salvador. " Colourea is loved here " said Paula. " What the Numerians want to do to her is horrible " " I am not going to stand for it " " It is not right but we cannot let them succeed, it is another reason for the war " said Curtis. " This war will be a great war " said Draco. " The training that we went through has shown to be worth it " " It was great training for them " said Rourke. " Now they are so strong " said Draco. " They most certainly are " said Rourke. " These Numerians have resources that we must take " said Lord Grackle. " Numerian resources will be useful " " This war will be great " " I think about what a great war this will be " Everyone was dismissed. Time passed, then everyone ate their supper. Before bedtime Crayon was kissing Colourea. Artby said that he could count on bakers for anything and he was happy that the bakers have made Crayon so happy. Everyone went to bed. The three days passed. During those days everyone trained their techniques. Artby talked about bread and baking like he usually does. King Bobby said that the people who would fight would be these people: All of Crayon's friends and all the advisors except for Lord Grackle, Draco and Rourke. The date was tomorrow for the war. Before bedtime, King Bobby was talking with Queen Starling, Lord Grackle, Blackburnian and Diana. " This is going to be huge " said King Bobby. " I will be too strong " said Blackburnian. " Imagine me and my brother taking down Numerians " " Yes, it will be great " said Lord Grackle. " I would fight but the king needs some advisors back " " Yes " said Queen Starling. " Crayon has a chance to do a lot " said Diana. " Yes, this opportunity is important " said Blackburnian. " Warbler knows what he needs to do " " He sure does, this war is great " said Lord Grackle. " I cannot wait for these resources " " Same here " said King Bobby. " Time for us to go to bed " " Yeah, we need our rest " said Diana.

Chapter 6 First Fight With Advisors, Part Two " Now you two will be questioned by King Bobby and the rest of our great advisors " said Salvador. " King Bobby is very frustrated about the decision " " King Bobby had lots of confidence in you Crayon, he saw the bravery against The Bear but now this ? " asked Paula. " Crayon, you would have been a huge asset in the war " " It is a shame you did this, Bird's Isle will remember " " The Bear were more of a threat than Numeria " said Crayon. " Numerians are not a threat to either Bird's Isle or Colourland " " There is no reason to fight any Numerian " The Bear did want to take over Colourland, but King Bobby knows of the threat that Numerians pose " said Salvador. " They are not a joke " " The threat ? " asked Colourea. " The fact that Numerians want to take Colourea away " said Salvador. " Crayon, you cannot be okay with that " " But if Numerians want to do that, then wouldn't having Colourea fight in the war put her in more danger " said Crayon. " I don't understand " " Same here, I do not get it " said Colourea. " Colourea's abilities are something that the king has wanted in battle " said Paula. " If all of us are together, we can fight Numerians while protecting her " " Plus it is not just that, Lord Grackle has craved the resources from Numeria " said Salvador. " These resources can do so much " " Well, since you are not going to us willingly we must continue fighting " said Paula. " It is a shame that Crayon and his friends do not want to fight " said Salvador. " Yes, let's continue this fight " said Crayon. Paula then charged the Wind Implosion while Salvador used the Ultimate Wind Bomb. The attacks aimed at Colourea, Crayon and Colourea used the combined attack the Ultimate Sun Bomb. The attacks collided, creating a huge explosion. Salvador got up, he used the Tenfold Wind Strike while Paula used the Wind Implosion again. Crayon and Colourea used the combined Sun Implosion. The attacks aimed at each other, the implosion powered up Salvador's strike. After all of it, everyone took damage. Salvador was seriously struggling, Colourea was slightly struggling. " How could this be " said Salvador. " I cannot believe this " " Same here " said Paula. " We have shown our skills " said Crayon. " Yes, you are a bit stronger than we thought " said Salvador. " Well now it is time for our ultimate attack. Salvador and Paula combined their implosions to create the Sky Implosion which then directly hit Crayon and Colourea. Crayon was able to get up and he used the Ultimate Light Blast while Colourea used her Ultimate Light Bomb. The attacks were aimed for Salvador and Paula but Paula was hit more by it. Salvador looked almost finished, him and Paula then used their combined Sky Implosion, Crayon used his Ultimate Wind Blast while Colourea used the Light Implosion. The attacks then collided with tons of power. " It looks like it is just you and me Crayon " said Paula. " Colourea isn't done yet " said Crayon. " She still has a bit more " Salvador was defeated, Colourea was seriously struggling. " Crayon it is time for us to combine our attacks for one last attack " said Colourea quietly to Crayon. Crayon and Colourea combined for the Sun Implosion while Paula used the Wind Implosion which was overpowered significantly. Paula was slightly struggling. Crayon was able to get up and then he was charging his Ultimate Wind Bomb. Paula then used the Tenfold Wind Strike and the attacks collided. Colourea was alive but was not able to move, Crayon then charged his Wind Implosion while Paula countered with hers. The attacks then hit their targets. " Crayon, you have shown yourself to be this strong " said Paula. " The king has always wanted this kind of power for the war " I'm not fighting the war " said Crayon. " Colourea doesn't want to fight " " That is a real shame, the king does not take kindly to this " said Paula. " If I do not make it, Rourke and Draco will have no trouble " " Also Curtis as well " " We will see about that " said Crayon. " I know that I am strong but war with Numeria isn't worth it " " If we succeed in the war, it will make Bird's Isle a better utopia " said Paula. " He knows how to improve Bird's Isle " " Utopia ? " asked Crayon. " King Bobby has planned to use this war to make Bird's Isle a better place, he plans to take everything from Numeria allowing us to be richer " said Paula. " He says he will strengthen parts of Bird's Isle, people will take more vacations here which is awesome " " I get that he wants to be richer but we have chosen to make this decision " said Crayon. " King Bobby has said that he is going to take all the money there " said Paula. " He will fund more great things here " " Such as what ? " asked Crayon. " He wants to expand Bird Port " said Paula. " He says that he will also expand more of Bird's Isle as well " " He will also boost the amount of warriors here by doing this " " Anyways, let us continue the fight " Paula charged up her Ultimate Wind Bomb while Crayon countered with his Ultimate Light Bomb. The bombs collided with each other, creating an explosion. After that they both got up, Crayon used his Quintuple Light Strike. The strike hit and Paula was looking near the end. " Crayon, remember the advisors " said Paula. " Do not forget us, we will question all of you " " You will regret this decision " Crayon then used his Quintuple Wind Strike while Paula used hers, the attacks collided and Crayon won the fight. " Great battling " said Challenger. " Yeah, it was a great win " said Crayon. " Glad to see that you won " said Warbler. " We should find somewhere that has a hospital, we are going to have to leave the hotel " said Crayon. " I don't know when the next advisors will come " " It is hard to say " said Warbler. " My brother Blackburnian will be pissed so we must be ready " " He wanted us to fight in the war so bad, he will try anything " " I know that he must feel hurt, but the war is not worth it " said Crayon. " Anyways we should find a hospital " said Challenger. Meanwhile King Bobby and the other advisors were wondering what happened with Paula and Salvador. " They should either be back with them for questioning or at least just won the fight and about to contact me " said King Bobby. " Our advisors should be able to handle them, if Challenger was to fight it could be an issue " said Queen Starling. " I have no idea if Challenger fought " " If Paula and Salvador do not return, it must be that " said Blackburnian. " I know that Warbler has improved but he is still far from our advisors " " Our advisors are incredibly strong " said King Bobby. " What do you think happened ? " My guess is that Challenger fought and it took longer than expected " said Lord Grackle. " They need to be questioned " said Queen Starling. " We will give it 70 more minutes " said King Bobby. " If we do not hear from them, it will be assumed that they were defeated " " If they lose, that would shock me " said Curtis. " Same here " said Lord Grackle. " That so called friend must be taken down and brought here " said Blackburnian. " They are taking a great opportunity from Warbler away " Crayon and his friends arrived at a hospital and they stayed the night there. Challenger and Warbler found somewhere to stay for the night. They are likely to send Draco and Rourke in next " said Warbler. " Or Curtis " said Challenger. " Curtis is quite strong " said Warbler. " I think that I will need to fight " " I could see that " said Challenger. " We will need to keep training " said Warbler. " Indeed, Warbler " said Challenger. " Let us go to sleep " The morning passed and King Bobby heard that they had not returned. " Now Draco and Rourke it is time, bring them here " said King Bobby. " I cannot forgive them " said Blackburnian. " We will make sure that they face justice " said Rourke. " It is not right " said Draco. " The resources of Numeria would have made Bird's Isle into the utopia that we need it to be " said Curtis. " We thought that Crayon would be more heroic " said Queen Starling. " He has truly disappointed us " " True, Bird's Isle has seen Crayon for who he is " said Curtis. " They are not happy with him " " We were wrong " said King Bobby. " It happens sometimes " " But Challenger is the leader, so he could have shown the leadership that could have gotten them to fight " said Blackburnian. " Why would my brother Warbler do this ? " " That will be up to him to answer " said Diana. " The previous leader Colour King was not like that, he demanded heroism " said King Bobby. " When he did not get it, he would have taken more action than Challenger took " " Warbler would have loved Colour King, he was great " " Colourlandish people had better order under him, but he is not there now so it is up to Bird's Isle now " said Queen Starling. " We are united with the king and queen " said Diana. " No matter what Challenger does " " King Bobby's great " said all the advisors and Queen Starling together in unison. " I am a great king " said King Bobby. " Draco and Rourke it is your time to bring these so called heroes to justice " " Yeah, they are no heroes to us " said Draco. " We will deal with them " said Rourke. Draco and Rourke then left and headed to find Crayon and his friends.

Chapter 1 The Vacation The group arrived in Bird's Isle, they got their belongings and they met one of the advisors. " My name is Curtis " said the advisor. " Hello, Curtis " they all said. " I am glad to see that you are here, we have two limousines ready " said Curtis. " We will drive to the castle right now " " The others will see you there " " Sounds great to me " said Crayon. Crayon, Colourea, Colouruke, Artby and Warbler will ride in this one here " said Curtis. " Challenger and Crayon travel in the other one. They got into the seperate limousines. Curtis drove the one that Crayon and his friends got into while another driver drove Challenger. Meanwhile Crayon and his friends were talking with Curtis. " Crayon, the king is very proud of you " said Curtis. " King Bobby knows about the Bear ? " asked Crayon. " He knows of what you did to protect Colourland against them " said Curtis. " Bird's Isle and Colourland are allies but you probably know about that " " Allies ? " asked Colouruke. " Are they against Numeria or other countries ? " Numerians are a people that King Bobby knows about " said Curtis. " As well as the advisors " " Numerians are a strong nation like Bird's Isle and Colourland " " Strong nation ? " asked Colouruke. " Numeria, Bird's Isle and Colourland are all strong nations " said Curtis. " You will hear more about this later " " We are happy to have you in Bird's Isle right now " " Glad to see you are happy to have us here " said Colourea. " Yes, we love what you did against the Bear " said Curtis. " They are a dangerous gang " " We trained hard and we are able to take them down " said Warbler. " Warbler, I know you made a difference " said Curtis. " Blackburnian tells me about your fighting " " Yes " said Warbler. " He will be thrilled to see you " said Curtis. " We are here, so let's get out of this limousine " The limousines arrived at the castle. They were met by several people working for the king who then brought them inside the castle. They were checked into this part of the castle with beds that were very nice. They all went to bed and slept. They got up and were served a special breakfast. They enjoyed the breakfast where they were introduced to the advisors: Curtis, Diana, Blackburnian, Lord Grackle, Salvador, Paula, Draco, Rourke and Queen Starling. " Warbler, long time no see " said Blackburnian. " Glad to see you " said Warbler. " I'm glad to see you brought your friends here " said Blackburnian. " It will be good to meet them " " The King should arrive here any minute now " said Queen Starling. " He is excited to see you all " " Yes, he will be for sure " said Blackburnian. " He is a great king " said Curtis. " You will love King Bobby " The King arrived and introduced himself. " I am King Bobby " said King Bobby. " Crayon and his friends have shown tremendous bravery and they kept Colourland safe " " Colourlandish people are thrilled that the Bear is gone " " They caused so much trouble " " It is great to see " said Queen Starling. " This is a special occasion " " Proud of my brother " said Blackburnian. " Thanks, Blackburnian " said Warbler. " I see that Warbler has been in good hands " said Paula. " Warbler has impressed us " " He most certainly has " said Salvador. " It is great to see " said Lord Grackle. " We also have to remember Challenger " said Draco. " He has led them tremendously well " said Rourke. " Yes, he sure has " said Diana. " Now, we will talk about us " said King Bobby. " Well yes " said Diana. " Queen Starling and King Bobby is one example " " Me and Diana " said Blackburnian. " King Bobby, is war with Numeria now likely ? " asked Curtis. " Well " said King Bobby. " The thing is that we are not likely to invade Numeria right now but it is likely we will fight against Numerians at some point " " These wars can end up doing a lot of good for a nation " said Lord Grackle. " War does a lot " " Right now ? " asked Colouruke. " Colouruke, you must be ready for anything " said Paula. " Colouruke will turn it around " said Salvador. " Bird's Isle wants him to fight " said Diana. " Yes, for sure " said Curtis. " Colouruke being able to fight is important " " Yes, it really is " said Diana. " Colouruke, you must understand " said King Bobby. " Colourland and Bird's Isle are allies, Curtis told you about it " " Numeria has a lot of resources " said Lord Grackle. " It's nothing personal but you have to understand why Bird's Isle will side with Colourland " said Queen Starling. " Colouruke knows, I think he feels that he might not be ready yet " said Curtis. " He will be able to do it " said Blackburnian. " This is the time to believe in Colouruke " " Ready ? asked King Bobby. " King Bobby, have you had this problem before involving anyone fighting ? " asked Diana. " No, I have not " said King Bobby. " Plus I am the king, so we should be fine here " " King Bobby is great, we cannot let this type of thing tear us apart " said Curtis. " Colouruke will overcome this and he will fight " " He has to for the sake of Bird's Isle, that is necessary " " Bird's Isle needs his fighting " said Lord Grackle. " Yes, it is vital " said Rourke. " Anyways, we encourage you to all train your abilities " said Queen Starling. " Yeah, getting stronger is important " said Paula. " Yeah, these Numerians are strong so we must be ready " said Rourke. " Yeah, being stronger is a must " said Draco. " We will do training " said Challenger. " Is there a special training ? " asked Crayon. " You will all hear about it soon enough " said Draco. " It is great, tough training " said Rourke. " Sounds great to me " said Artby. " Bakers would want us doing this tough training " " Bakers do like that " After all of that, the five fighters were talking outside. " They want to invade Numeria ? asked Colouruke. " I wonder if they want us to fight " said Crayon. " It wouldn't surprise me if they did " said Warbler. " I am hoping not " said Colourea. " I am not sure " said Artby. " We should meet the bakers here, I cannot wait to see them " " I love bakers so much " Well we could have some bread " said Colourea. " I am curious if the bakers here could make us heroic in other ways " said Artby. " There could be other ways of baking here, bakers are always a huge help " " Yeah, let's go " said Warbler. " Warbler, you will experience baking now which is great " said Artby. " I am now getting an opportunity to see bakers in Bird's Isle and try the bread that they are baking " " Baking means so much " The five of them went to this bakery and ate some good bread. Artby thanked the bakers and he was glad to see bakeries outside of Colourland. The five of them went somewhere to train. Crayon then used his Air Implosion against Warbler's Sky Implosion. While that was happening Colourea and Artby used their Light Implosions. Colouruke used the Quintuple Sea Strike. They kept practicing these techniques. After that, they were using their Blast moves. Crayon used his Ultimate Wind Blast against Warbler's Ultimate Sky Blast. Colourea and Artby used their Ultimate Light Blasts while Colouruke used his Ultimate Sea Blast. These attacks were hitting with a tiny bit more power than last time. They then headed off to meet with Challenger. " Challenger, we have been training " said Crayon. " Good to see " said Challenger. " Bird's Isle might invade Numeria " said Colourea. " I hope that King Bobby will not use you five to fight " said Challenger. " I am not sure what he plans " " I hope so, too " said Colouruke. " He seemed pretty certain on this war " " For the time being we should make sure to see what they are up to now " said Warbler. " My brother Blackburnian is an advisor of King Bobby, so he may know " " We should also introduce you to Dove and Grackle " " Grackle ? " asked Artby. " Isn't he one of the advisors " " No, this is a different guy " said Warbler. " That is Lord Grackle " " Let's meet them " said Colouruke. " Sounds good to me " said Warbler. " Let's go " said Crayon. The six of them headed to meet them. " Glad to see you two " said Warbler. " Challenger, Crayon, Colouruke, Colourea and Artby this is Grackle and Dove " " Hello " they said. " So Warbler, what happened in Colourland " said Grackle. " Well we fought this group called the Bear " said Warbler. " I'm glad that the Bear were defeated " said Grackle. " We ate so much bread " said Artby. " The bakers have helped us a lot " " Baking does so much for us " " Bakers, what type of help Artby ? " asked Grackle. " Bakers have helped us fight better and have kept us heroic " said Artby. " Grackle, have you noticed anything like that ? " Nothing like that " said Grackle. " I am hearing about this war " said Artby. " We will have to see if King Bobby will change his mind or not, it is up to him " said Grackle. " I hope he does " said Warbler. " Same here, bakers could be hurt " said Artby. " I would hate to see that happen " " Not to mention what could happen " said Challenger. Crayon, Challenger, Colouruke, Colourea, Artby, Dove, Grackle and Warbler headed outside and saw Blackburnian. " Warbler, there is something you must know my brother " said Blackburnian. " What is that ? asked Warbler. " You are all needed in the castle " said Blackburnian. " Curtis wants an invasion of Numeria " " It is very important " But why ? " asked Colouruke. " I'm not sure, but he told me " said Blackburnian. I will join your group and we will fight together " " We will be strong enough " " Trust me, we will make it " " Fight together ? said Crayon. " If the invasion happens " said Blackburnian. " The advisors must all discuss it, we will decide if Numeria is invaded or not " " It is more likely that it will happen " " I'm not sure about this " said Challenger. " Make sure to not mention that to Curtis " said Blackburnian. " I don't think he would take it well since he wants the invasion. " The others have interest but Curtis has more " They headed to the castle, where the advisors were there. Blackburnian met up with Diana, his girlfriend and he gave her a kiss. Now the advisors have something very important to discuss " said King Bobby. " The rest of you must be outside that room " " It is how it must be " " Understood " they said. " Good " said King Bobby. King Bobby and the advisors were talking. " Well we must discuss the invasion of Numeria " said King Bobby. " We must find out how many of us want to invade " said Queen Starling. " I want an invasion " said Curtis. " I think it would help Bird's Isle " " Curtis is right " said Lord Grackle. " We could have even better resources " " Resources matter so much, Bird's Isle needs to be improved " " More people will love Bird's Isle if that happens " " That is true " said King Bobby. " We must have a good strategy " " We should encourage our fighters to train more while we create the strategy " said Queen Starling. " That is a good idea " said Salvador. " They will be even more dangerous to Numerians that way " " Numerians cannot defeat us " said Lord Grackle. " So how many of you want to invade Numeria ? " asked King Bobby. " " So how much to all of you want to invade Numeria ? asked Queen Starling. " You will all just like me give a number out of ten to show us. The numbers were: Curtis, Queen Starling 10 Other advisors 9 " So it appears that Curtis wants the invasion a bit more, but we all appear to want it " said King Bobby. " The training will be extremely intense, war is something that is very serious " " We cannot have this not be successful " " This is a war that means a lot " said Diana. " That is very true " said Blackburnian. " People in Bird's Isle will be supportive of this war " " They will for sure " said Lord Grackle. " They know of the resources they will be getting " " Our abilities are very elite " said Curtis. " If they get even better it will be simple " " I am thrilled " said Rourke. " It is what Bird's Isle needs " " The resources are said to be good there " said Lord Grackle. " They will make Bird's Isle so great " said Paula. " King Bobby, we will not let you down " said Salvador. " Numerians will fall " " Good " said King Bobby. " I know how strong you all are " " I believe in Bird's Isle and I will never stop " " Blackburnian, tell them the news " " I will " said Blackburnian. " Warbler will fight with us, it will be great for sure " " Yes, it will be nice " said Diana. " We are all dismissed now " said King Bobby. " This war will be great " " It will be a war that all of Bird's Isle will love " said Lord Grackle. They left to their seperate areas in the castle. Crayon and his friends then saw Blackburnian and he discussed the meeting. " We have made the decision, there will be an invasion of Numeria " said Blackburnian. " It was a decision that was agreed by all the advisors " " Invading Numeria is not something I'm sure about " said Dove. " Lord Grackle said he wants more resources here so he wants it " said Blackburnian. " Curtis and the Queen wanted it the most " " Who wanted it the least ? " asked Crayon. " Everyone else wanted it the same " said Blackburnian. " We have to fight it is the decision that is made " " Our abilities will make this not extremely difficult " " We do have the skills and we can improve them " " We can refuse " said Colouruke. " You cannot tell them that " said Blackburnian. " The King and Queen both want it " " Not to mention the advisors " " They will be furious " " Maybe the King is not right " said Challenger. " Warbler, my brother I know that you will fight " said Blackburnian. " I know of how capable you are " " Challenger, the king knows what he is doing " " I have gotten stronger, but I am not sure about this " said Warbler. " Warbler, you are so talented " said Blackburnian. " You will not disappoint us, I just know that " " You are right on that " said Colourea. " The thing is though, is this a war that is worth it ? " King Bobby will probably tell us the date soon " said Blackburnian. " You must keep your views secret around the other advisors " " They will be so angry, they want this war a lot " " This war is meaningful to them, you must understand " Everyone went to bed, Blackburnian kissed Diana. Crayon was kissing Colourea. Everyone then got up, and they were served breakfast. Crayon and his friends were approached by Curtis. " So did Blackburnian tell you about what the king decided ? " asked Curtis. " He did " said Crayon. " Good, I am glad to see " said Curtis. " Lord Grackle says he wants to expand the resources of Bird's Isle " What does he have in mind ? " asked Colourea. " He will see what the Numerians have and he will take it " said Curtis. " He wants to take what is useful " " I see " said Colouruke. " Do you know what time the training will start ? " King Bobby has it planned out " said Curtis. " He will tell the advisors who will tell you " " For the time being just enjoy yourselves, the training will be very intense " " We need you all ready to be fighting Numerians " " Numerians must be taken down, this war means a lot " Curtis left. Crayon and his friends enjoyed their breakfast.

Chapter 4 Wartime In the middle of the night, Colouruke and Crayon were talking quietly. " What are we going to do ? " asked Colouruke. " We will have to sneak out of here " said Crayon. " Or we will have to say that we aren't going to fight " I think we should sneak out, that will be less bad for us " said Colouruke. " We will have to go out the window " said Crayon. " We are going to have to leave some of our stuff behind, we won't be able to escape " said Colouruke. " Yeah, we will have to do so " said Artby. " Makes sense to me " said Grackle. Crayon and his friends went out the window at the same time and they headed outside. They left the castle. " Glad we are out, we need to get far enough away " said Colourea. " Yes " said Crayon. They headed to the place that Grackle and Dove were at. " When King Bobby finds out, he will never forgive this " said Warbler. " He will lose it " " We need to get the farthest from the castle on Bird's Isle " said Grackle. " We will not be able to hide around here, they will send people in " " Yeah, we aren't that far from the castle here " said Artby. " I am thinking about the bakeries and what could happen if this war happens " They took some belongings and left. They started heading towards a place called Bird Port. King Bobby and his advisors got up and they wondered where Crayon and his friends were. " We need to start the war " said Curtis. " It matters so much " " Should we go without them " said Lord Grackle. " No, we cannot " said Blackburnian. " We should check their rooms, perhaps they overslept " " It could happen " " Overslept ? " asked King Bobby. " War is too important for that shit " " This war means so much " " They had better just be in the showers and awake " " Bird's Isle will be furious about this " " This is an insult to Bird's Isle if not " King Bobby and the advisors saw they were not in the rooms. " I am so pissed " said King Bobby. " Perhaps they are outside waiting " " Not right of them to do this " said Queen Starling. " This is not acceptable " " We need the resources from the Numerians " said Lord Grackle. " These resources are so important " " Bird's Isle must have them " " If they are not here, I will be so angry " said Queen Starling. " Crayon cannot do this " " He will end up letting so many people down " " He will be viewed differently " They did not see them there. " That does it " said King Bobby. " Salvador and Paula go and find them, if they refuse to come willingly then challenge them to a fight " " I will not tolerate this " " I wonder who made them do this " said Draco. " Something seems fishy " " Maybe Grackle and Dove started it " said Rourke. " They might be there, if they are trying to stop this war then they must be stopped " " We cannot have them interfering " said Paula. " This war means so much " said Curtis. " It is insulting what they have done here, we cannot stand for this " " The people of Bird's Isle will demand that they are found " said Lord Grackle. " We must postpone the war until they are found " said King Bobby. " I was looking forward to it so much " " Our warriors wanted to fight " " They are upset " " We thought that Crayon would have been more of a hero than this " said Salvador. " Same here " said Blackburnian. " I feel bad for Warbler " " Crayon has not been heroic here " said Paula. " Bird's Isle is disappointed " said Queen Starling. " Exactly, not heroic behaviour from Crayon at all " said Curtis. " Crayon let me down " said Salvador. " It is not acceptable " " I cannot imagine what people in Bird's Isle will think " " Yeah, people in Bird's Isle are so angry about this, it is unfortunate what happened here " said Curtis. " Me and Paula will be going " said Salvador. " Yes, we will go " said Paula. " Find them " the other advisors said. Salvador and Paula left, while they contacted several of King Bobby's warriors and they headed to find Crayon and his friends. A message was sent out: Crayon and his friends have chosen to not be heroic and fight in the war unfortunately for some reason. We must find the friend responsible for this. We will have no choice but to have them thrown in jail and questioned. We encourage the other friends to not hang out with the individual in question, that is not what is good for Bird's Isle. People in Bird's Isle will be forbidden from hanging out with that friend as well, we will not tolerate it. This was a war that so many of us were looking forward to, this behaviour is not acceptable. For the time being we are postponing the war until this is dealt with, Challenger must show the proper leadership and tell us who is responsible. The friend that is behind this must be brought to justice and is a disgrace. Bird's Isle deserves better, I am so sorry for this. Thanks for all your patience, King Bobby Blackbird. Meanwhile Crayon and his friends got on the plane to Bird Port and they got on. The flight should take about 2 hours " said a message on the intercom. Paula and Salvador arrived at Grackle and Dove's place and they did not see anyone there. " They must pay for this " said Paula. " The friend who is responsible will regret it " said Salvador. " King Bobby is so upset about it " " We may have to fight, if they don't come willingly " said Paula. " That is fine, it will not be difficult for us " said Salvador. " We will bring them down " " Yeah, we will not have a problem " said Paula. The warriors were searching through the city and could not find them. King Bobby was talking with the other advisors. " Paula and Salvador should be able to bring them to justice " said Curtis. " I know that the friend responsible will pay for it " " We are willing to let the others fight in the war if they promise to never visit the friend in jail " said Queen Starling. " I wonder who it could be " said Blackburnian. " I know that Warbler wants to fight " " It cannot be him " " I know he is better than that " " I have a sense it was either Grackle or Dove " said Diana. " Crayon fought against the Bear, he was not afraid to fight before he met them " " I could see that " said Lord Grackle. " Surely Challenger would have said something " said Draco. " You would think that he would " said Rourke. " Perhaps he is not the leader we thought he was, but we must assume that one friend is responsible for the time being " said Draco. " Yes, that would make a lot of sense " said Blackburnian. " Warbler cannot hang out with any friend like that " " This cannot happen for him, I will never stand for this " " If Grackle or Dove is responsible for not allowing the rest of them to be heroic it is unacceptable " said Lord Grackle. " This war is very important " " Yes, it is " said King Bobby. " They cannot prevent people from being heroic " " It matters to be heroic " " This war is allowing that " " We must think about my brother Warbler and the fact that he is not getting the opportunity to fight " said Blackburnian. " It is not acceptable " " Warbler is a great guy, shame on that friend for doing this " " Any friend that does this can no longer hang out with him " " Warbler must fight " King Bobby said that when the friend is arrested and questioned that people cannot visit the individual in jail and he will shut off visits for the individual. If anyone in the system refuses then they will be fired. King Bobby has also said that Bird's Isle wants this to happen. Crayon and his friends arrived in Bird Port. They then looked for a hotel and they chose to stay there for the time being. " Man, I hope that we will not be found here " said Crayon. " If we stayed in the main area, they would have found us " said Dove. " Yes, that would be bad " said Colouruke. " King Bobby has claimed that a certain friend is responsible " said Challenger. " They will arrest the friend and question the individual " said Colourea. " They will also disallow visits " said Artby. " That stinks, since the friend cannot enjoy baking " " Baking is important " " It is unfortunate " said Warbler. " Hopefully we are not found " " It sure is " said Crayon. " I wonder who they will blame " " It is hard to say " said Colouruke. " I have no idea, I have never seen the bakeries here " said Artby. " Bakeries ? " asked Colourea. " We could use some tasty bread to eat " said Artby. " Artby, we have to be very careful " said Crayon. " If they find us, they will put a friend for questioning " " This is a very dangerous situation " " I have to agree " said Dove. " I have never tried the bakeries here, they should be delicious " said Artby. " We can go, but if we see anyone that looks like one of their warriors, we have to leave " said Colourea. " This is a huge risk " " I have risked my life for bread, I have been fine " said Artby. " We will not be caught by them " " Bread is so tasty " " I believe in us " " I hope that you are right " said Colouruke. " For our sake, I hope so " said Warbler. " I love bakers, I will not stop loving bakers " said Artby. " Bakers have done so much for me, risking my life for bread is the least I can do " Risk your life ? " asked Dove. " Bread made me a good person " said Artby. " Bakeries have allowed it to happen, bakers are great people " " I love bakers " " Bakeries have allowed it ? " asked Grackle. " My love for bakers is super strong and how could it not be after what they have done, we should get going " said Artby. " Yeah, let's go but be insanely careful " said Crayon. " They will turn us against each other " said Colouruke. They found this bakery in Bird Port, they got their bread. They went back to the hotel and enjoyed their bread. Warriors working for King Bobby arrived in Bird Port and were searching for the friend responsible. " This friend will regret it " said the first warrior. " They are hurting Bird's Isle " " King Bobby will end the friendship and he will allow the rest of them to fight in the war " said the second warrior. " King Bobby always knows what he is doing, he is a great king " said the first warrior. " Yeah, he is such a great king " said the second warrior. The warriors searched through Bird Port. Salvador and Paula headed to Bird Port and arrived. " They should be somewhere in Bird Port " said Paula. " I don't think they got that far " " I have a suspicion that either Grackle or Dove are responsible " said Salvador. " Why so ? " asked Paula. " Before Crayon and his friends met them they were willing to fight people, but now they are not " said Salvador. " Seems very likely it is one of them " " Warbler would never do this under his will so I believe " said Paula. " I know he is better than that " " His brother Blackburnian wants him fighting in the war, so Warbler would not go against that " said Salvador. " Blackburnian cares a lot about Warbler which is something that must be remembered by Warbler " " He wouldn't go against his brother, Warbler cannot allow Grackle or Dove to force him not to fight " said Paula. " War against Numeria is very beneficial to Bird's Isle " " Blackburnian is there for him " " He understands that " " It is, that is why King Bobby wants it " said Salvador. " Warbler is a nice guy, but he cannot let anyone treat him like this " " Warbler is a nice guy " said Paula. " Every advisor understands this, so we are doing a lot of good here " " We should start searching Bird Port " Paula and Salvador were searching through Bird Port. " We should check the bakeries " said Salvador. " Artby is said to like bread a lot " said Paula. " Yeah, maybe they will be close by " said Salvador. They checked the bakeries and asked about Artby but they did not go to the bakery that Artby was at. More warriors showed up in Bird Port and found this hotel. The warriors went inside and demanded the whereabouts of Crayon and his friends. They were not in the hotel, they searched through Bird Port and found the hotel. Eventually, they found the hotel and they demanded the whereabouts of Crayon and his friends again. They were told that a group of people checked into seperate rooms and that they were on the fourth floor. Crayon, Colouruke, Colourea and Artby were in one room while Challenger, Dove, Grackle and Warbler were in a room next door. The warriors knocked on the door. " Is Crayon here, if he is he must surrender the friend responsible " " King Bobby wants war, it is not too late we can arrest the friend and the rest of you can fight " " If you do not open up, it will make things worse " " You cannot hide from us " " Warbler, Blackburnian wants you to fight in the war with him " " We know that you are a nice guy and something is out of the ordinary here " While this was happening, Paula and Salvador were contacted and they made it outside the hotel. The warriors then charged their Wind Blasts and broke open the door. " Crayon, you must explain this " said a warrior. " This cannot be happening " " Now if you know the answer, it is time to give us a fucking name " said the second warrior. " A name ? " asked Crayon. " Well there isn't one particular friend " " That is true " said Colouruke. " There is, why are you so afraid to admit it " said the third warrior. " Crayon you were so heroic, what happened ? " asked the fourth warrior. " Heroism is important, Crayon " " You could have fought in the war " said the first warrior. " You would have been seen as a hero again " " It matters to be seen as a hero " " A hero ? " asked Crayon. " Fighting Numerians because the king thinks that they will take Colourea away " " Numerians are not a threat " said Challenger. " Challenger is right " said Artby. " The king knows they will attempt to do that " said the second warrior. " Not to mention what Bird's Isle can take from Numeria " " They can take so much from them " " If you refuse to name a friend, we will have to bring all of you to jail, I wouldn't do that if I were you " said the third warrior. " This is not worth that " The other warriors on the other side then were asking the other four and got no particular friend. " Since you are all either too afraid or trying to protect someone we will have to bring all of you for questioning " said the first warrior. " Paula and Salvador are outside, you can explain yourselves to them " said the second warrior. " You must do so " Crayon and his friends went outside the hotel with the warriors and their stuff and saw the advisors. " Now, you can explain yourselves to them " said the first warrior. " They aren't going to go easy on you" said the second warrior. " They are very upset, you had better give a name " said the third warrior. " King Bobby and Queen Starling are very disappointed with this " said the fourth warrior. " They are very upset " " Anyways, we will be off it will be up to them now " said the first warrior. " Yeah, it will " said the second warrior. The warriors then left the hotel and they headed to the Bird Port airport, meanwhile King Bobby was talking with Blackburnian. " They must be found " said Blackburnian. " Warbler is a nice guy " " He really is, I am confident that he is not responsible " said King Bobby. " We will find out who is " " This war will happen " " Yes " said Blackburnian. " I am glad that you will not allow visits for the friend in question " " Yes, it would go against Bird's Isle for that to happen " said King Bobby. " That friend is a disgrace to Bird's Isle, it would be a joke for anyone to visit them " " I will never allow anything like that " " Bird's Isle cannot have that " " Warbler deserves better than that " said Blackburnian.

'I will make them eat the flesh of their sons and daughters, and they will eat one another's flesh because their enemies will press the siege so hard against them to destroy them.' - Jeremiah 19:9 -- Bleak and withered eyes looked back at him in the hazy reflection of the car window. His ashy blonde hair was unkept and long sitting on his pale face. The face before him was like a mirage blending into the sea of brown deciduous trees, his lips weak and chapped. He wondered what had they looked like on that day? Stained red, warm, as maroon sap like drips flowed over his chin, covered in fresh vile blood. He blinked, 'don't focus on it, don't think about it' swept his mind as he found himself drowning in the forest outside again. His father was driving, a stoic large man, completely silent, unsure what to say in the situation. It had been five years since they last spoke, not a word had transpired between them after the sentencing. Back then he was only a child but now in this car, finally returning home sat a man guilty and ashamed of his crimes. Horrified of the thick air of tension, horrified of returning to his family, and horrified of the town that now labeled him cannibal. -- "Jacob!" His mother exclaimed as she burst from the houses door straight to the car even before he could exit. He hadn't heard his name called so lovingly in so long, right, Jacob was his name. That fleeting sense of self he felt he had lost for so long had returned. He was no longer that naive sixteen year old that followed every whim and order of someone else, he couldn't anymore, that person was dead. The first words spoken since free, "M-mom." Jacob muttered as she embraced him in a hug as his thin boney body slid from the car door directly into her arms. "Oh welcome home honey!" Did she mean it? Her hug was warm and her arms covered in flannel were as tight as Jacob could always remember. She was the person that visited him the most at the prison whenever she was able, never his father and never his siblings whom he could see standing in the front door of the house. His younger brother had changed so much in these years, and was his expression one of disgust? It was hard to tell, he was sixteen himself now and hopefully unlike Jacob someone that didn't blindly follow others. And his little baby sister, she had grown taller and looked less of a child. She was fourteen now, and maybe it was that innocence he thought as the reason for her smile. "Mary, the boy can't breathe with you like that," he scoffed as he exited the car, "I'll carry your things in so y'all just take it easy." His father was someone that was quiet and reserved, the type of man that only spoke when spoken to and found most peace in being alone. Perhaps he didn't hate his son and simply Jacob had taken his hesitance to speak in the wrong way. Mary, his mother eased her embrace, "Dinners ready when you are sweetheart." "Thanks." Jacob looked to her and then back to his siblings as they moved out of his fathers way. His brother returning back into their comfy home while his sister simply stayed in place. It was a smile he saw for sure but it didn't feel right. -- After his first real meal home, of course a steak with potatoes as his mother always did in special occasions and insisted was everyone's favorite, Jacob took to his old room. It hadn't changed at all in those years, his parents hadn't even cracked the door open once after the police had looked through everything and still to this day now things laid on the floor in disarray. The only possessions Jacob had acquired in all these years were various religious texts, each as helpless to him as the last in finding some type of answer to why things had happened as they did. It felt awkward to stand in this room. Posters still on the wall from bands we couldn't remember much about, a single calendar with scantily clad women in it his father jokingly got him for Christmas one year, and besides the mess the police made were his own piles of dirty clothing such as a true high schoolers room. The calendar though, still reading September 2017, with a menacing red circle on that particular day. Quickly the calendar found it self torn from the wall to be destroyed. -- It was past midnight when Jacob found himself finally having cleaned the room enough to feel satisfied. Having taken all the posters down and tossing almost everything he could find that were his personal artifacts. He no longer wanted to be the boy that lived in this room, that boy that ruined his life would have all his worldly possessions destroyed as if he had died. Thought it felt as if he in a way was dead during dinner. A silence filled the air in such an intoxicating way that his mother tried her best to diffuse as she talked of the past weeks various activists the family had done getting ready for Jacobs arrival. Thus as soon as the meal was done Jacob spent most of the rest of the day in his room and was surprised as he emerged from the house carrying a few trash bags to find his sister sitting on the pouch in these dark hours of the night. It was a crisp bitter Michigan night and the air was stale and rough and lingered in thick clouds of hot breath. Jacob was uncertain what to do like a kid sneaking around, but he knew in his mind it was better not to question the actions of a preteen and a girl at that. Maggie looked so small in her large winter coat, her pajama pants touching the concrete and feet in weathered tennis shoes, long bushy brown hair engulfing her as she sat in a rocking chair. She was no longer that 9 year old Jacob had known, she was a stranger now, yet so was he. Who knew how long she had been out there but from the look of her face it had been awhile. She smiled again, cheeks red and sore looking from the piercing wind. Jacob felt his stomach crawl for he didn't feel he deserved any kind expression from her sweet face but he also felt it rude not to smile back and give a subtle nod. "I missed you big brother." Her voice was timid and gentle but more mature than what it once was. It felt wrong to Jacob to hear these words but it also made him happy. Perhaps she was too young and too naive to know what he had done before being locked up for so many years. Perhaps their parents had shielded her from the harsh realities of the group, that night, the dead and that forbidden meal that somehow felt so sudden and haunted Jacob to his core. He desperately hoped she had no idea of the past and hence was her kindness towards him. "I missed you too." Was all he could find himself muttering, words floating in the air between them. Quickly she spoke again, "What are you throwing away?" At dinner she had said only few words and Jacob hadn't truly gotten to hear her voice or get a feel for the person she now was. She seemed curious like a child should be. "Just stuff. ." He said, unsure how to phrase it that he was throwing away his past. "It's a lot of stuff." She said and looked back away from her brother. Back into the long rows of trees that lined the property of their home. This type of simple conversation was so foreign, Jacob sound himself stuck into silence again. Just standing there holding the trash bags like a statue. Maggie must of sensed his uncomfortableness and stood up, a smile still across her face. "You should go to bed." 'You too' Jacob thought but was far too shy to say it, again, this was like talking to a stranger. "Yeah," he motioned to ruffle the bags "after this." "Well, have a good night." Maggie walked toward Jacob to pass him into the house and he flinched and stepped away. He felt toxic and didn't want to taint her even with the faintest touch. "G-good night." He found himself almost rushing as he pushes deeper into the nippy air to reach the trash cans and escape his sister. Jacob stayed outside long enough to watch the light of her room turn on and shut off. Wanting to make sure not to see her again. -- Everything was dark, eerie and stale. The group all sat on the concrete floor in a circle hunched over the body before them, or rather the mass. The strong smell of iron filled their lungs, blood like none of them had ever smelt before and the foul odor of bile hugged them all. The pile, reds and yellows of fat, muscle, ripped flesh sat before them as if presented as a holy offering. Jacobs body felt heavy, eyes focused on the face of what was once a man that sat on top their own dismembered body. Perched high over the torso with a serene look no one else had in the room. They all knew this day would come and had even once looked forward to it yet now, with this hunk of flesh and messy blood before them it all felt too real. "And with this we shall begin this sacred meal," the leader started, sat amongst the group behind the man's face, right within Jacobs view. His long silver hair looked so beautiful in the light of the single cellar bulb that hung above them, he almost seemed to be glowing. The leader held out his stained red arms to the mess in from of them, the labor of his hard work, and grabbed a disheveled limp arm, "With this we shall finally meet transcendence." Jacobs face must of been pale and scared as he stared directly into the leaders eyes then focused on the arm. The blood had stopped gushing and what was left behind was the tangled skin that was ripped apart from the hand saw. The bone protruded in a messy chunk dressed with the wavy mounds of red stringy flesh as it went down to the lifeless appendage. It was common sense that this was a human arm, the arm of the man that laid in pieces on the floor but it was also so much more. The leader raised the arm as if holding a delicate child and showed it to the group in the air before bringing it down straight to his mouth and biting into the open wound. Blood pilling along his mouth as he ripped away like a ravenous carnivorous beast. Then his eyes focused at Jacob, a warm smile then filled his face as he revealed his now red teeth. He held out the chunk in his out stretched arms for the boy to take and thus he did. It was heavier yet also lighter than Jacob had expected and his heart became to race. This was finally real. The passage he and all around had been waiting for and for him to be handed food from the great leader? His body was warm. Without hesitation he dug his teeth directly into the tender flesh and swallowed. This Novel Contains Mature Content Show This Chapter? Yes

The town was far from popular, less than a thousand people lived there. It was discreet, hidden along large patches of trees with homes tucked into the forests. Since it was small it was peaceful but because it was small word spread quick. When the hiker went missing no one could have guessed what had happened to him but it wasn't too shocking the weird group of outcasts had something to do with it. The leader was an older man in his 30s but had hair as white as it could be. Something about him was mesmerizing like he was the flame that attracted the moths. Jacob remembered when he first met him he simply just thought this man was beautiful, like an angel, maybe that's why he was so drawn to the teachings of the group. He wasn't sure now what had made him partake in the sanctimonious spectacle of devouring parts of a corpse but he remembered the taste and it made his stomach vile. Now that the young man had returned home, everyone in town knew. That disgusting youngest of the group had been released back into the wild and no one wanted anything to do with him or really his family for that matter so Jacob was surprised when bringing the trash bins from the curb he spotted the elderly neighbor women wave at him along with a new face that slowly was approaching from across the road in the sea of trees. They waved as they obviously were also picking up their bins. This person was a young man as well, someone at least 16 that Jacob had never seen before. He timidly waved back before quickly shuffling back up the long drive way. His neighbor, the elderly women lived across the street, though her house wasn't buried as deeply in the trees as his home was and could be seen from the road it was still rather secluded. Jacob remember this women from his childhood, Mrs. Gutierrez. Jacob thought about her as he drug the bins back up to the house where he was met by his sister who stood on the pouch dawned again in that large coat. "Did you met Eddie?" She asked. "Yeah," he pushes the bins to their respective spots, "I think?" "He's her nephew, he's from Florida here to visit but he leaves today I think." Jacob didn't care too much about this information as he reaches the porch, "I didn't know she had family." "She has a cat too," Maggie answered quickly, "but he's been missing." Ah. Just like that hiker Jacob thought. He hates that was what he thought and soon the gloomy mood was returning. "That's a shame." He spoke as he returned back into the house to leave Maggie alone. -- Maggie spend a lot of time alone outside Jacob noticed. It had been about a week since he returned home and as all the members of his family came and went it was often only them at the home alone before Maggie would disappear for hours on end. Jacob assumed it was because why would she want to spend any time with him, with the cannibal but oddly enough every moment she got she spoke to him kindly. Girls were simply too weird was all he could accompany it too. One day thought Jacobs mother convinced him to go to the liquor store with her. He assumed that not many people would be there and so it would be okay. Much to his surprises though as they entered again he was greeted with that familiar smile of the elderly neighbor he saw the week before. "Jacob Heeler," she spoke softly "it's been ages." "Hi Mrs. Gutierrez.." he said back nervously before his mother spoke up. "Helen! Good to see you!" She was always a people person and spoke so lively but now Jacob really notices as she placed her hand on his shoulder as if to steer him away. The older women's expression changed slightly and her tone changed, "Your daughter hasn't returned Oliver yet." Quickly Jacob felt his mother push his back as if to shove him back out the store, "I told you your cat just ran away Helen. Maggie didn't take him." "Yes she did! I saw her!" The old women's voice got louder and Jacob felt his heart tighten. This was the reacting he was expecting but never had he thought it wouldn't be focused towards him. This Jacob quickly found himself walking directly out the store, hiding back in the car as his mother finished up. When she returned to the car she looked frustrated and sighed heavily closing the door behind her, "That old women is crazy." "What was she talking about?" "She's just senile," his mother scoffed "her damn cats missing and she thinks Maggie took the stupid thing." His mother always started to cuss when unset and it riled him up a bit but he did think for a moment but then spoke without thinking, "What does Maggie do outside all the time?" His mother was caught off guard, "You don't know? Remember that treehouse your Dad built you guys? That's where she goes," she then paused and made a face "You don't honestly think she did anything to that cat do you?" "No, no, of course not!" Jacob muttered back, surely he had no room to accuse anyone of any wrong doing. "That stupid cats just missing." His mom spoke again before driving off. This Novel Contains Mature Content Show This Chapter? Yes

For the rest of their journey, they rushed through a dozen slice-of-life staples. They even played shiritori. Erika lost every game. Hina spent most of the time at the controls, but Sachiko took over occasionally. During one of Hina's breaks, Erika was ordered to record Hina and Yasu playing a video game. The two of them floated shoulder-to-shoulder. At the beginning, Hina was visibly uncomfortable, but after a few minutes, she relaxed, and a soft smile returned to her face. Yasu, on the other hand, had been enjoying it the entire time. It made Erika feel like she was intruding on a private moment, and she looked away from the camera. The thing could stabilize itself anyways. Near the end of their journey, Hina, Sachiko, and Yasu sprang into action, leaving Erika with nothing to do but stew in her own fear. In contrast to their nonchalant attitude during takeoff, the three girls were tense as the ISS approached the shuttle. Several long minutes passed before Yasu let out a sigh of relief. "That was perfect." "Good job," Sachiko concurred, clapping Hina on the shoulder. "Let's get out of this tin can." "And into a bigger tin can?" Erika scoffed. Everyone ignored her. They weren't going to let her ruin the moment. Sachiko pulled open the hatch and gestured to Hina. "Would you like the honor? You did most of the work." "The commander always goes first," Hina answered. "I'll be first next time." "OK," Sachiko smiled. "Do me a favor and grab the cargo then. Yasu, follow us with the camera. OCOMM wants us to film a tour of the entire station, and since we have to show the cargo all the things she shouldn't touch, I figure we can take care of both at once." As Sachiko entered the ISS, she had to admit Erika had a point. It was roomier than the shuttle, but metal walls still pressed in on all sides. Damn it, this should have been a moment of pure joy, but Erika had soured the mood. Adopting a fake smile and a sing-song voice, Sachiko turned to face the camera. "Welcome to the ISS! This is the Harmony module. These four doors around me are crew quarters." They were arranged in a square. One above her, one below her, and one to each side. She opened the door to her right and gestured for Yasu to come closer. "There's not much space in there, but just wait until you see how cramped the quarters in Zvezda are." "I call dibs on this one," Hina said, sliding into the cabin across from Sachiko. "What's the difference?" Yasu chuckled. "They're all the same." Pointing to the two crew cabins above and below, Hina answered, "You gotta reorient yourself when entering and exiting these. Always takes me a bit to adjust." "I'm shocked," Yasu teased. "The space program's prodigy has a weakness?" "You don't have to worry about it," Sachiko told them. "Erika and I will be bunking in Zvezda ." Once again, Erika noticed Hina tense up. Her shoulders drooped and her lips pressed into a thin line. This time, Yasu noticed as well. Sachiko, it seemed, was the only one oblivious. Yasu cleared her throat. "Is that really OK? I mean..." She trailed off while thinking of a reason to challenge the sleeping arrangements. "Won't the cargo be a security risk?" "She's a security risk everywhere," Sachiko frowned, "but I suppose we should keep her out of the Russian segment as much as possible. OK, she and I will bunk here, and you two can take Zvezda ." Erika bit her lower lip. She had been given orders not to interfere with the hoshinauts. At the same time, they had made her painfully aware that her life was in their hands. If she wanted to survive, she decided it was better to point out potential issues. "They don't want to room together." Both Hina and Yasu shot death stares at Erika. Sachiko only blinked in surprise. "That's not—" Hina started. Sachiko cut her off. "We can figure it out later. Let's continue the tour." She took a deep breath to reset herself, then she led them to their next destination. They passed quickly through Destiny , which was mostly bare, and emerged into Unity . Sachiko spent a few minutes showing off the food containers and demonstrating how to eat in space. When she was finished, she floated towards the airlock. "This is the Quest Joint Airlock. We use it when going on space walks." She shifted her eyes towards Erika, but continued to talk in her tour guide voice. "It's usually not dangerous, but if you don't know what you're doing, you can endanger yourself in there." "Really?" Erika asked. "I heard they're actually quite safe. You can only kill yourself if you're trying." "That's true," Sachiko said, "for someone with the proper training." She dropped her tour guide persona. "I don't want you getting any closer to the airlock than you are now. Got it?" "Sure," Erika shrugged. Something about Erika's casual answer caused Sachiko to snap. Before either of them knew what was happening, Sachiko grabbed Erika by the collar and slammed her against the wall. "I'm serious," Sachiko snarled, her fingers tightening her grip. "Stay away from the airlock. If you have a death wish, wait until you're back on Earth. I swear, if you do something stupid and get yourself killed, I will track down everyone you've ever loved, and I will make them suffer. I will not lose another crew member. Understand?" Erika's expression remained blank. "You don't scare me, Sachiko. Your threats may work on the director, but they won't work on me." "He knows what I'm capable of. You don't." "The whole world knows what you're capable of. You've commanded more missions than anyone. You've saved JAXA from collapse twice. You push and push until you achieve your goals, but that's just the public Sachiko. In private, you're single-minded and obsessive. Everyone works behind the scenes to contain your impulsive actions and temper tantrums." "That sounds like someone you wouldn't want to cross," Hina pointed out. "It does," Erika agreed, "except that Sachiko's not a violent person." "That's not what they say on the net," Sachiko grimaced. "I reviewed the recordings myself," Erika said. "I know you didn't cause those accidents. You're not a murderer—You're just unlucky." Sachiko didn't know if Erika truly believed that, or if she was just trying to get Sachiko to let her guard down, but she wasn't going to overplay her hand. She released Erika. "At least you have the guts to say that to my face." "What's that supposed to mean?" "Think about it. These two were assigned to this crew because they're the best. No matter what danger my misfortune brings, they'll survive it. And then there's you." "Point taken. I won't go near the airlocks. Happy?" "I'll be happy when we're on the ground again in one piece. For now, let's continue the tour." She turned back towards Yasu. "You didn't record all that, did you?" "Of course I did," Yasu answered. "Delete it," Sachiko demanded. "No way. It's the first kabedon in space! It's a historic moment." "Pretty sure it's not," Hina interjected. "People lived in space for centuries before the war." "Fine. Whatever. I'll delete it later. The lighting will be perfect to film the cupola in a few minutes, so let's do that first." Sachiko shook her head. "We're skipping the cupola." "But it's in the script," Yasu pointed out. "Well, that's a mistake. We can't show people what the Earth looks like. It's too depressing." "Commander," Hina said, placing a hand on Sachiko's shoulder, "people have a right to know. They should see it. It'll drive home the importance of the space program." It was a good point, one Sachiko couldn't argue with. "You're right. Anything for the space program. Just give me a moment to prepare myself." She closed her eyes, and when she opened them again, the fake smile had returned to her face. "Next is Tranquility ," she said. "It's my favorite place on the station," Hina interjected. "It's Hina's favorite place on the station," Sachiko parroted in her sing-song tour guide voice. "That's important information that everyone needs to know. Tell me, Hina, why is it your favorite place on the station?" "Cuz it's where I get swole," Hina answered, ignoring Sachiko's sarcasm. "That's right," Sachiko said. "There's lots of exercise machines in here. They're all designed for working out in space, but we're not going to get very swole. In fact, because of the low gravity, we'll be losing muscle mass. That's kinda depressing, so let's move on to something else. Over here is the—the cupola." Noticing Sachiko's hesitation, Hina put a hand on her shoulder. "You don't have to push yourself. We're ahead of schedule. We can do it some other time." Yasu lowered the camera. "That might be for the best. No offense, but this whole tour thing is bo-ring." "If you think you can do better, maybe you should do it," Sachiko prodded. Now it was Yasu's turn to hesitate. Sachiko was eyeing her with a smirk on her face, which she knew meant she had annoyed Sachiko. Her heart seized with fear at the prospect. Sachiko was merciless to people who got on her bad side. Yasu had seen it first hand. She'd even assisted in Sachiko's bullying. As awful as it was, it had helped boost her self-confidence. If Sachiko turned against her, she knew she would lose it all. On the other hand, the prospect of giving the tour herself was daunting. Volunteering to be in front of a camera? To be watched by who knows how many people worldwide? That was too embarrassing. There was no way she could do that. The safest thing to do was to apologize and back down. Let Sachiko give the tour, and try to get back on her good side. And yet, if she did that, she'd still be the same meek girl she'd always been. The whole reason she'd joined the space program, the only reason she was here now, was to prove to Hina that she could stand as her equal. "Sure," Yasu shrugged, hoping it came off nonchalantly. "Anything for the space program. I've got some ideas on how to spice it up." Holding her breath, she waited for Sachiko's reply. If she'd miscalculated... "OK, I'll leave it to you." The smirk remained on her face, but there was now something else there, too. Yasu couldn't identify it. Was it amusement? Malice? In truth, it was relief. Sachiko was more than happy to have Yasu take this duty off her hands, but Yasu didn't pick up on that. "I don't know about you," Hina said, "but I could use a break. We've been working all day." "Alright, alright," Sachiko sighed. "You two can grab your things from the shuttle and get settled in. I'll join you once I've finished showing the cargo all the things she shouldn't touch." Unable to hide her nervousness any longer, Yasu bolted from the module. As she left, she heard Sachiko address Erika. "The bathroom's over here. You remember how to use it?" "Of course I do. I did train for this." "Barely," Sachiko scoffed. "Let's go over it again, just to make sure." ⁂ It didn't take long for Yasu to retrieve her personal belongings from the shuttle. There was no need to unload the entire thing at once: It wasn't going anywhere. After quickly stashing her things in one of the Zvezda cabins, she grabbed a tablet and headed for the Kibou module. It was roomy and quiet, the perfect atmosphere for drawing. The picture came quickly. With strong lines, Yasu sketched Sachiko pinning Erika to the wall outside the airlock. She didn't draw Sachiko's hand around Erika's throat, instead placing it next to Erika's head, like a proper kabedon. Satisfied with her work, she typed out a caption. Fire burned in Sachiko's eyes. "Promise me you won't go near the airlock. I don't want to see you hurt." "I—I won't." "Promise me! If anything happens to you up here..." Erika's chest tightened. Sachiko was being overprotective, but she didn't hate that... "OK, I promise." "Good girl," Sachiko smiled, "now let me show you how to use the bathroom." Yasu deleted that last line. Even though she was posting these anonymously, there was always a chance she could get found out, and she didn't want anyone to think she had a piss fetish. Moments later, the finished product was uploaded, and the comments started pouring in. God-tier! In front of the airlock 😭 Poor Sachiko-sama HNNNG This is going to make me jump ships. Nice work as always. When are you finally going to do Hina x Yasu? You've done all the other pairings to death. The comments continued to come, but Yasu couldn't take her eyes off that last one. She stared at it so hard that she feared the text might sear itself into her retinas. "Ugh. Read the fucking room, moron," she grunted, shoving the tablet away from her. Of course she'd never drawn Hina x Yasu. Of course she hadn't, but it wasn't like she didn't want to. It was just that, every time she tried, her mind went blank. She couldn't imagine what a romantic relationship between the two of them would look like. After all, it could never happen in real life. No matter how desperately she wished for it.

Sachiko Cook, age eighteen, had commanded three space missions. Handling the press was a piece of cake in comparison. At least, it should have been. But from her seat atop the stage, it took everything she had to hide her scorn for the assembled reporters. The auditorium was dimly lit, so she couldn't make out their faces, but she had memorized their names. They had all written articles critical of the space program. It was thanks to them that Neo JAXA had nearly been disbanded, and Sachiko would never forgive them. If she had her way, Sachiko would have had them all fired, but Neo JAXA's Office of Communications—OCOMM for short—had taken a different approach. It had required a lot of arm twisting, but they had managed to turn the reporters back to their cause. The public would have noticed if the government removed all the critical reporters. It was far better that they appeared to change their opinions of their own accord. Sachiko had to admit OCOMM's strategy had been for the best, but she didn't trust the reporters. They were, after all, still beholden to their audiences. If the public turned against the space program again, the reporters would fold under the slightest pressure, falling victim to fear, greed, violence, despair, and a host of other failings that remained deeply embedded in the human psyche. She had seen it happen to people like them, and she was sure she would see it again. Despite her turbulent feelings, she appeared calm. With a relaxed posture and a confident smile, she answered one vapid question after another, making sure to always look directly into one of the dozens of cameras set up behind the press pool. She hadn't always been a natural, but after four years and dozens of press conferences, it would be odd if she hadn't mastered the skills required by now. The same could not be said of her crewmates. Seated immediately to her right, Pilot Hina Johnson, age sixteen, had the basics down, but she still struggled to keep her eyes focused on the camera when asked a question. There was a trick to looking into the nearest camera while also appearing to look at the speaker, and Hina had yet to master it. "The problem was, Harmony was spinning now," Hina said with a grin. "Hooking it with the robotic arm was impossible, but if we left it like that, it would crash into the station. So I grabbed on for dear life and fired my thrusters. It was probably the dumbest thing I've ever done. So many things could have gone wrong. I could have easily made it worse, and I might have died in the process, but luckily, everything lined up perfectly, and I was able to slow it down." It was a story she had told to the press hundreds of times, but they never got tired of asking about it. Hina, on the other hand, was sick to death of telling it. She hated reliving that moment of terror when she thought for sure that her life was about to end, but she knew if she let that fear show, they'd never allow her to go to space again, so she hid her feelings and answered with enthusiasm. The world knew her as a girl with boundless strength and energy—JAXA's own genki girl—and she was determined to keep that appearance up until retirement. "I guess that's why you're the prodigy of the space program," the reporter quipped. "It wasn't just me," Hina shook her head, causing her short red hair to bob back and forth. "If my crew mates hadn't responded as quickly as they did, I might not have made it back alive." The reporter finished writing her notes and stepped away, allowing another to approach. He adjusted his glasses and leaned close to the mic. "Yasu, I hear that you and Hina have known each other for a long time." To Hina's right, Flight Engineer Yasu Fisher, also age sixteen, jerked her head up. She was shy around strangers, and had kept her head down to avoid eye contact. "That's right," she answered, pulling her straight black hair behind her ear. "We went to the same orph—we grew up together." "How does it feel to be going to space with your childhood friend?" the reporter followed up. She glanced nervously at Hina before looking back in the reporter's general direction. "It's a dream come true. When we were kids, Hina was always helping me. I followed her to JAXA to prove that I can stand on my own now. I'm happy I have a chance to show her how strong I've become." It was one of the many responses she had practiced, and she delivered it well. Despite her flaws, Sachiko trusted her to get the job done. There was, however, one person on the stage who had yet to answer any questions. Sitting to Sachiko's left, Mission Specialist Erika Vidal, age unknown, real name unknown, had spent the entire time sitting straight up and staring at the camera directly in front of her. Sachiko would have preferred Erika remain silent for the rest of the conference, but she knew OCOMM would never allow that to happen. Sure enough, a reporter from Neo Crystal Tokyo TV stepped up to the mic with a question for her. "Mrs. Vidal—" "You may call me Erika." "Erika then," the reporter said with an exasperated smile. "How does it feel to have been chosen for this historic mission?" "It is an honor." The reporter waited for Erika to continue, but when she did not, he prompted, "You're a mission specialist, right? Could you tell us a bit about your duties aboard the station?" This question caught Sachiko's attention. She had no idea why Erika had been assigned to her crew, and neither did anyone at JAXA. She wasn't even a hoshinaut. The order had come from the highest levels of the government, and Erika had thus far refused to talk about it. Sachiko switched to a camera to her left, so she could watch Erika out of the corner of her eye. Erika was visibly tense, but would she let anything slip out of nervousness? "I will have many duties," Erika answered, "but rest assured, I will perform them all." Despite her disappointment, Sachiko couldn't help but visibly scoff at Erika's inability to answer such a softball question. Though she kept her eyes on the camera, the right side of her mouth curled into a condescending smirk. It lasted only for a moment however, as a 'Murican reporter stepped up to the mic, and Sachiko snapped back to attention. "Howdy, y'all. Lot o' folks back home are wonderin' whether y'all are just LARPin' our ancient history, or if there's some greater meanin' to all this." Sachiko forced the smile from her face. This was an unexpectedly serious question, and she needed to appear somber while answering. "It's true that we're not doing much more than reenacting history, but we're not doing it for fun. It's been centuries since we've had a permanent presence in space. A lot of living knowledge has been lost, and the easiest way to relearn it is to trace the steps your ancestors took. Of course, if either the 'Murican Empire or the Soviet Expedition wanted to participate, I'm sure things would go much faster." The two superpowers were not interested in human spaceflight. Neither wanted to risk weaponizing space again, not during a tenuous peace after centuries of war. Sachiko's statement, however, had been what the reporter was looking for. With a big smile on his face, he stepped aside, allowing a Soviet reporter to approach the mic. "Commander Sachiko," he said, staring at her with an intense expression on his face, "you appear to have grown in the last year. Will your height not interfere with your mission?" "I still measure within regulations," Sachiko said. It was true, but just barely. "No hoshinaut has ever been cleared to fly past age seventeen," the reporter pointed out. "I have," Sachiko told him. "It will not be a problem." The reporter opened his mouth as if to say more, but a red light at the bottom of the stage lit up. "I'm afraid that's all the time we have for today. Thank you for coming. If you still need anything, our press office is open until five. Take a left down the hallway as you exit." With a fake smile once again plastered on her face, Sachiko stood up, followed by Hina and Yasu. They all turned to their left to exit the stage, only to be blocked by Erika, who remained seated. Sachiko tapped her on the shoulder, causing her to start. She looked up at Sachiko, who pointed towards the stairs on the side of the stage, and Erika quickly leapt up and marched in that direction. It was only when they entered a restricted hallway did the hoshinauts relax. "Nice job, everyone," Hina said. Yasu rested her head on Hina's broad shoulder and sighed. "I'm glad we don't have to do that again until we get back." The unexpected contact made Hina flinch. She reached her hand up and patted Yasu on the head. After rubbing her cheek back and forth a few times, Yasu straightened up. "You don't know what happens when the press conferences end?" Sachiko asked. "Don't tell me," Yasu groaned. "That's when the personal interviews begin." "It's not that bad," Hina tried to reassure Yasu. "It'll be a few weeks before they start." "But we'll be on the ISS by then," Yasu pointed out. "Yeah, we'll be doing them aboard the station," Hina confirmed. "They're already scheduled." "Don't worry about it," Sachiko added. "The personal interviews are even fluffier than the press conferences." As they turned a corner, they abruptly came face-to-face with Neo JAXA's director. He was an older man, just shy of sixty years old, who hid his age well. His secretary, a gynoid, walked just behind him. The two of them wore expensive matching suits. "Well done, ladies," he greeted them, a broad smile on his face. He placed a hand on Sachiko's shoulder and bent down to murmur into her ear. "Try to stay out of international politics next time." "Thanks for the advice," Sachiko said, grabbing his hand and pulling it firmly off her shoulder. She pinched it as hard as she dared, wanting to hurt him, but not leave a visible bruise. His expression hardened as he did his best not to cry out in pain. "Let me give you some advice in return. Stop. Touching. The. Girls. How many times do I have to tell you?" "I believe this is the fourth such warning you have issued," the secretary said. "However, you have once again mistaken the director's intentions. He lost his balance and instinctively grabbed you to steady himself, though he is too proud to admit it." "Always an excuse," Sachiko grumbled. "You may rest assured," the secretary said, "I am keeping a very close eye on him." Sachiko immediately backed off. "Sorry. I know you're always with him. I didn't mean—" "No need to apologize," the gynoid told her. "You were only concerned about the space program's image. I promise you, there will be no scandals under our watch. Now, we're late for a meeting. Please excuse us." As the secretary prodded the director forward, Erika took advantage of the distraction to split off down a side hallway. She walked quickly to distance herself from the group. Hina quickly noticed. "Hey, Erika," she called out. "Erika. Hey, Erika. Erikaaaaa." Once again, Erika started, but this time, Sachiko was convinced that it was because she'd just remembered her own alias. She hadn't responded because she hadn't realized Hina was addressing her. She turned around to face Hina. "Yes, what do you want?" "Good job today," Hina said. "I don't need your fake sympathy," Erika replied. "No, I'm serious," Hina insisted. "That wasn't bad for your first time. You were a little stiff, but you didn't say anything you shouldn't." "I don't need your real sympathy either," Erika huffed. She turned back around and marched off. "Don't forget to report for quarantine tomorrow morning," Sachiko called after her. "I'm not going to come find you again if you forget." "I will have many duties," Yasu imitated in a mocking voice, "but rest assured, I will perform them all." She may have been shy around strangers, but she didn't hold back amongst friends. She used to only open up around Hina, but lately, she'd been more assertive in Sachiko's presence. Hina considered it a good thing, but she couldn't help but worry that Sachiko's pessimism was rubbing off on her friend. "At least she knew her place," Sachiko commented. "Come on," Hina said. "Do you always have to be so mean?" "What do you think will happen if we're nice to her?" Sachiko shot back. "You'll feel better inside," Hina answered. "The government won't get the message," Sachiko said. "They'll keep pulling stunts like this until they get someone killed. If they're going to force unqualified people into our crews, we have a duty to make it as unpleasant as possible for them." "I don't think the suits care how tough we are on Erika," Hina observed, "and things would be easier on us if she was more cooperative." "She's never once tried to cooperate with us," Sachiko said, "but I appreciate what you're saying. It's just... you're too pure. That's not a bad thing, but you're easily taken advantage of. Leave the interpersonal stuff to me, OK? Just concentrate on the mission." "Promise you won't do anything stupid to ground her," Hina requested. "Don't worry," Sachiko smiled, "she's coming to space with us. I wouldn't do anything to jeopardize our launch. You know as well as I do how unforgiving space is, and we won't always be able to protect her." "Why does that sound like a threat?" Hina chuckled nervously. Sachiko scoffed. "You know I wouldn't do something like that." "Sometimes I don't understand why you do the things you do," Hina said. "You're so needlessly mean-spirited." "Every time someone dies in space, it causes problems for us," Sachiko said. "I don't want Erika to get hurt, and I'll do everything to prevent it, but there's a decent chance it will happen no matter what we do. She doesn't have the proper training or mindset." "That's true," Hina admitted, "but still..." "We need to trust each other," Sachiko said, "or else this mission will fail. If you can't trust me, you need to say something now. There's not much time before launch." "Didn't you just say I was too trusting? Too pure?" "I also said you shouldn't change that," Sachiko smiled. Hina sighed. "I trust you. How could I not? It's only... I don't get why you're so awful to other people." "We just went over this. I have to be mean to Erika." "It's not just Erika," Hina insisted. "You push away anyone you think doesn't measure up to your standards. You're isolating yourself." "I don't need weak people in my life," Sachiko snarled. "You, of all people, should understand that. We're special. We don't break under pressure like they do. That's why we're here." "Everyone has their breaking point," Hina said, "and you're not as strong as you think you are. You're blind to your own weaknesses." "Oh? If you know so much about me, what are my weaknesses?" Hina hesitated. She wasn't sure if this was the right place or time to humble Sachiko. Maybe she should wait until after they returned to Earth. On the other hand, she didn't know how Sachiko would react, and if this came up again while they were in space, it could cause real problems. She decided to come clean. "You can't say no to the gynoids. I've manipulated you countless times by convincing the gynoids to give you an order. I'm not the only one, either." "That's not a weakness," Sachiko argued. "They're the future of humankind. It doesn't matter where the idea comes from, if they—" "Ohmygosh Sacchan," Yasu shrieked, interrupting the conversation. "You're trending on SNS!" "They're finally paying attention to us?" Sachiko asked. She reached for the smartphone that Yasu was offering, but frowned when she saw what was on the screen. The top post read, "THAT SMIRK! 😍" It contained a photo of the brief moment when Sachiko had scoffed at Erika on stage. The next one was similar, if a bit more reserved. "That smirk says it all." Each post had a few hundred likes and dozens of replies. "The Sachiko x Erika shippers are having a field day," Yasu said. "They're shipping us?" Sachiko exclaimed. "Some of them are," Yasu said. "Since Erika was added to the crew recently, there aren't many who ship her. Most see her as the unwelcome interloper interfering with the existing ships, but because you always put yourself between us and her during press events, there are a fair number who jumped aboard the Erika x Sachiko ship. There were only a handful who preferred Sachiko x Erika, but I bet this will cause more to cross over." "How long has this been going on?" Sachiko asked, pushing the phone back into Yasu's hands. "Since our first press conference. It was just a few hardcore space nerds, but the hoshinauts tag on Ao3 has been growing." She showed Sachiko the phone again. There were thousands of stories, but from a glance, it appeared that they only had a few hundred hits each. "This is gross," Sachiko frowned. "This is wrong." "I totally get you," Yasu said, not at all understanding what Sachiko had meant. "I'd be upset if I were you, but if you want to be seen as the top more often, you need to stop giving off that jealous bottom energy." "I do not—" Sachiko yelled. Hina put her hand over her own mouth to stifle a laugh, and Sachiko took a moment to collect herself. "Do me a favor and send this to OCOMM. It's their job to deal with publicity issues, and we don't have time for these kinds of distractions. We launch in two weeks. I want you both to devote yourself to the mission full time until then. Got it?" "Yes, Commander," Hina said, still giggling. "Yes, Commander," Yasu echoed, a blank expression on her face. She had no intention of reporting the hoshinaut shipping community to the higher-ups, not after all the work she had done to create it.

Erika was completely terrified. There was over a million kilograms of fuel within the shuttle and its boosters, and if something went wrong, they'd all be burned alive. That there hadn't been any launch accidents in modern history was small comfort. With such little margin for error, the possibility remained. She did her best to hide her fear, but the other hoshinauts picked up on it. "Looks like the cargo's scared," Yasu observed. It was launch day, and the four of them were sitting on the flight deck of the space shuttle Endeavour . Hina and Sachiko were seated at the front, Hina on the port side, and Sachiko starboard. Erika was strapped down to a seat in the middle of the deck, and Yasu was behind her on the starboard side. "She has every right to be," Sachiko said. "She's about to experience sustained three Gs for the first time in her life. Poor thing might pass out. Though, since she's just dead weight anyway, that wouldn't be a problem." Everything they said was being broadcast to mission control, but they knew the rest of Neo JAXA felt the same way about Erika, so they didn't hold back. "Come on, Sacchan," Yasu giggled, "it's less than a minute. No one would pass out from that." "You'd be surprised how fragile some people are," Sachiko told her. "Eh?" Yasu exclaimed. "Eeeeeh? You mean she's even weaker than me? Ohmygosh, her leg is twitching. Do you think she's pissing herself with fear?" "I'm not," Erika said through clenched teeth. "Ah, ah, ah," Sachiko said, wagging a finger. "The cargo doesn't get to speak, remember? It might interfere with flight procedures." "OK, that's enough," a woman's voice crackled over their headsets. "Let's keep it clean, OK, Yasu?" "Sorry," Yasu cooed, though it didn't sound to anyone like she meant it. "We're turning on the camera," the voice reported, "so whatever you say next is going to be streamed to thousands of viewers." "Understood," Sachiko confirmed. "Thank you, Melina," Hina added. She sighed inwardly. Where had the kind Yasu she knew as a child gone? It was Sachiko's fault she had become like this. No, that wasn't fair. Yasu had gained a lot of confidence after Sachiko took her under her wing. Hina had never been able to do that much for Yasu, and she knew she was jealous of Sachiko for it. Still, she couldn't approve of this hazing, and it hurt to see Yasu participating in it. "Alright ladies," another voice, a man's this time, came over the mic, "We've got perfect conditions, so let's not waste any time getting you up there." The communications feed briefly became a flurry of activity as the Orbiter Test Coordinator read out a checklist of instructions. Erika tried to follow along, but the chatter was too fast-paced, and too laced with jargon, for her to understand anything. It abruptly halted, and Hina began tapping on her instrument panel. Erika desperately wanted to ask what was going on, but she knew she would only be getting in the way, so she bit her tongue. "OTC, PLT," Hina said after what had seemed like hours to Erika, but in fact had only been a few seconds. "Caution-and-warning memory is cleared, no unexpected errors." No unexpected errors? Erika thought to herself. There are expected errors? I don't like that. What if— " Endeavour , OTC," the man's voice interrupted her thoughts. "Close and lock your visors, and initiate O2 flow." This was the one instruction Erika knew she had to listen for. She hurriedly pulled her visor down but her hands were trembling so much that she struggled to grab the bailer bar and lock it into place. Yasu had to reach over and pull it down for her. Unfortunately for Erika, there was nobody sitting to her left, so she was on her own to open the oxygen valve. By the time she got it open, there were less than thirty seconds to launch. "GLS is go for main engine start," yet another voice said over the comm. Erika took a deep breath to steel herself, but nothing could prepare her for what was about to come. At T-minus 6 seconds, a powerful jolt wracked the ship, and for a sickening moment, Erika feared it was going to tip over, but it bucked back just as hard in the other direction. The roar of the engine pervaded the ship, drowning out Erika's screams of terror. OCOMM, foreseeing that Erika might freak out, had made arrangements to cut her mic during launch. Hopefully, to outsiders, it would look like she was shouting in excitement. It helped that Sachiko and Hina, who were closer to the camera, had big grins on their faces. For the first few seconds, it was convincing, even as the shuttle rolled along its vertical axis. When it pitched, however, Erika flailed her arms in panic, and Yasu had to grab her right arm to stop her from smacking Hina in the side of the head. Yasu's firm grip had a calming effect on Erika. In the periphery of her vision, she could make out the grimace on Yasu's face, though she misunderstood what it meant. To Erika, Yasu's frown was one of pity and disgust at her cowardice, but Yasu was thinking only of how this would look to the shippers. Yasu x Erika was the least popular ship, and not one that Yasu wanted to encourage, but she knew there was no helping it now. By the time they reached the ISS, there would be at least half a dozen new Yasu x Erika fics about them holding hands during launch. Nodding slightly, Erika slowly pulled her arm towards her chest, and Yasu let her go. Erika managed to control her fear for the next couple minutes until booster separation, when another jolt rattled the ship, causing Erika to flail about once again. The rest of the ascent was uneventful, and once Erika got used to it, boring even. The acceleration was not enough to seriously bother her, and by the time of external tank separation, just over eight minutes into the flight, Erika had managed to completely calm herself. The danger, she felt, had largely passed. A few minutes later, Erika heard a voice over her headset, "We're turning the cameras off." She recognized the speaker as the woman Hina had called Melina, but she was so distracted by the feeling of microgravity that she barely registered the words. "How's the cargo doing? Sachiko asked Yasu. "Still with us?" "Seems so," Yasu answered. "I'll take her to the WCS so she can change out of her dirty diapy." "I'm fine," Erika said, brushing away Yasu's hand. "Mission control, where's our rendezvous profile?" Sachiko asked, ignoring the drama behind her. "Sending it now," a voice replied over the radio. "You're on track to rendezvous in about 21 hours." "Been there, done that," Sachiko scoffed. "Hina, how fast can you get us there?" "Seven hours," Hina answered. "Great," Sachiko smiled. "Let's do that." "What's going on?" Erika asked, fear creeping back into her heart. "Mission control recommended a standard approach to the ISS, but we're taking an expedited route," Hina explained. "You're disobeying orders?!" Erika gasped. "Relax," Hina said. "It's perfectly safe. I wouldn't do anything dangerous." "And we're not disobeying orders," Sachiko added. "I'm in command; I give the orders. Now, let's get out of these pumpkins. We've got a lot of filming to do before we reach the ISS." "Filming?" Erika asked. "Don't know about you, but our primary mission is to film a reality show," Sachiko said, reaching over to disconnect parts of Hina's ACE suit. "I knew JAXA was having budget issues," Erika said, "but isn't that like trying to pay for a house by selling matches?" "OCOMM thinks it'll change public perception of the program if we can demonstrate that we're living normal lives up here," Hina said. "Besides, the cute girls doing cute things genre is popular right now," Yasu said. "We'll make a good haul." "Look who's calling herself cute again," Hina quipped, causing Yasu to lean forward and give her a friendly punch in the arm. "That was great," Sachiko observed. "Do that again later for the cameras." "Take over for a bit," Hina told Sachiko. "Just keep watch while I change. Yasu, give me a hand." The two of them unstrapped themselves and floated off to the mid deck. " Endeavour ," Melina's voice came a minute later. "The director has requested... footage of you changing out of your suits." "Absolutely not," Sachiko snapped. "You can tell the director that if he can't keep it in his pants, I can make some calls and have him replaced." There were a few moments of silence as Melina relayed Sachiko's threat, and then, after a brief, audible scuffle, a man's voice came on the line. "You know I don't mean it that way, Satch." "And you know I don't make empty threats," Sachiko countered. "A little skinmanship in the changing room is a CGDCT staple," the director pleaded. "It would do wonders for our image." "I don't care," Sachiko said. "They're underage." "I'm not asking for nudity," the director said, "but if you're that concerned about it, how about you and Erika? You're both, uh, legal." "Are we?" Sachiko asked, raising an eyebrow. "Did you learn something about our mysterious cargo?" "Well, no," the director admitted, "but we've both seen the way she handles herself..." "I swear officer, I thought she was eighteen," Sachiko said in a mocking imitation of the director. "It doesn't matter how old she is. We're not doing it. Don't say another word. I'm serious." Inwardly, Sachiko was furious at the director, and not just because of his inappropriate suggestion. She had the same suspicions about Erika, but she had been keeping them secret. She wanted as much advantage over Erika as possible. Luckily, he hadn't spilled the beans completely, and he had backed off. It wouldn't be impossible for Sachiko to have him replaced, but he was well-connected. It would cost her a lot of favors. "Sorry about that," Melina apologized. "He threatened to have me reassigned." "Don't sweat it," Sachiko told her. "Thanks, Commander," Hina said, arriving back on the flight deck. "I'll take it from here." She was wearing a navy blue tank top and khaki shorts. Given her exchange with the director, Sachiko was worried that Hina was showing too much skin, but she knew why Hina preferred to dress this way in space. If she needed to go on another emergency spacewalk, she could quickly change out of these clothes. The attire seemed to have another benefit as well: It showed off Hina's impressive physique, and Sachiko couldn't help but notice that Erika appeared intimidated by Hina's large biceps. Yasu, on the other hand, was wearing a blue jumpsuit. She seemed to wear it everywhere, even in the dorms, and honestly, Sachiko approved. It was very practical, and she often wore a jumpsuit herself. She knew, however, that Yasu only wore jumpsuits because she had a hard time coordinating outfits. During the years when normal girls were developing their fashion senses, Yasu had devoted herself entirely to hoshinaut training. "All yours," Sachiko said, unbuckling herself. "Yasu, get the cameras set up. Cargo, with me." She led Erika to the mid deck, allowing her some time to adjust to moving in microgravity. Meanwhile, Yasu began unpacking and setting up cameras to film their show. The cameras built into the shuttle were designed first and foremost to be sturdy, so their picture quality was poor. Thankfully, Erika adjusted quickly, and it wasn't long before Sachiko was changing into her own jumpsuit. She chanced a glance at Erika's suitcase. To say her wardrobe was plain would be an understatement. Sachiko knew it might just be confirmation bias on her part, but it appeared Erika only owned clothes that would draw as little attention as possible. Once Erika had finished changing into a cream colored polo shirt and jeans, Sachiko grabbed a large bag full of playing cards from storage and urged Erika back to the flight deck. "Alright, script says we need thirty minutes of footage playing Old Maid," Sachiko announced. "We've got a Hohmann Transfer in twenty five," Hina said. "Let's make it twenty." "Twenty minutes it is," Sachiko nodded, strapping Erika back into her seat. "Cameras ready?" "Rolling," Yasu confirmed. Sitting sideways in her chair, Sachiko shuffled and dealt the cards, handing them directly to the others. Hina glanced quickly at her hand, then, turning her attention back to the monitors, picked out the pairs and handed them to Sachiko, who put them back in the bag. Once the others returned their pairs, the game began. Sachiko gathered her hand and held it out for Erika, who grabbed a card at random. It didn't make a pair, so she offered her hand to Yasu, who quickly picked a card. When it came time for Hina to pick, however, she didn't turn away from the monitors. "Third from the left," Hina said. Yasu took the card and handed it to Hina. Without even looking, Hina flicked it towards Sachiko, then flicked a matching card in the same direction. Erika was so stunned by this that she didn't notice Sachiko offering her hand until she smacked Erika over the head with it. Had Yasu somehow communicated with Hina? Had they set something up beforehand? Erika had watched Sachiko shuffle the deck, and she hadn't noticed anything unusual about it, but to her chagrin, the game continued in this manner until she was left holding the old maid, and Hina had won handily. "Let me deal next," Erika demanded, and Sachiko handed over the cards with a self-satisfied grin. In the end, they played three games, and the result was always the same. Hina won, and Erika was left holding the old maid. Though she kept a watchful eye on the trio, Erika had no idea how they were doing it, and it ate at her. They were just children, and yet they were toying with her so easily. It was bad enough they had rubbed her uselessness in her face during the launch. Were they trying to show her that they were better than her in everything? No, of course not. They were just trying to provoke her, like the immature children they were. As the only adult aboard, she knew she couldn't sink to their level. She wouldn't get back at them, nor would she resent them for what they had done. She would bury her pride and acknowledge that her life was in their hands. It was the mature thing to do. And yet, it only made her feel worse. If she couldn't get angry at them, there was only one person she could be angry with: herself.

"Please don't tell me they're sending a Progress up here just to deliver some pajamas," Yasu groaned. It was early morning aboard the ISS, and the four Hoshinauts were gathered in Unity . Melina was talking them through their schedule for the day over video chat. "OK," Melina said, "I won't. We're sending a Soyuz, and it's carrying more than just pajamas." The atmosphere quickly turned tense. "We've only been here a few days," Sachiko said, crossing her arms. "As much as I'd like to hope we're sending the cargo home, if it were that easy to get rid of her, we would have done so before launch." "So," Yasu voiced the question that Sachiko had danced around, "are we getting more hoshinauts, or more cargo?" "I'm not allowed to say," Melina admitted. "Director thinks it'll make good footage if it's a surprise." "Melina," Sachiko sighed, "I don't need to remind you that I'm responsible for the safety of my crew and this station. No matter how good of a surprise it is, I need to know about any potential threats." "You don't need to remind me," Melina agreed. "I would let you know if there were any potential danger." "That's not your call," Sachiko said, keeping her voice even. "It's mine." "C'mon, Sachi," Melina said. "We've known each other for how many years? Would it kill you to trust me for once in your life?" "I do trust you," Sachiko replied, "but when lives are at stake, I can't afford to take your word for it." "Figures," Melina sighed, "but you'll listen to a gynoid, right?" A gynoid leaned into the frame from Melina's right, flashing a peace sign. "Do not worry. There is no danger to you or the mission. I look forward to seeing the footage." "So there you have it," Melina said with a huge grin on her face. Sachiko looked like she wanted to say something further, but she pressed her lips tight and took a deep breath instead. "Fine. Anything else?" "That's all from mission control," Melina reported. "Great," Sachiko snapped before anyone else could say anything. "You three, go ahead and get started. Melina, we need to talk in private ." "Ohhhhh, Melina's in trouble," Hina and Yasu whooped as Sachiko floated off towards the Russian segment. "The hell was that?" Sachiko growled into her headset when she arrived in Zvezda . "Whoa, Sachi, calm down. I was just following orders." "Oh, you were following orders, were you? Tell me, who ordered you to undermine my authority in front of the crew?" "Sorry," Melina scoffed. "I didn't think you'd throw a tantrum over it." "Melina, this is important. Who gave the order?" "I didn't mean it like that. Director thought it would be a fun surprise, and Flight agreed. Since we know who's onboard, we didn't consider it a safety concern, and the quickest way to resolve this was to ask Surgeon to reassure you." "And neither of you thought for a second about how that would make me look to my crew." "OK, Sachi, if you're really hung up about rank, maybe you should listen when the director gives orders. It's not your place to decide who launches, or when." To Sachiko, that was probably the stupidest thing she'd ever heard Melina say. Had she not paid any attention to the shifting power dynamics at Neo JAXA? Did she not realize the director was just keeping the chair warm for Sachiko until she came of age? Worse, was she completely ignorant of her own position and duties? Getting mad at Melina had been as pointless as getting mad at a small child who didn't understand what they had done wrong. When Sachiko next spoke, her voice was calm, but had a sharp edge to it. "But it is my responsibility to keep my crew safe, and it's your responsibility to facilitate communication between us and Flight. You're not there to solve problems without being asked. The next time a situation like this comes up, just say that you'll relay my concerns to Flight, then we can hash it out in private. Do you understand?" Melina still thought Sachiko was overreacting, but she couldn't argue with that logic, and there was something about Sachiko's tone that told her it would be a bad idea to talk back, so she answered simply, "Got it." "Good. Oh, and one more thing. I'm giving you a second chance because you have a lot of potential, but mess up again, and your career is over." "Sure thing," Melina said, making no attempt to hide her sarcasm. "If you don't believe me, ask a gynoid. They'll tell you what's up. Sachiko out." Before Melina could respond, Sachiko switched off her headset. She had to admit that felt good. Ever since Hina had pointed out that people were using the gynoids to influence her decisions, she'd wondered if she'd ever have the chance to do the same to others. Most people avoided gynoids as much as possible. Very few understood how intelligent—or important—they really were. ⁂ It was nearly midnight aboard the station, and Yasu floated silently from the Russian segment to the United States segment. As she passed through Harmony , she waved to the cameras set up to monitor Erika's crew quarters at night. She may have kept her plan secret from the others on the station, but she had made sure to get OCOMM's approval first. When she reached the Kibou module, she set up a camera and hooked her tablet up to it. Tapping on the tablet, she began the livestream and waited for people to join. The stream had only been announced hours prior, so she didn't expect a large audience, but to her surprise, hundreds joined in the first minute. From the usernames, she could tell it was a good mix of JAXA employees, space nerds, and people from the shipping community. When the viewer count neared a thousand, she pointed the camera at herself. "Sup, nerds?" she greeted them. OCOMM had advised her to adopt an outgoing persona, to act like she was a v-tuber, and the audience her simps, in order to overcome her shyness. "Welcome to the top-secret stream. I'm gonna give you a tour of the station because Sacchan chickened out. "Right now I'm in Kibou . That's right, weebs, it's the Japanese module. It's not only the biggest room on the station, it's also the quietest. The original station had a big robotic arm attached to it for experiments, but we don't do experiments, so we mostly use it for storage." She pointed the camera overhead, showing off some of the luggage tied down in the logistics module. At the same time, she checked the chat. There were only a few messages, but none of them negative, and the viewer count was continuing to climb. Nobody had gotten offended at being called a nerd or a weeb. Perhaps this was going to work after all. "Alright, next we have Harmony . The module that Hina just looooves to brag about saving, and now she sleeps in it." She stopped outside Hina's cabin and grabbed one of the door handles. "The station is noisy, and these doors block out a lot of noise, but Hina's a deep sleeper." She opened the door and focused the camera on the cabin. Hina was indeed in her sleeping bag, with a facemask over her eyes and mufflers over her ears. Her jaw hung slack, a telltale sign that she was asleep. "See, what did I tell you?" Yasu asked rhetorically. She poked Hina on the cheek to demonstrate that she would remain asleep, but the action caused Hina to close her mouth and swallow. "Yasu..." Hina groaned, causing Yasu to freeze up. Had she really been caught so early in the stream? "Yasu, don't cry. You can have my dessert." She hadn't woken after all. She was just talking in her sleep. "Ohmygosh," Yasu gasped, barely more than a whisper. She turned the camera back towards her own face. "I can't believe she still remembers that. That was ages ago. We were just kids. I was gonna draw a mustache on her while she slept, but that was too sweet. OK chat, say nighty-night to Hina." Yasu was in an ecstatic mood. She still had a place in Hina's heart. Even if it was only as a fond memory, that was more than she had ever expected. Not once had Hina ever spoken fondly of their time in the orphanage. As she slid the door closed, Hina mumbled, "You look really cute today, Claire," and Yasu's heart fell, plummeting through the bottom of the station and burning up in the atmosphere. Claire?! Who's that? Yasu thought to herself. She quickly racked her brain. There was nobody named Claire in the space program. It wasn't a common name in modern times, so she was sure she'd remember. Maybe she's got a secret girlfriend? No way. When would she find the time? Shit, the stream! OK, deep breath. I can do this. "Everyone calls her the prodigy of the space program for her piloting skills, but honestly, being able to sleep like that in microgravity is much more impressive," Yasu blathered, saying the first thing that came to her mind to get the stream back on track. "Let's head to the kitchen. She did say I could have her dessert." Floating quickly into Unity , Yasu opened a food compartment and pulled out a bag of chocolate pudding. "Her favorite," Yasu explained to the camera. Opening the packet, she squirted a blob of it into the air and then, after letting it float for a few seconds, chomped down on it in an exaggerated motion. She really didn't want to be doing this right now. She wanted to go back to her cabin, curl up into a ball, and cry, but she had suggested this stream, and she was going to see it through. "Yum!" She exclaimed. "Food doesn't taste as strong in space, but you can't go wrong with pudding. I wonder if they put extra sugar in it to compensate. We don't have to worry about getting fat, because we work out every day. "Anyway, this is pretty much the social center of the station. We do all our group activities here. There's not a lot of room, and since Sachhan tenses up whenever someone gets close to the airlock, there's not much space to move around." There was no reason for her to say that, and Sachiko would be pissed when she found out. Maybe that was why she had done it. She wanted someone else to be mad at her. She glanced at the chat. JAXA employees were trying to assure everyone that the airlock was completely safe now, and Sachiko had no reason to worry. Twisting the lid back onto the pudding, Sachiko put it back in the fridge. "Alright, where are my Soviets? Any Soviets in the chat?" A few hundred viewers flooded the chat with emojis. "We're about to enter the Russian segment. You won't want to miss this. It's smaller than the United States segment, but it contains the most important module on the station." The tour of the Russian segment lasted only a few minutes. It consisted of the Zarya module, which was being used only for storage; two docking modules; and Zvezda . She dared not approach the crew cabins. Unlike Hina, Sachiko was a light sleeper, and although it was unlikely she'd be able to hear Yasu from inside her cabin, Yasu did not want to risk getting caught. Despite this, the Soviets in the chat were in high spirits as Yasu returned to the United States segment, chatting excitedly about the genius of the old USSR. "Last, but not least, we have Tranquility ," Yasu announced. "It's where they crammed everything else. Seriously, it's so random. Most of the exercise equipment is in here, but it's like, right outside of the toilet. Good thing we're all pure, innocent maidens who would never do anything as embarrassing as go to the bathroom." Yasu spent some time demonstrating the exercise machines. The chat was particularly impressed by how much she could bench press, despite her small stature. This led to some inappropriate comments that got quite a few people banned. "And now, the part you've all been waiting for," Yasu said after unhooking herself from the treadmill. "We're going down into the cupola to get a good look at Earth." After spinning herself so she could enter the cupola in the proper orientation, Yasu reached out for the camera and was shocked to find Sachiko standing in the entryway to Tranquility . "Sacchan," Yasu gasped. "I was just, uh..." Smiling, Sachiko turned her phone towards Yasu. The stream was playing on it. "You were just about to give away the goods for free," Sachiko finished for her. "We're the only ones who know what Earth looks like now, only the hoshinauts who reach orbit. Did you know that? Not even mission control gets to see it." "B—but Hina said they have a right—" "And you think you can take all the credit? For the first images of Earth since before the war?" "You said I could," Yasu whimpered, almost too quietly for Sachiko to hear. "I said you could film it for our show ," Sachiko snapped. "I never said you could stream it." She floated quickly over to Yasu and put her hand over the camera lens. "Say goodbye, chat." It was the last thing they heard before the stream cut out. ⁂ Sachiko hadn't gotten mad at Yasu. In fact, once the camera was off, she'd just turned around and gone back to bed. To Sachiko, there had been no reason to say anything. She could see the pain in Yasu's eyes, and though she didn't know why Yasu was hurting, there was no sense in making it worse. For the first couple days, Yasu wished Sachiko would berate her. She wanted another excuse to feel bad, and she wanted someone else to share in her pain. Sachiko was too smart to fall into that trap. In fact, she even helped to keep the existence of the stream a secret from Hina and Erika. Yasu didn't let it affect her duties, but in her spare time, she stewed in self-loathing. Not even the shipping community brought her any solace. They were all writing and drawing fantasies about what happened after Sachiko turned off the camera. There was only one drawing of a young Hina gifting her dessert to Yasu, and when Yasu saw it, she cried. It should have represented everything she wanted in life, and yet Hina's words were still rampaging through her heart. The question became an all-consuming obsession. And so, mere minutes before the Soyuz was due to arrive, after they had reviewed their plans, Sachiko asked if there were any questions, and Yasu couldn't keep it bottled up any more. "Yeah, just one," Yasu said, looking Hina square in the eyes. "Who the hell is Claire?"

Hina, Yasu, and Erika all stared at Maeko, mouths agape. Maeko looked straight back at them, and with a smile on her face, put a finger to her lips. "I think we can call it a day," Maeko whispered. "She obviously hasn't been getting enough sleep. You can stow the pajamas in the Soyuz." Leaning close, Hina inspected Sachiko's sleeping face. She really did look exhausted, and Hina cursed herself for not noticing earlier. So much for being "highly perceptive," or whatever Erika called it, she thought bitterly. She knew she was being too hard on herself. Yes, Sachiko had dark circles under her eyes, and she'd been irritable, but that was typical for Sachiko. She was always working hard, under a lot of pressure, but for her to fall asleep while on duty, it must have been really bad. "You know," Erika said when they were alone in Harmony , "Yasu is right. You really should reject her more clearly." "Are you jealous too?" Hina asked, smiling. "I'm just pointing out that you're sending a lot of mixed signals," Erika said. "It's not that simple," Hina sighed. "We grew up together. In many ways, we're the only family we have. I may not be in love with her, but I do love her, and I don't want to make things harder between us than they are now. Besides, she takes rejection... poorly." "I noticed," Erika chuckled. "She's even worse than you." "Hey, I backed off, didn't I?" Hina defended herself. She debated whether or not she should tell Erika the truth, that she had attempted to seduce her as part of a plan to get information. Sachiko seemed to trust Erika now, so maybe it would be OK to come clean. "Again, I'm sorry," Hina said, rubbing the back of her neck. "The way I acted was inappropriate." A full apology could come later, she decided, after clearing it with Sachiko. "Yes it was," Erika agreed. "It was also, I recently learned, against regulations. You could be grounded permanently for that kind of behavior." "Is this... Are you blackmailing me?" "I don't think that's necessary," Erika said. Her voice was friendly, and Hina relaxed. "Just promise you won't do it again. Oh, and if you could get Yasu to stop with her childish bullying, I'd appreciate it. She tried to stick a sign to my back yesterday." "Ugh," Hina groaned, running her hands through her short hair. "I can probably get her to cut it out, but I'm going to owe her a favor. This sucks." Her reaction made Erika giggle. The strong, confident, and handsome Hina was bothered by something so trivial. It was times like this that reminded Erika that the hoshinauts really were children. "Maybe I am a little jealous," Erika mused. "I probably shouldn't say this to an orphan, but not everyone is close with their family. I can understand why you treasure your current relationship with Yasu." "If you don't like your family, you can always start a new one," Hina said. "I'm sure it wouldn't be hard to find someone who likes you." Easy for you to say, Erika thought, but she didn't voice that complaint. Instead, she decided to tease Hina. "I thought you promised to stop flirting with me." "I didn't mean me," Hina clarified, blood rushing to her cheeks. I like her better when she's cute like that , Erika thought to herself. Not that I like her. It's just gap moe... Do I like her? No, not even as a friend, but I can't deny there's a place in my heart for her now. She's like a girl I see around the neighborhood. I hope for the best for her, and nothing more than that. It's acceptable if it's nothing more than that, right? ⁂ "Good morning," Maeko greeted Sachiko as she awoke in a darkened Kibou . "What time is it?" Sachiko asked, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. "0441," Maeko answered. "You slept for more than nine hours." "I could sleep for nine more," Sachiko groaned. "I never sleep this well in space. Did you drug me?" There was no anger in the question, and Maeko could tell that Sachiko trusted her. "There was no need," Maeko replied. "You were sleep deprived." "You never give direct answers," Sachiko mumbled. "I didn't drug you," Maeko said, placing her palm on Sachiko's cheek. The sudden touch was like being slapped with ice-cold water, and Sachiko flailed around, now fully awake. "How come it didn't feel like that when I was asleep?" "These pajamas are thick," Maeko pointed out, "and I avoided touching you directly." To demonstrate, she retracted her hand into her sleeve and placed it once more on Sachiko's cheek. It still felt uncomfortable, but it was bearable, and even a little warm. "Well," Sachiko said, searching for a way to change the subject. She had just realized how embarrassing it was that she fell asleep in front of the others, and in a gynoid's embrace at that. "Let me help you to a charger. You must be running low after staying with me all night." "No charger," Maeko informed her. "Two miniature reactors have been built into my chassis." "You're... nuclear. Excuse me." Still in her pajamas, Sachiko hurried back to Zvezda , where she grabbed the headset from her cabin and hurried to Tranquility for some privacy. "This is Sachiko. Put Surgery on the line, now ." "Surgery," a gynoid voice replied. Good, Sachiko thought, they're learning. "Maeko's got two nuclear reactors," Sachiko spat. "You told me there was no risk to my crew." "I stand by my assessment," Surgery replied, "We improved the design of your parents' reactor. The fissile material has already been rendered inert." "That doesn't make me feel better," Sachiko said. "It should," Surgery insisted. "You are familiar with all of the emergency procedures, and they are only generating enough energy to power a single gynoid. If containment fails, you'll feel lightheaded at most." "You don't know that," Sachiko spat. "Those generators utilize forces beyond our current understanding. What if they behave differently in microgravity?" "We accounted for that," Surgery assured her. "Did you test it?" Sachiko pressed. The question was met only with silence. There was something Surgery didn't want to tell her. That could only mean they had tested it, and they would have done it during one of Sachiko's missions, because she knew how to safely shut it down. They'd sent her up with an experimental reactor and hadn't told her. "You tested it during my last mission, didn't you?" "It had nothing to do with the airlock incident," Surgery said. "That doesn't matter," Sachiko said. "You should have told me. I hate this. I hate being kept in the dark, and I especially hate it when you and Maeko—Macchan won't give me straight answers." "You often say you will do anything for the space program," Surgery pointed out. "Put up with it, for the cause." "Fuck you." The words spilled from Sachiko's mouth before she could stop them. She was losing her cool again, putting herself at a disadvantage. Surgery wouldn't make that mistake. She had no emotions to cloud her judgment. "Don't you dare try to manipulate me like that. I'm taking this to the gynoid council. Put someone else on." "If I were you, I would think very carefully about what you say, and who you say it to," Surgery advised. "Remember who's backing Maeko." Despite her anger, Sachiko was able to think clearly enough to recognize it as a warning, not a threat. Nevertheless, she was in no mood to back down, so she repeated her demand to talk to someone else. "Sachi," Melina's voice was the next to come over the headset, "we've got a situation down here. The director is missing." "Missing?" Sachiko blinked. "What about his secretary? She was supposed to keep an eye on him." "She's gone too," Melina reported. "All we found was a note, but we've got no evidence the director wrote it. It reads, 'I'll be back. Since Satch thinks she's so smart, she can run things in my absence.'" "Idiot," Sachiko said, rolling her eyes. "There's no way I can replace him while I'm in orbit, and I'm a minor to boot. We need a real replacement, but I can't imagine anyone with half a brain wants to walk into this mess." "What should we do then?" Melina asked. "Just make sure the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology is informed," Sachiko answered. "She'll tell the Prime Minister, and he'll appoint a new director. It may take a few days, but we're all smart people. We'll manage until then." "It might take longer than that," Melina said. "We can't get messages through to anyone in government, not even the Minister of State for Space Policy. We've been told they're completely focused on preventing an all-out war." "They're probably detaining anyone with a shred of political influence, just to make sure they don't do something stupid," Sachiko surmised. If I were down there, they'd be after me too . "The director probably got wind that counterintelligence agents are en route to Neo Tanegashima. I don't think they'll be eager to interfere with operations, but perhaps we should post some armed guards outside mission control." "Armed... guards?" "Don't worry, the gynoids will take care of it," Sachiko said. "They already know where the weapons are." "Weapons?" Melina gasped. "Don't worry," Sachiko repeated. "They're locked down good. Even if someone else found them, only the gynoids and I can access them." "So you can do what, fight a gynoid revolution?" "It's just for emergencies," Sachiko said, "and speaking of emergencies, I've got to go. See you in a few hours for the DPC. Oh, and don't give Surgery a gun. She's from a minority faction." "Gynoids have factions?!" was the last thing Sachiko heard before switching off the headset. Once again, Sachiko was exasperated at Melina's ignorance. It wasn't like the gynoids were hiding anything about themselves. The gynoid council even livestreamed its meetings. Anyone who paid even the slightest attention would know that the gynoids have factions, but they all wanted as little as possible to do with what they regarded as disgusting tools. And yes, there was definitely something disgusting about them, from the way they looked and moved to the way that touching them made your skin crawl. But they were sapient. They were human. Why couldn't people push past their discomfort and look at the gynoids for who they were? Was it really so much easier to avert their eyes? As Sachiko made her way back to Kibou , she forced such philosophical thoughts from her mind. She needed to focus her attention on the task at hand. Maeko was waiting for her, still in her wolf pajamas. "Let's review the emergency procedures for shutting down your reactors," Sachiko ordered. "Does this mean I can stay?" Sachiko was tempted to not answer, to only say something that could be interpreted as an answer. It's what Maeko and Surgery had been doing to her all this time, but she decided it was better to lead by example. "Yes," Sachiko nodded, "assuming you cooperate. Now, strip." "How forward," Maeko teased as she unzipped her pajamas, "but I like that about you. When you want something, you make it happen." Sachiko saw no need to respond to Maeko's provocation. She didn't yet know what the gynoid was playing for, and she didn't want any part of it. Crossing her arms in front of her chest, she watched silently as Maeko removed her clothing. Like all gynoids, her chassis was modeled after the female form, but it was neither especially attractive nor unattractive. Their creator had wanted to create what he called a "normal woman"—albeit one without genitals—but having no idea how to do that, he had looked up the average measurements for women worldwide and used those. In doing so, he had created a body that looked similar to every woman, and yet looked like no woman that ever existed. There was something about this uncanny valley that Sachiko found instinctively disturbing, but on second glance, deeply alluring. "Like what you see?" Maeko asked once she finished undressing. As far as Sachiko could tell, she was no different than any other gynoid, aside from being shorter. "Where are the reactors?" Sachiko asked in reply. "They're in my buttocks," Maeko answered. She turned away from Sachiko to give her a better look. "It was the only place they'd fit. I suggested that the chest would be more accessible in an emergency, but the council refused to allow me to enlarge my breasts." "I'm surprised they allowed you to make any modifications at all," Sachiko murmured. "That must have required a lot of convincing." Inspecting Maeko's bottom, she found nothing unusual about it. It was smooth and covered with a layer of artificial skin. "How do I access them? In an emergency, cutting and peeling away the skin would take too long." "There are recessed buttons near the top," Maeko explained. "Pressing down hard will release an agent which will dissolve my skin, but which poses no threat to you. After that, remove the access panels, and you know the rest." "Three turns counterclockwise, wait until you feel the pressure drop, then one turn clockwise and remove," Sachiko reminded herself. "Where exactly are these buttons?" "You may feel around for them, but don't press too hard," Maeko said, bending forward and sticking her rear out towards Sachiko. "It would take more than a day to re-grow the skin." ⁂ Yasu woke early, not that she had been sleeping deeply to begin with. No matter how tired she got, she doubted she would ever sleep soundly in microgravity. She had no idea how Hina did it, or Sachiko for that matter, and in a gynoid's arms no less. Still, six or seven hours of light sleep seemed to be all she required to remain sharp during the day. Since she had some time before breakfast, she grabbed her drawing tablet and made her way to Kibou . There were so many ideas swimming around in her head now. Most of them involved Sachiko and Maeko as a sheep and a wolf, but, she thought, she could probably draw herself as an anemone, hugging a clownfish Hina. It somehow didn't feel as wrong when it wasn't realistic. Now that she thought about it, that was the magic of shipping. It was all pretend. The drawings and the stories weren't really depicting her and Hina, but rather, imaginary versions of themselves. That's why it didn't even feel wrong to include a gynoid. They were gross in real life, but in a fantasy world, they could be different. Kinda like a yaoi hole, or something. She felt silly for ever having been unable to draw Hina x Yasu. It was with these thoughts in mind that she rounded the corner just in time to witness Sachiko, still in her sheep pajamas, place her palms on Maeko's naked butt. The sight surprised her so much that she dropped her tablet and let out a loud gasp. Sachiko and Maeko turned their heads towards her, and Sachiko's face turned bright red. "We were just—" Sachiko started to explain. "I'm sorry," Yasu blurted out, pushing off the wall back towards the Russian segment. What she had seen wasn't so different from what she had been imagining moments ago, but seeing it in real life had shattered the wall she had been attempting to build up between her fantasies and reality, and that was a deeply unsettling feeling. As Sachiko rushed to catch up with Yasu, Maeko picked up the drawing tablet she had left behind.

"You don't mean Claire from the orphanage, do you?" Hina asked. "That's the only Claire I know." "Which one was Claire again?" Yasu asked in reply. "Light brown hair, curly side-bob," Hina replied. "Hung out with the popular girls, but didn't talk much." "The one who rubbed dirt into my hair?" "She apologized for that," Hina said. "Because you made her," Yasu pouted. "But she was really sorry. She never did anything to you after that. She was just looking for attention." "Attention from you, apparently," Yasu said. "That-s not—OK, maybe that's true," Hina realized. "We did start hanging out a bit after that." "Huh? I don't remember that," Yasu said. "Yeah, well, I figured you'd be mad, so I didn't tell you," Hina admitted. "Damn right I would have been mad," Yasu shouted, "but I would have gotten over it. Now I'm pissed at you for hiding it from me." "Why?" Hina challenged. "I'm not allowed to keep any secrets from you? I can't live my life without you being a part of every moment?" "I didn't mean that," Yasu said, shocked at Hina's outburst. "I just—" "And why is this coming up now of all times?" Hina continued. "Enough," Sachiko shouted, clapping her hands. "Work this out later. We've got a job to do." Yasu barely had time to wipe a tear from her eye before a loud thump jolted the station. The Soyuz had docked. The three hoshinauts sprang into action. There was a long checklist of tasks to complete before the Soyuz's hatch could be opened. They needed to confirm that the docking seal didn't have any leaks and equalize the pressure and temperature between the station and the Soyuz. Erika was once again left with nothing to do but retreat into her fear that something might go wrong. To her, this whole process seemed to take an eternity, but for the others, an hour passed in the blink of an eye. Sachiko had pushed them to complete their tasks as quickly as possible. She wanted to flex on whoever it was that was being sent up. Whoever finished first would end up waiting on the other party, meaning whoever finished last would end up being a burden. Although she didn't know who was in the Soyuz, Sachiko wanted to start the relationship in a dominant position. To her dismay, both sides reported that they were ready at the same time. It was not the outcome Sachiko had hoped for, but it wasn't too disappointing. An amateur wouldn't have been so quick, so it was unlikely they were getting another useless crew member. Because the docking module was too small to accommodate all of them, only Sachiko and Yasu were present, the latter only to film the much-anticipated first meeting. She had barely started the camera when the Soyuz's hatch opened. "Welcome aboard," Sachiko said, wearing her most convincing fake smile. She extended a hand in greeting. To her surprise, the hand that clasped it was not made of flesh and bone but of a metal-ceramic alloy covered with artificial skin—articulated not by joints but by servos. Sachiko's fake smile gave way to a shocked expression, but it was quickly replaced with a genuine grin. The Soyuz's occupant was a gynoid wearing a blue JAXA jumpsuit. She was shorter than other gynoids, but otherwise identical, with gray skin and medium-length brown-red hair. This changed everything. "Come here," Sachiko said, pulling the gynoid into a brief hug. Direct contact with the gynoid caused her skin to tingle. It was an unpleasant feeling, and her body was screaming at her to pull away, but she ignored it. She patted the gynoid twice on the back, hugging her for just as long as she would anyone else. "That was unexpected," the gynoid said. "I've heard rumors that you shake hands with us, but not that you give hugs." "New crew members get hugs from everyone," Sachiko explained. "It's an ancient tradition aboard the ISS." "I am aware," the gynoid said, "but I did not expect it to apply to gynoids." "You're getting three more hugs, even if I have to order them to do it." It was likely she'd have to. Nobody wanted to touch gynoids if they could help it. Everyone reacted differently. Some felt pins and needles throughout their body, bordering on unbearable pain; some became itchy from their scalps to their toes; and others described the feeling as being covered in gritty, viscous slime. "I believe that would be more trouble than it is worth," the gynoid said. "Your gesture was more than enough for me." "I'm glad you're here," Sachiko said, changing the subject, "but may I ask why?" "I come bearing pajamas," the gynoid said. "I heard," Sachiko grimaced. "As well as food, water, and oxygen," the gynoid added. This caused Yasu to giggle, despite herself. "We can unload all that later," Sachiko said. "The others are waiting in Destiny . I'll introduce you. May I ask for your name?" "R. Maeko," the gynoid answered. "Can I call you Maeko then?" Sachiko followed up. It was commonplace to drop the R. prefix when talking to a gynoid. Those who insisted on pronouncing it every time typically did so for political reasons, to emphasize that the gynoids were robots, not humans. However, Sachiko knew that some gynoids preferred to be addressed by their full names, so she always checked first. "It was very considerate of you to ask," Maeko commented. "I can already tell we are going to get along, so why don't you call me Macchan?" "Sounds good," Sachiko smiled. "You can call me whatever you like. That's what everyone else does." As they conversed, they traveled through the station slowly, Sachiko making sure that Maeko was able to move safely in microgravity. When they arrived in Destiny , Hina did a double-take, but Erika appeared unsurprised. "Everyone, this is Maeko," Sachiko announced. "Line up for hugs." Hina approached first, but she hesitated. She needed a moment to brace herself for what was to come. Reaching out, she pulled Maeko into a brief hug and then backed away as quickly as was polite. Once she was finished, Sachiko turned her attention to Yasu. "Sacchan," Yasu whimpered, "you know they make me nauseous." "You can handle it for two seconds," Sachiko told her. "Give me that camera." "That really isn't necessary," Maeko said. "I did not come all this way for hugs." "No, I insist," Sachiko said. "Your humanity may be a topic of political debate on Earth, but as long as I command this station, you are human , and you will be treated the same as any other crew member." "That's quite the proclamation," the gynoid said, studying Sachiko closely. "Hold on," Erika snorted, "the walking computer gets to be treated like a human, but I'm reduced to luggage?" "What did I just say?" Sachiko snapped, fury writ large upon her face. "She is not a walking computer." "Oh dear," Maeko interceded. "Am I to understand that you have been treating my mechanic poorly?" "Your... mechanic?" Sachiko swallowed. "Her?" "I understand your confusion," Maeko said. "No offense, Erika. I'm sure you will do an adequate job, but you were not my first choice." "That's news to me," Erika said, her expression blank. "I was told you requested me personally." "I did," Maeko confirmed, "but only after many others declined. You were the only one brave enough to accept the mission." "I thought gynoid maintenance was performed by other gynoids," Sachiko said, still skeptical that Erika was actually a mechanic. "Usually," Maeko confirmed, "but we have to have a backup plan in case something happens to all of us at once. As you can imagine, there are very few individuals who have the ability to understand our construction and who are trustworthy enough to keep that knowledge secret." "In that case," Sachiko said, floating over to Erika, "I must apologize." As Sachiko held out her hand to Erika, Erika couldn't help but reflect on Sachiko's sudden change in demeanor. Sachiko had always carried herself confidently and moved with purpose—at least when she wasn't throwing tantrums—but now her movements seemed almost robotic. Was she unconsciously imitating the gynoid? It would have been cute, if it weren't so creepy. "Apology accepted," Erika said, shaking Sachiko's hand. She wasn't quite sure why Sachiko's attitude had changed so suddenly, but she welcomed it. Maybe things would be less tense from now on. "I'm afraid I can't lift any of the restrictions on you," Sachiko said. "I understand," Erika nodded. "They're partly for my protection, and I don't have a death wish." For a brief moment, Sachiko stiffened. Erika wasn't sure if it was because of something she said, or if Sachiko was still moving like a gynoid, but Sachiko didn't appear to notice at all. "Your turn," Sachiko said, releasing her hand and gesturing to Yasu. After handing Sachiko the camera, Yasu approached Erika, hand outstretched, only to be corrected by Sachiko. "No, not that. Hug." Gritting her teeth, Yasu approached Maeko. A wave of nausea swept through her body as she hugged the gynoid. Even through their jumpsuits, touching the gynoid just felt so wrong . After ending the hug, she pushed herself back and began to heave, but managed to calm herself before she lost her stomach contents. Erika was not so lucky, and Hina had to intervene, holding a barf bag in front of Erika's face. "You're really a mechanic?" Sachiko asked. "Even though you can't touch gynoids?" Erika was too busy vomiting to answer, so Maeko spoke in her defense. "She comes through when it counts, just like you." That didn't sit well with Sachiko, but pressing the matter wouldn't get her anywhere. They'd only known each other for a few minutes, but Maeko had already given two non-answers in response to Sachiko's questions. Something was off, and it was obvious that if she wanted answers, she'd have to get them elsewhere. ⁂ The rest of the day went by quickly. Erika spent an hour recovering in her cabin, emerging for her daily exercise. Once she had gotten used to it, life aboard the station had become boring. She exercised for two and a half hours every day, and she would be involved in filming scenes every now and then, but other than that, she had nothing to do but watch the hoshinauts as they performed their tasks throughout the station. That now included Maeko, who assisted in unloading the cargo from the Soyuz and then took air and surface samples from all of the modules. She tended, Erika noticed, to stay close to Sachiko while they worked. At first, she didn't think anything of it. Sachiko had a less intense reaction to contact with the gynoid. It made sense for Maeko to keep physical distance from the others, and because space was limited, that necessitated staying closer to Sachiko. There was something about the way Maeko moved though. She was a bit too clumsy for a gynoid, and would sometimes bump into Sachiko, seemingly by accident. More than once, she had put her hand on Sachiko's shoulder to stabilize herself. It was as if she were going out of her way to initiate casual physical contact, but Erika had no idea why she would do that. At dinner, Erika ate slowly, hoping her stomach wouldn't reject it. In contrast, Sachiko wolfed her food down quickly and then left for the Russian segment. She occasionally did this when she needed time to speak with mission control in private. Maeko watched her leave, then looked back at the others for a moment before moving to follow Sachiko, but Hina blocked her way. "Maeko, why don't you tell us a bit about yourself?" "But I am a gynoid," Maeko replied. "I was built in a factory. My background is the same as every other gynoid, so if you will excuse me..." "You're the first gynoid in space," Hina corrected. "There have to be some interesting circumstances behind that." "None that I can divulge," Maeko said. "Then maybe you can divulge why you've been following the commander around like a lost puppy all day," Hina pressed. "You're mistaken," Maeko said. "I am merely concerned about her because she left so suddenly." "You don't need to worry about the commander," Hina said. "She can take care of herself, but she needs some time alone." That much was true, Maeko had to admit to herself, and yet, this situation was not ideal. Although Hina was highly perceptive, she had not expected that to extend to gynoid behavior. Perhaps she had been too obvious in sticking close to Sachiko, but no matter the cause, if Hina was going to be a consistent obstacle, she'd have to find a way to remove Hina from the station. While the two of them argued, Sachiko entered her crew cabin and slipped on a pair of headphones. "Mission control, this is Sachiko." She expected Melina or one of the other CAPCOMs to respond after a brief delay, but it was the Director of JAXA who answered. "Hey, Satch. Got the footage earlier today. Have you seen it yet? The look on your face is priceless." "Don't you have more important things to do?" Sachiko fired back. "Put Melina on." "I'm busy alright, but nothing's more important than this mission." "Then get off the line. I have pressing questions for mission control." "I'll do that in a minute, but I've got news for you first, and you deserve to hear it from me." "So you just waited around in the CAPCOM chair until I called?" Sachiko scoffed. "Didn't have to wait long. You've become predictable, you know that?" "Whatever. What's so important that you felt you had to tell me yourself? "A few hours ago, the 'Murican Empire launched a strike in Soviet territory." Sachiko's blood froze. War? After all these years? "Some kind of mistake?" Sachiko croaked. "Oh, it was a mistake alright," the director said, his voice suddenly cold. "The Soviets had secretly constructed a launch pad for civilian spaceships, and the 'Muricans, fearing a space race would reignite the war, destroyed it. Soviets responded by bombing a factory the 'Muricans were building a Space Shuttle in, and they used the same justification." "That makes no sense. You can't go to war with someone to prevent going to war with them." "Tell that to the hothead hoshinaut who encouraged the 'Muricans and the Soviets to get involved with space exploration. Congrats, Satch, you really did it. Thirty years of peace, and now it's gone, all because you couldn't keep your damn mouth shut."

Yasu wasn't stupid. She knew that it was a bad idea to give into blackmail. The best play was to come clean before Maeko could tattle on her. Whatever Maeko wanted her to do, Hina and Sachiko would be more upset when they found out than they would be about the shipping. Buuuuuut... There was something oddly enticing about the offer. If she accepted, she'd have a partner in her degeneracy, someone to talk about shipping with. And who cared if Hina and Sachiko hated her for it? Her relationship with Hina would never be what she wanted, and as much as she liked Sachiko, she also resented her. If Sachiko had never offered Hina a way out, Hina would have stayed at the orphanage. She would have been forced to deal with her issues instead of running away from them. Perhaps then she would have eventually seen Yasu as someone who genuinely cared for her, not just the girl who was always close by. Sensing Yasu's indecision, Maeko decided she needed a further push. "If you help me get what I want, I can help you get what you want." "I doubt it," Yasu scoffed. "You don't even know what I—" "Hina likes the girly types," Maeko interrupted. "Smooth-skinned, sweet-smelling, short, meek, with long hair that she can run her fingers through." "Like I... used to be," Yasu mumbled. "She feels relaxed when holding such a girl securely from behind, when the girl lets go of all resistance and entrusts herself completely to her." "She hugged me like that when we were younger," Yasu said. "Imagine that," Maeko responded. "Maybe you still have a chance with her after all." "Wait, how do you know this?" Yasu demanded. "After the Harmony incident, she grabbed one of her crewmates from behind, and it took hours for her to calm down enough to release her," Maeko explained. "They were both thoroughly interrogated afterwards." When Maeko next opened her mouth, it was not her own voice that came out, but a recording of Hina's. "I used to do that to Yasu when we were kids. It relaxed me." Next came the director's voice. "But it created quite a problem for us." "I know. I'm sorry. I feel bad for Suzu. She didn't deserve that, but I just... I needed to feel safe." "Space exploration is inherently unsafe. If you can't handle it, we won't send you back up." It was the director's job to make those kinds of hard decisions, but Yasu was nevertheless offended that he'd consider grounding Hina. He'd never been up here. He had no idea what it was really like. "That would be a mistake," Hina's voice told him. "I saved the entire station. If you ground me without good reason, JAXA will appear cold and ungrateful." "We appreciate what you did, but it would be irresponsible to send you back if you can't handle it." "I can. I've been through the worst once already. I'm prepared for it now." "That's not the only issue. I need—We need to know if you had any... impure motives when you hugged Suzu." "Impure? You mean, like, sexual? No. Absolutely not." "Have you ever had sex?" Hearing the question aloud made Yasu feel sick. He had no business asking her that, even if it was his job to avoid scandals. Worse, there was an edge to his voice that hadn't been present in his other questions. He was enjoying this. Was it because he held tremendous power over her future, or because he got a perverse excitement from hearing about a teenage girl's private life? Probably both, Yasu decided. She had always disliked the director, despite only ever speaking with him once or twice. Sachiko had an obvious distaste for the man, and that was enough for Yasu, but she didn't really know much about him. Even when he had fled from JAXA, he was little more than an abstract concept in Yasu's mind, but now she hated him with every fiber of her being. If she ever got back to Earth, she would make it her life's mission to track him down and make sure he got what he deserved. At that point, she knew she should stop Maeko from continuing the recording. It was a violation of Hina's privacy, and if she continued to listen, she would be almost as bad as the director. Buuuuuut... She really wanted to know. "No!" Hina's voice replied. "I've never even been to second base." "OK, you made your point," Yasu said. "I don't want to hear it, I just need to know how you're going to help me." "We're going to increase your feminine charms," Maeko said. "That's not going to work," Yasu said. "I was girly when we were younger, and she still went for Claire." "She went for Claire to convince herself she didn't have a crush on you," Maeko told her. "That's all in the recording?" Yasu questioned. "If you read between the lines," Maeko confirmed. "Besides, I'm going to make you look better than Claire ever has." "Up here?" Yasu scoffed. "Unlikely." "I brought plenty of cloth and thread for sewing new outfits," Maeko said. "In retrospect, I should have brought additional food instead, but we might as well make use of it." "Why did you bring that stuff?" Yasu asked. "Again, that is none of your business. Do we have a deal?" ⁂ The next morning "Under normal circumstances, I would be transferring command to someone from another crew, and then we'd all head back to Earth," Sachiko said, twirling the key to the ISS between her fingers. "I'm sure we'd all prefer that, but, under normal circumstances, I would not have the opportunity to hand this off to Hina Johnson, and there is nobody I would rather see in command of the station than her. It's not an exaggeration to say that, without her, human space exploration would have come to a premature end. Before I give her this key, I want to acknowledge the efforts of the entire crew during this mission. It has been difficult at times, but even knowing the strength and fortitude that each of you possess..." Sachiko had only started her speech, but the others' eyes had already glazed over. Erika was completely unprepared for the pomp and circumstance of JAXA ceremonies. Yasu had experienced a few of them before, but was still unused to them. Even Maeko was thinking about other things, confident that she could process the recording at a much higher speed later. Hina appeared to be paying attention, but whether that was because she was genuinely interested, or if she was faking it, only she knew. An audible choking noise escaped from Erika's throat when, after about seven minutes of blathering, Sachiko began repeating the entire speech in Russian. Both Hina and Yasu had to suppress a giggle at Erika's reaction. Outside of JAXA, only the most hardcore of Soviets spoke any Russian. There were probably more Russian speakers inside JAXA than outside, but the Soviet audience always got a kick out of it, even if they didn't speak it themselves. "And so, it is with great pride that I relinquish command of the station to Hina Johnson," Sachiko concluded, holding out the key. Hina took the key and the two of them shook hands. "I accept command." She then launched into her own—shorter—speech, praising the strength of Sachiko's leadership and vowing to live up to the example she had set. As she repeated it in Russian, the honest smile on Sachiko's face slowly faded. Even she had to admit that her leadership style was extreme at times, and now Hina was implying that she'd be subjected to it. It'll be fine , Sachiko told herself. Hina's smart. She won't let anything bad happen, and she'll come to me for advice when she needs it. I can take a bit of my own medicine in exchange for more free time. "OK, cameras off," Hina ordered. "Mission Control, I want to explore the possibility of using the remaining fuel in the Soyuz to boost the station." "What are you doing?" Sachiko asked. "We're still at a historically low altitude," Hina explained. "The plan was to slowly boost it to a higher average altitude with each resupply mission, but we've only had one resupply, and we still haven't used it to boost the station." "But we don't need to use all the fuel," Sachiko pressed. "We can last for six months with just a couple small boosts." "But how long will the station last after that?" Yasu asked. "This isn't just about our lives. You said it yourself: Human space exploration could end prematurely if anything happens to the station. Even if we die up here, I want to give JAXA every possible chance to salvage the situation." "That's admirable," Sachiko said, "but the Soyuz is one of our lifeboats. If something were to happen to the shuttle—" "The Soyuz only seats three," Hina interrupted, "and there are five of us. I don't want to have a fight about who gets a seat if something did happen. We're all in this together. We either all go home, or none of us do." "You've obviously put a lot of thought into this," Sachiko smiled. "I'm sorry for questioning your decision." "It's fine," Hina said, relaxing her shoulders. "That's why I did this first. It's probably the most uncomfortable decision I'm going to have to make, so I wanted to see if I could win you over. From here on out, things should be easier for both of us." "You're going to make a great commander," Sachiko told her, but inwardly, she was already questioning her decision to relinquish command. After all, Hina had once decided to risk everything to save the station, and she had nearly died for it. If they were all in this together, as she insisted, would she expect them to follow her to their deaths next time? ⁂ A few days later Steeling herself as best she could for what was to come, Erika ran her finger across Maeko's forehead, dissolving the artificial skin she touched. The friction from rubbing up against the gynoid made her feel like her finger was being rubbed down to the bone. Twisting the top of Maeko's skull, she lifted it, revealing the experimental shielding covering her electronic brain. With specialized tools, she poked and prodded at it. "Don't leave me in suspense, doc," Maeko joked. "What's my prognosis?" "It's holding," Erika mumbled, "but the magical field is weaker than it was last time. There's no permanent damage, but we should check again in a week to see if the decay has accelerated." "I would prefer it if you could prevent the decay to begin with," Maeko said. "The field is too unstable," Erika told her. "It's reacting to space radiation in ways that we didn't anticipate. I can try to reinforce it, but it will eventually fail. It's just a question of how long it will take." "Do whatever you can to keep it functional for as long as possible," Maeko ordered. "Yeah, yeah," Erika groaned. Placing her tools back in their pouch, she put her palm flat on Maeko's shielding. What followed was the most unpleasant sensation she had ever experienced. It wasn't just that contact with Maeko felt like burning hot, hairy slime, but it also forcibly sucked the magical energy from her body. It wasn't that she needed it herself. She hadn't cast a single spell since going undercover, but it felt like her innards were being sucked out through her hand. "Thank you," Maeko said, latching her skull back together after Erika finished. "What you're doing is more important than you could imagine." "If you say so," Erika sighed. "It's hard to imagine what's so important about you rubbing yourself all over Sachiko in outer space." Before Maeko could say anything, alarms started blaring throughout the station. Maeko grabbed Erika's wrist to lead her to Zvezda , where they were to meet during emergencies. Along the way, she glanced at a monitor to see what had caused the alarm. The pressure inside the station was dropping.

"Hey," Erika said once she and Hina were alone in Harmony , "sorry for earlier." As Erika's words registered in Hina's mind, a grin broke out across her face. "So you can apologize," Hina teased. "Of course I can," Erika huffed. "Only reason I didn't was that I was ordered to keep my distance from you all." "Is that so?" Hina said, floating over towards Erika. "Then why are you doing it now?" Though they were the same height, Hina was floating half a head higher, tilting her head to look down at Erika, but she didn't appear intimidating. Instead, she wore a warm expression on her face that made Erika feel at ease. "You three made me realize how dangerous this really is," Erika mumbled. "I can't afford to ignore problems when I see them." "You're scared?" Hina inferred. Erika bristled at that. She resented being toyed with, but as she looked back at Hina's kind eyes, she felt compelled to answer. "I'm... scared," she admitted, dropping her head to hide her embarrassment. "That's surprising," Hina said. She snaked a finger under Erika's chin and gently lifted it until their eyes met. "I didn't realize you could be this cute." "I'm not cute," Erika said, pushing Hina away from her. She couldn't believe she was getting so flustered by Hina's advances. It had been a long time since anyone had made her heart race like that. If they had been on Earth, she was sure her knees would have given out. She was so desperately seeking safety that she was willing to find it in the arms of a teenage girl. Those large, muscular arms. "I've always thought you were cute," Hina insisted, reaching up to the ceiling to stop herself from floating back too far. "Shame you can't see it yourself. Maybe if you lightened up a bit..." "I can't," Erika said. "More orders?" Hina guessed. "I know what that's like." "I doubt it," Erika shot back. She recognized that Hina was ten years her junior, and a minor at that. She needed to do everything she could to bring herself under control and keep Hina at arm's length. "I'm not just some kid, you know. I'm a hoshinaut . Wherever I go, I have to be aware of what I say and do. The Hina Johnson you see in the media is a character, an exaggeration of my most marketable qualities. There are times when I want to be cute, but I have to play the role of a strong, cocksure, and—above all else—dashing pilot. I understand what it's like to have to suppress yourself for your job." "I'm not suppressing... I..." Erika trailed off. "It's OK," Hina cooed. "If it'll make you feel better, you can talk to me about it. You said it yourself. We can't afford to ignore problems, and you're obviously stressed. I promise I won't tell anyone. You can trust me." "No," Erika said, shaking herself back to her senses. "You're the person I can trust the least." "That's so mean," Hina said, though she didn't look hurt in the slightest. "How can you say that?" "I was told to be wary of you," Erika said. "Hina Johnson is highly perceptive and has great intuition. If you open yourself to her even slightly, she'll read you from cover to cover." "I like that. What else did they say about me?" "That you—Never mind. I shouldn't say any more." "That's OK. I can guess. I'm more interested in who gave you this information." "I'm definitely not telling you that ." "God, you're cute," Hina sighed. "Enough," Erika shouted. "I'm not falling for that again." "I'm not trying to trick you," Hina told her. "I'm serious. If there's ever something you need to talk about, I'll listen." "There isn't, but thanks." She meant it sincerely. There were things she could never tell Hina, no matter how good it would feel to get them off her chest, but she appreciated the offer. "So, what were you apologizing for?" Hina asked. Erika blinked. It had only been a few hours ago. How could Hina have forgotten already? "For sticking my nose where it doesn't belong. You know, with the sleeping arrangements." "Oh that," Hina chuckled. "Don't worry about it. I should be thanking you. Sachiko has a blind spot when it comes to Yasu." "A blind spot when it comes to Yasu?" Erika's briefings hadn't mentioned anything like that. "How should I put it? Like I said, we have to play characters in public. It's like we're the idols of space. We have to act like we've got no interest in romance. That's why they house us on a remote island, so we can't meet anybody. Doesn't completely solve the problem though." "I think I see where this is going," Erika said. "Like a stereotypical all-girls school." Hina nodded. "I've always been a bit of a tomboy, and some of the girls really go for that. My first year in the program, it felt like Sachiko was spending all her free time making sure they didn't get too close to me, but when Yasu arrived, she took over that role. Because of that, Sachiko trusts her." "And it never occurred to Sachiko that Yasu was chasing off the other girls out of jealousy? Sounds like classic stalker behavior to me." "That's harsh, but not entirely wrong. Sachiko's not the best when it comes to figuring people out, but she realizes that Yasu and I don't want to hook up." "Doesn't look that way to me," Erika commented. "Yasu's all over you every chance she gets." "She's just a bit confused. It's... complicated between us. Being childhood friends isn't really the easy path to romance that manga makes it out to be. When you get close as kids, you learn a lot about each other. They learn things you wouldn't want a lover to know, and you learn things you can tolerate in a friend, but not in a more intimate relationship." "Sounds perfect to me," Erika quipped. "You know each other's flaws, but you're still so close." "Hmm. I guess we value different things." Hina put her hand on her chin while she thought of a better way to convey her feelings to Erika. "Imagine you suddenly found yourself in a room with hundreds of people, but one person's standing closer than the others. Would you decide that, out of all the people in the room, you like this one the best, just because she's nearby?" "No," Erika frowned, "I guess not." "That's Yasu and I. We've always known each other. Like, seriously, there's a photo of us holding hands as babies. I want to explore the world. I want to meet the other people in that room, because maybe one of them is the person I'm really meant to be with." "But in the real world, it's not like you can meet everyone," Erika pointed out. "If you really think that there's one perfect person for you, you have to accept that either there's a good chance you'll never meet them, or that fate will guide you to them." "Like fate has guided us together now?" Erika had to suppress a laugh. Hina was coming on way too strong. It was obvious that, though her handsome looks made her quite the lady-killer, she was inexperienced when it came to wooing. She was trying to figure it out as she went. It had worked at first, but only because she had caught Erika by surprise at the end of a tiring day. In a way, her clumsiness was... cute. "Hardly," Erika smiled, relieved that she had regained her composure. "You've obviously put a lot of thought into this. I'm sure you'll meet someone wonderful someday, but it won't be me." "Don't be so quick to judge. We have a lot of time to get to know each other. I might just make you fall for me yet." "You're wasting your energy. Instead of focusing on me, you should be thinking about what to do if Yasu does something drastic. She's a much bigger threat than I am." "I can handle Yasu," Hina scoffed. "Been doing it my whole life." "What if she forces the issue and doesn't take rejection well? Could you really continue to work together after that?" "She's not going to do anything," Hina reassured her, "and even if she did, we're both professionals. We won't let our feelings interfere with the mission." "Just... let me know if you need me to jump in again. Signal me or something. You don't have to deal with this alone." Now it was Hina's turn to look away in embarrassment. She ruffled her fingers through her hair in frustration. "Look, forget it," Hina said. "I don't want to talk about Yasu anyway. I'd much rather talk about you." "So you can learn all about my mission?" "That's part of it," Hina admitted. She decided to take a chance and slowly float back towards Erika. "Would you believe me if I said I have a thing for older women?" "But we're the same age," Erika replied. "Lie to me again. You're so cute when you lie." "This is inappropriate," Erika stated. "Maybe I should be more worried about your behavior." "I wouldn't be trying so hard if you weren't interested," Hina said. "Even if I were interested, I'm smart enough not to act on it." Erika opened the cabin door behind her and backed into it, making sure Hina wouldn't follow. "Good night," she said, pulling the door closed. ⁂ "How did it go?" Sachiko asked as Hina entered Zvezda . "I thought I almost had her, but then she put her guard back up," Hina answered. "I'm not saying it's impossible, but it's unlikely she'll talk." "I know this is difficult," Sachiko said, "but I wouldn't be asking you to do this unless it was important. Come on now, say it with me." "Anything for the space program," Hina recited along with Sachiko. "Have you ever had to do anything like this?" Hina asked. "Not quite. It's harder in public. You have to flirt with plausible deniability. Make the target think you're flirting with them, while everyone around you sees it as a normal conversation. It's easier if the target is attracted to you." "Pretty sure that's not the problem," Hina said, "but maybe I came on too strong, too fast." "Try apologizing in the morning," Sachiko ordered, "and then back off for a few days. Make up a reasonable-sounding excuse for your behavior. I'll continue to antagonize her, and if you keep offering her a sympathetic ear, we may still have a chance." "I'll do my best," Hina nodded. She turned to leave, and then paused. "Hey, Commander, how do you deal with the guilt?" "There's nothing to feel guilty about," Sachiko said. "What we're doing is so important that the ends justify the means." "Come on," Hina insisted. "That's not how feelings work. I'm sure you feel guilty when you think about what you've done." "No, I don't," Sachiko said. "I just don't think about it, ever ."

"Are you finished?" Sachiko sighed. Outwardly, Sachiko affected a calm, if exasperated, demeanor. Inwardly, however, she was raging. Useless! Useless! Useless! This man is useless! Ahhh, I was a fool to expect anything better from him. He's got connections and resources, but instead of helping to solve the problem, he'd rather sit around and clumsily attempt to score political points. Anyone with half a brain can see past his lazy pandering, but he managed to get this far because he's got the devil's own luck. No, this is my fault. People don't change the habits that made them successful, and I never really taught him how he should behave. Now I've got to deal with him on top of everything else. "I think the rest can wait until you're back on Earth." She could practically hear his smug grin over the radio. "Wouldn't want to stress you out too much while you still have a mission to lead." "Oh?" Sachiko replied. "I'd have thought this would be much more stressful for you. After all, it's your responsibility to do something about it." "I'm not a god, Satch," he chuckled. "I'm flattered you think so highly of me, but my job is to run this agency, not foster world peace. I know how to stay in my lane, unlike some people." "JAXA isn't just some government agency. You're responsible for securing the future of human spaceflight," Sachiko corrected. "If this war escalates, what do you think happens to the space program?" "Maybe you should have thought about that before running your mouth," he shot back. Sachiko smiled. He was starting to get testy. He just needed another push. "Now it's my turn to be flattered. The superpowers don't take advice from me, and this has been going on for much longer than a few weeks. Neither government moves that quickly. Besides, you said they were assembling a Shuttle? Do you remember how long it took us to build just the factory?" "Three years," he admitted, "But the 'Muricans have more resources." "More money and raw materials, maybe, but we have superior technology. I suppose if they had our assistance... Oh, they would need it, wouldn't they? The ancient blueprints were incomplete, and they certainly don't have anyone capable of developing the rest. That kind of assistance could only come from JAXA, and given the importance, it could have only come from the top." "You're trying to pin this on me," he growled. "It's not going to work." "Don't be stupid," Sachiko scoffed. "I'm not you. Do you think I care who mission control blames for this? You're about to be hounded by far more important people, demanding to know what you gave the 'Muricans and the Soviets." "Nothing, I swear." "Then they'll want to know how you could be in the dark about something so important going on right under your nose, but if you let them pull you into their inquiries, you'll have no time left for anything else. Your only chance for survival is to be seen as having a hand in reestablishing peace, so I suggest you start moving, now ." The only response was the sound of a headset clattering against a desk, and Sachiko was satisfied that he had finally understood. After a few seconds, there was more rustling and then a timid voice said, "Wow that was—Sorry, did you need something?" It wasn't Melina. Probably one of the hoshinaut candidates. "Put Surgery on," Sachiko ordered. "Is there a medical emergency?" the girl asked. "If there were, you shouldn't waste my time asking," Sachiko snapped. "Put Surgery on, now ." Does nobody down there understand how to work the CAPCOM station? She grumbled inwardly. "Surgery," came a gynoid voice. "Encrypted channel," Sachiko replied. She removed her headset, turned it off, and swapped it for another. The advantage of talking to a gynoid was that the gynoid could communicate her thoughts directly into the radio system. Nobody would overhear her side of the conversation. Once Surgery confirmed that the channel was secure, Sachiko asked how serious the situation was between the 'Muricans and the Soviets. "It is salvageable," Surgery reported. "Both attacks were perpetrated by militant factions without orders. Both sides will need to carry out purges, and it will be messy, but we're confident that peace can be restored quickly. The Federation is already in talks with both sides, and we're helping to craft a narrative that allows everyone to save face." "Keep me updated. If things get worse, we may need to evacuate, and I want as much warning as possible. Don't let the director try to ambush me like that again." "We will do what we can," Surgery told her. "Why is Maeko here?" Sachiko asked, changing the topic abruptly. She had no more time to waste. "Has she not told you herself?" Surgery asked in reply. "She's yet to give me a direct answer to my questions, just like you're doing now." "I can assure you that you are in no danger." "Like I told Melina, that's my call to make. It's not that I don't trust your intentions, but not even gynoids have perfect judgment. Just ask those who were with me on GE26." "I am aware, but what you're asking for is classified." "So you trust Erika but not me?" Sachiko shouted. "If it makes you feel better, we trust you more than we trust her, but it's on a need-to-know basis, and you don't need to know." Things were not going the way Sachiko wanted. She could argue until she was blue in the face that she needed the information in order to carry out her mission, but Surgery would not budge. If she were on Earth, she would have plenty of ways to get around gynoid obstruction, plenty of people she could trust to help her gather intelligence. It was frustrating, but, stuck in orbit, she could only jump straight to the nuclear option. "I want an audience with the gynoid council," Sachiko demanded. "It won't do you any good," Surgery replied. "Put me through anyway." Several long seconds passed before Surgery replied, "Perhaps we can compromise. I can give you some details." In other words, what Maeko, Surgery, and Erika were up to didn't have the full backing of other gynoids, and Surgery was in no rush to make them aware of their activities. "Is Erika really a mechanic?" "Your suspicions are correct. She knows little of our construction, and only what she was trained in for this mission." "Who conceived this mission?" "Maeko." "And who authorized it?" "It was personally approved by your political benefactor." Even over an encrypted channel, Surgery was being vague, and now Sachiko knew why. The Federation's intelligence chief had signed off on this, and would doubtlessly be unhappy when she learned that Sachiko was poking around. Sachiko briefly considered ending the call immediately, but there was still one question she needed answered. "Why is Maeko here?" "Her main objective is to test an experimental shielding rig for gynoid brains. We would not last long in outer space without it. However, personally, I believe she may have other plans as well." "Thank you," Sachiko said, switching off the headset and rushing out of the cabin. She entered Destiny just in time to see Hina grab Maeko from behind and kick off of the wall towards the airlock. Yasu caught them both and brought them to a stop. "What the hell is going on here?" Sachiko yelled. "She was trying to interrupt you," Hina said. Pushing Maeko away from her. "So you got physical?" Sachiko shot back. "You know better than that. There will be no more altercations aboard this station except in an emergency. Now, apologize." "Sorry," Hina mumbled. "Maeko, with me," Sachiko ordered, leading her back towards the docking module. "You're going back," she added, once they were alone. "I am not," Maeko said, "and I told you to call me Macchan." "I won't allow it. If you didn't want the council knowing about your experimental brain shielding, it's obviously not safe enough. If it fails—" "Then we will know what we need to improve," Maeko interrupted. "I am prepared to risk myself for that." "But the PR—" "You've proven to be quite adept at handling the PR. Besides, what do you think will happen to me if I attempt to land in the midst of heightened tensions? I could be shot out of the sky during reentry." "That seems unlikely." "It is more likely than a failure of the shielding system. You cannot order me off the station while doing so is unsafe." "Please tell me you didn't cause this conflict to have an excuse to not go back," Sachiko groaned. She didn't want to believe a gynoid would do that, but Maeko was from a minority faction. "Of course I didn't," Maeko said. "I wanted to be the first gynoid in space, but not the last. However, I have no qualms using the situation to my advantage. You would do the same." "As soon as things settle then," Sachiko said. "I will re-evaluate the risks at that time," Maeko assured her. "For now, we have a pajama party to film." ⁂ Whoever coordinated these pajamas had a sick sense of humor. They were hooded onesies, each with a different animal motif, the kind of pajamas you occasionally saw young girls wear in anime, but they had odd designs. Hina's was bright orange with white and black stripes, and it had fins on the back. It was obvious that she was supposed to be a clownfish. Yasu's was light purple, and its only distinguishing feature was a mop of red tentacles with white tips atop the hood. Only Maeko understood what it was. "A sea anemone," she explained. "A marine animal that had a symbiotic relationship with the clownfish. Its tentacles contained venomous barbs. The clownfish was immune to the venom, and so would swim among the tentacles for protection. In return, it would attract food for the anemone to eat and make sure it kept clean." "That is just like us," Yasu exclaimed, shaking her head to rub the felt tentacles all over Hina's back. Sachiko's outfit needed no explanation. It was covered with faux white wool, with ears that stuck out from the hood. When she put it on, she looked like the grumpiest sheep that ever lived. It was bad enough on its own, but Maeko was wearing brown wolf pajamas to match. Sachiko thought of many interpretations for this pairing, and she didn't like any of them. Rounding out the cast, Erika's pajamas were plain in comparison. Instead of being fashioned after an animal, they were printed with images of various types of luggage. A few hours earlier, Sachiko would have smiled at that, but now she lamented the misunderstanding. The five of them gathered in Kibou for their mock pajama party. They had set cameras up around the module to film them from multiple angles. "Everyone have their lines memorized?" Sachiko asked as they took their positions. "I can't believe they're making us say this," Yasu sighed. "Let's just get it over with," Sachiko said. "Action." Yasu's demeanor instantly became bright and cheery. "OK, Sacchan," she said, "your turn. Truth or dare?" "Truth." "Who do you have a crush on?" "Right now, I'm focused on the space program, not romance. I want to give my all to my work." "You're saying you've never had a crush on someone?" Erika interjected. "Never," Sachiko confirmed, "but maybe I'll meet someone special after I retire. Hina, truth or dare?" "Dare," Hina answered. "I dare you to do a quadruple backflip." "Pfft, that's easy," Hina said. "Give me a little push, would you?" Yasu and Sachiko grabbed Hina by the calves, lifted her into the center of Kibou , and pushed her so that she started spinning slowly backwards. Hina curled herself into a ball and the others counted her rotations. However, when they reached four, they all backed away. Because Kibou was so large, Hina couldn't reach any of the walls to stop herself. "Hey, guys?" Hina said as she continued spinning. "Hey, come on. Help me out. I'm gonna be sick!" The others laughed for several seconds before Sachiko shouted, "Cut," and they moved forward to bring Hina to a stop. "What a dumb skit," Erika murmured. "You're telling me," Hina said, instinctively clinging to Yasu for support as she waited for the dizziness to fade. "What I meant was, who cares if Sachiko has a crush on someone?" "It's truth or dare," Yasu said. "What else are you going to ask about besides love?" "Personally," Erika said, "I'd ask what really happened on GE26." "Not this again," Sachiko groaned. "For the last time, the 'Muricans didn't sabotage the reactor. It was an accident." "But your parents were—" Erika started to protest. "They were human," Sachiko interrupted, "and humans make mistakes." "I thought you said the gynoids were human," Erika commented. "They don't make mistakes." "Yes, they do," Sachiko said, shooting a glance at Maeko. "Sachiko is correct," Maeko said. "She is also telling the truth about GE26. The gynoids on the island corroborated her story." "It could be a cover-up," Erika insisted. "Erika, please," Sachiko said. "I was just starting to respect you. Don't make me regret it." "I'd drop it if I were you," Hina added. "Her parents are kinda a sore point for the commander." "We're wasting time," Sachiko said. "We've got a lot of B-roll to shoot. Let's do the ice cream next, before it melts." For the next three hours, they filmed an array of sleepover staples. They ate ice cream, pretending that it tasted delicious, and Erika couldn't help but notice that Hina and Yasu shared a spoon like it was no big deal; they watched a movie for a few minutes; they mimed playing the king game; they had a mock pillow fight; and they gave each other makeovers. As they were finishing, Hina moved behind Yasu and started combing her hair. In microgravity, it was a meaningless act, but Yasu smiled. "That feels nice," Yasu commented, "but I still haven't forgotten about Claire." Before Sachiko could intervene, she felt a pair of hands undo her braid and run a comb through her hair. She could tell it was Maeko by the tingling she felt in her scalp, but it wasn't that unpleasant. In fact there was something nostalgic about it. Had the gynoids once brushed her hair aboard the Odake Maru ? She didn't remember that ever happening, but it had been nine years, and it was such a trivial thing. Trivial, like Hina and Yasu's spat. Might as well let them work it out now. It was the end of a long day, and they had enough footage. Tomorrow, she'd tell them about the war, and they would feel foolish about getting worked up over something so trivial in comparison. "You're getting upset over nothing," Hina said, as if to echo Sachiko's inner thoughts. "I'm allowed to make other friends. Besides, we're not that close." "If she were just a friend, you wouldn't have hidden her from me," Yasu countered. "Was she your first kiss? Do you still have a thing for her?" " You were my first kiss," Hina reminded her. "We were kids playing house. That didn't count." "And she has a boyfriend now," Hina said. "You're too suspicious of everyone." She handed Yasu her smartphone, which displayed a photo of Claire with her arm around a guy's shoulder. Yasu took the phone and scrolled up, reading Hina's message history with Claire. "She's obviously flirting with you," Yasu said. "I bet she only hooked up with this guy to make you jealous." "You're the only jealous one," Hina told her. "That's right, I'm jealous," Yasu pouted. "I've always been the jealous type. If you couldn't handle that, you should have stopped being my friend a long time ago." "I tried to leave," Hina reminded her. "You're the one who followed me to JAXA." "Shut up," Yasu growled. "We're taking a selfie too." "You're being especially toxic today," Hina complained, but she obediently placed her arm around Yasu's shoulder for the picture. Yasu had other plans. She grabbed Hina's wrist and moved it from her shoulder to her waist. She then put her own hand around Hina's waist and pulled her close before taking the selfie. It came out great. Yasu's expression perfectly conveyed how possessive she was of Hina, and as for Hina, well, she at least smiled for the camera. Before Hina could react, Yasu sent the photo to Claire. A photo like that could cause a minor scandal. If Sachiko had been paying attention, she would have been furious, but to everyone's shock, she had drifted off to sleep in Maeko's arms, a warm smile on her face.

Run, run, run! A young man kept running even with the darkness blinding his sight. He crashed to some trees, but every time he fall, he stand up immediately regardless of his injuries. He don't have time for a delay, they are coming for him. Don't stop moving, my legs, please! His body kept shaking, his heart beats fast. The moon was hidden behind the dark plain clouds, everything around him works against him, yet he didn't mind. He just kept running despite the wounds on his knees, the torn clothes and bleeding mouth. "There is no way to hide Theo, there is no way to run" Said by a woman hidden in the darkest shadow. The voice echoed to his ear and in turn grow his fear. "S-shut up! You LIAR!!" Theo grow tired of running away, he decided to fight back against the woman hidden behind the pit of darkness. He threw a skill called [Fireball] in that direction but it didn't hit anything, it just dissipate eaten by the darkness. The young man is called Theo. He belong to the all famous hero's party which is now hunting him down. It is true that there is no way to run, the forest is filled with exotic creatures, monsters beyong human imagination, and among this monsters are the most vilest of all, human beings. "Hahahaha" The woman laugh hysterically to the pity attempt. She knew that Theo is weak, even if the flame hit her, it will just feel like a sting of an ant. In return, the woman fired the same skill but this time, a larger and heavier ball of flame that encroach its heat, burning its surrounding. "[Fireball]" It fired fast towards Theo, but immediately explode before it directly hits him causing him to fly away. He hit his back on a tree and broke some part of his ribs. He could feel the blood rising out from his stomach, coughing it away from his throat as hard as he could. He's done for, and he knew it. He can't run anymore when his legs are completely dislocated, bended in an unnatural position. It was a miracle that it didn't break his spine, unfortunately extending his pain. "...Since when did you guys started to betray me? Why are you trying to kill me?! " He asked in a low tone. He can't speak properly like before because of the pain. Then a girl with a large witchy hat appears, with the help of the moonlight, she appeared to be grinning, as if mocking how miserable Theo look from her perspective. "Theo... YOU're such an idiot. We are not betraying you, you are not even one of us. " She is getting closer, until finally she's too close that her nose is touching Theo's. "I thought... you are my friend, master... but... *sob*" It is an unsightly thing to see man's tear from the girl's perspective. She want to mock him because of it but at the same time, agitated by how he act. Her name is Niel Sylvia, Theo's respected master, his teacher that thought him magic. But that was all there is to it, their relationship as a master and a student didn't last long. She have a long purplish dark hair and sharp eyes. Her skin is pale white. "You are such a pathetic loser, look at you! Crying like a baby. You can't do anything, you don't have a talent, you don't have a potential. You are nothing but a sacrifice. That's your purpose. " She whispered to his ear intimately. She kept intently looking at his face, holding it with both of her hands as if a doll at her disposal. Even if Theo wants to get away from that, he can't because she could snap his neck in an instant. "Sacrifice?" "That's right, your death will empower the hero. And once we killed the dark lord, we will have fame, money, power... We could have everything even the world itself." The world is breached with fear when a dark lord came out of nowhere that kept attacking human settlements and village. The particular beast is so strong that not even the mightiest warriors are a match. So in order to defeat that monster, they need a person who have a title of a hero, and to empower the hero, they need Theo to die as a sacrifice. But how Niel words it, it seems that she have another motive aside from saving the world. Theo never guessed her real personality, he always thought that she is trustworthy and kind. He always believed in her. This twisted Theo's mind a little, he sometimes thought that his master, Niel is always right as she is the one who though him everything he knew about the world. Maybe... they are right. This is my role. If my death means salvation for everyone, then I will accept it He finally gave up, he close his eyes and accepts his fate without verbally saying it. He finally relaxes. This only irritates Niel more. "Oy, what's wrong? " Confused, she asked him. Only to be replied with a smile. Then she starts firing consecutive fireballs to him. "Struggle! Scream! Beg us to spare your life! You fucking-- useless-- idiot--." Perhaps, her internal desire is not content. She kept firing balls of fire that made Theo's body fly like a ragdoll, the bone of his limbs breaks but he didn't scream, it cracks his skull but he didn't say a thing. In fact, he can't feel anything, his brain gave up receiving these stimulus. "That's enough, Niel. " The hero arrives, but for Theo, it is not the face of a hero that will save him from this duress. In fact, the monster that will make it worse. Other members of the party surrounded Theo's broken body. His conciousness is slowly dissipating but enough for him to speak. "Al...bert..." He also recognized the others. All members are here, March the Assassin, Basylik the Warrior, Misty the Archer, Agatha the Healer, Niel the Wizard and Albert the Hero. The hero's name is Albert Wingston. He is also the Prince of Georlia. He inherits his blood and title of a hero from his long ancestry. He is gifted with lots of talents and is a good looking man, with silver hair and blue eyes. He is muscular in frame but not bulk enough compared to a regular body builder. He is often targeted with envy from other males because of his looks, his social status and popularity with women. He is known by Theo as a kind person who always wear a smile despite of hardships, Theo is very wrong on his opinion. "Theo. Having a nice time with Niel, aren't you? She's pretty hot right? Her fire I mean. Your fiancé will be sad about this." Hearing this, Theo curved his eyebrow in confusion and dispose it as a joke. "nice... joke..." Theo have a fiancé named Agatha, he know her since she was little and they are together ever since. They live on the same roof with his little sister and they promised each other that they will marry once the war with the dark lord is over. "And thank you for letting me have Agatha, she's a bliss. She's pretty wild that night, she even broke my bed." "..." In shock, Theo didn't respond. Applying salt in the pain was the fact that Agatha is also trying to kill her, she is one of the member in the party and currently, she is staring at him with disgusted look on her face. "Oh! You didn't know? She said... Agatha? What's the meaning of this?" Albert pretended to be surprised and ask Agatha for response. Flustered, she responded immediately. "O-of course, it was just a joke! There is no way I am going to marry that piece of crap so we could have fun regardless. Besides, we are already doing it whenever he's not looking!!" "Oh... Right. So yeah. Sorry about that" Albert smiled to Theo, mocking him from his situation. Still, Theo didn't speak. Albert grew tired of his silence and draw his sword from his sheath and pointed it to his neck. "I'm very sad to do this, but this must be done. I'm sorry, really. " Responded by silence, Albert prepared to slice Theo's head. "Don't worry, I am going to take care of your little sister... I don't know if she will be happy if we bring her your head but, I promise that we will have a good time... in my bed." This time, it finally hits Theo's temper, he tackled Albert with all his might even with his broken bones and bleeding body. "WAAAHHHH!!! SCUMMM.. DON'T YOU FUCKING DARE TOUCH MY SISTER!!!!" They both fall on the ground, Albert thrust his sword to Theo's chest in defense, it missed his heart but with the amount of blood lost from Theo, he is bound to die. "Oops! My hand slip" Said by Albert as he slid his sword deeper into Theo's chest, Theo push towards until the tip of the sword is out from his body and lock Albert in place. He grabbed his body tight until Albert cannot move. "What are you trying to do? Ah..." Too late before he realized. "Di-" *BOOM* An explosion came from the heart of the forest. Soldiers saw this spectacle as the bright spherical light engulfs the trees turning it into ashes. The most powerful and last straw skill of Theo was used, a [Self Destruction] Skill that turns him into a human bomb. This Novel Contains Mature Content Show This Chapter? Yes

"Hmm hhu hmm..." A man's voice made a harmony of hums. He took a huge pan as he sings while dancing with his butt. It seems like a jolly good day for the man, his muscles are intense so early in the morning and the way he wore his apron over his muscular body made him look... uhhh, ironic? Basylisk, the human fortress, the strongest man alive and the Berserker of the Hero's party. You won't know he is the same guy who kept shaking his butt left and right. He is a very muscular guy after all and very tall in height, he is a happy go lucky type who takes pleasure on consuming what he called the holy nutrients of the muscle god, Protein. It is time that he take the giant egg and crack it open with his massive sword. Then put it gently to the hot floor of the frying pan. The egg is a dragon egg and he heard that one piece of it contains a lot of protein. Enough to satisfy the suffering screams of his muscle wanting to be torn and fixed. At last, the cooking show/concert is over. He took the massive egg and place it on his plate. He poke the food with his fork and a juicy liquid is released, dripping. Starting to drool, he starts eating it, engulfing the spicy scent and the taste of its tender meat. "By the way Theo, do you have any idea who's stealing the dragon's egg?" Cough cough He accidentally heard Theo and Prince Albert speaking. And the context of their discussion made him cough. "Du-dunno, aren't we making some ridiculous assumptions here? Like, what kind of person on their right mind would steal a dragon's egg?! If the dragons find him, he will be roasted alive!" Basylisk, in shock, stuffed all of the remaining egg to his mouth! He instinctively thought that he must not be caught eating the forbidden or else, Albert will kill him before he could even face the dragon. In such karma, a large piece of egg become stuck at his throat. He kept on coughing but no matter what he do, he can't get it off nor swallow it. Cought COUGH! "HEl-k" "Basylisk, what's going on?!" Luckily, Theo found him suffocating. He is slowly turning blue as in a corpse. "I c-cun't bit!" He kept on coughing and coughing and still his effort is no good, but with Theo's help, he thought that he could do something with his medical knowledge. But his hope is easily shattered with his slow and indecisive brain. Theo seems to be thinking about it, scratching his cheeks to start with, finding out why Basylisk is acting weird. For him, Basylisk being weird is a natural phenomenon, just like how rain is produced in the sky or why cavities will eventually occur if you don't take care your teeth. So he wonders... 'Is he trying to prank me?', it seems like he can't take the plead of his friend seriously. But after a several seconds on staring, Basylisk is starting to lose his blood on the face which eventually brought him to a conclusion. "You.... You are getting chocked!!" Isn't that already obvious!! Theo is already getting on Basylisk nerve. "Basylisk, this is one of a life time experience. Please, I beg you to do what I say" Theo said excitedly. He know that Basylisk have an extreme lung capacity so he is confident that this accident will not kill him, imagine the strongest man alive died because he can't swallow his food properly, rather he will lose consciousness first and Theo could just perform a CPR if that ever happens. "You just need to repeat after me" Theo! I am dying, DYING!! Basylisk screamed inside his head. In any case, Theo is aware that in any moment, he will pass out, first is because of his own doing and second is because of him, he is giving him a heart attack. But surely, this is one of the lifetime experience. As a change of pace, Basylisk tried to listen to Theo's request. Theo then opens his mouth and stare at Basylisk eye in a serious sense. "CHOCK ME DADDY Ouch!" Basylisk hit him in the back of his head. He wonders why Theo can't be on the spectrum of a normally functioning human mind. He is just insane, but the same can be said to him that's why they could get along too well. This time, Theo look at him more seriously. But the fragments of doubt still clings on Basylisk's mind. "Alright alrighht, please face your tummy forward where I could pun-, I could apply some pressure to it" You just said 'punch' didn't you! He knew it, Basylisk knew that Theo is up to no good again. He wonder's why they are even friends. But in the end, he choose to trust him and face him with his tummy exposed. Theo is already in a stance where he is trying to create a momentum with his fist so that it could impact Basylisk abdomen, his muscles are metal-like after all that a simple method for humans is rendered ineffective. "[Fireball]!" "Gwah!" He didn't punch him, he hit him with a spell! He did it so Basylisk's unconscious bodily response to a known attack will just adapt to his fist but not to his magic, meaning he made his body drop its guard expecting just to get hit by a weak fist and then fire a strong magic to apply inhuman pressure beyond his mind's expectation. Basylisk is not aware of this trick so it is fairly effective. But in his mind, Theo's action is completely unnecessary. The method is fairly effective, yes but an unexpected turn of events occurred. The stuck food on his throat was expelled from his mouth, towards Theo's face. Basylisk starts sweating in bullets. "This smell... Isn't this... Basylisk, are you the one who stole the egg? And you ate it?" After getting asked, Basylisk starts to shake uncontrollably out of fear. "No... I mean, technically yes, but you know, it nearly killed me so I am just taking my revenge, haha" Finding words to his flawed excuses, he can't even look at Theo's eyes. He is guilty by natural verdict and Theo already discern what happened from just simple deductions. Just then, the most feared person in the group came, the Hero, Albert. "Theo, I need to talk to... What's going on?" Albert found the two in a messy situation. Basylisk laying on the floor like a distressed maiden, still wearing his pinkish apron and Theo with his legs shaking and some saliva on his face. "N-nothing..." Theo responded in a shaky voice. He too can't look at Albert's eyes, as if he is guilty by law. He starts sweating bullets as soon as Albert is getting closer. His face turned white as a sheet. "That face, Are you hiding something from me?" "Heh? Aren't you making some false accusation here? We are just goofing around. " Theo seems to be covering for Basylisk but he is not a good liar. He is always an open book, it is easy to tell if he is hiding something or not just by looking at his face. Theo, you are covering for me? You are a true friend... I love you brother, I love you. Basylisk thought it for a moment. It is worth protecting Theo during expeditions because he always cared for him, and he is always right there when he need him. By that, he is what he could call his best friend. It's time for him to contribute for world peace. "Yeah, I just got chocked and Theo saved me." "Yeah?" Albert look at him in the eye, Basylisk's eye curved to the left avoiding it. And by tone, it seems like Albert is not buying what he just said. "Yeah haha" "Then... can you explain this?" Albert threw something on the floor, and when Basylisk's eye meets the mystery item, his heart almost stopped! He forgot to throw away the egg shell of the dragon and accidentally, Albert found it on the kitchen. And now he is cucked. "Basylisk did it!!! He ate all the egg!! A-and he spit some at me that's why I smell like a fried dragon egg so don't get the wrong idea!!" Theo complained to Albert to protect his own skin as he knew Basylisk is a lost cause. Once Albert get's enraged, he could become a demon and all members of the party is trying to avoid this from happening. "So, I leave everything in your hands now, Albert, punish Basylisk as necessary. And Basylisk, do your best. Bye!" TRAITOR!! Basylisk screamed inside his head. Theo thought that he is safe now that he confessed. That's where he gets so wrong. "Wait, How exactly did you know how a fried dragon egg smells like?" Albert asked while stopping Theo from walking away. He can't answer. He start's to sweat more that his clothes are completely drenched. Basylisk is enjoying his reaction and further fueling his anxiety by smirking at him. He stiffly look at Albert, and says "T-t-t-t-thats none of your business" The truth is, two dragon eggs are stolen. Theo already ate one of them before he knew that what he had done is illegal. Then followed by Basylisk who did the same ignorance. They are both guilty of the same crime. After discovering their crimes, the body of the two was never discovered. Some said they are fed to the dragons, some said that they are eaten by Albert. Who knows what happened to the two after that but according to witnesses, Niel seems to hear screams while she was harvesting food outdoors. Agatha also saw Albert that time after the screams when he exits the house to wash his hands off because it is covered with a lot of blood. This Novel Contains Mature Content Show This Chapter? Yes

It is filled with darkness. He could feel the abyss, the emptiness which incapacitate his senses. Slowly, the sensation came back to him as he struggle from the dark container he is held. He could feel his skin, then his arm and feet. He could feel the stickiness of the liquid that he is bathed with. He open his eyes and see a spot of light. Instinctively, he reached through the light until it is on his hand. Then, he falls to the ground as the spot of light torn into wide bright hole. "Upu ah!" He exclaimed in shock. ' Where am... I? ' He wanders his eye to the surrounding and notice he is on a cave. He wondered what he was doing there and to what purpose. He tried to fetch his name from the jumbled thoughts and unstable mind. ' Theo... ' His memory from the past came rushing into his head like a piercing arrow. It is painful, it feels like his head is going to burst. But there is one crucial thing he remembered. ' How could I forget? I am already dead... but ' He turned around and something unspeakable is brought to his sight. "Uwah!" A half dead beast woman. Her belly is torn open and their is gapping hole to her internals. Her face is pale, her drool uncontrollably flows out through her mouth. Her eyes are rolled over and shaking. There are also missing limbs and blood all over her clothes and fur. "...stone, stone, stone, monster, stone, corpse, corpse... " She kept muttering random words. At this point, Theo knew what on earth is happening. He was reborn and the person in front of him is his mother. ' Mom ' Yet when he look at the floor, he saw his own reflection from the thick liquid. "Unya!!" His face is green and ugly, it's fiendish and evil. His nose is big as well as his ear. At this point, he recognized this particular monster, a goblin, a baby goblin, the weakest common monster there is. His body is totally different to the beast woman who looks partially human. Confused all over, his mind is shattering from several questions emerging from his thought. The muttering is intense, he felt like exploding, in the end, the train of thought ends with a simple answer, and that is to move and discover the rest himself. He tried to get near the woman but from the darkness, a head of a gigantic beast emerge and ate the woman's head tearing her neck apart. Instinctively, Theo felt like screaming but he forced his mouth shut. His leg is too weak to run or even walk so he crawled behind the nearest stalagmite possible. Another peak to the beast and finally he noticed the rotten flesh scattered on its nest, corpses and maggots. That place is a feeding ground for the beast. The beast seems like a bear with bat wings. It has black fur covering his entire body and a muscular man-like arms. Nothing else stands out except for the fact that it is too big, probably 10 meters in height. It walks in with four limbs. ' Why the hell is that monster here!? ' Asked Theo to himself. It's a beast that he has encountered before, a Horned Huvan. He battled with a similar species before when he was in the hero's party but they didn't manage to defeat it. It is one of those monsters that even the hero was struggling to fight. And now he is all alone, not knowing what is going on, there is no chance that he can win if he decided to fight it head on. Once he is discovered, he is dead. " What am I supposed to do?? I am going to die at this rate " But, Theo is a clever and patient guy. He analysed his situation and make something out of it even if everything is filled with disadvantages. He is not going to just give up and feed himself to the beast. He thought, he wants to die trying to survive. ' That's right! If i am really a goblin, my growth rate is significantly faster than a normal human. Sooner or later I might be able to walk! ' He noticed that the beast is turned back and sleeping after eating those dying corpse. Then he tried to crawl his way to the nearest exit possible. ' It's my time to escape ' He thought, but his hands pressed accidentally to a thin wood making a small clicking noise that is then intensified by the echoes of the cave. He thought, ' Why the hell is there a tree branch inside a cave?! ' Moreover, there is a staff, broken swords and scattered arrows hidden in the darkness. ' GRrrhh ' It's a noise enough to make the sleeping beast become awake. It stands up and starts walking towards the exit where Theo was heading. Fortunately, he already concealed himself behind some stalagmites before the beast even gets up. With noticeable disappointment, the beast when found no prey from the sound starts heading towards the exit, open its wings then fly away. ' Now is my chance! ' He could finally stand up with the help of a magic staff as a support. He walks toward the opposite direction from the exit. There is no way he is going where the beast had gone as there is a high chance that they might meet midway. So he headed towards the other gapping hole to the right side. He came closer and closer, he is intensely focused only on walking towards his destination, nothing else matter even if the half dead corpse tries to beg for help. If he could just run, he would have done it sooner. But then the beast had returned, silently landing for a surprise attack on Theo's back. Theo noticed the heavy air, when he turned back, he saw the beast looking at him. When they meet eye to eye, the beast began its aggressive attack. It begins to dash towards Theo as fast as it could. But the way it attacked is totally different from what he remembered before when he is a human. The monster split its own skull into several pieces, revealing another face behind that looks like a yellowish sunflower filled with pus with a face of a smiling old man. It's teeth is all revealed and is all human like. It's arm burst open with sticky yellowish slime revealing its skeleton as well as its feet and stomach. It stands up with only its two legs and stretches its body wide. It screamed like mad in a human voice "GWAAAAHHHHHHHH" "Uwnya!" Theo instinctively jumped towards the exit when the monster inside the beast open its mouth to bite him. The mouth has several strands of intestine-like organs that is ejected when its wide open. As soon as Theo get to the other side of the exit, the monster stops. And a small laugh can be heard from its mouth. It's still a mystery for him that it didn't ate him when he have the chance. It turned its back from Theo and then muttered random words. "Rock, rock, rock, food, rock, water, water, water, water, water..." Theo's body is tensed that he cannot move. He can't believe he actually survived the encounter. He did, did he? When the monster finally disappeared at his sight, his tensed body finally relaxed and then he cried. "UWAAAAHHh!!! UWAhhhHH!" It's a fitting act for a baby. But he knew that it is not over yet. Sooner or later he might encounter the same beast once again. He must brace himself like a man. But looking past to his destination, to the current route he must take, he knew the path is not easy. He could still hear the whisper in the darkness. "rock, rock, rock, air, air, man, man, man, man" He have no choice but to walk towards it, into the deep dark path, in the edge of the sanity hole. This Novel Contains Mature Content Show This Chapter? Yes

"The Soviets are saying they can't risk turning off their missile defense system," Melina reported during the morning planning conference, "and the 'Muricans are saying they can't guarantee their defense system won't act the same way." "As of right now, we're rationing our food and water," Sachiko announced. "I want everyone to check in with Surgery daily. She can help you adjust your food and exercise levels." "Just how long are we going to be up here?" Erika asked. "Until things settle down," Sachiko answered. "And if they don't?" Erika pressed. "Then we won't be the only ones to die," Sachiko informed her, "but it's too early to worry about that. As long as we're careful, we can last six months, probably more." "What about the battle colonies?" Erika asked. "They had enough supplies to sustain large populations before they were abandoned." "Yum, centuries-old food," Yasu joked. "The battle colonies are parked at Earth-Moon Lagrange points," Sachiko explained. "Our ships can't reach them." "You're telling me that the Federation's current technology can't match what the 'Muricans and the Soviets were doing hundreds of years ago?" Erika scoffed. Sachiko shook her head. She'd much rather be on the moon, or at least a lunar gateway station, than messing around in low-Earth orbit, but the decision had been made to act slowly, carefully, and above all else, economically, when resuming space exploration. She might have been inclined to share Erika's frustration, were it not for her ignorance. "This isn't a video game," Sachiko explained. "There's not just some technology stat that goes up when a country makes scientific discoveries. We outshine the other countries in a lot of areas, but space is difficult, and this is the Federation's first go at it. It doesn't matter that we have the best reactors, handheld beam weaponry, or airships. None of that matters when it comes to space." "So it's like a skill tree," Erika said. "The other countries put their points into space, while the Federation decided massive flying boats were more their playstyle." "No, it's nothing like that," Sachiko snapped. "We may be piddling around in low-Earth orbit, but the 'Soviets and the 'Muricans are stuck scratching dirt. They lost everything they knew about space during the war." "Sorry," Erika apologized, realizing she was acting emotionally. "I'm just nervous. This isn't what I expected when I signed up for this." "You're scared," Sachiko corrected, "and you have every right to be. This isn't what any of us expected, but I promise I will do everything in my power to get us home alive." Erika opened her mouth, but stopped herself before saying, "Like you got the others on GE26 home alive?" Instead, she smiled and let out a quiet, "Thanks." "How are things going down there?" Sachiko asked. "Any deserters yet?" "Not even the janitors," Melina said, pride evident in her voice. The janitors, however, were all gynoids. Sachiko expected they would be the last to abandon the space program. "Still no word from the government?" Sachiko followed up. "Actually, we heard from the defense ministry," Melina said. "They wanted to know where the director was." "A good question," Sachiko said, "and a worrying one, but maybe we'll finally see some acknowledgement of our situation. Got anything else, or should we call it?" "If you're going to be reducing your exercise, we'd like you to get more B-roll while you can." "We can't reduce it that much," Sachiko said, "but point taken. Better to get the footage while we're still looking healthy." The rest of the meeting went smoothly. After reviewing their schedule for the day, Hina and Yasu went to exercise, while Sachiko left to perform a routine inspection and maintenance on the Russian segment. Contrary to her usual behavior of sticking close to Sachiko, Maeko followed Erika back to Harmony . "Did you need something?" Erika asked once they were alone. "I believe we should consider eliminating the others," Maeko said. "If this conflict lasts longer than six months, I cannot risk losing my mechanic." "Absolutely not," Erika gasped. "I'm not going to kill children to save myself." "They signed up for this knowing that they might die," Maeko pressed. "It doesn't matter how old they are. You are more important." "I can't run this station," Erika pointed out. "I've seen how much work it takes. Can you do it alone? What if your shielding fails completely?" "We'll keep one alive then," Maeko said. "Yasu works quickly enough, and she would be easiest to control." "Not if you kill Hina," Erika said, shaking her head. "She'd be upset, but she'd do her job," Maeko said. "She wouldn't have a choice." "I do have a choice," Erika said. "If you harm any of them, I will pull you apart piece-by-piece and eject you from the airlock. I don't care if that leaves me up here all alone. I'd rather die than sacrifice their lives." "Brave words," Maeko said. "Braver than I expected from you. Let's see how long they last." ⁂ "If you harm any of them, I will pull you apart piece-by-piece and eject you from the airlock. I don't care if that leaves me up here all alone. I'd rather die than sacrifice their lives." Maeko finished playing the recording for Sachiko, and the commander of the ISS let out a long sigh. "It's good we don't have to worry about her, but I wish she hadn't threatened you." "I do not believe she will cause me any harm unless I give her reason to," Maeko assured her. Based on what she knew—and suspected—of Erika's past, Sachiko wasn't convinced, but Maeko knew more about Erika. The gynoid probably even knew Erika's real name, so Sachiko decided to trust her. "There is one thing I would like to clarify," Maeko added. "I told Erika that she was the most important person to me on this station, but that was not true. You are." "Important enough to kill for?" Sachiko asked. "Under different circumstances," Maeko answered. "I know you would be just as uncooperative as Erika if I decided to harm the others to increase your chances of survival." "As long as we're clear on that," Sachiko said. " Zvezda checks out. I repaired a water filter, but everything else was in working order. Can I ask you to finish the rest? I'm going to let Erika know that it was a test." "And, I assume, complain about her threatening me," Maeko said. "That really isn't necessary. It's enough for me that you care." Sachiko gave Maeko a confused look. A gynoid shouldn't care about emotional gestures like that. Like Sachiko, they were primarily interested in concrete results, and to Sachiko, that meant doing everything in her power to prevent violence on the station. Shaking her head, Sachiko pushed off towards the US segment. As she passed by Tranquility , she popped her head in to see how things were going. Hina was strapped into the ARED and doing bench presses. Yasu was filming, and, on the camcorder screen, Sachiko could see that she was zoomed all the way in on Hina's right biceps. Not exactly thrilling television, Sachiko thought. "Come on, Hina, push," Yasu encouraged her. "Just one more." "I can't," Hina grunted. "I'm spent." "Puuush," Yasu repeated. "You can do it. Come on, harder. Harder! You could handle this much just last week." "Well I can't do it now," Hina gasped, releasing the bar. "Yes you can," Yasu insisted, "and this might be your last chance to try before Surgery tells you to stop." "It doesn't matter what you say," Hina said, taking deep breaths. "It's impossible. My muscles are going to turn to dust up here." "If you won't do it for yourself, do it for me," Yasu said, leaning close and batting her eyes at Hina. "And if you won't do it for me, do it for... Claire?" "I already told you," Hina growled, grabbing the bar and pushing it off her in frustration, "there's nothing going on between me and Claire." "That 'nothing' just gave you enough energy for one more rep," Yasu observed. "Fine," Hina spat as she unhooked herself from the ARED. "We're going to die up here anyway. You might as well know the truth. Turn off the camera." "Hey, come on, we're not going to die," Yasu said. "You were right," Hina continued, ignoring her. "She is trying to make me jealous of her boyfriend. That's all she ever wanted from me: jealousy, but I... I had a crush on her." "I don't want to hear this after all," Yasu said, stone faced. She grabbed a handlebar to push off, but Hina grabbed her wrist. "You're the one who kept pressing the issue," Hina said. "I don't want to die keeping it a secret from you. It was five years ago. The reason you never knew I was hanging out with her was because we were sneaking out at night." "No, no," Yasu pleaded. "After the director went to sleep and the employees went home, there was an unused room on the East wing. On weekends, some of the kids would sneak out. We'd watch movies, gossip, and play games. One time, a boy snuck in a can of low-alcohol beer and we passed it around. It wasn't enough to feel anything, but it seemed so adult, so cool. Sometimes, when the mood was right, I'd put my arm around Claire, and she'd rest her head on my shoulder." "So what?" Yasu said, trying once more to pull away. "I rest my head on your shoulder all the time." "But when she did it, my heart raced," Hina said. "Sometimes, later at night, when the others were getting sleepy, we'd sneak off to a darkened corner to make out. We'd observed some of the teenagers doing it, but we didn't really understand, so we'd just kiss for a few minutes. It didn't really feel that good, but it was—" "Exciting, I get it," Yasu interrupted. "Are you done yet?" "One night when I arrived at the room, one of the boys had his arm around her shoulder," Hina said. "She had her head turned towards him, and she saw me out of the corner of her eye. She got a big smile on her face and whispered something in his ear, and then next thing I knew, they were kissing. I ran back to our room, and, first thing the next morning, called JAXA to let them know I'd changed my mind." "You told me I was the reason you left." Yasu gasped. "You told me I was too dependent on you, that I'd never grow if you were always protecting me. Was that all just an excuse? A lie?" This was a surprise to Sachiko too. She had paid a visit to the orphanage in an attempt to recruit Hina, and she always assumed that her words ultimately convinced Hina to join the space program. "It wasn't a lie," Hina said, "it just wasn't the main reason. I... liked looking out for you, even if it wasn't the best thing for either of us." "I liked it too," Yasu said. Without warning, Hina pulled Yasu close and wrapped her arms around her. "I'm sorry for hurting you. I couldn't hold it in anymore. I'm scared of dying up here." "Me too," Yasu choked, tears building up in the corner of her eyes. Hina released her and wiped her eyes with a finger, causing the tears to float around them. She then caught Yasu completely by surprise by closing her eyes and leaning in for a kiss. Yasu could feel her heartbeat accelerate, heat running up her neck. She tilted her head and began to close her eyes, but at the last moment pulled back. "What's wrong?" Hina asked. "I thought this was what you wanted." There was no passion in her eyes, but no disappointment either, and Yasu could tell that her heart wasn't beating quicker. "Not like this," Yasu shook her head. "I want to be the girl you love, not the girl who just happens to be around when you're scared and lonely." "That's all you've ever been," Hina said, shoving Yasu away. "If you don't like it, you should never have followed me to JAXA." Yasu angrily threw the camera at Hina, who easily caught it, and stormed off, more tears streaming behind her. Sachiko pulled herself out of the way as Yasu passed her, fleeing towards the Russian segment. She reentered Tranquility just in time to witness Hina stop herself at the last second from kicking the ARED in frustration. "How much of that did you hear?" Hina asked. "All of it," Sachiko shrugged. "I thought I told you to work this out on your own time, not to cause more drama during work hours." "Who cares?" Hina scoffed. "We're going to die, and you want me to keep lying to her?" "As far as I know, you're still not telling her the truth. You worded that confession very carefully," Sachiko said. "And we're not going to die." "Come on," Hina shouted. "The last war was centuries long. You really think this one'll be over in six months?" "Yes," Sachiko answered. "Both sides know returning to full-scale war will completely destroy the planet in short order. That much hasn't changed." "They could stay locked in a cold war until we starve," Hina pointed out. "There's nothing we can do about that, so it's a waste of energy to worry about it," Sachiko told her. "We should focus on what we can do, so hand me that camera and strap back in. You're not done with your workout, and it's putting us behind schedule." "What about Yasu?" Hina challenged. "Isn't she putting us even further behind?" "I can only deal with one problem at a time," Sachiko said, "though I'll admit, I was wrong about her. I can't believe Erika noticed it before I did." "Yeah, well, that's because you're a terrible friend," Hina spat. "At least I'm not trying to kiss my friends out of desperation," Sachiko shot back. That did it. Rage flashed in Hina's eyes, and she curled her right hand into a fist and raised it menacingly. Sachiko didn't flinch. They would only be under greater pressure as their food supplies dwindled. She needed to know how far Hina would go, and she was willing to take the hit to find out. "You're a good commander though," Hina sighed, uncurling her fist. "Funny," Sachiko smirked, "Before you got all depressed, I was thinking of handing that job off to you. We still don't have a new director, and matters on Earth are taking too much of my time." "You'd really take orders from me?" Hina asked. "I can't see it." "I took orders from commanders less capable than you," Sachiko reminded her. "It'll be tough, but you've done almost as much for the space program as I have. This is your last chance, and you earned it." "I thought you said we weren't going to die," Hina teased. "Even if we make it back, this is it for us," Sachiko sighed. "You're taller than I am now, and I already don't fit comfortably in my sleeping bag." "What? No, I've always been shorter than you." "You're growing up. Time for you to grow up in here too," Sachiko said, poking Hina on the forehead. "The position's yours, if you can pull yourself together." Hina nodded. She wasn't sure she could, but it was worth a try. If she only had six months left, she might as well make the best of them. ⁂ Yasu didn't want any of the others to see her cry, so she rushed towards her cabin in Zvezda as quickly as she could. Unfortunately, for her, Maeko was in her way. She tried to slide past without touching the gynoid, but Maeko moved to block her path. "Move," Yasu demanded, her anger now boiling over. Maeko smiled and began reciting lines from a Hina x Sachiko fic. "Hina pushed Sachiko against the wall and leaned in close. 'I'm going to prove to you this airlock is safe, even if we have to stay here all night.' A shiver ran up Sachiko's spine, not of fear, but of anticipation." Yasu recognized the fic Maeko was quoting from, but she tried to feign ignorance. "The hell is that?" "Once more, Yasu cracked the riding crop across Erika's bouncy, quickly-reddening—" "OK, OK, I admit it," Yasu interrupted. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean for it to get out of control. I'll shut it all down, I promise. Just give me some time." She was saying what she thought the gynoid wanted to hear, but Maeko shook her head. "You misunderstand. I want more." "More," Yasu gulped. "Specifically, I want Maeko x Sachiko. Lots of it. Everything from innocent hand holding to the watersports olympiad." "But you're a gynoid," Yasu observed. "What use could you have for it?" "That's none of your business," Maeko told her. "If you don't do what I say, I'll reveal your hobby to the others."

The rifle was a bit too large for nine-year-old Sachiko Cook, but she managed to keep it level, looking down the sights at a boulder ten meters away. "Good," Sgt. Max Lucert, an ex-'Murican soldier employed as a private guard, praised her. "Don't move your arms, just squeeze the trigger." Doing her best to follow his instructions, Sachiko pulled the trigger, but she unconsciously rotated her shoulder slightly as she did so. A bolt of light erupted from the barrel and bored into the rock, ten centimeters to the right of a sloppily painted target. "Not bad for your first time," Max said. "Relax your shoulder. With these energy guns, you don't need to worry about bracing yourself for the recoil. If we'd had these during the war, the damn reds—" Sachiko pulled the trigger again, and this time, she hit the boulder dead center, leaving a smoking hole where there had once been a dab of paint. "Attagirl," Max exclaimed. "How did that feel?" Without answering, Sachiko lowered the rifle, brought it back up to firing position, took aim, and squeezed the trigger. At first, Max thought she had missed the boulder completely, but when smoke began wafting out of the center hole, he realized that her aim had been perfect. Max let out a slow whistle. "You were born a generation too late, girl. You woulda made a fine sniper, I reckon." It didn't bother him that she had ignored his question. He couldn't help but admire her cool demeanor. When he was her age, he would have been feeling himself after making two shots like that in a row. What he didn't realize was that she was just as ecstatic, but her excitement had been tempered by the way he called her "girl". She knew he did it to be motivating, to challenge her to earn his respect, but she hated it nonetheless. Were she a bit wiser, she would have asked him to stop, but she feared losing the company of one of the few people on the island who voluntarily hung out with her, and she knew he was oddly sensitive when called out on his bullshit. He'd been in a foul mood for weeks after being reprimanded for letting a slur slip in front of a Soviet investigation team, and now only talked freely in his private life, which included his time with Sachiko. Although the hateful sentiment behind his words bothered her, they were also something her parents wouldn't approve of, and not making a big deal out of them made her feel more independent. "How different are 'Murican and Soviet guns?" she asked, removing the magazine and firing one more time, just to be sure that no energy remained within the weapon. "Like night and day," Max answered. "Our energy weapons were much more primitive, so we preferred good, old-fashioned bullets. They got quite the kick, and they're loud as hell. Makes it harder to aim, and you need ear protection unless you want to go deaf. You're much better off sticking with one of these." "But what if I run out of energy and need to salvage a weapon from a fallen enemy?" Max let out a hearty laugh. "You really were born a generation too late. Tell you what, build up some more muscle, and I'll see about getting you a carbine to practice with." Before Sachiko could accept the deal, a siren sounded from the direction of the main reactor facility, about eight kilometers away. "We have to get back," Sachiko said, running towards Max's car, still cradling the rifle. "No, we have to evacuate," Max said, quickly catching up to her. "Your parents told me that if something like this were to happen—" "If the alarm's going off, the reactor needs to be shut down," Sachiko interrupted, "and I'm the smallest person on the island who knows how to do it. If the entrance has been blocked off, I may be able to reach it the fastest." "No, if the reactor's gonna blow, we need to get outta here," Max insisted. "We won't clear the blast radius in time," Sachiko told him. "Every moment counts." She slammed the magazine back into the rifle and pointed it at Max. "Hey, don't point that thing at anyone you don't intend to shoot," Max yelped. "I will shoot you," Sachiko promised. "Too many lives are at stake. If you're not going to drive, get out of the way." "You convinced me," he said, "now put the gun down." As he spoke, Sachiko's vision distorted, and Max appeared to shimmer. "What the hell?" Max shouted. He was apparently experiencing the same phenomenon. "We're hallucinating," Sachiko guessed. "The reactor's magical energy must have reached us." "It runs on magic?!" "No time to explain," Sachiko yelled, getting in the car. "Come on." Max scrambled into the driver's seat and accelerated down the road. He was driving much too slowly for Sachiko's liking, but with his vision impaired, and the road unpaved, there was little she could do to change the situation. As they drew near, the hallucinations became more frightening. Max now appeared to her as a demon, with red skin and black hair sprouting from his body. As he spoke, his mouth was filled with needle-like teeth one second, and was a bottomless pit the next. "Give me the gun, girl," Max growled. "Why?" Sachiko asked. "Can't you see the reds? Dead ahead." "I don't see anyone," Sachiko said. "You're hallucinating." "Maybe you're hallucinating," Max shot back. "The commies're probably responsible for this whole mess." "They've got no reason to do that," Sachiko insisted. "Maybe they're after the magical energy," Max argued. "They have their own sources for that," Sachiko yelled. "They wouldn't have to risk a reactor meltdown. Besides, I'm younger than you. My brain isn't fully developed yet, so the hallucinations don't affect me as bad." It was a lie, but she needed to say something to get Max under control. "Stay here and guard the car. We'll still need to evacuate once the reactor is shut down." Without waiting for an answer, Sachiko exited the vehicle, still carrying the rifle. She only made it a few paces before a ripple of magical energy washed across the island, causing her to stumble backwards. When she recovered, it appeared to her that she was surrounded by a ring of fire. She couldn't just see the flames, she could hear them crackle, and she could feel the heat against her body. The sky had turned a menacing dark green. Sachiko knew she needed to reach the reactor quickly, before it could release another burst of magic, but she also knew that would be impossible when she couldn't trust her own senses. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath to reset herself. Max and I saw different things, but the light that reached our eyes was the same. The magic didn't change the world: It's interfering with our brains. My eyes can still see what is real. Those images are still in my brain somewhere, but they're being kept from me. I need to focus only on what's real, like a good scientist, and filter out everything else. Concentrate! Find the truth, Sachiko. Your subconscious knows what's real. When Sachiko opened her eyes, thousands of glowing, shimmering teeth grinned back at her through the flames, which had now grown so high that they blocked out the sky. But she could see something else, too. There was a man limping towards her, still several meters away, and he should have been obscured by the fire. She still saw the hallucinations, but when she focused hard enough on what was real, she could see reality as well. Part of her wished she couldn't. The person limping towards her had a large gash down the side of their leg, but they were making no effort to stop the bleeding. She recognized him as one of the postdoc researchers who had arrived on the last airship. There was also another scientist running up behind him, screaming his lungs out and carrying a rock high in the air. The limping man crumpled to the ground as the rock impacted the back of his head. The other man let out one last yell and then dropped the rock. Noticing that his hands were now splattered with blood, he brought them closer to his face to inspect them. He tried rubbing the blood off, but that only caused it to smear all over his palms. He then tried scratching at it, softly at first, and then harder, until he was bleeding. With an anguished cry, he bolted away from the road, towards the ocean. After recovering from the shock of the horrific sight, Sachiko ran forward, through the imaginary flames and towards the main reactor building. She stepped carefully over the body on the ground. As much as she wanted to help, there was nothing she could do for him now. It wasn't long until she came upon another scene of random violence. A man was chasing a woman, wielding a kitchen knife. This time, Sachiko thought about shooting the man to save the woman, but she quickly stopped herself. The two of them probably saw the other as some kind of dangerous monster. Even if she killed the man, the woman might go on to harm others in turn. She might even threaten Sachiko. The rifle only had enough energy for a few more shots, and it was important she used them to ensure she made it to the reactor controls safely. A scientist focuses on what's real, Sachiko recited to herself, but a successful scientist recognises what's important. It was something her parents had drilled into her from a young age. As she continued down the path, more corpses littered the road, and soon, she saw why. One of the guards, shaking with nervousness, was scanning around himself, shooting at anything that moved, real or imaginary. Now thankful that she had saved her ammunition, Sachiko raised her rifle to firing position and aimed at the guard's chest, but found herself unable to pull the trigger. She'd never taken a life before, and she wasn't eager to do so. Thankfully, she was saved from her dilemma by a shot that came from far to her right, one that pierced the guard through the skull. Lowering her rifle, Sachiko saw a dozen gynoids, each with a pistol, running towards the main reactor building. She hadn't been aware that there were currently gynoids on the island, but she wasted no time following them. I'm an idiot, she admonished herself as she ran. Max always says hesitation could cost you your life, but this time, it could have cost the entire island. By the time she entered the building, the gynoids were a good minute ahead of her. She'd run as fast as she could, but the gynoids were still faster. More bodies slumped against the wall, and as she drew close to the control room, she recognized her father, lying face down in a pool of blood. Likely, he had been shot in the back while running towards the controls. Sachiko glanced quickly behind her to make sure she wouldn't suffer the same fate, then hurried forward, not pausing to mourn. The door to the control room was open, but guarded by two gynoids, They aimed their pistols at Sachiko as she approached. "Don't shoot," Sachiko shouted. "I'm here to shut down the generator." She was taking a chance that the gynoids were on her side. She didn't know much about them at this point in her life, but she knew that she couldn't hope to take both of them down before getting shot herself. If this didn't work, she was doomed. Luckily, the gynoids retracted their arms, aiming the pistols at the ceiling. "You're just a child," one of the gynoids commented. "My parents taught me how," Sachiko explained. "Please, there's no time." "We have it under control," the other gynoid assured her. "No," Sachiko said, walking past them. Inside, gynoids were spread throughout the room, with one at the control panel. "There are no sensors that can accurately measure the reactor's magical pressure. That's why it has to be done manually." "Too risky," a gynoid said, but Sachiko didn't stop walking towards the control panel. "She doesn't talk like a child," another gynoid countered. "Perhaps she's a mahou shoujo, or her exposure to magical energy has given her a greater understanding of magic." In reality, Sachiko had no talent for magic. She was merely imitating the way her parents spoke. With no other children on the island, there were only adults to influence her behavior, and lots of time to study the learning materials her parents gave her. "No one understands magic," Sachiko scoffed. "If we did, it would be science ." "Regardless," a gynoid said, grabbing Sachiko's shoulder from behind, "we can't let you near the controls while you're hallucinating." "I can see fine," Sachiko said, turning to look up at the gynoid. She lost her focus for a second, and her eyes were drawn to the illusion of a large, slobbering wolf towering over her, but then she regained control of her senses. "Unlocked," the gynoid at the control panel reported, pressing the last button in the sequence. "I'm shutting it down." Grabbing the control rod, the gynoid turned it counterclockwise three times. Magical pressure surged through the room, so strong that Sachiko had trouble breathing, but then quickly dissipated. "Now," Sachiko yelled. "Too early," the gynoid said, but no sooner had the words left her mouth than the control panel lit up with warning lights, and magical pressure began to build up again. "I told you," Sachiko said, elbowing the gynoid out of the way and taking hold of the control rod with her left hand. With her right, she began punching the reset sequence into the control panel, all while turning the control rod so as to keep the fissile material pointed away from the highest concentrations of magical energy as it swirled throughout the chamber. Her hand flew over the controls automatically. It was something that she had seen her parents practice hundreds of times on a replica control panel at home, and they had even taught her how to do it, but she wasn't confident without their supervision. Still, she knew she had no time to hesitate. The gynoids could only watch, realizing they would only slow her down if they tried to help. "Locked," Sachiko announced. She immediately began punching in the unlock sequence, waiting until the magical pressure stabilized before flipping the last switch. "Unlocked." She twisted the rod three times counterclockwise, waited a second for the magical pressure to drop, and then pulled hard, only to find that she wasn't strong enough to remove the rod. "Help," she said, as calmly as she could. The closest gynoid grabbed her arm, causing her hair to stand on end, and pulled the rod free. All eyes were now on the control panel, checking to see if they had made it on time. They watched as the fissile material fell past a gap in the magical energy and safely into a pool of water far below. The reactor began to slowly vent the magical energy into the atmosphere. Only once she was convinced the immediate danger had passed did the gynoid release Sachiko's arm. "I'm sorry," the gynoid apologized. "You were right." "Save it," Sachiko said, "we need to evacuate." Without another word, they all filed out of the room as quickly as they could. Once again, Sachiko fell behind, but a gynoid turned around and scooped Sachiko up in her arms. "I can walk on my own," Sachiko protested. "You are too important to leave behind," the gynoid told her. Sachiko didn't complain after that, not even about how uncomfortable it felt to be touched by the gynoid. When they passed the car, Max was nowhere to be seen, and although Sachiko wanted to believe that he had survived, she knew he was inflexible in his thinking, and thus probably fell victim to the hallucinations. It took them half an hour to reach the gynoids' airship, the Odake Maru . The vessel was ready to be underway, but they waited another ten minutes—as long as they could—in case any other survivors showed up. None did. ⁂ Three weeks after the pajama party, Sachiko was in the cupola, looking down at Earth. The conflict had not erupted into all-out war, but it was heating up. There was talk of needing to evacuate Neo Tanegashima, so JAXA was preparing to launch two Progresses to keep the ISS supplied for an additional year. With any luck, they wouldn't need the extra supplies, but it was better to have them than to not. "I thought you agreed to sleep at night," Maeko said, floating down to the cupola to join Sachiko. "I'll go to bed in a bit," Sachiko promised her. "I enjoy watching the launches from up here." "Do you also enjoy looking down at your island?" Maeko asked. "GE26 isn't my island," Sachiko snorted. "I meant Neo Tanegashima," Maeko clarified. "Neo Tanegashima belongs to all humanity," Sachiko said, "assuming they don't destroy it." There was nothing for Maeko to argue with in that statement, so the two of them waited in silence. "There it is," Maeko said, pointing at a little white dot a few seconds before Sachiko could see it. As they watched it ascend above the Earth, they noticed a smaller, faster dot rise from over Eastern Europe. Sachiko's voice caught in her throat, but she didn't close her eyes or turn away. There was nothing to be gained by ignoring reality. The Soviet missile collided with the Progress, taking it out in a bright explosion, high above the Earth.

Theo tried to open his eyes, his sight are blurry. Blood is constantly dripping from his face. His hands are trying to reach something imaginary, something that doesn't exist, hope. ' I... can't breathe ' He screamed inside as a monster bite his neck. It's kind of weird, as the monster biting him is just a head attached in a spine without body, yet it's wiggling and crawling like a worm. Theo grabbed a nearby stone and bashed it to the head until it put a crater on its face. It opens its skull and destroy its brain, finally killing it. But it's not the end. Theo immediately stood up and with the light from the unknown revealed several bodiless head crawling to him and chanting the same thing over and over. His right leg is wounded from deep bites. "Goblin, goblin, goblin, goblin, goblin..." But they are too slow that Theo could run them over. He could defeat them easily but the problem is the thing hiding in the shadow. A monster that kept chasing him no matter what. It is a rat monster in human size, its limbs are extended and it has four sharp claws to each of its limbs. But no one can call it really a rat, it's more like a wolf by appearance with black spiky fur. The monster is called Rake, a nocturnal hunter. It dashes to Theo at incredible speed that he can't react immediately. Theo tried to block off its attack but the monster immediately counteracted by biting his arm. Because goblins are naturally small in size, Theo is light weighted that the monster could easily drag and carry him like a toy. "Just die already!" Theo smash the stone to the head of the beast but it doesn't faze. It continue chewing his arm off that he could feel the clicking sound of his bones. Then the monster starts to intensify the sensation by waving him off ground. His arm is slowly tearing away by how much force and speed the Rake is wagging him. The monster accidentally hurled Theo away to a nearby cliff, the goblin falls to a twenty meter deep pit, his body rolls inflicting several cuts and bruises all over. He landed to the ground and a loud sound of 'Thump!' vibrates the ground. He felt his right arm dislocated. Unfortunately, the pit is also crawling with monsters, but not as much as the upper grounds. In his case, there are three monsters near him, staring at him. They are goblins of similar origin but something is different to them, their face are unproportioned. One of them has three mouths, one have seven eyes scattered to his body and another has no face at all. "Goblin, goblin, goblin, goblin, goblin..." They kept chanting. When Theo heard this, a creepy sensation walks through his spine. ' I am really going to die... ' He declares his defeat inside his head. In the goblin's point of view, they seems to be staring at a dead body evidently with all the wounds that he accumulated. But that is not the case. Theo know that they know that he is not dead from the way they chant. They are supposed to say "Corpse" to a dead body and species type when alive. Those are some simple patterns that he learned throughout the days he kept encountering them. One of the goblins draw a dull sword and pointed it to Theo. The moment the goblin thrust the sword, he immediately evaded, steal the sword and kill the aberration in a second. It's not like Theo is too weak that he can't kill a goblin, he is still an adventurer in the past. It is just that his body can't adapt to his past skills, but the experience that he had is still unchanged. ' I am not done, I am going to escape this place no matter what ' He said to himself while staring at the remaining monsters he need to kill. He then fix his dislocated arm making a satisfying clicking sound. After killing the goblins, Theo found himself resting to a nearby stone. Once he relaxed, all kinds of pain would hit him as if killing him inside. He will get used to it eventually as it happens each time. Staring at the corpse of decapitated goblins, he wonders how long will he remain trapped inside this place. He can't remember how long he had been on this hell hole, facing different creatures each time but similar in behaviour. Those creatures want him dead, they could speak, and chant every single thing that they see and have another head inside their mouth that looks like a distorted fat human. Just remembering their appearance make Theo shivers. No matter how long he kept fighting against them, he can't get used to their faces. He sighed to nothing. He pulled his sword and starts butchering the corpses of the goblins. After inspecting its body, he concluded that the arms are still fresh and could be eaten. Foods are scarce in this place, he is forced to eat what he had killed even if it means cannibalism. He can't do anything about it, every single thing, every small creatures even plants seems to be infected with a sickness. Some creatures are filled with yellowish gel that smells like pus and crawling with maggots. Fresh corpse are rare, even the freshly killed are already rotten inside. With no source of fire, he is destined to eat this thing raw. He starts biting it and chewing the skin as hard as he could, tearing the tissues and muscles until nothing is left but bones. Sometimes, he could eat some live worms in the process but it doesn't matter as long as he could eat. After that, he would just brush his hands to his mouth to clean the excess blood. Now that he filled his belly, his hunt for today is over. Still, he can't find the exit out of this place but he kept seeing new places. He hope that someday, he could finally see the sky. Tomorrow will be another exploration so he must create a new home and today is his lucky day as he found a small hole in the wall, sometimes, he need to find this hole himself. He identified that this hole is made by a Wormer which is a type of worm that is as big as a trunk of an elephant. The plan is to make this hole his new temporary home so he entered the hole, kill the giant worm inside and push it away from his base. Sadly, the worm he killed is already infected, when he plunged his sword to its skin, yellow pus immediately flood to his floor. He can't eat it. No matter, he just want a place to sleep. But before that, he is also trying to practice magic. The way he is getting toyed by creatures are just pitiful to look at. He is just lucky that he survived this long. Remembering the concepts of magic makes him remember his master, Niel and this in turn makes him want to puke. Still, training magic could increase his chance of survival. He closed his eyes and clear his thoughts. He practice his magic from the very fundamentals so that his body could adapt to the 'flow'. '*Breathe, focus on my body... feel the energy that is flowing to my veins... imagine this as light... then use the light to draw sigils... then ummm... ah... make it more vivid, think of it as real, then feel the symbols glowing and intensely burning up... then ' He tried to invoke a skill called [Fireball] which is the very first spell that he learned from his master. But no matter how hard he tried, he can't make the magic circles vivid that it could manifest into reality. It is because for every time he do this, Niel would enter his mind. Just then he felt a spark on his hands. He immediately cancel his invocation as it felt dangerous. ' A 'spark'? I could still remember how to use magic but... this body can't handle the 'flow'. At this rate, using any kind of magic will make my blood vessels burst '. He gave up for today, starts stuffing stones to the entrance of the hole to prevent intruder then sleep. Then next day, he begin to explore the place once again in search for the exit. He will eventually face strong opponents that he will never even try to fight. For instance, he encountered another infected. He noticed a strange flesh that coiled into stones and stalactites. At first he thought it is a snake creature but instead, it is a neck of a hideous woman, the skin on her face is already melted making her half looks like a skull. Theo cuts the neck expecting that this will kill her once and for all but instead, he just make her more mobile by freeing her from getting stuck. She didn't even bleed. He also encountered mythical creatures like Shroom Felty, a luminous flying wyvern that lives in a nest full of blue mushrooms that glow. It's a beauty to behold but unfortunately, it is also infected. Several days have passed, he lost track of the time. Whether it is night or day, the intensity of light doesn't change, after all, the only thing that giving him light are the glowing stones and thanks to being a goblin, he could see even at the dark. He repeats the same cycle day by day, hunting, nearly dying, eating corpses, and finding a place to sleep. Slowly, he is going insane, even he could notice this changes to himself. One time, he just found himself bashing his own head to the wall. Muttering to himself "Rock, rock..." This Novel Contains Mature Content Show This Chapter? Yes

A year before his death. To the city of Azaroth, a land where nature and society blends into a beautiful piece of art. The shine of the light from the sun that bends to the reflection of wet leaves. The temperature is tropical, even if the sun rise ablaze, a small amount of droplets can erupt from the sky. Maybe, it is cold, but not too cold that it is freezing. Maybe hot but not too hot that can cause a person to sweat. It's normal, clean and healthy, a temperature so relaxing that a person would just want to sleep. The peaceful land of Azaroth, the land where Theo lives. "Where did that little thing go?" Theo was chasing something, he look left and right but he found nothing. He look past the road and all he could see was a hollow space. He proceeds finding the thing he was looking for. One could see on his eyes his eagerness to catch it. "Um, hello?" He look below the canal where rats could often be seen, he found nothing. Not even a single piece of trash but only the rushing clear water. "Hi?" Even if it is illogical, Theo tried to look inside a toilet bowl, he found nothing. All things are tidied clean. "HELOOOOOO" Inside a trash can? No. He didn't find it. He tried to find it from anywhere he could, inside the church, hospital, schools, private garden, military base, on top of the castle, then finally the sewers. He did all of that in a matter of hours. "Gotcha, finally caught you little cat. Come here" Surprisingly, he found what he is looking for hidden inside a stray box. It was just a cat, an injured cat. It is fairly noticeable that it was harmed with the way that it move her left arm. After applying some first aid, he applied some bandage and support for the cat. "Don't strain yourself too much ok?" He said as he stroke the head of the cat. Theo was somewhat a healer without skills in healing. But it doesn't mean he was bad at magic, in fact he was trained under Niel, the best magician in the country, but because he could use magic doesn't mean he is physically weak, he was physically conditioned by Basylisk with their workout routine that he could win in a street brawl. But not because he is not bad with using fist, he is bad at sword, in fact he could be in tow with the Hero, Albert in his dreams. He is also not that bad when it comes to arrows and assassination, though he does not prefer those method. Theo is a jack of all trades and a master of none. He does not have talent to any of those but rather because of his teammate's influence that he could utilize those combat skills that he had. Hard work and willpower, that is his weapon, that is what he excels at and because of it he became a member of the well known Hero's Party. Moreover, his personality is pleasant. Even if he is on the introverted side, he cared for everyone, even a stray cat. At point where he feels extroverted around his friends, he still mind his own tongue. "Meow" The cat licked his finger. Suddenly, he felt that he just want to squeeze the cat to his cheeks. Crap, it's cute, I wanna take her home! He thought while happily staring as the cat made some adorable sounds. "Meo-" "Meow Meow" In an attempt to mimic the sounds of a cat, his blood runs dry when a girl's voice overwritten his attempt. Theo look at the girl and he found a familiar face. Agatha Redmill. One word to describe her is she looks 'angelic'. She always wear this kind face whenever Theo is around. She wore a frilly yellowish dress, with sleeves but shoulderless. She doesn't show much of her skin, still she looks stunning. She have a golden brown, straight hair and golden eyes. "Meow Meow" Theo twist his eyebrows in embarrassment. If he only knew that Agatha is watching him, he would act like a tough cool guy that didn't care for small creatures. But the fact that Agatha found him getting soft to a cute creature made him feel that he just wanted to go home and cry. Agatha is in fact, have a strange tendency to bully or tease Theo. And the frequency of this is quite... frequent. He is the source of her amusement and it doesn't seems like she was going to lose interest anytime soon. Theo decided to just hide his face and walk away leaving the cat as well as Agatha behind. "Meowwww?" Agatha still spoke in cat. Theo ignore her but all the way home, she kept meowing at him. And the frequency of this is quite frequent, during lunch or dinner, even if he is on the bathroom she would follow him just to say "meow". She would hide at the cabinet, sometimes under the bed and say "meow". Thanks to Theo's everlasting patience, it finally snapped. "Stop meowing! You little!" "MEOW!" In an attempt of Theo to catch Agatha, Agatha easily evades and caught him instead. She twisted his arm in a way how you will handle a criminal and made him drop down on his bed. It may sound romantic, but getting laid in the bed by Agatha means a different thing for Theo. "OUCHH!! Stop biting me!" After getting incapacitated, he was bitten by Agatha in the shoulders. With Agatha's normally sharp canine, it almost made him bleed, maybe she did made it bleed but there is no way to know as she could heal his wounds in an instant. "Agh!" Oh no! That sound of shock that didn't came from Agatha nor him means only one thing. Archie was there, his little sister, watching their act and in bed. "Theo, you pervert, shameless!" Archie screamed at him with disappointment as her undertone. "Archie! No, this is a misunderstanding, Agatha is just-" "Archie! Your masochistic brother is forcing me to bite him. I tried to stop his evil deeds, but... but I had no choice! I need to do it because... KNOWING YOUR BROTHER HE MIGHT ATTACK RANDOM GIRLS IN THE STREET IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT!!!" Archie's face turn pale as she looks at her brother. She is just a little girl but now that she knows the true nature of his brother. She can't be innocent! And it is a pain for her to have a degenerate big brother who technically must protect her from this kind of forbidden knowledge. "What are you saying!" Theo whispered strongly at Agatha. The way that Archie react on Agatha's persuasion was still a vague to him but he have a good insight that Agatha is a very bad influence to his little sister. Yet Archie would took it the other way "Brother, what are you whispering about? You're threatening her! SHAMELESS!" She would easily side with Agatha more than her brother and jumps to conclusion making Theo the bad guy. Agatha would just smirk at him because of their funny interaction. "No, it's just-" "Your brother said he wants to make me a baby" "Wahh... Cough cough " Archie nearly died out of this revelation. Her heart almost stops that she need to punch her chest. "I don't have a choice... Okay! I'm going to do it. I will become your baby! Smooch " As if adding grenades to a flame, Agatha proceeds making their life worse. She kissed Theo directly on the lips and took every moment of it that last for almost half a minute. "OH mY EyES, My EyEs!!! uWAAAHHHHHH" Archie screamed while forcing her eyes to shut. "I heard someone screaming! What happened?!" Basylisk just rushed in after he heard Archie's scream, he thought there might be an accident and he was needed. Fortunately, he was wrong, still the plead of Archie cannot be ignored. "UWAHHH! Basylisk! Agatha has been tainted by the devil! PLease PuRGe ThAT EvIL SPirIT" This Novel Contains Mature Content Show This Chapter? Yes

In a cave, there was a sudden rumbling that would make stalactites fall. A second rumbling occurs and it cause a sudden quake to the ground. Once the light of minerals shines the surface, Theo can be seen running away from two gigantic arachnids. But they can't pursue the goblin together as the tunnel they are held are too narrow for them all too fit. The goblin, instead of being butt naked... this time he have dirty rag as his clothes covered in brown cloak and a red fabric on his face covering half of his head. He is also carrying a leather bag and a sword hanging on his back. The gigantic spider on the front tried to pierce its sharp legs to the goblin but he managed to evade, leaving a deep hole to the ground. "goblin goblin goblin GOBLIN GOBLIN" They kept muttering louder and louder as they get nearer and nearer. But Theo remain calm and collective trying to predict the unpredictable movement of the arachnids. Once he get to a certain spot he have been waiting for, faces of other goblins emerge from the side of the tunnel. Looking closer, they are just heads planted to a stick. The spider became confused for a second, but enough for Theo to execute his next move, throwing a red stone to the ceiling. Just then, that stone causes a small explosion making the huge chunk of sharp stalactites fall to the abdomen of the spiders piercing and pinning them to the ground. Theo pulled a sword from the sheathe on his back. He dashed towards the spider as fast as he could and in defense, the spider tried to pierce him again with his leg only to miss another time. Now that the spider is incapacitated, Theo jumped towards the spider's cephalothorax and immediately plunged his sword to its exoskeleton piercing its brain. "Heh, quit squirming around fucker" The spider still squiggling even if Theo destroyed his brain. The second spider on its back attacks the same way the first spider did, but the attack only pierce the head of the first spider now totally destroying and killing it. "Tsk!" Theo jumped immediately to avoid it and he threw an item from his bag towards the monster, the spider slice the thing diagonally releasing a green gaseous substance. The gas is actually a concentrated sleeping gas much stronger than nitrous oxide that he supposed to use to induce drowsiness but because spiders have no nose, it doesn't seem to have any effect. Instead, it temporarily block its line of sight, losing track of the goblin. The spider sharpen its senses, trying to detect any motion where the goblin might appear, only for the monster he is looking for to appear on his back. Theo dash immediately with his sword trying to pierce its head, and when he reached it, he immediately plunged his sword until a yellowish fluid emerge from its wound along with all the maggots. "That's it? Can't you even give me more thrills? Too easy!!" Theo bragged as the spider slowly die. After many days or months he was fighting this kind of monsters, he is now getting adapted that he could use his own environment against this monsters. After facing and defeating many kinds of monsters, he will turn their bones as a weapon, use their blood as baits then use their smell as a camouflage. He will also turn their skin into clothes then experiment on their fluid to mimic the effect of potions. He is getting used to this kind of life. The smug on his face is indispensable, and the amount of haughtiness is impeccable. Only when he heard some rumbling and screams he immediately snap back and panic. "Oh shit!" He recognize the voice where there is mumbling, the smug on his face disappeared replaced by the paleness of his skin. He immediately hide behind some stones where there is a pit of darkness, deliberately avoiding whatever will appear on the tunnel. "He he, corpse, corpse, corpse, corpse, corpse..." Along with laughs are continuous chant of words. Theo took a peek and he saw a head of a giant old man with a voice of a baby, its skin is distorted badly but it keep on smiling. The head is too big that it already occupy almost every space in the tunnel, just a little closer and Theo will be discovered. It's a centipede with a head of a human, and its supposed to be legs are replaced by human arms that keep on wiggling. Theo felt a shiver on his spine when he saw how their hands open and close with gentleness. Its mouth kept on salivating yellowish gel like fluids. 'Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit!' Theo kept chanting inside his head. His legs are uncontrollably shaking. He almost piss his pants, if he is wearing any pants at all. He is terrified beyond comprehension and one could see it on his eyes. After a while, the centipede return to where it came from, it is so incredibly big that it cant turn around but instead, it walks away in reverse slowly being devoured by the shades of darkness. "Is he gone?" Theo asked to himself. He noticed that the corpse of the spiders are turned his way that it seems like it is looking at him. "The fuck you looking at! I am not scared!" He raised two middle fingers to the corpse. Now that all hindrance have disappeared, it time to do what he came to do. He proceeds locating their spinnerets, a gland responsible for producing spider silk. Theo carefully pull a strand of white web from the gland. He became amazed as no matter how much he pull the spider silk, it just keep on getting longer and longer. And the amount of it is superb that he don't need to hunt down another spider to collect their web again. "Yosh! Webbings acquired!! Tut tu tu tut tut tuuuuu" After collecting the web, he tried to break it by pulling it from both side only to fail and cut his own hands from the friction. "This web is so strong. I can't even break it like... what the" The thickness of the silk is around 0.35 mm as sharp as a blade but it is stronger than a regular steel. "With this, I could create more weapons and clothes, my wife will be happy." He said excitedly. He then returned back to his base, meeting the thing he called wife. "I'm home Iris. How's your day? cough " There is a huge space inside a wall and using glowing stones he made it as his official home. Looking to his right, he saw a handful piece of organs from a creature contained in jars. A bluish eyeball met Theo's eye as he call it a name, Iris... the name of his wife. The organ didn't respond obviously because it is not conscious, it is already dead. The only thing that keeping it from rotting is the chemical fluid inside the jar. The skin of the monster is also displayed on the wall, being stretched along with the lips attached into it. "Haha! So you spend your day staring at the wall. Isn't that disturbing?" He is simply talking to himself, the thing he called wife is simply a delusion. Any sane man who may see him at this state will definitely call him crazy beyond hope. Theo then put his collected material to the ground and start crafting something with the spider silk he collected. "Huh? Me? I still can't find my way out. Is there even a way out in the first place?" Theo responded to the silence as if talking to a real person. Trying to communicate to something, isolation might have damaged his brain overtime. "Or am I just being too optimistic..." Now, with the silence comes the wave of depression. He kept thinking that what if, there is no way out? What if there is no path for him but to die in this place? Or become a living person slowly getting eaten by maggots inside his own flesh? Theo felt a strong feeling to scratch his throat from the inside, he cough hard then harder until he noticed the splattered blood to his hands. Theo choose to ignore this bad signs like he usually do, neglecting his health, making things worse. "Hmm? You want me to stay here forever... You're too sweet" Theo continue to talk to the dead organs while being crafty with his hands. "Forever, here, in the darkness, with those creatures... in the abyss... family... without lies" For a moment, Theo felt his mind went blank. His mind is getting drawn to the unknown which gets stronger and stronger by days. "He he" Then his body comes into a halt. "NO! Stop thinking!" Theo slapped his own cheeks as if to maintain his conscious state. Just a little bit more and it might have driven Theo into madness. The only thing that is making him sane now is his interaction with Iris, but he already proven that Iris will not help him much longer as from time to time, the darkness in his mind will come to eat him alive. "Oh... Where is my scissor?" Searching something from the pile of items, Theo crawl to reach his scissors and when he stood up, his face become closer to the organs he collected and the graphic scene make him react in shock. "WAh!!" The fact that those things are his own creation made him feel bad for Iris. 'Why am I like this!' He asked to himself in guilt. Now that Theo remembered, he was meaning to ask something to his wife. "That's right... Hey, Iris. Do you think there are huge monsters in the third tunnel?" Theo's voice was filled with uncertainty and fear when he finally asked her the question. The blue eye stare at him silently. "Do you think it's a good idea to go?" His voice hints his fear of encountering another infected monster that he don't have a chance to fighting back. Thinking about all his past experiences, all his hardships means nothing. Even if he face those monster head on that he feared, he still stuck in this loophole where there is no end of suffering. The eye continue to look at him. Theo really thinks that Iris is a very understanding wife. "I am scared... you won't hate me because I am such a weakling right?" The goblin started to tear up. His snort and everything made a mess on his green, fiendish face. In all honesty, it makes him more pathetic than ugly. His anxiety for his future continue to grow. The next day, he starts to pack his equipment and weapons to get ready on exploring the third tunnel. His fear sinks deep to his soul but he braced himself and walk forward, there is no turning back now. And the next thing he discovered, is a true spectacle. "This is... real water" What he saw was water, a clear drinkable water that is continuously being emitted by thick roots from an unknown tree that extends outside the cave. "ITS! FUCKING! WATER!!!" The emission creates a pond of water that seems to clean where Theo's reflection can be seen clearly. He got offended when he saw his own face and retreated from looking. Theo touched the water and he felt a cold strange feeling he haven't felt for so long. He wanted to drink the water so badly. Suddenly, Theo felt something wrong with his stomach that he immediately get off from the pond to vomit. "Gwehhh" When he look at the content of his puke, he only saw yellowish fluids filled with maggots. He don't know how to react, should he express joy? Or should he express grief? His luck immediately turn into despair. He choose to smile and think only about the good things that may come forward. "Days of drinking blood and piss are over!" As an alternative to water, he keeps on drinking monster's blood and his own piss to hydrate himself. This causes several complication to his health but he managed to live. Now his body is slowly deteriorating. 'Too much happiness means more suffering later. I should enjoy this while I can' He said to himself while forcing a smile on his face. He pulled two cylindrical wooden container from his pouch and starts filling it with drinkable water. Usually, it is a container for his urine if he suddenly get called on by nature while not being too thirsty. After that, he drank some water for himself. The freshness of the cool water cleanse his body into deep relaxation. It is so delicious that it is addicting. He wanted to take a bath with it but he thought that he must not defile this holy sanctuary. But it seems that the pond is a dead end which he cannot explore further. So he choose return for the day before some infected monster sense his presence and destroy this place he now thought is a treasure. When he is about to return home. He sense a something away from his front. Somebody is looking at him... with killing intent, but it seems that the unidentified entity possess some knowledge from the way it hides it presence. Theo felt weird because being cautious is not something an infected monster will do. He concluded that this time, it is a different being. And it also seems professional as Theo can't hear his or her footsteps although he could feel him/her getting closer by instincts. Theo carefully creeps backward while trying to identify the creature he is dealing with. Still the entity is on the dark, Theo might have night vision but his field of sight is very short and blurry at dark. When Theo tried to slowly move backward, the unknown entity become alerted and a projectile of ice crystal been shot, grazing Theo's cheeks. If he didn't evade that one, it would have pierced his head instantly killing him. Luckily, Theo have good reflexes so when he sees something glow from the dark, he already knew what's up. And now, because of that certain kind of attack, Theo have an idea of what kind of being is trying to kill him. From the shadow, a girl appears while aiming her staff with some parts of her arms covered in shells of ice. Theo is now certain that he is dealing with a human adventurer, a person specialized in killing monsters. This Novel Contains Mature Content Show This Chapter? Yes

The sun starts to rise up. Niel's alarm clock rang violently disturbing her sleep. With closed eyes and curved brows, her hand reaches for the clock in a task to stop its irritating noise. 'Just five more minutes...' She said in her mind. And when her eyes open up, Niel suddenly jerked up from her slumber realizing that she slept again for two more hours. This time, she knew that she just fucked up. She immediately gets up and put proper clothes to replace her thin and white nightgown showing a lot of her smooth skin. Yet, she is feeling unwell today, she could feel something strange sinking in her lower abdominal area. She check what's inside her white coloured panties and then confidently exclaimed in relaxation. "Still nothing today..." She haven't experience her first period yet despite being already twenty-four. No matter how much she likes to go out naked, she can't as she is not alone in her very own house. She look at the clock again while putting her thighs realizing that it is still early and she have enough time. Currently, all members of the Hero's Party is temporarily making her home as a base so she is kind of worried about something. And her worries became a reality. "Popuka~ Popuka~ Let's Go Popuka~" Niel could hear Archie's voice from the couch. From all the members of the hero's party, Archie is the only one who conquered the enemy of being lazy in the early morning. Realizing this fact, Niel felt some weakness in her legs, but she must conquer the fear as she already lost from the fact that Archie beat her to the punch. She can't lose anymore, she must not. "Oh, Niel, good morning~" Archie greet Niel as she saw her walking into the entrance. Her voice is jelly as if singing, along with the music from the TV from where she is watching. She stood up from the couch and begin to dance from the beat. "Archie, what are you watching?" Niel asked politely forcing a smile on her face. "Popuka, the magical femboy" Without a second of delay, Archie answered her question while dancing to the opening song. Niel look above the ceiling, lost in thought and a second later, realized what 'femboy' means. "IS THAT... even for children?!" Niel almost screamed from the shock. Femboy are guys pretending to be girls, she don't know whether if they are good or bad influence in the children's eyes but still she thinks it is no good. "Of course, because Agatha said so. Agatha is always right, my brother is always wrong" 'Agatha you're a bad influence to this kid' No wonder Theo always feel uneasy and complains a lot whenever he sees Archie and Agatha together. Niel don't know Agatha's true intention, but she thinks that Agatha is trying to break the relationship of the two siblings. Thinking deeply, Niel suddenly caught a bright idea. "Archie, have you already eaten breakfast?" "I let my brother do it for me and feed me." Niel's jaw suddenly drops by how Archie treats her brother as if he's a slave. The relationship of this siblings are like a thread slowly snapping. Maybe, she doesn't realize yet how much his brother is thinking and worrying about her. It's a certainly a tragedy of unrequited love. 'I feel bad for Theo...' Niel thought as she got fed up by Archie's childish response. "You know, you should grow up and get your own food by yourself. You shouldn't rely on your brother too much" Niel said firmly while pointing her finger to Archie's face. "Grow up?" Archie responded as she looks at Niel, trying to convince herself that maybe... Niel is actually tall. Looking at her with malleable conviction and with empirical mindset, she realized that no, she's not tall at all. "You're right... sorry" Either way, Archie don't want to be rude towards Niel so she just thoughtfully agrees to whatever Niel just said. This makes Niel feel at ease as she smile slightly at Archie's troubled face. Not knowing that inside her mind are thoughts that discriminate her physical height. Moreover, Archie reflect on her own actions and realized that she is really relying on her brother too much on small task that she could even do. She reflect to her actions and realized that... "My brother is too useless." "Eh?" "I'll be right back, I entrust you the remote, enjoy watching Popuka okay?" Archie runs out towards the kitchen leaving Niel behind. Niel's face suddenly sweat bullets before realizing that she may have just worsen the dispute of the siblings. She still thinks that Theo is an irredeemable idiot but she still respect him despite all. 'Mission accomplish' After apologizing to Theo inside her head. She finally manage to reach her beloved remote. Meanwhile, Archie, after preparing her bread stuffed with cheese and sizzling fried egg that she cooked on her own. She put it on a glass plate and then return back to the living room only to hear something strange. "You are watching- Daily News TV" Her heart race fast, sweats intensely imbued her face. Her eyes are moving restlessly. With shaking legs, she reached her hand on the door and open it... only to met her painful faith. "You're kidding..." She dropped her plate, shattering the glass and wasting the food she created. What she saw that time is something unacceptable. This will eventually traumatize her for years and lose her faith to humanity. "Niel... you. Why did you change the channel? I trusted you!" She saw Niel on the couch with coffee on hand... watching news. "Sorry kid, that's life. If you trust others too much, you will just get hurt in the end. You must learn that no matter how close you are to a person, you still don't know them nor what runs inside their head as you only know yourself. That's our limitation as a mortal being." Niel look at Archie in the eye and quietly said with a sad look on her face. "We are all alone in this game called life." 'This old hag has so much to say. What are you? A living commercial?' Archie frustratedly made this abasing thought inside her head. "And besides, news are more interesting than cartoons" "It's not cartoon, it's anime!!" "It's the same" "It's not the same!!" The two argues back and forth like cats and dogs. Archie is aware that this is a fight she can't win, because she knew for a fact that arguing with adults is a fleeting journey where the only ending is a route to disaster. But in the least, she want to to inflict an emotional pain to Niel's chest, even just a little so she devised a structured insult to kill Niel on the inside. "Agatha said, only men are cheaters. I never knew..." Archie, with tears on her eye stated, she curled her fist in anger and look a Niel with a gaze that tells the story of her hatred. "I never knew Niel is a guy!! That's why she don't have boobs!" Something shattered on Niel's soul. The attack is very effective that she lose all her mental defense and panic. "Huh? HAAA? H-have some respect to adults! You..." Niel yelled instinctively, her mind revert back into that of a seven year old. Losing all her vocabularies and self-esteem, she stuttered and cannot find anything to argue back but her authority as an older person. "No! You adults are the same, full of greedy and corrupt people, shameless adults! Go and become a politician!" Archie run away leaving the mess she created behind as well as the broken person she was just talking to. Now Niel is sinking to the stage of depression, she is now questioning her existence, and there is a time where she thought, maybe... she is really a guy. "Well then let's welcome our special guest for today's very special episode... two magic researchers from the International Magic Council and Standardization or IMCS, whoa! Two big brain peeps are our guest today and they are Dr. Winkerton and Dra. Maribel, let's give them a round of applause" It's the time Niel had been waiting for. To watch a talk show which is a sub-program of Daily News TV where they discuss several topics like better health, job opportunities, social and economic problems, disaster prevention and many more. She was actually waiting for the topic of 'How to grow taller?' but they haven't done that topic. This time, the topic is about magic and the guess for that day is someone Niel knew from the past. "Whoa, those two are really on TV!" She saw her former colleagues on the screen, one overly active guy dancing his way from the entrance of the stage, he wore a lab coat and thick glasses, have small amount of beard on the bottom of his jaw and give off an aura of a nerd while being a party boomer. Another guest enters and this time, it is a girl, her face is stiff and serious, expressionless on the outside, already dying out of nervousness in the inside. She wore the same outfit as the guy and have hair hair tied in a simple braid. Niel jump out from the couch out of excitement. Lucky for her, other are still deep asleep, if they saw her like this acting like a small kid, her image as a respectful master will be destroyed. 'If Theo saw me like this...' She realized this and suddenly, she force her mouth shut with her own two hands. 'I am so proud, I feel like I am now acquainted with some celebrity. I am their lead researcher on the past so technically, they are like my children' She continue to feed her ego with so much praise inside her head all while forcing her physical appearance with a poker face. "So guys, why are you here today?" The host of the show asked them as they together, sat on their respective chair. "I don't know, maybe because we are afraid of saying no to our boss and losing our job, haha" The guy on lab coat said jokingly, but actually, that is the truth. They are forced to participate in the show despite of how much they want to just run away. "Jhon, you are on TV" Said by his partner named Bea. "Oh..." The laugh on Jhon's face turned into confusion. He remain silent for a second and asked shyly. "Am I going to lose my job?" To brush away the awkwardness in the very beginning of the show, the host asked again another question in a cheerful manner. "Kidding asides, I am speaking to two geniuses who continue to develop and improve the state of magical technology worldwide. Wow! How does it feel to be smarter than average?" Before Bea could open her mouth, the moment was overtaken by Jhon once again. "We are not smart, we are just depressed..." The moment is genuine, he is not in anyway joking. His eyes are pointed downwards toward the floor as if reminiscing on his past regrets. Even the host feel bad that he cannot control the conversation at his own accord. "We don't have anything to do, no family, no love ones, no... no wife, so we have a lot of time to do those researching shit. We have no life" "Jhon, shut up" Bea continue to stop Jhon from giving off strong bad vibes and negativity. She knew that it is bad for the show and for the people watching it. Niel on the other hand, find it relatable that her attention is at full power. She suddenly remembered her past and realized that, she haven't experience some romantic shit yet, all she have done is to study, then study more. "So you don't enjoy it? I believe you have a lot of income by doing this researches" "Pfft BWAHAHAHAHA. LOT OF INCOME?!! BWAHAHAHAHA. WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?" The host became astounded from Jhon's sudden outburst of laughter. A continuous noise of laughs echoes at the viewers ear. "We researchers are overworked and underpaid! Fuck the organization! Sex workers gain more than us annually like what the hell?!" Certainly, the host didn't knew about this fact so he became vulnerable victim of Jhon's extensive abasement of the organization. "Being a researcher means being a slave to the organization. Joining us is just another form of unconsciously victimizing yourself in human exploitation" He added. He is trying to destroy the reputation of his own workplace without himself even realizing it. But Niel, on the other hand supports him from the deepness pit of her hearth. She also worked for the IMCS in the past and she became astounded of how poor the managers treated their employees so she quit midway. 'Yeah!! Fuck the organization! That's why I quit a long time ago! Say it to their faces and shame to the bosses!! GO GO!' Niel screamed inside her head, she instinctively stood up again out of emotions. That's how piss she is to the organization that they didn't change after eleven years, even just the slightest. There are multiple attempts to pick her back up to the organization but she always refused, there are also attempts for kidnapping though they always fail. No way she's going back to a company that treats their worker as tools. Just when Niel is cheering them up, Bea stood up from her seat and slaps Jhon forcefully making a loud sound of "PLACK!". The audience is in shock as well as Niel. She can't believe that Bea could do such a thing, moreover, live on TV. The host's face is like trying to beg for help, looking left and right, trying to find a way to escape if things suddenly escalate. "Our work is dignified, remember what Miss Niel taught us when she is still our lead researcher. She may not said it personally but we know that she do everything for the sake of knowledge, because of her naked passion. Not for fame, not for money but to develop and improve the life of people! To improve the state of living!" Niel turns pale when her name was mentioned. She can't recall that she did such a thing in the past that turn Bea from a sweet kid into a slapping demon. In fact, she slapped so hard that his red swollen face is clear and visible even on the TV. "Even for a little time that we are together, she showed us that, another way to save people is to deliver knowledge. We may not be warriors, nor adventurers but we are researchers, and our duty is to spread awareness and make people's life easier. In that way, we are also heroes. We must be proud of our work as it is incomparable to others... even if we are paid less than a regular sex worker..." 'Then you are also aware of it!' Niel silently sits backs up from her couch. She didn't knew she became an inspiration after she left the organization. An inspiration that had been taken advantage of the organization to force their workers to work even if they are underpaid saying that they must work solely for their passion. 'So it is my fault all along...' The guilt sinks deep on Niel. Bea returned back from sitting. She breathe in, then out, then became aware of what she have done. Now her legs are rattling while asking herself why did she do such a thing specially on tv? Jhon is applying pressure to his swollen cheeks while his tear slowly accumulates in the side of his eyes. To brush the awkwardness away, the host asked a different question that doesn't involve their personal life or work. "Yeah... ok. So, we are using magic for so long. I am using magic for so long and I learned the fundamentals from school. But even though I could use it, universities doesn't explain where magic came from. So can you please explain it to us? Is it some sort of power bestowed by the gods?" 'That's a tough question, you can do it Maribelly' Niel cheer her. Even for her, it is a tough question to be explained and in all case, she doesn't care at all as for her, it is like asking where the origin of life came from. "Magic is simply an illusion blossomed from strong beliefs" Bea said with confidence in her eyes. "Illusion? Now I am confused. Military are using magic too right? The Hero uses magic to fight the army of the dark lord so why the hell would it be an illusion" "We think of it as real therefore it became true. But not because it is true means that it is real, no, that's not how it works. Sir, do you think you are real?" The exchanges of the two person excites Niel, she took out a piece of notebook and a pen from her [Dimensional Storage] and began writing whatever will sprout from their mouth. It is all in order to be ready when Theo finally ask him this kind of question because in all honesty, she do not know how she will respond. Her priority is to look cool in the eyes of her student. "I... I sometimes think I am not real" The host, confused, asking for his validity when it comes to his own existence. "Are you an idiot? Of course you are real. I can touch you like this right?" Bea poke his right cheek to prove her response. "Oh... ok" "But say, are you true?" Asking this follow up question, this time, Bea's eyes are sharp as she intently look towards the host's eyes. "M-maybe?" "No, you are not" "But... Why?" "Because I said so" "That's illogical!" "Indeed, that's why it is called magic" "Huh? What? Huh?" Bea's responses surely shock the audience. Not because it is a smart response, but because it was confusing as hell. They don't know what exactly is she trying to say. Moreover, the host is sweating bullets, asking himself over and over if he is real or not inside the trail of his own thoughts. Thinking things more clearly, the host take a deep breath before he declares that... "I... William Manhunt is a real and true person. And I believe that is the truth" "Indeed, that is the definition of magic." "For fu-" Before the host could even swear, he was interrupted by Bea's articulate follow-ups. "It is because we believe you are a person that's why you exist. But perhaps, if all people including me do not believe you are real, then that is the truth, William Manhunt is just a piece of walking meat unless proven otherwise. That perhaps is the best analogy I could give." Did it make sense? For the host, he is starting to question the validity of his reality. He continued to be dragged by Bea's eloquent manner of speaking that he is lost of words, he is being dragged by Bea's string of unnatural reponses. Niel actively take down notes nonstop even if her drool falls to the paper she is writing with. "No way. So it is all because of our beliefs? But how about the absolute truth? How about the absolute reality? Do they exist?" "Reality is the greatest magic, it is also the greatest illusion there is. In terms of absolute truth, who knows... the only absolute truth I know is that reality is full of lies" The host's eyes sparkles in wonder. In the end he didn't get it at all. "That's deep... So... If I believe my mother is not real, then my mother is not real?" "Who the fuck are you? God?" Jhon suddenly makes a harsh comment that is deliberately ignored by the host and Bea. "No, you need to override every other people's belief that think that your mother is real." "I see..." While deep in thought, Jhon suddenly makes another harsh comment that breaks the serious accumulating atmosphere. "Well that's unfortunate" "Yeah... No! Of course not!" Rather than getting pissed, the host clear his throat and began again to ask more questions. "Let's move on to the next question. There is something I am curious about your statement Dra. Maribel. You said, if people do not believe in me, therefore I am just a piece of walking meat. Technically, I am still alive meaning their beliefs are still useless and there is no magic in it except that they are filling their head with lies" Bea close her eyes before she answers. She took a deep breath and said that... "Human existence is a multi-layered concept. It is not just one but many concepts on top of another. Your existence is indicated by some small concepts like your consciousness, movement, knowledge, history, influence, social, life, death, happiness and many more. This concepts are children of bigger concepts like physical mental and spiritual existence. This three existence indicate your existence as a whole concept. Lose one of this concepts and you are considered dead, it may not be literal but we could say that you simply die in the inside." Now, they are delving deeper to the nature of concepts which are deeply related to the heart of magic. "Concepts... I am lost" "Reality is made of concepts. We have a concept of heat, a concept of cold, a concept of light, darkness, lies and death. There are so many concepts to mention but magic is also a concept. A concept that modifies concepts." Niel is amazed on how much Bea knows. Now, she felt a big blow on her ego asking if she really deserves the title of the 'Witch of Wisdom' when her former subordinate beat her in terms of knowledge and information. "I see, concepts... like fertility, truth, reality, right?" "Indeed, people on the past named this concepts as Gods. There is a god of fertility named Prosperio, god of truth named Luminous, and god of reality named Verity which are still revered up to this date" "How about magic types? I think they are similar to those concepts, right?" "Magic types are simply, a very condensed and not so precise simplification of concepts. We have Geo (earth), Aero (air), Hydro (water), Pyro (fire) Magic as the first degree spells and second degree spells like Cryo (ice), Vapo (steam/hot air), Magma (hot rocks), Helio (plasma), Limno (mud) and Areno (sand) Magic." Suddenly, the host's eyes been brought to the sight of Jhon, peacefully sleeping on his chair and snoring. "It seems like your partner is asleep" "It appears to be. Should I wake him up?" "No need" In fact, the host thinks it is better this way. They could converse peacefully without unnecessary disruption. "I heard that, only few people could use second degree spells." "Yes, because they are combination of two to three first degree spells. Using this kind of spells are unadvised as it may take the user's life" This is already a common knowledge between adventurers, so if they are not used to it, they should avoid using second degree spells as possible. Instead, there are multiple ways to replicate similar spells using new technologies. Second degree spells are combination of first degree spells like if they combine Aero with Pyro, the equivalent spell type is Helio regardless if the resulting spell have the same effect of fire and air. For instance, Areno Magic is not just about sand but could also be about rusting or oxidation. Pyro + Hydro = Vapo Pyro + Geo = Magma Pyro + Aero = Helio Hydro + Geo = Limno Hydro + Aero = Cryo Geo + Aero = Areno "Is it really that dangerous?" The host asked even knowing that it is obviously dangerous. He didn't know that ignorance is a bliss, he regret asking afterwards. "Yes, for instance, your head may suddenly explode from the overload" Due to the overproduction of mana circulating in the neural circuits inside their head, there is a risk that their head may suddenly explode while invoking the magic spell. In fact, there is already a several death case that is related to it. But that's not the real horror in using second degree spells. "What?!" The host pretended to be shocked for entertainment purpose. Never did he knew that Bea's follow up will make his cause his insomnia. "There are also cases where they concentrate their mana on the wrong spot and their dick suddenly explode" Hearing this, the host's face turned pale. He had been using second degree spells and Bea's response resonate with his felt side effect where his dick will suddenly swollen like a tomato ready to pop. The host clasp his hands then close his eyes. "Oh Lord, such horrors" All while his heartbeat tump loudly, but not because of love. "Pop! It sounds like" "Please stop..." Bea's imitation of what it sounds like make him more anxious that he is praying for his life. "I doubt anyone will try using it except if they are prepared to lose their life like adventurers" The host said, trying to forget the information he had just acquired. Bea closed again her eyes and put a hand on her chest. "Yes indeed, that's where magical researcher comes in and presents magical technology in order to use second degree spells without inflicting harm to users. For example is the transmission system of our televisions that simulates how radio wave works that uses the power of Aero and Geo, technically a Limno Magic type" Magic Researchers have several responsibility other than inventing technology. They are also responsible for developing spells and how to counteract them, then providing textbooks to be used at schools and also, hiding critical and sensitive information about recent spells that may cause chaos. From all the responsibility, developing spells before anyone else is their top priority. They need to be haste in this process so that they could develop a way to counter act them if one country suddenly discover it and use it as a weapon to wage war. "Magical technology is amazing!" Said by the host. "Yes, magical technology are also used in weapons like sword and armours so that users could use second degree spells even if their internal neural and blood circuit is whacked, though it still need to be powered by mana so not everyone could use it. Now ask me more about how magical tech works" Bea responded eagerly, she's being carried away out of excitement. "Huh? Ok, What is it?" "They work using Magic circuits. Minerals that could conduct mana and simulate the flow of mana inside the human body. Magical technology maybe specific to one spell only because different spells require different pattern in mana flow. But it is guaranteed that any kind of spells can be replicated using our magic circuits" The host suddenly felt dubious on what Bea had just said. He know his eyebrows and lean forward while being confused. "I heard that... there are still some spells that can't be copied by your organization despite the effort. Is that true?" Bea then cross her arms before answering. "Third degree spells..." "What? There's more?" The host's reaction is pretty natural, it is because the topic of third degree spells are only for the chosen few like the royalties and other powerful individual. It is not because it is deliberately hidden by the authority, but rather it is so rare that it is not a common topic for a day to day conversation. "Bio Magic, Dark Magic and Divine Magic. These spells will use all first degree spells in extensive power at specific concentration which is impossible to be recreated, at least with our current knowledge" The host instinctively gulp from nervousness. "Like what horrors could this Magic do to the user... I don't need to hear it just so you know" Curiosity kills the cat, as far as the saying goes. Bea took a deep breath before answering. "It may summon an entire legion of devils like what 'King Solomon' did on the past or create an overwhelming epidemic. Either case, the worse case would be wiping humanity clean off the picture and delivering us all to hell" "Oh... That's cute" The host release a breathe of relief, as if Bea's statement doesn't compare to the horrors that the host just imagined. Either case, Bea took another deep breath and said that. "Only a handful of individual could use them. Like for example, Saint Agatha who is perhaps the best in Bio Magic, Miss Niel who is the generally the best at Dark Magic and finally, the Cannibal Hero, Albert who had been possess the power of Divine Magic" When Niel heard her name again from her subordinate, her self-esteem returned back to her realizing that Bea still looks up to her. She smirk while listening to Bea over the TV. 'As long as she didn't know how idiotic I actually am...' Suddenly, Jhon suddenly rose like a zombie from a long slumber and interjected to the conversation of the two professionals. "Those people are the big three when it comes to magic all right. But hear this, Dra. Maribel discovered a new type of magic which will be published soon for public awareness" "Whoa!! Really?" The host exclaimed excitedly. "No... thats..." Bea look at Jhon with eyes of someone wanting to murder something, blended with the anxiety and confusion, she is lost for words. Instead of stopping, Jhon continue to praise her work even under that threatening look. "Yes, In fact, it may be an all time cure for many occurring problems of your country" "Like...?" The host asked in curiosity. Still, curiosity kills the cat. "Dra. Maribel, explain it to us" Jhon commanded assertively to Bea with a slight smirk engraved to his face. Because of the jumbled thoughts, she just nods realizing that she is on TV and she don't want to get embarrassed. "Okay" She responded, clearing her throat she asked. "How do we solve the economic decline of one country? Solve society's ever-growing poverty rate and fix climate change?" She challenged the host with her stares. The host think for several seconds with his finger on his chin then answered. "umm... By exterminating corrupt and greedy royalties, increasing the wage of workers, better marketing and promotion of our local tourist attraction to attract foreigners, minimizing brain drain, development and expansion of agricultural areas, building more educational establishment and investing more on research and development?" It was indeed a good answer. But Bea smirk at him, then place both of her hands to his thighs signifying confidence and certainty. She closed her eyes slowly, then open it as she looks up to the hosts eyes. Clearly and confidently, she said. "It's better family planning and stronger contraception." "Pweh!!" Niel suddenly cough while drinking her coffee. She was caught off guard with Bea's answer. "You see, our society is not scalable and cannot contain a lot of people, at least not yet. This instigate us to discover a new form of magic that may reduce human population and helps couple control the number of their children, while increasing the enjoyment of their sex life. We call it, Sex Magic" "Huh...? I don't know what to say" The host was terrified and confused. He was defeated by Bea's eager response that he thought was just a joke. No, it was not a joke but in all honesty, it is the truth. The audience started to murmur from their seat. Appending t the chaos is Jhon supporting his co-worker's invention, trying to promote it to the audience in a manner that sounds more than excited. "Small D? Use sex magic and extend you D up to 7 meters. 😎" The same is true for Bea, she's excited about her new invented set of spells which she believe will increase the satisfaction of living. She and Jhon started marketing the magic in alternation. "Don't want to have children? A better contraception would be sex magic that will prevent you from starting fertilization without affecting hormones and sex drive. 😇" "Can't orgasm? Do sex magic and experience orgasms up 100 times per second! 🥰" "STDs? Erectile dysfunction? Sure, no problem! 😤" The host stare at them with a stoned white face. "..." Within the realm of awkwardness, he do what he is good at and that is manipulating the flow of conversation in his own will, controlling the exchange of information to his own advantage. Actually, just forgetting what they had just said and starting a new topic altogether. "Yeah... Moving on. How exactly do people use magic? There are people who cannot use them and some people are kinda gifted when it comes down to it. It requires mana in order to be invoked. Sometimes, in the middle of a fight, you may suddenly lose all your mana if you overuse some spells so adventurers uses this thing called mana potions... and also it requires a lot of focus so short attention span is an enemy of a mage. I really can't comprehend how it works internally. Care to explain it to us?" Bea felt disheartened when the host switches the topic. But no matter, she could do it again after the show. "Mana is a hormone that is produced by the brain that flows in our neurons and blood vessels. They are like neurotransmitter that affects our mood and also our biological bodies. Magical invocation is made when mana flows to our neurons like a complex circuitry and like I said before, different spells have different patterns. Using visualization and extreme focus, we could control mana inside our body, screaming the spell name may also help." But learning how to use magic is a very complex and tedious job. A person need to study for five years under a master, meditating and trying to strengthen their visualization skills before actually using mana flow. Some people find it hard than the other and talent is required. Magic cannot be utilized by everyone even if they have a lot of mana, if their brain is whacked, not adaptive, not attentive, poor imagination and cannot control their thoughts, it may take them up to 15 years before invoking their first spell. "I thought saying spell names are just done because it looks cool. " "Not at all, they must just have a problem focusing on the spell. Some people are very gifted when it comes to magic because of their unique neurological pattern and 'Mana Density' or the amount of mana they produce which is entirely innate or hereditary. For example, Miss Niel have a mana density of Level Five and a complex circuitry that could adapt into any magic types which makes her the strongest mage in existence." "I see, Niel Sylvia is really a unique individual" The host praised Niel and Niel's nose became longer making her look like a legit witch from horror books. 'I am being praised!!' Niel took another sip in the coffee mug making it finally empty. "Yes, of course. But also there is a trade back of having a lot of mana density. Like I said, it is a hormone, the same for cortisol and serotonin and because of that, it may affect their mood. They may lose control of their emotions and become too excited or have a lot of mood swings. Moreover, it may affect their physical appearance like having a lot of acne, white hair and also stunted growth. For example, Miss Niel is very short and have a small breast. I believe it is because of her mana." Niel's hand instinctively curled forming a first and destroying the mug she was holding. Her hands bleed from the laceration made by the sharp glass. "That's explain a lot, you may have just solved one of the greatest wonders and mystery of our world" Niel was like pierced with an arrow when the host agree to Bea's statement. She didn't think that people view her that way. It makes her girlish ego more fragile from the fact that they don't think of her as a mature woman. 'I am going to kill her...' She said inside her head. "Alternatively, if you have less mana density, you could rely on mana potions. It is not a potion containing mana but a chemical that tell your brain to produce more mana. But be careful as mana potions are addicting and makes people high. A significant increase in crime rate had been reported to us after one city uses mana potions as an energy drink. Also, over dosage could induce brain damage because it is just a potion that forces your brain to make more than what it could. Using mana potions are only advised if you are within the military or you are adventuring" Niel turn off the TV from irritation. This Novel Contains Mature Content Show This Chapter? Yes

'A... human...' The goblin stared at the adventurer in shock. She have an icy glare fitting for the cold aura she keeps on emitting. The wind that blows away from her body is as sharp and elegant as the edge of an icicle, freezing the air into small pieces of snowfall. The girl's shiny black hair is tied with two long braids making her appearance young and fragile. The girl possess a purple eyes, and she hold a magic staff, a magical technology that allow mages to cast second degree spells with more ease and flexibility. At a glance, Theo could tell that she's still a young, approximately on her twenties, but the strength of her mana tells him not to treat her as such. One wrong move and his life would be in danger, provoking her further is not an option to be considered. Theo wants to step back and escape, but the only path to do that is where the hostile entity is located. If he wants to get out, he must find a way to convince the girl that he is also a human despite having the appearance of a goblin. But it is far too late for that. "Wait!" The girl, as expected attack the goblin expecting to end things as fast as possible with her [Ice Crytal] skill, and of course, Theo with his sharp instinct evaded cutting only a part of his ears as he notice a flash of light from the girl's staff. The only difference this time is that the girl continuously repeat the attack in a continuous stream of spells so Theo didn't have much of a choice nor freedom to evade but to cover himself behind a rock. 'Shit! She's good' Theo, on his human days could only cast one or two [Ice Crystal] or one gigantic ice and that will use all of his mana, but this girl twist all this logic as it fires the spell non-stop. It is like a riffle but with a staff and its bullet are unlimited crystals of ice. The spell slowly carve its way inside the rock, trying to get to the other side and pierce the goblin. At this point, Theo understood that defending from the attack is just like waiting for his death to occur. He need to move, but his eyes can't follow the speed of the ice, at least not yet. He readied his sword and wait for his chance to attack. One weakness of a common mage is that they could only focus for a certain amount of time and at maximum, it could range from forty seconds to one minute. His master, Niel could make it up to thirty minutes and she will need to rest for another two minutes before entering another trance. Trance is a state where they can generate mana and execute skill at the same time. If they continue to attack while not being in full focus, their attack may become weaker or completely fail. Before the ice could completely put in a hole to the rock, a spell had been botched and that is the cue where Theo dash towards the girl to attack. But after he gets out from his cover, the mage fire a sudden [Ice Crystal] that directly hit him pushing him back. It could have put a hole into his chest but he deflected it using his sword as a shield. 'That woman baited me!' He realized that he is facing a human, a thinking entity, not just some beast that only know one thing but to devour. It's not just a battle of strength, it's also a battle of wits, and clearly the girl bested him on both. One thing that saves him is only a pure coincidence or luck. Theo thought of a way to deal with the [Ice Crystal] riffle skill, a way to prevent it from hitting him and that is to bounce all over the place randomly with no specific pattern, to the walls and ceiling. The tunnel is narrow and Theo know how to use his agile and strong legs to move. As a goblin, he is faster and lighter than a human, he could jump more than his total height but this is not achievable if it is not for the muscle he accumulated by repeatedly running away from beasts and jumping for his life. With this as his weapon, he continue to bounce all over the place nearly closing the mage and the goblin's gap. The [Ice Crytal] didn't manage to to follow his irregular an unpredictable pattern, but it doesn't mean that he didn't get hit once or twice during the process. In fact, his left leg and right torso got hit and his blood froze on that part, but it doesn't halt him from moving faster. This time, along with the increasing pain is the increasing instincts of Theo to kill the human. "Tsk" The mage click her tongue when she realize that she was at a handicap. Mages are weak in close quarter combat and the fact that Theo is slowly closing the gap makes her at a disadvantage. Moreover, she is surprised on how the goblin moves, it is the first time that she encountered such goblin that caught her off guard. But she doesn't have time to regret on her past actions or to the fact that she underestimated the goblin. "[Boiling Moist], [Winter Wind]" Just as when Theo was attempting to slash her neck, the girl invoke two consecutive spells. She waved her staff to the air and from it release a white fog that hides her body, concealing everything on the surrounding area with thick air. Theo slashed at nothing but the fog. "She disappeared?" Theo asked to himself, he look left and right but can't see anything because of the blurry atmosphere. The adrenaline he felt started to dissipate, the ice crystal that sunk in him is still freezing on the inside. He felt an intense pain from the sharp coldness. Listening closely, Theo could hear a sharp sound of small solids clashing at each other. It was the sound when ice starting to form in the air. "What the!" When he look at his back, even if the rest is blurry, he saw a glowing thing behind the fog... then it started to fire the crystals in continuity. Theo move quickly to evade it and bounce to the walls, then to the ceiling until he could get close to the girl. But when he finally close the gap, he saw nothing, only the staff that is planted to the soil. 'Shit. It's automated?' He underestimated the girl. At this certain moment of confusion, he was hit once again to his abdomen, the crystal sinks deep to his stomach. The yellow pus drips from the wound then froze, and he cough away the maggots that rose up to his mouth. He temporarily retreated with all the damage he took. With enough distance away from the staff, the execution of spells halted. Theo drop on his knees to take a break and vomits the puss that keeps rising from his mouth. In pain, he accidentally release his hand from his own weapon. The area keeps getting colder. It is one of the reason that Theo is getting slowed down. And that it is to be expected when trying to deal with a mage, it will use even the temperature to nerf its enemy. Theo stood up and wipe away the remaining puss from his mouth with his arm. Suddenly from behind, a thin strand of string envelopes the goblin's neck and gets tight making his breath restricted. The woman is behind her and taking the kill by choking him. He tried to struggle but the girl force his neck up that the goblin's feet is off the ground. "You're dead now little goblin" She said while applying more force to the string. Theo's neck is starting to bleed as the string sinks deeper into his skin. Apply more force and that will be enough to behead him. He is starting to lose his consciousness, his eyes became blurry and everything on his sight felt like spinning. Salivating, his mouth release a handful of yellow pus, then water swell up to his eyes forming tears when he struggle for air. He keeps on trying to release himself from the strand but the more that he struggle, the more that the pain intensifies and further inhibits his ability to breathe. And then a minute have gone by, his arms starts to give up... it falls to the side and his eyes roll upward. When the girl saw this, she immediate felt relief only to regret it afterwards when the goblin suddenly rotated one hundred and eighty degrees vertically putting his knees above the girl's head. The girl saw his worm that suprised her with anxiety. "[Piss on you]" The goblin mocked to the girl, pretending it to be a skill but in reality, it is just an act of urination that is ejected to the girl's face blinding her temporarily. The feeling of warm water shocked her inside a cold environment that her hand instinctively release from gripping the strand of string. Theo immediately leap backwards to avoid a direct confrontation with the girl. 'What?! It's just a strand of hair?' Theo looked at the string and indeed, the string was just a strand of hair that could easily snap after the girl release it from her hands. "You disgusting piece of..." The girl wipe away the urine from her face, and exclaim in irritation. But for a brief moment of realization, she twitched as she thinks deeply from the way how the goblin act. 'The goblin could speak?' She thought about it. An encounter to such kind is very rare. 'Does it really matter? A monster is still a monster' The girl expand her hands as if trying to reach something invisible. "Wait! I give up!" The goblin tried to plead, but the girl's staff came flying to the back of his navel. It thrust and sank deep to his intestine and his body is getting dragged with it towards the girl. He resisted the force but it just make his state worse when the staff completely pierce him, putting a hole to his belly. Now that the girl have her staff, she is two times harder to deal with, and with all the wounds he accumulated, Theo is at a disadvantage. Theo thought he is absolute going to die this time. But he swear that he is not going down without giving much of a fight. All while the girl is trying to enter a trance state, Theo started drinking one of the bottles where he keeps the water. He look at his surrounding and everything is completely frozen, the cold makes his drink a little more tasteful than before and this satisfies him. Even if his belly is torn open, he wonders why could he still move... 'Is it because I am a monster?' The water he drank mixed with digestive juices spill out from his wound. 'Or maybe, because I have a thick plot armor?' He left a big sigh from his mouth. But everything up to this point makes him feel excited rather than feeling hopeless. The sharp pain from the wounds keeps on burning inside him, saving him from the cold atmosphere. He put the other water bottle to his other hand. If he is going to die like this, he thought, maybe losing an arm is acceptable as long as he could defeat the mage. He started applying a spell inside the water... slowly but consistently, and he found it relatively harder than before. He kept on practicing magic as a goblin but overtime, he is just losing his edge furthermore. He looked at the girl and he found her having a very gentle and sharp aura due to the cold freezing air all over her body that flutter her black clothing and hair. He thought, she is really on another level of strength compared to him. Theo looked at the bottle and noticed it shaking from the inside. 'This is enough...' Theo dashes forward, the girl became alerted that she immediately open her eyes. This time, her eyes tell Theo that she is on a trance, full of intention and strong attention. "Hey!" Theo threw the bottle to the girl and with mere instinct, the girl pointed her staff and invoke an [Ice Crystal] breaking the water bottle. Instead of just breaking the bottle, because of the impact and the way that the water separates into small amount, it exploded with white instantaneously evaporated fog and Theo use it as a chance to hide himself. Indeed, he applied a small amount of [Fireball] inside the water trying to boil it from the inside. Then use it to generate an artificially created fog similar to what the girl did using magic. He caught her off guard when she thought that he can't use magic. "[Freezing Point]!" Inside the fog, a sword tried to thrust the mage's head and the mage immediately reacted by freezing everything at her front with her staff. She freeze the sword along with the air and the way it froze keeps it pointing to her head, stuck at still time. But then, she realized that the goblin who wields it disappeared, uncaught by her strong attack. She heard movement from her back but it is far too late to react. "You're dead now little bitch" The goblin carrying a rock with his two hands jumped and smash the rock to the girl's head. The goblin was planning to smash the rock to her head and push her backward then make the frozen sword pierce her brain with the impact but it failed when the girl make it so that the frozen sword is dull with flat shards of ice covering its edge. The girl's head bounce back and forth with the two attack trying to break her skull. It doesn't kill her, she was just rendered unconscious. After landing with his feet, in anger and monstrous instinct, Theo keeps bashing the rock to the girl's forehead, trying really hard to kill it. His reason was if he don't kill her now, she will come back later and hunt him down. But when he looks at his own reflection, he stopped. He saw a bloodied face of a goblin, a monster far from a human. He click his tongue in frustration. 'What am I hesitating?' He is just defending himself but he can't understand why he could still feel remorse and pity when suppose, he is not a human. 'I am not a human anymore' And suppose that if he live his life pretending to be a human, applying their moral standards and ethical practices or emotions like remorse and conscience, it will just recoil against him in the end. He need to be a monster to live as a monster, but the guilt he is feeling right now make him think twice on his own action. He lose his grip to the rock and it falls from his hand. Then, despite the pain he may feel, he closed the open wounds on his stomach by burning it with his hands using a small amount of heat from a [Fireball] spell. Should he let her live and kill him later? Or should he kill her to save his own? What is the right choice to make? Himself or other people? What's the difference between killing a beast and a human when suppose, both at their essence are just trying their best to survive? And what is it for a goblin like him? Morality is just a subjective concept that may change depending on the observer and as a goblin, the right choice should be made by the eyes of a goblin, not a human. But what is he? A human or a monster? 'Huh? What is this feeling?' He look at the girl's face and notice her beautiful face, her long eyelashes stands out but aside from the blood that keeps coming out from the wound of her head, the rest of her skin seems like milk in smoothness and scent. 'My body is burning...' His worm is also erect. His heart keeps beating fast and his mind keeps screaming to 'go and touch her you virgin loser!'. 'I see... I am a goblin, and the nature of a goblin is to do this sort of thing to women...' There is a reason why goblin can't live in mutualistic relationship with humans or why everyone hates this sort of creatures. It is not just because of their strong instinct to kill but because of their will to reproduce with any kinds of intelligent species. 'I want to...' Looking further, the girl's body is entirely feminine and fragile. She is well clothed and despite the nature of the cave, the girl is clean and healthy. She smells too good in contrast to everything. Her bare legs seems to attract Theo enticing him to touch it. "Stop! On! Thinking! Stop thinking!! I am human!! I am a human!!" Finally, Theo gave up forcing his instinct to shut down by smashing his own head to the frozen ice. He still can't throw away his humanity even if he is currently a goblin. Blood falls down from his head and his worm suddenly died out of the pain. Taking another glance, he noticed her lips are slim and sexy. Another glance to her white petite legs and his worm revitalized, he was awoken once again to horny. 'Just a peek...' He gave in to his goblin instinct and took a peek inside her clothes while blushing intensively. "Hhmmhh..." The girl is slowly gaining her consciousness, she moaned and the goblin immediately retracted from his evil deeds. 'Shit! Run!' Theo run away unsatisfied. After hours have passed. The girl's eye slowly opens and she saw nothing but the ceiling. She gets up from the ground and touch the slowly waning pain on her forehead. In her fingers, she saw her own blood. "Huh...? I am unharmed?" She is expecting more than this kind of wound. She observed her surrounding but she didn't see the goblin nor anything strange. "That goblin didn't do anything to me?" She was surprised, that particular goblin is rather strange but she didn't expect to get away unscathed. She is still wearing her clothes too so she conclude that it didn't touch her in a rather unpleasant way despite the saying that goblins are the incarnation of violence and lust. Still, the conclusion of their confrontation stands. "I lost... to a mere goblin" She underestimated him very bad, really bad. After all, she was saving her full strength not to be wasted to exterminating small fries. "Hmm? Water?" Even from afar, the girl is alerted by the sounds of rushing water. After all, she is a water mage specializing in hydro magic spells. Detecting the source of water nearby is an easy feat for her. Walking towards the dark tunnel, she finally reached the pond of water. But her eyes became terrified when she saw the thing, a person in the middle of the pond that was drinking from it. It is a woman with a long silver hair and dark skin. She wore an old leather coat covering her entire body and her hands are noticeably mechanical. 'Thats...!' But what's stands out from this particular creature is its black horn that extends from her head. It is not just an ordinary person, it is a demon. The demon was drinking the water from the ponds by scooping it with her hands. Without a second of delay, the water mage immediately summons a spell to which she tought will immediately kill her. "[Water Dragon]!" A head of a dragon made of water appears from where the demon is standing, it smash the demon inside its mouth with a forceful impact of water enough to kill an elephant to a pathetic mush of organs. With the impact, the demon collapse to the pond. It is a direct hit and she caught her off guard meaning it should have killed her. But the water mage is aware that underestimating her is a fatal mistake she can't manage to do. "[Skin Solidification], [Health Regeneration], [Adamite Strength], [Mana Regeneration], [Increase Stats], [Negate Fear], [Status Protection], [Water of Glory], [Body of Water], [Fire Resistance], [Hydraula's Blessing], [In Trance Invocation]" She continuously cast multiple spells that will strengthen her body and her magic, trying to secure the spot to victory. The demon slowly stands on her feet seemingly unharmed from the attack. She is trying to get something out from her coat and when she found it, she pulled it out revealing a gas mask. She put it to her head deliberately hiding her face. "I finally found you demon..." The water mage said in a trance like state. "It's time to settle the score" --- Then a day have passed. "Why..." Theo bend his knees in despair. With his knowledge on anatomy, he healed his own wounds by operating on himself and using the spider web to stich his wound preventing further bleeding. Then he return back to fetch more water. But when he look for the pond... an immediate sense of frustration hits him. "Why the fuck..." His snot started to get ejected from his noise, and his tears fall from his eyes. "Why the fuck is my water solid!!!" He screamed that echoes to the tunnel. He then whack his head to the frozen water trying to break the ice with his head only to injure himself. He look once again to the ice and see his own reflection... "SHIIIIIIIITTTTTTT!!! MOTHERFUCKERRR!!!!" He shouldn't have felt remorse for the girl in the first place because in the end of a day, he is still a goblin, not a human. "I am going to kill that bitch!" He said in anger. With tears on his eyes, he cracked his fingers as he cursed the mage with all his heart. "And then I'll..., I'm going to butcher her to pieces and eat it" He is now determined to accept what his goblin nature entails. 'That's right... Because I am a monster, and that's what monsters do' This Novel Contains Mature Content Show This Chapter? Yes

Niel was once a small, fragile child. Looking for a place where she could start her life, trying to make a spark to her destiny towards her flames of passion for powerful magic, she decides to be an adventurer. Wearing a black witch hat, a mage coat and holding a staff of her own size, she entered a gloomy town on a rainy night. Her clothes are drenched from the combination of the rain drops, humidity and the cold blow of the winds. What meets her eyes are just cemented houses ornamented with potted flowers that are getting drowned by the rain. The wind blows coldly and flutters the wooden windows. Niel locks her hands to her hat and skirt to prevent it from blowing away. ' So this is the city of Zura? ' It is not what she imagined it to be. She felt the town is lacking something. It is the existence of people. It felt as if the town is in trouble. Just then, she encounter a soldier dragging a carriage full of supply items. Niel immediately interact with the soldier despite being shy and intimidated. She braced herself and ask the soldier a question. "Umm... excuse me, can I ask where the guild's tavern is?" The soldier noticed the small girl and scratch his chin hidden in his helmet. He didn't exactly get what the small girl just said because her voice is so small, it's almost incomprehensible. "Oh, just walk toward and take a right turn in the intersection. You will already see the evacuation centre" After a while of thinking, the soldier interpreted her question as if she is lost and trying to find where the safe place is so instead of pointing her to the tavern, he pointed the girl to the evacuation site. It seems like the town is really in trouble that they have something like that going on. The soldier immediately move on and proceeds doing his own work in a hurry. "Eh? I need to go to..." Before Niel could even clarify her question, the soldier is already on the move and because her voice is so small, the soldier didn't hear her that she is still talking to him. She leaves a small sigh in her mouth. ' I'm going to find it by myself then ' The rain is just getting stronger, and stronger. Niel is sensitive to the 'mana flow' and she could feel a malicious activity two or more hundred meters away from the town. Such gloomy energy make Niel's stomach feel painful. "[Monster Summon: Grisia]" She summoned a blue eyed bird as she raise her staff. A small sigil was formed in the air and from it, a bird appears from a strange dark hole. "[Perception Borrow]" Niel starts vomiting intensely. Usually, using a bio-magic skill is already a draining skill like Monster Summon, but consecutively using it with another bio-magic skill could make the user unconscious for a while except if they are a very strong, experienced adventurer. This shouldn't be possible for a little girl to do so as a child's body is still prematurely developed for the mana to properly flow on her body. But she pulled it off somehow because her circumstances is kind of 'special'. The skill perception borrow allow her to see what the bird she summoned is seeing from its point of view. She could see all of it through her right eye, and when she found the tavern she is looking for, she immediately invoke [Monster Summon Destroy] to kill the bird she summoned. After all, if she let the bird runs free, it may kill a civilian despite its adorable appearance. She could summon a monster she choose but untamed monsters will remain untamed and may freely attack their summoners. The last magic skill took a toll on Niel's body as all energy she had left, disappear. She immediately drank a mana potion to reclaim the lost energy but it may took a while to take tangible effect. Meanwhile, she walks towards to where the tavern is located. "Little girl, what are you doing here? This is not a place for kids" Adventurer A blocks the door to the entrance of the tavern along with Adventurer B. Adventurer A is a petite man with poorly shaved beard and poor clothing style akin to a beggar, B on the other hand is a slightly fat guy with reddish big nose wearing some silver plate armor. "You must be lost, the evacuation site is on the other side. Let me walk you there" Adventurer B said nicely as Niel looks at them with sadden and tearful eyes. The two look at each trying to figure who's fault it is that making her cry. "I..." Niel said in a stuttered and shy manner. Still, she can't look at the two adventurer's eye and her cheeks are burning hardly that she could collapse. "I want to be an adventurer. Please let me through..." Within embarrassment, she accidentally shouted from anxiety. Holding her staff, she grip it hardly as she use all the courage she have, just to state her will. "PFFt hahahaha, did you hear her bro?" Adventurer A just laugh her relentlessly causing Niel's confidence to plummet to the brink of extinction. His laugh was so loud that it echoes in Niel's ear, this makes her heart thump loudly that it had ever been before. "Adventurers exist to protect little kids like you, not the other way around." Adventurer B stated nicely as he tap Niel's shoulder lightly. Perhaps, he just wanted to stop Niel from playing adventurer on her own world, as the real world of adventurers is a world where daily death is common. Adventurer A has the same ideology but instead of saying it nicely, he will hurt their ego to the point that they would just go home and not to think about being an adventurer ever again. "I..." "Huh?" "I could blast your head off using my magic" Niel couldn't just give up, but because of her fragile ego, she resorted to threat. It is the point where she follows her own emotion rather than her head. She just couldn't give up, after all, she travelled thousands kilometre away before she could get to this town. She pointed her staff to Adventurer A's head. "Pfft HAHAHAHAHA" But instead of fear, he just found it funny. Niel is on the edge of her mind. Her sweat drenched her face blended by the moisture of raindrops. She's in the point where she may really kill Adventurer A on the spot. "HAHAHA. Don't joke around like that little kid." Adventurer B patted her head while saying so. It slightly make Niel realize what she's doing is a mistake. But she is furious enough that she wouldn't just put away her staff and say bye. Just then, the door of the tavern open from the inside, from there, a lady in glasses met them with serious eyes. "You two, get in. And the little girl, let her in" Because of how loud the voice of the lady in the glasses is, Niel reclaimed her calm state. She put away her staff and look at the lady. She noticed the yellow badge on her chest and immediately, Niel realized that this person is the guild master. "But..." Adventurer A tried to object only to be met with a sharp piercing eye of the guild master. "Oh, so you're going to leave this poor lady outside the rain? Can't you any be more cruel?" The guild master said, in response, Adventuer A click his tongue in irritation as if a kid being scolded by her mother. "Alright, alright... --ugly bitch--" He insulted the guild master with whispers, the guild master heard it but she just choose to ignore him. It is a waste of time to argue with him as they are in a hurry. The guild master turned her back to the three and walk inside the tavern. Niel and the adventurers follow her tail. But for Niel, this is a chance of now and never. She shouted in desperation to the lady. "Ummm, Miss, I wan't to be an adven-" "No" Before she could even finish, the guild master already said her response. She pick up her black bow, refill the arrows to her quiver and remain silent ignoring Niel. "but..." Niel is on the edge of her tears. She already travelled multiple cities, ports and lands just to apply to become an adventurer. Each tavern that she tried to interact just shove her away telling her that she's just a little kid. She's losing hope but she don't have anything to turn back to, she's already alone and desperate to become something where she could belong, to become somebody else aside from her past. "Don't 'but...' me. You are still too young to just throw your life away. Take twenty more years to think things thoroughly and I would gladly accept you here with open arms as the guild master. I would even throw you to the dragon's pit for all I care." Niel bit her lips to her response. "So... it's still no good" No matter what she do to convince them, it's always the same. They will reject her because she's a kid. It may be a sign of worry as it is the responsibility of adults to prevent little kids on dangerous situation but they didn't try to delve deeper on Niel's inner turmoil, they didn't try to ask 'why do you want to become an adventurer?' "That's right kid. Go back to your momma and suck her tits" Adventurer A boasted, then made fun of her. Other adventurers who heard him laugh at her like maniacs. "She's dead... I killed her" The atmosphere turns cold and silent after what she said that. Some thinks she is just joking around and it must be because she's offended that she try to make herself look cool by saying edgy things. Niel turns her back to the adventurers and tried to make an exit. "Huh? Hoy, where are you going? I am still talking to you brat!" Adventurer A said in irritation. He's now making a scene that just ignored by Niel. "Molly, protect the kid. Everyone, we are going to start the meeting about saving Saint Agatha, can I borrow all of your ears?" The guild master said to Adventurer B, he agrees to the guild master's command. He is willing to ignore the meeting to look after Niel while she's outside the tavern, after all, it is still dangerous outside and he can't take the conscience if they found her dead the next day. "YEAH!" After the guild master said that they are going to save the saint, the adventurers made a clamor in response. While walking away, Niel thinks badly of these adventurers. ' Saving a Saint... Just because she's a saint, you are willing to save her? How about me, when I need help, where are these so called adventurers? ' Her mind is returning to her dark past. Slowly drowning once again to the despair she felt, blaming other people for ignoring their plead. She could feel her intense hatred to these people, amplified by their motivated shouts to save a saint. "THOSE DISPICABLE MINOTOURS MUST BE PURGED!!" "IF THEY HARMED OUR SAINT, THERE WILL BE NO MERCY AGAINST THEIR CLAN" They continued to shout as they prepare their weapons, applying poison to it, sharpening their sword or applying mana to increase its strength. Some also drank mana potions to increase their energy and motivation. ' Proud words from a bunch of hypocrites. If you adults could just be like this to everybody despite their status... ' Niel continued to abase them inside her head, her hatred keeps sinking pulling her deeper into madness. "SHE'S JUST A LITTLE KID LIKE THAT ONE" Saint Agatha is almost the same age as Niel, the only difference is that Agatha is a chosen person by GOD, Niel is an aberration deeply rooted from the influence of the devil. Her family, her mother is a cultist and what her mother have done to her is an unspeakable act of the devil that she don't want to remember. She don't recall anyone trying to save her. Even if they beg for help, adults will just ignore her because of the reason that, 'she's just a little kid'. Nobody believe her until the end and she settle the matter on her own two hands. But after that, she's already broken from the inside, she just want something to call home and with that, it may save her from her internal trauma, she just want to forget. 'Shut up, I am not just a little kid... I am going to be the strongest mage in existence. I will do everything to make it come true. I will be an adventurer that will help anyone in need, I won't be a pathetic adult that only help with the enticement of fame or money' But her hatred crawls from the inside out that she would blame even the clueless people. She know that these adventurers are not at fault but she can't help but feel resentment and blame them from not helping. Her eyes started to swell with tears as she reach to the door. Her hate transform into sadness, her sadness turn into melancholy. Adventurer B watch her silently not knowing what to do when she started to break down. BANG! The door suddenly open and the door knob hits Niel's stomach. She twisted in pain and her sadness turn into rage. Adventurer B stared in shock. "GAH! You...! Huh?" When Niel look at the person who suddenly open the door, she met the eye of the person named Theo. His face is drenched in blood, his arms are twisted in an inhuman manner, yet still he is standing and carrying a girl on his back. He is injured beyond comprehension. "Sorry... please help!" But more than thinking about himself, he could still feel sorry for Niel for accidentally hitting her. His plead for help is not directed for himself but for the girl on his back. "Hoy, hoy, he's bleeding" Adventurer A stare in shock, he just can't believe that a boy could still stand while getting injured like this. But more than that... "Isn't that... Saint Agatha?" "No way, did they go all the way here from the village?" "Did they get here by themselves? Where are their guardians?" The adventurers starts murmuring to themselves. The village near them is currently infested with a lot of relentless Minotours, an intelligent monster that are bigger and stronger than humans with a head of a bull. They attacked the village knowing that Saint Agatha is there, and they want to eliminate her so badly because she is a chosen one. That's why the royalties ordered all adventurers near the town for a rescue mission. But it is already taken care of, by a little boy in the very least. "What are you staring at? Why are you guys doing nothing?" Theo started to shift his face into something different. From a boy trying to beg for help, into a face of a person that is definitely pissed. Niel look at his eyes as he stares at the adventurers as if trying to eat them alive. "Are you going to help us or what?! OR ARE YOU JUST REALLY SOME FUCKING USELESS ADULTS WHO CAN'T DO SHIT!!" Niel recovered the light on her eyes. This boy managed to say the things she wanted to say to them for so long. He is not afraid to express his hatred freely to this adults. For her, she wanted to be like this very guy in front of her, a person not afraid of saying his thoughts and expressing his emotions. Adventurer A snap out from his shock and look at the angry kid in front of him. Inside, he is ashamed of himself that he is bested by a boy, that he is a failure for an adult as he failed to take the kids out of this dangerous situation. Moreover, the boy is right and he can't say anything against him aside from his disrespectful attitude. "That's not how you politely ask an adult. Hoy! Anybody there who could use healing magic?" Theo relaxed and collapsed to the ground along with Agatha. "Thank goodness, Agatha... you're safe now." The next day, Niel explored the attacked village and from what she uncovered and rumours from the soldiers, no one is left alive aside from the boy and the saint. The saint's private bodyguard was also killed one-sidedly, toyed with her body and put her head on top of a pole. She look at a five meter tall corpse of a beheaded minotour and said to herself. ' Minotours are scary. ' She still pondering how did they survive these creatures, for her, if she is there, she don't think she may have survived. But one thing is certain, the boy he met that day is an amazing person. ' Just who the hell is that guy? ' She took him as an inspiration and she grow beyond what she expected to achieve with him as a source of motivation. That even a child could do something, a child could say something and a child could be something else 'Someday... we will meet again. This time, I will properly say thank you' She became the youngest mage in history, became a famous researcher at the age of thirteen, at seventeen she acquired the title of the King of Mages then at age of twenty-one she became the famous Witch of Wisdom. Then at twenty-three she joined the Hero's party where she met her inspiration once again. And the fact that she was very disappointed that she just wanted to burry her head on the sand and forget the very boy who she thought was an amazing person. "I can't believe this, I really can't believe you two could do something like this to us!" Niel step on Theo as he grovel on the floor pathetically trying to gain her forgiveness. "Sorry, I really mean it, sorry" He is almost naked wearing nothing but several strap of black belts covering his nipple and sensitive organs and a neck tie on hanging on his chest. Basylisk is also grovelling with him and getting kicked by Misty, one time, she accidentally kicked him on the balls that he almost cry. "Hey, Albert, I really thought you ate them alive" Agatha asked the hero. After the dragon's egg incident, Basylisk and Theo went missing and a rumours about the hero being a cannibal become a trend. Of course, nobody believed in tit but it is funny to think about that's why it was spread and become a joke around the country. "HUH?! No way am I going to eat those creatures" Albert responded as he look at the two wearing gay outfit with disgusted eyes. ' Creatures? ' The two felt dirty. Niel press her feet harder on Theo's back. "Step on me more" It was painful, but Theo like it. "What?! You disgusting pervert!!" Now that Niel is pissed, she grabbed her staff and repeatedly hit Theo with it to his spine. Theo cried for help as the pain starts to become unbearable. "In a gay bar really, aren't you ashamed to yourself? Niel asked, she tighten her grip to her staff, imbued mana to it and increase its inflicted pain then bash it to Theo. Niel is starting to like it. "It's Theo's idea!" "We've been scammed, we can't do anything about it" Theo defended himself. It's a long story of being drowned to debt, forcing the Hero's party to pay for their debt instead of forcing themselves to be inside of that torturous place, obeying muscular hairy men in make up to satisfy their sexual deeds. They can't just simply leave the two of them alone so they drained their exploration budget for their sake. This enrage Niel more as she is tasked for accounting their income and buying necessary supplies. "What if Archie found out? She will never look into your eyes again" Theo starts to widen his eye in shock "NO! DON'T TELL HER MASTER!! ANYTHING BUT THAT!!" Theo grabbed Niel's feet in desperation, trying to stop Niel to do what she is planning to do. His sister is his obvious weakness. He just can't bear the thought of Archie hating him. He started to kiss Niel's feet as a sign of his submission. "EW, don't touch me" But it is the last thing Niel want from him that she kicked Theo away in the face. "[MONSTER SUMMON: CLARON!!]" "WAHHHH!" A reptile monster appear from a dark hole. It's It is a lizard looking monster that is eight meter in length. It has sharp teeth like in crocodiles, continuously drooling in intense hunger. Theo immediately crawl away as he stare to the terrifying beast. "Let's see, if you managed to defeat this monster with only magic, I will consider it" Still, Theo is her student and she is still trying her best to teach and improve his magic. She can't deny that he is a liability to the party and someday, if he remain this way, he may die and that is the last thing she wanted to happen. If she force him out of the party, he may just attack the demon lord all by himself with how hard-headed he is and in the end, he will still die. "I... I understand" Theo stood up, and face the monster an eye to an eye. "Hey Claron, it seems like you will be a sacrifice to secure my dignity in my sister's eye." He declared. And Niel refute his statement. "It's not like you have something left" Before the battle even start, Theo died on the inside. Claron started to attack by first trying to devour Theo whole. Immediately, he evaded to the side and invoke [Ice Crystal] targeting the monster's eye. It successfully penetrated Claron but not enough to actually kill it, it just left its right eye blind. Claron then tried to put some deep wounds to Theo by using its claws but then, Theo easily evaded by propelling himself to the air with combination of spells such as [Fireball], [Create Combustive Gas] then [Skin Solidification]. He first create a combustive gas and produce some explosion to propel himself while solidifying his skin so that he could reduce the impact of his own created explosion. While in mid-air, he created a giant spear of solid crystal gem using [Mineral Creation: Crystal] skill. In landing, he pierced this crystal to the monster rendering Claron unconscious with the impact and breaking its scale. "How's that?" Theo look at them making an OK symbol with his hand. "That's... Quadruple consecutive magic!" Agatha was left speechless. He just performed what a normal human couldn't do. He used different types of magic like hydro-magic, pyro-magic, aero-magic, bio-magic, geo-magic and the combinations of them. At most, a normal human could just use one type. "I knew you could do it, you are one of us after all" Albert said as he clap his hand along with Basylisk and Misty. "Yeah but..." Still, Niel, his master felt not amazed. "Gweh!!" Out of nowhere, Claron's tail throw Theo away violently impacting him to the ground. The monster is starting to activate its regenerative ability evidently with all the smoke it is emitting out of its wound. "THEO!!" Agatha runs after him out of worry. Then Claron emits a dangerous roar that shook the ground. "That's enough! [Chaotic Wind], [Spherical Barrier]" Niel cast two consecutive spells. One spell makes the beast swell like a bubble and the other is to protect them from the guts when it explode. She applied chaotic wind from the inside of the beast that make it swell and once the limit of its stretchiness is overpassed, it exploded. The invisible sphere suddenly formed a red ball of blood. "I am not done yet... Wat?" Theo stood up but it is far too late when he gain consciousness. The monster is already dead with just one spell. And this breaks Theo's fragile ego. Soon after, they found Theo in a depressive state. "Come on, don't sulk Theo. I bet you could do something like that in the future" "I am useless, I am trash, I am nothing, I want to fade into the air and disappear" The fact that he takes four different spells just to immobilize the beast made him felt weak compared to his master that only use one or two and it is already dead and finished. Theo's soul is going out of his body from his nose out of embarrassment. Niel's technique are just so high level while Theo's are diverse but only know some low level skills. He is still a jack of all trades but a master of none. "Theo come back to us, you may not be good at combat but you are the best support we have" "Lie, you all think March and Misty are seven times better" Agatha tried to make him feel better but overtime, it just making him feel worse. "I am quite amaze on how he continuously exceeds my expectation when it comes to being a disappointment. My fantasy is over... just how deep had he fallen? Why did I look up to him at the first place?" Niel exclaimed before Albert. Her face is full of complications and distress. The hero laugh at her as her statement is very similar to his own. "Hahaha, I totally get what you are feeling." Then he became silent, look at the sulking Theo and his eyes turned inspired. "But, it doesn't change the fact that at some point in our lives, he managed to save us. Despite how normal he is." Niel finally realized that even if Theo belong to the Hero's party, he is not like them. ' That's right, Theo is not like us. He is just a civilian. Unlike the rest of us who have some kind of a special circumstances ' "But his normality what's makes him amazing. That's why I look up to him more than a rival." The hero added. And Niel finally understood why Theo still felt amazing despite how much of a liability he is and why she still care. The hero come to him trying to persuade him to return home. "Come on Theo, let's go home..." The hero tried to carry Theo from his back but some evil thoughts just entered Theo's mind as he do so. "NO stop touching me, stop, not there, ah, it feels good, stop I am going insane. My mind is breaking" Note that this happens while he is wearing an outfit only good in the eyes of gay people. "The fuck are you talking. Basylisk, do something!" The hero exclaimed. "Sir yes sir!" Basylisk responded with a serious face and saluting to the hero like a soldier at war, note that he is also wearing the same thing that Theo wears. He started carrying Theo from his back and he started struggling. "What? You are also going to use you hard... big... stif gwahhh!" Basylisk squeeze him to the point that he can't breathe trying to make him unconscious. But it doesn't stop Theo from making things worse. "Stop, no, don't stop, faster... faster, choke me more..." He was making some crazy faces. But then, when he actually look at his front, he noticed Niel wearing a smug face holding a ball of crystal. "Hehe~" And in that ball of crystal, Archie's terrified face appeared to its reflection. Her face is pale and dying as if she saw something terrible. "Brother... you..." A long distance communication spell is secretly invoked while he is making a scene. Theo's face turned pale and his smile are twitching bad. "No, Archie. I am just joking!" "I don't want to believe it, I pretended that I didn't saw you in that entering that bar with Basylisk but..." At this point, Theo just wanted to disappear. He don't want to hear anything else that follows especially from his crying little sister. "My brother is disgusting..." "NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!" Then his soul just fades away. This Novel Contains Mature Content Show This Chapter? Yes

Chapter 8 Draco and Rourke Draco and Rourke then were in Bird Port and they started asking people about Challenger. " Where is Challenger " said Rourke. " I don't think the leader of Colourland is here " said a man. " He is here, our warriors have confirmed it " said Draco. " If you think about interfering, you will be arrested " said Rourke. " I suggest you refrain from that " " It is not worth this, either tell us or leave now " said Draco. The man left. Draco and Rourke continued searching through Bird Port but had not found them. Crayon and his friends had gotten up and then they headed to the bakery where Artby thanked the bakers for making him feel better. " Thanks for making us better, for helping us in fights, I will always continue to help bakers at any time " said Artby. " Yeah " said the baker. " Have you noticed that the bread has made us better ? " asked Artby. " I am so proud of bakers " " Bread has kept us that way, I love bakers so much " " Uh, okay " said the baker. " We will be getting a lot of bread from here " said Artby. They got their bread and left. They were about to have breakfast. They enjoyed their breakfast and then they headed outside to train. Crayon, Challenger, Artby and Colourea used their Light Implosions together and the attack combined into two Sun Implosions which hit with intense power. Warbler, Dove and Grackle used their Wind Implosions and they combined to be the Bird Implosion and the attack hit with insane power. Colouruke then kept training his Ultimate Sea Blasts, then his Sea Implosion. After that, they each used their respective Bomb techniques with combined for the Ultimate Bird Bomb and two Ultimate Sun Bombs. The attacks hit with intense power. Crayon and his friends finished their training for the day. They found a place to eat and they ate there. They enjoyed their meal, Time passed and then they went to bed, Artby was very proud of bakers. Draco and Rourke were approaching very close. They got up and made themselves their breakfast which they enjoyed eating. After that, they left but then they noticed Draco and Rourke. Meanwhile, King Bobby was talking with the advisors. " I cannot wait for justice " said King Bobby. " Draco and Rourke will bring it " said Blackburnian. " My brother Warbler will see it for himself " " He will know the friend who has interfered " " He will see that this friend has gotten in everyone's way " " It will be amazing " said Diana. " The friend must pay for what has happened " " The warriors of Bird's Isle have wanted war, Challenger fucked up as a leader " said Queen Starling. " Challenger failed to expose this friend " " The warriors will remember, Draco and Rourke know it " said Curtis. " Challenger has screwed up " said King Bobby. " Colour King would not tolerate what Challenger has tolerated " Draco and Rourke began to talk to Crayon and his friends. " Well, now this is interesting " said Draco. " I suggest you come with us " said Rourke. " Nobody gets hurt that way and then you will face the punishment that King Bobby has decided " " The friend must be revealed " " What does he want to punish you with, you will find out " said Rourke. " We do not need to fight, we just need the king to punish you for what you have done " " The friend must be revealed and not kept secret " " The choice is yours, come with us and face the punishment or you can fight " said Draco. " May I remind you that we are both stronger than Paula who was stronger than Salvador " " I am aware " said Crayon. " I must think about bakers and baking " said Artby. " They are important to me " " Why ? " asked Draco. " Bakers are not relevant to this discussion " " This is about punishment and the friend " " Artby, you must be taking this more seriously " said Rourke. " This is not the time for bakers, baking or bread " "Anyways Warbler, your future will be decided " said Draco. " His future ? " asked Colouruke. " What is going on ? " " King Bobby is upset with the decision that he believes that is forced on him " said Draco. " He is not going to tolerate any more " " Yes, he will not deal with this " said Rourke. " Why does the king believe that ? " asked Artby. " He strongly believes that because his brother Blackburnian wants them to fight together in the war " said Rourke. " He has said he is hurt " " The king wants them to fight as brothers together " said Draco. " He is not happy with the decision that Challenger has made " " Challenger has not been the leader that King Bobby expected him to be " " But we don't want to fight " said Colourea. " This isn't about Challenger being a leader or not " " You will spend time in jail most likely, but the king may have a different punishment in mind " said Rourke. " He will have something in mind " said Draco. " The king knows what he is doing " " The decision that Challenger made ? " asked Dove. " We refused to fight " " Challenger is the leader so he is responsible, leaders must take responsibility " said Draco. " He will be blamed more because of that " " But this war is against Numeria, Numerians have not posed enough of a threat " said Challenger. " Plus couldn't Colourlandish people refuse to fight " " Numerians are not the primary focus now " " King Bobby has ordered it to happen, why is he is given a bigger say than Challenger " said Crayon. " Well he ordered the war and that you were invited by him " said Rourke. " If you were not invited by him then you would be allowed to not fight " He invited you all because he sensed something " " We thought it was a vacation " said Colouruke. " We had no idea " " Same here " said Crayon. " He knew of the skills that were shown, so he noticed that " said Draco. " King Bobby really does think of everything " " Challenger would not fight in the war since he is the leader of Colourland, he would stay with the king, queen and Lord Grackle " said Rourke. " Leaders cannot fight in these wars " " Why Lord Grackle ? " asked Grackle. " An advisor must always stay back, Blackburnian refused to not fight " said Draco. " The other advisors as well wanted to fight but Lord Grackle made the decision " " It was not easy for him " " Now it is time for you to make the decision " said Rourke. " To fight or to safely make it back for punishment from the king " " Which is it ? said Draco. " We will fight " said Crayon. " I'm not going to jail for not going to war " " Same here " said Artby. " If I go to jail, I won't be able to go to bakeries and eat tasty bread " " Bakers would be sad " " I must eat bread " " You fools " said Rourke. " We will crush you, like we said we are both stronger than Paula " " Now six of you will fight " said Draco. " You have two minutes to decide " They had a discussion and Crayon, Colourea, Colouruke, Warbler, Artby and Dove decided to fight while Challenger and Grackle were not fighting. " So Challenger will not fight " said Rourke stunned. " What " " The rest of you are not strong enough " said Draco. " We will just see about that " said Crayon. " King Bobby would have preferred that you stay alive for justice, but we have no choice now " said Rourke. " Yes, we must do this now " said Draco. " Justice will happen no matter what " " Yes, it will " said Rourke. " Let's fight " said Crayon. " Bakers have helped, time for me to show that " said Artby. " Prepare to face justice " said Draco.

Chapter 11 Curtis Approaching Curtis and his warriors were in Bird Port and they were searching for Crayon and his friends. " We must find them " said Curtis. " Warbler has a lot of explaining to do " " He sure does " said a warrior. " We must spare him " " Yes " said Curtis. " We will defeat them but not kill them " " Yes " said the warrior. " Warbler is a good guy but he should know by now that he cannot let people influence him like that " " Indeed " said Curtis. They continued searching through Bird Port. They found this bakery and they entered. The warriors surrounded the bakers. Do you know where Challenger is ? " asked Curtis. " Challenger ? " asked a baker. " You know where he is " said Curtis. " He is in Bird Port " " That's true " said a warrior. " Well he was here but not that recently " said the baker. " Knowing Artby he would go to other bakeries " " Well if Artby is around, Challenger cannot be too far " said Curtis. " We must find them " They then entered other bakeries and they heard about the dream that Artby had. " What in the world is this, Artby is something else " said Curtis. " Who knows with that guy " said a warrior. " Look, we just need to know where they went " said a warrior. " Well they left early this morning " said a baker. " Curtis wants to meet with them " said a warrior. " King Bobby has requested it " said Curtis. " They are wanted in Bird's Isle right now for sure " " Wanted ? " asked the baker. " For what ? " The thing is that the king wanted them to fight in the war " said Curtis. " The king isn't happy about what happened " " The war didn't end up happening " said the baker. " You must not know the reason " said Curtis. " They refused to fight ? " asked the baker. " King Bobby is furious " said Curtis. " Warbler is the brother of Blackburnian, but he has not come back willingly " " Regardless if you know about there whereabouts right now, I suggest that you do not bake bread for them " said the warrior. " If you do, the king will not be pleased " said Curtis. " The king is not somebody to mess with " " Artby is a good customer " said the baker. " Regardless, if he is or not the king is upset with the decision of not fighting " said Curtis. " If we catch you serving any of them outside of Warbler, it could be a problem " " We do not want to start anything but these friends of Warbler are not good for Bird's Isle or Warbler " " Warbler is someone that we feel has been mistreated " " You must not go against what we are saying " " Warbler is a great guy, he must be seen as a great guy " Curtis and the warriors left. He then contacted King Bobby. " King Bobby, we have found a bakery that served Artby " said Curtis. " Do you remember the name ? " asked King Bobby. " Bird Port's Bread " said Curtis. " Well this is disappointing " said King Bobby. " I am not happy that they are being served, I made laws against it " " These laws must mean something " " Since they have been notified that if they continue to serve them that they must be shut down " said Curtis. " " I hope they learn from this " said King Bobby. " They now know about the war situation " " They must do what is right " " They must understand what I am doing here " " Yes, these bakers must do what I say " " They had better " said Curtis. " If not we will have to arrest them " King Bobby sent the name to his advisors. After that, King Bobby had a stern warning for anyone choosing to serve Crayon and his friends outside of Warbler. Right now Crayon and his friends have refused to join the war. We cannot have people protecting them, it is very disrespectful to the king. We either expect that you will contact us or tell them to leave if you know it is them. It is the right thing to do. If you fail to do so, we will demand the firing of the individual in question or have them brought to us. This was a war that was approved by every advisor, several warriors of ours wanted to fight. Not a single advisor is happy they are not fighting. We have posted the faces of them so that you understand what they look like so you can refuse them service. This is now the rule of Bird's Isle. Serving Warbler will be allowed because he is the brother of Blackburnian and we believe that Challenger has influenced him poorly, but he must come without them. This warning will be posted all over Bird's Isle so you will remember, we do not want anyone forgetting something so important. We want them to face justice, they will not die of starvation. There will be meals for them to eat given to them by us. Do not worry about them starving right now, you have my word that they are not going to die. Thanks for your understanding, King Bobby Blackbird After that, Crayon and his friends heard the news. " This is terrible " said Crayon. " Will the businesses listen to him ? " asked Grackle. " I hope not, but he does have a lot of influence being the king " said Colourea. " We will have to see " said Dove. " There are some people who do not like the king " said Artby. " We will have to find these places " " Yeah " said Colouruke. " Warbler is said to not be affected so he will have to go alone to the stores " said Dove. " I will do it " said Warbler. " Good " said Challenger. " This takes effect tomorrow, so we need to get everything we need " " Yeah, these laws are getting out of hand " said Grackle. After that, they got everything they needed and they had a lot now. " I am not sure how much longer we will be able to keep it up " said Crayon. " I am not sure how they will enforce this law " said Colouruke. " They will likely make their warriors enter the stores " said Crayon. " I could see that " said Challenger. " We should keep training through the days " said Colourea. " You never know if Curtis or Lord Grackle decide to come " " They are stronger than Draco, Draco was very strong " said Warbler. Time passed. Crayon kissed Colourea and they embraced before bedtime. They went to bed. They got up and made their breakfast. " Now these times are going to be tough " said Colouruke. " Luckily we have bread " said Artby. " We will always remember bakers and they will remember a customer like me " " I cannot imagine what bakers are going through not seeing me be there to buy bread, it truly is horrible " " I care about bakers " " I'm sure the bakers will find a way to manage " said Crayon. " King Bobby really has truly gotten a lot more brutal " " Yeah, since he is stopping us going to a bakery now " said Artby. " Bakeries are so useful " " We will stop him " said Challenger. " We still need to train " " We need to if we want to stop these advisors " said Grackle. Meanwhile the law passed and the advisors were thrilled. " This is going to be the end for them " said Lord Grackle. " They will run out of food " said Diana. " We do not want to starve them but since they refuse to come willingly to face justice we have no choice " " But Warbler is allowed to buy food though " said Queen Starling. " He could keep them going " " We expect that he will just buy for himself " said King Bobby. " Plus he is the brother of Blackburnian " " He wouldn't go against us like that " " He is a great guy " " We hope that they will get the message " said Blackburnian. " They cannot get away with what they have done " " They must get it " said King Bobby. " They will face justice " " Justice must happen " " Curtis will speak with them " said Lord Grackle. " They must listen to Curtis and understand what he has to say " said King Bobby. " Well, it is in Curtis's hands now " said Diana. " It is " said King Bobby. " We know Curtis, his abilities are very strong so if fighting needs to happen he is ready " " Curtis will set them straight " said Diana. " Yes, that is very true " said Lord Grackle. " Curtis knows what he is doing " They were dismissed by the king. Crayon and his friends headed out to train. Crayon used his Sky Implosion while Challenger used his Lightning Implosion. They combined them together creating this insane attack called the Electric Tornado Implosion. " Wow " said Grackle. " That power will stop them " said Artby. " We have to " said Colouruke. Colouruke used his Sea Implosion while Warbler used his Wind Implosion which created an attack called the Hurricane Implosion. The attack was not quite as strong as the first one but it was insanely powerful. " Brilliant " said Challenger. " We need to keep this up " said Grackle. " I believe we can " said Dove. Dove and Grackle combined their Wind Implosions to create the Sky Implosion. " Nice " said Warbler. " Good " said Challenger. " Glad to see " said Colouruke. Crayon and his friends then used their Bomb techniques. Challenger was showing his Lightning Bomb techniques. After that they kept training their blast techiques. After that, they went inside. Curtis and the warriors were approaching in Bird Port. The warriors kept searching the stores and they were glad to see that Crayon and his friends were not inside being served but unhappy that they could not find them. Time passed and Crayon had supper with his friends. King Bobby then had contacted the warriors and was told that Crayon had not been found yet. " They cannot hide forever " said King Bobby. " Curtis will set them straight " said Blackburnian. " Curtis is the man " said Lord Grackle. " He understands Bird's Isle and what it means to be an advisor to the king " " Curtis has an offer for them " said Queen Starling. " He told me " " It will be great to see him and the warriors to do it " said Diana. " It will " said King Bobby. " Curtis is a guy that we always respect " said Lord Grackle. " Curtis understood the resources that Numeria has and I am glad that he wanted the war at the beginning " " It sure is " said King Bobby. " For Curtis " they said together. Crayon and his friends went to sleep, then got up and ate their breakfast. They went outside and were approached by Curtis and lots of warriors. " So here we are " said Curtis. " Curtis " said Crayon. " I have a proposition " said Curtis. " What is it ? " asked Challenger. " We want to you to come with us to Bird's Isle " said Curtis. " We will lift the law but you have to come to judgement from the king " " King Bobby will make sure you are fed " " Artby, you do like bread a lot ? " What does he have in mind ? " asked Crayon. " Well the king says there will be lasagna " Lasagna " said Colouruke. " Yes " said Curtis. " The king has told the chefs to put great ingredients in it " " There will be salad, bread and dessert " " Which type of salad ? " Caesar Salad " said Curtis. " The bread will be a garlic bread, we will also have olive bread as well " " That bread sounds great " said Artby. " Baking bread like that really is something else " " Dessert is raspberry pie " said Curtis. " King Bobby has said that he has ordered cake " " It seems that Artby really wants to eat this food " said a warrior. " That is good " said another warrior. " Artby does love bread, but to face justice for not fighting against a country that is not a threat to Colourland or Bird's Isle " said Challenger. " You do know about the women in Numeria who want Crayon and the other Numerians who want to take Colourea away ? " asked Curtis. " King Bobby has offered you this great meal " said a warrior. " You must consider it " " As good as the food is, we do not want to fight in the war " said Colouruke. " Colouruke, you are aware that only Warbler is allowed to get food right now " said Curtis. " We didn't originally want it this way, but we have been given no choice " " King Bobby has demanded this war " " There are people that want Crayon in other countries than Numeria " said Challenger. " There are Colourlandish women interested in him, why do you not want to invade Colourland ? " " Colourland is not a place we want to fight " said Curtis. " We would have to go against Colourlandish people which is not in our best interests " " Not in your best interests ? " asked Colourea. " You are aware of the partnership that the old ruler Colour King started are you not ? " asked Curtis. " Colour King stated that Colourland and Bird's Isle are allies first over other countries " " It has not ended " " But I thought Challenger ended it ? " asked Grackle. " Bird's Isle wanted it to continue " said Curtis. " King Bobby refused to end it " " But he isn't Colourlandish " said Crayon. " Not to mention that Colour King created the rule " " King Bobby saw the defeat of the Bear and he invited you all on this vacation due to it and he wanted war " said Curtis. " He knew that Crayon's abilities would help a lot " " His talent is spectacular " said a warrior. " Regardless of how good he is, we do not want to fight " said Colouruke. " Colouruke, your refusal is unacceptable " said Curtis. " We have offered a special meal before judgement " " Colouruke, you must understand " said a warrior. " These are the rules " " If you refuse judgement and our meals, you must fight " said Curtis. " So which is it ? " Our great meals and judgement or risk dying ? " So how does this judgement work exactly ? " asked Challenger. " The advisors will judge you together with the king and the queen " said Curtis. " They will vote on a punishment that is not an execution " " There will be warriors present as well, we have a giant courtroom ready for it " " It is a very big event " said a warrior. " You are not being executed plus you are given special meals " said Curtis. " You have an important decision to make " " The meals look tasty but we cannot face this " said Dove. " We will just make food ourselves instead " said Grackle. " You won't make it " said Curtis. " You will all regret this decision " " This will cost you "

Chapter 10 Curtis Wants Order, He's Going To Get It The advisors and the king were talking. " Right now, Challenger has failed Colourland " said Curtis. " Challenger could have gotten so much more for it " " Colourland needs Colour King, he did wonders for Colourland " " That's why King Bobby is a great king, he wanted a war that would have made Bird's Isle a better place " " Yeah, sure it's great already but the resources of Numeria are resources that would expand our current resources " " Colour King brought order to Colourland, King Bobby brings the same order here " " When Colour King is found, Colourlandish people will be thrilled " " Colourlandish people respected him so much, they loved seeing him lead " " When we bring Crayon and his friends to justice they need to know why they are in jail " " They refused a war that would have helped Bird's Isle, they brainwashed Warbler into not wanting to fight " " I cannot imagine what Blackburnian is going through as a brother right now since that Warbler is not fighting in a great war " " Anyways people in Bird's Isle know that they will be brought to justice and it will be justice that the whole island can enjoy " " Bird's Isle will be put first " After that speech, the other advisors began to talk. That speech was great " said Lord Grackle. " Everything made sense on such a high level " " We need you being with us " " Curtis, you have shown yourself to be a great advisor " said Blackburnian. " Colour King is said to be one the most respected, feared, praised leaders ever " said King Bobby. " Colourlandish people are happy when he invades places and wins wars " " Challenger is just not the same " " Colourland is a powerful country, the forces they have are great " said Queen Starling. " Colourlandish people are proud to be from there " " They are amazing " said Curtis. " Colour King always understood their abilities and used them " said King Bobby. " Challenger has never done so " " Yeah, he has not done that " said Diana. " He is not what we hoped at first " " Things are not always what they seem " said Queen Starling. The advisors headed to their respective areas. Lots of time passed after all of this. Crayon and his friends checked out of the hospital. " I wonder which advisor is next " said Colouruke. " I have no idea, but whoever it is they will be very strong " said Challenger. " Bakeries have helped us a lot " said Artby. " I will never stop going to them " " Well we could use something to eat " said Grackle. " Bakers always are amazing when it comes to that " said Artby. " Foodwise, they are top notch " " I never get tired of them " They found a bakery and they went there. " I am so glad to see you bakers " said Artby. " I will keep thanking every baker I see " " Bakers have done wonders for me and they have changed eating " They got their bread and left, after that they enjoyed their breakfast. " I love bakers " said Artby. " My love for bakers will never stop " " Love for bakers ? " asked Dove. " I have dreamed about bakers, loved bakers and always cared about bakers " said Artby. " I am a customer that cares " " Bakers sense that when I enter the bakery " " Dreamed about bakers ? " asked Crayon. " What kinds of dreams ? " I have always dreamed that bakers would save me " said Artby. " I am going to tell bakers that I am always dreaming about them " " I'm not sure how the bakers would feel about that " said Colouruke. " They love me as a customer, I must be a great customer to bakers all the time " said Artby. " I am destined to eat bread, it is my destiny " " Baking makes sure of this " " Destined to eat bread ? " asked Colourea. " He is " said Challenger. " When bakers see me as a customer, they are relieved " said Artby. " I have had so many dreams about bakers " " It is nice to have these dreams " " So many dreams ? " asked Grackle. " Bakers deserve a dream about them after all they have done for me " said Artby. " Dreaming about them is the right thing to do " " I will do the right thing " " It just might not be a good idea, I am not sure " said Colourea. " We will find out " said Colouruke. After that, they headed to train their attacks. Crayon charged more energy than usual and he was able to use the Sky Implosion for the first time. " Awesome " said Challenger. " Amazing to see " said Colourea. " Love it " said Artby. Artby and Colourea fired their Light Implosions. They hit with intense power. Warbler, Dove and Grackle fired their Wind Implosions which also hit with intense power. Colouruke used his Sea Implosion which hit with intense power. After that they were using their Bomb techniques. Crayon was able to charge for the Ultimate Sky Bomb and it exploded with insane power. " Whoa " said Colouruke. " Crayon has improved so much " said Grackle. " Crayon's the man " said Dove. " He really is " said Artby. " Bakers love having him in the bakeries " Crayon then showed the Ultimate Sky Blast which hit with intense power. Crayon then finally showed the Quintuple Sky Strike. " Crayon has gotten insanely powerful " said Challenger. " He sure has " said Colouruke. " He has improved " said Warbler. " I love Crayon " said Colourea. " Thanks, I love you as well " said Crayon. " Baking does a lot for Crayon " said Artby. " Bakers love the guy " Colouruke used his Ultimate Sea Blast and he combined it with Warbler's Ultimate Sky Blast which then combined for the Ultimate Hurricane Blast. The attack was insane. After all of that training they then headed back. Warriors were in Colourland. They continued searching for Colour King. They found more people that used to work for the king. They then reported to King Bobby that they found more people. The warriors continued searching through the country. While all of that was happening, the advisors were talking. " Curtis, you will fight Crayon and his friends " said King Bobby. " It is clear that they will not come willingly " said Blackburnian. " I am not sure what has gotten into Warbler these days " " He is not the same anymore " " I believe that Challenger has influenced him poorly " said Diana. " I do as well " said Curtis. " Warbler cannot have this happen to him at all " " Challenger must fight " said Lord Grackle. " Warriors will be there to bring them after Curtis wins the fight " said Queen Starling. " Now Curtis, it is time to head off " said Diana. " I will be glad to see you all again " said Curtis. " Challenger must face order " " Yes, he must " said Lord Grackle. " He has crossed the line " " He has failed Warbler " Curtis left. Curtis and the warriors were heading to Bird Port. Meanwhile Crayon and his friends were talking. " I will not forget to tell bakers that I am dreaming about bakers " said Artby. " I think it is good for them to know " " I hope that the bakers are okay with that " said Colouruke. " They know how good a customer I am " said Artby. " Bakers see things like that, after all they have done for me why shouldn't I dream about them ? " " It's great to be thinking of a baker " " The thing is that they might not feel sure about people dreaming about them like that " said Crayon. " Maybe they dream about me " said Artby. " You never know " " Possibly " said Grackle. " But they might not want you knowing that they are dreaming about you " " I will tell them that it is okay " said Artby. " It is okay to dream about me as a customer and it is okay for me to dream about bakers " " It is okay " " Bakers understand " " Well, we might need to find a different bakery if they are not okay with it " said Dove. " Or find somewhere else to get food " " I am always okay with bakers " said Artby. " Bakers know me, I know them " " Me as a customer and the baker have this common understanding of each other " " Common understanding ? " asked Crayon. " Yes " said Artby. " We understand each other as people " " Bakeries have known about it for a long time, bakers understand me as a person a lot now " " You will see this special understanding between baker and customer when we go next time " " Okay " said Colourea. " Bakers understand great customers who love their baking " said Artby. " Great customers understand how much work is put into their baking " " The customers then get to eat the delicious bread " " Well people do go to the bakeries and enjoy it " said Colouruke. Time passed and then it became nighttime. In the night, warriors were in Bird Port. Curtis was with the warriors. " So Curtis, you want us to fight which people ? " asked a warrior. " I will take on Challenger, Crayon, Colourea and Warbler " said Curtis. " The others you will fight " " Fighting all those four yourself ? " asked a warrior. " I am stronger than Draco significantly" said Curtis. " Challenger must face order for what he has done " " He cannot keep doing what he has done " " He must " said another warrior. " Challenger could have sent Crayon to war " " The thing I am really disappointed with is what happened to Warbler " said Curtis. " He fucked up " " I think that these friends of his are responsible for it " said a warrior. " The king says so " " King Bobby is right about that " said Curtis. " Maybe Warbler felt intimidated " " Warbler is strong, but fighting Challenger would probably be too much for him " said a warrior. " Yes, but Blackburnian is stronger than Challenger " said Curtis. " Anyways, Warbler will have a very serious decision to make " " The thing is though we are getting to a point where that Warbler has to make the decision for himself " said Curtis. " Regardless of the influence that Challenger has brought onto him " " The king will have something in store for him " said a warrior. " Yes " said Curtis. After that, Curtis and the warriors found a place for them to set up in Bird Port. " Here seems good for now " said Curtis. Curtis and the warriors went inside. It was approaching time for Crayon and his friends to get up and they did. " I've been looking forward to this for a long time now " said Artby. " Cannot wait to see how the bakers will feel since they know I am dreaming about them " " If they get too creeped out, we will leave " said Challenger. " Bakers cannot be creeped out by me " said Artby. " After all I have done as a customer, they know what I have done for them " " We haven't been to the Bird Port bakeries that much " said Colourea. " Bakers around the world know about me " said Artby. " I am a customer that they like to have " " Well, I hope they are not disturbed by it " said Colouruke. " Customers like me are the type of customer that I hope bakeries can have lots of " said Artby. " Well the bakers would probably like that " said Crayon. " Anyways Artby, I hope you don't make the dream extreme you are telling bakers " The dreams will be about baking bread " said Artby. " I will tell them about how much I dream about bakers baking bread which is great for the baker " " Well let's go " said Warbler. " They went to the bakery where Artby then started talking to the bakers about how much he dreamed about them baking bread. " I dream about you bakers baking bread " said Artby. " The flour you use to bake it, I dream about that flour " " The way that you use the ovens, I dream of ovens like that " " There was such tasty bread baking I have always dreamed about it " " That's the dream I had " " Uh " said the baker. " You are a great baker " said Artby. " I love your baking " " Thanks " said the baker. Artby got the bread. He thanked every baker which he has started on a regular base. He also said that he will never forget bakers. " Well that dream was something, I'm glad that you like bread so much " said a baker. " I love it, bakeries are great for what they do " said Artby. " Thanks " said the baker. They got their bread and left. " Well, that went better than it could have " said Colouruke. " That's true " said Challenger. " It shows the baker and customer relationship " said Artby. " When customers dream of bread baking it helps bakers " " The dream helps bakers in what way ? asked Colourea. " Bakers feel truly appreciated " said Artby. " When a customer such as myself is dreaming about bread " " Well it would explain things " said Crayon. " It does " said Artby. They went back and ate their breakfast. " This is so good " said Artby. " It sure is " said Dove. After they enjoyed their breakfast, they continued their usual training. Challenger showed them the Lightning Implosion. " Amazing " they all said. " Now " said Challenger. " This is the Super Thunderstorm technique " " Challenger charged tons of electrical energy and the technique released. " Wow " said Crayon. " I remember Easeion using the basic one " " This one is way stronger " said Colouruke. " We are ready for Curtis and Lord Grackle with that power " said Crayon. " Now the rest of us need to get stronger " said Colourea. " Yes, we will do that " said Warbler. " For sure " said Dove. Colourea charged her Light Implosion while Crayon used his Sky Implosion. The attacks hit with lots of power. Warbler used his Wind Implosion while Grackle and Dove used theirs, also with power. " This is amazing " said Artby. Artby used his own Light Implosion while Colouruke used the Sea Implosion. After that Crayon used his Ultimate Sky Bomb while Challenger used his Ultimate Lightning Bomb. The bombs hit each other and the power was absolutely insane. " Wow " said Colouruke. " I love Crayon " said Colourea. " Crayon has gotten so strong " " The two of them together fighting, we can stop these advisors " said Warbler. " My brother is very strong though " " Right now I think they will send in either Lord Grackle or Curtis " said Challenger. Artby used his Quintuple Light Strike while Colouruke used his Quintuple Sea Strike. Grackle, Dove and Warbler used their Quintuple Wind Strikes. The strikes hit with intense power. They finished their training and they went inside.

Chapter 7 King Bobby's Justice King Bobby was talking with the other remaining advisors again. " Now as you may know, Colour King was the previous leader of Colourland " said King Bobby. " I do remember him " said Lord Grackle. " He was a powerful leader " said Queen Starling. " We have sent people to Colourland to search for him there " said King Bobby. " We need to know the condition that he is in because we need him alive " said Curtis. " We also have warriors at Grackle's place " said Blackburnian. " We will conduct searches through their place for anything that could have made them not want to fight " " If there is anyone who opposes Crayon fighting, they must be arrested " said Curtis. " Crayon must end up fighting, it is very important " " Yes, he must fight " said Blackburnian. " Our warriors are ready for anyone, if they do not come willingly " said Diana. " They are great, I am always proud of them " said King Bobby. " The warriors will do what they need to do " said Curtis. " Me and them will be leaving " said Blackburnian. " I don't trust Grackle or Dove " " Same here " said Diana. " They are not to be trusted, they are more likely to be responsible for Crayon and his friends not fighting " said Blackburnian. " Warbler must fight " " Now time for me to go " " See you later " said King Bobby. " We know you will find them " Blackburnian and several warriors went to Grackle and Dove's place. " Seems pretty normal to me but we cannot be so sure " said Blackburnian. " Yeah, we can never be too sure " said a warrior. The warriors were able to knock down an opening and one of them let the others in. " So what do we have here " said a warrior. " We appear to see a pretty normal house " said Blackburnian. " Should we contact Challenger " " King Bobby has his number and has given it to the advisors " " Might as well " said a warrior. Challenger got up and he recieved a call from a number. " Wonder who this is ? " thought Challenger. " Challenger, we should talk " said Blackburnian. " What is going on ? " asked Challenger. " Well, the thing is that I am at Grackle and Dove's place " said Blackburnian. " We have been searching the place just to be sure " " Sure of what ? " asked Challenger. " Well we want to see if anything that prevented Crayon from fighting in the war is here " said Blackburnian. " Is anyone else here ? " " Nobody at all " said Challenger. " King Bobby is very upset right now " said Blackburnian. " We will keep searching here " " We will find out what is going on " " What do you expect to find ? " asked Challenger. " Perhaps there are books or papers that are against the war " said Blackburnian. " If so, they must be removed " " We cannot have anyone reading that " " Books against the war ? " asked Challenger. " We will search the books " said Blackburnian. " Anyways Challenger, hopefully the questioning will happen soon " " See you later " Blackburnian picked up a book but he did not find any books against the war. " So should we take anything here ? " asked a warrior. " There is nothing against the war here " said Blackburnian. " We must report to King Bobby right now " " Yes, we must tell the king " said a warrior. Blackburnian and the warriors reported back to King Bobby and they were not able to find anything that was against the war. " Well, that is disappointing " said King Bobby. " It is " said Blackburnian. " Hopefully our warriors can find Colour King " said Curtis. " I talked to Challenger " said Blackburnian. " He claimed that nobody was with him " " He probably lied " said Curtis. " He doesn't seem interested in the war " " We have his number " said Lord Grackle. " King Bobby did give it to us " " Do you have the number of the others ? " asked Diana. " We only have Challenger and Warbler " said King Bobby. " We really should contact Warbler privately " " Sounds like a plan " said Blackburnian. " Maybe if he is alone, he will explain " said Curtis. " Yes, that sounds like him " said Blackburnian. " Warbler will explain what is going on " " I know he will do so " Time passed, Crayon and his friends checked out of the hospital and they just got out. King Bobby called Warbler. " Warbler, we need to talk right now " said King Bobby. " What is going on, King Bobby " said Warbler. " Warbler, I am concerned " said King Bobby. " You know how much Blackburnian wants you fighting with him in this war " " So for this questioning, where would you meet us ? " asked Warbler. " We will bring to a special court " said King Bobby. " Warbler, I want to believe that you want war but these friends you have made do not want that " " You know your brother and the rest of us want war and the news does " " I am aware of all of this " said Warbler. " Good " said King Bobby. " We are sending warriors to Bird Port " " We know that you refused to fight our advisors so you might be innocent in this issue " " But the thing is that the friends you chose to make put us in this position which is tough " " It is not what we hoped but this is how it must be " " I understand " said Warbler. " Good, glad you do " said King Bobby. " Anyways, I have to go but we will see you soon " " See you later " said Warbler. Crayon, Colourea, Colouruke, Artby, Dove and Grackle went to get bread at the bakery. " It is great to see bakers again, I will thank each baker like I usually do " said Artby. Artby thanked every baker. " Bakers make us better people " said Artby. " Bakeries have done wonders for us " They got their bread and left. They were sent a message by Challenger and they headed there. " Me and Warbler were staying here while you were in the hospital recovering " said Challenger. " Blackburnian contacted me " " Why ? " asked Colouruke. " He and warriors of Bird's Isle snuck into Grackle and Dove's place and they were looking for anything that could make us against the war " said Challenger. " What " said Dove. " Nothing inside that place will do that " said Grackle. " King Bobby contacted me " said Warbler. " He says that there is this court that exists " " Court ? " asked Artby. " For the questioning " said Warbler. " He says that Blackburnian wants me to fight in the war and he says that the rest of us do not want war " " Well he is right about us not wanting it, but I think that King Bobby is planning something " said Colourea. " It looks that way " said Crayon. " He believes that Warbler wants to fight it seems but that his friends don't want him fighting " said Dove. " But Warbler didn't side with Paula and Salvador " said Grackle. " I think that Blackburnian will believe that no matter what " said Crayon. " True " said Challenger. " Let's go inside " said Artby. They enjoyed their breakfast. After they ate, they then started training where Challenger was showing them his lightning techniques. " Crayon, have you seen lightning techniques ? " asked Challenger. " From Easeion, I have " said Crayon. " Now, I am going to show you something special " said Challenger. " Lightning Implosion " The implosion went off with insane power. " Wow " said Colouruke. " We should continue training " said Colourea. " Yeah, we should do so " said Warbler. Crayon used his Light Implosion, Colouruke used his Sea Implosion, Warbler used his Wind Implosion and Challenger used his Lightning Implosion. The implosions hit each other and there was a huge combined blast. " Amazing " said Grackle and Dove. " We will stop King Bobby with this " said Artby. " We will need to keep up training " said Crayon. " It is hard to say which advisor is next " Grackle and Dove combined their Ultimate Wind Bombs while Warbler and Crayon used their Ultimate Wind Blasts. The attacks hit each other. Artby, Colourea and Crayon combined their Light Implosions together creating a new superattack called the Burning Sun Implosion which had insane power. " Glad to see " said Challenger. " It is truly marvelous " said Colouruke. " Yeah, bakers would love this " said Artby. " They would be proud " They continued training their blasts and their bombs for a while. Draco and Rourke were talking. " King Bobby will have some great justice " said Draco. " He sure will " said Rourke. " Challenger has much to learn " said Draco. " He's no Colour King " said Rourke. " Colour King is so much better than him " " I really hope he is brought back " said Draco. " Well we need to find Crayon and his friends " said Rourke. " They need justice " said Draco. " This cannot continue, it is a joke " " I'm not sure what has gotten into Warbler these days but it is a shame " said Rourke. " Perhaps Dove and Grackle are responsible for this " " King Bobby had a talk with him I heard " said Draco. " I am hoping that he would listen to our king and not any bad friend " said Rourke. " Friends cannot go against these wars " " These wars are too important " " We must search Bird Port for them " said Draco. " Yes, we must go there " said Rourke. " They will likely be there " " Crayon and his friends have to explain what started this " said Draco. The warriors that King Bobby arrived in Colourland and they were searching for Colour King. " So this is Colourland " said the first warrior. " Now it is time for Colour King to be revealed " said the second warrior. " Colourland has deserved him since the beginning " said the third warrior. " Colour King is better than Challenger " The warriors then continued searching for Colour King where they found the place that Challenger worked. The warriors took pictures and sent it to King Bobby. " So this is the main office of Challenger " said King Bobby. " Well maybe you will find Colour King around somewhere " " We will check the old Bear hideout as well " said a warrior. " Maybe Colour King supported them " said King Bobby. " I don't think they did, but who knows " " It is worth a try " They headed to the hideout which was inside this forest. " The place appears completely deserted " said a warrior. " There is a message here " said a second warrior. The message read this: The father of the Smithson family named Brett has taken everyone and left. We will start a new beginning with the Bear. If you are still remaining make sure to contact me at this number here 416-678-4003 and you will able to make it to where the rest of us are. It is sad what happened to our members. " A new beginning " said the warrior. " Well the Bear did not like Challenger but King Bobby was happy at first that Crayon and his friends won " said the second warrior. " Maybe it was Blackin and Blackina that King Bobby did not like ? " asked the third warrior. " King Bobby is a great king but we should search through this hideout " said the fourth warrior. " Yes, we should do that " said the first warrior. They searched through the hideout and they saw a book here. They opened it. It seems to describe the dream wedding that Blackin was going to throw for Blackina " said a warrior. " Blackina must mean everything for him " said the second warrior. " Anyways look for more " said the third warrior. They did not find Colour King but they found a lot of things that showed Blackin's love for Blackina. They sent the number to King Bobby who then sent it to his advisors and Queen Starling. One warrior was able to find some Colourlandish who worked for Colour King but they could not find him. The warriors all headed back to King Bobby. " So you found this Brett guy and previous people working for Colour King " said King Bobby. " I'm not sure much about this father of the Smithsons but I do know that the Bear opposed Challenger so maybe they know something about Colour King " said Queen Starling. " It is worth a try " said Blackburnian. King Bobby called the number of Brett. Brett answered the call. " Hello " said Brett. " Do you know about Colour King ? " asked King Bobby. " Colour King ? " asked Brett. " I don't know much about him but I know my sons and daughter fought against a man named Crayon who was close to Challenger. " Unfortunately they could not beat him " " If you see him, let us know " said King Bobby. " Yes " said Brett. " Easeion does not like Challenger at all " " Maybe he has an idea where Colour King is " said King Bobby. " I'm not sure, I don't think he knows much about him but it is worth a try " said Brett. " Anyways, I have got to get going " " He doesn't appear to know much about Colour King " said King Bobby. " But he seemed to not like Challenger for what he did to his sons " " People are tiring of Challenger for different reasons it seems " said Curtis. " Perhaps we can use this to our advantage " " Yeah, that is true " said Diana. " My brother Warbler fought against those guys so I'm not sure that they will help us " said Blackburnian. " Yeah, I wouldn't bet on it " said Diana. " To be fair, the Bear wanted to take over Colourland so I don't think they particularly like Colour King " said Lord Grackle. " They wanted everything for Blackin and Blackina but maybe it had to do with Challenger as well " " Time will tell " said Diana. " It really matters not, Colour King and King Bobby are a lot stronger so if the Bear refuses we will be fine " " Draco and Rourke are going to bring Crayon and his friends to justice " said King Bobby. " The friend who is responsible will be revealed to Bird's Isle " " Bird's Isle hates that friend " " Yes, any friend who does what they have done is a disgrace " said Blackburnian. " Crayon should be embarrassed to have any friend like that " Crayon and his friends had been training for a long time, they finished the training. They then had supper which they enjoyed. After that, Crayon was kissing Colourea. The others were talking. " Challenger, have you noticed how happy Crayon is? " asked Artby. " Well, I have no idea to be honest " said Challenger. " The bakers helped him out so much, bakeries have always wanted Crayon to be happier " said Artby. " The flour has allowed Crayon to be himself in a special way around Colourea " " A special way of being himself ? " asked Dove. " Bakeries have allowed us to be ourselves more " said Artby. " I have thanked bakers every time I go because they have done that for Crayon " " Bakeries do that ? " asked Grackle. " If you talk to any baker, they will tell you which bread makes you sexier " said Artby. " Bread can make someone very sexy " " Bakers know about it " " What the fuck " said Challenger. " I have never seen a baker do that " said Colouruke. " Same here " said Grackle. " When I talk to bakers, conversations that have not happened before now can happen " said Artby. " Baking is so wonderful " " I love these new conversations " " How would a baker create these conversations ? " asked Warbler. " The flour allows bakers to have conversation with people that is a new conversation " said Artby. " Artby " said Colouruke. " Yes Colouruke " said Artby. " Artby, what the fuck " said Colouruke. " Bread has helped Crayon with these new special conversations that he has with Colourea " said Artby. " So what are these conversations ? " asked Warbler. " Crayon knows how he is " " Bakers can make people feel better " " I love bakers " " Well, that is something " said Dove. " It really is " said Warbler. " I am just lost " said Crayon. " Same here " said Grackle. " Grackle, you know about bakers " said Artby. " Baking is so useful and we can feel better " " Bakers want Crayon feeling that way, it shows they care about him " " I am not sure what they will think of what you are saying " said Challenger. " All of this is very random " " Well, we should be probably getting to bed soon " " That is a good idea " said Warbler. " See you all in the morning " said Challenger. After all of that, they went to their seperate rooms. Later on they went to bed. Morning came and King Bobby was with his advisors. " Draco and Rourke should have no problems with those traitors " said King Bobby. " I wanted war, they will regret it " said Blackburnian. " I hope my brother Warbler can learn from this, he must think more about the people he is hanging out with " " Justice will come " " Warbler will be able to learn from this " said Curtis. " Warbler is a great guy but these friends are letting him down " " The friend who is responsible must know what they are doing is terrible " said Diana. " There must be some understand of that " " I would think so " said King Bobby. " It is intentional " " Warbler has not been hanging out with the friends that have been great " said Blackburnian. " These friends have not been the friends we have wanted them to be " " We would not expect this at first " " We expected better and we did not get that " said King Bobby. " Challenger has a lot to learn as a leader " said Queen Starling. " No leader would allow one friend to influence the group like this " " It is unacceptable " " Colour King was better " said King Bobby. " If he was there, Crayon would be fighting in the war right now " " He would not tolerate any friend getting in the way " " It would have given the chance for Crayon to be a hero again " said Lord Grackle. " It is a shame that he ruined that from happening " " Crayon being heroic does matter " " Colourea would love Crayon even more if that were to be true " said Blackburnian. " Unless Colourea is responsible ? " " I suspect that Grackle or Dove is more likely but we cannot guarantee " said Diana. " I know it is not Warbler " " Warbler is the least likely, I know my brother " said Blackburnian. " Crayon will have to deal with what happens to him thanks to what is happening " " That is true " said King Bobby. " We will get the justice we need " " There is no getting away from us " " Anyways, you are all dismissed "

Chapter 9 The Fight Rourke then got ready with his Ultimate Wind Bomb while Draco used his Ultimate Wind Blast. Crayon used his Ultimate Light Bomb while Dove used her Ultimate Wind Bomb. The attacks collided with each other. Rourke got up and used his Ultimate Wind Blast and Draco used his own. Crayon then used his Light Implosion to counter. " The attacks that use are good but they are not enough " said Rourke. " Challenger needs to fight " said Draco. " If not, there is no chance " " There is a chance, we can win " said Artby. " I would love to see you try " said Draco. " You will not succeed " " We will, we'll do it for bakers " said Artby. " I'll always fight for a baker and bakeries always " " Bring it on " said Rourke. " Crayon and his friends will be taken down " said Draco. Rourke then used his Wind Implosion while Draco used his Ultimate Wind Bomb. The attacks combined and a giant wind explosion went off. Artby got up and used his Ultimate Light Blast while Colourea used her own. The attacks hit. Draco got up and he then charged for his Wind Implosion while Crayon used his Light Implosion to counter. After all of that, Rourke then charged his Wind Implosion and aimed it towards Artby. " Take this " yelled Rourke. Artby was hit straight head on, Crayon then used the Quintuple Light Strike and he hit Draco with it. Warbler then used the Ultimate Wind Blast while Dove used her own and the blasts then hit Rourke. Rourke got up and he then used his Wind Implosion while Colouruke used his Sea Implosion. The implosions collided with each other. Draco then used his Ultimate Wind Blast and he hit Dove with it. Dove was starting to slightly struggle, she then used the Ultimate Wind Bomb against Rourke who used the Ultimate Wind Blast. The attacks collided. Draco then grabbed Dove and threw her down to the ground. " Noooo " said Warbler. " Warbler, you will regret it " said Rourke. " We gave you a chance to fight in the war with your brother " " You ruined that chance Warbler, with you failing to go to war " said Draco. " Do you have any idea how he feels right now " " But, I don't want to fight " said Warbler. " But why not Warbler " said Rourke. " King Bobby wants you to fight, Blackburnian your brother wants you to fight " " You could have fought together in the war as brothers " said Draco. " Warbler means so much to the advisors, he is going to fight " said Rourke. " He is fighting " said Draco. " No friend will get in the way of this " Draco and Rourke then charged their Wind Implosions while Warbler and Crayon charged theirs. The attacks hit with tons of power. Dove was about to get up but Rourke then grabbed her. " Now it is your end " said Rourke. " You will regret not going to war against Numeria for sure " " Numerians must be fought against " Draco and Rourke combined their Tenfold Wind Strikes into the Times Twenty Wind Strike blasting down Dove and defeating her. " Now that is the price you must pay " said Draco. " There is no stopping this " Rourke then aimed the Ultimate Wind Bomb towards Colouruke while Warbler aimed his towards Draco. The attacks hit their targets. Warbler then rushed Rourke with his Quintuple Wind Strike while Rourke used his Ultimate Wind Blast. The attacks collided with each other, Artby then used the Ultimate Light Blast against Draco while Draco used his Wind Implosion. The attacks collided, Artby was starting to slightly struggle. " Now, it's time for the flour to do its trick " said Artby. " Flour ? " asked Colouruke. " Flour has done wonders when I fight " said Artby. " Flour makes us stronger " " I have limited the lack of flour " " C'mon " said Rourke. " Rourke, flour makes me a better fighter " said Artby. " Flour is helping " " I really doubt that " said Draco. " Bakeries have always wanted me to fight for their bakers " said Artby. " They put special flour in the bread to make be a better fighter " " Bakers show that they care a lot " " Flour's great " " Artby, I know you took some hits in the fight but flour ? " asked Rourke. " Rourke, bakers do so much for me " said Artby. " Did you know that the bread makes us better ? " " We get better " " Uh, well I think that is not just flour " said Crayon. " Hahahahahaha " said Rourke and Draco. " Okay, I really think you are trying to mess with us " " I would think so " said Draco. " No, I'm better thanks to bread now " said Artby. " Before bread I was not " " You cannot stop us this way " said Rourke. " We are not falling for this " " Yes, we will not be taken down by any of this " said Draco. " They like that from their customers so much, I love bakers " said Artby. " You won't be for much longer " said Rourke. " Yes, Artby will be defeated so no more for him " said Draco. " Baking can change us " said Artby. " Baking is so wonderful " " Let's continue the fight " said Draco. " Good idea " said Rourke. " We must win this fight for the king " " Bakers want me to win " said Artby. Draco then used his Ultimate Wind Blast and Rourke used his Ultimate Wind Bomb. He aimed the attacks at Artby while Colourea used the Light Implosion and Artby used the Ultimate Light Bomb. The attacks hit with intense power. Colouruke then used the Sea Implosion while Rourke countered with the Wind Implosion, the attacks collided with each other. After that Colouruke used his Sea Implosion while Warbler used his Wind Implosion, Draco and Rourke countered with their own Wind Implosions. The attacks collided with each other. They all got up, Rourke then hit down Artby with his Tenfold Wind Strike. Artby was seriously struggling while Colouruke was slightly struggling. " Artby you are finished " said Rourke. " I am not, I won't let the bakeries down " said Artby. " I will not die " " I cannot quit on a baker " " Well, I'm not too sure about that " said Draco. " I'm not dying, the bakeries will truly be hurt " said Artby. " Artby, you chose to fight us instead of face the justice that the king wanted " said Rourke. " When you fight advisors of the king, this is going to happen " " You made this decision, if you wanted more bread you would have fought in the war " said Draco. " You would have gotten paid to fight and with advisors fighting in the war you wouldn't have died at all " " This mistake will cost everything " " You know that for sure ? " asked Colouruke. " We do, the king has said that you would have not died in the war " said Rourke. " The king does believe in the people who are going to fight " " He doesn't think that they will die " " The king is right " said Draco. " He believes in us a lot instead of thinking that we will die " " I do like that about him " " Anyways we should continue to fight " " Bring it on " said Crayon. Artby then was charging for the Light Implosion and Colouruke was charging for the Sea Implosion. Draco and Rourke used their Wind Implosions. The attacks hit each other, they all took damage. Colouruke was struggling, Artby was defeated. " Now, you must really understand how it is going to be " said Rourke. " Colouruke, you are next " said Draco. " King Bobby is having justice no matter what happens " " We would have preferred to have you face judgement but this will have to do " said Rourke. " The king will get what he wants " " We will continue fighting " said Colourea. " Yes, we will give it everything " said Crayon. " Let's resume this fight then " said Draco. The fight continued. Rourke and Draco aimed their Ultimate Wind Bombs while Crayon used his Wind Implosion and Colouruke used his Ultimate Sea Bomb. The attacks hit each other and they collided. Colouruke was getting near the end. " Colouruke you are finished " said Rourke. " Now it will be down to the strongest three " said Draco. " Colouruke can still fight " said Crayon. " It's not over, I will not give up " said Colouruke. Colouruke charged up his Sea Implosion while Colourea charged up his Light Implosion, the implosions aimed at Draco. Draco and Rourke used their Wind Implosions again. Colouruke was defeated while Colourea was starting to slightly struggle. Colourea got up and used the Quintuple Light Strike and directly hit Rourke. Draco then used his Ultimate Wind Blast directly on Warbler. After all of that, Warbler then used the Ultimate Wind Bomb while Rourke countered with his own. After all of this Rourke and Draco used their Ultimate Wind Bombs while Colourea used her Ultimate Light Bomb and Warbler used his Ultimate Wind Blast. The attacks all collided with each other. Warbler and Colourea were struggling while Rourke was starting to slightly struggle. " Well you are a bit stronger than we thought " said Draco. " It isn't enough " said Rourke. " We will still be able to win for the king " Rourke then grabbed Colourea while Draco then kicked her to the ground. Crayon tried to get in the way but Rourke punched him. Draco then was charging up for the Wind Implosion, Rourke then kept moving around Crayon and Warbler which made it difficult to stop Draco. Draco launched the attack, Crayon attempted to try to take the hit. Rourke then punched him. " Warbler won't be able to take it " said Crayon. " I like the guy more than the rest of you but he must not side with any of you " said Rourke. " He cannot side with friends that are not the friends that want this war " " Yes, this war means a lot " said Draco. The attack directly hit Colourea, Colourea was hardly able to move. Rourke then went to finish her off with his Tenfold Wind Strike but Warbler used his Ultimate Wind Blast to counter. At this point Rourke was struggling while Colourea and Warbler were very near the end. " Listen to me Crayon " said Draco. " There is something you must know " " What is that ? " asked Crayon. " You know of Colour King " said Draco. " Colour King ? " asked Crayon. " He is gone " " Don't be so sure, the king has said that he is not " said Draco. " Well he has been gone for so long now " said Crayon. " Our warriors have found people that used to work for him " said Draco. " He is not dead " " Regardless if he is alive or not, he is still missing " said Crayon. " Challenger is going to continue being the leader of Colourland regardless " " Colour King will return to Colourland, let's keep fighting " said Rourke. " Yes, let's do so " said Crayon. Draco and Rourke grabbed land then threw him down. After that Draco then was charging his Ultimate Wind Blast and aimed it towards Colourea, Crayon used his Light Implosion. The attacks hit their targets. " Noooo " said Crayon. " Haha " said Draco. " Challenger failed as a leader to get you to fight " " Get me to fight ? " asked Crayon. King Bobby would have not done that " said Draco. " He knows that you need to fight, he would have made sure you fought " " But we don't want to fight, it has nothing to do with Challenger " said Crayon. " We told you that you would not die in the war " said Draco. " Lord Grackle wants the resources that Numeria has " " These resources are great " " Think of Bird's Isle " " But what does that have to do with anything " said Crayon. " It makes Bird's Isle a nicer place Crayon, the king likes it that way " said Draco. " If Bird's Isle has better resources there will be more money and food " said Rourke. " Crayon are you really against that ? " You cannot be against Bird's Isle eating " " I am not against that but taking everything from the Numerians ? " asked Crayon. " Not to mention what else could happen because of that " " Yes " said Draco. " That is what Lord Grackle has wanted " " Whether he wants these resources or not then you are on our own " said Crayon. " Let's continue the fight " Crayon got ready with his Wind Implosion while Rourke used his. The attacks collided with each other. Rourke was struggling a lot same with Warbler. Rourke and Warbler then rushed for each other but Rourke was able to get Warbler and punch him to the ground while Draco kicked him. Crayon then aimed for Rourke and directly hit him with the Ultimate Wind Blast. Rourke and Warbler were defeated and it was just Draco. " Warbler is done, he has improved but it was not enough " said Draco. " Now it is just us " " I still have to commend you for stopping Rourke which I was not expecting without Challenger fighting " " Challenger has confidence in us, he has shown to be right " said Crayon. " We have trained hard " " We will continue " said Draco. " Now for my new technique " " New technique ? " asked Crayon. " Ultimate Sky Blast " said Draco. Crayon launched his Light Implosion but Draco launched the Ultimate Sky Blast. Both of them were hit by it. " Now you will see my other Sky techniques " said Draco. Draco used his Ultimate Sky Bomb and aimed it at Crayon while Crayon used his Wind Implosion. The attacks collided against each other. Draco then used his Tenfold Sky Strike. The strike hit with tons of power. Crayon then hit Draco with his Ultimate Light Blast. Draco was about to charge for his strongest attack the Sky Implosion. Crayon then used his Light Implosion. The Sky Implosion was an attack with power that was never seen from one person. " Hahahahaha " said Draco. " Challenger's time to fight is very soon " " He will fight " " Don't bet on it " said Crayon. " I will " said Draco. " We should continue " said Crayon. Crayon then charged up his Wind Implosion while Draco used the Sky Implosion. Both of them took damage, Crayon got up and he hit Draco with the Quintuple Light Strike. Draco was slightly struggling but he then used the Ultimate Sky Bomb while Crayon used the Ultimate Wind Bomb. The attacks hit and both of them took damage but Crayon took more. Crayon got up and he used the Light Implosion while Draco used the Tenfold Sky Strike. The attacks collided and both of them took damage. Crayon and Draco were approaching the end. Crayon then used his Light Implosion while Draco used his Sky Implosion. The attacks hit and both fighters took quite a bit of damage. Both of them were seriously struggling but Crayon was able to get up first and he used the Ultimate Light Blast which was able to seal the victory. " Nice " said Grackle. " Not to mention without Challenger fighting " " It is great " said Crayon. " We need to call for a hospital right away " said Challenger. " Yeah, sounds great to me " said Crayon. They contacted the hospital, meanwhile King Bobby and his advisors were feeling unsure about Draco and Rourke. " Could this really be " said Curtis. " I do not understand, Salvador wasn't the strongest but Draco and Rourke have too much skill " said King Bobby. " We are going to need to be very ruthless " There are changes that need to be made " said Lord Grackle. " We must get tougher on Challenger " said Blackburnian. " He has destroyed my chance at being in the war with my brother Warbler " " I cannot forgive this " " I will get my revenge against him, Warbler would have fought if it wasn't for him " " Challenger has failed to live up to the expectation that Colour King previously set " said Queen Starling. " Challenger just does not get it " said Curtis. " The resources that Numeria has are very useful, Colour King always recognized them " said Lord Grackle. " Why does Challenger refuse this war, it does not make sense " " I do not know why " said Queen Starling. " It is a war we like " " Challenger does not care about making Colourland or Bird's Isle a better country " said King Bobby. " I really hate having to say it but he has shown us that " " Well he's no King Bobby " said Queen Starling. " Well nobody is, but Colour King was the closest to me in the sense that he understood what it meant to lead Colourland " said King Bobby. " That is true " said Curtis. " So what is the plan for now ? " " Our warriors will head to Bird Port and we will continue searching for Colour King in Colourland " said King Bobby. " We will stay here for the time being " " Sounds good to me " said Blackburnian. " Colour King will be found " " He will " said King Bobby. " I believe in him being alive " The warriors were sent to Bird Port and Colourland. Challenger and his friends checked into the hospital.

✧ ✦ ✧ What determines a person's worth? It's such a simple question on the outside, but there's any number of ways that you can answer it. Of course it comes down to a difference of opinion depending on who you ask. Some people measure their worth in the number of accomplishments they can achieve in their lifetime, or how much money they're able to make. Others might find value in how many connections they can establish, and the number of friends that they can bring to their side. I suppose I should introduce myself before I go any further. My name is Itsuka Ren, and I'm an average high school student from Japan. Well I guess average isn't entirely the right word. The Kanji character for my given name Ren is "廉" which means "a pure heart" in Japanese. My mother was an American, and I spent time in both countries in my early childhood. As a result, I was fluent in both the English and Japanese languages. I came to live in Japan full time after my mother passed away. My father always told me that a person's worth was decided from the moment they were born, and that it couldn't be changed no matter what they accomplished. If somebody were trash they were always going to be, and he had that particular opinion of me. Even so, I want to change. I had always thought that to myself, and internalized those words in every action I took. I can't say that I was always the most well-behaved kid. Regardless of my background, I was short-tempered and prone to disagreement. Taking my home environment into account, I definitely could have ended up worse. That aside, I never applied myself to the best of my ability. In the back of my mind I was always going to be worthless. Can a person truly change? I wasn't certain if they could. I had always believed that if I tried hard enough, things might work out for the best. That I might be able to shake the label placed on my chest by the people around me. Delinquent . Outcast. Disappointment. I had heard it all. Perhaps they were right, but my spirit didn't allow me to just accept things as they were. There had to be a way out of the hand I'd been dealt. I've spent every day since I was 6 years old trying to run away from who I was, but each time I found that my past had a funny way of sneaking up on me. Jean de La Fontaine once said: "A person often meets their destiny on the road he took to avoid it". The more I continued to run, the closer I came to discovering who exactly I was supposed to be.

Chapter 12 Curtis and the Warriors " Now it is time " said Curtis. " I will fight Challenger, Crayon, Colourea and Warbler. " My warriors will deal with the others " " I am ready " said Artby. " I will take you down " said a warrior. The warriors then started getting ready with their Wind Strikes, Artby then charged for his Ultimate Light Blast. The blast was strong and knocked the warriors down but one grabbed Dove. Dove and the warrior were kicking each other. After that, Dove then used the Quadruple Wind Strike and hit the warrior head on. Grackle launched his Ultimate Wind Bomb while Colouruke used his Ultimate Sea Bomb, the bombs combined to create the Ultimate Hurricane Bomb which had an intense amount of power and it blasted down the warriors. " What the " said a warrior. " Man, that does it " said another warrior. " Baking and training does so much " said Artby. One warrior was defeated. The warriors then all got ready with their Super Wind Strikes but Artby used his Light Implosion which was just too strong and the warriors were starting to slightly struggle. They got up and then they used a combined kicking attack directly on Grackle. They surrounded Grackle and they were about to all use their Super Wind Bombs while Colouruke used his Ultimate Sea Blast and Artby used his Ultimate Light Blast which created an attack called Ultimate Bright Ocean Blast. The blast was insanely strong, a giant explosion happened. Everyone was hit by it. The warriors looked almost finished. The warriors were able to get up and they charged their Super Wind Blasts while Grackle and Dove used their respective Wind Implosions which combined to the Sky Implosion which was too powerful and the warriors were defeated. Curtis then used his Ultmate Sky Blast while Crayon used his Ultimate Sky Blast and Warbler used his Ultimate Wind Blast. The attacks collided with each other. Curtis got up and he rushed towards Challenger with his Ultimate Sky Bomb while Challenger used his Ultimate Lightning Bomb. The bombs hit and both of them took damage. " It is a real shame that war did not happen " said Curtis. " Unfortunately now order must happen " " War would have brought wonders to the island " " This is a great war " " Wonders ? " asked Challenger. " The resources would have been great for us " said Curtis. " Lord Grackle loves these resources " " What resources do you want ? " asked Colourea. " Well they have good corn " said Curtis. " The king wants a lot of metals as well " " The king will expand Bird's Isle by doing this, he will make it a better place " " People will want to go to Bird's Isle more " " A better place ? " asked Crayon. " Yes " said Curtis. " You could have been part of it, Crayon " " Colouruke is a part of the problem " " He has not supported this war " " You are blaming him ? " asked Colourea. " But it's not just him " " Colouruke has not shown himself to be the hero we thought he was " said Curtis. " The king is not happy with him right now " " Right now, he thinks the highest of Warbler of your group " " The king believes he is a great guy " " Why him ? " asked Crayon. " He is the brother of Blackburnian " said Curtis. " The king has a lot of respect for Blackburnian, so he supports Warbler a lot " " But he doesn't want to fight " said Challenger. " I hope Blackburnian understands " said Warbler. " Warbler, don't do this " said Curtis. " He is hurt by that " " Don't do this to him " " But he doesn't want to fight in this war " said Crayon. " But that is not what his brother wants " said Curtis. " Blackburnian wants him to join the war with him " " You must understand that " " Regardless of him wanting to fight ? " asked Colourea. " Warbler, you have a great brother " said Curtis. " Blackburnian's great " " I love the man, Warbler is lucky to have a brother like that " " Despite Warbler not wanting to fight ? " asked Challenger. " Yes " said Curtis. " We should continue the fight since you are not willing to accept our meals and face justice " " The king will not stand for this " " The king doesn't like what you have done " " King Bobby is a great king, I will make sure that he gets his way " " Let's start this fight " said Challenger. Challenger charged for his Lightning Implosion while Curtis countered with his Sky Implosion. The implosions collided. They both got up. Curtis then hit Warbler with his Ultimate Sky Blast. Warbler got up but Curtis then grabbed him and threw him down. " It really is a shame you know " said Curtis. " Your brother Blackburnian is a great guy " " It is a shame that you were influenced poorly, Warbler " " You are a great guy and you show a lot of kindness " " I do what is right " said Warbler. " Unfortunately these friends have went against the war " said Curtis. " He doesn't want to fight " said Colourea. " Colourea, it is because you put this on him " said Curtis. " I had thought better, but I was wrong " " This is a shame " " It isn't her fault, Curtis " said Crayon. " But all of you are responsible in one way " said Curtis. " Blackburnian has done lots for Warbler, why go against that ? " He has been great for Warbler, he is there for him " " He understands Warbler " " He has " said Warbler. " But this war ? " Warbler, we know how you feel " said Curtis. " But the king wants war and so does your brother " You must understand " " I am willing to fight also, you will have advisors fighting with you " " Regardless of advisors wanting to fight, he doesn't want to fight " said Challenger. " Challenger is right, Warbler doesn't want to fight " said Crayon. " Well you keep influencing Warbler like this and Blackburnian is really sick of it " said Curtis. " Warbler is a good guy, he cannot have this happen to him " " Warbler shows tons of kindness " " Regardless of him or not, it is not a war that makes sense " said Challenger. " Him being kind or not has nothing to do with this war " " Well then, let's continue the fight " said Curtis. " You will all be taken down " Curtis then charged up his Tenfold Sky Strike while Warbler used his Ultimate Wind Bomb. The attacks hit, Curtis's attack did more damage. Curtis then started using the Ultimate Sky Bomb while Colourea used the Ultimate Light Bomb. The bombs hit, both of them took damage. Curtis then used the Ultimate Sky Blast, hitting down Colourea. Challenger then used his Light Implosion while Crayon used his own, they combined into the Sun Implosion while Curtis used the Sky Implosion. The implosions hit, all of them took damage. Curtis then grabbed Colourea and threw her down to the ground. After that Curtis rushed Warbler with his Ultimate Sky Blast and he hit him directly. Warbler got up he was charging his Ultimate Wind Blast and he aimed it towards Curtis, Curtis used his Tenfold Sky Strike. The attacks collided towards each other. Curtis then got back up and then he used his Ultimate Sky Bomb while Colourea and Crayon used their Ultimate Light Bombs to counter. An explosion happened, all three took damage. Curtis then used his Sky Implosion while Challenger and Colourea used the combined Sun Implosion attack. The attacks hit with tons of power. Curtis got up and he rushed Warbler with his Tenfold Sky Strike and he hit him directly. Warbler and Colourea were slightly struggling. Colourea used the Light Implosion while Warbler used the Ultimate Wind Bomb. Curtis countered with his Sky Implosion. The attacks collided with each other. Curtis got up and he grabbed Warbler, then he knocked him down. " Warbler, it is your end " said Curtis. " It really is a shame you know " " I do have respect for you " " A shame ? " asked Challenger. " His brother Blackburnian " said Curtis. " Blackburnian has done so much for Warbler through his life " " Blackburnian was always there for him as a brother, he's a great brother " " Challenger, he's great " " He is such a great brother, Bird's Isle sees this " " But Warbler does not want to fight, no matter how many times you say this " said Crayon. " But Blackburnian was always there for him, he was there for longer than you were " said Curtis. " You may not like the man, but he is still his brother " " He does so much for him " Longer than me ? " asked Crayon. " What does that have to do with the war ? " I'm just saying that Blackburnian has been there for Warbler longer than you have " said Curtis. " He has been there for Warbler than me as well " " He's always there for him " " Crayon, you have done less for Warbler than Blackburnian has " " You must understand what is being said " " Regardless if he is or not, let's continue the fight " said Crayon. " Yeah, you are going down " said Curtis. " Warbler will be fine with that " " Warbler will fight " Curtis then rushed for Colourea with his Ultimate Sky Bomb while she countered with her Ultimate Light Bomb. The bombs hit, both of them took damage. Colourea used the Light Implosion while Crayon used the Ultimate Light Bomb. The attacks combined creating a super powered bomb with light energy while Curtis used his Sky Implosion to counter. The attacks collided with each other. Colourea was getting near the end. Curtis then used his Ultimate Sky Blast while Warbler used the Wind Implosion. The attacks hit each other. " Now this is it " said Curtis. " We don't want to hurt Warbler but since this fight has started it must be this way " " I will make sure that he doesn't die " " We have more " said Colourea. " King Bobby is a great king, you always love hearing him speak " said Curtis. " When he speaks you can tell that he is a king which is something that is not always true with kings " " Oh really ? " asked Crayon. " Yes " said Curtis. " It is a shame that you did not go to war " " The king has great speeches, kings are always inspired by Bobby " " What kings ? " asked Challenger. " Never seen anything like that " " Colour King loved the speeches " said Curtis. " He loved King Bobby " " To be fair, it is difficult to not love our king " " He is a king that has inspired many " " King Bobby has kept everyone inspired " " Well, we should continue fighting " said Challenger. Curtis then used his Sky Implosion while Crayon and Colourea used their Light Implosions which combined into the Sun Implosion. The implosions were incredibly powerful and everyone took damage. Colourea and Warbler were defeated. " So now the two strongest Colourlandish people remain " said Curtis. " I am ready " " Let's continue " said Crayon. Challenger then started charging tons of lightning energy for the Lightning Implosion while Crayon used the Sky Implosion. The attacks combined into the Electric Tornado Implosion, Curtis tried to counter with his Sky Implosion but Curtis took more damage. Curtis then got up and he used his Tenfold Sky Strike while Crayon used his Quintuple Sky Strike and Challenger used the Quintuple Lightning Strike. The attacks collided with each other. Curtis was slightly struggling and so was Crayon. Crayon then aimed his Sky Implosion towards Curtis while Curtis countered with his own. Curtis got up and he hit Challenger with his Ultimate Sky Blast, Crayon then punched him. After that Challenger then kicked Curtis down. Curtis was able to get up and he used the Sky Implosion directly on Crayon. Crayon and Curtis were struggling but Crayon got him. " Lord Grackle " said Curtis. " What about him ? " asked Crayon. " He will stop you " said Curtis. " He is a great advisor " " We will see about that " said Challenger. " The other advisors are way too strong, let's continue fighting " said Curtis. Crayon then kicked Curtis. " Curtis is not looking like he is going to make it " said Crayon. " It looks that way " said Challenger. " I'm not done " said Curtis. " Curtis, Challenger has a lot of energy left " said Crayon. " Save yourself " " I will fight " said Curtis. " King Bobby wants justice, he is too good a king for me to let him down " " The king would never promote one of his advisors throwing in the towel " " Right now, you would have to face two people in your condition " said Challenger. " I am going to " said Curtis. " I will do it " Curtis aimed his Sky Implosion towards Crayon but Challenger took the hit, Crayon kicked Curtis. " Curtis looks done " said Crayon. " Give it a few minutes " said Challenger. They gave it a few minutes, Curtis got up and he yelled " Remember Lord Grackle, remember him ". After that, he fell down and was unable to get up. Artby then showed up. " We gave the warriors a good asskicking " said Artby. " Bakers want me to kick ass at all times " " Uh, yeah " said Challenger. " We should leave " said Grackle. " Yes " said Dove. " Warbler and Colourea are not in good condition " said Colouruke. " What should we do with Curtis ? " " Leave him here " said Challenger. " I don't trust him but we should just leave him here " " I don't want to kill him " " Sounds like a plan to me " said Grackle. " Let's go " said Crayon. They called a hospital and they took an ambulance there. Meanwhile, King Bobby was growing impatient with Curtis not arriving or the warriors. " Curtis is too skilled " said King Bobby. " He should be back, I want justice " " We all need justice after what has happened " said Blackburnian. " My brother Warbler is a man I think about all the time " " He is a great man " " We all think about Warbler " said Lord Grackle. " True " said Queen Starling. " If he was fighting in the war, it would be great " said Diana. " It would " said Queen Starling. " How much longer should we give Curtis ? " asked Diana. " Two hours " said King Bobby. " Maybe there was a delay on the flight " " Must be " said Queen Starling. " Curtis is a great man " said Lord Grackle. " He always wanted the justice that we wanted " " You could tell how much he wanted this war, if he is not back I will be pissed off " " I understand " said King Bobby. " We all do " said Diana. " We want Curtis back here " Crayon and his friends checked into the hospital. They got a lot of rest. Time passed and Curtis did not arrive at the time that King Bobby was hoping, he gave an extra 5 minutes. " Well, that is it " said King Bobby. " I'm pissed " said Lord Grackle. " This cannot be happening " " Yes, this is not what I expected " said Queen Starling. " We must think of the next plan for us " said King Bobby. " Warbler must have different friends " said Blackburnian. " We must take action against what is happening " " These are not friends he can have " " Indeed, he lost the chance of fighting in the war with his brother Blackburnian " said Lord Grackle. " This war is a war that is so great " " I cannot imagine how Blackburnian is feeling right now " said Queen Starling. " It is unacceptable " said Diana. " I preferred Colour King " said Lord Grackle. " We all did, well said Lord Grackle " said King Bobby. " Colour King would have treated Warbler better and would have got Colourland to join us in the war as well " " He would have liked this war " " That is for sure " said Diana. " I know that Colour King is better than Challenger " " Warbler will be away from Crayon and his friends in the future " said Blackburnian. " Crayon will not get away with what he has done " " No, he will not " said King Bobby. " Crayon has let us down " " He's no friend that Warbler should have " " Agreed, my brother deserves the best " said Blackburnian.

✧ ✦ ✧ EARLIER THAT DAY... It was a September day at the Institute For Practical Magic. The sun was incredibly bright through my window, and I could feel the heat on my face as I stretched. I let out a huge yawn. "Another day, huh?" I said, peeking out the window at the courtyard below. While students were supposed to stay at the dormitories from the moment of enrollment until graduation, everyone had special permission to return to their hometowns and villages during summer vacation. Many students came from abroad. So it wasn't exactly possible for all of them to go back home. I didn't have to worry about that since my family lives right here in Redrook. My name is Zachary Crowley, but I've always gone by Zero . I'm a second generation other-worlder. My parents both originally came from Earth 30 years ago. Being former graduates of The Institute themselves, it was a no brainer that their oldest child would be brought up in the school as well. There were still a few days left of summer vacation, and then the all-important school year would begin. Things would be pretty different than last year, because I had finally turned 18. The 18-24 year old group would be learning a whole new set of curriculum. Rather than focusing on basic subjects like literature, science, and math, we'd finally be learning a magic-based curriculum. Many types of magic existed in the world of Kai. The most common type was traditional magic. This included the use of runes, and spoken incantations. Generally, traditional magic could be learned by any sentient race in the world. It had many practical uses such as combat, healing, and transportation. The drawback of using runes, or incantations is that they take time to apply during battle. Those extra moments could mean the difference between life, and death. Another type of magic was blood magic . This kind of magic was determined by which region someone was from, and the deity that their people pledge loyalty to. The Elves of Northern Zen for example could speak to animals, and the Ironhammer Dwarves of the Eastern Continent had the ability to enchant weapons with absurdly high potentials. In many cases, blood magic doesn't require full incantations to activate. Some only require visualization which leads it to manifest in reality. Like with all magic, practice is what strengthens the users potency. Some races don't have much magic potential at all. The orcs are a good example. The greatest Orc mages often had to work harder than any of their human, or elven peers just to keep up. They more than make up for it in brute strength, and battle strategy though. While other forms of unique magic exist, the most rare of all is ability magic . Only other-worlders, and their children are capable of wielding it. My ability? Well I still had yet to figure that out, though I was pretty good with a blade. I hoped to be a Sword Saint one day in the service of the people of Zen. I finished getting ready for the day. Since there was still a week until the entrance ceremony, I had no school-related responsibilities to attend to. However, I had agreed to meet someone in an hour. I couldn't really afford to be late, because her sense of time was scary accurate. I looked in the mirror, and combed my hair to one side as I usually did. Leaving my room, I made my way towards the fountain in the courtyard where we had agreed to meet. 5.2 "There you are!" I said, breathing heavily. I had run half of the way there. " Fu Fu Fu... You're awfully late, Zero. It's not polite to keep a lady waiting." A lone girl sat by the fountain with a smirk on her face. I could tell she was quite amused by my lack of punctuality. "Heh heh, sorry..." I said, rubbing the back of my neck with one hand. The name of the girl that sat before me was Shion, one of only three Timekeepers on this continent. The founder of The Institute is also one. The 3rd is taking refuge in Junction City, based on what Shion told me. The Timekeepers are a race of humanoid beings that can live for thousands of years, and have the ability to travel through time. Much of their power is shrouded in mystery. Some legends say they can even send souls, or memories forward or back in time. I don't know if I believe all that though. "I called you here, because I have a very sensitive matter to take care of. The only problem is, I can't handle it alone. You're the only person I can trust to keep this a secret." she began. "A secret, huh? I don't like where this is going..." I said. I had known Shion for many years, and even since I was a child she has looked exactly the same. I would say she looks similar to my current age. I have no idea how old she actually is, but I thought it rude to ask. Due to our history, it wasn't unusual for her to ask me for favors. Though, they weren't always straight-forward tasks... "I need your help retrieving somebody. I know the general location, and the time they will appear. However... it's some ways outside of Redrook to the southwest, and we could run into trouble when we get there." Shion continued. "You know... When you say we could run into trouble, it sure sounds like you mean we will..." I sighed, placing my hands on my hips. "It's nothing you can't handle, I'm sure. Unless you're scared, of course. I could ask someone..." she began to weave a trap for me, which I knowingly stepped into. "Wait just a minute! I didn't say I wouldn't do it. I just wanted to be aware of the risks before I go out there swinging my sword is all." I interrupted. She had appealed to my strong sense of pride. "So who's this person we're going to be rescuing? Is it an elf princess? Maybe a cute demi-human girl?? That sounds like my kind of mission." I said, grinning widely. "Please erase that perverted smile from your face in my presence, thank you very much." she glared a hole through me. "The person that we're going to be retrieving is a very unique boy. In fact, I scouted him out specifically when I went to Earth. He possesses abilities that will make him very valuable to The Institute, and the entire world." she said, standing up. Say what now? "W-woah woah woah, slow down . Earth? I thought everyone from Earth arrived 30 years ago, including my parents." I stated. "They did, and he very well might have as well. However, before we were transported to Kai I sent him forward 30 years in time. The necklace I gave him was the perfect focus to amplify my spell." she said with a thin smile. "Honestly... I bet you gave him the same shy girl act you give when you want something, huh? Or maybe you kidnapped the poor guy." I jabbed. "How rude! If you must know, he turned down my request to meet up at the summoning vortex. It was by pure chance that he ended up there. Hmph!" She crossed her arms, and turned away from me. Shion was a cunning girl, but her words sounded genuine. It sounds like he had stumbled into quite the surprise. I remember my parents telling me the story of how they got here, and their initial confusion. I couldn't imagine the shock they must have felt being so far from home. "Still though... Some of this still doesn't make sense. Why did you send him forward in time, and why is this mission a secret? You didn't even explain how you got to Earth in the first place." I said, pointing at her. I was burning with curiosity. Her vagueness had only made me more curious, in fact. My parents had told me stories of their home planet, but to think Shion actually got to see the real thing for herself. The only question is how. Was it the same kind of magic that brought the other-worlders here? I must admit I'm a bit jealous. "The reasons for how and why will become clear in time, but for now we need to ensure his safety so his abilities can be unsealed at the entrance ceremony. I talked to the Headmaster, Ren-kun's admission to The Institute is already set in stone. Will you help me, Zero?" she asked earnestly. "Good grief. I just can't say no to that face. When do we leave?" I replied. "Immediately." she answered, walking toward the large gate separating the castle courtyard from the city of Redrook below. She must've been confident I'd say yes, I guess that settles that. "Where are you going? At least let me go pack. Shion? Oi!" I yelled after her. It seems I was quite the pushover, especially for pushy girls like her. Although Shion looked like a regular student, she was given free reign to come and go as she pleased. She was the headmaster's apprentice, after all. I ran back to my room to grab what I could, including my sword. She had waited for me, thankfully. We walked right out of the gate, and into the heart of Redrook. 5.3 The scene was just as lively, and busy as usual. Redrook was a city of adventurers, and didn't have any particular racial majority or minority. People from all walks of life called this place home, and there didn't seem to be any sense of entitlement amongst the people living here. At least not outwardly. The market stalls were filled with merchants selling their wares, and children played together on the side streets. Covered wagons pulled by horses and other native beasts strode up and down the main stretch of road leading up to the front gate of the city. The city itself was walled on all sides, and heavily fortified. It used to be in a different location to the northeast, and served as the capital city of the last kingdom of Zen until it was lost in a siege. We now referred to it as the Old Red Ruins . The throne had now sat empty for the last 30 years. The previous ruler vacated his position during the war with the last Demon King. He lost his mind from grief when his family was killed during the attack on Old Red, and disappeared into the forest. Never to be seen again. The Adventurer's Guild now ran the city in place of a local government. With no true king to lead the continent, each region ran things in its own way. Many believed that a unified Zen would make things better, but that would be impossible as long as Junction City to the west maintained their human-supremacist views. Not to mention their aggressive stance towards Redrook, and it's adventurers. Though we didn't have time to visit today, students were allowed to accept quests at the guild once they turned 18. They had plenty of quests to accept at varying levels of difficulty. The adventurer's guild headquarters was on the far side of town, and was situated inside one of my favorite taverns: Old Red's Inn. "We're going to stop by the wagon merchant before we leave. I'd like you not to say anything while I'm haggling the rental price down, yes?" Shion looked back at me as she walked down the road. "You don't have to tell me! I swear, a guy wrecks a wagon one time, and never hears the end of it..." I said, pouting. It's true that it wasn't my finest moment, but it was still embarrassing to be reminded of such a blunder. "Yes, but that wagon was rented on credit. My credit. I'm sure you haven't forgotten that it was also full of sheep to hide our actual cargo." she glared again, but then quickly started giggling. "I remember you running around in a frenzy trying to get them all in one place, apologizing to me the whole time. When you'd turn around another would wander off. Hahaha." she laughed until tears welled up in her eyes. I liked that laugh of hers, though it was a rare sight. Just seeing it made me feel like it was intended for only me. I made sure to burn the image into my mind. Certainly she was a bit prickly at times, but she had a sweet side too. I'd been waiting until I became a proper adult to make my feelings known to her, but I hadn't found the right moment yet. I've had my fair share of romantic encounters, but nobody has caught my eye quite like Shion. I don't think her gaze has ever been in my direction though. To her, I probably just seem like a kid. We finally made it to the front of the rental shop, and I decided to wait outside. Shion could certainly handle any money negotiations better than I could, after all. That, and the shop owner didn't like me very much. Of that I was pretty sure. I leaned against a post, and closed my eyes. Several minutes passed by as I listened to the bustle of the townsfolk around me. There was something about all the noise that brought me comfort, but then I happened to hear something slightly out of place. "Please somebody, help me!" a voice shouted from an unknown direction. Wonder where that came from? I almost decided to ignore it, but then I heard it again. "Please, I don't want to die!" it sounded again. The voice seemed to have originated a few alleys down close to the fruit merchant's stalls. I decided to investigate since nobody else seemed interested enough to react. "Nope, not this alley." I said to myself, jogging in the direction of the calls for help. I was beginning to grow a bit worried since I hadn't heard the voice again. The lack of an official guard presence in the city did have its fair share of drawbacks. Including the back-alley muggings where there weren't anybody around, and the less honorable adventurers hassling civilians for "protection money". I was no professional, but I tried to help where I could. Guess they'll have to settle for me. I rounded the corner to find someone laying face down on the ground. In their hands they still clutched their weapon, which was a dagger. The person standing above them was the source of the voice calling for help, I presumed. Judging by the small stature, and terrified body language of the woman. "S-stand back!" she shouted. "Hey, I'm not here to hurt you. What happened here?" I asked. "T-t-two demi-human kids... Twins. Looked like cat-folk. They just ran through here, and saved my life. This man was trying to rob me at knifepoint. I have four kids at home, you see..." the woman explained, sobbing. I helped her pick up her belongings, and sent her on her way. "It seems I wasn't needed here after all." I said with a shrug. Cat-folk twins, huh? Wonder if they're students too? I arrived back at the wagon merchant's shop to find Shion leaning against the post I had just left. She had apparently just walked out herself. I couldn't help but notice the satisfied smirk on her face, which told me her haggling had been a success. "Get everything we needed?" I asked. "Of course! What do you take me for? I didn't have enough extra spending money to get Frost Sabers or Crown Serpants to pull the cart, but these horses should do just fine. Where did you run off to by the way?" Shion inquired. Frost Sabers were a type of creature that could often be seen pulling carts around Zen, or kept as pets in some cases. They had speckled white fur, and were large in size. Despite their intimidating appearance and saber-like teeth, they were the most docile of Zen's beasts of burden. Crown Serpants on the other hand were aggressive, and could typically be found in the desert on the far western part of the continent only. They were snake-like, but had stubby legs with sharp claws. Both males, and females had several horns on their head in the shape of a crown. Explaining the name. "I heard someone calling for help, but when I went to investigate it was already resolved. The bandit got the worst of it. So it was a happy end to that story, I guess. I'd be lying if I said I didn't want to play the hero a bit, though..." I grumbled. "How very prudent of you." she said, rolling her eyes. We loaded up the wagon, and set off. We had no problems getting through the front gates of Redrook. Leaving The Institute was typically the hardest part, but with Shion it was breeze. I supposed it was time to go find this kid that has got Shion's attention. We just hoped he hadn't run into trouble first. 5.4 Shion, and I had gone pretty far south off the main road into the dense heart of Mistral Forest. I had been outside Redrook a number of times, but never ventured this far into the forest without a guide. It was late evening, and the sky had begun to grow dark. Sounds of thunder rolled in the distance, and the horses were starting to show signs of restlessness. Shion simply looked ahead, reigns in-hand. Meanwhile, I sat in the back of the wagon. It had a bench, but no overhead cover. I hoped it wouldn't start raining. "Are we going in the right direction? It's getting pretty dark. The horses won't be able to make their way through the trail here soon." I stated. "That's quite alright. We'll go on foot from here." Shion answered. We stopped the wagon towards the end of the trail, and I hopped onto the dusty ground below. Walking around to the driver's side, I helped Shion off the wagon as well. "Thank you." she said. "Don't mention it. What're we gonna do about the horses?" I asked. Although the monster sightings in this area were few due to the divine protection of the tree spirits, they still posed a risk to livestock. Shion signaled me to back up, and she began an incantation. "Great spirit Fioria of Mistral Forest, I beseech thee to create a protective seal around these animals who carry our burdens. Shield them with the protection of the green. GROWTH WARD!" she shouted. Suddenly roots shot up from the ground, weaving a basket-like structure around the horses and the wagon. Incantations like these could be used by anyone, but Shion also had somewhat of a talent for magic compared to most people. The magic power inside every individual is called mana . How much mana you could use before running out varied greatly between each person. However, using magic frequently raises your mana potential. I was still a beginner when it came to spells, and I relied on my sword skill more than anything else. Shion's knowledge, and practice of the arcane arts were a valuable asset to this mission. Even she had her limits, though. In a party it's good to have multiple magic casters. Often at least one for combat, and another for support. This prevents one's mana from being exhausted too quickly. We would have to make due with just her magic for today. We began walking deeper into the forest. I had my sword arm ready for the possibility of danger. We never knew what could be lurking amongst all these trees. "If Ren-kun is as smart as I think he is, he would have tried to find higher ground. That's the best way to get an idea of the terrain in an unfamiliar place. We should head towards the ridge a short walk from here. He might still be mulling things over there." she said with certainty. "Sounds like a pl-" I stopped mid-sentence. Something didn't feel right. The wind was blowing hard, but there was a strange stillness to the atmosphere itself. Night had fallen, and anxiety began to creep in. "Shion, get down!" I yelled, pulling my sword from it's scabbard. She dropped to the ground. No sooner than when she did, a ferocious wolf jumped over her with malicious intent. "No you don't!" I swung my sword in the direction of the creature, knocking it backwards. It wasn't the usual sort of dire wolf that we had grown accustomed to seeing in Mistral Forest. Most of them were smaller in size, and only attacked in a pack. This monster was all alone, and had piercing red eyes to go with its huge gray frame. I had never seen such a beast. It positioned itself on a hill, and looked down at the both of us. "Watch out, Zero!" Shion yelled behind me. The wolf lunged at me sinking it's giant teeth into my forearm, and flung me against a tree. The impact drove splinters into my back, and my arm was bloodied by the bite. "Ugh. So much for the forest's divine protection, huh?" I tried to joke my way through the pain. We had daily physical training at The Institute, and I was near the top of my age group in athletic ability. I had also fought plenty of monsters on my trips outside the city, but it couldn't have prepared us to fight against this creature. I would have to trust in Shion's magic skill to get us out of this. "Zero, can you keep him distracted for just a moment longer? I'm preparing a spell." Shion said. "I'll do my best, but shit that hurts." I said, standing up a bit gingerly. I would have to play a defensive position until I could drive my sword into its vitals, or buy enough time for a spell from Shion. We engaged in combat, trading blows. Much like a dance. With each swing of my sword, the beast would swing its paw back at me. "C'mon you overgrown mutt, give me your best shot!" I assumed a protective stance with the flat of my blade pointed at the wolf. It snarled at me in response. "Awoooooooo!" it howled, charging full speed at me. Hope this works. *WOOSH* I took a swift step backwards, and guided the face of the wolf into a large tree with my sword. The force shook the trunk, but the tree was sturdy enough to withstand it. At the very least, it harmed my opponent. "I'd like to see how many teeth you have left after that, dogbrain." I taunted. Uh-oh... Maybe I spoke too soon. It started to get up, wobbling in the process. I was surprised it was still standing after taking so much blunt force to the skull, but I wasn't in much better shape myself. The blood trickled down my arm, and soaked my shoes and pants. Thankfully, I had worn black today. "Uhhh, Shion? You about done there?" I asked, nervously. "Stand back, Zero!" she shouted. "You don't have to tell me twice!" I replied. "Goddess Aurora of wind and rain, prepare a mighty bolt of lighting to strike down our foes. Leave nothing, but ashes in your wake. HOLY FLASH!" Shion yelled, pointing her outreached hands towards the beast. She called forth the power of the storm, and unleashed a bolt of electricity on the wolf. It exploded into pieces, covering the both of us in entrails. "We... speak of this to no one, understood?" she said, looking at her soiled clothing. "Works for me." I said, dropping to a knee. She cast a healing spell on me, and we started walking once again. Not only had we used a lot of precious time during the fight, I also couldn't help but wonder how much mana Shion had left. "You're quite lucky that you only got out of it with a bite, and not anything more severe." Shion said after a few moments of silence. Lucky?? "Don't give me that look. That wasn't just any wolf, that was a dread wolf. They carry curses that my level of healing magic can't fix. We would've had to turn back, or risk your untimely death. I'm glad..." she trailed off. "You're glad?" I prodded. "I'm glad you're ok, Zero. Truly." she said, placing her hand on her chest. She was worried about me? Score! I couldn't hide the satisfied grin from my face, harrowing experience aside. That's just how I was. "Thankfully it was just a juvenile. No more than two weeks old from the look of it." she said. "Juvenile?? You mean that monster was just a pup?" I asked with an exasperated look on my face. Shion didn't respond, but smiled to herself. I was embarrassed by how little I knew about some things, but I was glad to have her alongside me. "Still... It's unusual for something like that to be in these woods so close to the city. I felt a disturbance when I used growth ward earlier. It was like the tree spirits were trying to warn me of something." Shion said. "Warn you of what exactly?" I asked. "I'm not sure, but we should let the adventurer's guild know as soon as possible. It may not be safe for people to venture outside the walls without a group. Lest they make the same mistake we did." Shion said, shaking her head. We were approaching the ridge Shion mentioned earlier, but it was getting close to evening. If we didn't find him before night fell, something else surely would. Time was of the essence, and nobody knew that more than Shion. We came to a cliff face, and stopped for a moment. "Is this it?" I asked, placing my hands on my knees. "It looks like it. We'll need to go around, and climb up the other side. If Ren-kun is anywhere, he'll be at the top of this cliff. Even if he isn't..." Shion began. "A good vantage point might lead us in the right direction." I finished her thought. "Still though, you keep saying Ren kun. Is that his actual name, or something?" "No, I suppose not. You wouldn't know since your parents came from the United States, but... Ren is from Japan. They often conclude names with honorifics as a sign of respect, and admiration." she simplified. "Sounds complicated. So why don't you use honorifics with my name?" I asked, crossing my arms. "Do something worth honoring, and maybe I will." she said with her classic smirk. So getting nearly eaten by a wolf wasn't good enough for her? "You're awfully harsh, you know. You might even make a strong-willed guy like me shed a tear, or two." I said in a futile attempt to gain sympathy. It didn't work, of course. 5.5 We had reached the other side of the ridge, and the ground was getting steeper as we climbed our way up. The air was cold, but the wind was dying down at least. We continued to walk for several minutes, and I could tell we were getting close to the top. As we got closer, we began to hear voices. Wait a minute... I recognize that voice! "It's that scumbag! What was his name? Useless, Euclid, U-" I wondered out loud. I must've been too loud, because Shion stomped on my foot. Ouch! "Keep your voice down before you get us spotted. That's Ulysses Code a few feet in front of us. He leads Junction City's armies. Getting mixed up with him right now would be a bad idea." Shion whispered. "Yeah I know who the bastard is. He's the single biggest reason for student disappearances, and deaths lately. Let's end this now." I said, starting to move forward. "No, don't. Are you stupid? You haven't even got your ability magic unsealed. He'll eat you alive, and then kill Ren-kun and I as a bonus. Just be patient." she said. "Speaking of, that's him over there with the white hair." She pointed in Ren's direction. He was standing close to the edge of the cliff, engaging in conversation with General Code. "So that's your type?" I joked. "What are we supposed to do then? I thought you were almost out of mana." "I should have enough for one more spell. I'm preparing to send Ulysses back in time, but I can only manage 24 hours without a focus." she said. "Wouldn't that just create a duplicate General in the present?" I asked, scratching my head. "You're correct. I said back in time , but what I really meant is that I'll simply be rewinding his physical body to where he was at this time yesterday. If I truly sent him to the past it would create all sorts of issues for us. We're forbidden from sending anyone to the past, anyways." she explained. "Enough of that. Keep him occupied, and take out the sentinels first. You got that?" "Complicated time travel stuff, keep him occupied, sentinels first. Yeah I think I've got it." I replied. *BANG* What the hell was that? We looked up to see Ren hunched over in a pool of his own blood. The sentinels had taken the first shot. "Shit! Guess we can't avoid a fight, after all. I'm not waiting around any longer. Just get that spell ready." I said, sprinting out of the tree line. "Look over here you pieces of scrap metal!" I leaped into the air, sword in hand. With a single side slash I managed to take out 3 sentinels. Another one shot in my direction, but resulted in friendly fire taking out another two on its own. I took out a few more before plunging my sword into the last one. I looked up at the towering military general who hadn't moved. His demeanor wasn't one of concern. It was closer to amusement. "You must be General Douchebag! You've got one of our friends there. So why don't you hand him over nice and easy?" I taunted, signaling for him to step aside. "Hahahaha! I see you made short work of my ground sentinels, but I'm not such a small fish to be scared off by the words of some kid. You got an army behind that oversized sword you're holding?" he replied. "No. Just a really pissed off girl with glasses. Make your move!" I yelled. Without warning he fired his metal hand from his arm in my direction. It was attached to his wrist like a wired lance, and he swung it around cutting down half a dozen trees in the process. Damn, that was close. "You ok back there?" I shouted. "Just focus on what you're doing!" Shion yelled back. The General fired his arm again, but this time I blocked with the flat of my sword to keep it from fully extending. I noticed that after firing his arm, he spent about 3 seconds winding it back up. That should give me just enough time to charge. "Here I come!" I pressed forward, swinging my blade into his thigh. That's all I could manage with his considerable height advantage. My sword shattered as a result, but I could tell he felt the impact. I watched as the glittering pieces of my weapon clattered to the ground. "Ah! You little shit!" he reacted to the pain, knocking me backward with his non-robotic hand. Even the parts of him that weren't plated with metal were sturdy. To my dismay, he changed his attack pattern. Instead of firing his hand directly at me, he fired it into the air. That was just the initial idea, he then slammed it down to the cliff side with considerable force. The impact shook the soil beneath our feet, and I was worried it would result in a landslide. "You maniac, you're gonna send this whole ridge down!" I contested. "Hahahahaha!" he laughed maniacally. Ren still lie motionless a few feet behind General Code. This wasn't a fight I could win if I had to worry about him taking a tumble off the cliff. I also didn't have my blade for protection anymore. My father's sword had seen better days, but to see it shatter was a surprise. Just as I ran out of ideas, Shion stepped forward. "I won't let you hurt either of my dear friends any longer. I think it's just about time you left, don't you think so? REWIND!" Shion shouted, using the ace up her sleeve. I suddenly felt nauseous, and the sound of a clock striking midnight rang in my ears. The air itself seemed to wobble as if something had splashed into it, like a large body of water. "A timekeeper!? Hahahaha. Well you certainly got me this time. What's your name, swordsman?" Code asked, relishing the momentary defeat. "My name? It's Zero." I replied. "Well... Zero the Hero , I'll be seeing you again. Hope you're a bit stronger the next time we meet. I could use the exercise." Code said before suddenly warping away. This is one of those moments where I'd tell a joke, but instead I promptly threw up from the nausea caused by Shion's spell. Glad he didn't see that. "I apologize, Zero. I didn't mention some of the side-effects of a timekeeper's spell on bystanders." Shion said. "I'll be fine. What will we do about him though? I don't have the magical skill to heal him, and you're out of mana." I said, pointing towards Ren. "Oh, that? Go see for yourself." she said, smiling. What's that smile for? Awfully sadistic, even for her. I walked up to Ren's body, and flipped him onto his back. "What in the world..." I reeled in disbelief. I couldn't find a wound anywhere on his body. There was just torn clothing where he had been hit before. He had completely healed on his own. "Is this his ability?" I asked Shion. "An unsealed version of it, yes. Thankfully we arrived when we did. He couldn't have absorbed any more physical damage at the rate he can currently self-heal." she sighed, clearly relieved. "Now that we have Ren-kun in-hand, I'll explain everything to the both of you in the wagon when he wakes up. I don't like to repeat myself, after all." "Sounds good. You owe me big for all this though. You know that right? You can start with a new sword, and maybe a meal at the tavern to replace the one I just threw up." I said, lifting Ren up over my shoulder. "Yes, yes." Shion replied. We began walking back towards the wagon, having concluded our journey. I thought of what I'd say to Ren when he woke up, but we would have that conversation soon enough. The night sky was beautiful over Mistral Forest. For now I was happy to have survived another fine day's work.

✧ ✦ ✧ PRESENT DAY I walked towards the front door of our house. It had remained unchanged over the years I had lived there, which was almost my whole life. The yard had been left untrimmed, and there was trash in the driveway. A previously unusual, but recently frequent sight. Especially considering how neat my father preferred things to be. It left me with an uneasy feeling, but I brushed it off. Recently my father had lost his job as a surgeon. The hospital he worked at was absorbed by a larger facility during a merger. Many of the doctors were demoted or laid off as a result. They offered to keep him on as an attending surgeon which was just a few steps below his initial position as director, but I would venture to guess his pride played a factor in him declining the position. Lately he has spent most of his time drinking. His attitude was extremely volatile, and it bordered on dangerous. Even more so than usual. I wonder if he's home? My eyes scanned the sides of the street for his car, but I didn't see the black automobile anywhere. "He must have parked in the garage." I said out loud. I slowly opened the door, stepping over beer cans and bottles in the process. The smell inside had gotten more pungent, which led me to believe that something had found it's way in from outside. It must have met it's end among the piles of garbage in our living room. My efforts to clean up were often in vain. "Hello? I'm home!" My voice echoed throughout the house, and I could only hear the faint sound of the TV upstairs. A few household appliances were running, but the silence was deafening. He must be asleep. I supposed I was happy he was. The less I had to interact with my father, the better. Kicking some cans aside, I made my own place on the couch. Without bothering to turn the lights on, I flipped on the living room TV. The faint glow of the screen lit up my face, and a small portion of the room. Flipping through channels, I eventually stopped on the news. There were some lighthearted human-interest stories, and some new pharmaceutical products they were highlighting. However, something about the weather report caught my attention. "Breaking news: The Japanese government is issuing a severe storm warning for the greater Tokyo area. All residents are advised to stay indoors at all costs. Repeat: Hurricane force winds, and heavy rain are expected. Please stay indoors." I thought back to earlier in the day, and the conversation I had with Shion. She seemed convinced that a storm would appear somewhere near where she lived. She was also certain that it was connected to the recent disappearances across the globe, and weirdly enough... that magic was involved. I hoped she wasn't crazy enough to be outside in this weather, but her intention was clearly to investigate based on what she told me. We weren't particularly close of course. However, I had a strange sense of responsibility for her since she told me what she was planning earlier. I felt like checking up on her, but I wondered how I could. We had forgotten to exchange contact information earlier. Wait a minute... I scanned my pockets, looking for something. My fingers wrapped around the small box Shion had given me in the library. Surely enough, her phone number was written on the bottom. Her foresight was impressive. I opened the box to see the contents inside. "Oh?" I said to myself. The wrapped box contained a chain necklace with a pendant at the end. A thoughtful gift, but perhaps not one you'd give to someone you only just met. The design of the pendant was the shape of Taijitu or "Yin Yang", symbolizing the balance between two opposite sides. I pondered what she could have meant in giving me this. Maybe she thought it was pretty? That was a thought I might have had, but I doubted that was all. Then a small note fluttered to the floor from the box. I read it out loud. "This will keep you safe from harm. Try not to deny the parts of yourself that you keep hidden from others... Embrace both sides." I finished reading her note. I could hear thunder rumbling in the distance, and I began to worry. I quickly put the necklace around my neck, and set the box down on the coffee table. I got ready to call the number Shion had entrusted me with, but I was caught by surprise. *SHATTER* I put my hand up to my temple. My fingertips were covered in my blood which dripped down to my palms. He must have woken up to the sound of thunder, or perhaps the TV. It didn't matter though. My father was standing a few feet away from me with another bottle in hand. The one he had just thrown caused my injury. I was caught off guard so I didn't know how to react. "I told you... to be here before 7..." he slurred his words, taking a step forward. To no one's surprise he was incredibly drunk. The cold calculated man I had come to know was beginning to crack. Fearing what he might do, I tried to reason with him. "I know, and I apologize. I was in the library studying for an exam, and lost track of time." I lied. Even in his current state, I could tell almost immediately that he saw through it. I stood up from the couch slowly, and backed towards the front door. "Don't you dare... FUCKING LIE TO ME!" he roared, throwing the other bottle. It only missed my head by an inch. The glass shattered behind me against the doorframe. "You only just started Spring term. You don't have midterm exams for a number of weeks, yes? So why did you feel the need to lie?" he pressed. "You're 18 today right? Why don't you finally get lost, and leave me alone. Surely there's somewhere else you could go. Far from here, where I won't have to look at your face any longer." That's just the thing. If there was somewhere else I could go I would have already gone. This house, this world, I never wanted any of it. Rather than endure years of abuse, I would have left in a heartbeat. I'm sure he realized that. He just wanted to see what I would say in return. I had long had enough. This was the final straw. "You never cared about my mom, or me! You only ever cared about your career. You say that I hold you back? It's the opposite. It's because of YOU that I could never be a normal kid. It's because of YOU that I live with so many doubts. You're no father of mine, you're a monster !" I yelled, pounding my chest. "I'll give you what you've wished for all this time. Goodbye." Turning my back on him, I tried to leave. He had other plans. "ARRRRRRRGH!" he screamed incoherently, running into my back with his shoulder. The sheer force knocked me forward, sending us both to the ground. *SLAM* The wind was knocked out of me by the floor, but I tried to speed up my reaction time. I quickly rolled over to my side to throw a punch, but he stopped my fist and pressed me to the ground with his knee in my ribs. "Don't get cocky, you bastard!" I yelled, throwing another punch. This one made contact with his chin, and he reeled slightly in pain. It must have been the alcohol, but he couldn't be deterred. I was being overpowered. "You still can't beat me after all these years. Not at chess, not in a fight, NOT AT ANYTHING!" he yelled, throwing punches towards my face and chest. "You've always been a waste of resources, a drain on the oxygen in this household. Your mother..." He paused as if remembering something painful, and sat up. "Your mother became sickly after you were born. I had never wanted a child, but you were her pride and joy. " he said with a sarcastic tone. "I promised I'd take care of you for her sake, but that was a mistake. It makes me sick thinking about the fact that you're here, and she's not. Bethany was a genius. A prodigy! Neither of us could compare to her potential in medicine. She could have changed the world! YOU DON'T EVEN DESERVE TO HAVE HER FACE!" "Shut up!" I yelled, kicking him as hard as I possibly could. He stumbled backward into the TV. The device crashed to the floor, sparking a fire in the living room. All the alcohol in the scattered cans was a recipe for disaster. We had to get out, or we wouldn't make it. I thought the new danger would cause him to lose the will to fight. He ignored the flames, however. Grabbing a hold of my hair, my father's punches grew in number and strength. My arms remain crossed to protect my face, and neck. Most of his blows landed in the area of my waist, and stomach. The impact of his fists on my chest, and the smoke filling the room made it twice as hard to breathe. I wouldn't be able to take much more at this rate. I was beginning to lose consciousness, and I knew it wouldn't be long before the darkness enveloped me. Body and soul. His hands had moved to my neck where they squeezed tightly. With my vision beginning to blur, I made one last attempt to break free. I scanned the floor for anything I could use to break his grasp. He's going to kill us both. I gotta find... something... got it. "You're nothing, but an insect under my boot. You wouldn't offer one a seat at the table, would you? You would stomp them, leaving nothing but a stain on the floor. Give my regards to your mo-" he suddenly stopped in the middle of his sentence. ................... My father looked down with an expression of shock. He couldn't believe what had just happened, and his grip loosened around my throat before he collapsed to the floor. "Y-you..." he gasped, clutching at the broken bottle I had plunged into his chest. When he hit the ground, the bottle had broken into smaller pieces. Preventing any chance of stopping the bleeding. The flames having nearly engulfed the room, his raspy breathing stopped. The blood pooled around him. The adrenaline coursed through my veins. Shaking from fear, I stood up. His eyes were wide open, but the light inside them had gone dark. There was no mistake about it. My father... was dead. Oh my god... I looked at my hands that had been stained red with blood. I couldn't tell whether it was his or mine. It was almost certainly a mixture of the two, but I knew one thing for certain. He was dead, and I was not. Tears came streaming down my face, and I took one last look at our house. The flames had overtaken most of the room, and my head was dizzy from the smoke. My life here is over. Not that it had been a particularly good one for the last 12 years, but it filled me with deep sadness. Throwing the front door open, my gaze shifted back to my father. The fire approached his motionless body. "I'm sorry." I said, slamming the door behind me. 3.2 I ran. I had never run so fast in my life. I didn't even bother to look back at my house that was engulfed in flames. "Ren, what happened!? Where are you going?" I heard Ike shout from his porch after seeing me leave in a frenzy. "The sto- it's danger-!" I couldn't quite hear what he said, but I didn't have time to stop. I didn't even really have time to think clearly, with everything swirling through my head. I just had to get away. At any cost. What am I going to do? It didn't matter what I did. Where can I hide? It didn't matter where I went. Don't stop running! I ran well past the park where Ike and I had played as children, and continued on my way. The rain was coming down hard, but I didn't care. I kept sprinting, using all the energy I could muster. I was afraid that I would slip with the water gathering under my feet, but I seemed to glide across the wet pavement with each stride. Eventually I came to an old wooden park bench outside of a small nature park. I collapsed onto the seat, having used up everything I had. "No. No. NO!" I shouted, clenching my teeth. My gaze pointed towards the ground as I sat hunched over on the park bench. I couldn't gather a single thought besides "Why?". It was the question I kept asking myself. I had made every effort not to get on his bad side. I had tried to relate to him. I had tried to get better grades for his sake, but it never seemed to be good enough. Now he was gone, and the guilt hung over me like a guillotine. *BANG* I slammed my fist down on the bench in frustration. For the first time in my life I felt like I was completely, and truly alone. I sat there in silence for a long time. Though I knew I couldn't sit on this bench forever. "What am I going to do?" I whispered. I looked up in surprise. Sitting in the rain across from me was a black cat. I recognized it immediately as the stray that tended to follow me around the neighborhood. I had named it Shiro, my attempt at intentional irony. What are you doing out here? I thought that to myself. It just stared back at me with its emerald colored eyes, no different than my own. That moment seemed to linger, and it continued staring for a time. Suddenly it yawned, and turned away. I didn't hear the footsteps approaching. "I finally... *gasp* I finally caught up to you..." a person said, standing next to me. I thought it might have been Ike, but it was none other than Mrs. Takashi who had flagged me down several miles from our neighborhood. She was soaked to the bone, but she was a track star in high school. It was no wonder she caught up. I sat silent for a moment, and then I spoke without looking up. "I did something awful." I said in a quiet voice. I didn't try to make excuses for myself, or explain the situation. Something told me the look on my face did a good enough job of that. She seemed strangely calm like she understood what had happened. She took a seat next to me. "You'll catch a cold out here like this... but I guess that's the least of your worries, huh?" she said. I just nodded. "I had my husband call the police, we plan to vouch for you and say you were attacked. I know that's not too far from the truth. If you comply, I'm sure this will all go away soon enough. You're welcome in our home until you can figure things out." she continued. "No... I couldn't do that." I spoke up softly. There was no place for me here anymore. Of that fact I was painfully aware. I just shook my head slowly, and Mrs. Takashi looked ahead with a silent understanding. "You should head back. The storm is getting worse, and I'd rather not get anyone else caught up in it. You can just tell them that I ran away." I reasoned. "You know I can't do that. You might be 18 now, but you're still one of my dear students. You're like a second son to me. You know that right? I'm partly responsible. I tried to get the police to do something about that man, but..." her voice trailed off. My father had too much influence in the community. He donated large sums to schools, and performed surgeries for high-profile clients. Nobody was willing to call him out for abusing his child. Nobody would have believed it. His image was sparkling. To everyone. Except of course, Ike and his family. They had seen his darkness firsthand all those years ago. "It's not your fault, Mrs. Takashi. I wish I could accept your offer. I really do, but nobody is going to believe me. To them I'll just be the guy that killed world renowned surgeon, Itsuka Josuke. Nothing more." I said. "Still... I wish I could've been your s-" My words were interrupted by a strange sight. A girl about my age suddenly ran by. She looked all too familiar. Her braids blowing in the strong wind, and glasses left me with no doubts. It was Shion. 3.3 She's out in this?? That idiot! Shion must've lived around this area. "I'm sorry Mrs. Takashi, I have to go after her!" I exclaimed. I stood up, but she grabbed my wrist. "I'm coming with you kid, don't go running off on me now. I'm still your teacher, you know. That was Shion, wasn't it?" she asked. "I'm not leaving a student in this. If you don't want to go back to my house then let's go together!" I nodded in agreement. We ran towards the trees where Shion disappeared. The blood on my skin had been mostly washed away by the rain, but the cut on my forehead had re-opened. My stomach was badly bruised, and one of my ribs had cracked. "You don't look so good, Ren. Do you want to slow down?" Mrs. Takashi said between breaths as we ran. "No, we need to catch up to her. It's not safe out here." I answered. The wind had picked up considerably, and what appeared to be a huge funnel descended from the sky. It shot lightning in all directions. Looking at it, you might think it was a tornado. Somehow though... It seemed far more ominous. Suddenly we came to a clearing, and Shion was in the center staring up at the sky. "What are you doing out here?? Are you dumb!?" I shouted as I arrived at her side, Mrs. Takashi joined us. " Fu Fu Fu, I knew you'd be joining me. Do you know what that is?" Shion said, pointing up at the sky. Shocked by her apparently calm demeanor, I didn't know how to answer. The way she worded that made it seem like she intended on being followed. She continued. "It's just what I told you earlier. It's a magic summoning gate!" Shion shouted over the sound of the wind. "A gate? you don't mean..." I began. "Precisely." she answered. "What is she talking about, Ren?" Mrs. Takashi, who was noticeably confused, chimed in. "She's saying that this isn't just any storm. Shion is saying that this is a gate to another world beyond our own." I explained. I didn't expect her to believe that theory, I was even having trouble coming to grips with it myself. However, Shion was right about this weather pattern occurring tonight. She had also gotten the location down to a frighteningly exact degree. How did she know? Voices emerged from the trees. It sounded like Ike, and his father. With them were voices I didn't recognize. "They're over here!" they shouted. Without warning Shion was lifted from the ground slightly by the storm, and began being drawn into the vortex. She didn't look panicked in the slightest. She didn't even try to hold on. She simply looked back at me. "Take my hand, Ren-kun." she smiled, reaching out to me. "You can stay behind in this world where you'll always be known as an outcast, and a disappointment. Or... you can join me in the new world, and become the person you've always wanted to be. You're destined for so much more. Don't you want to start over?" I was stuck in place. What is she thinking? Start over? I know it's always what I had wanted, but I couldn't get my legs to move. Could I really change? I had to act fast. She was being pulled into the sky like a helium balloon. Ike, his father, and several police officers broke the tree line. This was the time. "I'm going!" I shouted, having made my choice. "W-what are you saying? Ren!?" Mrs. Takashi tried to stop me, but she was too late. I ran towards Shion, and reached out my hand with a leap. It had reminded me of when I leapt off that swing set 10 years ago, and saw the neighborhood in front of me. "Gotcha!" she said, grabbing onto my hand. We ascended far above the ground, and I could see the expanse of buildings below us. I didn't look back to see everyone's faces, but I know they shouted my name. All my life I had wanted nothing more than an escape from my life here in this neighborhood. Although there were people I was going to miss dearly, I needed to get away. It was time to say goodbye to my old self. "COME BACK!" they shouted from below. Suddenly there was a flash of light, and we were gone. What would become of the two of us? I would soon find out, as another world awaited our arrival.

✧ ✦ ✧ 10 YEARS EARLIER... It was the day of my 8th birthday. It had been a little over two years since my mother succumbed to her illness, and it was rare for me to even celebrate occasions such as this. We had a new family move into the house next to ours, and the kid was so excited to learn what day it was for me. You would think that it was his own birthday, seeing him jump up and down. What was his name again? I wondered that to myself. We were already up in his room, and he hadn't bothered to exchange names. I kind of went along with his eccentric spontaneity, and followed him here. That aside, he took it upon himself to throw me a birthday party at his house. His family didn't seem to mind, and they appeared well put-together. Your standard mother and father who both worked part time, but were home often enough to be a part of his life. "Must be nice." I muttered softly. I had a frequent tendency to space out, and have an inner dialogue with myself. Often ignoring the world around me. Adults assumed I was some sort of head-case, even though I was billed to be some sort of child genius from an early age. Probably because of who my parents were, but I'll get into that another time. I didn't have a lot of friends growing up as most of the kids took exception to my quiet, yet blunt personality. I was generally pretty quiet, but quick to anger when I got picked on. My short temper led to several fights recently at my elementary school. I won more than I lost, surprisingly enough. "Hi! I didn't tell you my name earlier, huh? The name's Ike! What's yours?" the other boy said. Normally you'd introduce yourself before you invite someone over for an impromptu birthday party at your house. I couldn't knock his excitement for having someone over though. Ike was a short, and somewhat chubby kid with scruffy hair and food-stained clothes. His attire was the epitome of comfort wear. Meanwhile I wore a button-down t-shirt, and neatly pressed jeans. For some reason I was drawn to his childlike enthusiasm, and jovial nature. It was much unlike my own gloomy aura, and it made me realize just how little I acted like a normal seven year old. Wait... I guess I'm eight now, huh? "It's Ren. Itsuka Ren." I answered plainly, introducing myself. "Well Ren, my mom just went out to get a cake. She'd just burn it if she tried to bake one." he laughed. "Is there anything you want to do while we wait? I've got video games, puzzles, chess?" I reeled at his last suggestion. "Eh, I'll have to pass on that. I haven't played before." I lied. Chess was a game I knew all too well, but I couldn't say I liked it in the slightest. Chess was about the only activity my father and I shared in common. Other than arguing, of course. It would be more accurate to say that my father forced me to play chess with him to sharpen my problem solving skills, and resolve. That was just one of many lessons he took upon himself to drill into me. In hundreds of chess matches against my father, I had never beaten him. He made sure to remind me often. All of that being said, it was clear why I preferred just about any other activity. I came up with my own idea. "Have you been to the park down the street yet? It's only about a block away, and they've got swing sets." I suggested. "Sounds like fun! I'll go ask my dad if we can go." Ike hurried around the corner in the direction of his parent's room. My own father was likely at work where he spent most of his time. He was a neurosurgeon at a nearby hospital conglomerate, and was considered one of the greatest surgeons in the greater Tokyo Metro area. While his talent was undeniable, he could never hold a candle to my mother. She was a true prodigy in her field before she passed. "We're all good to go!" Ike had gotten the answer he was looking for, and ran outside into the evening sunshine. It would get dark in a couple hours, but we still had plenty of time to play before my father returned home. I figured it would be alright to stay out. It was my birthday after all. The spring sun burned bright in the evening hours, and for the first time in almost two years I had a smile sweeping across my face. "Let's go!" I said happily, following Ike out the door. 2.2 The park was situated between a small cluster of houses, and apartment units. So it was used freely by all the children that lived in the neighborhood. It was serene, and quiet. Weirdly enough, it was just Ike and I today using the structure. Not that I minded. The more people there were, the more anxious and reserved I would become. "I bet I can swing higher than you can! Why don't we make a bet?" Ike announced. "Whoever can swing the highest, and land on both feet will get the biggest slice of cake! What do you say?" A bet, eh? They say overconfidence precedes carelessness. I considered his proposal. It didn't exactly matter to me what size my slice of cake would be since I was simply happy to get any in the first place. However, I wasn't the type to back down from a challenge. Especially one issued so confidently. My competitive nature got the better of me, and I accepted his wager. "You've got yourself a deal!" I smiled, getting into the competitive spirit. "Just don't be surprised when I get that big slice of cake." Ike fed off my energy, and prepared himself for his attempt. I didn't know the particular strategy behind getting air on the swing set, but I assume it had to do with pumping your legs. I had seen some other kids do it before. "Here I go!" Ike made his first attempt, getting a bit of hang time. Ultimately he wasn't able to keep his balance, and landed firmly on his backside. His clumsiness wasn't limited to just his personality, I guess. "Guess it's my turn then?" I asked. I pumped my legs in succession to put some distance between me and the ground. With each swing I could see more and more of the sprawling neighborhood before us, which had started to glow faintly in the evening. I wondered if each house contained a happy family who were talking about mundane things like school report cards, and birthdays. I smiled warmly to myself at that thought. "Hey, Ike. Are you ready to see someone fly?" I prepared myself for my own attempt. I let go of the chain and flew through the air at the height of my swing. Seeing the defeated look on Ike's face you could tell that he had been beaten. The look soon changed to awe, and then worry. Time seemed to pause in that moment for me. It was as if I had taken flight, and would soon making my way into orbit. Now... How do I land? That thought had only just now crossed my mind, but it was too late to turn back. I plummeted back to earth with great speed, but managed to land on my two feet. However... "See that's all there is t- Woahhh!" *PLOP* There was nothing wrong with my landing. However, what I didn't account for was the cheap, unstable gravel used for the playground. I had slipped and fallen straight on my back, and now looked directly at the sky. "Hey! Are you ok, dude? You're not hurt, are you? I don't think I could carry you back..." Ike said frantically, running over to me. "Ha... Hahahaha!" I started laughing more than I had in years. Possibly more than ever before. "That was so much fun! I guess we can call it a draw since neither of us completed our landing, huh?" I accepted his gesture to help me off the ground. We had fun like that for a while longer. It was the first time I could say that I was having fun with a kid my own age. I might dare to call this... friendship. He didn't seem to mind my occasional awkward silences, or my general attitude. It wasn't often I got to be a normal grade schooler. In all the fun I had forgotten something important, and I began to feel slightly uneasy. It was getting sort of late. Ike must've sensed what I was feeling. "Hey man, let's go have some cake before it gets too dark." he said. We turned to leave, but then I saw a vehicle approaching. I recognized the black luxury car, and the person inside of it almost immediately. There was no doubt about it. It was him. 2.3 I made eye contact with my father. He stared back at me coldly. The car briefly went in reverse, and parked on the side of the street just a few meters from where we were standing. The tension was noticeable in the air, and even Ike wasn't immune to it. He spoke up. "Hey Ren, uh... do you know that guy?" Ike whispered in my ear. He wasn't supposed to get home for another few hours. Why is he here? This could get bad if I don't do something. "Ike, thanks for today. It was one of the best birthdays I've ever had.. You should probably take off, and go home without me. Take a couple steps back." I said. "A couple steps back? W-what do you-" *WHOMP* The man who had exited his vehicle had closed in on us with only a few steps, and the force of his fist sent me flying to the ground. I looked up in bewilderment at the devil himself. Not a hint of regret shone in his pale brown eyes. The way he was looking at me, you might assume he was looking at an insect. Ike ran away at full speed in the direction of our houses, but I was glad. I didn't want him to get hurt either. "Why aren't you home, Ren?" he said calmly as if this were a normal meeting. I spit out some blood from my lip that had split open. Tears welled up in my eyes, and I looked up at the man with burning anger. My father was in his late 30's, but looked considerably older. He wore a fancy suit, and his black hair was greying a bit around the edges. I answered him swiftly to avoid another attack. "I was hanging out with my friend who just moved into that house next door." I tried to answer with my trembling voice, raising my verbal defenses. A thin, almost sinister smile crept across his face. You could tell he was amused by what I said, but I hadn't the slightest idea why. "Hahahahaha! You and a friend , huh? That's awfully rich." he laughed, smirking in my face. "I'd sooner believe you went out and made something of yourself. I can't well imagine any soul would want to freely spend their time with someone like you. Myself included. Now get up before I get angry." He didn't have any emotion in his voice at all. He spoke with conviction. I absolutely believed him when he said he had yet to become angry, but that could very well change. Even so... Like any 8 year old I was looking forward to sharing a birthday cake with my new friend. I tried in vain to reason with him. "Father, please... Can I..." I stammered. The words got caught in my throat before I could finish. He simply looked at me expectantly as if he were allowing me to finish my selfish request. I continued. "Can I please have a slice of cake at the neighbors house for my birthday? It'll only be a few more minutes." I asked. He paused for a moment deep in thought. Then his thin smile returned. "Oh why, of course! What kind of man would I be if I had forgotten my only child's birthday? Please feel free to go have a slice of cake, Ren. Consider it a gift from me to you." he pressed his hand to his chest, and motioned for me to go. I knew I couldn't take his words at face value. There was sure to be something off about what he said. Another riddle-filled lesson for me to learn. In fact, I had counted on it. I stood my ground, and spoke up. "In that case I'll just go-" I stood up to leave, but then a firm hand clasped itself around my throat lifting me off the ground. There was nothing I could do besides look back at the man I called my father. "I said feel free , so why don't you go? I know why..." he pressed me. "It's because none of us are truly free to make choices at our own discretion. I granted you the illusion of freedom, and you knowingly opted for self-indulgence. I taught you better than that, and now you have made me angry." he sneered. "For eight years you've been nothing but a weight around my ankles. Do you think I chose this? At what point do I cut you loose, I wonder?" His grip had tightened around my throat. I desperately kicked my feet trying to shake loose of his grasp, but it was no use. I was entirely at his mercy. All of a sudden, I heard people running up behind us. It was Ike, and his family. "Let the kid go, please." Ike's dad said firmly, piercing my father with a look of contempt. Unlike the hefty Ike, his father was a burly man in his mid 30's and looked dependable in a scrum. I felt air pour into my lungs as I was dropped down to the ground. My father simply smiled. "We'll speak later at home. Enjoy the birthday cake." he said as he dusted off his suit. He got back into his car, and drove away without another word. I hate him. I hate him more than I hate anything, or anyone. I hate him... I HATE HIM! I sat still on the ground for a moment. Without realizing it I had begun to cry my eyes out. Ike, and his family stood silently nearby. I was grateful that they had intervened, but more than anything I was exasperated that someone had seen me like this in public. I wasn't so young that I didn't know how unique my situation was, and the shame was palpable. My mother was gone, and my father despised me. I tried to hide my eyes that were reddening from the tears. Someone stood over me. "Let's go get you cleaned up, Ren. Cake sounds nice, huh?" Ike's mom said, picking me up. I would later come to learn that Ike's full name was Ike Takashi. That's right. His mother would go on to become our highschool teacher. The ending wasn't something I expected or wanted, but on this day I learned that there were kind people left in the world. Even battered, I smiled as we walked back to Ike's house. It was still my birthday, and I was going to enjoy this slice of cake a little more than usual.

✧ ✦ ✧ I laid there in a pool of shallow water for what seemed like an eternity. The blue sky above me reflected clear on its surface, revealing my own reflection. I positioned myself on my knees, looking down at the pale figure that shared my face. I , Itsuka Ren was not dead. Although... I couldn't say I was exactly "conscious" either. Not yet anyway. What is this place? Looking around at the empty space, I searched for an answer to that question. I was in some sort of suspended state by the looks of things. I seem to recall hearing a familiar voice before I fell asleep. Her face, and name were starting to become clear in my mind. It was like the veil had started to lift from over my eyes. It was only a matter of time before I remembered her fully. Prior events lingered in my mind, up to the point where I was unceremoniously shot at close range by one of Ulysses Code's robot sentinels. I remembered the intense pain, and euphoria as I slipped into this state. Of all things, it was the irony that hurt the most. I had left everything I knew behind to seek a life of adventure in another world, but found myself in facing reality instead. I was grossly underprepared for such an activity. I had underestimated how tough it might be to go to a world completely unlike my own. I certainly paid for my foolishness. Rather than continuing to feel sorry for myself, I decided to pick a single direction to walk in. After doing so for a long period of time, I discovered something in the previously empty space. "A chess board... And two chairs?" I said out loud. I wondered what the purpose of these were. There didn't appear to be anyone else in this vast space. Suddenly a voice called out from no particular direction. "How about a game?" "Who said that!?" I shouted, turning around frantically. A figure appeared near the chess board, but I couldn't quite make out who it was. I kept blinking in an attempt to gain some clarity. After rubbing my eyes, the figure finally shifted into focus. I stood in shock. Impossible... "Welcome, Ren." My father stood before me with one hand at his side. His other hand rested on one of the chairs next to the chess table. The vision of his casual grin filled me with unexplainable dread. "W-what are you doing here?" I stammered, tripping as I stumbled backward. "You should be dead! This isn't real. Clearly I'm dreaming, or something." "I can assure you that I'm still very much dead. Or at least my physical body is. You saw it go up in flames, after all. What you see before you isn't some dream your brain weaved together from memory, though." he began. "I am the soul of the man you once knew as your father. It's good to see you, my son." I must have lost a lot of blood to be hallucinating like this... Even so, it's so lifelike. So terrifyingly real. "It's unlike you to even acknowledge me as your son. What do you really want from me? If you're the soul of my father, why didn't you ascend or descend more like. Don't most souls do that?" I asked. "I see you're as belligerent as ever. You do make a fine point, though." he said, pausing briefly to think of what to say next. The eerie silence between words continued to unnerve me. Something feels off. When I had last seen him, the man was practically a mess. He had taken up heavy drinking, and quit his job. The man that stood before me was much more similar to the sharp-witted, and calculated man I previously knew. It was like he had been reset. "I don't want anything from you, Ren. As for why I'm here... You'll come to understand soon enough. I will explain things clearly the next time we meet. For now, why don't you humor me with a game?" he suggested. "A game? What kind of game?" I asked cautiously. "Nothing strenuous, of course. Is it not obvious by the set up? I am asking for a simple game of chess." he replied. "How can I be sure that you're not just trying to mess with me? Aren't you angry at what I did to you?" I challenged. I figured any normal person would be angry, considering the circumstances. The last thing I wanted was a vengeful spirit hanging around me. I doubted they had Shinto priests in this world to do a proper exorcizing. "Angry? Not at all. In fact, my defeat was perhaps the moment in which I was most proud of you. he said. "I had long dreamed of the day you stood up for yourself instead of hiding from your problems like a spoiled child. My desire to play a game with my son is genuine." "What if I refuse?" I said, trying to weigh my options. "Then you won't get any information out of me. Not about why I'm here, this place in general, or the abilities you now possess." he said. "Additionally, I'll haunt you forever." Certainly wouldn't want that. What's this about a bilities? "If you want to do something so stupid as to refuse out of spite, then you're just as narrow-minded as I expected." he jabbed. "It's simple. You play chess with me whenever we meet, and I provide you with advice and information to help you survive in this world. If your last encounter was any indication, you're going to need all the help you can get. That's the deal." I thoughtfully considered his proposal. This was all very difficult for me to accept. Not only did the guilt from our last encounter hang over me, I also had to consider the possibility that he was lying. Though a game of chess was a small price to pay for information. With any luck, this might help him pass on and get out of my hair. Even though I couldn't determine his true angle in all this just yet, it became clear what I needed to do. Guess I don't have much of a choice. I would accept his terms. " Tch . I suppose you've got a deal. Don't expect me to buddy up to you though. It's too late for a change of heart. I want you to pass on as quickly as possible, got it?" I said. "Fantastic! I'm pleasantly surprised by your cooperation, rude comments aside. I will look forward to our game the next time we meet. Here is a bit of helpful advice for you to consider as an advance on our deal." he began. "Advance?" I asked. "Yes. When you awaken, you will be in a wagon with two other individuals. There will be someone you don't know, and another you know quite well. Consider them allies, and follow their advice. That is all I can provide for now. I'll be seeing you, Ren." The man concluded his message, and faded into mist. I was still slightly shaken by the unexpected encounter, but at least it bore fruit. I would anxiously anticipate our next meeting, but for now it was time for me to return to reality. I prepared myself to meet these new allies he mentioned. The sound of rushing water approached me, and I woke up. 6.2 Having been jolted awake, I could tell I was in some sort of vehicle by the sound of the wheels squeaking below. Oddly there was something soft between me and the rough exterior of the wagon. Like a warm pillow beneath my head. "Why does he get to lay in your lap?" I heard a male voice complain. "Turn your attention towards the trail, you buffoon. Do you want to wreck the wagon?" a female voice responded sharply. It was a voice that immediately jogged my memory. This was a person I knew. I slowly opened my eyes, trying not to give away the fact that I had woken up. I must not have been careful enough, because the girl above me took notice immediately. "Hello, Ren-kun" she said, smiling down warmly at me. In that moment I knew exactly who she was. "Shion?" I asked. "I finally remembered... your name." Having realized that I was laying in a girl's lap, my face went completely red and I shot up. It seems my father's tip was spot-on. There were three of us in the horse-drawn wagon. Along with Shion and I in the back of the wagon, a young man sat in the front guiding the vehicle. He looked about my age, but he seemed considerably more muscular than I was. His athletic frame was highlighted by his sleeveless outfit, and his blue hair was swept to one side. The pouting expression on his face seemed slightly out of place though. I tried not to chuckle. "I'm sure you have a lot of questions, but first..." Shion pointed in the direction of the driver, and proceeded to make introductions. "The muscle-brained baby steering the wagon is Zero, and this is Ren-kun." she said, pointing to me. "That's a bit harsh, Shion! Well it's nice to meet you, partner! You were in pretty bad shape after that run in with General Assface, but you hung in there." Zero flashed a smile in my direction. "Nice to meet you." I replied, stretching. He must be referring to Ulysses Code. I was attacked shortly after arriving in this world, and.. . His comment made me remember the wound I had suffered. I felt my abdomen, but I was surprised to find nothing resembling an injury. Feeling a sense of gratitude, I bowed my head to the two of them. "Thank you both for rescuing me. I don't know what I would have done on my own. I've already caused you both trouble so soon after getting here." I apologized. "Ah, don't mention it. I was just doing what Shion asked me to do. Besides, I couldn't just leave a guy out there to die in Mistral Forest." Zero replied, trying to reassure me. "It is actually I who must apologize, Ren-kun." Shion said. "What for?" I asked. "The necklace I gave you isn't just some ordinary piece of jewelry. It's an artifact with several enchantments, and uses. The necklace blocked your ability magic from being detected by Ulysses Code, but it also tampered with your memories. That was an unintended side-effect, of course. Once we recovered you, I fine-tuned the necklace's magic properties to return those memories." she said. That would explain why I came to forget her name. My father had also mentioned abilities of mine, but I didn't know what they were talking about. I decided to ask her. "What is ability magic? Does it have anything to do with how I survived earlier without so much as a scratch left over?" I asked. "Yes, it does. Every other-worlder has the capacity to use ability magic that's entirely unique to them." Shion explained. "It starts out in a dormant form, but it can be unlocked by someone with a connection to the gods of this world." "I heard Code use that term in a derogatory way. So when you say other-worlder , you mean people from Earth?" I asked. "And why is it that only other-worlders can use these abilities?" "Exactly, we weren't the only ones who were transported here." Shion replied. "As for the origins of ability magic... They say that the gods bestowed arrivals from Earth with devastating power. No natural-born resident of this planet can harness the same abilities." So they're like some sort of super powers. The dots were finally starting to connect in my brain. All those disappearances on Earth had a common connection. They must have all ended up in this world, just like I had. Just like Shion had. Or so I thought. "Memories aside, I don't see any reason for you to apologize. Unless something else is bothering you?" I asked. "Now that I'm thinking about it. You were able to find help awfully quickly. If we entered the portal at the same time, how did you pull it off?" Nobody spoke immediately. The wagon continued pulling us along in the dead of night. I could hear insects chirping, and other woodland creatures. Shion broke the silence. "I've been waiting a long time to see you again, Ren-kun." she said. A long time? "I hope that you do not hate me for what I'm about to confess, but there are several more details I have yet to mention." Her warm expression was replaced by a serious one, and it reflected in the tone of her tone of voice. Zero simply looked forward at the road without saying anything, but I could tell he was listening in as well. "Whatever it is, I can handle it. I can't imagine I'd hate you for telling the truth. Please tell me." I reassured her. "Yesterday you entered the vortex, and found yourself here. Only... It wasn't yesterday for both of us. For me, it was 30 years ago." she said. Huh? 6.3 Her chilling words left me speechless. It didn't make any sense to me. That 30 years had passed in a blink of an eye, and she still looked the same as she had the moment we left. I couldn't scrape together a single logical explanation. "The thing is, I'm not human." she said, sensing my confusion. "I come from an immortal race of people on this planet called Timekeepers. We keep the balance of time and space in check. It takes a great deal of magical power to transport someone to another world. I was sent to Earth for a single purpose. To bring you back with me." she said, pointing to me. "But what about everybody else? Tens of thousands of people disappeared from Earth, and ended up here. Did that happen because of you too?" I asked. "I had nothing to do with any of that. It ended up being a convenient way to get you here. However, I have no idea how so many were stolen from Earth and thrust into this world. It was the work of some great magical summoning, but the source is unknown. Much like we theorized before." she replied. "One other thing, Ren-kun. I'm the one who sent you forward in time." " You did?? This doesn't make sense." I said, placing my hand on my forehead. "If I arrived with everyone else, I would have had a better chance at survival. Wouldn't I? Why was I alone sent forward in time?" "30 years ago, the world was in the midst of a terrible war. Cities were in turmoil, and governments collapsed. Including the one on this continent." Shion began. "The Demon King, Azrael started the war. He was jealous of the gift the gods bestowed on the other-worlders, and tried to create gifts of his own. It resulted in a magic pandemic of unbelievable proportions." "Magic pandemic?" I asked. "In other words, like a curse." Zero chimed in for the first time. "They called it Condition X . Instead of manifesting as an ability, the curse turned people into abominations. Most who were afflicted died. The ones that survived still roam the world, wreaking havoc." "That's horrible..." I said, looking down. "I sent you 30 years ahead in time to protect you. Things aren't as bad as they were, but this world needs Itsuka Ren now more than ever. There are many details that I still cannot share, but I hope you will not come to see me in a negative light." She bowed her head solemnly, and took my hands in hers. "I've never seen her like that before." Zero said. "I'm an other-worlder too, you know!" "Really? But you look so young..." I was a bit confused. "Ah! I should've been more clear. I've never seen Earth myself. I'm a second generation. My parents arrived in Zen 30 years ago. My dad is from some place called Texas, and my mom mentioned Ohio. I don't know much about where they came from, but Earth sounds so cool!" he said. I guess a different world always sounds fun and interesting no matter what planet you're from. "I went to Texas on a study abroad trip once. I'll tell you all about it sometime." I told him. He must've been pleased by my offer as he looked ahead with a satisfied look. "Sounds good, partner!" Zero smiled. Shion continued to bow her head. I was a little upset at her for concealing so many details from me when we met at school. Any normal person would be furious, but I couldn't stay mad. I had been given this chance to go to another world, because of her. "I don't know a lot of things. I almost died already, and I only just got here. The truth remains that you've been extremely dishonest. You came to Earth to retrieve me, but didn't explain a single thing that could have helped me, a complete beginner, survive when I got here. However... You did save my life." I admitted. In more ways than one. "Considering all that... You're forgiven." I said. "Though, I'd prefer a little more mutual trust going forward. Friends don't lie to one another." She suddenly looked up in surprise. Zero nodded in agreement from the front seat. "I don't deserve your kindness." she said humbly. "You're absolutely right." For the next few hours the wagon ride consisted of Shion, and Zero explaining how things worked in this world on a fundamental level. It was truly informative, and much of it was still difficult to grasp. They explained the differences between the magic types, the various races of Planet Kai, and the local geography on the Continent of Zen. Including where we were currently going: The City of Redrook, and The Institute for Practical Magic. "The Institute was established about 25 years ago in the City of Redrook by a Timekeeper, my mentor. It was intended as a sanctuary and magical education facility for other-worlders, and their descendants." Shion said. "So I'll be joining this school as a student? I never enjoyed school much, but I'll do my best." I said. "I've been wondering, is the demon king still terrorizing this world? You guys aren't expecting me to fight him are you?" "Don't be silly! I would never ask something so difficult from you. You might have supernatural abilities, but they haven't been fully realized yet." Shion laughed. "Besides... Azrael and his armies were defeated two decades ago by a party of adventurers, and other-worlders. Many of that same party work at The Institute now." "That's a relief. I really wasn't looking forward to living out that isekai trope." I laughed nervously. I knew my way around a fight, but not where magic and swords were concerned. Still though.. To think that the heroes that defeated the demon king worked at a school now. I guess life really does go on after all the adventure, and conflict. "We should be arriving in Redrook in a matter of minutes. We'll have plenty of time to show you around the city tomorrow, but for now we'll head straight to the dormitories when we get there. Your living quarters have already been arranged." Shion said. "As soon as we step through those doors, you can consider yourself a student at The Institute For Practical Magic." Hearing those words filled me with a growing feeling of excitement. Learning magic certainly captured my interest more than algebra class back home. I hoped I could fit in well enough, and not draw too much attention to myself. " Hey partner. I know it can be scary in a new place, but stick by me. You'll find it's not too bad. Hope you aren't a square by the way, because tomorrow we're getting drunk at the tavern! Hah!" Zero laughed heartily. I had never had a drop of alcohol in my life, but I didn't want to seem like a killjoy. No better place to have your first drink than in a new world, I supposed. "I guess a couple drinks couldn't hurt." I said, smiling to myself. "Don't let Shion fool you by the way, she can take down a keg by herself." Zero joked. "Don't compare me to you children." Shion replied. We continued our lighthearted conversation for several minutes. This is nice. I made a personal decision at that moment to learn as much as I possibly could about this new world. I had to become stronger, and smarter. I couldn't allow myself to become a burden to the people around me. I wanted things to be different here. That was my hope, at least. As I continued to reflect, we caught a glimpse of a large city wall. "Welcome to Redrook." Shion said. Surrounded by new friends, I began to notice a change in myself. This day couldn't have began any shakier, but that was behind me. My journey in this new world was finally, truly beginning.

✧ ✦ ✧ My thoughts were interrupted. "Ren, what are you doing outside? Class is about to begin, didn't you hear the first bell?" I have no desire to go to class. It hadn't been a week since the term started. Even so, they wasted no time in giving us a mountain of work to do. The overly cautious voice I couldn't seem to ignore was my best friend, Ike. To be more accurate, he was probably my only friend. They do say that opposites attract, and we couldn't be any more different. I still appreciated him, and valued our friendship though. " Tch. I heard you the first time, Ike. Like I'd waste a beautiful spring day like this with my face in a book..." I responded without looking up. I lie underneath a cherry blossom tree. The month was April in Hachioji, just outside the greater Tokyo Metro area. The blossoms were fully in bloom, and the wind swept through my silver-white hair. I was somewhat tall for a kid from Japan, and I generally stood out from the other kids. My emerald green eyes certainly contributed to that. I often spent my days wasting time, and trying to avoid going home as much as I could. Things were better for me that way. While some people certainly wouldn't blame me for living as I pleased, there were others that couldn't wrap their heads around my way of life. I couldn't hate them for it. They just didn't understand my... personal struggles. I quite enjoyed sitting under this particular tree, and losing myself in thought. That short moment of bliss disappeared when the sound of heels clicked in our direction from the school gate. Oh shit, here we go... "Ren! Ike! Get yourselves to class this instant unless you want another call home." our homeroom teacher barked, looking almost exclusively at me. "Y-y-y-yes ma'am!" Ike said, taking off in a light sprint. Somehow, the sight of Ike flailing his arms in an attempt to run faster made me chuckle to myself. However, my laughter was short lived as an angry figure filled my vision from my comfortable spot underneath the tree. Mrs. Takashi was the sort of teacher who'd have no problem giving you a bottle of water if you were dying of thirst. However, the bottle would be empty and she'd be throwing it in the direction of your head. "Alright, alright. I'm coming." I gave in. "Ren, you'd be wise to start shaping up that careless attitude of yours. Honestly..." she said, looking exasperated. "You're 17 years old now, and in your final year here at this school. Most students have their next five or six years planned out to the detail, and I can't get you to show up to class on time. What does that tell me about you?" A fair question, I might concede. "It doesn't tell you anything you don't already know." I quipped back, standing up and dusting off my uniform in the process. "You're approaching adulthood, Ren. You'll be 18 next week. I think it's time you start acting like it... For your sake, ok?" She turned around and disappeared as fast as she had blown in, much like a spring storm. "What's her deal lately?" I said, sighing mostly to myself, but audibly enough to be heard if someone were next to me. Deep down I knew that she was nagging me out of genuine worry for my future, but it didn't benefit me to think so far ahead. Considering the effort it took to survive in the present, I had my mind on other things. My life had been a series of short-term objectives to get me through each day. I've always had the intelligence to maintain decent grades, and the cunning to survive my precarious home situation. However, I lacked the motivation to strive for anything more than surviving one moment at a time. The environment you're placed in has a great deal to do with whether many succeed, or not. More than anything, I often wished I could suddenly wake up somewhere else and leave this world behind. Best not to dwell. If I were to achieve my long-standing goal of changing myself, I would have to start on a fundamental level. As much as I hated to admit it, Mrs. Takashi's words were starting to make sense in that regard. At least a little bit. 1.2 The school day was over before I knew it. Of course I missed half of it anyways, so that's understandable. "You're all dismissed. Feel free to ask any lingering questions before you go." Mrs. Takashi said putting away some supplies. She was our homeroom teacher, but she also taught science in our final class of the day. Today's lesson had been about the theory of general relativity, and how wormholes are created. The vastness of space was a particularly interesting subject for me. The existence of life on other planets, or other dimensions, filled me with curiosity. I raised my hand slowly. "I did have a quick question." I said. "Ren, huh? Go ahead." she said with a look of genuine surprise. Most of the students had already left the classroom to start making their way back home. Only a few of us remained, including Ike and a couple girls I didn't know all too well. "I understand that a lot isn't known about wormholes, and the conditions in which they appear are often extreme, but..." I paused for just a moment to format my question. Mrs. Takashi's eyes remained pointed at me. "Would it be possible to create one by scientific means as a means of space travel?" Mrs. Takashi's serious expression broke, and what she did next surprised those of us who were left in class. She began to laugh. Is she seriously laughing? Having asked the question myself, I couldn't help but feel embarrassed at her reaction. Though I tried not to let it show on my face. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to laugh." she said, possibly sensing my frustration. "Theoretically speaking, in order for a wormhole to appear there must first be a blackhole, as you know." In other words a tear in space time. "If such a thing were to appear in the proximity of Earth, no matter how small it would likely unravel the physical structure of the planet with its gravitational pull alone. In all likelihood, it would eliminate everyone on the surface. We don't have the technological capabilities anyways." she answered. I had thought as much, but for some reason I couldn't accept a simple "It's not possible." in this case. She continued with her explanation. "To create a black hole roughly a centimeter in diameter you'd need to condense an object the size of the planet down to that diameter. It would be extremely unstable." she concluded. "Why do you ask? Just out of curiosity." "I guess you could say that I hoped there was something else out there. Maybe even someone out there beyond this world, and that there would be a way to go see it." I said, shrugging. "I mean... this can't be it right?" "I was a lot like you once. Maybe I still am, and that's why we butt heads so often. But you know... I don't think it's bad to believe in the unknown. After all, we don't know far more than we do. There's no telling what's possible." she said. "Who's to say there aren't other worlds out there?" "I hope you're right." I said. "It's unlike you to be so curious. You know, Ren... If you weren't already a delinquent, I might mistake you for a student." she said, chuckling. "Now go home. Believe it or not, us teachers have a life outside of class too." Now that I seriously doubt! Mrs. Takashi was young. Certainly so for a 3rd year teacher. Only about 34. She had that serious, but mature vibe that I'm sure a lot of students and teachers could find appealing. She was married, but had children at an extremely young age. You'd have to wonder why people didn't hit on her. However... "You got something in your ears, freeloaders? You too, Ike. Make yourselves scarce, you're giving me wrinkles already." she said, kicking her feet up at her desk. That's more like her. 1.3 As I walked side-by-side with Ike through the halls, I couldn't help but notice we were being followed. I quickly looked behind me as if expecting to see someone. Nobody was there, however. "What's the matter? You gotta take a dump, or something?" Ike asked, jabbing me in the side with his elbow. "No! Nothing like that, it's just..." I paused where I stood. "On second thought, I forgot something in class. You head on back without me." I turned around, and started walking back the way we came. "A-alright then..." Ike said confusedly. The truth was that I could definitely sense someone's presence at the end of the hall. I had a certain sensitivity to that kind of thing, and it was bothering me. I had no shortage of people who hated my guts at this school, so I quickly wanted to find out who it was and get on with my day. I turned the corner sharply... "Uwaahhh!" *CRASH* In my haste I had sent both myself, and someone else crashing down to the floor. A mountain of books came fluttering down with us. "Hey! Why don't you use your eyes, and watch where you're going you..." my pointed remarks were interrupted by what I saw. "I-I'm so sorry!" A girl sat kneeling in front of me. She looked extremely embarrassed, her cheeks bright red. My anger was quickly replaced by curiosity. The girl in front of me had black hair tied in two braids on the sides. She had piercing blue eyes, and her glasses were a little crooked. Her uniform looked about as tidy as mine. Which is to say not very neat and orderly. Somehow she looked a little familiar, but not in any obvious way. She didn't even appear to be Japanese. Perhaps she's from another country? "Nah, nah. It's alright. Sorry for raising my voice at you. I should've been more careful, myself." I felt it necessary to apologize, seeing as I had scattered her books on the floor with my carelessness. "I don't know you from somewhere, do I?" I continued, helping her pick up her belongings. "Me? Well I wouldn't say you know me since we've never talked before. I'm the new foreign exchange student. I sit a few rows behind you in class..." she said, looking a bit flustered. So that's where I know her! There shouldn't be anyone else from my class left in the building though, unless... "This is going to sound strange, but have you been following me around?" I got to the heart of the matter without any reservations. For the first time since bumping into her, I noticed the title of one of the books that had been scattered on the floor. "RELATIVITY: THE SPECIAL AND GENERAL THEORY". This seemed rather coincidental considering my earlier conversation with Mrs. Takashi, but I wasn't the type to believe in coincidence. Suddenly the girl bowed her head... "I was following you around, I'm sorry if I've inconvenienced you in any way! It's just that I heard you talking to Mrs. Takashi after class, and I thought maybe you were interested in astrophysics too. So I picked up this general relativity book from the library..." She stammered with no end in sight, so I spoke up. "No harm done, right?" I said. "R-right..." she replied. "So it doesn't bother me at all, but next time if you want to talk, just come up and ask me. My reputation might not be the best, but I'm mostly harmless. Just don't tell anyone." I cautioned in a joking tone. Truthfully, she made me a bit uneasy. It struck me as sort of odd that she'd be following me around of all people. I didn't make any special effort to talk to my classmates, much less girls. Something seemed off. I'm probably just being paranoid. "I'll keep that in mind! Oh yeah!" she exclaimed as if she'd forgotten something important. "We never shared our names, did we? Mine is Shion. It's so nice to formally meet you, Itsuka-kun." she said sweetly. "Likewise. Feel free just to call me Ren by the way. Most people I know don't bother with honorifics." I said. "Ren.....kun." she said, twirling her hair with her index finger. She almost got it at least. I figured with her books in-hand she would start walking away, but she continued to look at me expectantly as if she had something else to say. As the moments seemed to tick away awkwardly, I almost felt the need to interject. She finally spoke. "If it wouldn't be too much trouble, I'd love to get to know you more sometime. There's plenty of things I'd like to ask you. I'm usually hanging out in the library after classes. Could you meet me there next week?" Shion asked. "W-well that's..." I attempted a reply. "Great! I'll be in the library right after class on Monday waiting for you, it's a date!" She hurriedly ran off before I could continue with the excuse I had planned so carefully. It's... a date?? I shook my head trying to get that word out of my mind. In the end, for someone seemingly so shy she had been quite pushy. I was almost impressed. " Tch . Guess I've got plans on Monday, huh?" I muttered to myself. Monday wasn't just any day. It also happened to be my birthday. 1.4 I approached the large wooden doors of the school library. It's a building I had seldom visited. Other than our school orientation tour during my first year, of course. I stepped inside. There were so many different books stacked up on the shelves. The colorful selection of literary material went on forever, and including everything from glossaries to manga. I wasn't there to read, however. I had come to meet someone. A particular girl with whom I wasn't all that familiar, and her name was Shion. Scanning my surroundings, I looked for the person I was supposed to be meeting. Maybe she bailed? That thought had crossed my mind a few times on the way here. It wasn't uncommon for someone to make plans and bail, or to ask me out as a joke. It was just something I had gotten used to during my time here. Just before getting ready to turn around and walk out, I saw a small hand waving me over. "I'm glad you made it! Please take a seat wherever you like. I made some cookies and tea as well if you're hungry." she said, pointing to the table. She had laid out several books, and some treats. "Don't mind if I do." I said, taking a cookie and my seat at the table. This is really good! I wonder if she bakes often? Now that I was actually here in the library, I supposed it was pretty peaceful. It wasn't too different from my spot outside the school gate. I enjoyed places where I could be alone with my thoughts. There weren't too many people in the library since classes had ended, and they usually kept it open for another two hours to accommodate students checking out materials. "You're probably wondering why I called you here, right Ren-kun?" she said, with a gentle look. "Yeah... I suppose I was wondering what you were thinking when you asked me out all of a sudden." I replied. "I'm afraid I might betray your expectations of me when it comes to science, and stuff like that." I said looking at all the books she had picked out. There was quite the selection. "Oh that doesn't matter so much to me, I simply wanted to get to know you more." she said, twiddling her thumbs. "The important thing is that I've been watching you for a while, and you're much smarter than you let on. I'd love to share some personal research with you that I've been working on." Wait, just how long had she been watching me? She mouthed the words "watching" a few times. As if she realized her mistake, Shion suddenly clasped her hand over her mouth. "I'm sorry... I didn't mean for it to sound so creepy, I just meant that I noticed." She apologized to me, waving her hands around. "It's fine." I responded, crossing my arms. I knew we weren't going to get anywhere at this pace, so I wanted to give her some reassurance. Other than that, I was interested in this research that she had called me out here to talk about. She let out a sigh of relief. "By the way. You mentioned that you were a foreign exchange student, where did you live before Japan?" I asked. "Uhhhhh. Well, that's... Norway?" she answered. Was she asking me, or telling me? "Y-yes! I'm from Norway. In any case, I'll continue. After our final class on Friday, you were asking about the possibility of wormholes, and other worlds. Isn't that right?" she stated. Shion had quickly regained her composure, and explained herself with confidence. I nodded in response to her question. "You see... I agree with Mrs. Takashi that the instability alone would prevent such phenomena from safely occurring near Earth, but there's certain things that even scientific study can't explain." she said, waving her hand. Suddenly she leaned in, and whispered to me. "Do you believe in magic, Ren-kun?" Shion asked me, unexpectedly. "Well I prefer to focus on what's proven, but I can't say for certain that it doesn't exist. What about you?" I replied quietly, leaning in a bit. I wanted to believe something so fantastical could be a reality, but it was too far outside the realm of possibility. "The line between possible, and impossible is starting to grey." she said, looking through my safe answer. "There's one area of the planet in the North Atlantic Ocean that has caught my particular interest. That is the Bermuda Triangle." she said. "The Bermuda Triangle? What does that have to do with magic?" I asked. "50 ships, and over 20 planes are said to have gone completely missing when traversing the Bermuda Triangle. Facing difficulties with rogue waves is one thing, but wreckage and debris were extremely rare in most of the disappearances. Rather curious, wouldn't you say so?" Shion reasoned. "It was as if they simply vanished." "So you're saying that something unnatural caused the disappearances?" I asked. "I would say so. Tropical storms making landfall, and random disappearances have become more frequent in recent weeks. I have reason to believe that it's no coincidence." she said. "My theory is that the Bermuda Triangle is the center of a large summoning ritual, and Earth is the target." Huh? Maybe I was getting pranked, after all... I had never heard a person mention things like summoning rituals, and magic in everyday conversation without at least cracking a smile. However, I didn't sense a hint of sarcasm. Her eyes gleamed with sureness. Most people in my position might have written these theories off as the rantings of a crazy person, but there was something about the conviction in her soft voice that made me want to pay attention. Maybe it was just the part of me that loved the impossible. The part of me that wished for an escape. "Haven't you noticed the news lately? I think the strangest detail of all is that these missing individuals are always between the ages of 14-21. What are the odds of only young adults, and teenagers disappearing?" she asked. I had seen some similar stories as well. Meteorologists had said that these storms were a result of irreversible climate change, but they didn't seem so natural to me. But how? What if she's onto something? "How do you know all this anyways?" I asked. "That's something I can't give away just yet. I just ask that you please trust me on this" she said. "I just know that this is the work of a spell that's been attuned to a specific age group, and it's only just beginning." I nodded my head. Though, trust began with trust. If she couldn't tell me where she had gotten these ideas, I'd have to take her words with a grain of salt. Even with her confident-sounding explanation. "This is a lot to process without any proof, you realize that right?" I finally spoke up. "I am aware. I didn't expect to spring such a topic on you, and have you blindly go along with it for fun. I sought you out, because I knew you'd want to believe it was possible." she replied. Shion wasn't wrong. I found a lot of comfort in fairytales, because it helped me escape the troubles of my daily life. "I do want to believe it's possible. That other worlds exist. That there's more for me out there than this ." I said, looking around at the room. Perhaps I could even be another person... "I'll choose to believe you." I concluded. "Really?" she said, looking surprised. "You thought I wouldn't? " I crossed my arms, and turned my head. "Sorry, it's not that. It's just that I'm happy you didn't dismiss me." she said, looking relieved. "That wasn't all I had for you though. I have a favor I'd like to ask of you. If you're willing..." She turned the conversation back to me. "A favor?" I replied. "Let's say hypothetically that I had a general idea of where one of these flash storms would make landfall, and that it was rather close to the particular neighborhood in which I live." she began. "I know it sounds awfully cryptic, but could you accompany me to the site of the storm? I'd like to prove my theory correct." She was asking me out, again? "Though I can't explain why, I know that it will happen tonight." Shion concluded. While it's certainly true that my curiosity had been piqued, there was still something about this girl that unnerved me. Besides... Being that today was a school day and I had already stayed out another two hours, I had to get home. I just hoped that when I got there he would already be asleep. "I'm sorry, I have some prior commitments to attend to at home, and I can't stay out any later than this." I offered my apology. "No, no! It's quite alright. You don't know me too well after all, and this was pretty sudden. I guess we should conclude this discussion then. Thank you for indulging me." she said, standing up. She wore a satisfied smile despite me turning down her request. I felt a little guilty, but it couldn't be helped. "And one more thing..." she said quietly, almost whispering. "This is for you." She handed me a small box. It was white with a black ribbon wrapped around it. "Happy birthday, Ren-kun!" She quickly scurried out of the library, hiding the expression on her face as she went. I stood holding the box. My face had become pretty red since it was the first time I'd ever gotten a gift from a girl. I hadn't told anybody that it was my birthday today. As it typically went, I rarely ever celebrated it. Even Ike gave me a cordial "happy birthday", and left it at that. I couldn't deny that I was somewhat pleased. I decided to wait until later to open it. I supposed that it was time to go home, and that he might be waiting for me there. I left the school, and made my way back. The hazy orange sun was setting over the quiet neighborhoods. I looked upon the miles of power cables stretching forth down the residential street, and took in the scenery. I was the last student out of the school building, and Ike had already gone home as I instructed him to. The walk itself was uneventful, and I eventually made it home. As I approached the familiar front door to my house, I was suddenly hit with a feeling of nostalgia. I began to remember something. A memory from 10 years ago today.

✧ ✦ ✧ Am I dead? That couldn't be possible, my head aches too bad... Maybe I'll try to pick myself up. On the count of three. One... Two... Three! "AGH! Bad idea, bad idea. Damn!" I shouted in pain, falling back down to the ground. I was a little disoriented. Actually that was a bit of an understatement. One moment I was back in Japan, and the next I saw a flash of light and ended up here. Only... "Where the hell am I?" I asked, scratching my head. Scanning my surroundings, I appeared to be in a remote area. It wasn't anything like the nature park I had just left. Trees surrounded me in great numbers, and I could hear the sounds of wildlife chattering around me. At just a glance, this didn't look any different than a forest you'd see on Earth. However, the trees themselves seemed noticeably different upon closer inspection. They were an entirely different species of tree with vibrant colors decorating their trunks. Unlike anything I had ever seen. Even the grass underfoot had patches of blue to go along with the green. A storm raged overhead, and it reminded me of previous events. Had I really fallen from those clouds? I thought to myself. Miraculously, I was unharmed. I was alone, though I seemed to remember entering the vortex with another person... with a girl. Her name seemed to have completely escaped my mind for the time being. A rather important detail. Besides... I had other issues to worry about. For one, I had to figure out how to navigate my way out of this forest. Secondly, I wanted to know if there was any intelligent life nearby. I should get to higher ground. The circumstances that led me here still weighed heavily on my mind. I thought of Ike, and Mrs. Takashi. They probably looked on in bewilderment as the girl, and I disappeared. I couldn't imagine what they must be feeling right now. I thought back to the sight of my father's lifeless eyes, and the flames that engulfed my childhood home. For better or worse, my life there was over. Dredging up the memory of what I had done to my father nearly made me hurl, but I tried to shake my mind free of the guilt for the moment being. I couldn't afford to be thinking of anything else, but survival. This was no time to despair. No matter where I am, the first few hours are crucial when someone gets lost in the wilderness. I need to make every calorie count before I run out of the energy required to navigate the forest. The girl... mentioned a new world. Maybe I really had been transported. I had hoped that I'd appear in some sort of starter town, or that I'd be surrounded by the people that summoned me. Guess that was just wishful thinking, huh? After what seemed like hours, I finally reached a vantage point at the top of a ridge. I was in decent enough shape, but I wasn't used to climbing in the frigid air. The ridge overlooked the sprawling forest of the colorful trees below. The leaves had almost fully fallen. It was at that moment that I became certain of one thing. I'm not in Tokyo anymore... In Hachioji, I had left during Spring. Right at the beginning of a new school year. Meanwhile, the season here in this world was much more comparable to fall. I felt under-dressed for the cold, and shivered violently as my body's core temperature dropped. I looked towards the horizon in front of me, shielding my eyes with my arm. The vortex was beginning to dissipate, but still swirled above. I couldn't see any signs of life in the forest below. Any wise creature wouldn't be outside in these conditions, but in the distance to my right I finally caught sight of something interesting. A starter town! Or more like... a starter city! There was a huge castle in the distance that overlooked a large establishment of buildings. Surrounding all of it was a heavily fortified wall, and a few guard towers. So there were sentient beings in this world after all. The castle gave me a hint as to what the setting of this world might be. I was pretty familiar with stories where someone was transported to another world. We call them isekai in Japan. I read those kinds of novels frequently in my spare time, and watched similar anime. I liked the fantasy genre more than anything else. The kind of story where an unlikely hero would have to fight a demon lord, or something of that nature. Having been summoned here, I wondered if it was for some similar purpose. Still I certainly hoped there weren't any demons here, and I wouldn't have to fight them. Since this is another world... I'd be lying if I said I wasn't hoping for some modern amenities. Medicine, quick transportation, and my own personal hygiene immediately came to mind. "I don't think I could survive without indoor plumbing." I said, talking to myself. Whimsical thoughts aside, I knew nothing about this area. I could tell night would fall soon, and I had no intention of freezing to death in this forest alone. I had some choices to make if I wanted to avoid danger. I would either have to set up camp in a clear area, or make contact with the people in the city. What if they're enemies? I hadn't even seen another living soul yet in this world. It was a possibility that a hostile force resided in those city walls, but what other choice did I have? The debate raged on in my head as I contemplated my next course of action, but I eventually came to a decision. " Tch. Guess it can't be helped." I said to myself. I decided that my best chance of survival rested on trying to figure things out in the city, and hoping that the people there were friendly. I had no combat abilities, and no weapons from what I could tell. Looking rather foolish, I shadowboxed the air trying to activate some sort of power. However, it was obviously useless. I had to get walking or it would get dark long before I reached the front gates. Wild animals posed just as much of a risk as people did. Man... What was I thinking in taking that girl's hand? I was usually the type of person to agonize over decisions, and think things over from a logical perspective. I uncharacteristically grabbed her hand without a moment's hesitation. All at the promise of a new life. Now look at what I had gotten myself into. I put my hand up to my head, exasperated. "Oh? That's interesting." I exclaimed, feeling my temple. All the superficial wounds I had acquired by fighting with my father had completely healed. Not even a scab remained where the broken glass had cut the side of my head. Now that I was thinking about it, my cracked rib no longer hurt either. It could be pure coincidence, or a result of being sent here. Did things simply reset in this world? I didn't yet understand the specifics, but that thought would have to wait. I felt a presence behind me. "Now what do we have here?" a booming voice sounded behind me, causing me to turn around. It seemed... I wasn't alone in this forest after all. 4.2 The figure that approached me was a large man in some sort of forest-green military attire. On his face he wore a sly grin, and he held his arms out in an exaggerated fashion. With him was a unit of robotic soldiers who were armed with highly advanced weaponry. They totaled about 10, including the man himself. Castles? Robots?? Talk about getting your settings mixed up... "One of our drones overhead detected a heat signature, but you were quite difficult to find between all those trees. Thanks for coming up here to make it easy for us." the man said. He bellowed with laughter. I maintained my poker face with all the effort I could muster, but my heart raced. I was caught completely off guard by their sudden appearance, and I didn't know how to react. The robots accompanying the man looked like they had been designed for the sole purpose of combat. It exceeded even the technology we had back on Earth. They hadn't attacked yet, though. Perhaps there was still room for discussion with the man. I thought it was extremely convenient how he spoke my language. I wasn't sure how that worked, but I knew that a cultural barrier would have made things even more uncertain. I certainly wasn't complaining. "My name is Ren. Do you have some business with me?" I posed a question to the man. "Oh how rude of me. I should have introduced myself first. I always forget the proper pleasantries." he admitted. The man approached me, leaving his robot soldiers standing in place. Now that I had gotten a closer look, I could tell he wasn't entirely human himself. His right arm was almost fully robotic. The man had several medals lining his uniform coat, and a scar across his face. He appeared to be in his late 50's or early 60's by his nearly gray hair, and worn features. I kept the cliff's edge in the back of my mind. If I were to back up too far I would be in danger of falling. As he closed the distance between us I could tell just how much larger than me he was. If I had to guess, he was about 6'7" or more. Now towering in front of me, he spoke. "My name is General Ulysses Code of the United Task Force of Junction City, but you can just call me Code. Pleasure to meet you, White Hair." he grinned. I took exception to the nickname he had given me, but decided to let it go. He seemed the jovial sort, but I could sense hostility beneath his crooked smile. This was where I would decide to play along. "Now tell me, White Hair. How did you get all the way out here?" Code asked me. "Where is here exactly?" I asked, trying to ascertain my position. "Are you saying you don't know?" Code asked, looking a bit surprised. I nodded my head. "Well, White Hair... We're currently in Mistral Forest a few days East of Junction City. That's the acting capital of Zen, the continent we're on now." he explained. "The United Task Force , or U.T.F. maintains order in this territory." He took a cigar out of his pocket, and lit it with a match. He paced back and forth taking several puffs of smoke. He made no attempt to blow it in any other direction than towards my face. "We stop the magic users, and non-humans from ending life as we know it. Junction City is a technological utopia amongst all the mud huts in this savage land." Code said. "You mentioned magic, and non-humans. What did you mean?" I asked. "You sure do ask a lot of questions. It means exactly what I said. You see that castle over there? That's Castle Red, and inside it is The Institute For Practical Magic ." he said sarcastically. "Beneath it is the city of Redrook . The city is home to magic users, elves, orcs, demi-humans, and all kinds of other filth." I was wondering what kinds of people lived there. I guess humans aren't the only sentient beings in this world. "The Institute, however, harbors an even greater menace. Other-worlders." he said, clenching his fist. "They cause nothing, but problems. Not only for Zen. They bring catastrophe wherever they go." Lightning flashed behind the man as rage filled his eyes. I continued to listen, nodding my head. Although, I found it hard to follow his train of thought. It sounded like he had a deeply rooted bias against non-human creatures, and these other-worlders . It would be best if I didn't say anything to contradict his prejudice for now. Still, assuming what he was saying was true... This was just the kind of world I had always wanted to visit. I found it curious how robots found themselves in a fantasy world, though. He continued speaking as I pondered that thought. "For some reason the Mayor doesn't want to make a move on Redrook yet. Says it could cause an incident . That's why I take matters into my own hands from time to time. Just to clean things up a bit. Things would be very different if I was in charge of the city." he said with a devious smile. I got the sense that I had gotten as much information out of him as he was willing to give me. He already seemed slightly annoyed, so I didn't want to press the issue. Suddenly his smile disappeared, and he spoke. "I've told you plenty about me. Now it's about time you start answering my questions." he said. Now the difficult part would begin. 4.3 "Now that I'm taking a good look at you... I've never seen that school uniform before." Code pressed. "You don't seem to know where you are, you're dressed in strange clothes, and you're in the middle of Mistral Forest without so much as a change of undies. That makes you quite the mystery, White Hair!" He placed his left hand in my shoulder, and leaned in close. "You wouldn't happen to be with The Institute, would you?" he whispered with a wry smile. I froze. "I'm not sure what you mean, but I have no connection to magic or any school. I don't even know basic card tricks, let alone spells." I replied. I told him the honest truth. I really had no connections or affiliations in this world, but I thought he might be trying to get something else out of me. "Come on, don't look so tense! I can tell you aren't lying, but I can't exactly let you go either. Not until I've determined whether you're an other-worlder, or not." he said, turning his back to me. "You think I'm an other-worlder?" I asked. He didn't delve further. He simply started walking back towards his unit. "Sentinels, search him. Make sure he has no ability magic. Don't leave a hair unturned." he said sharply. In less than a moment I was fully surrounded by the unit of machines. They had arms to hold their weapons, but in the place of legs they had a single wheel. They were much faster than I'd anticipated. The visor in their helmet also appeared to be some sort of scanner. With their weapons pointed at me, they began scanning me for irregularities. I couldn't do anything, but maintain my cool. A few moments passed, and they returned to their positions without incident. I had made it through their test. One of the machines turned to General Code, and sounded out. "UNIT 592285 reporting on subject: Race: Human Origin: Unknown Element: Unknown Ability Magic: None End of report." "You heard it. Nothing seems to be out of the ordinary. Normally if you were an other-worlder, I would have had to put you down immediately. I don't sense any potential for ability magic in you." he concluded. "It seems, there's nothing special about you at all." I breathed a sigh of relief. I didn't know what ability magic was, but the fact that it carried a death sentence in his mind left me with little doubt that he was troublesome. How many had failed his test? "So... Are we done here?" I asked hesitantly. "Yes, yes we are." he said. Something about the way he said that made me feel uneasy. *BANG* "What was-" I muttered. A burning sensation overwhelmed me. It felt like a hot iron was being pressed to my stomach, and I couldn't catch my breath. Falling to my knees, I looked down at my abdomen. Blood sprayed out of my chest cavity like a leaking hose. I looked up to see a cloud of smoke hanging over one of the drones. It had fired in my direction while I was distracted with Code, a bad miscalculation on my part. The smell of my own burnt flesh made me sick, but the pain was surprisingly dull. Perhaps it was the shock shielding me from the agony. This mercy didn't last long. "AAAAAAAAAAHH!" I cried, feeling the pain take over my body. My life continued to pour out, staining the ground with a pool of dark red. I couldn't find the strength to speak, but I looked up at my attackers. The general continued to smoke his cigar for a time. He watched as I thrashed in the dust, writhing in severe pain. I scratched at the ground in front of me, my nails filling with mud. I don't want to die. "Why?..." I finally managed, coughing up blood. "It's nothing personal, son. People die in the forest all the time, do they not? For all anyone knows you could've been gored by an animal, or mugged by a group of bandits. I couldn't let you go revealing my position, even if you don't look like a spy." he said, walking back up to me. Kneeling down, he put out his cigar on my shoulder. "You... bastard..." I said, fading in and out of consciousness. Someone help me. Please. "Still, I'm downright impressed. Tickled, if you will. You just took a direct hit from a p hoton c annon , and you can still speak. Sorry to say, but your efforts to survive will go to waste. It's the end of the line for you. Got any lingering regrets, White Hair?" he asked with a whisper. I had a lot. In fact, my mind was so full of regrets I couldn't have put it into one solid sentence. I had murdered my own father in cold blood, and I knew there was no salvation to be had for a person like me. Even so... I had hoped I could enjoy this new life to the fullest. The thought of living in a world of fantasy, and possibility had excited me. I thought that even someone like me... could change. Despite all this, I couldn't even survive 24 hours. I had tried, and failed. Pathetically. I was nothing like a storybook hero, and every bit like the two-bit protagonist that got in way over their head. I had yet to meet any allies, or remember the person I had arrived here with. I wanted nothing more than to remember her name. What was it again? They were just things to add to my growing list of regrets. I feel so cold... The bright moonlight had broken through the clouds, but my own world was beginning to grow dark. The veil of death began to cast itself over my vision, clouding my eyesight. My tumultuous story was already coming to an end. ................................. "Look over here you pieces of scrap metal!" I heard someone yell. I saw a figure break the tree line, and engage the sentinels in combat. Code rose from his position beside me, and got into a fighting stance. "The living aren't done with you yet, Ren-kun." The melodic words echoed in my head, as I slipped into a deep sleep. Don't I know... that voice?

✧ ✦ ✧ We were able to avoid any unnecessary detours on the way to the clothing shop. Thanks to the money Shion gave me, I purchased some practical shirts and undergarments that could be worn beneath my uniform. With luck, I wouldn't have to wear Zero's dirty laundry anymore. The dress code was strictly enforced on school grounds so it was likely that I'd be wearing my uniform more than anything else. Things weren't as expensive as I would have thought at the local shops. The trading caravans evidently had higher quality goods, but charged more as a result. I had no problem purchasing goods from the residential merchants instead. The next stop was the weapon-smith, and armorer. "What kind of weapon are you thinking of, partner?" Zero asked me. "What do you mean?" I replied. "You know! Everyone should have their own weapon on-hand. You can't rely on magic for protection at first unless you're a natural spell caster. Students are encouraged to take adventurer's guild contracts to make money. Protection is a necessity, of course." he said. "As for me? I'm a swordsman through and through. Ever since I could stand on two feet, my parents have taught me to wield one." He made a good point. Picking a good weapon and armor could mean the difference between living, or becoming dinner for some other creature. I also thought back to my run-in with the man with the robotic arm. General Ulysses Code... Just as I thought that, we passed by an unusual market stall. In contrast to the goods being featured in the marketplace, this one was different. It's inventory seemed oddly familiar. "Man! The scrappers already found those sentinels out in the woods? They sure don't waste time." Zero said. "Scrappers? You mean they sell all those robotic parts? Do they have any use to common city folk, and adventurers?" I asked. " Ro -botic? Not as they are. People often turn them into fancy lawn decorations, or melt them down to make weapons and armor. I've even seen people turn them into jewelry." he said. "I never understood it, myself. Those things represent the dark side of Zen." "That reminds me! How did the sentinels end up in a place like this? I haven't seen anything else as technologically advanced since arriving here." I said, putting my hands in my pockets. "If anything, they seem entirely out of place." "Well you've got that detail right. I'm not really supposed to talk about it, but there's a reason that Junction City has the kind of power and technology they do." he said. "It's the work... of another timekeeper." That would explain why the sentinels, and Code didn't fit in this world at all. Though, I wondered why something like that wasn't more common when the entire timekeeper race can travel through time. "Does this kind of thing not happen a lot?" I asked. "You'd think with a crazy-dangerous ability like time travel, it would get out of control fast." "It doesn't happen as often as you'd think. The timekeepers abide by a strict code enforced by their ruler and deity Aemor. He's known as the God of Time ." Zero explained . "The Keepers Laws are what they call this code. To break them would mean immediately disinheriting their time traveling abilities. Their lifespan would also shorten to that of a mortal, making them like any other human I guess." "And this timekeeper in Junction City broke one of those laws?" I asked. "Yeah you could say that. He broke one of the most important timekeeper laws there is. Don't bring anything or anyone from the future to the past. Under any circumstances." Zero said. "He may as well have brought hell itself with him." That was for sure. I felt firsthand the damage those sentinels could dish out. That was a small unit if I had to guess, anyways. Something told me the threat was even bigger under the surface. "What could drive someone to break one of those laws at the cost of their own immortality?" I asked. "It's not really my tale to tell. Shion knows the whole story, but it's a sensitive subject for her. Let's cross that bridge when we need to, yeah?" Zero smiled. I nodded my head in agreement. Shion had lived a long time. I wondered what kind of stories, and experiences she had to tell. I figured I'd let her tell me in her own time. 8.2 We entered the shop. It was even more impressive than I had pictured. Shops like these were a staple in fantasy stories. Both weapons and armor lined the walls of the shop, and the shopkeeper gave us a silent nod as we walked in. The smell of freshly smelted iron filled the air of the small space. "Shion already has the payment covered for your new sword, dear Zero." the shopkeeper said. "That aside, I don't recognize this young man! What's your name, lad?" The shopkeeper was an eccentric looking man with a wide-brimmed purple hat complete with a feather. His attire was far more colorful than I'd expect a laborer's clothes to be. He gave the impression of a noble more than someone who worked with weapons, and armor all day. Perhaps his most unique trait was his strangely proper manner of speaking. He was likely a high elf. I could make that deduction from his long, outward pointing ears and almost angelic complexion. He was the first high elf I had met in this world, in fact. I wasn't sure how common pure-blooded elves were, but the most common elves in Redrook had shorter ears from what I could tell. The city itself was teeming with all different types of creatures. From humans and elves, to orcs and demi-humans. I had even noticed a few dwarves. As Zero told it, much of the world didn't feature this sort of commonality and equality. "My name is Ren. Really impressive inventory you've got here!" I said, trying to make conversation. "My, my! It is lovely to make your acquaintance. You may call me Milton. You look like the responsible type. Unlike young Zero here. He likes to come in to repair the same old sword after undoing my finest repair work." he said, sighing heavily. "What happened to that flimsy thing anyways?" Milton asked Zero. "She is no more. Had it shattered fighting that big bastard Ulysses Code outside of the city." Zero replied, pretending to wipe a tear from his eye. "The warrior general of Junction City, hmm?" Milton said in surprise. "If you're alive, he must have held back quite a bit. Code isn't known to take prisoners, or ask too many questions. That's uh... what I've heard at least." He sure didn't hold back on me though. "Here you are!" Milton handed Zero his sword. It was comically large, and I wondered how anyone could easily wield something like that. I kept that thought to myself though. "She's beautiful! Tempered steel. Won't replace the one I lost in emotional value, but it'll do just fine for slicing up the baddies." Zero took the sword, and placed it on his scabbard. Interestingly enough, it was a magnetic scabbard that held his sword in place without any straps. "You like this?" Zero asked. "I used to carry my father's sword around in my hand, because no scabbard was big enough to hold it. Shion came up with this. It's pretty convenient." Shion had been to Earth, so she was familiar with the concept of magnetism. This was proof that magnetic materials were present on this planet as well. I was impressed by the ingenuity. To think he carried that sword around without a scabbard though... Zero certainly seemed stronger than most people our age would be. In contrast, I was pretty average when it came to athletics. I had always been quick on my feet though, and tried out for the track team back in middle school. I'd have made it if I didn't get into a fight with one of the regulars on the team. That was another story, however. "What about you, lad?" Milton asked me. "Are you a sword fellow as well? Perhaps I can interest you in a morning star, or axe. Most people think that they select their weapon, but I assure you it's the weapon that chooses you ." I kept looking around at the selection, picking a few things up in my hands. I tried swords, rapiers, axes, throwing stars, a bow. Nothing seemed to fit a complete novice like me. However... "What about these?" I asked. I picked up some interesting looking gauntlets. They covered the entire forearm and the front of my hands with steel, and were fitted with black fingerless gloves. For some reason they just felt right. "Really?" Zero asked. "They've got a lot of weapons here, and wouldn't those just be considered armor?" "Now, now. Do not try to make the young man second guess himself! It's clear that the gauntlets have spoken personally to young Ren. We must respect his choice." Milton lectured Zero. "It's all about user-fit, comfort, and elegance. Hand to hand combat is an under-appreciated art!" That was comforting to know. I was a complete novice when it came to weaponry, but something about brawling suited me. "Sorry, partner! Sometimes I forget my manners, and overstep." Zero said sheepishly. "Don't mention it. It's no big deal" I replied. "How much do I owe you?" "Call it an instinct of mine, but something tells me these gauntlets were made for you. They're on the house. Just tell all your friends to visit Milton's! Deal?" he smiled. I nodded appreciatively. When Milton handed me the gauntlets, he brushed by my hand with his for just a moment. I noticed something strange. His skin felt ice cold. It wasn't all that cool inside the shop either with the heat of our bodies, and the furnace burning. I wrote it off as a blood flow problem. It wasn't too uncommon after all. We finished up our browsing. In addition to our weapons, we also purchased several thin plates of armor to put underneath our uniforms. It had ran long, but our shopping trip was a productive one. "Thank you!" Zero, and I said in unison as we walked out the door. Milton waved back with a smile. He was a bit of an odd personality, but you could tell that he cared a great deal for his clients and their needs. It was just about time for us to meet up with Shion at the adventurer's guild hall. 8.3 "What do you mean you aren't taking any new guild applicants today?" Shion was engaged in a shouting match with one of the quest counter clerks in the adventurer's guild hall. They called this place Old Red's Inn. It was a large multi-story lodge. Complete with a bar on the bottom floor, rooms to rent on the middle floor, and the guild headquarters on the top floor. That's where Zero, and I were waiting as we listened to Shion argue. "I'm very sorry Shion, but the guild is preparing for a large scale operation in Mistral Forest that will take up a majority of our attention today. All of our registrars are assisting other adventurers. I would have to double check availability. Is this the young man you mentioned?" the clerk said, pointing to me. "Yes this is Ren." Shion said. It felt weird to hear her call me something that wasn't Ren-kun, but I supposed she didn't want to confuse the clerk. "If it's too much trouble we can always come back another time..." I began to say, but Shion spoke up again. "This is extremely important timekeeper business. We must be sure that Ren is registered as an adventurer, and given his battle score so that he can accept quests during the school year." "Battle score? What's that?" I whispered to Zero. "When we apply to become officially recognized adventurers, we're given a personal battle score based on our combat skill potential. It typically ranges from 0-5,000." he replied. "Certain quests and job postings will have overall party requirements for combined battle score. Just something to be aware of." So it works a bit like level restrictions in a game. That was a safe way to keep novice adventurers from taking on contracts that were too dangerous, I supposed. I still had yet to learn of all the dangers that lurked in this world, and wanted to play it as safe as possible. "What's your battle score, then?" I asked. "When I went in a couple weeks ago to get registered, they said I was hovering around 1300. That's gotta be at least top 5 in our age group." Zero smiled triumphantly. "It's probably higher now after yesterdays fights with that wolf, and Code." "Alright we'll make an exception this time around. Please wait until after the special operation is done before requesting anything else, ok?" the clerk said, walking to a back room. "I'm going to fetch a registrar." "What did she say about a special operation?" Zero asked Shion. "You know how we got attacked by that dread wolf in Mistral Forest yesterday?" Shion asked. "Well it turns out there's something sinister going on in Treewalk, and it may be connected." "No... It couldn't be, could it?" Zero asked in disbelief. "Did something happen to the Trinity Wards ? That would certainly explain all the monster sightings lately." "That's both the guild, and The Institute's fear. Ren-kun since you don't know, I'll explain." Shion began. "The Trinity Wards are three ancient trees near Mistral Lake to the south. They surround the small town of Treewalk, and maintain the barrier around the forest to keep dangerous creatures and undead from entering. However..." "However?" I asked. "There seems to be an organized group operating that way that have been slowly poisoning the Trinity Wards. I don't know what their goal is, but this large scale operation will attempt to put a stop to them." Shion said. Zero decided to chime in. "This will probably be exclusive to veteran adventurers, so nothing for us to worry about. Although... The amount of force they're putting together does concern me." he said. "I assure you three, it's nothing to stress over." the clerk said, walking back into the room. "We've been able to recruit over 50 experienced adventurers. There's absolutely no way they could be defeated by such a small group of troublemakers. The numbers are a precautionary measure for clean-up purposes." She seemed confident that the operation would be a success, and we had no reason to argue. Following closely behind the clerk was a much shorter gentleman. He was very clearly a dwarf, and a rather grumpy looking one at that. He looked us up and down. "Come." The man motioned for me to walk with him. I quickly followed. We walked over to a table where there was a piece of parchment paper lined out, and a knife. He sat in the chair directly across from me, and I took the other seat. "Hands." he said in the same monotone voice as before. I put my hands out for him to examine. "What do my hands... Ouch!" I exclaimed. "What the hell was that?" He had quickly sliced my finger with the knife that was laying face down on the table just a moment before. He let a drop of blood fall to the parchment, and started chanting in a tongue I didn't recognize. "Five hundred, and eleven." he said. He stamped the piece of parchment, and handed it to me to sign. The paper that had been empty before was suddenly filled with information about me. My strengths, and weaknesses. Even my full name was listed. The number the man had spoken was my battle score which sat in the top left corner of the page. That seems pretty low... Zero came up from behind me, and put his hand on my shoulder. "Ah don't worry about it, partner! Battle score only takes your combat potential into account. It says nothing about healing, and support." he said. "Most of us have had combat and magic training since we were young. Your score will go up with more experience." His words made me feel slightly better, but I still wondered how I'd manage with just the ability to self-heal. I couldn't very well be a human shield in a party of adventurers, I'd never be able to live down that shame. "Congratulations, Ren-kun! You're now a novice adventurer. Essentially you can take any of the smaller contracts at the job board to earn Dän." Shion said. "The more people you have in your party, and the higher your battle score, the more lucrative contracts you can take on." "Will I have a chance to increase my battle score?" I asked Shion, and Zero. "Certainly. The Institute's curriculum aims to foster the growth of not only your magic talent, but also your combat skill with your chosen weapon." Shion said. "We typically spar with upperclassmen during training sessions. There's also the house competitions, and tournaments. It'll be even more important after getting our element, and ability magic unsealed to train." Zero added. "Other than that, you'll experience growth by taking on adventuring contracts. Maybe get some spending money as a bonus too." "Some of my own money would be great. I'll do everything I can." I said. I was determined to put my slacking ways behind me, and this was a great first challenge for myself. The bar was right in front of me. I just had to start applying my full effort to reach it. Now it seemed like I finally had some help. I was in high spirits. I thought back to the two we had met earlier, though. "What happened with the twins?" I asked. "Their admission was a seamless process. The headmaster seemed to have already been expecting them." Shion said. "I'm sure we'll be seeing them again really soon, they're in your class after all." "Oh that's right, those shorties are older than us." Zero exclaimed. "I wouldn't have guessed that in a million years." Shion nodded her head. "It's a shame what happened to them. I guess there's bad people in every world. Men and women that will do the worst kinds of things. It's no different than Earth in that regard." I said. "First Ulysses Code, and what of this Starkraven guy?" "We're looking into it. He's had noble status in the kingdom since the days when there was a king on the throne. He's built quite a fortune for himself in the mining business." she said. "His actions will be under our radar from here on out. That much is certain." I would hate to see more kids end up like Nana, and Hachi. They were just the ones that got away. There was no telling what other atrocities might be hidden in such a picturesque city like Redrook. "Well today has been a productive day. We had ourselves a nice foot race, made some new friends, got all our shopping done, and we're ready for adventuring contracts. There's only one thing left..." Zero nudged me. "One more thing?" I asked. "Drinks, of course!" he replied. "Don't tell me you forgot, partner. The New World festival starts tonight, and we're getting our fill of drinks downstairs. Let's go!" Shion looked exasperated, but we followed Zero downstairs. After a busy day of errand-running, there was still a night of drinking ahead of us. The only problem was... I had still never had a drop of alcohol in my life. 8.4 "Ah come on, don't look so nervous! It's just a pint of ale. The legal drinking age is 17 in the city, so you should be more than fine." Zero slapped me on the shoulder. "It sure is lively tonight, isn't it?" It certainly was. The building had been somewhat busy when we entered earlier, because of the operation they were preparing for. However, the mood was much different now. It was less serious. The waiters and waitresses were getting all the tables set up, and preparing for the dinner rush. Based on the crowd gathering outside, it was sure to be busy in a matter of minutes. The three of us sat at the bar since all the tables were taken. Before I knew it, I was already 3 drinks deep. Zero was matching my pace, but I could tell he was holding back. Shion on the other hand... "Woah! You were right, Shi. We just can't compete with you." Zero said, laughing. Shion had already taken down 5 mugs of ale, and was placing another order. "I * hiccup * told you so." Shion said, starting to show classic signs of intoxication. "At what point do we cut her off?" I asked Zero. "Let's just let her have fun. She never gets to go out with all her timekeeper responsibilities." he replied. "She doesn't act like it, but she might be the second most important person at The Institute besides the headmaster. With no king to rule, the school and the guild have kept order on this side of the continent with all their efforts. Shion is a big part of that." "Wow! She certainly seems like an extraordinary person." I said. "You're damn right she is!" Zero said, throwing his arm around my shoulder. "Someone as amazing as her hand picked you out of everyone on Earth. You should have more confidence in yourself too, you know." His words rang true in my head. Regardless of the circumstances that brought me here, Shion had sought me out. I didn't fully understand why, but I wasn't going to disappoint her. I smiled as we kept chatting the night away. Suddenly an adventurer stood up, and addressed the crowd. "Attention everyone! I'm glad you could all be here tonight for the beginning of the 20th annual New World Festival. It's been a long time since the Demon King was defeated, but the fight rages on." The man, who had sleek black hair tied into a ponytail, spoke with an aura of self-assuredness. We could tell he held some measure of importance within the guild. "Tomorrow we set off on an expedition to protect the Trinity Wards, and rid the forest of some troublesome individuals. It won't be a walk in the park by any means. Even so, with our combined efforts we WILL taste victory. So have fun tonight, ladies and gentlemen. At Dawn, we ride for Treewalk." The man finished his speech to the sound of rapturous applause. His words had clearly resonated with the group of adventurers that had now crammed into the bar. The place was now filled to the brim, and there wasn't even a spot on the floor left unseated. "Who was that?" I asked Zero. "Evan Caulier. He leads the adventuring party known as Dawn's Edge . They specialize in hunting undead, so I'm not sure why they're leading this expedition. Things could be a bigger pain in the ass than we originally thought." "Yep!" Shion said, having woken up from a short nap. The clerk had mentioned earlier that there were at least fifty adventurers taking part in the expedition. That seemed like overkill, but the importance of the Trinity Wards couldn't be understated based on what I had heard from Shion. The night of drinks and merriment continued well past dark. The band played upbeat tunes for all to enjoy, and most of the adventurers went upstairs to the rooms on the second floor to sleep or engage in other nightly activities. Some simply passed out at their tables, or on the floor. Zero, and I walked Shion back to her living quarters. Unlike the two of us, Shion didn't live in the dormitories. She wasn't exactly a student. The faculty rooms were located in the clock tower, and Shion called the place home as well. "We'll catch you later, Shi." Zero said, waving. "Didn't I tell you not to call me that?" Shion yawned, opening the doors to the building. "I think I'm going to be sick in the morning..." Zero, and I headed back to our own rooms on the other side of campus. We would have a few more days of the festival to enjoy, but after that was the moment I'd been waiting for since I arrived here. The entrance ceremony was almost upon us.

✧ ✦ ✧ I heard a loud knock outside my room. "Good morning! You in there, partner?" I heard Zero shout from the other side of the door. Stretching, I looked at the room I'd be calling home for the foreseeable future. It was surprisingly comfortable. Based on how the exterior of Castle Red looked, I was expecting a cold cobblestone building with crumbling architecture. It was well insulated, and included clean bedding. Not exactly how I pictured a medieval setting, but I wasn't complaining. Ironically, I had more space here than in my own room back in Japan. The dormitories featured single rooms so there was a measure of privacy. However, I had been placed on a floor with several other men ranging from 18-24 years old. Zero was my next door neighbor. Thankfully none of them saw me being snuck in during the late hours of the night. It would have to be explained later that I was an exchange student to anyone who asked. Shion had used a similar story when we met, if I remembered correctly. While it wasn't untrue that I was a new student, we decided that telling anyone that I came directly from Earth was a bad idea. The story we'd use is that I was a refugee from Junction City who didn't have any relatives, or friends. It seemed like a simple enough lie with no loose ends to worry about. Only a select few people would know including myself, Shion, Zero, and the founder of the school. I didn't know a lot about him, but I was told he would speaking during the entrance ceremony. It was only a couple days from now. Having gathered myself, I finally responded to Zero. "Sorry, I was lost in thought. I'm on my way out!" I said. Opening the door, I saw Zero standing there with his arms crossed. He looked me up and down, and seemed like he wanted to say something. "Is something wrong? You're looking at me funny." I noted. "Not exactly. It's just that your clothes are so unusual. I've never seen a uniform like that before. You're certain to draw attention to yourself wearing those, so..." Zero began. "So?" I asked hesitantly. "I'll let you borrow some of my old clothes! I went through a growth spurt about two years ago, but I kept everything for some reason. Should have something that'll fit you." he said, dragging me into his room next door. The only male friend's room I had ever been in was Ike's, and he was pretty cleanly. Even compared to me. However, Zero's room was the messiest I had ever seen. Does he live like this? He dove into the pile of clothes on the ground, and pulled out a black long-sleeve shirt. It had four buttons at the top, but no collar. He also found a pair of black jeans that had seen better days, but I still appreciated the gesture. "Thanks." I said, taking the old garments from Zero. "You can wear those until you're able to get some proper clothes, and armor. We'll receive our school uniform jacket and pants just before the entrance ceremony. They come in black and white. The houses we're placed in will decide the color of the accessories, as it turns out. So we don't get things like our ties, capes, or patches until then." he said. "Yeah you mentioned that a bit on the wagon ride over here. What can I expect from the entrance ceremony?" I asked. "Until now our ability magic has been in a weakened state, but the entrance ceremony will have an unsealing event for those of us turning 18 or for new students who are adults enrolling. You got a small taste of your healing factor in Mistral Forest, but other-worlders often have more than one ability." he said. "Interesting! So how is this unsealing thing supposed to work?" I asked. "Shion mentioned that in order to have our abilities unlocked, we'd need to have someone with a connection to the divines right?" Zero said. "The headmaster has an artifact that can communicate directly with the gods. He calls it the Orb of Discovery." "So all the talk about gods, and goddesses isn't just folklore?" I asked. "You're probably better off asking someone else about all that religious stuff, but there's a whole pantheon of gods and goddesses. You'll learn more about them when school starts." Zero replied. "As I was saying about unsealing... By placing our hands on the orb, our ability magic will be unsealed and our magic element will also be revealed." "An element... Will I get one of those too?" I asked. "Everyone who can use any kind of magic has a magic element. Shion's element is wind , for example. For other-worlders like us however, our element will go hand-in-hand with our ability magic and shape our potential as magicians. Both in combat, and for supporting our allies." "That makes sense. So this element will be indicative of how we can use our abilities." I said. "Sorry to keep asking questions, but could you tell me more about the houses?" "No problem, partner! So basically there's four houses at The Institute. We'll each be assigned to a house where we'll spend up to the next six years competing against the other houses in competitions for points." he said. "The house with the most points at the end of each school year will win the Founder's Cup. " He continued to tell me about each house. House Thorn: Crest of the Strangling Vine "Often considered the weakest house, Thorn has still had plenty of talented magicians pass through the school. Unfortunately they can never seem to put all the pieces together, and produce any results in school competitions. They've never won a Founder's Cup." House Crystal: Crest of the Frost Dragon "The blue-bloods of The Institute as many consider them, Crystal is full of talented individuals. They're a bunch of human-supremacist snobs if you ask me. That aside, I can't deny that they've got some tough looking challengers coming in this year. They'll be one to watch as usual. They lead the way with 11 Founder's Cup wins." House Fang: Crest of the Dire Wolf "House Fang are considered the knighthood of the school. They pride themselves on their honor, and valor in battle. Both my mother, and father were members of House Fang. If we could pick for ourselves, I'd pick them for sure. They've won the Founder's cup 7 times." House Darkwing: Crest of the Wyvern "Lastly, House Darkwing. Bitter rivals of House Fang, they're considered the upstarts of The Institute. They're known for their unorthodox methods, and less-than-honorable means for victory. They've never done anything super dangerous, but Shion told me they have some masterminds this year. Tied with Fang, they have 7 Founder's Cup victories. That just about does it." Zero concluded, clearly out of breath. Though I was curious as to how points were earned, I didn't want to press him any further. Any more, and I'd experience information overload. It was clear that the entrance ceremony will prove critical to the class hierarchy, and maybe even our social lives here at The Institute. I could hardly wait for the chance to prove myself. 7.2 "We should be just about ready to hit the town now! Let's go wait for Shion outside the girls dormitories." Zero said. I followed him out into the courtyard, and up to the side of the castle where the girls dormitories were. Shion was waiting patiently outside as if she'd been expecting us. "We didn't keep you waiting, did we?" I asked. "Not at all, I just arrived in fact." she said. "Yeah right! Like you just arr- Ouch!" Zero had started to make a joke at Shion's expense, but she interrupted him with a swift kick to his shin. Shion had also switched up her outfit. Today she wore a simple, loose-fitting white dress. It suited her quite well. It was low cut so I could see a bit of skin, but I was trying not to stare. Zero was doing plenty of that already. "You look nice!" I said a bit awkwardly. "Why, thank you!" she replied with a smile. I had a bit of trouble expressing myself to the opposite sex. It wasn't that I had special feelings for Shion, but my overall experience had been extremely limited. It was the biggest reason for my bashfulness. Before Shion, the most I had talked to a girl my age was handing an eraser to my desk-mate who dropped hers. I think her name was Yuuki, but I didn't know for certain. I did find it odd just how often she dropped her eraser though. Sometimes I wondered if it was on purpose. Wait a minute... I shook my head, chuckling a bit. It seemed that I had failed to pick up on a vital social que. At least I was becoming self-aware enough to realize how dense I had been. "What's wrong, partner?" Zero asked. "I was just remembering something dumb." I said, chuckling. "Let's go, shall we?" The three of us walked the long staircase into the city below. Compared to my quiet suburban neighborhood, this place was full of activity. There were banners everywhere, and it seemed like the townsfolk were preparing for something. "What's the occasion?" I asked the two of them. "The Institutes's entrance ceremony has always coincided with the New World Festival which celebrates the defeat of the Demon King 20 years ago." Shion said. "The celebration lasts all week to honor adventurers, and other-worlders who fell bravely in battle against the Demon Legion ." Shion fell silent. Zero looked at her with concern. "What's wrong?" I asked. "Oh! It's nothing. I was just spacing out, and remembered something from the past." she said. Shion quickly walked ahead. I wasn't given the opportunity to look into her dismissiveness as she changed the topic of conversation. "The first places we're going to stop are the clothing and armor shops. Zero clearly didn't wash that shirt you're wearing before he gave it to you." "Hey! It's better than nothing though isn't it?" Zero retorted, putting his hands on his hips. "I'll cover the cost this time since you don't have a source of income, or a sense of this world's currency system yet." Shion said. She tossed a bag of coins in my direction, which I caught. "The currencies across the world vary, but here in Zen we use those. They're called Dän . To honor the last ruler of Zen, King Dante. There's copper, silver, gold, and platinum Dän. The coins bear the former king's likeness." "Thank you! I'll be sure to pay you back when I can." I said. I poured out the small coins into my hand. There was a mixture of silver and copper coins. They were just as Shion described them. I scooped them back in, and tied it closed. Before I could put the bag into my pocket, two figures suddenly ran by and snatched the bag out of my hands. "Hey! Where are you going with that!?" I shouted. Everyone looked bewildered for just a moment. "After them!" Shion shouted, giving chase. 7.3 Zero, and I followed Shion through the alleys. We pursued the thieves around several city blocks. I couldn't get a good look at them, but they were abnormally quick. Whenever we would gain some ground on them, they'd pick up the pace and toss something behind them to stop our progress. A small cart suddenly rolled in front of us carrying dozens of vegetables. I narrowly dodged it, but Zero wasn't as fortunate. He clumsily ran into the cart sending all the inventory rolling on the ground. "My Zen roots! Ruined!" the merchant wailed. "They're just a few coins. We're never gonna catch them at this rate." Zero yelled ahead to Shion, helping the man pick up his vegetables. "I've had enough of this. You two are gonna want to cover your ears." Shion said to Zero, and I. "Return what you stole now, or face the consequences. SLOW DOWN!" Shion yelled, pointing her right hand forward. The thieves suddenly slowed down to a jogging pace. The spell wore off after a few seconds, but we were able to corner them on a side street. A dead end. Zero finally caught up to us as we approached the two of them. "This game ends here. Give us back the money." Shion said. The duo's back was still turned towards the alley way as we close in. "Ok... ok... you win." One of them, who was likely female by the sound of her voice, spoke up. Both of them turned around to reveal themselves. Twins? I could tell immediately that they were related. A brother, and sister pair who were both demi-humans. They seemed to be a half-cat, and human hybrid. Based on the ears and long tails. They both had mostly black hair with a strand of white running through. They were both really short in comparison to the three of us, certainly Zero. "Wait a minute... I think I recognize these two!" Zero exclaimed. "What do you mean?" Shion asked. I looked at him curiously. "You remember how I said I went to try to save someone in the market yesterday, and it was already resolved? Well apparently the ones who saved that woman were a pair of cat-folk twins. Certainly fits their description." Zero said, pointing to the two thieves. "You two were there weren't you?" The male twin nodded. "So if you're the type of people to save someone who was getting robbed, why would you resort to thievery yourselves?" I said. "Tell us the truth." "We're really sorry. We weren't given any other choice. We owe a small fortune to a terrible man, and he has his goons scouring the city to look for us." the female twin said, looking down. "We tried to make money accepting quests at the adventurer's guild, but everything paid far too low. Or it required a strong party to complete." "The way I see it, it's their debt to pay. This has nothing to do with us beyond getting our money back." Shion stated. "It's not the amount taken, it's the principle." She looked at Zero, expecting him to chime in. I instead spoke up. "It was wrong of them to steal from us, but I also understand their desperation. Life on the run is stressful." I said. "How did you come to collect such a debt, anyways?" "Are you sure you want to hear the story?" the female twin asked. "What could it help?" "Yeah, I do. Trust goes a long way. I trust Shion's judgement, and she isn't too sure about the two of you." I replied. "Make her understand. We want to know what has led you to this point. Start with your names, and go from there. Mine is Ren." The girl sighed. "My name is Nana Keyaru, and this is my twin brother Hachi. Ren, was it?" she asked. I nodded my head in response. "The story... Well our mother was a demi-human, and our father was an other-worlder. During the Demon King's War, our father died in the battle at Azrael's Forge . Which was the demon king's personal armory. He got caught when the structure collapsed." Nana explained solemnly. "Our mother did her best to support us, but she eventually had to start selling herself just to keep food on the table. Some clients were nice, but most were violent. She came home beaten more than once." I simply listened. Shion, and Zero had also fallen silent. Tough circumstances can drive even good people into bad things. That's what I wanted Shion to understand from talking to these two. It was the only way we could potentially help them. "My brother, and I decided that we couldn't let our mother get hurt any longer. We signed a contract to become servants for a wealthy lord in the city. Mikael Starkraven ." she said. "Things were fine for a while, but then the lord began acting... rather questionably towards us both, but especially Hachi." She wore a pained expression as she explained. "I thought if we just worked out our contract, things would be ok. That they'd get better. But the things that sick man did... Hachi doesn't have the ability to speak anymore, because of it. I couldn't protect him. After that we ran away. We've been running for several years now." Nana clenched her fist in anger. "What the hell?" Zero muttered. "We had a sicko like that enjoying life inside of Redrook this whole time? I had no idea..." "We found out our mother passed away shortly after we took the job. Ironic isn't it?" she said. "Since we escaped his mansion, we've been on the run. Looking for cash to survive. To maybe even buy our way out of our contract, and start a new life. "Why didn't you guys tell anyone how you were being treated?" Zero asked. "I'm sure someone at the guild, or The Institute would've helped you guys out." Zero said. Nana simply shook her head. "Do you know what it's like to try to plead your case against a man who everyone believes is guiltless?" she replied. Zero didn't have a response. I knew exactly what that felt like. Having experienced years of abuse at the hands of my father, I desperately wanted to escape him. It was the fear of not being believed that kept me from speaking up for myself. Theft aside, there had to be something we could do for them. Perhaps it was that I saw myself in these two, but I desperately wished to help. "Isn't there something we could do for them?" I asked Shion, and Zero. "Unless we paid off their debt, there's no way of absolving their contract... Unless!" Shion perked up suddenly. "Unless?" Zero asked. "Students at The Institute have a particular priority in this town when it comes to many things. These two mentioned that their father was an other-worlder. That means they're second generations just like Zero." Shion explained to us all. "If they were admitted into The Institute For Practical Magic..." "Their service contract could be voided on grounds of being magic students at The Institute?" I completed her thought. "Exactly! There's nothing Mikael Starkraven could do besides complain to the school. His goons wouldn't attack students in the open. Unless he wanted to incur the wrath of all the magic users in town." Shion said. Nana rejoined the conversation. "Nobody would let us talk to the headmaster the last time we went to The Institute for help. They said we needed someone to vouch for us. You'd be willing to do that?" she said. Thankfully the headmaster just so happens to be my mentor." Shion grinned widely. "As long as you leave your thieving ways behind, we'd be more than willing to take on a couple new students. You meet the other-worlder blood requirement, after all. How old are you both?" "We're both twenty." Nana replied. Seriously? Older than Zero, and I both. "What do you two say?" Zero asked the pair of twins. They looked at each other, and suddenly nodded their heads in agreement. They smiled brightly. I was happy with the end result of this conversation. I had doubts as to whether Shion would be willing to help after what they did, but she showed a surprising amount of patience and grace. Zero seemed especially relieved by this development. "I never got the chance to introduce myself. I'm Zachary Crowley, but I usually go by Zero. This is Shion, and you already know Ren." Zero made the rest of the introductions. "We're grateful for your friendship." Nana said. "My brother says he's grateful as well." "That's odd, I didn't hear him say anything." Zero said. "Oh, I'm sorry. He said it to me. Hachi doesn't speak directly, but there's sort of this link between us that allows us to communicate if we're right next to each other." Nana said. "I can't really explain how." "A telepathic link. Incredible!" I exclaimed. It's certainly true that identical twins have a strong connection mentally, and emotionally. These two took that notion to a new extreme. This may have been something they developed to deal with Hachi's silent disposition. "I'm going to introduce these two to the headmaster, and get their enrollment sorted out. I'll meet you both later at the adventurer's guild. Can I trust you both to be responsible, and purchase everything you need without incident?" Shion directed her question towards Zero, and I. Although, her gaze was pointed towards Zero more than anyone. "Incident? When have I ever been known to cause trouble? Let's go, partner." Zero laughed, throwing his arm around my shoulder. Shion sighed deeply, and we left her and the twins behind. Our list of errands were set. First we would visit the clothier, and then the weapon-smith. Finally we'd head to the adventurer's guild hall to meet up with Shion. Zero had also mentioned drinking at the tavern, but we'd have to see how the day went. There was still plenty of city to explore.

✧ ✦ ✧ Hello, dear reader. My name is Jonathan McCrary. Congratulations on reaching the end of first volume of Ren X: Last Arrival In Another World. What did you think? In view of the fact that this is my first work, I had my fair share of nerves and doubts going in. As you'll find, if you're doing something you truly love, the fun of doing it will drown out the self-doubt. That's the best piece of advice I can give anyone just starting out. Make that thing you've always wanted to make. What really matters is that you're able to see something through to the end, not that it's perfect. Have fun with it. About me... Well, that's a tough one. I've never much enjoyed talking about myself. However, I will indulge for the sake of this postscript. I'm a writer of fantasy novels, and a musician from Portland, Oregon. I got my degree in communication... Pretty boring, I know. I was inspired to write this particular story for many reasons. Escapism is in my DNA, so-to-speak. I always feel like moving to the next place, or learning how to do the next thing. It helps to escape the monotony of the 9-5 work schedule. So of course, I often dream of what it would be like to suddenly be transported to another world. And so began the story of Ren. In an unfamiliar place far from his home in Hachioji, Tokyo, he embarks on a grand journey to change himself for the better. I'd like to acknowledge a few people who helped me create this work. To my incredible illustrator, Meg. You were able to bring such life to the characters that I couldn't previously imagine. It brings me excitement for the print version that will include all the illustrations. Look forward to that, those of you reading. To my online friends who listened to me talk about writing this story for the last few months, I appreciated your input and boundless support. At times it was all I talked about, or the writer's block would suddenly hit me without warning. No matter what was going on, you guys motivated me to push forward. Lastly, to all of my dear readers... Thank you. Genuinely. I couldn't have made it this far without you tuning in each week, and giving your honest opinions throughout the entire process. As for the rest of the story. REN X WILL RETURN...

✧ ✦ ✧ The ceremony continued on as things got more interesting. Thankfully chairs had been provided for all the students in the audience, so we sat for most of the proceedings. My feet would have been killing me otherwise. The speaking roles on stage alternated between Headmaster Argo, Professor Fury, and Shion. Shion was a surprisingly clear speaker, and addressed the crowd with confidence. Surely it hadn't been her first time doing so. I have to imagine I would freeze up speaking in front of so many people. "Are you ready, partner? We're up next! He's gonna reveal the houses we've all been placed in, and then start calling people up" Zero said. "I'm kind of nervous!" Nana said anxiously to the other three of us. "I hope I get put in the same house as all of you, I don't know what I'd do without someone I knew. Who else is gonna keep this guy out of trouble?" She pinched Hachi's cheeks, much to his embarrassment. "I wouldn't worry too much about that..." Zero said mischievously. He gave Shion a wink, and a big thumbs up. She tried not to look over at us, but I could see the vein bulging in her temple as she resisted the urge to chastise Zero. Headmaster Argo began speaking once again. "Thank you all for listening so intently, and supporting your classmates during this ceremony. Finally we've reached the moment you've all been waiting for. We will now announce houses for the 18 year old group, and the other adult students who have not yet been placed." Headmaster Argo said. "If you fall in this group, please stand." Hundreds of us around the room stood up, including our group of four. I noticed that Leonard also stood up. It seemed like he was in our age group, after all. I wasn't sure how I felt about the fact that I'd be spending several years alongside the guy. The upperclassman girl between us, Arwen sat facing forward. Zero and Nana chatted happily, while Hachi listened. Nana had a bit of an accent that seemed to show itself when she got excited. If I had to compare it to something I would compare it to the Kansai dialect. It was a dialect of Japanese that was commonly spoken in the Kansai Region around Osaka. "The moment of truth." I said to nobody in particular. I didn't have a general preference when it came to houses, but I'd say I was in the same boat as Nana. I'd prefer to stay with the people I had come to know already. Making new friends was tough enough for someone like me to manage. "I will begin the incantation, and when it is finished your house will be revealed." Headmaster Argo began. "Lord of Shadows remove your veil, and usher these bright minds into the future of their choosing. Revelation!" Suddenly our uniforms changed. The ties we were wearing changed into the color fitting our new houses, and capes suddenly appeared on our backs. Additionally, patches appeared at the bottom of our uniform. It was official. I'm a member of House Thorn. The forest green accessories proved just that. People cheered all over the room. It seemed like far more people were happy about their placement than I expected. The selection process was still a mystery to me, but I wasn't upset at my own placement. Mainly, because I wasn't alone. "What did I tell you?" Zero said. "Absolutely nothing to worry about." He sported the same uniform colors I did, which told me that we'd be continuing to spend time together going forward. His sleeves had somehow reappeared, but he promptly tore them off again. "You really don't like sleeves, do you?" I laughed out loud. "Yay!" Nana shouted, hugging Hachi tightly. They had both gotten House Thorn as well. "You aren't sad that you didn't get House Fang like your parents?" I asked Zero. "Nah. Honestly I just wanted to stick with you three. I think we'll make a great adventuring party. Shion and I talked about it, actually. She was able to pull a few strings in getting us all put into the same house." Zero whispered. "Besides, I decided that I wanted to forge my own path forward instead of trying to be like them." Zero of course was referring to his parents. "I understand that." I replied. The weight of expectation was something I knew all too well. While my father didn't hold me in high regard, he forced me through rigorous academic training. Then of course there were the games of chess... "The losers end up in the loser house, is that it? I can't say I'm all that surprised." Leonard laughed with his nose in the air. He had gotten House Crystal, who many considered the most accomplished house. "Poor Zero is going to have himself quite the time carrying the lot of you. Just try not to get last in every competition, will you?" Nana growled and shook her fist at Leonard while Zero held her back with one arm. "What was that, Leon ? Tough talk coming from a guy wearing the same dirty pants as earlier." I responded. "Dummy." Nana laughed quietly at my insult. "That's a low blow, trash!" Leonard slightly raised his voice, and stepped forward. Arwen put out her arm calmly. "Members of House Crystal do not act in this way. Apologize to these four." Arwen said clearly, shocking all of us. "Well, that's... fine. I'm terrible sorry." Leonard said, bowing with a strained look on his face. She had brought him to heel incredibly quick. It seemed as if the upperclassmen were held in a similarly high regard as they were back in Japan. While age wasn't always an indication of wisdom, it was recognized as such. I wasn't always eager to observe this hierarchy back on Earth, though. My pride has led to many disagreements. Luckily we didn't draw too much attention to ourselves since a lot of the other students were still celebrating their placements, and chatting amongst themselves. "Look around the room at the faces of your peers. These young men and women will be your closest friends, and fiercest rivals over the next six years." Headmaster Argo said. "Even for someone as long-lived as me, I know that nothing is guaranteed. Cherish these times together, and treat every day as a new opportunity." We all nodded in agreement at Headmaster Argo's words. Our house had been decided, and we were still together. Though some of it was due to some masterful meddling by Zero, and Shion. Some part of me also believed that we would have ended up together anyways. Professor Fury began speaking once again. "Many of you know this, but the four houses compete in contests throughout the year to see who will hoist the Founder's Cup at the end of the year. You can earn points by placing well in these competitions, but there's other ways to win." she said. "Official classes only take place 3 days per week, and you'll have a lot of time of your hands. By taking adventuring contracts you can get points for your house, depending on the difficulty of the job." Fascinating. It seemed like adventuring, and discovery were a big part of the curriculum at this school. I had never been at any place like this before. Everyone who was organized in houses is a legal adult, so this was more along the lines of a college than any primary education. "Additionally you can earn points through being a good samaritan, and performing other heroic deeds. I'll be overseeing the competitions this year as usual. Please see me with any questions relating to your adventuring contracts, and if you need time off of school to complete them. That is all." Professor Fury concluded. 10.2 The room has settled down enough for Headmaster Argo to continue speaking. We had all grown pretty tired by now with the length of the ceremony, but the most important part was beginning. "Now it is time to conclude this ceremony by performing the initiation of those of you who are standing. Today you will have your ability magic unsealed, and begin the path to your destiny." he said. "When your name is called, come up and place your right hand on the Orb of Discovery. The gods will give you the answers you seek." Headmaster Argo, and Professor Fury began listing off names. I immediately noticed something strange. These aren't in alphabetical order. "Hey what gives?" I whispered to Zero. "The names are totally out of order." "Oh, that! Yeah Shion didn't mention it to you, but that necklace you're wearing also translates spoken and written languages for you." Zero said, chuckling. "The alphabet, and language is totally different than anything on Earth. You're gonna have to learn Zennish, and the other local languages eventually in case the mana in that necklace needs recharged." Zennish? It would explain why I could magically understand everyone up to now. I hadn't even thought of the possibility that nobody was speaking English or Japanese. I guess I would be learning a new language on top of magic, and combat. "Zachary Crowley, please take the stage!" Professor Fury said. "See you on the other side, partner." Zero winked, taking off in a light jog. "Place your hand on the Orb of Discovery." Headmaster Argo said. Zero obliged, and the headmaster continued. "Interesting! Your element is becoming clear to me. It seems you have an affinity for ground. The very surface of Kai will be your ally." The Orb suddenly glowed a bright yellow color, and Zero was overwhelmed by magic power. It was enough to make his legs shake. "Your technique with a blade is unmatched by anyone at this school, and your ability magic has recognized this. Your power has manifested in the form of several sword skills." Headmaster Argo said. "Woah! What kind of skills?" Zero asked. "You've been granted the ability of Terraform, which allows your sword to shape the ground beneath you. Used practically, it can be a great asset in battle." Argo replied. "You've also been granted the Perfect Parry ability as well. It allows you to block a physical attack from one attacker at any speed, and launch a counterstrike of your own. This will be best used against one opponent at a time. Congratulations." We cheered enthusiastically for Zero who returned to his seat with a huge grin. Headmaster Argo called off the names of several others, including Leonard. He received the element of light, and his ability magic also manifested as two sword skills. Similar to Zero. His first sword skill was called Solar Blade, allowing him to fuse his sword with light magic. His other skill was First Strike which greatly increased his combat speed. "Nana, and Hachi Keyaru please take the stage." Headmaster Argo said. Nana, and Hachi stood up in surprise. Before now they had called up students individually. Nana looked at Zero quizzically. "Go on." Zero whispered, smiling. Nana smiled back at him sweetly, nodding. She took her brother by the hand, and began the slow walk to the stage. "Do not be alarmed. Under normal circumstances we would call up one student at a time, but there's something remarkable about the two of you that I've taken notice of." Argo said. "Place your hands on the Orb of Discovery, and accept your gifts." They placed their hands on the orb. Upon doing so, it glowed a bright blue color and then red. It alternated between these two colors while the twins looked awestruck. "Just as I thought! Nana your element is water, and Hachi yours is fire . There is something interesting, however. Your souls appear to be intertwined like the complex webbing of a spider's silk. Making up one whole." Headmaster Argo remarked. "Similarly, your ability magic has manifested to compliment one another in that way. Separately you can be powerful water and fire mages, but your ability Dread Mage will allow you to combine into one mage with devastating magic power. Congratulations." Like we had for Zero, we gave the two a round of applause. "So we'll combining into... one person?" Nana asked us with a confused look. "I'm not sure how that works. Still, we should give your combined form a cool nickname!" Zero said. "You pick it, partner!" He looked at me, causing the twins to do the same. "Well... uhh..." I stuttered. Was he serious? Wait, I've got it. "How about Nanachi?" I said. "I combined their two names." Zero's smirking glance, and crossed arms made me think that it was an uninspired suggestion. I looked at them sheepishly. "No good, huh?" I said, laughing it off. "No, actually I like it!" Nana said. "A bit of both of us." Hachi nodded in agreement. That settled it then. Together they would be Nanachi. 10.3 The only one in our group who had yet to be called was now me. The pressure was mounting inside my stomach. I was happy that the others had gotten seemingly incredible abilities, but I was anxious to hear my own results. I wanted to contribute to our newly formed party. What if I get something that can't be used? "Don't worry." A small voice sounded in my direction. I expected words of encouragement from Zero of all people, but they had come from the opposite direction. It was Arwen. "I'm sorry, what was that?" I asked. "Don't worry, it'll be ok." Arwen said in a monotone voice. She looked at me directly, her kind eyes melted away my anxiety for just a moment. I turned away in embarrassment, because she had stared so intently. She tilted her head to the side slightly with a puzzled look in my peripheral view. "Thank you." I whispered. She didn't respond, but I was pretty quiet. When I turned back to her she was facing forward. On her face was a faint smile. Not many words were exchanged between us, but it was all I needed to hear. I could do this. "Itsuka Ren, please take the stage." Professor Fury said, yawning. "You got this, partner!" Zero shouted. "Fight!" Nana followed. Hachi put his thumbs up to signify his support. Their shouts led to some laughs, and whispers in our row. My own reddened face aside, I appreciated their supportive gestures. I made the walk up to the stage from where we were standing. Though our row wasn't that far, the walk felt like an eternity as several thoughts raced through my head. Will I hold back the others? Can I really change? All eyes were on me. I didn't particularly enjoy being the center of attention, but I couldn't let the pressure get to me. My friends and Arwen had offered their support, and I couldn't just let it go to waste. "Master Ren, we finally meet. Shion has told me much about you." Argo said quietly to me as I took the stage. I looked over at Shion who nodded her head. "Shion told me how you faced down Ulysses Code, and lived to tell the tale. How your healing ability saved your life, even though it had yet to be unsealed. That's truly remarkable." "That was just... me making trouble for the others." I said, looking down. "I didn't stand a chance against him." "Many wouldn't. A learning experience that doesn't come at the cost of your life is a valuable asset. There will come a time where you can stand firm, and apply your experiences towards protecting those behind you. That's what it means to be a hero. Are you ready to face yourself in earnest?" Headmaster Argo said. "If you are, please place your hand on the Orb of Discovery." I couldn't say for certain if I was ready, but waiting for the right moment often lead me in circles. It was time to find out my true potential. "Here I go." I raised my head, and placed my hand on the orb. I could feel the magic power radiating from inside it. Oddly, I also began to hear voices. Like the many students who had made the same walk to the stage were in my head, and they were speaking to me. They spoke of their hopes and dreams, their pursuits in love, and the people they wanted to protect. I heard all of it. Suddenly the orb began glowing. "Oh my..." Argo said, stepping back slightly. The orb glowed black and white at the same time. The colors swirled around the orb, keeping an equal balance. The entire crowed gasped, and began talking amongst themselves. "Calm down!" Professor Fury shouted, trying to quiet down the student body. "Their reaction... What is it for?" I asked, looking around. Shion didn't seem to be surprised, but she glanced around worriedly at the crowd as well. "It is extremely rare for an individual to possess two elements, but you have been granted this disposition. However, it is which elements you possess that cause the others to be surprised." Headmaster Argo said. "What do you mean?" I asked "You possess the element of life which is fairly common, but also of death . This balance takes up equal parts of your spirit." Argo began. "There is only one other individual known to this planet who had this same combination of elements." "He's just like the demon king!" a student shouted. "I knew it the moment I saw his white hair, he even looks exactly like him. What could this mean?" another added, as panic began to manifest itself in the room full of people. The conversations only grew as the moments passed by. What are they saying? Demon king? I don't understand any of this. I was frozen in place, not knowing what to do. This was a disaster in the making. I wanted to disappear from view, but every watchful eye was trained on me. They followed my every move. "Silence!" It wasn't Professor Fury who had shouted at the crowd this time, but Headmaster Argo. His sharp words echoed throughout the room. "I would have expected better from this student body than to label this young man with such harmful comparisons. Ren is not Azrael. He is one of us . I do apologize, Master Ren." "Ahhh, don't mention it!" I said, forcing a nervous smile. "You didn't do anything worth apologizing for." I was exasperated by the situation, and wished Zero could tell one of his patented jokes to break through the tension. I shook it off. "As I was saying before, your dual elements represent two opposite sides of yourself. In a way I don't fully understand, they are competing for full control of your mind and spirit. Have you heard the story of the two wolves by a certain Cherokee chieftain on Planet Earth?" Argo asked, turning to me. "I do. The chieftain spoke to his grandson, telling him about two wolves who waged battle on a daily basis. These wolves are inside every living human. One is filled with hatred and self-pity, and the other with selflessness and humility." I answered. "Very good. Then I can assume you know the moral of this story?" he asked. I began to understand his meaning. He was trying to encourage me. "The battle between wolves is decided by which one you feed." I answered once again, completing the story. "Precisely. Only you can decide your future, Master Ren. The wolf you choose to feed will determine the path of your destiny. I'm certain you'll find the balance that works best for you." Argo looked at me with confidence. "Now for your ability magic." I had almost forgotten about abilities with this element business. "Your ability magic has manifested in the form of two passive abilities, and one active ability. The first of which is one you've already come to know, Juggernaut . This ability will speed your natural healing process beyond natural limits, causing you to heal even faster than before. It will also boost your physical attributes beyond their current limits." he said. This could be convenient with my current fighting style. "Be warned. Your pain tolerance will not go up as a result of this ability. The amount of damage you can handle will be determined solely by your own mental fortitude. As long as you can remain conscious, you can fight on. Do try to be careful though, the mind is not so easily healed. Even by an ability like yours." "I understand." I said, looking down at the Orb of Discovery. It still had the same swirling pattern of black, and white. It almost reminded me of the necklace that Shion had given me. "Your other passive ability is called Drain Life. The longer you engage in combat with an enemy, the quicker their energy and mana decrease. Strictly speaking, you could train this ability to incapacitate enemies through a war of attrition. It comes with a responsibility to your opponent's well-being, however. Weakness can be fatal." Argo said. "What about the third ability?" I asked eagerly. "Your third ability remains hidden. There's something inside you blocking it from my view. It's as if a living presence has taken up residence in your soul, and insists on secrecy." Argo said. It couldn't be... Could it? I thought of my father immediately for some reason. I'd have to ask him about all this the next time we met in The Void. That aside, my abilities were set. Weren't guys like me that got summoned to other worlds supposed to get world-breaking power? I thought that jokingly. It looks like I was better suited to a support role, which I didn't mind all too much. I was content as long as I could do my part. "To keep the ones you care about alive, you will face a road filled with tremendous pain and tragedy. Your abilities can almost guarantee your own survival, but is that really enough for you? Life or death, which one will pave the road to your future? Choose wisely when deciding which wolf to feed, and when." Headmaster Argo said. I thought back to the pain I felt after being shot by one of the sentinels back in Mistral Forest, and the quick healing process that followed. Up until that moment I hadn't been afraid to die, but my hands shook at the thought of seeing my own blood on the ground again. I chuckled softly to myself. Tch. Not as tough as I make myself out to be, huh? I looked at the crowd of faces, and my friends came into view. Zero, Nana, and Hachi looked at me with smiling faces. I turned back to Shion. She looked at me like someone who had no doubts in their mind. I hadn't known them long, but I had to do everything I could to keep them safe. For their sake, and for mine.

✧ ✦ ✧ Zero, Shion, and I made our way through the tunnels that stretched beneath Redrook. Milton guessed that they led just outside of the city walls to the north. It was uncharted territory for me, but the others seemed to be taking this in stride. "Don't you usually take a newbie like me slime hunting, or something like that for their first adventure?" I asked jokingly. "Assaulting the heavily-guarded compound of a pseudo-noble seems like an odd choice for a starter mission." "I will admit that the circumstances are a bit odd, Ren-kun." Shion replied as we shuffled through the dusty cavern. "I hoped to have you trained in party-based combat before something like this came up, but on-the-job training is the best way to get you used to how things are in this world." "Shion, and I are always doing stuff like this." Zero said. "Although... Is there anything we can do about the darkness, Shi? I can't see a damn thing down here." "Wait here for just a moment. I may know a light spell, or two." Shion replied. We spent a few moments catching our breath. It was hard enough to breath with all the soot in the underground air, but our pace was also hurried. The twins could be in genuine danger, and Mikael Starkraven didn't sound like the sort to wait patiently for us. "I've got it." Shion said. "Seph, God of light. Provide your blessing to these lost travelers, and lend us a fairy to guide our way." At the conclusion of her spell, a blue ball of light suddenly appears out of thin air. It playfully swirls around us as if it's beckoning us to follow. "Easy as that!" Shion smiles. Our small fairy friend succeeds in lighting up a significant portion of the cramped space. It was enough for us to see where we were going at least. Admittedly, it was also kind of cute in a way. We continued walking for a while longer until we came across something odd. "Oh? What's this?" Shion exclaimed, motioning for the light to hover over the object she had her sights on. There was an ominous looking post with a human skull positioned at the top of it. Some sort of writing was scrawled into the wood plank, but I couldn't make sense of it. "This is a goblin totem." Zero remarked. "Looks pretty old, but you can never be too careful. They might be low level monsters, but their superior numbers can be tricky in a tight space like this. I won't be much help if I can't swing my sword. You'll need to protect Shion." "Me?" I asked. "I'll try, but..." "Don't worry about it, partner. You'll do just fine. Brawlers fight mostly with their fists, but that's not all you can do. Rocks, enemy weapons, you name it. Use whatever the environment gives you to win." Zero patted me on the back. Guess there was a lot more to being a brawler than I realized. It was no different than street fighting back home. One time I got cornered by a gang of kids who pulled a knife on me. If it wasn't for a well-placed brick, I don't know what would've happened. Could I kill something intentionally, though? I thought back to my father, and the shock that struck my body after defending myself. I'd never had a weak stomach to the sight of blood, but almost anyone would be shaken by the sight of the things I had seen recently. "I don't like this." Shion said. "It's getting pretty tight in here, and we seem to be getting further underground. It might be safer to try another route." Suddenly there's a bit of shuffling behind us. "Uhh... Hey guys? I think I found our goblins." I muttered anxiously. Flanking us were about a dozen goblins. Somehow they had looped in behind us, and tried to force us into an enclosed space. For a lesser species, they had some level of wit to them. One that looked slightly more important than the rest stepped forward. " Det them encam. Take sep wane prisonar ." the goblin leader snarled. "I couldn't understand a word of that, but he said something that sounded a lot like prisoner while looking at Shion. Goblins aren't exactly known for diplomacy, so it looks like we'll have to bash some heads in. You ready, partner?" Zero smiled. "Ready as I'll ever be." I replied. "How many spells do you have, Shi?" Zero asked. "About four left after casting the light spell. I can provide some healing support to you from the rear. Just keep any of them from breaking your formation." Shion replied. The goblins charged us one after another. Zero stood at the front of the line. His sword remained on his back, but he took the liberty of using his fists to engage them. "Watch out!" I shouted. A goblin lunged at Zero from the side. Its aim was to puncture him in the ribs with a short sword, but I blocked the strike with my wrist gauntlet. Zero, and I both picked up fallen goblin weapons and began cutting through them. I don't know what I expected, but goblins bled exactly like we did. The same dark red liquid sprayed from their bodies with each strike we administered. For every goblin cut down, another would press forward. At last we had seemingly killed the last of them. Goblin or not, I could never get used to the sight of blood. "Way to hold formation, partner. Saved my skin back there." Zero said. "Was that all?" "Aaaaaaaaah!" Shion screamed behind us. A goblin had somehow snuck by while we were focused on combat. The creature was the leader that addressed us moments before. It held a dagger to Shion's throat. "Ren-kun, Zero... Don't move." 12.2 " Sep wane es mine! " The creature laughed in its unfamiliar tongue. It seemed the magic in my necklace didn't translate the languages of lesser species, or I'd need to have it attuned to do so. What do we do? If we made any sudden movements it was possible that Shion's throat would be cut, and neither Zero nor I had the magic acumen to heal her. They said that a cornered animal was the most dangerous kind. It was no different for this lone goblin, I was sure. *WOOSH* "What the-" I began. Before we knew what was happening, the goblin was suddenly killed by something far greater in size. The beast picked up the helpless green assassin in its mouth, and clamped down with considerable force. "That's a..." Zero's voice shook. His eyes widened in genuine horror. A reaction like that from him was extremely rare, and it deeply unnerved me. Sitting in front of us was a serpent bigger than anything I had ever seen. It was light blue in color, and had armor-like scales covering its massive body. The huge creature slithered into the light. Shion was even shocked enough to fall to the ground. "I don't suppose either of you two summoned that thing?" I said. "What in the world is that?" Goblins were one thing, but I wasn't prepared to run into something like this. It's not like I could punch it to death. "A basilisk!" Shion shouted. "That's an S-ranked monster. It shouldn't even be here. Neither of you get bit. Even a single drop of its venom could kill an entire party of adventurers." Standing up slowly, Shion inched backward until she stood next to the two of us. The basilisk was momentarily distracted while it swallowed what was left of the goblin. "What are our options?" I asked. "Does anyone even know we're down here?" "Yes. I notified the school, and Milton should arrive at the manor by sundown to rendezvous with us when we rescue the twins." Shion replied. "Still not much room in here. I guess I don't have a choice, huh?" Zero pulled the large sword from his back, and stepped in just in time to strike the creature before it could make us its next meal. It didn't seem to do anything besides knock it back slightly. "It's no use guys. I'm not cutting through that hide any time soon." Zero exhaled. "Got any ideas?" The creature didn't attempt to strike again immediately, but instead watched us with its sharp yellow eyes. "It's too fast. We're lucky it's still feeling us out, or we'd already be dead." Shion replied. "I don't have a spell that could kill it in one shot. This is all my fault... I put you both in danger by being unprepared." "Don't lose heart, Shi. You couldn't have predicted something like this. This all seems really odd anyways." Zero replied, trying to console her. Surely there was something we could do. I attempted to think up a plan that could play to our strengths. The beast whipped Zero with its tail sending him flying backward. In the same movement, it also bumped into the cavern wall sending some rocks and debris down. Rocks... G round ! "That's it!" I exclaimed. Shion healed Zero with her magic. "I'm gonna need you both to support me while I do this, but I just thought of a way for us to win." "What do you mean, partner?" Zero winced, holding his elbow. "Well I say win , but we're really going to make a break for it. I'll engage it directly, and hold out as long as I possibly can. My ability magic is passive, meaning I'll continue to heal while the basilisk loses its fighting strength due to my Drain Life ability." I explained. Zero, and Shion looked at me with interest. "While I'm doing that, you two sneak around it and get ready to run. We're gonna use your Terraform ability to bring this cavern down on top of it while it's weak." I pointed at Zero. "You're the star of the show, Zero." "Ren-kun, that basilisk is S-ranked. Even with your healing a bite could kill you faster than your body can fight the toxin. Are you sure about this?" Shion asked nervously. "The truth is, I can't do anything alone. Since I got to this world, I've done nothing but follow you two around. You're both so amazing with your magic, and swordsmanship. I may not be able to do any of those things... but I can at least make a stand right here. I'll do my part." I replied. "You're crazier than I thought, partner. I like it though." Zero said. "Good luck." "Shion, you lay down an attack spell to start. Aim for its eyes. We can do this." I said. Shion nodded her head in response. "Some first adventure, huh? Wait until everyone at school hears about this tomorrow." Zero said. "We'll need to come up with a name for our party after this all ends." I just hope they don't make me pick the name again. "Now!" I shouted. "Goddess Aurora of wind and rain, prepare a mighty bolt of lighting to strike down our foes. Leave nothing, but ashes in your wake. HOLY FLASH!" Shion cast her spell. A bolt of lightning hit the creature directly in the face causing it to reel back with a screech. This is my chance! "Don't forget about me!" I ran in swiftly while the basilisk was regaining its senses. I had a goblin's sword in my hand as I jumped onto its tail. Driving my blade into its back, the beast's attention is drawn to me. The basilisk shook violently in an attempt to free itself of me, but I continued to hold onto the handle of my sword. I could feel the creature losing strength as a result of my ability. Zero, and Shion snuck around like we had planned before. Suddenly the blade finally gave, and the metal snapped. I went airborne for a moment before the basilisk's large tail hit me up into the ceiling. "Agh!" I coughed, getting the wind knocked out of me. The force was comparable to getting hit by a car, and my back might have broken under normal circumstances. I fell back down, slightly losing consciousness. Argo was right. Healing or not, I felt every bit of that hit. "Hang in there, partner!" Zero shouted. No, I can't pass out here . We have to see this through. I landed on my feet, and rolled to absorb the shock. The creatures looked over me with fury in its eyes. Zero, and Shion had succeeded in getting behind me. We would just have to hope that this particular route led to the manor. There was no turning back after what we planned to do. "Use it, Zero!" Shion shouted. "Remember what I said about visualizing." "You got it!" Zero responded. "It's time you took a nap, snake. Terraform!" Zero slammed his sword down onto the ground causing the cavern to shake. His ability magic had taken effect. The walls, and ceiling began crumbling around us. In the chaos we remained unharmed, because of his control over the ground. We just hoped it would be enough to stop the creature. 12.3 "Now would be a good time to run!" I shouted. We took off running deeper into the cavern. I looked back to see if we were being tailed. The weakened basilisk was covered in debris, and was pinned underneath several huge rocks. However, it would not give up so easily. It struggled to work its way free. "What's up with that thing?" Zero sighed, exasperated. "Any normal monster wouldn't go through all this effort." "It's one-track behavior pattern is consistent with mind control. Do you see anything that could be used as a magic focus? Something like your necklace, Ren-kun." "Focus, focus... There!" I scanned the basilisk, and my eyes came to rest on something strange behind the creature's large fangs. "It has a piece of paper in its mouth with a weird symbol on it. Is that it?" "Must be. That's a rune, and spells that can control monsters usually constitute dark magic . It's possible that it could be being controlled by Mikael Starkraven. He must have attuned the magic to force the creature to hunt us down." "Is it possible to dispel the dark magic on that basilisk?" Zero asked. "Couldn't you just rewind its position like you did to Ulysses Code?" "I can't use rewind right now..." Shion replied. "I'll explain later, but time travel isn't an option at the moment. Besides, it would only delay our problem." Zero looked exasperated, but didn't press the issue further. I had grown curious why she couldn't just use time travel as well. She could have prevented us from running into this creature at all. Was there a limit to the frequency, or was there something else she wasn't telling us? "I can try to dispel the dark magic, but there's no guarantee that it still won't lash out at us when it breaks free of its mind control. Give me a little time." Shion said. "I don't think time is something we've got a lot of, guys. Look!" Zero exclaimed. In front of us several figures emerged from the darkness. More goblins. Only there weren't a mere dozen this time. There had to be at least thirty, and they looked ready for the kill. "Shit..." I muttered to myself. "Hold them off, and I'll start up the spell. It's the last one I can use until I've slept a whole night. My mana is just about spent." Shion said. "That's bad news, but you heard her." Zero said. I grabbed a goblin, and slammed its head against a wall. Picking up its weapon, I began slashing through. We had entered a wide enough space for Zero to use his sword, so he was depleting their ranks with relative ease. They just kept coming. However... *CRUMBLE* Shion looked nearly prepared to cast her spell, but the basilisk suddenly broke free of the rocks holding it down. Shion gasped as the great beast lunged at her. I'm not going to lose anyone else. Without even realizing I was moving, I pushed Shion away just in time. I watched her fall out of harms way, smiling to myself. At least she didn't get hurt. The serpent picked me up in its mouth, poisoned fangs puncturing my organs. Shaking me around, it threw me back down to the ground face first. I couldn't move a single limb as I lay there in agony. "Ren-kun, noooooooooo!" Shion cried, running over to me. She turned me onto my back. "No no no, you can't die. You can't leave me!" I felt the paralyzing toxin working its way through my bloodstream, and it felt like molten metal as I seized up. With the amount of facial control I had left, I attempted to speak to Shion. "Sp- spell. Finish... it." I whispered. Shion seemed to be disoriented, but nodded her head. "Lady Eleph, Goddess of spirits, I call upon you to protect us with your strength. Lift the dark magic controlling this creature, and let nature prevail. PURGE MAGIC!" Shion used the last of her mana to fire a ray of light at the creature. The basilisk suddenly regained its senses. Rather than attacking us, it slithered past and attacked the remaining goblins before slithering away. It didn't show our party of three any further interest, much to our relief. "Guess it's strict about its own diet." Zero scoffed. "How is Ren?" "Alive... somehow. His healing is outpacing the venom by a slight margin." Shion said, wiping tears from her eyes. "Don't scare me like that again, Ren-kun." "I'll try my best not to." I laughed softly. "I didn't pass out this time at least." I tried to lift myself off the ground, but my body felt heavy. "Just take a moment to rest. Your body is still in the process of healing itself." Shion said, calming down. "The basilisk left, so we should take this opportunity to breathe." "So... about your time travel abilities." Zero began. "Why can't you use them?" "I didn't want to get into this right now, but I suppose I don't have a choice." Shion sighed. "As you know, Zero I can only use a time travel spell once per day. I've already used it. The truth is that we are currently..... in a time loop ." 12.4 "Time loop? What do you mean?" I asked, having regained my mobility. "Late last night I had a terrible feeling that something bad was going to happen today. I convened with Headmaster Argo to discuss my concerns." Shion explained. "He respected my intuition, and agreed to lend me enough of his power to use an advanced time spell. I looped time to begin with my conversation with the headmaster, and restart if I die." I suddenly had a thought that shook me. "If we're in a loop, how many times have we lived out these events?" I asked. "That's..." Shion said, looking down. "I'd like to know too." Zero spoke up. "Fine. This is the fifth time we've tried to rescue Nana, and Hachi." Shion sighed. "Each attempt has ended in failure, and we've had to restart." Fifth time? That means Shion had to die four times before now... How many times has she done this looping thing in general ? I thought back to what Zero told me about timekeepers and their sight. In addition to the pain of dying repeatedly, she also had to deal with the cost of time travel. I couldn't fathom how she felt, and I was afraid to ask. " Attempt number one was the most foolhardy as we decided to wait until we could put together a punitive force, but Nana had already been killed. A much worse fate befell Hachi." Shion said. "From there we've tried to take different tunnels, and routes. We even stormed the front gate once. Our party was either wiped out by orc mercenaries, or goblins all three times. Ren-kun was the only survivor." "Had we tried this tunnel in any of the previous loops?" I asked. "No. The last several attempts I chose not to trust Milton, and tried to find my own way to the manor. This is also the first time I've seen that basilisk, so we must be heading in the right direction." Shion said. "I've been trying to figure out everything on my own, but I couldn't." "You should've said something in the first place, dummy." Zero said, bonking Shion's head. "Of course you can't do it all alone. You're only one person." I nodded my head in agreement. "That's what friends are for. I could've helped you brainstorm if you only explained the situation." I said. "I'm sorry we couldn't protect you those other times, but let's make this loop count." "You're right, partner. This is the one where we save our friends." Zero said. "You guys... Thank you." Shion smiled, rubbing the spot on her head that Zero bonked. "I didn't want to worry you guys, but I know now that was foolish. Let's press forward, together." We walked for several more minutes, and the cavern became brighter as we climbed upward. Eventually we came to an exit that was mostly caved in, but revealed bits of sunlight through the narrow cracks. It seemed like we had reached the end of the line. "We did it, guys!" Zero exclaimed. "It looks like Milton was spot on about this route. Beyond this debris should be the garden." "Are we at the manor?" I asked. "We're just inside the gates. The Starkraven compound is huge, and this cave opening is somewhere within the outskirts." Shion replied. "It must have gone undetected, because it was caved in. An older member of the Starkraven family probably used this tunnel for smuggling back in the day." "Their ignorance is our gain." I said. "Can you use your ability magic to remove this debris from the entryway, Zero?" I asked. "Sure can, partner." Zero said. "Take a step back, you two." Shion, and I stepped away from the entrance so we didn't get hit with any stray rocks. Zero slammed his sword down on the ground, causing the cavern to shake. The rocks cleared out of our way, and the sunlight poured into the space. The brightness hurt my eyes briefly, as we had only had a spell to light our way for the last few hours. However, they quickly adjusted and we stepped into the light. "That was sure to have drawn some attention. Were you going for an earthquake or what, Zero?" Shion scolded. I doubted only the cavern shook seeing as it had just about knocked me to the ground. Zero's ability was already this strong. I wonder how powerful he can get? "Sorry guys, I don't have a lid on this whole ability magic thing yet." Zero laughed, looking a little sheepish. The sun was beginning its descent overhead, meaning that Milton would be joining us shortly. Though, it seemed like we'd have to start things a bit early. The orc mercenaries had heard our grand entrance. "They're over here boys!" the orcs shouted. "Guess we're gonna have to fight our way to the manor." Shion sighed. "You're out of spells though, aren't you?" I asked. "And what about Milton?" "Milton will come, Ren-kun. Once the sun goes fully down he'll take to the skies." Shion said. "Don't worry about me. I might be out of spells, but I've got another trick up my sleeve. Let's go!" The three of us pushed forward towards Starkraven Manor. With orc mercenaries closing in on us, the battle was just beginning.

✧ ✦ ✧ A FEW HOURS EARLIER... I feel sick. The dizziness took over my senses. My limbs had gone completely numb, and a small woven sack covered my face. I could only slightly make out my environment from the spots where the stitching wasn't as well done. I knew very well where I was being taken. I can't go back there. The toxin our kidnappers used on their weapons was likely the culprit for my disorientation. There was no question about who put them up to this, and why we had been kidnapped in broad daylight. Master Starkraven had ordered our capture, and he had finally succeeded. Just as he had promised to do when we left the manor five years ago. I was born Nana Keyaru, to two loving parents. I'm older than my twin brother Hachi by about 45 seconds . Besides pickpocketing and trickery, I've never had any particular talents. Cat-folk aren't usually great traditional magicians. I'm pretty short, so I don't really stand out in a crowd either. I'm about as average as a demi-human girl could be. Hachi, however... He's special. He sees the world in an entirely different way than anyone else can. He sees positivity and hope in even the darkest situations. While my view of life is rather plain, he sees it through a kaleidoscope. Hachi is surprisingly perceptive, and he can use the blood magic of the cat-folk twice as well as I can. I could never stack up when it came to the two of us, but I never cared. I loved my brother more than anything. To this day my love has never wavered, but sometimes I find myself missing how things used to be. Hachi used to laugh, and his joy would spread to every person in the manor. Until that day, of course. The day when he no longer spoke. "You don't have to do this..." I managed to say. Though my lips had also gone numb. "Shut up, brat!" the man carrying me barked. He punched me hard in the stomach, and the pain shot through my body. "Agh!" I gasped. "Do you know how much trouble you've caused the boss these last few years? He finally had to increase the search detail, and hired us to take you down." he said. "The others should be finishing off that tall kid with the sword any moment now." Oh no! Zero... Before Hachi and I had been captured, Zero stepped in front of a dagger that was going to seriously harm me. He took the force of the blade to the shoulder, and he looked to be in pretty bad shape. After that, we were quickly hit with darts full of some kind of paralyzing toxin that made our movements labored. The blade Zero got cut with must have been coated with the stuff as well. From what I could tell, it also made the use of mana extremely difficult. Hachi, and I both had the ability of the cat-folk. A temporary physical level-booster that multiplied our strength, and speed by at least ten times our natural limits. We called it Eleph's Call. It was named after our homeland, a nation in the Eastern Continent called Eleph . It was overseen by a goddess of the same name. The ability required mana to use, however. To make matters worse, I couldn't use my newfound ability magic either. I hadn't been able to practice it yet, but in theory I could manipulate the water in the air to use as a weapon without an incantation. My brother, and I could also combine into one powerful mage. Nanachi, as Ren called it. I was hesitant to try that yet, considering our lack of experience. First things first. I need to get my hands on some anti-venom if we're going to have any chance of escaping. At some point we had been loaded into the back of a wagon, and we made our way down the road outside of Redwook's city walls. Trodding slowly towards Starkraven Manor. "The toxin. What is it?" I asked in vain. "Like I'd tell you! They say cats are clever, but you're a real dumbass for even asking that question. If the boss wants to explain, he can. We're not far from the manor now." he sneered, laughing. "You're just lucky he told us not to harm either of you. I wanted to have some fun at least." "You bastards are in for it when they come to rescue us." I retorted. "You've made an enemy out of the institute now." "We're not afraid of those super-powered freaks anymore. The boss has a few tricks up his sleeve, and a couple new clients. Scary bunch. There won't be an institute when he's done with it. Now stop talking." the man said. What does he mean by new clients? I wondered that in my head. The wagon finally slowed to a halt, and the horses whinnied with nervous anticipation. I also heard voices gathering around us. I could only assume that he was in a group of other mercenaries, and one was likely carrying Hachi as well. "Let us in! We've got the cargo!" the man holding me yelled. I heard a huge metal gate slowly creak open. I had heard that sound numerous times before, but from the inside. We had arrived at Starkraven Manor. I heard the voice of another man I didn't recognize. "Take them to the main dining hall. The lord is eagerly awaiting their arrival, and should be ready for dinner shortly." he said. "After that, come to the office on the second floor to get your bonuses. Job well done." We walked into the front entrance, and my kidnapper removed the bag from my head. The main entryway hadn't changed much in the five years since we had last been here. It was a massive building complex just outside the city walls with a large metal gate surrounding it, and a beautiful garden. It was the kind of place you'd dream of owning one day. However, my only dreams attached to this place were painful nightmares. I looked over at my brother, who was now standing next to me. "I'm gonna get us out of this, Hachi. I promise." I whispered to him. He didn't say anything, but he looked at me with a sullen look in his eyes. We were walked by several armed orc mercenaries to the grand dining hall. We used to work in this room often. We tended to the master, and cleaned up after meals. I could even cook simple dishes, and earn bonuses for good work. It wasn't until several months went by that things began to change. It started when he forced us both to dress as maids during work hours. I didn't mind, of course. Hachi usually laughed off the strange work conditions too, but I could tell it deeply bothered him. It only ever got worse. "Please be seated." a butler by the name of Harold said, showing us to our seats. He was one of our direct superiors during the time that we worked at the manor. I didn't know much about him, but he always treated us fairly. "The master will be here any moment." It had been a long time since I'd seen the master. I hoped I would never have to look into his eyes ever again. Just his gaze can cut you to ribbons. He was a somewhat handsome lord in his late 40's. He inherited the family mining business from his father, and it had been passed down that way for generations. The company mined all sorts of things from precious metals, to magic stones. However, I believed that the Starkraven Mining Company was a front for far more nefarious activities. Like smuggling narcotics, and trafficking people and other creatures inside and outside of the city. He didn't become this influential without outside help. His client list was extensive. I was curious how much of a threat these new clients posed, though. The sound of dress shoes, and a cane echoed down the stairs as we waited in the dining room. I briefly glanced at Hachi, whose hands were shaking. He knew as well as I did who the sound of those shoes belonged to. The master was ready for dinner. 13.2 "Stand and bow your head before Master Starkraven, cat peasants." Another servant girl grilled us to show some respect for the master. However, I had none to give. I glared at him as he emerged from the stairs. His face lit up as he saw the two of us seated at the table. "What a surprise this is!" Master Starkraven exclaimed. "Here I was thinking I'd have to dine alone once again, but I've been suddenly blessed with my two honored guests before me." I stared at him blankly, not wanting to give him the satisfaction of a response. The man wore fancy clothes, and carried a cane with a golden eagle carved into the handle. The animal was a sign of nobility in Zen. "My you've grown into a fine young woman, Nana." the man said, leaning in close to me. "Why the terrified faces? I've brought you here to offer you much more than your old jobs back. No, of course not. I'd like you to offer you something much better." "I don't want anything you're offering." I spat at him. "Let's not be too hasty, dear." he replied. "We'll see how you feel after this lovely feast. Administer the anti-venom to these two, but only a partial dose. I'd prefer they didn't cause a ruckus." Harold gave Hachi, and I two vials to drink. Quickly after drinking the mixture, I regained full feeling in my body. I couldn't use any abilities that required mana, however. Just then, a large man entered the room. He stood some distance away from the table, maintaining his posture. The intimidating gentleman didn't say anything, but looked at the master patiently. "Oh, Drago! Come in, come in. I'm looking forward to your report." Master Starkraven said. Master Starkraven motioned for his second-in-command to come speak to him as he took his own seat at the table. Drago was absurdly muscular, and had a scar over his left eye. The only thing I could pay attention to was his shiny bald head, though. "How did your task go? Did you give those mercenaries their bonus ?" the master asked, giggling. "Yes my liege. They put up a decent fight, but we dispatched them as you ordered. We took their bodies down to the catacombs. Your client should be by to pick them up tomorrow." Drago answered. He ordered this? "Tell me, Drago. What was the look on their faces like? Did they beg for mercy as you cut them down?" The man got giddy with the thought of violence, and his face flashed with a vile look of satisfaction. "Weren't those your men?" I asked. "What the hell is wrong with you?" "Watch your tone!" the female servant shouted at me. "No, no. Lily, it's quite alright." Master Starkraven calmed her down. He turned back to me. "Those ruffians were hired orc fodder from that island reservation to the south. Grogula . I intended on backstabbing them from the beginning, of course. I have no long-term use for filthy orcs." Somehow I had actually felt sorry for our kidnappers. They didn't know what they were getting themselves into with this man, or his subordinates. It probably seemed like a good opportunity to visit the main continent, and make some money for their families. "My benefactor has payed me a hefty sum of money to collect corpses. I haven't the slightest idea why, but the arrangement works for me." Master Starkraven grinned. "Foreign mercenaries make great unsuspecting sacrifices. Between the people of the shambles, and useless orcs... I have plenty of corpses to spare!" The man put his arms out, and broke out into a cackle. "The people of the shambles are just innocent townsfolk trying to get by... How could you?" I asked, my voice shaking. Master Starkraven didn't answer. Instead, he stood up and walked over to Hachi's seat. He put his hands on my brothers shoulders. Hachi clenched his teeth, and I saw the fur on his tail stiffen up. A natural fear-induced reaction for cat-folk. "Get your hands off him!" I shouted, slapping his hand away. "We aren't your toys to do with as you please. I don't care who you're working with. You aren't going to get away with this, you bastard!" "I see why you'd think that way, Nana. I bet you believe some hero is on their way here right now to save the two of you. Am I right?" Master Starkraven taunted. I couldn't deny his words, and I looked down at the table. "Your friend with the blue hair is dead, and the others will follow him soon." "Zero?? No, it can't be." I gasped to myself. It's all my fault. I dragged them into this. I put Zero, Shion, and Ren in danger. Even though they saved us. "Fear not, my dear. When they come for the city, this will be the only safe place for you. They are my benefactor, and they will be the salvation this world so desperately needs!" Master Starkraven whispered with an evil grin. "Who are they ? What are you planning?" I asked. "I do so love the look of despair on your face. It suits you well. I will answer since you are powerless to stop me." he replied, getting excited once again. "My benefactor shall reveal themselves soon enough. Their overwhelming power will bring Zen to it's knees, and as per my agreement with them... I'll be appointed as high king of the nation that is born from the ashes." King? It was true that the throne of Zen had been left vacant since Old Red fell, and King Dante disappeared into Mistral Forest. So this was Mikael Starkraven's play from the beginning... He had been gathering wealth, and political power for years now in hopes that he could ascend to the throne. His biggest rivals are Headmaster Argo, and the mayor of Junction City. He seemed confident this new group he was working with could conquer the entire continent. I wondered how that was even possible since Redrook had so many adventurers, and other-worlders. Meanwhile, Junction City boasted of their own defenses. With the army of sentinels they possessed, they were an equally tough opponent. I shivered at the thought of something stronger. "What does that have to do with us? Why did you need to hire mercenaries to kidnap us, and bring us here?" I asked. "We're just two ordinary demi-human servants." "Ordinary? Absolutely not. To me you two are so much more." Master Starkraven said, holding his hand over his chest. "You want to save your friends don't you? I could spare a few individuals from death in exchange for a certain vow." "Vow?" I scoffed. "You will marry me." he replied. What? I looked at him in disbelief. I hadn't expected him to say such a thing, so I sat in stunned silence. "Let me be more clear. My plan to become king is coming together nicely, but every king needs a queen. Do they not?" Master Starkraven smiled wryly. "I suppose every king needs a concubine as well." He went to caress my brothers cheek, but I had finally had enough. I grabbed the knife that had been set out on the table, and lunged at the man. "I said... Hands off my brother!" I yelled, driving the knife into Master Starkraven's forearm. It was all I could manage with my body still feeling weak from the toxin. "That hurt you little trollop!" Master Starkraven yelled, backhanding me to the floor. He pulled the knife out of his arm, and threw it to the ground. "You're going to pay dearly for that. I offer you half of everything I have, and this is how you repay me? You could have been queen, but you are no longer worthy of the honor." "Get out of here, Hachi!" I shouted. "Get help!" Hachi turned to run. However, he only got as far as the doorway to the dining hall. Drago rushed him, and tackled him to the ground. Just then, a group of orc mercenaries flooded the room. They didn't seem to care about the situation unfolding before them, but they had something else to report. "What do you want? Can't you see I'm busy?" Master Starkraven snarled. "But sir! We have intruders approaching the compound, they'll be here in a matter of minutes." the orc leader said. "Impossible!" Master Starkraven replied. "We have lookouts scouring every square foot of the perimeter. How did they get so close?" "One of our merchant lookouts reported a group of people going into the shambles. They probably took one of the old smuggling tunnels from there." the orc leader replied. "The blue haired kid was with them... Team B failed." Zero is alive? Thank the gods. The orc mentioned that Zero was in a group of people. It was likely that Shion, and Ren were with him. I was happy that they were coming to save us, but I wondered if they'd be enough. More than anything, I hoped they were safe. "Idiots!" Master Starkraven growled. "It matters not. Take Nana down to the catacombs, and lock her up. I have no use for her anymore. Prepare the other twin. We're having a wedding ceremony as soon as possible." Drago dragged Hachi up the stairs. I could only watch in agony. "As for our unwanted guests..." Master Starkraven pulled a curious looking flute out of his back pocket, and held it out for me to see. "My benefactor hasn't only been providing cash to me, you know. This custom trinket was a personal gift from their leader. It's a whistle that can summon high-level monsters at my beck and call. Behold!" He played a melancholic tune into the flute, and suddenly a huge serpent came slithering through the back door. "A basilisk!?" I exclaimed. A basilisk was a type of greater serpent that even veteran adventurers would have trouble taking down alone. Legends said that a single look from the creature could kill its prey, but that was mostly folklore. In reality, its incredible bite speed paralyzed its victims before they could fight back. Things just got complicated. I imagined the others could hold their own against magic-inept mercenaries, but this creature was dangerous. "Meet my beautiful pet, Bassy." Master Starkraven replied proudly. "You there, godless orc heathen. Lead Bassy to the hole those cockroaches plan to crawl out of, and put a stop to them at once. Leave no survivors, and get Nana out of my sight." "As you wish..." the orc replied, grumbling to himself. He walked outside with the basilisk following close behind him. Though I worried about my friends, and how they would fare against the beast... My own troubles were just beginning. 13.3 I was taken by several orcs down to the catacombs where the master locked up anyone he didn't feel like immediately killing. He probably had several torture methods in store for me, but I didn't care anymore. My thoughts turned to my friends that had come to rescue us, and to my brother who was alone with that disgusting man. We had just barely gotten through the entrance ceremony, and all this happened. I was looking forward to going to classes with my friends, and now it wouldn't be possible. Why am I so useless? I couldn't protect anyone. Slamming my head against the iron bars of the cell, I listened to the sound that echoed through the space. The catacombs were cold, and damp. It was close to impossible to see anything beyond the small area lit up by the torches along the walls. My cell was filled with the bones of old prisoners, and several large rats. My thoughts kept racing. The defective twin. That's how I always thought of myself. This moment was no different, and I could feel myself slipping into despair. Hachi would have to enter into an unwilling relationship with the master, and I wouldn't be able to warn the others of his client and their plans for Redrook. Master Starkraven was right. There was nothing I could do, but accept reality. This was my life now. ................................. But would they give up so easily? Shion, Zero, and Ren... We only just met them days ago, and they were risking their necks to save us. While I was sitting here in despair, they were likely having the fight of their lives deeper underground. What are they getting out of doing this? "No, that's not it." I said to myself, shaking my head. "It's because we're all friends. For the sake of their sacrifice, I'm not giving up either. I'm going to get out of here no matter what it takes." "I've been waiting for you to say that." A figure appeared outside the cell. It was the butler, Harold. "The master wasn't always this way. He used to be a kind man, but power has made him wicked and selfish. For his sake, and yours... Please cleanse him of this impropriety." He slid a vial over to me between the bars of the cell. "Is this what I think it is?" I asked, grasping the cylindrical shape of the container in my hand. "Yes. The rest of the anti-venom. Unfortunately I wasn't given a key to the cell, but the guards will come by shortly. You're going to have to get creative to get them to let their guard down, but now you can use your mana." Harold replied. "You should stop wondering what others would do in your place, and ask yourself what Nana can do. Think about it." The man quickly walked away. I thought on his words for a moment. He's absolutely right! I clenched my fist into a ball, and smiled. The only person that could save my brother right now, was me. I had to trust that my friends would make it here safely, and join me in the fight for the mansion. "Now all that's left is to get out of here." I said. I thought over several plans in my head that could get the guards to open the cell. Trickery was one of my greatest skills, after all. I decided I would either play dead, or use my womanly charms to get them to open the cell door. From there I would use Eleph's Call to gather the strength needed to overpower them, or run as fast as I could towards the exit. The plan hinged on how many guards showed up to check up on me. Just then, I heard the door to the catacombs open down the hall. It sounded like... two men. I can do this! I stretched out on the ground with my eyes wide open. I had decided to play dead, and use the seductive tactics some other day. I thought of ways to give my death a more convincing appearance. I smashed the vial Harold gave me to make it seem like I had drank poison to end my own life, and scattered some bread crumbs around me so the rats would pile up. I drooled a little for effect. I hoped they would buy it. "Oh no! Does she look dead to you, Malak?" one of the men asked the other. "The boss isn't going to be happy when he finds out we didn't pat her down for poison." "What do you mean we ?" the one named Malak answered. "It was you who was supposed to check in the first place, Thorg. The boss is gonna be furious when he finds her corpse in here. Unless..." Unless? "Unless?" Thorg replied, mirroring my thoughts. "Unless we can hide her body someplace where he can't find out. We'll say she escaped, or something." Malak explained. "Harold was just down here, he'd be the perfect one to pin this on." "Alright, let me get the cell open." Thorg said, taking out his keys. Bingo. The two orcs opened the cell, and slowly walked in. "I'm sorry. Did you two just say escape ?" I asked, dusting myself off. "What a perfect idea!" "You were faking it!?" Thorg shouted, clearly taken back by the sight of me standing up. "Yep! Now I'm gonna show the two of you a magic trick." I replied, smiling. "Eleph's Call!" I called upon the power of my ancestral home, and was suddenly filled with limit-breaking strength. I could only use my blood magic once every 24 hours. This was my ace. "Listen little girl, you're in big trouble n-" Thorg's words were cut short by the brute force of my spiral kick to his jaw. I sent him crashing into the cavern wall, causing dust and rocks to fall on his lifeless body. "Arrgh!" Malak charged me, but my strike was too quick for him to grapple. I struck him in the ribs with my fist, causing him to cough up an excess amount of blood. Like his friend, I followed up my punch with a kick that sent him into the same wall. "Did you guys like the trick?" I giggled. "They won't be needing these." I took two daggers off their bodies, and also took some vials of anti-venom that they had stashed in their bags. Hachi may need some when I find him. "I'm on my way, Hachi." I whispered, running out of the crypt. 13.4 The catacombs were an underground mausoleum that only descended a small distance under the manor. I peeked my head out of the entrance, and scanned the surroundings of the dining room. Everyone had vacated the dining table, but Harold appeared in my peripheral view. Without looking at me, he spoke. "Upstairs. Conference room." "Thank you, sir." I whispered running up the spiral staircase. The effects of Eleph's Call would soon be running out, but I had to get to that conference room no matter what. I couldn't let Hachi be married to someone he didn't love. Certainly not someone like Master Starkraven. "There she is!" Several guards in the upstairs hallway rushed me, but I slashed them with my claws and sent several more careening down the stairs. I reached the conference room, but the door was barred shut. How do I get in? Feeling power leave my body, I knew I'd have to rely on ordinary strength and my ability magic from here on out. It was simple, Shion told me. To use ability magic, one just had to envision themselves doing so. Half of magic was the power of one's personal reality. I put out my hands in an attempt to make water appear, but nothing happened. "Come on! I have to get in there!" I whispered sharply to myself. "You can do this." Visualize... Visualize... It began with a few drop of water, and then suddenly a stream burst forth from my hands. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough to budge the door. "I have to increase the water pressure." I thought out loud. I hatched an idea. I focused my mana on one spot between the double doors, and let forth a highly concentrated stream of water that spilt the doors open. The orc standing in front of the door was knocked to the ground. "I object!" I shouted as loud as I could. I've always wanted to say that. Hachi stood at the alter next to Master Starkraven. Playing the role of the priest was Drago who held a curious looking book in his hands. In the confusion, Hachi ran to my side, clearly relieved that he wouldn't have to go through with this ceremony. "Great to have you back, little brother." I smiled at Hachi. He nodded in return. After giving him the other antidote I had, he quickly drank it up. "You useless orcs couldn't keep her confined for an entire hour?" Master Starkraven said, exasperated. "What do I even pay you village-dwellers for? It seems I severely underestimated you, Nana. I thought by kidnapping you both directly following the entrance ceremony, you wouldn't be able to use your ability magic without any practice. I was wrong." "It seems you did." I retorted. "Why did you want to marry my brother anyways? He can't bear you any children, and you'll never be able to make public appearances. It doesn't make any sense." "Surely my marriage proposal to you was of the traditional sort, but I had something much more... unorthodox planned for Hachi there." Master Starkraven said. "What do you mean?" I said, looking at him curiously. "Do you see the book in Drago's hand? That's not just any tome. That's the Tome of Darkness. Another gift from my benefactor. Inside resides a spell that will allow me to combine my essence, my very soul, with his." he replied, pointing his cane at Hachi. "Where you, and I were to be wed in a physical sense... Hachi, and I were to be wed in mind, body, and spirit. I would live out the rest of my days in his youthful body with the latent magic power that he now possesses." "The Tome of Darkness? You mean the Demon King's personal spell book? You're insane!" I shouted. "Why would your client entrust you with something so valuable, and so dangerous?" "Call it a sign of trust, and goodwill? I just know that he considers me a valuable ally. Our goals align for the moment." Master Starkraven replied. "This plan has been in the works since the very moment you both came to work in the manor." "I'm done talking to you. I'm taking my brother, and getting the hell out of here. There's nothing you can do to stop us." I replied. "Don't you want to hear what happened to your dear mother?" Master Starkraven taunted. I stopped mid-step as I had begun to turn around. "What do you mean... my mother?" I asked, taking the bait. "Yes, yes. I remember now. She was oh so very sick, wasn't she?" he said. "She came to me on her knees asking if I would consider adding you two to my staff. I graciously accepted, of course. I didn't anticipate that I would grow so fond of you two. That's why..." "That's why?" I replied. "I had to kill the woman myself to make sure you would never leave." the words slithered from his mouth. What did he say? My pupils became dilated, and my tail began waving. Hachi tried to grab my arm to keep me from charging, but it was too late. "You bastard, I'LL KILL YOU!" I ran towards Master Starkraven, daggers in-hand. My decision was selfish. In reality, the two of us should have fled immediately. Hachi knew this, and tried to stop me. I was aware that the master was trying to get in my head. The moment he mentioned my mother, that had become abundantly clear. However... I wanted nothing more than to make sure this man couldn't hurt anyone else I loved. I wanted him to feel the same pain Hachi, and I have. I wanted it done. Most of all... I want him dead! I got within inches of his body with the daggers, but he quickly pulled the rapier out of his cane and blocked my strike. Sparks flew with the clashing of metal. His superior swordsmanship was evident, but I slashed at him with blind fury. Hachi stood some distance behind me. "Yes, yes! Show me the look of pure despair on your face." Master Starkraven beamed. "Lash out at me, and let me feel your rage! Hahahaha!" I noticed that with each strike I attempted, he cut me slightly in a random place on my body. My adrenaline kept me from noticing, but I was slowly wearing down. I tried to create some distance between us, but he suddenly closed it. How did he- "Too slow!" Master Starkraven palmed my head with his hand, and slammed me into the ground face-first. The floor cracked with the impact, and the facial swelling was immediate. *SLAM* He wasn't done with his attack, however. He grabbed me by my collar, and punched me in the face. The force knocked me across the ground until I came to rest next to Hachi. "Just as I thought..." Master Starkraven said. "You're completely, and utterly insufficient. You couldn't stop me if you were given a hundred chances to do so. Give up now before you die in vain, Nana." He's right... I laid on the ground writhing in pain. My face was swollen, and the cuts along my body had taken their toll on my fighting will. I could hardly lift my head, let alone continue to fight. The others weren't anywhere to be seen. "I'm sorry... Hachi. *cough* I let him get inside my head, and I couldn't stop him." I looked up at my brother's face. "I'm all talk." Getting down on his knees, Hachi looked down at me with a particular look that surprised me. It wasn't of defeat, or even sadness. He didn't look at me with disappointment like I had expected him to after my outburst, and swift defeat. No, that wasn't the look at all. The look on Hachi's face was full of determination, and strength. I hadn't seen my brother look this hopeful for some time. I didn't even realize I had been crying, but Hachi wiped my tears away. He nodded at me silently as if to say "I've got this now, sister." I let him take the lead. My body had almost reached its limit, and I needed to collect myself. Hachi took a step towards Master Starkraven, and stared him down. "Oh, what's this? How entertaining! Just what do you plan to do, mute one? You exist solely to serve me, and gratify my desires. That is your destiny. You are a tool, and nothing more." Master Starkraven taunted. My brother didn't respond. "Accept your fate, and become one with me! Your destiny is written right here in the pages of this book!" Master Starkraven held up the Tome of Darkness to emphasize his point, but it suddenly burst into flames. What just happened? "It can't be..." Master Starkraven fell to his knees in shock. "The priceless Tome of Darkness... My Authority! YOU DID THIS, DIDN'T YOU!?" He pointed at Hachi with rage in his eyes, mourning the ruined book he held in his hands. I looked up at Hachi. My brother had used his ability magic for the first time, and cast a fire spell on the book. He turned it to ash, sending the charred pages fluttering to the ground. "That's the Hachi I know." I said, wiping a tear from my eyes. "Thanks for the assist, brother." Hachi smiled in response. In addition to his ability magic, he could also use Eleph's Call when the moment depended on it. While my version of the ability didn't change much besides granting me additional strength and speed, his would be our ultimate weapon... Master Starkraven continued to sulk on the ground in front of us in disbelief. Suddenly he began to cackle to himself, and lifted himself to his feet. "What do you plan to do without your little spellbook? I asked. "You can't perform the ritual now, can you?" "I do believe you're right... You two have certainly put a stop to that plan. Plans change, however." Master Starkraven pointed his rapier at us with murderous intent in his eyes. "I'll just have to add your corpses to the pile I hand to my benefactor. I wish it didn't have to come to this, I quite enjoyed having you two as property." Hachi helped me off the floor, and we got into a ready stance. Suddenly the ground began shaking, and we heard shouting coming from the posted guards outside. We all struggled to keep our balance as it continued for a few moments. "An earthquake? No, it's coming from the courtyard!" Drago shouted. "What do we do master?" "I'm getting sick of these vermin interfering with my plans! Send every mercenary we have at them, and don't let them storm the manor." Master Starkraven replied. Could it be? It certainly seemed like it. Hachi, and I had held out just long enough to make a difference. Our reinforcements had just arrived.

✧ ✦ ✧ Zero, Shion, and I, Ren ran across the open in the direction of the manor. We were in a field that was referred to as the garden . It was a large flower bed that extended in all directions. It was quite beautiful, and I would have loved to admire it. However, we were in a bit of a situation. We had dispatched several orc mercenaries after leaving the cavern. While I wasn't the tallest, or strongest member of the party, my Drain Life ability weakened even larger opponents enough for my fists to do some damage. It was the great equalizer, and perhaps the only trump card I could play. I could block a strike from most weapons with my wrist gauntlet, and use my off hand to launch a strike. I had hoped that the bit of offense I could provide would take some pressure off of Zero, so he wasn't the only damage dealer. Mikael Starkraven had sent dozens of mercenaries at us. Thanks to Zero's Terraform ability, they were launched into the air or crushed by the shifting ground. As she told us, Shion was practically out of mana. However, she had packed a mana potion to use in case of emergencies. She must have added it to her list after several failed time loops. The fairy she summoned to light our way also had the ability to convert itself into veil of light that surrounded Shion. It worked a bit like a force field, albeit on the weaker side. Another benefit of Seph's blessing. "Do you guys see Milton yet?" I asked. "Not yet, but it's getting plenty dark. The sun should set over the Wyvern Mountains any minute now. Look for a pair of black wings, and fancy clothes." Shion joked. "You couldn't miss that vampire, even if you tried." "We should pick up some anti-venom off of these orcs if they have it." I suggested. "I got cut a few times by their weapons, and I could feel tinges of paralysis trying to take hold. It dissipated in a few moments like with the basilisk, but it hit Zero pretty hard last time." "Good idea, partner. I don't want to go through that again." Zero said. After experiencing both toxins, I came to my own conclusion that the orcs were using the same venom that the basilisk secreted. Mikael Starkraven likely mass-produced the toxin from his pet while it was under his mind control, and diluted it into a watered down version for their weapons. "Zero, do you think you can scout ahead for us to see what the security detail looks like surrounding the manor?" Shion asked. "I have to speak with Ren-kun about something." "You got it. Though, I don't know how I feel about being excluded while you two get all lovey dovey." Zero snarked. "You saw what happened the last time we all split up." "Just go!" Shion sighed. "But be careful." Zero took off in the direction of the manor while we remained hidden behind a hedge. We couldn't have been very far from the central compound at this rate. The place was much larger than I expected. Mikael Starkraven's mining business must have been quite profitable from what the others told me. Though I doubt that's how he made the bulk of his riches. "Ren-kun, I'm sorry to single you out like this again." Shion apologized. "Oh, don't mention it." I laughed it off. "If it's important enough for you to give Zero the wrong idea, I'll listen to anything you've got to say." "Ok. You're not going to like what I'm about to suggest, but hear me out. I need you to make me a promise." she began. "As I explained, the time loop we're in would reset in the case of my untimely demise." "Yeah... Where are you going with this?" I asked. "If it gets bad in there... If... people die..." Shion looked down. "I want you to let me die as well, or put me down yourself. That's the only way we win this." Is she asking me what I think she is? "No... I-I couldn't possibly." I stuttered. "Put you down... You mean killing you to reset the loop?" "Ren-kun, I know this is difficult to process. However, the responsibility falls to you. Your ability will likely make it so that you can't die, at least not by any mortal means." Shion said. "We don't know what kind of power Starkraven is hiding. We never made it this far in the previous loops." "What if I can't?" I asked. "What if I'm not strong enough to just let you die?" "Then we'll lose." she answered. "We came here to save two of our friends, but if any of us die in the process... it's a wash. If I don't die, and the others do, they'll go from being temporarily gone to being really gone. Do you understand?" "I do... I think." I replied. "Your healing ability isn't the only reason I'm leaving this to you, Ren-kun." Shion smiled, putting her hand on my cheek. "You're one of the smartest people I know, besides Argo. I trust you the most." Hearing her speak so highly of me caught me off guard, and made me a bit emotional. The truth was, I didn't want anyone's deaths to be up to me. I'd been telling myself I was content playing the background character. However, things didn't always work out the way we expected them to. "Okay." I said, finally. "I'll do what needs to be done. If things get bad, I'll let the reset happen." "Thank you, Ren-kun." Shion said, exhaling. "You know, I..." "Hey, guys!" Zero came running back. There was a bit of blood on his clothes, indicating a struggle. "What happened?" I asked. "Nothing major." Zero replied. "I took out a couple mercenaries on the way to the manor. More importantly, I got a head count for the guards." "How many are we looking at?" Shion asked. "About 25 mercenaries surrounding the compound. Then you've got the staff inside that probably won't be friendly, and Mikael Starkraven himself." Zero replied. "I heard his right hand man is practically a giant too." "It seems we're badly outnumbered. How are you doing on mana?" Shion asked. "I don't feel like I've got much left in the tank, though I've never used magic much before. It's hard for me to tell." Zero said. "Ren has passive abilities that don't use mana. Lucky!" I don't know if I'd call this ability lucky. I thought about my conversation with Shion. Being the most likely to survive the battle came with tremendous responsibility. Master Argo had mentioned something similar this morning. "It should be just about time for-." Shion was interrupted by the sound of shouting coming from the direction of the manor. "Are they reacting that way, because of us?" I asked. "I don't think so." Zero said. "I made sure I wasn't tailed. It sounds like they're fighting someone else." "We know just who that should be, then." Shion said. "Let's go!" We took off running towards the manor, following the path that Zero had scouted ahead for us. I could see the large building come into focus. It looked like an old-style plantation house that you would see in the American south. My father worked at hospitals all across the United States, including some in Georgia. "You guys see that up there?" Zero shouted. Sure enough, a pair of black wings circled overhead. There was no doubt in our minds that it was Milton. Seeing as the sun had just set, and only the horizon over the mountains was lit. He had shown up just in time to get the show started. Suddenly Milton swooped down with great speed and picked up an orc mercenary, dropping him mercilessly to his death. Finally he made his landing, and slashed the throats of two more orcs with his claws. His fighting style was brutal, but it was effective. His smile never faded as he engaged in slaughter. I was glad he was on our side. "My, it is wonderful to see that you've all made it here in one piece." Milton greeted us. "I trust that you didn't have too many issues with the route I recommended?" "You were right. Both your directions, and your support have been well appreciated." Shion replied. "I'll be sure to honor our agreement once this is over, and we've gotten the other two back." Agreement? "I know you're good for it, my dear." Milton smiled. "I will clean things up out here, and take out any orcs that refuse to run. You three head inside, and make that dreadful man pay for what he's done today." 14.2 Most of the orcs' attention was focused on the one man army of Milton who engaged them outside. He had all the strength, and speed of a vampire that I had read about in countless stories. I wondered what else the man was capable of. Zero, Shion, and I charged through the front door. "Leave, or die!" an orc shouted at us. I just dodged his blade, and was able to get a good shot in before Zero knocked him through the wall with his sword. I gave him a nod, and he replied with a thumbs up. We searched throughout the bottom floor of the manor, starting with the dining room. We couldn't find a soul besides a butler who looked us up, and down. "They're upstairs. I would hurry, the other two can't hold out much longer." the man said. We didn't question what he meant, or how he knew what we were looking for. We raced up the stairs to find that several orcs had already been knocked out. I just hoped Nana, and Hachi were fine. We burst through the door. Nana, and Hachi were standing close to the entrance. Hachi stood in front of his sister as if he was protecting her, and Nana looked to be injured. "Are you guys alright?" Zero asked Nana. "Yeah, mostly." Nana replied. "You guys came just in time." "How infuriating... How sickening. How absolutely repugnant!" A man who I could readily assume was Mikael Starkraven shouted with his rapier pointed at the five of us. "You three children couldn't just leave well enough alone. You'll make fine additions to the pile of corpses." "Zero, can you occupy Mikael while we heal Nana?" Shion asked. "I might be out of mana, but I'm going to give Ren-kun a quick field lesson in healing." "You got it, Shi." Zero replied. "It's been awhile since I've been able to have a sword-fight with such a talented swordsman." "Your honeyed words flatter me, but can you keep up with my speed?" Mikael Starkraven sneered. "Don't underestimate me!" Zero smiled confidently. The two of them engaged in a battle of blades. A competition between two alternate styles. Zero represented the brute strength of swordsmanship, while Starkraven displayed dizzying speed and technique. We heard the sound of clashing metal while Shion turned her attention towards me. "Alright, Ren-kun. Since your ability magic is passive it draws from a different force than your own mana. Meaning, you still have the power to heal Nana." Shion told me. "This is what being a support is all about. I'm going to teach you your first spell." I had been excited to try using magic, but I didn't expect it to be under such high-pressure conditions. What if I had got the incantation wrong, or couldn't use it properly? I can't afford to be negative... I just have to try. "If you're sure I can... I'm ready whenever you are." I agreed. "Repeat after me. Flora, Goddess of nature, offer us the power to heal these wounds and reset the effects of evil. Healing." Shion walked me through the spell which I quickly repeated. "Great, now use it on Nana." Nana kneeled in front of me, and I got down to her level. Putting my hand on her shoulder, I began the incantation. "Flora... Goddess of nature? Offer us the power to heal these wounds and reset the effects of evil. Healing." To my astonishment, Nana glowed with an aura of light. Her wounds quickly disappeared. "Great first spell, Ren-kun!" Shion applauded me. "You get full marks. Everyone can use magic like that if they apply themselves. You might even become a great mage someday." "I don't know about all that, haha." I smiled sheepishly. "Are you feeling any better?" I asked Nana. "Yeah, but you might want to check on Zero. The master is faster than he looks. He can leave cuts all over your body before you even realize it." Nana said, looking worried. Just then, the large man that had been standing at the alter stepped in the middle of their sword fight. He knocked Zero backward with a mighty punch. The man appeared to be supernaturally strong, and possibly had an ability of his own. "Hey! That's no way to have a one-on-one fight. He must have sensed the master was losing steam." Nana complained. "We have to do something about Drago." She must have meant the aforementioned man who interrupted the fight. Nana fired a blast of water from her hands towards Drago, but it didn't seem to bother him. It only knocked him back a little. We had superior numbers, but lacked the experience with our ability magic to make proper use of them. I could attempt to fight him, but it would take him awhile to power down. Milton was still outside handling the last of the orcs. Is there anything else we could try? "Guys, I think I may have an idea." Nana said. "Hachi, are you ready to use it?" Hachi nodded his head, and punched his hand with his first. Suddenly, he underwent a complete physical transformation. His small body was replaced by a giant one, and his features became more cat-like. He grew to be as large as Drago in just a few seconds. Hachi let out a mighty roar and pounded his chest. "Blood magic!" Shion said. "I forgot that you two could use it. How long can he keep up that form?" "A few minutes at best." Nana replied. "We don't have a ton of practice with it yet." "Your brother was just hiding an ability like that!?" Zero exclaimed, looking back. "Take care of the big guy, Hachi. I'll show Starkraven here why they call me the sword of The Institute." "Who the heck calls you that?" Shion looked at Zero with doubt. "You know, it's really starting to annoy me how you're all talking amongst yourselves like this is a game." Starkraven said, exchanging blows with Zero. "Your skill is notable, however. It's a shame I'll have to take your life." Hachi grabbed Drago, and they grappled their way past us. They went tumbling down the stairs, trading punches. We would just have to trust that Hachi could hold his own. Nana, Shion, and I stood back. The room was in complete chaos as the battle raged on. 14.3 "Your steps are far too slow to compete with me!" Starkraven yelled. "With every swing of your sword, another cut appears on your battered body. How many more can you take, I wonder?" "You talk a lot for someone who thinks he has the upper hand. You're not nervous, are you?" Zero prodded. "You've got to be feeling a little tired after dodging so many of my hits." "Awfully cocky, dear boy. I don't believe you've landed one strike yet. Don't you think it's time we ended these shenanigans?" Starkraven suddenly created space between himself, and Zero. "Zero, watch out!" Shion yelled. "He's preparing an attack!" "Too late, timekeeper! You've all entertained me with your futility. It was nice to get the exercise. However, you will stand in my way no longer. Prepare to face the full might of my power. Then you will truly know despair! Hahahaha!" Starkraven broke into an evil cackle, sporting a perverted look on his face. "Bow before my authority: Gravitational Pull !" The room seemed to warp, and the four of us were suddenly forced to the ground with a magical attack. We had been so focused on his sword skill that we didn't take magic into account. "What... is this?" Zero coughed up blood. "My, where did the confidence go?" He put his foot on Zero's head, and began mushing it into the rug they were standing on. "You didn't think I was going that fast for no reason, did you? My element is gravity. I've been altering the gravity around my body in combat to make myself lighter. And there's something else..." Something else?? "I am, in fact, an other-worlder. From the first generation." Starkraven smiled. "Huh?" we all exclaimed in unison. It made complete sense now. His movement speed in combat did stretch beyond the natural limits of a typical human being. This man, being the sadist that he is, likely felt no stress from battling our party. He was toying with us, while saving his most valuable card for the finale. His ability magic. "What about your family? I thought you were the 4th Mikael Starkraven in a long line of mining barons?" Shion said. "I was merely adopted by the Starkraven family at fourteen after coming from Earth. I was alone, scared even." Mikael Starkraven stood above us with a twisted grin on his face. We were driven further into the floor with the crushing weight of his ability. "Once my father learned of my abilities, he turned me into a proper heir to the family business. He knew that one day I would ascend to the throne of Zen!" So this guy was younger than me when he left Earth? A little weird to think about. I was fortunate enough to have friends when I arrived in this world. I couldn't imagine being the age of a junior high schooler, and being sent here alone. This man had been emotionally broken down. I could see it in the crazed look in his eyes. The situation was becoming untenable. Severe pain shot through my body. Even with my healing ability, I felt weak. I'm sure it was far worse for the others. "Ren... kun... I'm sorry, I didn't know." Shion struggled to finish her sentence. "We need to... reset." I felt at the goblin dagger in my pocket. She was practically begging me to end this loop. At the expense of her life. In a matter of moments, everyone might be dead anyways. That was the logical conclusion. Even so... It can't end this way... Not when we've come so far! "You bastard!" Nana gasped for air. "Hahahahaha!" Mikael Starkraven laughed maniacally like a man who had lost all his previous inhibitions. "You're all making such wonderful faces, but... What's this? Tell me why. Why are you standing?" With my femurs practically shattering and healing themselves simultaneously, I had managed to lift myself to my feet. Though, the force of gravity, and my own injured body attempted to hold me down... I couldn't give up on this loop. I can't let him win. I wanted to lie to myself, and say I was doing this for the sake of my friends. I wanted to pretend I was doing this for some heroic reason, but I couldn't. The truth was, this was completely for myself. *BADUM* I felt my heart leap as I took one large step towards Mikael Starkraven. "Impossible!" the man yelled at me. "You shouldn't even be able to breathe properly, let alone walk!" If Shion died the loop would reset. The suffering of the others would end, and she'd be able to use the new information she's gathered to come up with a new plan. So, why couldn't I let it go? It's simple. To lay down now, would be to accept myself for the kid I was back in Tokyo. *BADUM* I took another step. "That ability you have... it wouldn't be Juggernaut, would it?" Starkraven scoffed. "A rare one, indeed. Perhaps you simply need some more pressure to put you down." He focused more of his power on me, cracking the ground beneath my feet as he did. I wouldn't be deterred, even as I felt my organs compress tightly. There was an ugly feeling I hid in my heart. From the people I knew back in Japan, from my friends here, even from myself. Jealousy. The avarice of wanting to be someone else consumed me. I was jealous of Zero for his swordsmanship, and strength. That he could find the positive side of every situation, and make people laugh. I was jealous of Shion for her sharp wit, and magic talent. She was the most extraordinary person I knew. I was even jealous of Ike for having a family that loved him. Even so... I was glad to be surrounded by such extraordinary people, because they reminded me of where I wanted to be. There was no way I could just give up. *BADUM* As he continued to increase the pressure on me, the others were slowly let free from their bindings. As I recall, Shion still had that mana potion. She could drink it, and use its effects to heal the others. I took my biggest step yet. I was nearly face-to-face with the man. "Why won't you STAY DOWN!?" Starkraven was panicking at this point. Pointing his rapier, he looked at me with a shocked expression. "You're just an insignificant background character. You stood, and watched as your friends were all beaten. So, why? Why do you press on, when you know you don't have what it takes to defeat me?" "Because..." I said, finally. *BADUM* "Because... I WANT TO CHANGE!" I yelled. I took one final step, and let all the force in my body build up into a punch. *CRACK* I punched Mikael Starkraven as hard as I could with my right hand, sending him crashing to the floor. By making physical contact with him, his power began to drain slowly. My Drain Life ability would continue to drain mana and stamina from my opponent until they left the scene of the battle, died, or I passed out myself. By landing a hit, I had thrown the biggest possible wrench in his plan. The key was staying conscious through my own pain. If I could do that... I could win. "You got me. Hehehe. You spectacularly, surely got me." Mikael Starkraven gave a defeated laugh. "You... What is your name?" "Ren. Itsuka Ren." I answered. "What do you plan to do now? Your hold on them has disappeared. The only way this ends now is me kicking your ass." "I will remember that name, Juggernaut." the man replied. "I suppose it's time to use my last resort." He pulled out a strange looking flute from his back pocket, and blew it as hard as he could. He used the last of his mana to burst the ceiling open with his gravitational ability. Hovering above the manor was a huge dragon-like creature. It picked Mikael Starkraven up in its mouth, and put him on its back. "A wyvern!" Nana yelled. "Listen well, worms!" Starkraven sneered. "My benefactor is coming for Redrook, and then the whole continent. They call themselves the Blood Sacrament . When the Trinity Wards fall, the sky will turn red. It will be the pinnacle of despair. I look forward to seeing the kind of faces you all make then." The wyvern Starkraven was flying on took off into the night sky, leaving us all in bewilderment. The Blood Sacrament. Trinity Wards? Shion had mentioned the Trinity Wards before. They were located in the village of Treewalk, and protected Mistral Forest from monster attacks and other dangers. That large adventuring party had set out on a special operation to protect the wards. Their mission was to defeat a particular group. Could they be the Blood Sacrament? It appeared Mikael Starkraven was a small piece in a larger, much darker puzzle. Dark tidings aside, we had survived the battle. The loop was finally a success. 14.4 " Tch. Bastard got away." I complained. Hachi came running up the stairs, looking no worse for wear. He had handled his fight with Drago well by the looks of it. There was only one problem. Do I smell... smoke!? "We have to get out of here, guys!" Nana addressed us. "Hachi told me that he went a little overboard with his ability magic. This building could go at any minute." The manor was on fire. Shion had healed the others like I predicted, and they all stood behind me. "Are you guys alright?" I asked. "Yeah we're doing fine, partner. You really held your own today." Zero replied, smiling. Shion, and the others nodded their heads. "How are we gonna get out of here with the flames downstairs, though?" "That's what I'm trying to figure out." Shion said. We heard the flapping of wings overhead. "Right on schedule." Milton, bloodied from his personal battle outside, finally flew into the gaping hole in the ceiling. The vampire stood in front of us, looking relieved. "I am so very happy to see that your mission was a success, and those two are alive." Milton motioned towards Nana, and Hachi. "That ruffian had an entire reserve unit of orc archers on standby, and I had my hands full. Let us make haste. I'll fly each of you out of here, and we can flee the complex." "What about the manor staff?" Nana asked, looking worried. "They're just common servants who didn't do anything wrong. They'll die if they stay here!" "Don't worry, dear. That old fellow was leading them all out before I flew in." Milton replied. Nana looked visibly relieved. I could understand that she didn't want to get anyone else hurt in our struggle. They didn't do us harm, after all. "Thanks for coming to save us, Milt. It's gonna be a long walk back to Redrook. I hope we don't run into reinforcements." Zero noted. "Walking? My dear boy, we won't have to walk." Milton chuckled. "See for yourself." Milton picked Zero up first, and flew him outside. He proceeded to do the same for each of us until we were safely outside the manor. What we saw outside shocked all of us, except for Milton. The basilisk we had fought earlier was sitting calmly in the courtyard with an orc mercenary in its mouth. It's possible that it escaped from a different side of the cavern, and turned its attention to the orcs guarding the outside. "We fought that earlier!" Zero exclaimed. "What is it doing out here, and why do you look so calm?" "While I was fighting an army of orcs, I ran into this creature gorging itself on the brutes." Milton explained. "My former elf clan came from the North. As such, our blood magic allows us to speak to animals. Even monsters." "So you... spoke to the basilisk?" I asked. I didn't know whether I should be surprised at anything in this world anymore. The concept of talking to animals seemed fascinating to me, however. "Precisely. Evidently, this poor creature has had its mind controlled for several years at the hands of that awful man. We both had a bone to pick, and agreed to an alliance." Milton pet the giant snake gently. "She has also agreed to take us back home." The basilisk leaned down with its great snout, and nuzzled my entire body. "W-woah, hey, what's she doing?" I asked. "She wanted to apologize for harming you earlier, and hopes that you will find it within yourself to forgive her." Milton replied. "Well... When you put it like that, there's no way I could stay mad." I smiled, petting the creature. If there was one thing that could get me to bring my guard down, it was animals. One-by-one, we all climbed onto the basilisk's back. Riding out of the complex, I turned back to look at the manor. It was fully engulfed in flames. It reminded me of my own family home, and the events that had brought me to this moment. I sat behind Milton who was in front, and Shion was seated directly behind me. Then it was the twins, and Zero held down the back. Mostly to prevent the much smaller Nana, and Hachi from falling off of our transportation. I quickly remembered something I needed to apologize for. "Hey, Shion?" I said quietly. "Yes, Ren-kun?" she replied. "I'm sorry about earlier. I realize it was really selfish of me to keep fighting when you guys were in pain." I apologized. "I went against the promise we made." "Yes, that." Shion sighed deeply. "The truth is, I knew you wouldn't be able to manually reset the loop. That you'd keep fighting until the last possible moment to win. It's the thing I like the most about you, after all." "You mean, you're not mad?" I asked. "Of course I am." Shion wrapped her arms around my waist, and buried her face into my cape. "I was worried sick about you. You hurt yourself earlier to save me, and then you did it again at the manor. How could I not be mad?" She sniffled a little bit. I smiled a bit to myself. I was surrounded by such wonderful people. Even though I was selfish, and fought for the sake of my pride, they never stopped worrying about me. "I'm sorry for worrying you." I said. "I'm glad that you all had my back today, and that I could be of some help. I'll try to be more careful." I felt Shion give a silent nod. "My brother, and I are truly sorry for all the trouble we've caused you." Nana said, bowing her head. Hachi did the same. "The master wanted to perform some dark ritual to fuse Hachi, and his essence. To create one super-powered being." "No need to apologize." Shion replied. "That's right!" Zero said. "We came all the way out here, because we care about you two. It's what friends should do. Hopefully we're properly trained the next time though..." We nodded our heads in agreement. "Still, though. To combine essences into one being..." Shion repeated. "Like some kind of chimera?" I asked. "Yeah I guess that's an accurate way to describe it." Shion replied. "Makes me sick just thinking about it." That aside, this had been quite the busy day. It made me realize that I had forgotten something extremely crucial when I came to this world. Perhaps the thing that I miss the most about Earth... "Do they have bath houses in this world?" I asked. "I could really use one before school tomorrow." "Aha yes, Ren-kun. You should have asked sooner." Shion said. "The Institute has its own indoor hot spring. We could all use a bath when we get back." "Count me in." I said, feeling relieved. "Us too!" Nana said. "Wait... What does he mean by this world ?" "I'll explain it to you both later." Shion said. "We'll let you in on a pretty interesting secret about Ren-kun, since you'll be spending a lot of time at school together." I had almost forgotten that Nana, and Hachi didn't know that I was born on Earth like their father. It kind of felt like we were initiating them into our inner circle of sorts. We had become quite the party. "Oh that reminds me!" I exclaimed. "We should choose a name for our adventuring party. Since we're gonna be spending some time together going forward." "Great point, partner! I was thinking we could call it Zero, and the gang. Pretty good, right?" Zero smiled confidently, crossing his arms. We all just looked at him in disbelief. Everyone suddenly looked at me. "What's up?" I asked. "You saved the day today. I think you should name the party, Ren-kun." Shion smiled, urging me to continue. Nobody seemed to disagree with her sentiment. I guess if they insist... But what's a good name? There were dozens of official adventuring parties in Redrook, and each of them had a unique name. Like a calling card, pointing to their heroic deeds. I wanted to give our party a name that fit it equally well. "Clockwork Arcana." I suggested. "Arcana means mystery . There's only three timekeepers on this continent, right? We've got one on our team. I think we should use that. What do you guys think?" Being able to use time travel in battle, even in a limited capacity, was a crazy advantage. That was our calling card. "That way Shion can be a part of our team even when she's busy with school business. I like it!" Nana said. Everybody agreed. Even Shion who looked slightly embarrassed. "Oh crap, I forgot about school!" We all glanced back at Zero who looked jokingly despondent. The six of us broke into laughter as we continued riding back to town. After a day of heavy action, our first day of institute training (and a well deserved bath) awaited.

✧ ✦ ✧ The morning hours ticked away, but we were dismissed in time to enjoy the afternoon sun. "Ah! That was exciting wasn't it, partner?" Zero asked, stretching his arms. "I didn't know what would happen after you went up on stage. People were certainly getting a bit testy, but you handled yourself well." "I could've done without all the extra attention, but at least we got through it." I sighed, looking at a couple of rocks on the ground. "What's with all the demon king comments anyway? Is the resemblance really that spot on?" "Don't even worry about it. People are weirdly touchy about Azrael, and the war. A bit too superstitious for their own good if you ask me. Getting one less cutlet in their sandwich during lunch is a bad omen for some people." Zero joked, prompting a giggle by Nana who had followed us outside. "There you guys are!" Shion was speaking with Headmaster Argo, but had rejoined us near the entrance to the ballroom outside. "Zero we'll talk about your outbursts later, but congratulations on your initiation everyone." "Why did she single me out?" Zero looked to me to back him up, but I whistled and pretended to be focused on something else. "That's heartless, partner." Everyone laughed. "Ren-kun, I'm sorry I couldn't speak up for you on stage. Or when Leonard gave you all a tough time earlier. I have half a mind to..." Shion begins. "Oh, Ren's alright! We handled things this morning. That upperclassman girl from House Crystal, Arwen put him in his place during the ceremony. He went totally silent." Zero said. "Isn't that right, partner?" "Yeah nothing to worry about, Shion." I replied. "You probably had to maintain your professionalism on stage. As for Leon, I don't mind letting things work themselves out." "Hello." We turned around to find that Arwen had come up from behind us. She probably heard us mention her name. Suddenly she walks right up to me, and leans within an inch of my face. "Uhhhh, can I help you with something?" I said bashfully, trying to turn away. She put both her hands on my cheeks, and turned my face towards hers so that we were looking directly into each other's eyes. Frozen, I didn't know what to do. I could feel my face burning with embarrassment. Now that I was getting a closer look, her skin was pale but had an almost iridescent quality to it. She was like a porcelain doll. Beautiful, but slightly fragile from a glance. "Hmm." she mumbled. She pulled on my cheeks, maintaining the same serious expression. It was quite bizarre, but for some reason I didn't mind this situation. She finally let go of my face, and stepped back. "You're not a demon." Arwen said. "Eh? Did you think I was?" I laughed, rubbing my face. "The other students said you were a demon, but you're a good person. I can tell." she said. "See you." She quickly took off, leaving me behind. I looked around at my group of friends, and they all gave me suspicious looks. Zero wore a smug grin while Shion was pouting ostensibly, or perhaps she was a bit irritated. Though I wouldn't know why. "I thought she was going in for a kiss!" Nana said, exhaling with her hand on her chest. "Ren wishes!" Zero said, laughing. "Don't think I didn't see the looks you were shooting her during the ceremony." "You're definitely reading too far into it. I just found her really interesting is all. She was the MVP of the winning house last year, and she's going to be someone to look out for... In the competitions!" I made sure I clarified my last statement, but none of my companions seemed completely convinced. Could I blame them? My face was still tomato red. "MVP? Hmm..." Zero shot me another look before getting bored. He turned his attention to Shion. "What's wrong, Shi? Don't tell me, are you jea-" Shion kicked him in the lower leg before he could complete his thought. "Ouch!" Zero exclaimed. "You should really learn to verbalize your feelings instead of kicking me, you know." He hopped around gingerly for a few seconds before the conversation rolled on. "Hmph!" Shion huffed. "You three should go on ahead before we grab lunch. I have something important to talk about with Ren-kun first." Zero, and the twins walked in the direction of the city. Shion and I stayed put for the moment. I wonder what she has to say? "You've been here a couple days now. It feels like things are really starting to speed up, huh? Tomorrow morning you'll begin magic, and combat training. How are you feeling?" Shion asked. "I just wanted to check in." "Well it hasn't been the easiest adjustment for me to start out, but I've met so many interesting people already." I said. "The mystery of my abilities has been solved for the most part, and now I just hope I can live a peaceful life while I'm here. That's all I need." "That's all?" Shion asked. "You know a lot of people who got transported here were desperate to get home, or wanted to be some storybook hero. This is the first time I've heard such a mundane wish." "Is that a bad thing?" I asked. "No, no! Not at all." she replied frantically. "It's just that you have a different value set than a lot of people, it seems like." "Yeah... I miss Ike and Mrs. Takashi, but I don't have much else to go home to. It's not that I don't want some adventure, or course. It's going to be a fun experience alongside all of you. More than anything, I just wanted to become a better person. Live the life I never got to, you know? I want my being here to mean something." I said. That's why I took your hand during the storm. Shion appeared lost in thought for a moment, and turned her head. "I hope you can find that life someday, Ren-kun." Shion said. There was a hint of sadness in her voice. Before I could say anything else, she spoke again. "So Arwen... Do you like her?" "W-whaa? That came out of nowhere." I sighed, exasperated. I tried to hide the fact that my face was once again bright red. "I've hardly spoken to her, and she's an upperclassman. There's no way it could happen." "I didn't hear a no." Shion whispered to herself. "What was that?" I asked. "Nothing much." she replied. I couldn't deny that Arwen had captured my interest. I also wouldn't say that it was necessarily romantic interest just yet. She was simply intriguing. Though she lacked any concept of personal boundaries, she seemed kind. I wondered when I'd encounter her next. We planned to have lunch with the others, but Shion and I weren't entirely sure where they had gone off to. Guess we'll go find them. We walked through the colossal arches that separated The Institute from the city, and made our way into the heart of Redrook below. I hoped we could find them soon, I was starting to get hungry. 11.2 They were nowhere in sight. "Where could they be?" Shion thought out loud. "It's not like we spent an absurdly long time speaking." "Maybe we should ask some of the merchants around the main shopping areas? Zero is a pretty tall guy. I feel like he'd be recognizable in a crowd." I suggested. "Yeah, let's go ask around." Shion agreed. We walked from stall to stall in the merchants district asking each shopkeeper if they had seen our trio of friends, but nobody seemed to know anything. At the very least, they weren't giving away information easily. Most seemed oddly dismissive for some reason. "I told you I don't know anything, now get out of here. You're scaring away paying customers!" a jewelry merchant shouted at us. We walked away from the stall, keeping up our search. "What's everybody's deal today?" Shion lamented. "The merchants around here are usually more than willing to speak with me, even if it's in exchange for business or some coin. Something feels off." "What's going on?" I asked Shion. "I guess we'll find that out soon." she replied. "Do you have any other ideas for where Zero could've gone, Ren-kun?" "I'm not sure. I don't know him as well as you do, and I'm still getting the lay of the land around here." I replied. There was one place we had yet to try. "What about Milton's weapon shop?" It was a shot in the dark, but I figured it couldn't hurt to mention it. It was essentially the only other place I knew of so far in town, and we were running out of options. "You go by yourself, and I'll meet you there. I'm gonna go check on something." Shion said. I ran off in the direction of Milton's shop. Several eyes followed me as I did, and I could sense their gazes. Though I wasn't sure where the looks were coming from. It was possible that I was being paranoid, but Shion's intuition seemed to be on point. Something definitely feels off. I swung open the doors of Milton's shop, and walked in. The windows were closed, and the blinds were drawn. The central room was dark, and empty. "Pardon my intrusion!" I shouted. "Are you in here Milton?" I walked in slowly, shutting the door behind me. It was eerily quiet. Nothing seemed to be out of place from what I could tell, but I could hear a faint noise coming from the back room. It sounded like dripping, and scratching. I felt my heart rate increase. "Milton, is that you?" I said quietly, placing my hand on the door handle. The door was already open just a crack. Here it goes. I attempted to push the door open, but it wouldn't budge. My second attempt was a little harder, but perhaps a bit too hard. The door suddenly swung open, causing me to stumble inside the room. I landed on the floor, but something cushioned my fall. "Why is it all wet?" I said out loud. ................................. "What is..." I stuttered. "Oh dear god!" I gasped, backing up against the wall. Dead bodies littered the floor. I sloshed through a pool of blood that could have belonged to any one of them. I didn't recognize any of the corpses, but the smell of death filled the room. My hands began shaking. The rustling noise continued. I scanned the dimly lit room until my eyes focused on a presence in the back. A man leaned over someone else. I recognized the two of them immediately. The man stood up, and turned around to face me. "Oh? You seemed to have caught me at a dreadful time. I've left quite the mess of things here." Milton backed away from the other person he was now standing over. It was Zero. Blood dripped from Milton's mouth onto the floor. I reeled slightly. "What did you do to him?" I asked Milton, looking over at Zero. He sat against the wall, unconscious. "You're rightfully confused, but you are mistaken. I believe you meant to ask what I did for young Zero here." Milton replied, motioning towards Zero. "What the hell do you mean?" I questioned him. "Who do all these bodies belong to anyways?" "These ruffians are Mikael Starkraven's goons. They infected your friend with a paralyzing toxin, and followed him here to finish the job. I do not believe they were prepared to run into me, however." Milton explained. "I removed the toxic blood from his body, you see. He should regain movement in his extremities soon." I looked around at the corpses scattered on the floor. Did he take on all these men alone? Wait... I think I finally understood. Milton isn't a high elf. At least not anymore, he isn't. "The ice cold skin, the thirst for blood, and the fact that you took on all these thugs by yourself..." I paused for a moment. "Are you some kind of vampire?" Milton stood perfectly still with a slight smile on his face. "My, my. I've run this shop for many years, and not many have ventured to guess my secret until now. How clever you are, lad. There's no point in lying, I suppose." Milton sighed. "I am a vampire, but I am not your enemy. Of that I can promise you." I just remembered something important. My father had cautioned me to not be afraid of the one that seeks blood. Could he have meant Milton all along? "If you're a vampire, wouldn't you turn Zero by drinking his blood?" I asked. "Not to generalize, but aren't vampires typically creatures of darkness?" "That is a rather fair assessment of most vampires. Once upon a time, I too was a soldier in the employ of the last demon king. Azrael the worldeater , was it? It's a rather long story, but I had a... change of heart so-to-speak." Milton said. "I now wish to spend my eternity protecting this rowdy town of adventurers. As for your friend..." Milton began to organize the bodies of Mikael Starkraven's men against one of the adjacent walls. As if he were comparing cuts of meat. The smell was starting to get to me, and it took everything for me to maintain my composure. "Young Zero will not turn." Milton explained. "The process of turning a mortal into a vampire is very deliberate. You must drain every drop of blood from their body while they are still living, and the cold shell that remains will inherit the gift . Or rather... The curse." "That's what happened to you?" I asked. "To all of my high elf-kin, yes. My entire village became minions of Azrael in a similar fashion, I'm certain. I do not, however, remember much of my previous mortal life. Though it pains me so." Milton looked down. "You have my condolences." I said. "Wait a minute!" The twins. Where are they? "Did you see anyone else with Zero? Half-cat twins, maybe?" I asked frantically. "Zero appears to be waking up, I'll let him tell you." Milton replied. "You're not going to like the answer." "Hey there, partner." Zero grunts as he tries to get up. "Ah! Shit, that sure doesn't feel too good." He reaches for his shoulder that's well bandaged, thanks to Milton. "What the hell happened?" I asked. "A bunch of these orcs ambushed us on the way to the merchant's district. They threw a knife that almost hit Nana, but I stepped in the way. It cut up my shoulder pretty good, but the worst part was the toxin." Zero explained. Zero was alive, but he was in pretty rough shape. I wondered what Shion would say when she finally caught up to us. The scene in this room would give anyone the shivers. "And the others?" I pressed. "Kidnapped." Zero replied. " They got hit with the same stuff, and couldn't fight back. It took everything I had just to get myself here. With my limbs going numb, and all. These assholes tailed me all the way." he motioned to the corpses along the wall. "Damn it!" I whispered sharply. "They must've been ordered to bring those two in alive. My being there wasn't in their plans, and they tried to get rid of me." Zero shrugged. "When I get my hands on that Mikael guy, I'm not going easy on him." "Neither will I." Shion said, walking through the door. "Shion, my dear! It has been far too long since I've seen you. Us immortals have to keep in better contact, you know?" Milton greeted Shion. "Wait, you knew about his vampirism?" I asked Shion. "Indeed I did, but that's not important right now. I did some more digging for information in the marketplace. Well maybe threatening is a better word, and I found out from one of the merchants that Mikael Starkraven has been hiring mercenaries from outside the city." she replied. "They've been intimidating merchants into acting as their information network. This ambush was organized." "Why would Mikael Starkraven risk making an enemy out of The Institute over two former servants?" Zero asked. "There's gotta be more to it than that." Zero made a fine point. A direct attack like this in broad daylight hit all the right boxes for how not to carry out a crime. What was the merit in orchestrating something so obvious? "It seems, we knew nothing about the man from the beginning." Shion explained. "Over the last couple days we've been investigating his business dealings, and personal relationships amongst other things. We reached out to a former employee to find out more about him, and discovered something disturbing." "What's that?" I spoke up. "Mikael Starkraven has a fixation on Nana, and Hachi that defies normal circumstances. He considers them to be his most prized possessions." she said. "His former employee told us that they received special attention amongst all his servants, but it only looked that way on the outside. They were badly mistreated behind closed doors." Meanwhile a particular detail wasn't sitting right with me. "Doesn't the timing of this seem odd to you guys?" I asked. "He could have easily ambushed Nana and Hachi before we even met them, and dragged the two back to his mansion if he had this many mercenaries. Why did he wait until directly after the entrance ceremony to launch an attack?" "Damn it. He was waiting for them to get their ability magic unsealed." Zero caught my meaning. "This is bad news. Not to mention, most of Redrook's strongest adventurers just skipped town on that special operation." "Very bad news. I don't want to leave those two alone with that man. The likely case is that he uses them in the same capacity as before as servants, and continues his abuse. However..." Shion began. "The worst case is that he turns them into weapons by using their elemental abilities." "Well, what should we do?" Zero asked. "We can't very well walk up to the gates of his mansion, and ask him to return our friends... Wait. We can't, right?" "I may have some information that may be of some assistance." Milton, who had been listening thoughtfully the entire time, chimed in. "The front gates aren't the only way into Starkraven Manor. The man has often been accused of shady business dealings, though unproven. What's the best way to traffic illicit goods, and people without anyone noticing?" "An underground tunnel system." Shion answered. "Precisely, and I'm betting I'd know where you can find the entrances to those tunnels." Milton continued. "The path you seek is in the deepest part of the residential area of the city. A place we call The Shambles ." "The Shambles?" I asked. Sounds like some sort of illness. "That's what they call the slums in Redrook. It's a pretty massive area of the city. For people that can't adventure or make their way as a merchant, life is pretty difficult." Shion answered. "I think it's our best option. What do you think, Zero?" From the expression on Zero's face, I could tell that he was being extremely hard on himself. "Are you ok?" I asked him. "Me? Oh yeah." Zero replied. "It's just that... I'm just hoping that nothing happened to them. I'd never forgive myself for not being able to protect those two. They knocked me out of commission before I could even reach for my sword." "It'll be ok. We're gonna find them... partner." I reached out my hand to pick him up, and he accepted. "You're right! Thanks, Ren. I don't know why I'm acting like this is over with. Let's go to the shambles, and find a way to get our friends back!" Zero shouted, regaining his usual tone. "That's the spirit, dear boy!" Milton exclaimed. "I will join you three in your assault on the mansion as soon as night falls. The sun is harmful, you see?" "You don't have to go through all that trouble if you don't want to." Shion said. "Normally I would not intervene, but they've went and attacked my place of business. It's truly... unforgivable." Milton has an intense look of resentment in his eyes as he says that word. "Besides. You're my dear customers." "Ren-kun, you should head back to the dorms and get ready for your first day of school tomorrow. I don't want to drag you into a situation that has nothing to do with you." Shion said, placing her hand on my arm. "Well I've come this far." I said. "Knowing all this, I couldn't just leave them behind and make you two do all the work. They're my friends too, after all." "I guess it's pointless to try to convince you otherwise." Shion sighed. "Let's heal up, and head to the shambles. Maybe try to make it back with the others in time for school, yeah?" It was only mid-afternoon, but the day had just gotten a lot more complicated. Our infiltration of Starkraven Manor was set in motion. It seemed like our lunch plans would have to wait. 11.3 We traipsed through the slums of the city, keeping a watchful eye on our environment. Unlike the lively heart of Redrook, the children did not play in the shambles. The denizens looked at us with confused eyes. It was probably unusual for them to get willing visitors. "We're almost there." Shion said. "If the tip Milton gave us is correct, there should be a trap door in one of these condemned tenement buildings. That should lead us underground into the tunnel system. From there we'll make our way to Starkraven Manor." "Seems simple enough." I said. "What if we run into more mercenaries?" Zero asked. "There's no need to hold back on these guys. They've already shown that they don't care who we are. They will kill us if given the chance." Shion replied. "Just think of this as the first real test of your ability magic." Zero, and I nodded our heads. "We'd probably be wise to avoid getting cut by anything the enemy throws at us. We don't understand a lot about that toxin, or where it comes from." Zero warned. "My legs still feel shaky. Partner if we run into trouble, use those gauntlets. Focus on defending Shion while she casts her magic. Get some punches in when you can, and drain some of their energy with your ability." "You got it." I replied. If there was one thing I was good at, it was fighting hand-to-hand. I'd leave the spells to Shion, and the swordplay to Zero until I got some more experience. "Look at you strategizing!" Shion teased Zero playfully. "He's right though, Ren-kun. I know this is asking a lot of you from the start, but just follow our lead." We approached an extremely run down building in a greater complex. It was boarded up, but we removed the planks of wood blocking the entrance. Walking inside, we were hit with a cloud of dust. "Achoo!" I sneezed. "It's awfully dirty in here. This building looks like it hasn't been used for years." "How did Milton even know about this place?" Zero asked. "This district used to be a shanty town that existed long before the walls around Redrook were completed. When Old Red fell and everyone migrated to this area, the shambles were all but forgotten." Shion explained. "Milton has been alive for centuries. He probably remembered these tunnels from the war." "Makes sense." Zero agreed. "It's crazy to think that he was on the demon king's side at one point. He did save my life, though. I would never forget a debt." We scanned the wooden floors for anything that seemed out of place. Ideally we were looking for a secret entrance, or a hidden staircase. I felt like I was in some sort of mystery game, playing as a detective. I notice a weirdly placed rug behind a counter. "Hey guys over here!" I shouted to the others. Sure enough, when we moved the rug a trapdoor was situated beneath it. "Good job, partner!" Zero said, slapping me on the back. "You were made for this." "I just play a lot of video games." I replied. "Video... games?" Zero scratched his head, looking puzzled. "Let's talk about this later." Shion said, opening the trapdoor. A staircase descended into the underground tunnel. "Here goes nothing." I said quietly. We weren't sure what kind of dangers awaited us in these tunnels, but there was at least one that led to Starkraven Manor. It was decided. We'd strike while the element of surprise was on our side. We treaded carefully down the steps, and into the darkness.

✧ ✦ ✧ Lately I've been going to sleep, and finding myself in the void. I didn't immediately find myself there this time. Instead, I was having a dream. A pretty vivid one, from the looks of it. A scene played out before my eyes. I had no control over my body, but I could see and hear everything that was going on around me. I scampered through a field of wheat, holding hands with someone. This someone was a woman, and she was clearly much taller than I was. Her coarse white hair picked up in the wind, brushing itself to the side. Why does this feel so familiar? "What's the matter, dear?" The woman spoke to me. Her face was blurred, but the soft sound of her voice nagged at my memories. I could swear that I had heard this voice before. I attempted a reply, but the sound was trapped behind my lips. The woman knelt down, and held me tight. "I love you, my sweet boy." she said. She walked away, leaving me standing in place. I reached out to take her hand once again, but she had created too much distance between us. Where are you going? Come back! I thought that to myself. She didn't look back once, however. I continued to call out, inaudible as I was. The wind picked up, carrying stalks of wheat in the breeze. With a blink, she disappeared into the horizon. I was alone. The scene changed, and I regained control of my body. The dream had ended, but I was not yet awake. I was back in the void. "That was strange." I said to myself. "Wait. Am I... crying?" I felt my cheeks that had been soaked with salty tears. "I know you must be thrilled to see me, but you need not cry." my father said sarcastically. "You were dreaming, weren't you? May I ask what of?" "I don't see how that's any of your business." I snapped. A little harsh of me, but I was still feeling a bit emotional. "I was dreaming. Though, I'm already losing some details. Speaking of... I don't even remember going to bed!" I remember getting in the bath, and then... "You've probably realized it already, based on your expression. You fell asleep in the bath." my father replied, looking amused. "You really should be more careful. You might be able to heal, but you can still drown like any other man." I supposed he was right about that, at least. I exhaled, and stood to my feet. I couldn't take as much time here as usual. "So tell me... How did you know about Milton?" I asked. "I will admit that trusting him was the correct choice, despite his predisposition as a vampire. We wouldn't have made it into the manor, or escaped without his help." "You're already aware that your friend, Shion, looped time." he began. I nodded my head in response. "The previous loops ended with her death, yes? That much is true, but what if the other versions of yourself continued living for a time even after those loops had failed?" "Go on." I said, taking interest. "It's my theory that the souls in those loops communicated to your current soul as they faded away. Your current soul possesses residual memories that you've yet to live out." he said. "You didn't take notice of them, but being here in the void I saw these memories quite clearly." "So if Shion loops time multiple times, it's possible for you to see events that haven't happened yet through my own memories?" I asked. "I would venture to guess so." he replied. "Are we satisfied now?" So it wasn't some sort of clairvoyance on his part, but lingering memories from other versions of myself. I thought about how painful it might have been for my other selves, being unable to save their friends. It was a chilling notion, for certain. "Perhaps now you'd be willing to play a game of..." the man began. "Listen. I'm grateful for your help, but I don't have time today. I'm probably overheating as we speak in the bath." I sighed. "What do you find enjoyable about chess anyways?" "You're no fun at all. Though, that's an interesting question." my father replied. "If I had to point out one thing, I would say it's the absolute equality I enjoy." "Equality?" I asked. "What do you mean?" "In chess, you start out in the same place. The freedom to choose your path is yours, and yours alone. Your strategy is what separates you from the others. Unlike life, where your gifts will determine your place in the hierarchy." he said. "So you still have that opinion, huh?" I asked. "Have you ever considered the possibility. Even once that people can change, and overcome their circumstances. Become better?" "It would be a lie to say I haven't considered it, but people are far too habitual. They fall into the same toxic patterns, and use their upbringing as an excuse for their failure." he said, looking down. "Humans will always reveal themselves as unworthy, and weak. That is our curse. You, and I are no different." My father believed in absolute weakness. In comparison, I believed in underlying strength. It was these two competing ideas that separated us on a deep level. I would show him the error of his thinking, and affect change in my own way. "I have one more question before I go." I said. "I'll answer it if I can." my father replied. "When will I meet the requirements for my 3rd ability, and learn of its nature?" I asked. "Is it an active ability like the others have?" "It's not for me to say." he responded. "I don't know if you'll willingly accept the conditions for use. You have not matured enough. Once you've met certain... requirements , you'll be able to use it. Why the sudden interest?" Requirements? Hmm... I thought back to the manor. We had narrowly escaped with our lives, while keeping the time loop intact. If things had gone any differently, it could have ended in disaster. I watched Zero run himself ragged fighting for our sake, and Shion use every drop of her mana to heal the others. I pulled through at the end, yes. That wasn't enough for me, though. "Let's just say, I want to get stronger." I said. "If you can accept the personal sacrifice, you may get your wish." he said. "All things aside, the current dangers have passed. You and your friends survived Starkraven Manor, and will be beginning school. It may be awhile before we speak again, but rest assured. When the moment requires it, I will be back." "And just when I was getting used to having a parasite around." I joked. "I'm going to prove you wrong, you know. I'm going to change, and I'll help the others change too. Humans aren't doomed to stay the same forever. I'm certain of it." "We shall see." he smiled wryly. "Farewell for now." 15.2 Several weeks of class went by after our battle at Starkraven Manor. We hadn't told many people the details of our fight, but it had still spread around campus like a wildfire. Much to my chagrin, our little group of four had become micro-celebrities practically overnight. Thankfully, most of the attention (and credit) had been given to Zero. For our hand in busting a major smuggling ring and taking down an enemy of the school, Headmaster Argo had presented House Thorn with 50 points for each of us. This excluded Shion and Milton who weren't students. That had brought House Thorn's total to 200 points before the beginning of school. In a way, it also put a target on our backs. Many students from other houses complained that we had insider information, because of our connection with a school administrator. We technically didn't complete an Adventurer's Guild contract either. This was true, but exceptions are a natural thing. Something else had happened that I also found quite interesting... "Good morning, class. Please take out your magic history textbooks, and flip to page 311." Professor Milton said. That's right. Milton had become an honorary part of the faculty at The Institute, in exchange for helping us take the manor. That was the bargain that Shion had struck with him. He had been chosen to represent House Thorn as one of our lead instructors. There was a vacancy left open after another professor retired. Milton had his own reasons for doing so, but I wondered what those were. He left his beloved shop in the care of the former servants of the manor. Including a whole team of maids, and the old butler, Harold. We would come to learn that Milton was actually very wealthy. He explained on the way back from the manor that he ran his shop to give him something to do. In a way, I understood. If you're an immortal being, it would be dreadfully boring not to have any hobbies. The classes themselves had been interesting to say the least. We learned about all sorts of things from potion making to simple spellcraft. We even learned about the history of both magic, and the world itself. We had class three days a week, and combat training directly following each school day. For class, we were placed in huge lecture halls instead of the typical classrooms I was used to. This was much closer to a college than a high school, after all. Instead of being separated by age, we attended classes with just our house-mates. Meaning that I still shared classes with my established group of friends. Even though the twins were older by two years. I flipped through my textbook until I landed on the page Milton suggested. "Gods and goddesses of Kai, huh?" I said to myself. I felt a paper ball hit the back of my head. What's this? I looked back to find a source for the projectile, but nobody seemed like the culprit. They were decent at hiding their guilt, at the very least. I unrolled the paper to reveal a message written in ink. "Meet me in the courtyard after class. I have something I want to talk to you about. - N P.S. come ALONE" "That's odd." I whispered. It's possible they meant to hit someone else, but I didn't want to ignore the request. If it was some sort of trap they would have asked me to come to a more secluded spot. I looked at Zero who was practically snoring next to me. Nana, and Hachi were sitting somewhere in the back rows. They had been a little late today, and couldn't squeeze into the seats next to us. I looked over the paper in my hand again. There's only one person I know whose name starts with... "Young Ren, you look ready to answer. Who is the God of Deceit?" Milton suddenly asked me, breaking my train of thought. My eyes quickly scanned the textbook until I could produce an answer. I heard some giggles from other students as I fumbled with my book. "That would be Az, right?" I guessed. "Correct! Az is the God of darkness, deceit, and destruction. As you very well may know, gods and goddesses cannot directly interfere in mortal affairs. However..." Milton paced in the front of the room, speaking loud enough for us to hear. "These powerful deities often choose mortals to use as pawns in order to advance their own directives. One of the most famous pawns to exist in this world... was Azrael." "The demon king?" a student asked. The room gasped at the mere mention of his name. Several eyes turned to me, for some reason. I had come to learn that I shared the same pale complexion, and hair color that Azrael did. It drew unwanted attention at times whenever he was brought up. "Precisely. Rael was chosen as a child of Az, and became the demon king. He used Az as a prefix, and his new moniker stuck. Unlike the rest of the god's children, he wasn't a demon or a monster. He was a born a human, no different than any other." Milton responded. A human? "What happened to him?" several students muttered to themselves in surprise. "Rael was said to have been tricked by the deceitful Az into thinking he could create his own ability magic like the other-worlders have. His intentions began as something good, since he wanted to give power to ordinary people. However, he helped bring about destruction on a global scale." Milton sighed. "His grand delusion is what turned him into a tyrant." Milton had already lived for a long time as an elf before becoming a vampire, so his knowledge and experiences were vast. He made the perfect history teacher in my personal opinion. His knowledge of this world's history was second to none. It still surprised me how casually something like theocracy could be brought up in conversation in this world, though. Gods and goddesses were seen as commonplace, and a vital part of history itself. I wondered to myself how much of it was true, but even Shion believed in her own deity. She was a child of Aemor, the God of Time. "Nearly every race of people who live on planet Kai have a deity presiding over them. Other-worlders are no different." Milton explained. "Long ago, the Gods cast lots to see who they would preside over. The Goddess of Magic, Iris, had the honor of choosing her children first. Do you know who she chose?" "Other-worlders, you mean?" A half-fox girl spoke without waiting to be called on. "Precisely, Bridgette. Also don't put your feet up on other student's seats, if you please." Milton said. " Tch ." The girl whose name was Bridgette huffed, and put her feet back down on the ground. She had a muscular frame by normal standards. Certainly for a girl. She had gray hair, and a tan complexion. I also noticed she had heterochromia, which is having two different colored irises. One of her eyes was blue, and the other brown. She was certainly attractive, but gave off an intimidating vibe. She reminded me of the yanki girls that rode in street gangs back home. She even had the classic scowl. Being considered a delinquent myself, I didn't feel uncomfortable around people like that. I couldn't help myself from being distracted by one detail in particular, though. Her tail, and ears are so fluffy! Demi-humans were extremely common in this world, and I happened to be good friends with two of them. However, the twins did not have a tail like Bridgette's. It was the perfect combination of fluff, and shone a gray color that matched her hair with white at the end. I watched it wave back, and forth. She kept sneaking glances in my direction, but I realized it might have been me who was staring. I quickly looked forward as I didn't want to provoke her. Milton continued his lesson after his brief reprimand. "Iris' choice confused all the other deities, you see. They had never seen anyone from another world on planet Kai. Many of her peers mocked the Magic Goddess. They called her the childless one, and labeled her as a loon." Milton explained. I raised my hand to ask a question, and Milton gave me a nod of approval. "How did Iris know that the other-worlders would be here if the gods had never seen one before on Planet Kai?" I asked. "It seems odd that she'd pick a race of people that weren't native to this world." "It is unknown how she knew of the other-worlders future arrival. I have heard rumors that she brought them here herself with a great summoning ritual, but my guess is as good as yours." Milton said. "I do know that other-worlders are the children of Iris, and the gift she bestowed upon them is known as ability magic. All gods and goddesses provide their children with a gift in the form of an ability, or skill. Mastery of these skills depends on the individual." So that's where ability magic comes from. "What about people who are only half other-worlder, and part of a different race. Like a demi-human, or a half-elf?" It was Nana who asked a question this time. She was probably curious, because she had mixed blood. "Individuals can receive gifts from multiple gods, provided they have mixed blood. Their power is slightly watered down in both cases, because their lineage is not pure." Milton said. "It is no reason to fret, however. It makes them more versatile, don't you think?" Nana seemed pleased enough by his answer, and smiled to herself as I looked back. Class was just about ready to end. Typically I'd have a few hours of free time, and then I'd make my way to the training hall to get a sparring session in. The battle at Starkraven Manor had brought my battle score from 512 to a shocking 700. Even Shion was surprised with my quick growth potential. The battle scores of our party were currently as follows: Ren: 700 Zero: 1444 Nana: 970 Hachi: 1210 The personal growth I've experienced in my training lately has been paying dividends for me. There was no doubt that I had been getting stronger. Even if it was at my own pace. "A reminder before you all leave. It's still early in the year, but the first major tournament is coming up in a matter of weeks. The Wyvern Classic . All house members will be required to participate, so please take your combat training seriously." Milton said with a smile. "It will be the first opportunity for you to win major points for your houses." "Oh, man. I can't wait!" Zero said next to me, opening his eyes for the first time all class. "Asleep for the learning, but awake for the fighting, huh?" I joked. "What's this tournament going to be like anyways?" "I've only gotten to watch as a spectator, because this is the first year we can participate." Zero yawned. "During the Wyvern Classic, the entire 18-24 year old group travels to the village at the southern tip of the Wyvern Mountains. There's an old arena in Wyvern Village where they'll hold a combat tournament. It lasts about five days." "Eh? And they hold several of these tournaments throughout the year?" I asked. "Right. The Wyvern Classic is the one held during the cold months. Just after school begins. There will be other chances to earn points, but this is the first opportunity to show your stuff in front of the school. We gotta defend our point lead if we're gonna give Thorn its first Founder's Cup!" That's right. We do have a slim lead for the Founder's Cup, thanks to our efforts at the manor. Class was dismissed. As Zero and I walked out of the lecture hall, I felt a pair of eyes on the back of my head. I suddenly remembered the note from earlier, and that I had decided to meet the mysterious person in the courtyard. I had a slight inkling on who it might be, but I didn't want to spoil the surprise for myself. "Hey Zero, can you go on ahead to the cafeteria without me today? I'm supposed to meet someone pretty soon." I said. The note said to come alone so I didn't want to go against their wishes, but it would be hard for me to explain that to Zero. Especially since I didn't know what their motive was either. "Sure. Do you want me to pick you up something to eat before our sparring session?" Zero asked. "Meet someone, huh? A little suspicious... You confessing to a girl?" Zero gave my a sly look. "Is that always the first place you jump?" I sighed. "Unlike you, I don't have a fan club of willing ladies waiting for me." I punched Zero on the arm. Zero was quite popular with the ladies. His popularity had soared even higher since we defeated Mikael Starkraven, and his outgoing personality was also a big draw. Even I caught myself admiring his looks from time to time. "Sorry, partner. You want me to set you up with someone?" Zero asked, looking a bit guilty. "I know plenty of people on campus." I'd rather you didn't. "I was just giving you a hard time. I appreciate the thought, but I'm more interested in studying at the moment." I told him. "I'll see you a bit later." Zero scurried away in the direction of the cafeteria. I attempted to make my way towards the courtyard, but I was suddenly yanked my collar behind one of the school buildings by someone else. 15.3 Pushing me up against the wall, the person came into focus. It was Bridgette, the half-fox girl I had just been thinking about a few minutes prior. Getting a closer look, she was a bit taller than I was. Her strength was noticeable by how easily she yanked me into this position. I was lifted slightly off the ground, and I wondered what she wanted from me. I kept watching her tail wave back and forth in my peripheral view. It felt like I was slowly being hypnotized. "Oi, what were you staring at me in class for?" Bridgette said, blocking my escape with one hand. She jammed her other index finger in my chest, and raised an eyebrow. "You got a problem with me?" "No problems. N-none at all." I stuttered. I probably gave off the impression of someone who was guilty, but I was mostly flustered by the fact that she was pressing her chest up against me. She was close enough for me to feel her hot breath on my face. "I just thought your tail was pretty." Did I just say that out loud? I'm an idiot. "You some sort of pervert? Well as long as there's no problems." She let go of my collar, and dropped me to the ground. "You really shouldn't stare someone down like that unless you're itching for a fight, or you... you know. Like them." she said, mumbling the last few words. The pervert comment hurt, but I kind of earned it. "Yeah, I'm really sorry about that." I apologized. "Demi-humans aren't super common where I come from... in Junction City. Staring was rude of me." I had almost forgotten which story I was going with for my upbringing, but I hoped that my facts aligned. I've never been to Junction City, so I have nothing to go off of. "No point in getting all apologetic. I'm not mad. You should've seen how red your face got though." she laughed. It's your fault for getting so close! "You're one of the rookies everyone has been talking about lately. I heard you guys stormed into that Starkraven guy's house, and burnt it to the ground. That's pretty badass!" Bridgette beamed. "Your name is uhh... Ken, right?" "I guess that's kinda what happened." I said, exhaling. "Also it's Ren, but you were close. You've been in House Thorn for a couple years now, right?" "I'm just gonna call you rookie, rookie!" Bridgette smiled with her sharp teeth. "That's right. I'm Bridgette, the strongest gal at The Institute. If you ever feel like sparring with me, I'd be glad to show you how it's done as your senior. I'm a brawler too, you know." She punched her hand with her fist. I didn't doubt that she could handle herself in a fight. Though, I wondered if she was the type of person to hold back against a weaker opponent like myself. I wasn't interested in getting pummeled until I had a bit more combat experience. Sparring or not. "I just may take you up on that sometime." I lied, giving a nervous chuckle. "Weird question, but you didn't happen to throw a note at me in class earlier, did you?" "Note? No... When I want to talk to someone, I usually call them out like I just did to you." Bridgette replied. "By the way... How do you feel about us?" "Us?" I asked, feeling a bit confused. "You know. Demi-humans... I was just wondering. Everyone seems to have a different opinion at this damn school." Bridgette fidgeted with her hands, looking away. Her ears drooped a bit. "You hate us too don't you?" That was quite the conclusion to jump to, but I tried to be understanding in this situation. I wasn't aware of all the prejudices in this world, but after hearing Ulysses Code speak about non-humans, I began to understand. Not everybody shared my approach to other people. "I like them." I said simply. "Wait, really?" Bridgette looked more surprised than I expected. "I mean, of course I do. You know that two of my best friends are demi-humans too, right?" I asked. She nodded her head. "I don't choose to judge other people on stuff like that. I'd much rather decide who I spend time with based on their actions." "Actions... I dragged you back here ready to beat you up though. Aren't I scary?" she noted. She makes a good point. "Yeah, but that was partly my fault for the misunderstanding." I laughed it off. "I've been treated much worse than that before." "I guess I sort of jumped to conclusions." she said. "It's kind of hard for me to make friends. Everybody is afraid of me, or makes comments on me being a demi-human. Like that bastard, Leonard Lock-whatever it is. He said I wasn't fit to attend this school, so I punched him into next week." That guy again? Certainly fits his character type. "Why don't we start over? If you want, I'd love to be your friend." I suggested. I put out my hand for her to shake. Instead she did something unexpected. Bridgette punched me in the face. It didn't seem like she held back at all. "Agh!" I fell to the ground. "What the hell was that for?" I protested, holding the spot on my face that she struck. "You were still staring at my tail, you big perv!" Bridgette laughed, holding her sides. She held out her hand, and helped me to my feet. "Sorry, I don't know my own strength sometimes. Friends it is, rookie." She gave me a warm smile. I guess she's sort of pretty without the mean look on her face... I shook that thought away as I felt my cheek again. The spot on my face quickly healed as it typically did. "Wow! You really can heal right away, huh?" she asked. "You have two don't you? You know, my ability is sort of the opposite of your other one. It's called Elevate. For every minute that passes in battle, all my attributes pretty much double. If I combine it with Eleph's Call, my blood magic ability, I can be wicked strong in a fight." Now that I was thinking about it, her Elevate ability really was the antithesis to my Drain Life ability. While my ability could cut my opponents fighting strength by the minute as I engaged, hers multiplied her own fighting strength exponentially. I wondered which worked faster between the two of us. She had the benefit of several more years of training. "That's what Headmaster Argo told me at least. He thinks I can be an asset to the school, but I don't know." she said. "Once I reach a certain point with my ability magic, I start to lose control over myself. I've been here a couple years already, and we haven't even sniffed the Founder's Cup. With you rookies though... we might just have a chance. Don't you think?" "I hope so." I said. "I usually don't pay attention to that kind of stuff, but I guess it would be cool to win something that significant." House Thorn had never won a Founder's Cup since it's inception. That was actually impressive, in a sad sort of way. The three other houses had at least a couple under their belt. I wanted to lead a normal life at this school, but the competitive side of me embraced the challenge of helping this house get their first cup title. Even if I couldn't offer a whole lot with my current strength. "I should really run, but it's been nice meeting you." I said. I had almost forgotten about the person who wanted to meet with me. Bridgette nodded for me to go. I took off in a light jog towards the courtyard, making sure not to trip over my feet as she watched me leave. "See ya later, rookie!" Bridgette yelled behind me. "I'll be at the training hall if you ever want a good sparring session." I shuddered at the thought, thinking of her playful punch. Restraint wasn't in her vocabulary. Still, though... Iron sharpens iron, was it? I responded with a wave without turning my head, and made my way to the courtyard. 15.4 My hunch was right on the money. It was obvious by how the note was addressed. People don't usually seek me out at this school, and I only knew one person whose name starts with the letter N . "What's up, Nana?" I asked. "I had a feeling it was you who threw the paper." "Ren! How fortuitous it is for me to meet your acquaintance in a place such as this!" Nana said with an anxious look on her face. She kept looking around as if she was expecting someone else to come up behind me. " Fortuitous ? Didn't you ask to meet me out here, and why are you speaking like Milton all of sudden?" I scoffed. She was acting uncharacteristic to say the least. I assumed we were good enough friends to where she wouldn't have to throw a secretive note to get my attention. I assumed immediately that something else was up, but what could it be? "Ah, you got me." Nana sighed. "The truth is that I was aiming for Zero, but hit you with the note by mistake. I wanted to talk to him about something... important. But he's been surrounded by girls lately, and I haven't been able to get him alone." A true ladies man, that Zero. I'm not the only one who noticed. "I sent him ahead to the cafeteria, sorry. If I knew the note was for him I would have brought him with me, and gave you guys the slip." I said, crossing my arms. "So what did you want to talk to him about? If you don't mind me asking." "Can you keep a secret?" Nana asked. "I'm not one to gossip." I said. "Your secret is safe with me." "Alright then... Do you remember the morning of the entrance ceremony when Zero caught me? It was after Leonard shoved me aside." Nana began. "Yeah I remember that." I replied. "The truth is... I've had a huge crush on him ever since then. He risked his life to save me when we got ambushed too, and he looked so cool fighting at the manor." Nana blushed. "I was going to confess today, but this happened." She motioned at everything. I feel a bit guilty now, but there was no way for me to know. "I guess I ruined your confession then, huh? Sorry about that." I apologized. "No, no. It's alright. Honestly it was my fault for throwing the note so poorly. Besides... There was no guarantee I'd actually go through with it. I get too nervous even thinking about it. This might just work out though..." Nana suddenly hatched an idea. "You would say you're one of Zero's best guy friends, right?" "I mean.. Yeah, I suppose." I answered. "Besides Hachi, I don't really see him talk to any other guys in our dormitory." "Great! Do you know what kinds of things Zero likes? Like his favorite activities, things he likes to eat, taste in women..." Nana trailed off. Girls with glasses, and time traveling powers if I had to guess. As far as women went, I had spent enough time around Zero to know which direction he always seemed to be looking. His eyes are glued to Shion whenever we're all together, and it's clear that his feelings go beyond that of friendship. I didn't want to hurt Nana's feelings, though. My best bet was to play dumb, and try to support her as much as I could by providing information on Zero. If I left it up to her, I wouldn't intrude on Zero's feelings either. A true win-win. There was only one problem... I don't really know anything about my friends yet. How am I supposed to give her information? "Uhh, Ren? Why do you look so depressed all of a sudden?" Nana looked me over, clearly worried. "Oh, I'm fine. I just felt a little bad about something. What does Zero like..." I said, trying desperately to grasp for a memory that could help me in this moment. "Oh! I've got one. Whenever we go into Redrook, Zero is always looking through the window of the confectionary shop. Maybe he likes sweets?" "Oh, good suggestion!" she said, making a mental note. "And activities?" "He loves going out on adventures. He took me slime hunting last week, and we spent more time looking around at nature than actually fighting anything. Maybe you could take on a small guild contract for two? You can use the pretext of leveling up to get closer to him." I suggested. "Perfect! These are all good, thank you. You're much more aware of people's feelings than you let on. How come you aren't seeing anyone?" Nana asked quizzically. Why... aren't I? I wanted to avoid this conversation topic, but I guess we're here. I didn't really have a good answer, so I shrugged. The short time I'd spent in this world had been so hectic. It has practically been one fight after another for the most part, and I was going through a lot of personal growth. I wasn't totally ruling out falling in love, though. Anything was possible, I figured. It just seemed like an activity better suited to when I didn't have as much going on. Besides... I'm not very popular with the ladies at this school either. I had carried my lack of popularity with the opposite sex from one world to another, it appeared. I also hadn't found myself feeling romantic attraction towards anyone in particular. The only moment I could point out where I felt my heart flutter was during the entrance ceremony. It was the moment I saw Arwen for the first time. I wondered what she'd been up to lately. Though we were both students, Arwen was about 23 or 24. She was practically a grown woman compared to me. I didn't see myself having much of a chance there. Such was life. Houses were mainly split up during school hours, and students from different houses seldom adventured together. They were competing for points, after all. The only time we were saw other house members was during training, and during events. Lately I've heard that Leonard has been causing problems between people from other houses. Like Bridgette mentioned earlier during our conversation. Classic stirring of the pot. The mind games were very much a part of the competition for points, but I worried that he often took things too far. I hoped to myself that it wouldn't escalate from verbal abuse to a physical altercation. Nana and I talked for awhile longer, and then I left in the direction of the cafeteria. She seemed pleased by the answers I was able to give her, and created her own plan. As her good friend, I wished Nana success in her romantic endeavor. I hoped that whatever happens, it won't cause unnecessary tension in our group. There was still some time to have a meal before the training period began later in the day. Perhaps Zero was still there.

Enne walked in the dead of night; the unrelenting blizzard steadily blocked their exits. She descended the stairwell, glimpsing what little light remained retreated from the shadows. Once more, the single whisper guided her to the unknown. She wasn't frightened by its sad tone. Another gust rattled the panels outside, overcoming the faint voice before it fell silent. "Where did you go?" she whispered into the darkness. There was no response. Enne summoned a small fireball as she fixated on the origins of the voice. It spoke once more once she reached the very bottom; This time, it was clearer than before. A child's frightened voice whimpered beyond the door. Enne reached over, her hand trembling as it inched over. "Please—" the young boy's voice became more apparent. Enne stopped. She wasn't sure whether she should open the door. Something wasn't right. Her breath lingered in the frigid air. Why was it so much colder here than it was outside? Her ears perked to the sound of footsteps behind her. "Please—save him." The voice muttered as though losing its strength. "Save... Who?" Enne asked, turning over to see the source. Her eyes widened in horror. The orb she held revealed a lanky figure shambling toward her. Enne took a few steps back until her back pressed against the door. The rotting corpse of a young boy stood before her. His skin was pale and bloated beneath his tattered clothes. His lower abdomen was carved out with dangling organs he held close. While his other eye had decomposed, the other looked directly at her. "Save my father," he said. Enne awoke in a cold sweat, immediately fighting back her tears. The wind intensified by shrieks and distorted cries. The sudden shift came with a crash from behind the slumbering couple. Soon after, the wanderer awoke startled by the violent weather. Before he could move, Enne pressed against him, keeping her finger over his parched lips. Her gray eyes remained on his while her shifting ears picked up sounds in the chaotic weather. Heavy footsteps followed the low-rumbling snarls of a creature unbeknownst to them. A sudden slam against the barred door knocked over the furniture and fixtures. The creature sought warmth from the blistering cold as the snow blew into the lounge area. The wanderer listened to its indiscernible growls. It wasn't from any animal he'd encountered. Enne didn't dare look over the relative cover of the couch while it shambled about. It let out an ear-piercing screech as it stumbled closer to the warmth of the light. Laced within its distorted cries was sorrow. Enne and Alejandro glimpsed the brightly-lit fireplace. Not good, not good, the wanderer's heart raced. "Aren't they supposed to be afraid of fire?" He whispered into her ear. "Perhaps it knows we're here," she smiled. "Why the hell are you smiling?" Enne drew fire at the tip of her fingers and flung it at the lumbering beast. It thrashed about when the flames engulfed part of its body. It bellowed an angry howl. The lanky humanoid figure stood as high as the bar's 10-foot ceiling. The fireplace revealed its sunken orange eyes; It let out another ear-piercing shriek from its disjointed overbite. It saw Enne and Alejandro looking over the couch from where it stood. The fire began to spread throughout the bar, to Enne's audible dismay. "T—that wasn't part of the plan!" Enne took a few steps away from the couch. "What do you think was going to happen?" Alejandro muttered. The wanderer looked over as it stammered forward. He had never encountered one in his centuries of travel. He always thought them to be twisted fables of greed and hunger. The description was as clear as the illuminating flames showed. Its emaciated body inched closer. Enne dashed with a glowing chair leg while the wanderer remained captivated by the beast's empty gaze. Enne sprung from the top of the couch and readied a swing from her meager weapon. The flames surged throughout the chair leg, transforming it into a large, flaming claymore. The heavy blade struck into the beast with enough force to knock it back. Enne followed up with a swift sweep as she swung her weapon with a single hand. The seamless combination cut deeply into the wendigo. Somehow, it remained unphased. She stood in awe, keeping a distance as it staggered forward. "Aw, hell," Enne gasped. "Fire, En," Alejandro called her attention. "We need to set it on fire!" The wendigo fixated on the wanderer as he charged a fireball from his palm. The wanderer was surprised by its sudden speed as it ignored Enne and went for him. Alejandro closed his eyes when its blood-stained jaws drew near. But nothing happened. He opened his eyes to see his companion hold off the creature. Enne trembled as she looked over. "C'mon, now's your chance," she said. "We can envelop it with fire." Alejandro fired off a shot after Enne shattered the wendigo's open jaws with a headbutt. It clutched its jaw while she followed up with her own orb. She shot it simultaneously with the wanderer's second shot. The matted fur caught on fire, sealing its fate. The rest of the lodge had already become a searing hellscape. Their haven was compromised. They grabbed as many of their belongings as they could. The entrance collapsed in their escape into the storm. Black smoke drifted into the wind while the lodge fell apart. Enne held the wanderer close as she thought about their deed. The whisper echoed, though Enne was the only one to hear it. She recalled what the child had said to her. Alejandro noticed her distress as she let him go. He watched as she walked toward the burning building. "What the hell are you doing?" he asked. "I'll be back," she replied. "There's something I have to do." A shriek pierced the roaring flames. The wendigo burst through the lodge's faltering walls. It landed across from them, revealing its charred and bloodied body. The wanderer refrained from acting while she stepped forward. The beast towered over the half-elf. "En?" The wanderer called. "Hey!" Enne picked up a broken branch by her feet, infusing it with mana. It transformed into a fiery javelin after its mass increased. The wendigo charged with a grueling cry. She froze upon hearing the horrific sounds of lost souls it consumed. The child's whisper sunk into her consciousness. "Focus," Alejandro yelled. He summoned a sword at the beast, absorbing the embers into the blade. He pivoted against a tree stump to deliver an overhead strike. Instead of striking down the wanderer, it flinched to block its face. Alejandro scrambled away to create space between them. Enne observed their spar. Her hands trembled as she slowly postured a strike from her lance. She had to set them free. Her chest didn't feel as tight as it usually would. Now was her chance. Enne dashed toward them while the javelin glowed from a crimson red to a cold blue. The wendigo turned when she neared. In its sudden shift, the spear missed and pierced its lower abdomen. It let out its pained shriek as Enne continued driving it through the snow and into the burning building. "Enne!" Alejandro shouted, running after her until the roof collapsed. Enne had tumbled toward the stairwell, stricken with pain. She slumped onto her knees while the beast recovered. It snapped off the branch from its abdomen. The fire illuminated its menacing orange eyes as it paced toward her. She slipped away from its wall-crushing strike. Her body banged against the cold metal and wall before her tumbling descent. The doorway collapsed. "Fuck," Enne took a deep breath as she leaned against the wall. She looked toward the blocked doorway. "That won't hold him." Debris flew around when it burst through. She quickly descended toward the level below as it jumped next to her. Enne ducked another strike when she slid under it. The corridors became too narrow in her desperate escape. She panted while scrambling through the darkness; Its distorted growls echoed as it hunted her. The fire illuminating the end of the hallway cast shadows on the hunched-over pursuer. The door was within reach. Enne heard the whisper again. When she reached the doorknob, she felt its talons slash against her back. Its force slammed her through the door. Enne recovered from the tumble and felt warm blood ooze down her back. The window broke past the small door frame, and even then, it was too tall to fit the room. Without a second thought, Enne summoned a bright orb. It revealed everything in the derelict room, including the mummified remains of a child's body. The wendigo stopped short of reaching Enne as it looked over toward the cadaver. It began to whimper. It spoke incoherently while shambling toward it. Enne observed silently. It cried lowly as the flames spread throughout the nearby rooms. The beast clutched it close when it kneeled beside the cadaver. Its cry slowly became more human-like. Enne knew what she had to do as her hands reached a nearby object. Mana coursed through it, changing its properties. It looked over its shoulder but didn't act when she stood behind it. She held a heated dagger. Enne dealt the killing blow. Blood splattered against the mummified remains. Its breathing became weak as it reached for the hot object that pierced its chest. It cried its distorted tune once more before it became the cries of a man. Slowly, he shed its monstrous form. All that was left was the man's charred body collapsed onto the cold ground. Enne listened to the struggling breath of the dying man as she kneeled over. Even when he collapsed, he held onto the remains of his child. The man's eyes returned to normal, but his body was beyond saving. Enne quickly realized who the man was as he coughed up blood. She heard Alejandro's voice call from beyond the flames. "T—thank you," the man said. "Are you... The man who went missing?" she asked. "You killed them, didn't you? Why?" "I—I had no control," he wheezed with every word. "A landslide covered our cabin. There was no way to get out. We were trapped. I didn't want to die. I didn't want—to die." Enne closed her eyes to the disturbing thought. "I need to answer for my sins," he coughed more blood. "I've been stuck... In that body, for I don't know how long." He began to cry. "My son died from hunger... So I ate him. I killed their mother, my wife... In front of her. That's the last thing she saw." Enne saw his finger point at the body. "Enne," the wanderer emerged. Tears rolled down her face as she acknowledged him. Alejandro bided his tongue when he walked over to see the wendigo's true identity: a regular man who feared death. Neither could comfort him in his final moments. They watched him take his last breath. The roaring flames overlapped with Enne's cry as the wanderer closed the eyes of a dead man. He looked toward his companion and wiped her tears in a silent gesture of solidarity. He noticed something clung to his waist, a strange necklace that stood against his ghastly body. He took it and inspected it. Enne leaned over to see. "That matches the description from Robert," she said as he handed it to her. "But why does he have it?" "Like he said, he was trapped in that body," he answered. "We did what we had to." "I know, I know... May he find peace." Alejandro rubbed the back of her shoulder, consoling her as she stood pitying the dead father. When they left, they watched the lodge's slow collapse. The glowing flames revealed her dried tears. When she shifted her gaze at the wanderer, the whispers finally went away. This Novel Contains Mature Content Show This Chapter? Yes

A cold sweat fell over his brow as the hunter hid. The tree trunk was hollowed, rotting to its shell, with winds gently blowing into the dusky night. A fellow hunter let out his final shriek before suffering a horrific demise. The hunter didn't move an inch. Gurgling and flesh ripping filled his hearing as he looked at the snowy ground. His body froze to the crunchy footsteps that trod through the snow. The hunter covered his mouth, hoping the beast didn't hear him. It snorted before letting out a distorted howl. The horrid sound sent shivers down his spine as the breeze overtook the creature's sudden murmurs. A corpse flopped before him. The violent impact snapped the spinal column. Warm blood gushed onto the white thicket. The eyes of the dead friend come face to face with the hunter. The hunter covered his mouth tightly. His face was nearly disfigured, and his upper body was flayed from the monster's sharp talons. A peep would surely lead to his own demise, but the culprit lingered above the log, sensing and smelling out its prey. Perhaps it was the blood of his comrade that distracted it, but the hunter got a final look at his friend before a massive hand reached down to grab the corpse. Unnaturally serrated and famished, it pierced through the mangled body, tearing flesh with ease before taking it away. The shock and horror alone sent the survivor into slumber, with whispers carrying into the horrific night. Its haunting gaze was the last thing he remembered. The next day, Enne overheard of a survivor who narrowly evaded the windigo's grasp the night before. She convinced the wanderer to join her with some enticement. It wasn't without their disagreements, as the wanderer saw little point in investing more time in the town's problems. Alejandro stopped just short of the room's exit as his companion reached the door. She looked over her shoulder, finding his subtle reluctance. His cane waddled from his sheer exhaustion. "Allie?" she sighed. She put her back against the door to face him. "We don't need to get involved," he said. "This again? Why are you so adamant about not helping these people out? This windigo is affecting their way of life." "Look around us, Enne. It was like this long before we showed up... With or without the windigo." "Ever the contrarian... So, you're saying we shouldn't bother—" "I'm saying... We can't keep meddling. If your theory is correct, then there's a chance a windigo can always appear." "Even providing a glimmer of hope makes it all worth the while, Allie." "That's unreasonable...." "Then you can stay," she raised her voice. "But I will do what I have to." "En—" Enne paid little heed to what he had to say. Before he could reach over, she shut the door. The force jammed it, so he couldn't leave. The wanderer stood there as her heavy footsteps disappeared to the floor below. He had become more concerned about her health. The expanding dark scaley patches caused alarm since he understood little of it. It wasn't something commonly found among Ethoxians he met. He turned his tired body toward the window, taking a deep breath before proceeding toward it. Having thrown her hood over her protruding ears, she listened to Alejandro's suggestion that she'd wear something more convincing. Guilt racked her heart with every step she took. She felt like she shouldn't have responded so strongly. Alejandro had her best interests at heart. It was a simple matter of the differences in approach to the world they inhabited. Enne couldn't allow injustice to slip by if she could do something. She sensed the tension in the air while passing through the snow-covered street. Despite all the people present, there was an eerie silence. The dark, scaley marking below her eye was hard to hide, even with her silver hair barely covering it. Enne had become more self-conscious of her appearance since it began. Her left hand had hardened like that of calluses. The more she pondered her bodily changes, the more she thought of her father. Enne soon reached the infirmary where the survivor had since remained. The entrance had rotted from its base, giving an uneven floor as she ascended the short steps. An older woman stood outside, looking at the hooded woman suspiciously. Enne stopped as she approached; She looked over, appearing as welcoming as possible. The woman's brown eyes narrowed, standing a decent distance from her while holding an unwelcoming frown. "What business do you have here?" she asked. "Oh? You're that woman?" Enne ignored the woman's antagonistic tone. "Hm... I hear you have someone that survived the attack. I'd like to talk to him." "Good luck with that." "Huh? Why is that?" "We moved everyone out when he started acting... weird. We've given him food, but he won't eat." "How did you find him?" "I'm just here to make sure he doesn't croak over. I don't know all the details." "I take it you're a nurse, then?" The woman turned away without utterance. Enne fixated on the door, disturbed by the nurse's lack of compassion. Perhaps it was due to the man being an outsider or an underlying apathy that plagued the town. The wooden floor creaked when Enne took the first step. The door inched over. Light breached the darkness. She saw the untouched food before glimpsing the figure sitting alone by a lamp. Once the sudden wind hit his skin, his head jerked in her direction. His startled pant quickly relaxed as she closed the door. "I'm sorry to intrude, but I have a few questions about—" Enne said before he raised his finger. "Don't say it," his voice cracked. Enne nodded, watching him lower his finger. "Is this what you're here for, lady?" "I want to know what happened. What did you see?" "Heh...You're the only one curious. Everyone knows what happened, but nobody wants to hear the details." "I'm trying to solve this... On behalf of the townsfolk." "And who the hell are you again? Ah... You're the woman who donated all that meat to the kitchen, along with that wanderer." "His name is Allie," she replied. "And yes, I'm the one. "That's awfully kind of you. I've only been here for a few weeks. They buried a few of their own a few days before you arrived. I don't know why these fools choose to stay in this shithole." Enne gulped down his sharp remarks as the man's eyes trailed away momentarily. She walked over to sit on a bed across from him. He noticed the marking under her eye with the tinge of lilac reflecting from the weak flame. "You ain't human," he remarked. "What did you see out there?" Enne ignored his observation. "Me and the boys... We really thought it was a bear that done it, but—" "Bears weren't usually found in these parts." "You thunk we believed that? All tall tales in these parts, too? Hairy men, wandering spirits... Most of it was bullshit, or so I thought. Whatever the hell that thing was isn't anything we've seen." "What did it look like?" The hunter's head turned toward the candlelight. He watched his breath disappear above its glow. He grasped his trembling hands. Again, her curiosity made her overlook the more pressing concerns of his mental state. He had seen horrors no one should see. Yet here she was, forcing the man to divulge the details. "Had I seen it face-to-face," he spoke. His gaze slowly redirected at Enne. "I wouldn't be here speaking to you." "Then..." Enne pressed for a response. "I just remember its eyes. A vibrant orange yet empty all the same. It killed each of my friends in the cruelest ways. Want me to describe that too?" "N—no. That won't be necessary." The door suddenly swung open. The man cowered as he fell onto the ground. Enne calmly looked over. The familiar figure gasped for breath as he clung to the doorway. As the man shut the door, Enne helped the hunter up. The dim lighting revealed a cold sweat as she sat him on the bed. The wanderer took strides forward with light reflecting on his amber eyes. "I see you found a way to escape," Enne said, twirling the strand of hair over her hood. "You didn't think I'd go after you?" Alejandro replied. "Is this some lover's quarrel?" the hunter asked. "Business as usual," They replied tiredly after looking at each other. Enne scooted over to let Alejandro sit by her. The hunter sized up the town's benefactors, bemused by the unlikely duo. She leaned against the wanderer as he set the cane against his thigh. She regretted leaving him the way he did. Even then, the wanderer remained faithful to her cause, though she knew it wouldn't be without some lecture later that night. "A goddamned wanderer and an elf," the hunter smirked. "Both playing heroes?" "We're just trying to do the right thing," Enne replied. "Haven't your kind already done enough? Years... and many dead people." "Are you going to rat us out?" the wanderer asked. "Ain't got nothing against you. Well, not that fine-looking—" "Let's not stray from the point here," Alejandro interrupted when he saw the man's eyes lower upon her body. The hunter looked at the wanderer with tired indifference. "We want to know what you saw out there, so we can understand what we're up against." The hunter licked his lips before reaching for the half-empty cup of water. He savored the taste. The thought finally unraveled as though looking for the answers laced with the frosty breath. "Death incarnate," he answered. "I didn't dare look at it. Nah..." "Where did this happen?" Alejandro pressed, unbeknownst to his partner's uneasiness. The hunter held a sense of bewilderment at the question. "You think you can take that thing?" The wanderer's silence left the impression of confidence the hunter couldn't quite comprehend. It would have to take a monster to kill another, according to a mere mortal. The hunter's brown eyes trailed to the end of the empty infirmary. Enne rustled the blanket between Alejandro and her. When the wanderer looked over, he found what would amount to be shocking. After a constant back and forth, Alejandro chose a different approach. She leaned in, lips quivering as words trickled. "Are you sure about this?" Enne whispered. Somehow, the wanderer found her softened tone oddly alluring. "Don't make me change my mind," Alejandro replied. He kept his eyes on the hunter as he slowly returned his focus. Something was amiss, perhaps the glint in his eyes. The wanderer didn't bring it up, not while Enne was around. "A few miles into the mountainside," the hunter answered. "And you simply... Got away?" Alejandro asked. "Barely, but—" "Do you feel strange?" "Allie?" Enne said, seeing his hand gesture his resolve to hear the hunter's response. "Eh?" the hunter winced. "The fuck are you on about?" "Nothing. I think we've got what we came here for. We'll be heading out." Before Enne could ask, the wanderer wobbled to his feet. The side glimpse was enough to gain her acknowledgment as she stood with him. The hunter reached for his cup, realizing it was empty. Alejandro had observed the subtle abnormalities involved. There was a reason he was alone. They took their leave, exiting onto the deck with the door firmly shut. The nurse sat at the far corner, watching them closely. The wanderer shrugged off her stare as Enne moved into view before he took the first step down the stairs. "You want to explain what that was about?" Enne asked. His amber eyes saw the inquisitiveness laced in her silver irises. "I read a little more into windigos," he sighed begrudgingly. "I thought you already knew enough about the concept." "That I do. But... All of them were based on indigenous legends or some psychology-related papers. There are some... overlaps in the details." "Such as?" "Buddy boy back there didn't look like he was in the right state of mind." "He had his entire group slaughtered." Alejandro shook his head. Enne allowed him passage when he continued down the steps. His hands shivered; whether it was from the tiredness or the cold, she couldn't tell. What was concerning was the grim frown he wore as he processed his thoughts. "It was something in his eyes," Alejandro finally responded. "He's afflicted." "Afflicted? But how? But Mr. Winston seemed normal when we spoke to him." "He never mentioned looking it in the eyes." Enne's mouth gaped slightly. However, neither understood what this entailed. She gently gripped his shoulder, prompting the furrowing of his eyes. A spark in her eye shone with enthusiasm. "Then?" she asked. "Then what?" he replied. "It's merely an observation. According to stories involving windigos, anyone who survives an attack would be harassed by it... Until they died." "What? So—" "I think there's a peculiar spin to this circumstance, however. If the windigo isn't killed properly...." "Then it would inhabit the one who last saw it?" The words trailed off her tongue as though she held the answer. A strange realization struck her when the wanderer silently acknowledged her response. He waddled toward the open, where a flurry of snowflakes descended upon them. Enne looked over, finding his eased smile beneath his snow-covered beard. In those silent moments, the wanderer saw the beauty standing out against the snowy backdrop. Her sense of wonder somehow made light of the situation. The ugliness that bound his world became a lot less ugly, especially when she finally responded with a smile. This Novel Contains Mature Content Show This Chapter? Yes

✧ ✦ ✧ "Oh, hey there! How did your super-secret meeting go, partner?" Zero smirked, biting into a sandwich. "You got rejected, huh? Don't worry. It happens to all of us." You're the one who was supposed to be confessed to, dummy... "I told you it wasn't about that." I gave Zero a look of exasperation. "It went fine. I was just talking to Nana about our schoolwork. She needed help with a couple take-home questions for magic history class." It was a convenient lie. This wasn't an unlikely scenario, considering I had been helping both Zero and the twins with their schoolwork lately. It was pretty ironic that I was helping them with history, though. Especially considering they grew up in this world, and I had been raised on Earth with no concept of magic or gods. Studying was studying no matter where you were. I was already putting forth more effort than I did back in Japan to be a good student. "Makes sense. I got another sandwich for you. I was gonna bring it over to the training hall, but you got here quicker than I thought." Zero said. "We can head over together. Before we go, could I get your advice on something first?" "Sure. Lay it on me." I said, scarfing down the sandwich he had picked up for me. It was an interesting combination of local vegetables, and cured meats. The food at the school cafeteria wasn't all that bad, but I preferred to eat lunch in town when time allowed. The restaurants, and cafes were numerous in Redrook. Cuisine in an adventurer's town was a delight. "This is embarrassing to admit, but I've had my eye on a girl for awhile." Zero began. I wasn't surprised by this development, of course. "I've been a little nervous to talk to her about my feelings. But first I wanted to ask. Do you... have feelings for Shion?" Huh? I looked at Zero with one eyebrow raised, sauce still on my face from my lunch. His sudden question had nearly caused me to choke on my food. This made it twice today that I'd been confided in for love advice. In both instances, the conversation was shifted towards me. In reality, I was probably the least qualified to talk about romance. Even so... I couldn't help but notice the love polygon that was beginning to form in our little group. Nana liked Zero, and Zero liked Shion. It made me wonder briefly who Shion might like. Love was a tricky thing. "It's just that... You know. Shion is always doting on you, and she talks about you a lot. I'm not jealous or anything, but I guess I just wanted to get an idea of how you felt about it. What do you think?" Zero looked at me with an innocent expression. It reminded me of a how a puppy looks when it's begging for a treat. I felt a small bit of pity for his situation. "Listen, Zero. I don't know how it is for Shion, but my feelings towards her are completely platonic. Its obvious that you like her by the way you act around her. Have you ever thought of just telling her how you feel?" I asked plainly. " L-l-like . No it's not like that at all. It's... it's just." Zero looked around frantically. "Was I being that obvious?" He practically whispered, his face turning bright red. It was nice to be able to tease him for once. He was always on the other side asking me about girls, and confessions. A devious smile crept across my face for just a moment. Suffer in embarrassment, as I have! Muahaha "Painfully obvious." I chuckled. "I think it's great that you're being open about your feelings. Like I said, you don't have to worry about me. Shion is a wonderful person, and a great friend. I just don't see her in the way you seem to." "That settles it, then..." Zero said, standing up. "I'll tell her today. I'll go meet her in the clock tower, and come clean about everything I've been feeling." He looked a little relieved. He's a kind-natured person so I don't think he would have declared war on me for liking the same girl, but it removes any awkwardness between us that could spring up as a result. My attention was solely on myself for the moment being. "You can do it. What's the worst that could happen? Painful rejection, and lifelong embarrassment?" I prodded. "That seems pretty bad, doesn't it!?" I laughed as Zero pouted, crossing his arms. "Do you think you could come with me to the clock tower? You can wait outside if you'd like, but I'd feel better if you were there at least. For my nerves." "I suppose I can do at least that much if you're asking." I replied. Before Zero's confession, we still had training period to worry about. It was structured much like a class would be, and featured alternating instructors. All teachers at the institute had to take a shift for training period. Today it was Professor Fury. Unlike the sociable Milton, Meredith Fury was pretty true to her name. She was quick to anger, and difficult to approach. Despite all that, she had the most personal responsibility in the entire school. In addition to serving as Vice President to Headmaster Argo, she also taught classes throughout the week. Primarily for House Darkwing. In addition she took regular training period shifts, and oversaw all school competitions going back several years. Perhaps the most difficult of all her duties, she organizes the defenses for The Institute in case of emergencies. I'd expect no less from the hero who defeated the demon king. It sort of made me wonder what was left for Headmaster Argo to do after all that. Shion had speculated recently that he was training Professor Fury to take over the school for after the royal selection. Headmaster Argo was one of several candidates who could become king. There hadn't been a ruler over Zen for quite some time after King Dante disappeared, and his bloodline was wiped out in the war. A land can only be self-governed for so long before problems start to spring up. From normal issues like poverty to small warlords trying to claim power amongst themselves. I remembered what Starkraven had said about wanting to become king. He was prepared to do anything in his pursuit of power. The land would be far better off if a man or woman of integrity, like Argo, presided over it. 16.2 Zero, and I strolled up to the training hall. It was a pentagon shaped building with a large outdoor area in the direct center of it. It was filled with tons of students from all four houses sparring with one another. The yard had training dummies, targets for projectile magic, and even a snack stand off to the side. It seemed pretty chaotic at first glance, but it was actually well organized. Thanks to our instructor. Standing up on a platform watching the students work was Professor Fury. She glared at Zero, and I as we walked into the fray. "Zero, Ren! Do you remember what I said last time you came waltzing in like a bunch of drunken dwarves? If you're not early, you're late!" Zero, and I were chastised by the shrewd woman. We apologized to a chorus of snickering from a few other students. "I've already paired everyone into groups of four, but you two can join the stragglers that didn't have enough members. Arwen, go easy on these rookies, will ya?" Arwen? She doesn't mean... Sure enough, standing a few feet away from us was Arwen Blackbriar. She was wearing her white uniform with her sakura-colored hair blowing in the breeze. Along with her sky-blue cape. Zero elbowed me a few times, noticing where my attention had been drawn. He was convinced that I had a crush on Arwen. While I wouldn't call it a crush , it also wouldn't be a lie to say that I was interested in her. To some degree. Rounding out our group of four was a girl from House Fang that I didn't recognize. We made idle chitchat so we could get to know each other before training began. The only one who didn't say anything at first was Arwen. She simply stared at me, ignoring the others. Her piercing gaze caused me to look away. Mostly in embarrassment. In terms of skill level among students, Arwen far exceeded everyone at The Institute. She was a natural using any weapon, and no one had seen a talent for magic like hers in quite some time. Not since Professor Fury was a student herself. It wouldn't be surprising if her battle score even exceeded some of the newer faculty. I fully expected her, and Zero to spar as it seemed like the obvious choice. However... "I'll fight him." Arwen pointed at me. "Huh?" We all looked at Arwen with puzzled glances. Defying our expectations, she was dead set on sparring with me. I couldn't help but feel like it wasn't the best idea. "Are you sure you don't want to fight someone stronger? Like Zero! It might be better practice." I mumbled. "No. I'm sure." Arwen replied. "I think it's a great idea, partner! To be the best, you have to beat the best. Right?" A mischievous grin suddenly crept across Zero's face. "Let's go spar over there, uh... What was your name again?..." He gave me a wink before leading the House Fang girl a safe distance away from Arwen, and I. I knew exactly what he was attempting to do in leaving the two of us alone. This was his way of encouraging me to make a move. Of course, I had no plans to do so. I was more concerned with surviving a fight against arguably the strongest individual in school. In comparison, I was the weakest by any metric. I had virtually no experience with weapons, or magic. That's why I found it strange that Arwen had chosen to fight me. Considering her popularity, it was also a bit odd to see a complete lack of willing volunteers to spar with her. "Did you hear? I heard her last sparring partner got sent to the infirmary for a month! They still haven't cleaned the blood." "No way!" "Does he have a death wish?" Students whispered all around the two of us. Their thoughtless gossip, and cautionary reactions caused me to feel a bit of anxiety. Regardless of whether there was any merit to those rumors, the fact remained that she was wickedly strong. I had my work cut out for me. Picking up a wooden training sword, I awkwardly got into a fighting stance. Metal weapons weren't encouraged for training. Mostly for safety purposes. Arwen had her own weapon which was a spear-like staff with blades on both sides, but she used one of the plain wooden staffs that the school provided for this duel. I hoped to land at least one hit with my sword, but her power was overwhelming. I still had my wrist gauntlets to parry with. Students were allowed to use their ability magic, and other spells in these duels. Provided they didn't critically injure or kill their opponent, anything was game. It would cause problems for the school if a sparring session went overboard. Shion had taught me a couple of simple spells over the last few weeks, but properly learning magic would take some time. Even just to get down the fundamentals. Defense, and dumb luck were my two greatest strategies. Arwen's ability magic allowed her to alter the perceived reality of her opponent, disorienting and causing them to lose track of her real position. She's never once used it on another student. Not that she's had to. Her mock battles typically only lasted a few seconds before she was declared the victor. She's like a real-life cheat code. "Are you ready?" Arwen asked. "Yes, I'm ready." Not a moment after I finished speaking, Arwen launched herself forward with blinding speed. My eyes could hardly track the movements of her staff as she twirled it around. She launched one hit after another, and I could feel each crack of the wood making impact with my body. I swung my own sword in vain, attempting to land a hit. Arwen would be in an entirely different spot by the time my arm extended. My Drain Life ability depended on me being able to land at least one hit on my opponent. For an opponent with as much mana as Arwen had, my ability would only marginally weaken her. Even so, it was better than facing her at her full power. Within a few moments I was completely winded, and my movements were labored. She swept my legs with her staff, knocking me completely off the ground. I landed on my back with a hard thud. "Do you yield?" she asked, showing little emotion. With my legs shaking, I stood to my feet. My body ached all over, but my actual wounds healed themselves within a few seconds. I wasn't making any real progress in this fight. Anyone watching would say that it was a thrashing. Even so... I couldn't give up just yet. I wanted to land at least one strike. "No, I'm good. Let's keep going." I replied, getting into a ready stance. This time I was less awkward. I was starting to get the hang of this. Arwen surprised me when she suddenly sported a smile. Her eyes shone for just a moment. Several students had paused their own sparring matches to watch the two of us. They were no longer whispering. They stood silently, likely wondering how I was standing. With the beating I was sustaining, most students would be stretchered to a bed at the infirmary. A benefit of my healing abilities, no doubt. "Thank you." she said. "For what?" I asked, taking the sudden break in action to catch my breathe. "For giving me a good fight." Arwen nodded slightly. "I'm not getting any closer to hitting you though." I replied, smiling. "Guess I'll have to keep trying." Each time I had gotten struck before, I noticed something interesting. Her steps were shockingly predictable. While her speed was difficult to keep up with, her movement patterns rarely changed in the way she attacked me. I suddenly came up with a plan. Rather than trying to strike her where she was at a given moment, I would swing my sword slightly ahead of her movements. My eyes weren't fast enough to track her, but if her movement patterns held... She would walk right into my attack. *CLACK* I swung my sword downwards hitting her staff directly in the center. I quickly followed it up with another attack, aiming towards her waist. She narrowly avoided my flimsy wooden sword by a fraction of an inch, and created some distance between us. "She's rattled. You got this partner!" Zero yelled a few feet away. Arwen charged forward again. Despite my best efforts to dodge her attack, she plunged her staff into my stomach. The brutal attack knocked every bit of breath out of my body, but now was my chance. "Hyaaaaaaa!" I planted my back foot into the ground, and swung my sword upwards hitting Arwen in the chin. I didn't expect to make contact with anything, but I had accurately predicted her movements. She scrambled backwards in a daze, holding her face. Everyone gasped. I got her? I really did it... I felt a surge of magical energy leave Arwen's body. I had a special way of sensing when my ability magic was put into use. From what I could tell, Drain Life was barely making a dent in her overwhelming mana pool. I had succeeded in landing a strike, but my own energy was nearly spent. "Is this... pain?" she asked. Arwen put her slender hand up to her chin. Suddenly she broke character, and started blushing. "Interesting." Expecting to face a counter attack, I put my sword up in defense. Instead, Arwen bowed. "Well fought." The beautiful young woman walked forward, and stopped beside me. She whispered something in my ear, but the wind had suddenly picked up making it hard to hear exactly what. She continued to walk without looking back once. Though I felt like passing out, I could hold my head high in this moment. I had survived. 16.3 "I'm telling you, partner. She was definitely blushing. There's something there, I'm sure of it." Zero said. It was early evening as we walked towards the clock tower. "You may not have the sensitivity for such things with your... lack of experience. But that's nothing to be ashamed of, partner." Did you have to add that last part in there? "That aside, the fight didn't look so good at first. You really hung in there." Zero lauded. "Are you sure you're alright, though? You didn't have to come if you didn't want to. I would have understood if you went back to the dorms." "Nah, I told you I would. I wanted to see this through to the end at the very least. That's what friends are for, right?" I said. "Partner..." Zero smiled warmly. I was admittedly curious as to what Shion might say to Zero in response to a confession of love. My thoughts were racing between that sentiment, and the fight from before. The scene of Arwen's stoic expression replayed in my mind. Along with the sweet, albeit melancholic, words she whispered in my ear. She was inarguably the victor in our bout of strength, but she had the look of someone who had lost something. More accurately, she never had it in the first place. What could inspire such a look? I pondered that question solitarily as we reached our destination. "Are you ready?" I asked Zero, breaking out of my momentary trance. I was unaware of the challenges that a confession of love would pose, or the anxiety Zero might be feeling. After all, I had never confessed to anyone before either. Just thinking about the possibility made me sweat. "Yeah I'm feeling great. If she says no, that's the end of it. We'll carry on just like we were, and nothing will change." Zero nodded to himself. He seemed much more chipper than earlier in the day. "I mean... We'll be able to stay the same, right?" "I guess that's for the two of you to decide." I said. "As much as I'd hate for our group chemistry to take a hit, and Clockwork Arcana to disband just after it's conception. It's really no reason to suppress your own feelings. It's up to you to decide if it's worth it, I'll support you no matter what." "Thanks, partner." Zero said. That was all Zero needed to hear. He took a big breath, and with a silent nod of determination, he entered the clock tower. It was by far the tallest building on campus, and housed many of the school's faculty as I had come to learn. Just as Zero entered, Professor Fury exited the building holding a stack of yellow envelopes. They seemed to each have a students name on them. "Oh, Ren. Commendable job staying alive earlier in training. I can't say you get any extra points for being a human punching bag, but I can't knock your toughness." Professor Fury gave me a backhanded compliment, but I accepted it graciously anyways. "Thank you. What are those for?" I motioned towards the envelopes. "Oh these? They're student profiles, and statistics. I'm preparing the tournament match-ups, and accommodations for the Wyvern Classic in a couple weeks. Milton should have reminded you in class, but I wouldn't put it past him to forget." she sighed. "It seems like you're always doing a lot for the school. How do you manage it all?" I asked. "Are you rubbing it in?" She crossed her arms, looking rather displeased. "I do suppose you're right though. I know what Argo expects, but I never wanted to take over the institute. It's all a big pain in the ass to me." Why stay here, then? That question immediately popped into my mind, but I didn't dare mutter it. Meredith Fury was as sharp-witted, and magically powerful as anyone I had ever encountered. Even though it had been years since she defeated the demon king, she hadn't lost even a bit of her edge. So of course I wondered what kept her here. "I can't leave until I've fulfilled my goal." she whispered, almost forgetting that I was there. "Goal?..." I repeated. "Never mind that. I just like to complain sometimes when I'm feeling overworked." Professor Fury trotted away. "See you in training period. Make sure not to stay out too late. It's a school night!" With that piece of warning, she disappeared into the night. 16.4 I sat outside by myself for at least an hour before I started to grow impatient, and feel the bite of the cold night air on my cheeks. I had been expecting the cliche of Zero bursting through the doors of the clock tower in tears. Or perhaps in the best case, celebrating to his hearts content. However as I continued to wait, neither came. "Did they go elope, or something? Maybe I should check in on him..." I muttered quietly to myself. There wasn't much else I could think of doing in this situation. Any more time spent outside, and I'd catch a cold... is what I would say if I didn't heal immediately. Even so, I quickly decided to enter the large building. I tried as hard as a could to tread lightly, but the pitter-patter of my uniform boots created an echoing sound throughout the dimly lit corridor. A soft, almost ethereal light poured in through the stained glass windows. The colorful shards of glass created a mosaic extending down the walls of the building. Each pane illustrated the history of the school in beautiful detail. The story of how The Institute came to be, including the graphic tale of the demon king's advance on humanity. How the world banded together to thwart his plans, and restore balance. It was all quite impressive. As I crept closer to the end of the main hall, I began to hear voices coming from a room with a slightly opened door. "What I'm about to tell you is to remain confidential, as to not alarm the other students on campus. I've already alerted the faculty." The voice seemed to come from an older gentleman by the sound of it. "What are we going to do, Headmaster?" Wait, that's Shion! It appeared that she was talking to Headmaster Argo. The tone of their conversation sounded rather serious, so I contemplated whether I should be eavesdropping. I didn't want to interrupt them either. That seemed like a much ruder alternative. My curiosity got the better of me, and I decided to listen in. Peaking inside the oaken doorway, I spotted both Shion and Headmaster Argo in the center of the room. To my surprise, Zero also stood off to the side with his back against the wall. "For now we should proceed with the Wyvern Classic as planned. I see no reason to cause a panic, and walk ourselves into a corner. That's likely what this group of terrorists wants us to do." Headmaster Argo looked distraught as he spoke to Shion. "This... Blood Sacrament. I think we've been sorely underestimating them. If what the guild reported is true..." Shion looked down, speaking almost in a whisper. Hearing the name of the Blood Sacrament gave me goosebumps. The headmaster called them terrorists... I remembered Mikael Starkraven's haunting words at the manor about his benefactor , and how everyone in Redrook was going to meet their doom. Suddenly Argo put up his hand for Shion to stop speaking. "You there! Yes you, outside the door. Come on in." The elderly man looked precisely in my direction, despite his unseeing eyes. I clasped my hands over my mouth, sweating profusely. I had been noticed, but how? There was no use in trying to hide it now. I creaked open the door, revealing myself to my companions. "Ren-kun?" Shion looked surprised. "How long have you been standing there?" "Just a few moments. Sorry for sneaking around, everyone. I didn't want to interrupt." I admitted. "Ah, Master Ren. As you have probably heard, we are discussing an urgent matter relating to the safety of the school. I assume you can agree to keep this to yourself?" Argo raised an eyebrow, addressing me. "Of course, sir." I bowed even though he couldn't see me do so. Argo once again looked in Shion's direction, and motioned for her to continue. Meanwhile I glanced over at Zero who briefly looked back at me before turning away. His expression was uncharacteristically gloomy, and he didn't directly contribute to the discussion taking place. I didn't want to assume the worst, but I wondered if he had a chance to confess. "Glad you could join us, Ren-kun. We were just talking about some... troubling news from the adventurer's guild." Shion said. "Do you remember the evening we got your adventurers certification, and what was going on at the guild that day?" "Yeah, I remember somewhat. The guild sent a large adventuring party to protect the Trinity Wards in some place called..." I searched my brain for the name. "Treewalk." Zero reminded me. "Right. So what was the troubling news?" I asked. Shion glanced over at Zero who didn't say anything in response. "Both the adventuring party of Dawn's Edge, and the accompanying fifty adventurers..." Headmaster Argo spoke up before Shion could answer my question. "...did not survive." "You mean... they died?" I repeated back in shock. Headmaster Argo nodded solemnly. The guild was well prepared for the large-scale operation, and enlisted the help of over two raid party's worth of adventurers to ensure its success. Their mission was to preserve the Trinity Wards maintaining the protective barrier around Mistral Forest, and by extension, Redrook. We had questioned why so much manpower was needed to thwart a small group of troublemakers as the guild clerk had described them. Our doubts were justified, it appeared. "As you know, Headmaster. The road to Wyvern Village, the site of the tournament, passes directly through Treewalk. We don't know what kind of dangers are lurking there, or what dangers the Blood Sacrament poses." Shion explained. "How was the guild even notified?" "There was but one survivor. A messenger, spared by our enemies to try to push us into rash action. He should be arriving..." *KNOCK KNOCK* Argo's explanation was cut off by the sound of knocking on the door. Of which I hadn't fully closed behind me on my way in. "Our guest has arrived. Please come in." Shion, Zero, and I exchanged surprised glances. A tall, somewhat familiar man walked into the room. He wore fancy, gold-plated armor. His black hair was tied back in a ponytail, and his gray eyes reflected a look of despondency. "Please tell us exactly what happened." Argo encouraged. The man paused for a moment with his eyes closed, and took a deep breath. Wait a minute, isn't he? "My name is Evan Caulier, former party leader of Dawn's Edge. As the lone survivor of the joint operation, I've come to report what happened in Treewalk." And so the tragic tale began, of an adventurer who had lost everything. With just weeks left before the Wyvern Classic, it seems an evil plot was beginning to unfold in the heart of Mistral Forest.

✧ ✦ ✧ I was back in that place between dream, and reality. Standing before me once again was my father who sported a smirking, almost antagonistic grin. He saw right through my disappointed look. Just as he said, this was no dream. "Don't look so surprised. I told you that you would be seeing me again. You should also get that attitude out of the way now, it puts a damper on the atmosphere." the man said. "Welcome back to our meeting place." "Speaking of, what is this place?" I sighed. "There's no official name for it, but I've been calling it The Void ." he said. "The place where a person's soul is often kept. One is usually oblivious to their own void, but my appearance here has made you aware of it. By hyper-fixating on my presence, you're able to communicate with me subconsciously." "That still doesn't explain why you're here in the first place. Certainly by no choice of yours, I'm guessing?" I pressed. "That's a fair assessment. I'll delve further into the details, but first let's begin our game." he said, arranging the chess board. To a certain extent I didn't expect to see my father again, despite his confident words the last time we spoke. Some part of me wanted to deny the realness of that meeting, but here he was. Just like he said. Not only that, the words he spoke about the wagon and my new friends came to pass. A mere coincidence? Maybe, but... Pushing aside those thoughts, we began our game. He ended up with the black pieces, and I the white. I opted for the Catalan Opening from the beginning, and attempted to mount an assault from the center of the board using my pawns. I did this in order to put pressure on him to move his queen into my striking range. He quickly responded with a flurry of moves that left me short several pieces, including my bishop who had been lost on g2. My attempt to hold an early advantage fell flat, and my aggression was rewarded with a checkmate. I left too much of an opening, and he emerged victorious. Our games often ended this way. I would try countless openings, and strategy alterations. However... My father always had a counter. He was always five steps ahead of me. Guess some things never change. "Looks like I win again. Now about why I'm here. I don't know!" he laughed heartily, putting his hands in the air. "So you didn't know from the beginning? Couldn't you have mentioned that before we played an entire game." I sighed, exasperated. The man continued to chuckle underneath his breath. "Oh I get it, you're mocking me." "No, I'm being completely honest. I don't exactly know what binds me here, but I may have a theory. You did play the game, so I'll share it." he said. "Let's hear it." I said impatiently. "Your soul has a certain... gravity to it that I've felt since I emerged in this place." he began. "The conditions aren't clear to me just yet, but when I died my soul didn't ascend. It was likely due to this gravity. My soul simply began revolving around yours, much like a planet revolves around a star. Strictly speaking, this pull could draw in more souls than just mine." "You mean I'm some sort of "soul vacuum". How does that even work?" I asked. "People die every day... So why isn't there a whole colony of souls rotating around mine like some sort of twisted merry go round?" "That goes back to the conditions I mentioned before. If I had to guess..." he paused. "I would say that for someone's soul to be drawn to yours at the moment of their death, they would have to have had a strong connection to you during their lifetime. Much like you, and I." "Then why didn't she..." I began to say, but shook my head. "Well personally, I hope this doesn't happen again. I'm just now coping with the fact that you are here. I don't need anyone else joining this void any time soon." "I would rather enjoy some more company, if you ask me. It gets dreadfully boring while you're away." he said. "I saw how much fun you were having a few nights ago at the tavern. Meanwhile, I have to be cooped up here listening to all your self-deprecating thoughts. Woe is me, I got saved by a girl with glasses. " The man started laughing once again. "Lay off, old man. You expect me to feel bad for a parasite? Honestly..." I shook my head. "It's not like I chose for this to happen." Suddenly I could hear the sound of Zero's voice echoing in the void. Zero was shaking me in an attempt to wake me up. It was probably getting pretty late up there. "Seems like it's just about time for me to wake up." I said. "I'm beginning to question the validity of your advice. If you can only offer me general theories, and guesswork I'm better off finding a way to exorcise you." "Don't be like that! I have another piece of advice that's sure to help you." He quickly stood up from his chair, sounding more desperate than usual. "Today, following the entrance ceremony you will be put into a difficult situation. It will be your second taste of the harsh realities of this world, but you will make it through as long as you trust your allies. Remember this: Do not be afraid of the one who seeks blood." "Wait, what do you mean? You couldn't possibly..." I started to express my doubts. Before he could say anything else, he once again faded into mist. Although he had correctly guessed my situation the last time we had met, this was another matter. I highly doubted that even he had the foresight necessary to predict the future. One who seeks blood? I didn't have a clue as to what he meant. Still, I kept his words in my head. The sound of water approached me once more, and I woke up. 9.2 "Hey! Are you finally awake, partner?" Zero shouted, continuing to shake me. "Even I wouldn't be late on the first day." "Sorry. I was having... a strange dream." I yawned. "You're not still hungover from that night, are you? It's been days." Zero chuckled. "We're gonna meet up with the twins outside, and head over to the main ballroom where the event is held." "What about Shion?" I asked. "Oh, her? she's going to be on stage with the headmaster as he gives his address. That's our Shion, alright." Zero smiled dreamily. He did mention that she was a pretty important figure in this school. I guess she wouldn't have time to hang around us constantly. I understood. I was looking forward to getting to know more about the twins though. Nana, and Hachi. I threw on my uniform jacket over a white collared shirt, and my uniform pants. Like Zero, I had chosen the black uniform option. Zero felt constricted by the sleeves, so he tore them off. I had thought that was pretty funny. As we walked down the stairs, and into the courtyard we heard a commotion going on outside. "A gentleman of my stature would never stand for such blatant disrespect! Stand up, and fight!" a student shouted. "No self-respecting man would hide behind his sister." The voice was not one I recognized. The shouting figure had drawn a crowd of people, but he was tall enough for us to see his features. The young man was a half-elf wearing the white uniform attire, and he had blond hair that was slicked back with some sort of pomade. He had an almost feminine look to him, and I wouldn't have been able to tell otherwise if he hadn't been speaking. He was directing his anger and disgust towards another person we couldn't see clearly. "Wait, is that Nana?" Zero said, pushing through the crowd. I followed closely behind him. It's only natural that he would have seen her before I could. He stands taller than almost anyone in the crowd of people that had gathered. "He didn't mean anything by it, we'll give you the money to get your pants cleaned." Nana said, standing in front of Hachi who had fallen to the ground. "Money isn't the issue." the angry young man continued. "It's the principle. Your brother carelessly walked into me, causing me to spill my drink on my clothes. Normally I would be inclined to forgive such ignorance, but I didn't hear so much as an apology from his lips. His rudeness knows no limits." "He's mute! He can't help it. We're both sorry." Nana contested. Hachi simply shook from fear, and didn't make any attempt to get up. "Should we step in?" I whispered to Zero. "Yeah that might be best." Zero replied. "Such insolence must be punished!" The half-elf boy pushed Nana aside, but Zero caught her. He wound up for a kick, but I stepped in just in time to block his strike. I was surprised by the force he exerted for such a fragile looking young man. "And who might you be?" he practically spit in my face. "A friend of theirs." I replied. "They said they'd pay for your clothes to be cleaned, and apologized. I don't see any reason why we should continue this." "You don't have the right to intervene in our dispute, trash ! You're the gentleman who only got a 511 battle score at the guild. White hair, and green eyes. Certainly fits the description." he sneered. "Huh?? And how the hell do you know that?" I snapped back, raising one eyebrow. "Word travels, and that was an exceptionally low score. I doubt you could even last ten minutes in a fight against me." the boy said in an attempt to egg me on. I can't say it wasn't working, however... Don't lose control of your emotions. My fist shook from rage, but I let out a solid exhale. I wanted nothing more than to slug this pompous individual ten times over, but something told me I shouldn't. Suddenly while my guard was down he attempted to backhand me. "That's enough!" Zero stepped in, and redirected his strike. The young man stumbled a bit before regaining his footing. "Zero??" the young man said in dismay. "What are you doing here? And with this common rabble!" "Uhhh, I'm sorry. Do I know you?" Zero gave an awkward smile, and scratched his head. "You don't remember me?? I'm Leonard T. Lockhearte III, your rival!" The young man, whose name was apparently Leonard's face changed from anger to desperation. "Second in battle score to only you amongst all of our age group." "Ah, I got it now! Leon ." Zero said, snapping his fingers. "I don't really pay attention to numbers like that. These are my friends Ren, Nana, and Hachi. I'd appreciate it if you treated them a little better, okay?" "L-L-Leon??" Leonard's face lit up with embarrassment. Looking at him, you wouldn't think that the two of them were rivals. He was acting more like someone who had an unrequited crush. I was glad Zero's carefree attitude had washed away nearly all the tension. I had always admired people with social skill like that. "This isn't over, felines! You either, trash. You'd do best not to get in my way from now on. Hmph!" Leonard said, looking past Zero at me. He walked away with several groupies in tow. They seemed like the kind of bunch that would hang around someone like him. "Good restraint, partner! I could tell you really wanted to clock that guy. Whatever his name was." Zero said. I looked at him with a puzzled glance. He couldn't be that bad with names... Right? I generally would have liked to avoid drawing attention to myself already, but I just can't abide by bullying. That sense of duty was ultimately what got me kicked off the track team in middle school. It felt so long ago now. One day as I was leaving class alone on my way to practice, I saw a bunch of the athletic boys ganging up on one kid from class. They threw his books in the fountain, and punched him in the stomach. He reminded me of Ike in a lot of ways, so I just couldn't just ignore him. One thing led to another, and I took on all those boys in a fist fight. I won, but unfortunately for me I had beaten a few of my track team seniors badly enough to get suspended from school. Not to mention, kicked off the team. I think what felt worst of all was the look on the face of the boy I "rescued". He looked far more repulsed by me than by his attackers. It was then that I realized what an idiot I had been. Rather than talk them down, I had escalated the situation and made things worse. The bullying worsened, and the boy changed schools. My reputation also took a hit. Remembering those events, that version of me on Earth would surely have started a fight in this current scenario. However... I kept a lid on my emotions instead of instigating an altercation. Besides that, are you two ok?" Zero continued, addressing Nana and Hachi. "It's fine. We run into this sort of thing sometimes. Hachi is a little spacey, and gets himself into mischief. I have to be there to explain our way out of it. That Leonard guy wasn't having it, though." Nana said. "I'd like to show him my claws, but Shion told us not to draw any negative attention." Hachi nodded his head in agreement. A little late for that though. "Always the pragmatist, that Shion." I said, chuckling. "You've got that right!" Zero agreed. "Now let's go! We've got to get to the ballroom before they close the doors. Security gets pretty tight around the building when so many important figures gather in one place." We all took Zero's advice, and made our way to the ballroom. We weren't the only ones who were late by the looks of things. We were moving with a decently sized crowd. I assumed even if I wasn't with the others, I wouldn't have a hard time finding the ballroom. While it wasn't the tallest building in the castle, it was the largest in surface area. Finally we stood in front of the towering structure. I could see the look of amazement on Nana, and Hachi's face. This castle would put any school to shame back in Japan. Part of me still couldn't believe I'd be attending classes on this campus. Once I entered these doors, I would be getting my ability magic unsealed. Along with learning which magic element I had an affinity for. Today marked an important step in my new life in this world. "Let's step inside, shall we?" Zero said. 9.3 There was no particular order or seating chart in which we had to organize ourselves, but the staff made sure we sat in orderly rows stretching from one end of the massive room to the other. There had to be thousands of students, teachers, and parents in attendance. The age range of students varied greatly from as young as 6 years old to as old as 24. We were entering the new adult group, which included 18-24 year olds. To my right stood Zero, and beside him was Nana and Hachi. To my left was a girl I didn't recognize, and beside her was none other than Leonard. He shot a disgusted look in my direction, but quickly faced forward. Our row was near the front of the ballroom, fairly close to the stage. Shion walked me through what would happen when we discussed it yesterday. Once the opening ceremonies were completed, and the awards for the previous school year were given, the headmaster would introduce each student entering the new adult group one-by-one. We'd be called up alphabetically. The student called would walk on stage, place his or her hand on the Orb of Discovery which sat in the center, and they'd be initiated. The headmaster would convene with the gods, and the magic emanating from the orb would unlock the abilities hiding within them. Sometime during that process he would also explain our magic element to us. It was a huge coming-of-age event for other-worlders. "This is exciting, isn't it?" Zero whispered to me. "Yeah, it is. Even though Shion explained it thoroughly, I still don't know what to expect." I said. "When is this guy supposed to arrive, anyway?" The ceremony would begin the moment the headmaster arrived at the ballroom. We had been waiting a few minutes now, and I was starting to get anxious. Finally the crowd quieted to a murmur, and the mood in the building shifted. The lights dimmed, and an elderly looking man wearing patterned black robes took the stage. He had a long beard, and wore a Fez-like hat on top of his head. Assisting him were a female teacher I didn't recognize, and Shion. The man appeared to have trouble with his vision by his staggered movements. "Is he?" I asked Zero without completing my thought. "Yep! The headmaster is blind." Zero said. "Though, he wasn't always that way." I wonder what happened? Zero sensed my curiosity perhaps, and spoke again. "20 years ago when the world fought the demon king, we were losing pretty badly. The headmaster was with the party of other-worlders, and adventurers that fought Azrael. He knew that we had almost no shot, so he went back in time to achieve a scenario where we won the war. Sustaining as few casualties as possible. He went back over 20,000 times." Zero said. "It took that many?" I asked, shocked. "The odds must have been pretty stacked against them. How did he lose his vision in all this?" "That's the cost. It doesn't just apply to people who break the Keeper's Laws, there's a cost for using time-related abilities even if you do so responsibly. Every trip forward, or back in time causes a timekeeper to lose their vision. Bit by bit, until it's gone. Shion's glasses aren't just for show, you know." So she's been experiencing this cost too... I wondered to myself how frequently Shion had used her time traveling abilities. Judging by her own vision problems, it had to be quite a few times. "Who's the other woman helping him on-stage?" I whispered, glancing at the serious looking woman. She had long black hair, and purple eyes. She wore a black cloak with violet-colored animal fur around the neck area. The front of the cloak showed a slightly inappropriate amount of cleavage for a teacher, and she was well endowed to boot. I couldn't help but feel an intimidating aura surrounding her. "That's Professor Meredith Fury. She's the hero who struck the final blow on Azrael, and ended the Demon King's War for good. Nobody knows a lot about her personally, even Shion. Besides the fact that she's a bit of a grouch..." "Wow!" I exclaimed. I wasn't one to be star struck, but The Institute was filled with some fairly remarkable people. That much I could tell just from hearing Zero describe them. The headmaster made his way to the center of the stage, and stood facing the crowd. Behind him to our right was Shion, and to our left was Professor Fury. Just in front of the headmaster was the Orb of Discovery. It looked like a huge swirling purple globe that was fastened to the ground. I was fascinated by the energy it produced. With no better way to describe it, I felt like it was whispering to me. The headmaster, having taken his position began a quiet incantation. The purpose of this incantation was to get in tune with the gods of this world. "Students, parents, and faculty. I thank you for joining us on this wonderful morning at The Institute for Practical Magic. For those of you that do not know me, I am Headmaster Argo . Today is a special celebration. 25 years ago, I founded this place of learning with much of your help. In five years time we were able to slay Azrael the Worldeater. With the magic and combat skills our students painstakingly acquired." The man betrayed his feeble frame with the power of his words. Even Zero stood in total silence as he continued. "Whether you are continuing your education here, or you have found yourself in these sacred halls for the first time. You are now a part of this family. Be willing to learn, and enjoy your stay." He concluded the opening statement to a round of enthusiastic applause. "I will now pass the speaking role to Meredith for the moment being." "Congratulations! You whelps have survived another year. I'd first like to recognize House Crystal for winning last year's Founder's Cup. Please give them a hand." Professor Fury spoke in a rough tone of voice. In a lot of ways, she reminded me of Mrs. Takashi back home. If I also remembered correctly, House Crystal was the one that Zero identified as the toughest challenger for the Founder's Cup. The applause died down. "Next the award for excellence that goes to the student who earned the most points for their house, Arwen Blackbriar please stand." Professor Fury said. The girl that sat between Leonard, and I stood up. Turning my attention towards her for just a moment, I was hit with a strange feeling. As time seemed to slow down, my breath was taken away. She's stunning. Like Leonard, Arwen was a half-elf. Her long, shiny hair was a light pink color that matched her eyes. Her sky blue cape, and tie made it clear that she was a member of the House Crystal. Bowing slightly, her face was expressionless as the crowd recognized her accomplishment. My chest tightened a bit. For some reason I was completely captured by the sight of her, and stared without realizing it. I attributed my racing pulse to the nerves of the ceremony, but this wasn't like the anxiety I felt earlier. Zero elbowed me in the ribs, and gave me a smug grin. Much to my embarrassment, he could be awfully perceptive when he wanted to be. The ceremony continued for a few hours as many people were recognized for their heroic deeds while completing contracts for the adventurers guild, and new students were filled in on what to expect for this year. Overall I would say it was pretty informative for me. The youngest children even gave a singing performance of the school's anthem that they had practiced. This was all leading up to the main event, of course. As the end of the ceremony approached, we prepared for our initiation.

The odd couple reached the edge of the town. The wintry accumulation covered the desolate town. Enne remained warm with nothing but a light jacket on. How Alejandro wished to have that sort of thick skin. The layers of clothing would restrict his nominal combat maneuvering. They absorbed the silence as they reached the slope of the mountainside. There laid the crude burials of those who perished at the hands of the windigo. Enne kneeled over the makeshift tombstone and read the engraving. The carved wood was in the rough shape of a cross. Her fingers scraped up the powdery snow. A strange sensation overcame her as the gentle breeze whispered. At first, it seemed like nothing until she heard voices; Enne didn't say anything to her companion so that he wouldn't be alarmed. Alejandro stood next to her as he looked beyond the forest. The sun had reached west, just over the Appalachian. He shivered again, this time rattling the hiking backpack he had brought. "Enne," Alejandro said. "It's getting late, and they're expecting a bigger storm." "I know," Enne nodded as she felt for his hand. She turned to him. "Hopefully, we can end this tonight... Once and for all. If what she says about the whispers is correct, we have to put down that creature. You're still skeptical, aren't you?" Alejandro looked into her eyes. He knew he couldn't get away with a lie, not when he looked out immediately after. Her heart had always remained in the right place, for better or worse. He went along with complete confidence in her endeavors. "What makes you think this thing is just going to show up?" he asked. "If its hunger is as voracious as she claimed, it'll find us," she replied. She stood up before Alejandro could say anything while his hand perched on her shoulder. She couldn't let go. "You came out this far! Getting cold feet?" "It's about what she said. Could you put him down, knowing he was beyond self-control?" The question stumped her. Her eyes cast toward the graves. He looked along the snow-covered path, thinking about what must be done. If she couldn't do it, he would. The half-elf turned to him, saddened by the prospect. "Once their soul is tainted..." he spoke. "They're beyond redemption," she finished. "We need to restore the balance." Balance? It never works like that, the wanderer thought. They continued on the path. The snow-covered trees span past the base of the mountain. The crystallized snow illuminated its surroundings, giving it a majestic aesthetic. Turbulent winds picked up, howling to the west. It sounded like natural weather phenomena at points, but the wind screeched hauntingly at others. The wanderer shivered as the gust remained consistent. His beard was covered with snow. They discovered where the hunter crossed paths with the windigo a few miles in. The weather constantly bombarded the area, showing little signs of the gruesome encounter. Enne couldn't miss the protruding bodies, barely buried beneath the heaps of snow. What little sunlight seeped through the thick forest, revealing the frozen remains. She shivered as she reached the center. Alejandro seemed unphased, treating it like another mass grave he'd seen so many times. The wanderer examined the area while Enne stood silently. He glimpsed the tree the hunter mentioned; By now, the weight of the icy snow caved it in, but it was enough for him to hide in. To hide was to survive, and Alejandro remembered such times. He walked over, peering into it with lingering thoughts. How many times did he escape lynch mobs, and those who hunted him on behalf of the local government? "Do you see anything?" Enne asked. Her voice unwittingly brought him back from his self-reflection. Alejandro looked over and said: "No, but this is where he hid." A sudden burst of wind sent him shivering. Enne watched on, feeling somewhat remorseful that he had to endure the miserable weather. A lodge lay over the hillside ahead. She immediately pointed in its direction. "Let's head over there," she said. "It's too damn cold. It'll provide cover for the night at least." From a distance, it appeared unoccupied with its decrepit state. The duo approached cautiously, seeking traps or signs of presence around the lodging area. Their concerns went unfounded by the emptiness of the site. The path led to a clearing that presented a better summit view. Enne looked in awe at the way leading further up. The wanderer glimpsed the stranded lifts trailing higher, with only the increasingly-heavy snowfall cloaking where it ended. "A ski resort?" he said. "Haven't seen those in a while. I didn't realize the town was this far up the mountain." "We didn't have anything like those back in Gardenia." "That's surprising. You had a whole mountain facing the city." "It was nowhere as big as this one." "Ah, let's hurry before I freeze to death." "I won't let that happen." The wanderer tried to open the doors, although the oppressive cold weakened him. They saw rust infused with the frame of the doorway. Enne gently nudged him to the side and dislodged the door away with an effortless tug. She turned to him with a grin. He looked off, embarrassed by his inability to get the door open. "It doesn't hurt to ask for help," she reminded before entering. "Yeah, got it," he replied. Enne summoned a small light that shone through the cluttered corridor. Their desecrated surroundings confirmed no one had inhabited it for a long time. The reception area remained untouched, with silts of dust and cobwebs decorating it. The metal door leading to the stairwell showed no signs of a break-in. A chilly breeze struck them after she forced the door open. The wanderer shivered, his teeth clattering from the sudden burst. "Damn, that's cold," he said. "There must be another opening," she said. "But so far, it doesn't look like anyone is here." "Maybe, but this weather." Alejandro reminded her of his human vulnerabilities. Meeting his stern gaze, she slid her hood off, revealing her protruding ears. The orb in her hand radiated heat with an orange glow. It provided a sense of solace when she moved it toward the cold, grizzled man. "I'm sure you're wishing you were a part dragon," she teased strangely of consoling him. "But I am half-human... So at least you can provide some warmth if I ever need it." "If I'm not a cadaver by sunrise!" "Talk about dying hard, no?" His face contorted to her smug glee. "We couldn't have waited for the storm to leave?" he said. "We're just looking for some boogeyman?" "It's an actual threat," she sighed. "Windigos are nothing more than folk legends. There were very grounded explanations for the phenomena. We don't know if this is really a windigo or some stray bear—" "What's this really about? You looked into their eyes, the hunter and Robert? They've seen something that's beyond our understanding. There's much we don't know. Even tall tales have a smidgen of truth." "Did you believe them?" "I believe they know something we don't. You and I are just foreigners in these lands. Even if you traveled them, you never fully get engrossed in it." Alejandro fell silent as he walked up the stairs ahead of her. Enne looked on after he brushed past her, acknowledging his subdued frustration. Perhaps her behavior was precarious, and a warm bed was something both desired. It was a small price to pay to find out the truth, which others would've instead left to the imagination. Again, the wind became but another whisper. She fixated at the bottom of the stairwell. "En," the wanderer interrupted from above. "You coming?" "Yeah..." she replied before ascending. The lodge's main floor had scenic windows spanning across the wall. A haunting glow basked the abandoned room of its imperfections. Alejandro walked past the worn furnishings of the seating area, finding trash and weathered belongings left unclaimed. Enne looked at the ceiling, finding the source of the passing breeze. A flurry of snow swirled at one side of the lodge underneath the shattered skylights. It seemed out of place for such a cave-in. Alejandro took a moment to admire the whitened view of the sea of trees. He imagined what it was like for casual ski goers who dared climb the mountain for sport. For most, such luxuries were fleeting, as many towns starved or relocated since the cataclysmic event centuries ago. Enne sealed the gaping hole with whatever material she found. The patch held off most of the oncoming snow, with a slight breeze whistling through its cracks. Finding the wanderer at ease, she walked toward him. "That should do it," Enne remarked. "It's beautiful out here," Alejandro voiced admiration. His lips still quivered from the cold. "I'm sorry to have dragged you out here. I—" "En, your heart is in the right place. It always is." "Still, I'm sure you imagined our journey would be a little more relaxed... At least hoped it would be." "We're here now. Besides, a view like this makes it all worth it." Her ears perked when he stared off to the wintry expanse. By now, they've traveled for weeks. The wanderer proved to be far more laid-back than she imagined. But in the back of her mind, she called it complacency. There was little need to change the natural order, or so experience taught him. He looked over his shoulder to find her onset melancholy. "En?" he said. "I should really consider your needs more," she admitted. "And where is this coming from? This dynamic between us? It's always been like this, and it works." "But I don't really give you much of a choice. Either I guilt you or force your hand. It's not right." "But things would be boring. If I were with anyone else, I'd be held up in a warm room and doing normal travels. I might get upset, but now, I don't mind." Enne blushed as he turned away. The window's dirty reflection revealed Alejandro's heart-warming smile on his grizzled face. It was a rare sight for her as her lips subconsciously returned the gesture. She turned to the small bar, a potential spot to sleep for the night since there was still a small fireplace intact. "We should probably set up for the night," she suggested. "Right," he agreed. They moved the furniture closer before making a fire with what little resources they could gather. They could throw in was limited but enough to keep the fire going. After some time, the fire glowed in the vicinity, warming the wanderer's shuddering body. "It's going to be a long night," Alejandro whispered. "Oh, I'll keep you company," Enne responded. "That's not what I meant. And I said long, not lonely...." "I'm kidding, I'm kidding. It's just a waiting game now." "You expect this thing just to burst through the doors?" "Oh, yeah!" She smiled, spreading her arms. "Immersion breaking much?" "You know you like it. Oh! I brought hot chocolate. Sarah gave me some before we left." "Is that... What you packed in the bag?" "Yes." Enne set up a bowl of water, heating it against the fireplace. The wanderer's experience with the shaman was less than pleasant. He rarely dealt with people from that walk of life, and it was with a deep-seated skepticism when he did. They shared a cup of improvised hot chocolate, cuddling under their large, thick blanket. "She took a liking to you," he said. "You sound jealous," she remarked. "You two are of two different worlds. You weren't expecting solidarity, were you?" "She's never seen a windigo before, and neither has the shopkeeper." "How fantastical do you think humans were when they saw necro-bytes and the other creatures emerge from the portals? There's one thing that I didn't share with her." "Hm? What's that?" Enne giggled, setting aside her empty cup. Her eyes remained fixated on the embers. After a few seconds, she said: "There is a logical explanation for such a creature. Mana is multifaceted. The indigenous population that inhabited these lands a millennia ago understood what mana was at a rudimentary level. But as much as they romanticized it, it's not spiritual in nature." "I'm listening." "Mana is nothing more than a framework for existence. Nothing more, nothing less. Mana has transformative properties extending beyond clothing. Therefore, their windigo isn't that far-fetched." "I admire the fact you can see things so loosely." "Not loosely. Convergent. You shouldn't let preconceived notions bar you from being open-minded, although your thick-headedness is endearing." "That's supposed to be a compliment?" "Like I said, be open-minded." Enne yawned, soon laying against him comfortably as the crackling fire soothed her. The wanderer slipped from sleep every so often, thinking about the old man's utterances about the doomed family. Alejandro was left wondering about the fate of the two missing family members. He eventually fell asleep as the warm fire and howling wind overlapped his senses. This Novel Contains Mature Content Show This Chapter? Yes

"I don't want to die," a man repeated. His voice quivered mournfully. "Not like this, no. I don't want to die. I don't-" The man rambled in whispers at the darkest corner of a dimly-lit cabin. His humanity became mired in winding thoughts of despair. The faint fireplace cast shadows against the upturned furniture in the small living room. He'd look listlessly upon his bloodied hands from time to time, processing what he had done. His fingers elongated into the shape of sharp talons. His once stocky build was reduced to a scrawny, skeletal structure. Self-inflicted wounds covered his blood-stained arms and legs. The hunched figure turned to see the windows. Ice sealed the entrance from the other side, with the weight of tons of snow piled over the cabin. He awaited death in his icy tomb. A rumbling disturbed the frigid ambiance. His hunger had become insatiable. He emerged from the shadows revealing his altered skull shape and sunken eye sockets embedded with orange eyes, devoid of life. His hair thinned dramatically with what remained lengthened past his shoulders. Ghastly pale skin contained tinges of his previous skin color. The body of a half-eaten boy lay at the center of the room. Maggots had gnawed at its curdled contents of putrid flesh. Severed body parts piled near leftover scraps of partially devoured organs. He avoided his son's open eyes with what little was left of his psyche. His stubbled face was smeared with the blood of his child. He looked on, detached from his transgressions. What he believed to be an illusion was an undeniable reality. He'd become the monster he scoffed at in the old stories. His animalistic instincts overtook what remained of his humanity. He crawled toward the corpse to take another bite from its hollowed ribs. His sharp canines sunk into his side and gnawed away viscously. Within seconds, he left a clean, bloodied rib cage. Man became beast. His will to live overcame his love for his family. Despair and fears consolidated when there wasn't a way out from their icy tomb. The man remembered bludgeoning his son to death, ignoring his cries and pleas. Still, his murderous intent felt foreign, as though he had lost pieces of himself. His head snapped upward to a soft whimper coming from nearby. Fluids dripped from his mouth after chewing the last bits of flesh. Crawling toward the door, his empty eyes searched for life under the slit of the doorway, seething to the scent of lively flesh. "Honey," He called with a meek voice. "I know you're in there." Silence ensued under his frigid breath. "I—I just want to talk." No response. It wasn't long before he succumbed to his impulses. He slammed into the door several times, growling anomalistically while breaking the frame piece by piece. He peeked into the room's interior. A body lay on the ground, nearly motionless, as she looked back in horror. His sunken eyes gazed back from the abyss with their unsettling orange glow. This is what became her husband; He was so overtaken by his instincts that he cared for nothing else. Her voice was parched as she tried to speak. Only tears rolled down. What remained of her husband demolished the door as he stood over her like prey. She observed his empty expression, his mouth quivering from hunger. Blood covered much of his arms and face, a horrific sight reducing her into a stupor. A strong odor reeked of death and decay. She hoped to find any semblance of him. Hollow. "I—I didn't want any of this," His voice returned. "Please, don't," Her voice cracked, quivering with dread. "I don't want to die. I don't want to die. I—" His depraved hunger kicked in. He lunged on top of her and sunk his teeth into her neck. With one massive bite, he tore her throat out. Her screams were nothing more than gurgles in a desperate attempt to breathe. Her eyes widened from the immense pain as she watched him tear out her trachea. It was all in vain. She convulsed after quickly losing blood. She turned her head to the side, seeing a pool of red. It was the only warmth she felt before her life faded away. The primitive howls of the beast that consumed her husband filled the air. The last thing she saw was their whimpering child curled in the darkest corner. One day later... "Mikey, ya see anything out there?" A bearded man shouted. He observed a young man at the bottom of the slope. He peered through the dense thicket of the frost-covered trees. The bearded man's brown eyes searched toward the snow-laden slopes, finding vast wilderness stretching miles. They had been in the blistering cold for hours, searching for a missing family. They began where they found the cabin's ruins. He whisked his beard of snow as he listened to the whispering winds. Robert Winston had seen it all, but what they discovered was beyond anything he'd seen. He barred his nephew from witnessing the horrendous sight. Two mutilated bodies were found throughout the weathered interior. The bite marks resembled that of a human but were far larger. He shuddered at the reminder of the gruesome scene. The lingering scent of death was embedded in his hardened mind. Robert remembered the look on their faces: despair and agony. The tracks they followed ended yards away from the cabin, and two missing people remained large. "No, nothing," Michael replied. "I'll be honest. I don't think they're out here!" "Come on, boy," His uncle shouted. "Lives are at stake here. The others probably cleared the other side by now." "But—" "We gotta keep looking. They couldn't have gone far." "No blood, no clothing, nothing... It's like they vanished." Only if Michael saw what his uncle had seen. The young man looked to his silent uncle, who continued walking along the top of the snowy slope. His gait was staggered and measured, but Robert remained focused on the task at hand. He cared for his nephew, though he was the spitting image of his worthless father. Michael's cheeks were flushed red and barren of any facial hair. His body was wrapped in layers of clothing, unlike his uncle's relatively brisk attire. The cold was something Robert was accustomed to after decades of hunting in its wilderness. Michael's cold, trembling hands clutched his shotgun. The young man followed his uncle's pace while hugging the tree line. An icy breeze blew Michael's long, tied hair over his shoulder. His eyes narrowed after finding something in the distance. It was more pieces of the cabin trailing down the slope. The impact of the cabin didn't show signs of the passing avalanche tearing the place apart. It was as though something had exploded from within. "That must've been a hell of an avalanche," Michael said. "Something ain't right about this," Robert said. "What'cha mean?" "We've been searching for hours and came up with nothing." "I can't imagine anyone surviving out here in the cold." "Those bodies weren't something no bear had done. And those tracks didn't leave far from the cabin...." Robert fell silent when he felt his nephew's prying eyes. "You think," Michael said. "Maybe one of them turned into a windigo?" His uncle chuckled. Robert regained his composure when he found Michael's concern. Michael took in the beauty of the mountain and watched his cold breath disappear into the gray backdrop. The sudden burst of arctic breeze sent shivers down the young man's spine. Michael wondered what hid in the frost-covered forest. "The hell are they teaching you kids these days?" Robert asked. "That's what Sarah told me," His nephew answered. "Her ancestors believed in the spirits of the land. She told me about windigos, skin walkers—" His uncle interrupted him with laughter. "I've been hunting in these here woods all my life," Robert reminded him. "Ain't seen no windigo. It's just some old indigenous myth to scare folks. A man turning into a beast? Hell, ya don't need a made-up story for that. They're already around us. That ol' shaman is talking about superstitions, not reality." "But what if it's not?" "Jesus, you'll buy into anything, won't you? You gotta man up. Otherwise, this world will eat you alive." Gunfire echoed over another sudden gust. The steady winds filled the silence. They expressed slight bewilderment upon exchanging glances. More gunfire echoed. This time, they were more frantic in their deliberation. Michael trembled but awaited orders from his uncle. Robert checked the bullets in his rifle before looking ahead. "C'mon, we gotta get going," Robert said. "What?" Michael's voice trembled. "We ain't about to stand around." They rushed to the scene as fast as possible, though their speed was hampered by the ankle-deep snow, some deeper in parts of the hill they traversed. The multiple gunshots were lessened while they tried to reach the source. Michael stumbled, sliding toward the edge of the slope. His uncle caught him in time before he could slide over. "You gotta be more careful," Robert said before going ahead of him. Michael was overwhelmed with a sense of dread. They were charging headfirst to the unknown. Whatever triggered the other experienced scouts was nothing to undermine. He knew nothing good could come from it, but he pressed on to not upset his uncle further. This ain't right, the young man thought to the sound of his beating heart. "W—we can't," he shouted, stopping his uncle in his tracks. "Something's not right about this." "The hell do you mean? They're in trouble!" A terrifying screech filled the air. Michael shuddered. They were aghast by the otherworldly sound. Robert knew it wasn't a bear or a mountain lion. The experienced hunter hurried ahead of his nephew. The gunfire died down and was replaced by the blood-curdling cries of the others. When they reached their destination, Robert and Michael hid behind the tree. Robert was stricken with fear when he saw the distant silhouette of an unusual creature. "What now?" Michael asked. His uncle cleared his throat. "I don't know what I just seen," he said. The young man had never seen him so overcome with fear. The horror and uncertainty engulfed his senses, wondering what he saw. The footsteps disappeared into the wind and left behind an uneasy silence. They looked around from their trees. The lanky figure Robert saw vanished into the forest. "A—alright, let's check on them," Robert's voice shook to the cold air. "What...Did you see?" Michael asked. "I don't know. I don't know. Let's just get everyone together and hightail it outta here." "Huh? How about the missing—" "It's been days. Out in this cold, they may as well be dead." The young man was confused about his uncle's drastic change in behavior. Whatever he saw shook him to the core. An experienced hunter, someone who knew the land better than anyone, was stricken with an unfamiliar fear. Robert wasted little time as he walked ahead of Michael. The tracks lead to a clearing along a steep slope. Bloodstains sullied the pristine snowy field, and buried beneath were the mutilated remains of the search party. Robert rushed toward the first person he saw. His eyes widened in horror from the gruesome sight. His nephew vomited and staggered away. Whatever killed him tore him in half, leaving his upper torso strung across the glistening snow. Robert followed the trail of his intestines, stretching toward his lower body. It lay collapsed in a pool of blood. He looked around to find limbs, guns, and mangled bodies. He gasped at the horror of what roamed in the silent forest. "Whatever did this—" Robert muttered. "We can't fight," Michael met his uncle's stern glare. Robert staggered to his feet, revealing discomfort in his leg. "Fucking coward is what you are, just like your father." "He has nothing to do with this! Whatever this thing is... We'll end up just like the others." "These were good people!" Michael stopped talking. He knew it was unwise to upset his uncle further. The young man looked around the sickening surroundings. He tried to make sense of everything. Robert whisked his beard again with trembling fingers. The entire scouting group was slaughtered by something beyond his knowledge. The distinct markings on their flesh were inconsistent with any local predators. There was a sense of malice behind how everyone was killed. The lanky figure he'd seen earlier wasn't an illusion; It was a very real threat. Robert turned to Michael. He thought about his safety. It was best to leave the area, but he wanted to avenge his fallen comrades. The horrific screech echoed nearby. Shivering, Michael turned in the direction of the sound. He knew his uncle wouldn't get far. He joined the search party because he wanted to help, to show he was nothing like his father. Sometimes his uncle would forget he was his own person. Michael looked behind his uncle and saw where the slope began. "Go on down without me," his uncle spoke. "Naw, I'm not going anywhere," Michael protested. "Not without you." "You see all this around you, right?" "I do, but I'm not going to leave you here." Another screech came from the trees behind Michael. Robert saw the determination in his nephew's eyes but failed to realize what he had planned. Tears rolled down his face. He looked behind Michael, glimpsing a lanky creature emerge from the trees. Sunken orange eyes were the last thing he remembered seeing from the beast. "Love ya, Uncle Rob," His nephew said before pushing him down the slope. "Please, forgive my father." Robert tumbled away, falling further down the barren slope. He saw a red mist linger in the air for moments before settling, followed by the championing howl of the devil that took his nephew. I've probably revised this story a bunch of times. This was originally in The Guardian of Hope (Sigma Version) as a holdover. I remember listening to the windigo mythos while shoveling snow. The intro gives a visceral feeling. I didn't hold back on the imagery. Of course, there's room for improvement. Give it a like, or comment! :3 This Novel Contains Mature Content Show This Chapter? Yes