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21 July 2011 at 17:43In the city center, more specifically on Flinders Street, a 17-year-old boy named Philip Mrown was walking along with his best friend, Andrea. He is of average height, with short slicked back hair, delicate features and a slim body. She is tall and slender, with mature looks, waist-length light brown hair and dark green eyes.Grey clouds covered the sky and dusk was fast approaching.Although winter had only just begun, the cold had already been hitting the city for several days. Andrea didn't seem to be affected much, as she was wearing only a light jumper. Philip, on the other hand, was wearing a synthetic sheepskin jacket.—Today's date was fun, wasn't it? —Andrea said, smiling, as she bent her body forward a little to slow Philip's steps, so that she could look him straight in the eye.—Yes...His answer was short, his voice choked. The two continued to walk side by side, in silence, though occasionally she would start a new conversation.—How did you see Touch? He seemed more cheerful than usual —she said, laughing a little.Philip smiled a slightly wistful smile before replying.—Yes, I think my brother has been in better spirits since we started visiting him frequently.—That makes me very happy, it's something I've been looking for years -she replied with a beaming smile.At the sight of that smile, Philip's feet stopped and his breath caught.They had arrived at their destination, the station on the banks of the Yarra River. Centrally located, Flinders Street Station is one of the busiest parts of the city and a frequent meeting point. However, none of them were going to the huge old building, but to the tram stop in the middle of Flinders Street. There, Andrea would catch the last tram, which left at 18:00.As they walked, Philip pondered over something that was not quite clear in his head. For much of the journey, he had a strange expression and was silent, except for the times when Andrea would start a conversation.A feeling had been welling up inside him for a while, but he hadn't been able to make it clear, and that bothered him a lot. There was something he wanted to tell his friend and, although he could have told her at any other time, something in his heart forced him to do it now.What do I want? —he thought, and then shook his head vigorously to clear his thoughts.When they reached the corner of the station, she took a few steps forward and then turned and waved gently to Philip, —I hope we meet again soon— she said before turning and crossing the street again, but as she tried to do so, something grabbed the sleeve of her jumper. It was him.—What's wrong? —Andrea asked, cocking her head to one side.He looked down in embarrassment, stammered, his face twisted, but he couldn't say anything at all.—Nothing. Please take care of yourself.He released her. She smiled slightly, various feelings seeping from her expression.—Yes, of course.Finally, they parted. Philip leaned against the metal fence surrounding the entrance to the station as he watched her cross to the stop. He sighed and looked up at the sky, trying to suppress the strange feeling that was tormenting him. At that moment, he noticed something that stole his attention and made him forget his confused feelings, replacing them with absolute terror.There was a small patch of purple color strained between the clouds.It was barely visible because it was getting dark, but there it was. A shiver ran through the boy's body.—Is that...?A few seconds later, the stain on the street in front of him extended several blocks into the city center.He looked around, but no one else had noticed what was happening. When he looked up at the sky again, a force pushed him backwards, his body flew out and landed on the stairs leading to the entrance of Flinders Station, about ten feet from where he was standing. A little dazed and disoriented, he managed to lift his torso off the ground. At that moment he was able to analyses the whole situation.A huge translucent, purple-coloured barrier fell from the edges of the patch of sky. He couldn't fully appreciate it due to its sheer size, but he estimated that the barrier enclosed a significant portion of the city center.—DARK ENERGY! RUN! —someone shouted from nearby.Panic spread throughout the place. Everyone outside the barrier fled as quickly as possible. The impact of the falling barrier also shattered part of the surrounding buildings, crushing some people with the debris. There was one thing that distracted him from everything going on around him, though.—Andrea is inside!Bearing all the pain and fatigue she was in, she forced herself to get up quickly and ran towards the barrier. While the people outside were running with all their might, those inside still didn't seem to realize what was happening. —Time seems to run slower in there," he concluded. He rolled up the sleeves of his coat, revealing a tight metal bracelet on his right wrist with a light blue button in the center. When he pressed that button, a small holographic screen was projected, he placed the pad of his index finger on that screen and, from underneath the bracelet, a silver-coloured metal unfolded and covered his entire hand, forming a sort of glove.As he was about to reach the barrier he could see Andrea, who had turned around, looking at him with a frightened expression. Enough time had passed for the people inside to learn of the situation.Philip struck the barrier with his metal glove, creating a thin, and five–foot-long gap inwards. He stretched his arm into the gap he had just created to reach Andrea, the time inside the barrier speeding up at that moment. She reached for his hand, but their fingers never touched.Andrea's body was ripped from the ground and flew tens of meters to the spot in the sky, but not only her, all the people, plants, animals, buildings, light poles and even the ground were separated from their places, flying across the sky to the spot, where they were shattered and returned as inert dust. This is one of the best known characteristics of that mysterious force known as "dark energy", the disintegration of matter.The barrier and the stain dissipated. Philip fell to his knees, on the edge of the huge crater that was once an important part of the city. He didn't understand what had just happened. His face contorted and from his mouth came a sentence that sounded like something he spat from deep inside himself.—Dark energy is... Psychis:Beings physically the same as humans, but with the ability to partially control a force called "dark energy". This allows them to have powers beyond comprehension: teleportation, precognition, telekinesis and a myriad of other abilities. Everything seems possible for them. Until the advent of the modern age, they were given names such as sorcerers, wizards or witches and were often violently persecuted by the rest of society because of the fear their powers provoked. In 1986, in Melbourne, Australia, the Dark Energy Users Civil Protection Act was passed, which sought to legally protect any psychi who set foot in that territory. Thus came waves of millions of them from all over the world to seek a place of refuge and freedom from the discrimination and hatred they suffered in the rest of the world. In 1993, the UK passed the Dark Reform Act, which sought to put an end to the disputes by curtailing certain freedoms for the Psychi in exchange for ensuring national security. Data on the current psychi population:0.09% of the population is Psychi (6,304,000 approximately). (2011 statistics).65% of Psychis live in Melbourne (4,090,000 approx.).20.6% (approximately 1,300,000) of Psychis live in the UK. Most live in the City of London.0.5% (approx. 35,000) of Psychis lives in Argentina. Most of them in Buenos Aires.4.5% (approx. 285,000) of Psychis live in the United States. Mainly in New York, Los Angeles and Miami.5.4% (approx. 343,000) of Psychis live in Japan. Mainly in Tokyo.4% (approx. 138,000) of Psychis live in various parts of the rest of the world.Psychi abilities and how they work:Psychis modify reality through their powers, but this modification is not conscious, so they cannot play with reality as they please. Changes are limited to the power of the user, which is usually a power strong enough to alter what everyone in the immediate environment perceives and feels, but not beyond. To make big changes requires a lot of power, and no psychi can manipulate reality as a whole, only transfer what he perceives before and after a change to those around him (something called personal or proximate reality).This is why most psychi abilities are combat or psychic, as these are the only ones they can put into practice. Although the process of "creating" these skills is not conscious, but is achieved after completing a stage called "activation", where after one or several psychological processes, usually related to a trauma, the user can start using a skill related to these processes. This "activation" is achieved after an intensification of these processes, so if it is, as in most cases, a trauma, the activation of the skill in question can be somewhat violent and it can take a long time for the Psychi to control the skill. Classification of psychic abilities:Grade 1: The lowest grade of skill, or as they are often called, "default". These are the skills that any psychi can possess. These are:-Flight.-Superhuman endurance.-Low temperature resistance.-Emission of dark energy currents.To find a psychi that does not possess some of these abilities is very rare.Grade 2: Psychic abilities.These are very common abilities and do not represent a great danger. At most, they can affect a small group of people, or affect no one at all. Among these abilities are: Telekinesis, Precognition, Mind Manipulation, etc.Grade 3: Medium complexity skills.These abilities are slightly more complex than psychic abilities, but do not represent a high degree of skill on the part of the user.High Grade: Unique and complex abilities.Extremely rare and very strong in combat. They consume a lot of energy and can only be used very rarely in combat. To obtain a high rank skill, you have to train thoroughly with a Grade 3 skill until it evolves, when the user adapts to the training. Dark energy amounts and consumption:Psychis possess something they call themselves as "Container", this is their internal store of dark energy and limits the amount they can produce of it. These containers are divided into "Cells"; each cell represents the amount of dark energy needed to fly for half an hour.An average psychi possesses between 80 and 140 cells. A grade 1 ability consumes between 1 and 10 cells per day. The amount increases on cold days.A grade 2 skill consumes between 3 and 7 cells each time it is used, depending on the complexity of the skill.A grade 3 skill consumes between 8 and 14 cells, again, depending on the complexity of the skill.High-grade skills consume between 20 and 55 cells.

The war had started at the behest of the elves when they were still one people. The First Children spoke of the great devourer, the herald of the end that would consume all things and leave this world a shriveled, cold husk of rock. They predicted that Mana, the god-gift which flowed through all things, the giver of life and the hope of the future, would be ended by this grave new threat. - On the Cataclysm by an unknown Quassian Scholar circa 103 AC The place between dreams and control is one where the imagination is free to run riot. In my dream state, I had flown over vast endless plains of grass filled with giant majestic animals, walled cities filled with stout armored knights, and a great blazing desert populated by worms that could swallow small suburbs whole. A cold breeze played across from the open window, bringing with it the sounds of an awakening city. The radio blurted out the morning news, the announcers' sonorous voice filling the emptiness of my small single room. Lately the dreams have been growing more vivid, more real, I mused as I forced myself to get out of bed. I almost tripped over a pile of books in my rush to the sink to brush my teeth, only correcting myself by flailing my hands to keep balance like some demented cartoon character. Staring into the mirror I turned once more to the dreams, how stimulating would it be to live in a world like that? After my morning toilet and getting dressed, I had a quick search in the mini-fridge in my room. The investigation revealed a half-eaten chocolate bar and a loaf with mold merrily growing on it. I quickly scarfed the bar down while hurriedly placing the moldy loaf in my bag along with some books that I would need for the day. Moving to the door to leave, I noticed a new letter from the management company of the building. I already knew it was going to be asking me to pay this month's rent which was two weeks late. My last job didn't pay as well as it had promised, so I would have to beg or borrow money from friends this month, or heaven forbid from my parents. Always I wondered how the management could charge so much for such a terrible room. There was a leak in the roof and the room was permanently damp in winter. Making sure to lock the door, I decided to take the long way to school through the park. I passed a jogger going the opposite direction who was determined on destroying their eardrums with the loud music blaring from her headphones. For a moment I could be sure that I heard the sound of an army marching to the beat of war...when the wild neigh of a warhorse was abruptly replaced by the harsh honking of a car in reality as a stray cat crossed the road. Snapping out of my episode, I crossed into the park and was greeted by familiar birdsong. Few people used the park at this time in the morning, and for a few precious moments it felt like this section of the park was truly mine. Lately I had the recurring notion that my life had been spiraling out of control. My recent break-up had done more damage to my confidence than I cared to admit, and it had started to affect my studies and my part-time job. I replayed in my mind the phone conversation with her again, my curt "Okay," before putting the phone down. Should I have begged instead? Bought a present with my non-existent money? Round and round the scenarios swirled. Torturing myself with these thoughts I continued walking through the park until I reached a small pond. Ducks swam lazily across the brown surface, quacking and occasionally diving down to feed, tufted bottoms in the air. I noticed a few indistinct shapes of fish lurking in the murky depths. Reaching into my bag for the moldy loaf, I began feeding the ducks and fish. A frenzy of activity whirled wherever I threw the bread, and I smiled as two birds squabbled over a larger piece. I was just about to throw another piece when a large shadow appeared beneath the birds, a shape growing so suddenly I was forced to step back in surprise. Something flew towards me and I instinctively closed my eyes. I could have sworn I felt water graze my cheek, but when I opened my eyes there was nothing but the peaceful scene of ducks and fish. Shaken, I quickly threw the rest of the loaf into the pond and took off. Feeling disorientated I hurried to my lecture, making it with a little time to spare. I had few friends and none of them had chosen this particular course, so I found my customary corner near the back and sat down to prepare. My mind began wandering again to the dreams and my encounter in the park. Overactive imagination, I thought to myself. Too rich a diet of video games and fantasy books. The history lecturer's sonorous voice, as it had done so many times in the past, brought me back to reality. I loved the subject and had already looked over the section of the text we would be studying, but the lecturer on the podium's voice was just so monotonous. Ever since primary school, I had been gifted with great teachers who made it one of the more enjoyable subjects taught, but it seemed that I had lucked out in higher education. It required memorization of facts and dates, but the main difficulty was giving these things life through good prose that answered the limited number of questions that could be posed in a concise manner. Here again, my mind was wandering. An errant thought drew me to picture fields of the most brilliant emerald grass, a viridian sea swaying softly in the wind... Grass...? I could hear the whispering susurration of each individual blade dancing to the cool spring breeze. The taste of the crisp clean air pervaded my imagination, a striking contrast to the acrid aftertaste of the city. I saw a small hill with what looked like a large acacia tree overlooking it, a vision that would make for the most perfect of landscape pictures. I yearned to go there, and one step later I was...back in the lecture hall as the lecturer continued listing the reasons for the fall of an empire. I listened with half an ear to the lecturer, occasionally casting a glance at a girl a few seats away on my right. Hair like burnt gold cascaded around her shoulders and framed a heart-shaped face with eyes of cornflower blue. A cute button nose, a little upturned, was perfectly positioned above blossom soft pink lips. I knew her name as I had heard her friends greet her once before, but I never had the courage to introduce myself. Sighing, I entered an almost zen-like autopilot for the rest of the lecture, my subconscious taking in all the relevant data. After the lecture finished I checked my timetable on my phone. The next one would be in the late afternoon, providing me a little time to carry out a few errands in town. With a smile, I was reminded that I had scheduled to play a game online with a friend later in the evening. It was so difficult recently to find time to do things together as we both lived in different time zones. But first I needed to go to the post office to pick up a package. Whistling an off-key tune I made my way to my next destination to find a long lunchtime queue had already formed. Patiently, I waited in line, part of the tune on endless repeat in my mind. Finally, my turn had arrived. The cashier was a bespectacled mousy woman of middle years, hair tied in a tight bun with small streaks of gray just beginning to appear. She pretended to carefully check over my details before handing me a small brown package and an invoice for import tax. I grudgingly counted out the necessary money. As an aside, I asked her the cost of sending a package back to its country of origin. With a sigh, clearly already irritated by my presence, she replied, "Well, you will have to choose between..." " Choose! " a voice thundered somewhere behind me. Eyes wild, I turned searching for the source of the voice. "...will be more expensive but faster..." I half-heard the post clerk continue. "Choose!" the voice thundered even louder, and this time there was a burning sensation in my heart and lungs. It felt as if chains were constricting them, squeezing ever tighter. I leaned against the counter for support as I tried to desperately breathe. "I did take my medicine this morning, didn't I...?" I panicked before remembering my rush to leave early. Screaming a silent "No," as my eyes glazed over and I began to fall to my knees. Some of the people in the queue behind me rushed to help. The last thing I remember was the clerks' change of expression from annoyance, to worry, then to perturbing awe. As the pain became too great, I felt something important give way inside. This is what death is, I thought to myself, as I felt a sensation of falling. I was traveling through a place filled with a bright incandescent light before I was wrenched into a brand new reality. Suddenly next to me was...the girl from the lecture hall? Cornflower eyes once so warm and soft now seemed cold, and the lines of her mouth and lips had become hard and unyielding. A wave of disorientation passed over and I could hear a ringing in my head before her features fully shifted. In front of me now was the perfect ideal of classical female beauty, like the ancient Greek statues of yore. It felt so strange, yet somehow absolutely right. As if this was fated, like the final piece of a puzzle finally slotting into place. A perfect veiled symmetry of face and form. Piercing cobalt eyes both familiar yet utterly alien under sheer cloth were framed in a delicate, now oval face. Her loose gown, similar to a roman stola, billowed slightly as if floating in the water around a more luscious figure. Beneath a lovely high nose, sensuous lips stained crimson hinted at the beginning of a playful smile. With a rising sense of panic in my throat, I began to question what this experience truly was. The encounter was so distant from anything I could have ever imagined in any vapid daydream. " You have been chosen, " the figure intoned with the lightness of an angel, yet carrying an ominous echo of ages long passed. Through some intangible power, I sank to my knees, overwhelmed by a mixture of absolute reverence and adoration. I could not bring myself to raise my head. I am not a religious man, but a small corner of my heart communicated that I was in the presence of absolute divinity. " I am justice and you shall be my herald. All that you do will be in my name. You will be the avatar of my will, " the goddess proclaimed, for there could be no doubt that she was indeed a goddess. My heart missed a beat with every exclamation, and I could do nothing but bow under that divine gaze. Still, where bravery failed, panic and fear rallied. "Why?" I croaked under the weight of the holy countenance. " You have been judged and have not been found wanting. A life lived without sin and in service to your fellow man. A soul that is compatible with our needs. Forged anew to be a tool of the righteous. This will be our covenant, " she stated in a voice filled with total control. I felt a burgeoning sense of excitement and forced adulation invading my inner being. But still, the fear remained in the leftover hollow places of my soul, crying against the wrongness with every beat of my heart. A soft warmth spread throughout, every fiber of my being was filled with purpose, and every word struck my soul with the force of a hammer. A look of puzzlement crossed her face for a fraction of a fraction of a second, as if she was analyzing all that stood before her. A hesitant smile tinged with sorrow grew across her face and once again I felt my soul rise with joy as tears tracked their way across my face. Lifting my face she spoke unto me, " But, let it not be said that there is no justice without mercy. Though it will cost me greatly, you will be given a day to face the trials to come. I am Avaria. " The last utterance was said with such lament that I was filled with nothing but a deep shame; a feeling that a being such as myself was unworthy of such benevolence. Slowly I felt the warmth start to fade from my soul as my dream began to fade back to reality. The peace was followed by a sudden and jarring sensation of falling... The idyllic dream and sense of complete fulfillment were then utterly shattered as tendrils of shadow ripped through what felt like infinite universes...stabbing into my very soul, drawing me into a gaping void of utter darkness. Flailing my arms and legs around, I sought a way to escape whatever dire fate awaited me. The tendrils originated from a giant maw that grew ever closer as it drew me steadily in. I struggled more, howling animal noises as I devolved into an absolute panic. I sought the calm within the storm. A flash of understanding swept across my mind as the tendrils bored ever deeper into my being; I was Avaria's chosen. 'The goddess would surely not abandon me...' I clutched to this fleeting hope before it was swiftly snuffed out as I was finally pulled with a sudden force within the maw. My being was stretched and compressed before finally being spat again into the void. Darkness was so absolute that it was more than just the absence of light. As primal fear finally overcame me I sensed a consuming presence. I could feel it breathing behind my neck, yet suffusing all around me; a paradox of being. Yet the embers of divine revelation still flickered, and somewhere I found it utter the word, "Who...?" A voice rumbled with laughter which betrayed an infinite slowness of eons and the volume of a meteor impact. "What are you...Are you a god?" I squeaked as fear once again ruled my soul. Laughter sounded again that evoked images of barren deserts and the death throes of dying stars. " I am not a God, " it intoned, followed by a pause which held the time of the rise and fall of empires. " I am a higher Truth. The final Truth of all things. " It spoke as I felt my very sense of self shredded, rewritten and analyzed again and again. " Avaria is a mere mortal and flawed concept. She has Chosen and Claimed, but in her mercy broke the Rules. She thought to prepare you from my brothers and I, to gift you enough sweet precious time to ready yourself for the great trials. What a foolish child, to think that we would not notice. No respite can be given in the rules of the great game. I claim you now, child of Earth, " the voice exclaimed with all the dread of a dying world. Sibilant whispers skittered across my mind intruding upon my consciousness, shaping it so that I might better understand the being and prevent my mind from shattering against the cliffs of insanity I now stood upon. The whispers, echoes of the great being, spoke directly in my mind with voices like sharpened glass. Every word was a lesson in pain. " We will gift you nothing but our curse. We care nothing for your success or failure. We will simply try again as this moment will fold into itself once more. Know utterly the futility of your existence. However, we will curse you with that which so often shapes mortal existence. I give you pain, as a small reminder that here you exist for a blinking of an eye to the eternity of the cosmos. Take this and know a fleeting joy, mortal. The pain I give to you, you will give to others, as is the nature of your being. The pain will guide your growth in your new world, guide your understanding. An endless spiral of lost energy to chaos. As it once was, so shall it all be again, " intoned the being. Then an agony filled me across long moments, flaying the fibers of my soul. All thoughts of the goddess burned away. A moment stretched across infinity. And all I could do was hear the hollow laughter of a thousand uncaring gods. This Novel Contains Mature Content Show This Chapter? Yes

KI opened my eyes for the first time. I saw a woman and a man who seemed to be my parents. "Wow this sweet child, mother's child" - "no this sweet child must be father's child" Mom and dad love me, day and night change, day, Sunday and month change. maybe in this story I can't tell my heroic story yet, wait for the next chapter. This Novel Contains Mature Content Show This Chapter? Yes

The diviners and the truth seers of the elves called for war against a small country far to the west, across the Untouched Sea, ruled by a mage-king they divined would bring about the end-times. The High King of the elves, acknowledging the words of the prophecy, sent his envoys to the realms of man and throughout the civilized lands. - On the Cataclysm by an unknown Quassian Scholar circa 103 AC I awoke still naked, sodden, and shivering. Teeth rattled in my skull as I futilely fought against the cold. My earlier joy at being transported to a new world had now mostly evaporated. This world was full of pain and suffering greater than anything I had known in the old world. My discomfort demanded that I look with my inner gaze at the notifications; 100 Experience gained. New Skill: Power Strike (lvl.1) New Spells: Heal (lvl.1), Rust (lvl.1) Level 2 attained - 3 unassigned attributes have been distributed automatically. STATUS Calling: $%^& Level 2 Acolyte of Avaria Strength: 8 Dexterity: 8 Constitution: 9 Intelligence: 8 Wisdom: 8 Charisma: 8 Luck: 10 SKILLS & PROFICIENCIES Pain Nullification (lvl.1) Power Strike (lvl.1) SPELLS & MAGIC Heal (lvl.1) Rust (lvl.1) GIFTS Curse of Entropy -20% all starting attributes. Experience to next level 100/220 I scrambled closer to the tree, sitting against its hard trunk. Gathering myself, I closed my eyes and tried to draw a deep even breath. Gazing to the bottom left corner of my vision where my Health, Stamina, and Mana were represented, I scanned my new status; Health: 5/13 Stamina: 14/16 Mana: 4/6 My thoughts scattered as I realized my Health was just over a third, really more when I thought about it...no, just under half. This must be responsible for the stabbing pain that throbbed all over my body. It was incomparable of course to the banquet of agony that I had gorged on previously. I noticed the irony that two of my randomly assigned points were allocated to Luck. This was my new reality it seemed. I was stuck in a cursed game that felt like a thousand other games I had played across my life. I could not stifle a manic laugh that possessed my body. Great shakes filled me with pain as the madness tore through my being. My hysteria ceased abruptly when I realized my Health had dropped by one point. I was going to die here. Ripped across time and space to die to exposure under a tree in this unknown and alien world. I needed to think rationally before insanity overtook me again. I needed to regain Health. My eyes darted, panic drove a manic scramble of my thoughts as I desperately sought something to save me from this predicament. "Heal!" I desperately shouted, willing something, anything, to save me. A pulling sensation shifted energy through my body, followed by a hint of soft warmth, then nothing. Echoes of absolutely nothing. It would appear that my spell had failed. I cried tears of frustration at the futility of it all. Magic was tantalizingly out of reach. "What can I do?" I puzzled to myself as despair began to rise again. Unbidden returned memories of a mathematics lesson once long-forgotten. My mind reviewed the calculations involved with factoring, polynomials, and double-decked equations. I smiled brusquely; I was never good at mathematics but was surprised about how much I could comprehend in my new mental state. You have gained 1 Intelligence The message floated across my vision. Incredulously I looked at my status, noticing that despite no change to my maximum Mana, I had increased a point of my available Mana to five. "What did this all mean?" I wondered to myself as another dull wave of pain hit me. Shivering I rose on shaky legs, leaning against the tree to survey my surroundings. Under the tree lay the familiar sight of the dilapidated altar with the fallen statue of the goddess. Yet as he looked down at his feet he noticed something unfamiliar; a bundle of rough-spun cloth. "The third person, I must be losing it..." I gathered the bundle to myself and opened it. Inside was a coarse robe of a similar fabric to the cloth bundle. Hastily I scrambled to put the robes on my still-shivering body, ignoring the itchy sensation that reminded me of sackcloth. Finally tying the robe closed, an immediate sense of security stirred me. A tear tracked down my face as the constant hum of vulnerability finally lessened, if only moderately. I grit my teeth and forced myself to focus. The world I was in resembled a game, and I had played many games. There were rules and I needed to find and test every aspect out as soon as possible. I wanted to live, in defiance of all the suffering I had experienced. Hands still shaking, I whimpered in pain. My available Mana had risen to five now from four. Perhaps I needed more Mana to cast the spell or was the earlier dull pain the result of a miscast? Some games I knew had a chance of spell failure, especially for novice magic users. Last time I definitely felt something when I tried to cast Heal, and I refused to give up. "Heal!" I shouted out to the world, willing myself to be made whole. Once again I felt a power shift slowly and flow sluggishly through me, yet this time an unpleasant ripping sensation coursed through my insides. A pleasant sensation of healing warmth followed this. My Mana had bottomed out to zero, but my Health had increased by two points. I now had about half of my Health. Everything felt like such a burden, my earlier enthusiasm was fleeing from me as I was assaulted by a painful attack on my mind. Stabbing needles beat against my brain as I wearily struggled back to the tree and sat. My breath began to slow. I fought against closing eyelids that weighed like a mountain, remembering a platitude from a previous life before they shut. "The serenity to accept the things that you can not change," I whispered as a troubled sleep came over me. How apt... You have gained 1 Wisdom STATUS Calling: $%^& Level 2 Acolyte of Avaria Strength: 8 Dexterity: 8 Constitution: 9 Intelligence: 9 Wisdom: 9 Charisma: 8 Luck: 10 SKILLS & PROFICIENCIES Pain Nullification (lvl.1) Power Strike (lvl.1) SPELLS & MAGIC Heal (lvl.1) Rust (lvl.1) GIFTS Curse of Entropy -20% all starting attributes. Experience to next level 100/220 Health: 6/13 Stamina: 14/16 Mana: 1/6 This Novel Contains Mature Content Show This Chapter? Yes

"Yes, Alice. Join our little group!" ... "No." I replied flatly. "HELL. Fucking. No." The elf man blinked, then laughed softly, "Oh come on! Don't be so stubborn. You were quite eager a month ago." I raised my head to look him in the eyes, "I'll be dead weight if I do, you fashion eyesore," I continued, turning to Lori, "Look, I'll fess up." She looked at me seriously and expectingly. I took a deep breath, "After the incident in Rivershire, I haven't been able to use any high level magic. Any. Magic, in fact." Technically true. Lori's eyes widened, and she frowned, "Alice wait, that's..." "I said it was complicated on the road," I insisted. "Truth is, it's...like all the spell formulae were wiped from my mind. My large mana reserves are still there, which is why I started practicing Mana Bolt. Who knows, I may have gotten cursed for all I know." Technically true also. Lori turned pale, staring at me in horror, "Oh gods. That's...I can't imagine how..." That probably had very different connotations for Alice's sister than it did for me. The magic would have been Alice's one calling card and her pride and joy in life. To me, this might be my ticket out of danger. "Yeah," I agreed quietly. "You heard me. That's the truth." The elf sighed heavily, shaking his head, "I knew it was too good to be true. A teenaged human on the cusp of attaining an Archmage title." "You're really not helping right now," I said crossly, folding my arms. "Not one bit." "I'm sorry," he apologized sincerely. "But we do need your help, Alice." "I don't want to join your stupid gang," I growled angrily. The elf bristled, staring down at me. "Gang? Listen here, we are esteemed heroes of the land, not some common thugs." Lori stepped between us protectively, "Alice, calm down-" I waved her off angrily, stepping away. I snarled, and couldn't help but ooze malice as I glared at her. Everything had sucked. Really sucked, since I'd woken up here. Lori dragged me off to get roughes up by bandits, and put me into high pressure situations one time after another. And I just took it. All that pent-up frustration I felt towards Lori boiled over in an instant. She had the gall to give me shit for my magic after putting me through all that. "You know what? Fuck you, Lori. Fuck you for putting me through the grinder this week. I hate you! I hate your fucking antics, and all the fucking danger you've been dropping on my head. Constantly." "Alice!" Lori yelled, shocked. "And fuck you too, old man!" I spat at the elf. "You think you can just waltz in here and recruit me while I'm under duress? You're an asshole." "Alice, I know you're upset and frightened right now," the elf began slowly. "But please hear me out before you make a decision." "No!" I shouted. "No more! Fuck this shit!" I turned around and ran down the street, only to see another one of the demon-beast things standing there. It roared loudly as it lunged towards me. "Alice!" Lori called out behind me. I spun around, and saw her running down the street as well. She pulled something small and white from her pocket, and threw it at the beast. A ball of light exploded into existence, enveloping the creature in a bright glow. It let out a high pitched squeal before dissolving into particles of light. "Please!" Lori called again, catching up with me. I glared up at her, and she gave me a sad, conflicted smile. "Sis," she repeated softly. "Please..." I took a deep breath, and shook my head. "No. Fuck off." She looked like she wanted to say something else, but she didn't get a chance. The air suddenly grew thick and heavy, and my vision blurred. I could barely breathe. I dropped to my knees, gasping for breath. There was an oppressive feeling in the air. Like, someone wanted us to die. "What...the hell?" I muttered, looking up at Lori in confusion. Her eyes narrowed, and she began to sweep her eyes across the street again. She stopped when she noticed something in the distance. I followed her gaze and spotted several black shapes moving closer to us. They were three large, vaguely humanoid creatures with long arms that ended in claws. Their skin was dark greyish-black, and they had glowing red eyes. A man in black robes was at the forefront, waving his hands in a strange pattern. He wore a heart-shaped red mask, obscuring his face. "What's that?" I asked Lori nervously. Lori took a combat stance, staring at him seriously. "Some sort of ritual magic. He's pouring a ridiculous amount of mana into it." "Ritual magic?" I echoed uncertainly. "That's what I said," she replied impatiently. "I'm not sure I want to find out," I murmured uneasily. "Probably not." Lori deadpanned. The mage raised his hand, and pointed it towards us. There was a flash of blue light, and the ground beneath our feet began to shake violently. Several cracks appeared along the road, and we both fell back onto the pavement as the earth split apart. The two halves of the street cracked further, and began to crumble away. We scrambled backwards to avoid falling into the yawning chasm below us. "Fuck!" I screamed angrily. I stared down into the crevice as it widened, and then swallowed hard when I realized how far down it went. It seemed to go on forever, until finally it reached a point where I couldn't see the bottom anymore. "Oh gods," I whispered hoarsely. Suddenly, a plane of pure light popped into existence beneath us. I looked up, only to see a...tall bird-man in blue priest's robes holding his hands in a prayer, approaching us from the side. His eyes were closed, and he was muttering something under his breath, and he was holding on to some sort of necklace. "What's happening?" I asked Lori frantically. "Dodgson!" she answered with a smile. "Glad you could make it!" The avian opened his eyes, and smiled a giant bird smile at us. "I am glad you are alright, Miss Liddell." One by one, the members of her adventuring party ran up beside us, staring down the masked mage, and the three humanoid shadow monsters surrounding him. Dinah - the catgirl with a bow, the elf with the orange hair and tophat, the avian cleric, the rabbitman who I assumed was some kind of trickster, the shapeshifting woman. I was still furious at her, but Lori and I huddled together almost out of instinct as the creatures approached us. "Are you okay?" Lori asked me worriedly. I nodded slowly, still staring at the hole in the ground. "I think so." "Good." She sighed in relief. "Look sis...let's have a heart to heart after. Please. I...I honestly just want to keep you safe. And our family safe too." I gave her a flat look, "You know what? No." "Alice..." she asked quietly. "Because," I said coldly, "I don't care about your stupid gang. If you can't keep me safe without it, then fuck off. If you want me to be safe, you've had one hell of a funny way of showing it this week." The creature looked like a mix between a snake, a bat, and a humanoid body with glowing red eyes. Its mouth opened wide, revealing rows of razor sharp teeth that dripped with black ichor. The largely muscular yet serpentine, humanoid body was covered in shimmering scales. Its head was largely bat-shaped, with two gigantic bat wings that spurted out from its back. t was horrific, like a monster out of my worst nightmares and night terrors. Its mouth was surrounded by over a dozen claws that clicked, chittered, and gnashed as their tendrils swayed in the unnatural mist that surrounded us. The worst part about it? It looked distinctly off from the art style of this world. Like, we were all cel-shaded 2.5 dimensional anime characters out here, but this thing was shimmering with a distinct, distorted, uncanny valley shimmering CGI. It twisted and cracked, and then it turned to face us. I felt my stomach churn as it shifted and chittered in an eerie slithering motion. I took another step back, stricken by sheer terror. No, no, no. Fuck this! "We need to stop him!" Lori yelled suddenly. "Now! We can't let him summon another greater hellspawn." "Lori! Take point!" the elf with the tophat shouted, tossing a potion into the air. "You got it Chief!" She surged forth, and it looked like she was teleporting towards the mage every step. Lori caught the potion in midair and hurled it towards the crowd of monsters. It exploded in midair, causing some kind of liquid to shower down on the monsters below. A cloud of white smoke began to fill the street. The elf clicked a button on his belt, and suddenly we could see the monsters perfectly through the smoke. "Moving to flank!" Dinah shouted immediately. She jumped to a nearby rooftop. The avian priest rushed forward next to us, "Following up!" he declared eagerly. He closed his eyes, and began to rapidly chant something under his breath. His hands started to glow bright blue, and he was muttering faster than I could follow. Dinah jumped down from her perch and charged across the gap below. A pair of claws lashed out at her from above, but she pulled up at the last second and slammed right through the beast's head. There was a loud crackle as electricity arced along her arms for several seconds before fading away completely. She landed lightly on a rooftop, smiling confidently. The rabbitman who had been silently observing everything burst out in laughter. Then, he disappeared in a pop in the chaos. The serpentine creature reached behind it to draw a dagger which it threw straight at the catgirl on the roof and jumped at her. Dinah sidestepped easily enough and weaved into an agile butterfly kick as it closed the gap in an instant. Faster than I could blink, it began to slash at Dinah as she bobbed and weaved, trying to desperately avoid its claws. The avian raised his hands, and a dome popped up around Dinah as the creature swiped at her, causing it to recoil against a glancing hit. She regained her stance in an instant, and fired three arrows back through the dome. The snake-bat demon shrieked, and Dinah jumped into it with a double kick with her steel boots. It twisted backwards over it as it fell to the ground. Her boots connected with the bat-winged monster's chest, sending it skidding across the pavement until it came to rest against a building with a loud crash. It flailed uselessly around on all fours for a few moments, and then turned to face us once again. Its eyes burned brighter red than ever before. Lori charged through the smoke forward towards the main target, leaping into the air without any sort of warning. She slammed her legs into the mage with her sword raised high above her head. The masked mage was thrown backward through the air where he crashed into a nearby building, followed closely by Lori and the shapeshifter, who had turned into a wolf again. The three horrifying, humanlike creatures moved to flank Lori and the Shapeshifter as they charged in. "Focus the mage first!" the elf yelled, rushing in front of me with an intricate-looking crossbow drawn. "Dinah! Support Lori! Dodgson, with us! Defensive posturing!" My heart was pounding wildly now. I felt like my entire body would collapse, and I would sink down helplessly to my knees trembling if I wasn't careful. I breathed hard, hyperventilating. I was getting more used to these situations than I'd have liked, but I still didn't feel completely comfortable being surrounded by a bunch of monsters right out of my nightmares. I clutched my staff with bone-white knuckles as I braced myself for whatever would come next. I turned over to look for a moment at the brawl between the masked mage and the creatures with the slender limbs on one and the shapeshifting woman. Lori blinked around the battlefield a few times, parrying blows as the woman shifted from her wolf form back to a humanoid. She waved her hands, and then roots burst forth from the ground, capturing all three creatures at once. The rabbit man suddenly appeared behind one of them, stabbing a pair of daggers through its heart and throat at once. In my single, split second of distraction, I created an opening for the monster. "Child! Get behind me!" Dodgson called to me urgently, his hand extended toward me palm up and glowing. The demon screeched loudly and rushed forward faster than any of us could react. I stepped back, eyes widening in terror. The elf man fired his crossbow rapidly, filling its body up with six bolts, but it wasn't enough to stop its momentum. Dodgson threw up a barrier, but this time, the creature smashed directly through it. It swung its limbs, slicing the elf man across the stomach and throwing him into a wall. I screamed, scrambling to cast a mana bolt, but my mind blanked from the sheer terror at the unnatural, otherworldly creature and the spell fizzled in my hand. I could only stare at it in horror as its claws reached for my face while its teeth latched onto my neck at the same time. I jerked back out of instinct, but the creature was too agile, and the blinding pain hit me immediately. It pulled its head back as it ripped open my throat. The blood began flowing freely from my wound, and my vision started to go dark around the edges as I gurgled and struggled desperately not to pass out and well, die. I flailed, stumbling around as blood began to spurt out of my torn neck. It hurt so much, worse than anything that I had ever experienced before. I had broken my leg before in my old life, and I'd had some nasty cooking accidents. Nothing compared to this. The creature's horrible gnashing teeth chittered victoriously as it reared itself back onto its legs. The image of the horrible, disjointed, unnatural CGI movements etched itself into my rapidly-fading mind. I could dimly make out Lori stopping her assault on the mage head to turn to me. She dropped her sword in shock as the world began to blur and fade away from me, and I saw her began to shamble in my direction. Then, she threw her head back as she let out an anguished wail of pure despair. I staggered, struggling with all the willpower I had to stay conscious. So, this is it... I didn't even have a chance to react. Heh... "and I beseech thee, Mother of all life, all that is sacred. Lay thine hands of soothing on this childe." ...and a white light washed over me as the avian priest muttered something under his breath. The wound on my throat closed in a snap, and I felt fatigued like I'd just rolled out of bed. My throat burned with a phantom pain, and I could still feel the creature's razor-sharp jaws on my bare throat. My vision instantly refocused, and I reflexively drew the symbols for Mana Bolt in my head. Adrenaline pumped while I sloppily poured everything I had into the crystal of my staff. My heart was racing like never before when I felt something in my mind stir. A memory. I pushed harder, trying to get closer to a feeling my soul remembered. Time seemed to slow down to a crawl. The sensation grew stronger, and I suddenly recalled the time I'd met Lori. In the Liddell estate within this very town. I had been constantly annoyed, but at some level amused by her antics. Why was I thinking about that? I focused on my magic core, and began to channel energy into it rapidly. I suddenly felt very alone, so alone that I wanted nothing more than to run away and hide somewhere safe where nobody could hurt me...but here I am. I snapped back to reality as the power swelled inside of me uncontrollably, and a ball of blue light exploded from my staff as a large Mana Bolt formed and shot forth point blank, slamming directly into the creature in front of me. I had pumped everything I had in the tank into this one. The monster screeched loudly again, and it was launched into the air by the blue ball. The blue ball rapidly expanded as the creature was lifted higher and higher into the air in an erratic, oscillating pattern. The ball grew larger and larger until it was the size of a multi-story apartment building, and the creature was launched over two hundred meters into the sky before my mana bolt exploded . There was a blinding flash of light which caused everyone to flinch instinctively as an explosion filled the sky, and a pressure wave rippled out from it. I barely managed to keep myself standing upright against the blast as I shielded my eyes with my arm. I heard someone let out an angry yell behind me while another person yelled for us to fall back and regroup. My vision began to blur as my eardrums pounded, and I could hear a wail that registered to me as despair. My vision started to clear up, but I saw double for several seconds until finally... I fell over. My vision blurred again, and then, everything went dark.

Things didn't really start off all that weird, but boy - that sure didn't last. My eyes fluttered open as normal. A slow, gradual build-up to waking up. I savored the sensation of being in bed, and kept my eyes closed, tossing and turning around. It was a nice, chilly day, but not too cold. I reached over to the side of my bed where I normally kept my phone. And, uh, it wasn't there. So, I opened my eyes, and I was suddenly worried that I'd gone blind, until I realized it was just my hair. Wait a minute. There was no way I had bangs... and my hair was blue?! So, turns out I wasn't in my room. That's one thing to worry about right away. But what really yanked my chain was... well. I don't know how to explain it, other than this. It was anime. Not that I woke up in a room full of figurines and posters, and whatnot. I mean it was literally anime . I was...god dammit, I'm in an actual anime?! I even did that cliche thing where you rub your eyes to try and restore some normalcy to reality. Nope! Still anime. My heart was thumping, but I barely even noticed it. I held my hands up and looked at them: they were nothing like any normal person's hands. They were cel-shaded! God dammit, don't look in the mirror, don't look in the mirror.... I looked in the mirror. I was looking at a young anime girl with blueish-purple hair and purple eyes. A girl who was about fourteen or fifteen stared back at me. Okay, okay, calm down. Calm down! I slowly put my hands down and took a deep breath. The air smelled different. There was something about it that felt more like... home? "Ugh," I groaned, "what's going on here?" This isn't real. This isn't real. This isn't real. Okay, that doesn't make it feel any better. But still. The first thing I needed to do was figure out what had happened. Was this some kind of dream or hallucination? Maybe I was still asleep, and I just couldn't remember. I looked around. I was in a white room with cream walls. The floor was made of wood, and there were a few windows in the far wall. On the left side of the room was a door leading outside, and on the right was a window with curtains behind it. There was also a table with a chair next to it, and a small cabinet against the wall. I reached up to my head, the reflection following the same. I had an ahoge. A goddamned. Ahoge! One of those dumb swirly hair strands that anime characters sometimes have. The one with the little swirls going around the middle. I'm not sure why, but I started giggling hysterically. There was something so surreal about it all. Like waking up after a crazy dream or hallucination, except... there was nothing else. No dreams. No hallucinations. Just me looking at myself in the mirror. And laughing. After a few minutes, I stopped laughing. My breathing slowed down. Okay, now I was freaking out. What the hell was happening here?! Was I dreaming? Had I lost my mind? How come my phone wasn't here? Where was here? Why was I in an anime world? "Goddammit," I muttered to myself. "This has to be a dream." But it felt too real. Everything felt natural, and normal. What if this was my life now? I wondered. I pinched myself, and winced in pain. ...Ah fuck no, I can't do this! I can already feel the existential dread bubbling up my spinal cord. I did the classic exaggerated pose where you slap your hands to either side of your face. And I screamed as loudly as I could, with the high pitched voice of an anime girl. The sound echoed through the room and reverberated off the walls and ceiling and.... the room shook? What?! I froze. Then the door swung open as another anime girl strode through. "Whoa!" she cocked her head to the side as she passed by me and stopped next to the window next to me, "What's going on?" Her eyes went wide. The girl had short, light blue hair and lavender purple eyes, and she was wearing a white shirt with a red skirt. Her shoes were cute little sandals with red bows on them, and she wore a mischievous smile. She looked like she was either in her late teens or early 20s, but it was hard to tell with anime. "Wh-what? Wh-wh-why are you screaming?!" I pointed to my face, "I'm an anime character! This is a dream!" She stared at me blankly for a moment before laughing. "Oh my god, you're hilarious! I haven't laughed like that in forever." "Huh?" I blinked, "Why do you say that?" "Because you're so freaking adorable!" she smiled at me, "Come on, let's get you out of here. I love your quirky sense of humor, Alice-chan. And what in the seven hells is an ah-nee-may?" I didn't know what to say. I was just staring at her. She seemed so familiar. But I couldn't place where I'd seen her before. "Alice-chan?" "So, so silly," she giggled. "I-I'm sorry, but what?" "It's okay, you'll understand soon enough. Come on, we've got some exploring to do today!" "Exploring?" "Yeah, it's a surprise," she said, "but trust me, it's gonna be awesome." I nodded. She reached out and grabbed my hand. "Let's go, then," she smiled. We walked out into the hallway. "Wait," I turned to her, "who are you?" She smiled and waved her hands dismissively. "You're such a silly little goose, you know, Alice-chan?" I frowned, "No, I mean, what's your name? You know, what I call you. Your name. So, what's yours?" She tilted her head at me and shrugged. "Well, you are getting to that age where you should probably stop calling me Onee-chan, yeah?" Onee-chan? Wasn't that... Japanese for older sister? I shook my head, "I don't think so. I just meant...I'd like to call you something other than that?" I stated carefully. She chuckled, "Look at you trying to act cool again." She rolled her eyes and sighed, "Fine, fine. We're adventurers now anyway. Call me Lori, then." "Lori...?" "Yep! Now, let's get you geared up and outta here for a big first day!" "Geared up?" "Sure, why not? We've gotta show our faces around town, after all. Right?" I blinked. "Alrighty, follow me, I'll take care of everything." We entered the bedroom area and she pulled clothes out of the closet and dresser. I watched her curiously, wondering what exactly she would pick out. I blinked, and suddenly, she was in a full set of french style breastplate and half gauntlets, a matching mailed skirt with a puffy waistband, and high plated boots. She had a sword on her hip that shimmered with some ornate-looking runic carvings. Woah. I stood there awkwardly while she changed into her outfit. Then she helped me change mine. I felt her yank my pajamas off over my head, and in a blur of motion, I was fully dressed. I looked like a mage. I wore a simple black robe over a simple dress. I had a belt with two pockets, which contained a wand and staff. In addition, there was a bag slung across my shoulders; I could see inside of it when I tilted my head slightly upward and backwards. It appeared to contain scrolls and potions, all kinds of odds and end like rings and small gemstones, and an oversized wizard hat. When Lori saw me, she gasped and clapped excitedly, "Wow! Look at you! You look great!" I scowled at nobody in particular. "Thanks, I suppose?" "Don't worry," she grinned, "Once you get used to it, it becomes second nature." She winked, "Now hurry up, we're running late!" "Huh?" I asked, confused. "Yes," she replied impatiently, "Now come on, we've got a big day ahead!" "Wait just a minute..." "Time awaits for no-one!" she slapped both of her palms together and gave me a thumbs up. I furrowed my brow. She continued on with her exposition, "Look. Our group has gotten pretty popular lately! We take on the biggest and meeeeeeaaanest of monsters out of people's nightmares." Lori pumped her fists in the air, and suddenly her lavender eyes were replaced by stars. I could see sparkles coming off her entire body as she squeed. "And with my little sister, the prodigy mage, our party is complete! We can stop our spiraling finances, and get mother and father out of debt in no time. Maybe we'll get to keep the house! And steak on our tables!" Her countenance shifted away from her....sparkling gushing, and her eyes were suddenly hidden by a dark shadow. "Maybe....maybe we'll finally be the ones to take down the Demon Lord! Those beasties won't know what hit 'em! Fufufufufufu! !!" I stared at her, and I could feel my right eye twitching involuntarily. Oh. Hell. No.

There was a loud bang, and suddenly, the carriage jerked sideways. A moment later, it tipped over, and the two giant birds landed heavily on the dirt beside us. Lori yelped and clutched onto my arm, pulling me close to her chest. For a split second, there was silence. A second explosion rang out beneath us, and suddenly my head spun as I was thrown into a tumble with the cart. It went off right beneath us and separated us. Dimly, I had the presence of mind to latch onto my fragment of the cart for dear life as I fell into a roll down a hill. Then I heard Lori scream. "AAAAAAAH!!" I flinched involuntarily as a tremendous roar filled my ears. It was followed immediately by another sound: a high-pitched shriek of pain that sounded like it came from some animals, then another, and another. The scene was surreal; the sun shone brightly overhead, but I couldn't feel its warmth through my clothing. Everything seemed so distant. Then everything went quiet. A shadow loomed over me. Was that...a monster...? My brain took longer to process what had happened than my body, which reacted instinctively. It was a beastman. He wore nothing but rags and leather armor and carried an enormous axe. His face was obscured by his helmet, but his muscular frame suggested he was pretty large. His weapon glowed with light, and his eyes flashed dangerously red. Somehow, the background faded away, and all I could see was an orange and black background. Oh god. I'm going to die! Already! Why the hell did I agree to come along for this?! A word printed in this world - or rather, the country's script I recognized as 'Death ' loomed overhead, and he swung his ax down towards us. I braced myself for the impact. At the last possible second, Lori appeared between us out of thin air. She deflected the blow effortlessly with her bare hand, and the man roared angrily at her. What the hell?! "Get away from my sister you piece of trash!" she yelled furiously. "Who the fuck are you?!" the beast man spat. "I'm the Azure Wind!" she growled, "and you better fucking stay away from her!" The beastman narrowed his eyes suspiciously, "What the bloody blazes are you talking about?" "If you touch one hair on her head, I swear to ALL the gods I make you wish you were dead," she warned. "Got it!?" The beastman grunted noncommittally and swung his ax again. This time, Lori drew her sword and parried it effortlessly, but instead of retreating, she advanced on him. "This is gonna hurt, asshole," she smirked. "So get ready." She lunged forwards and disappeared before reappearing at the beastman's side. Several wounds opened up on his legs, causing blood to spill freely. He screamed loudly in surprise, stumbling backward and clutching his wound. Lori followed up with a return stroke, severing the tendons in his right forearm. "Shit!" he cursed, dropping his weapon. "Run!" she barked, grabbing me by the arm and dragging me along. I hurried along and looked back to see a pile of seven men. One of them was human, but the others were beastmen that had the heads of dogs, jackals, and a lion. We ran for all we were worth. I stumbled several times and fell twice. Each time, Lori pulled me back up and kept moving. I carried the box with the magic gem we were tasked with delivering close to my chest. Stupid. SHORT. UNATHLETIC LEGS! We reached the edge of the clearing before the Beastmen attacked, and we skidded to a halt. I gasped for breath and collapsed onto my knees. My lungs were burning, and I was sure my heart would explode any minute now. I made sure to go to the gym three or four days a week before, and I hadn't felt this out of shape in a very long time. "Can you walk?" Lori asked anxiously. I nodded weakly and managed to stand up using her shoulder. I wobbled unsteadily for a second and almost fell over again. Fortunately, Lori caught hold of my shoulders, steadying me. I frowned, looking around. I definitely hadn't expected things to turn south so quickly. "Thanks," I whispered gratefully. "Where are we headed anyway?" "To the town of Rivershire Crossing," she replied confidently. "They've got food there that doesn't taste like cardboard, and we can restock supplies. Erm, find transportation as well." I looked around, taking stock of our surroundings. There were trees everywhere but no buildings nearby. In fact, the only things I could see apart from the grassy fields and forests were a small mountain range far off in the distance and a few mountains rising up behind them. After a quick glance around, I saw a road leading into the distance. We turned left, following it slowly. "Do you think we should warn anyone?" I asked hesitantly. "Warn who?" she snorted dismissively. "Everyone knows about the Picaroso Gang out here already." "Oh..." "Besides," she continued, "there aren't enough townsfolk to spread the word to everyone. If anything happens, we'll hear about it soon enough." "Yeah..." I agreed reluctantly. "But we might as well try." "Good point," she conceded. "Let's hurry then. We need to reach town before nightfall. I've been on this road before!" Our journey passed uneventfully after that. After about three hours of walking, we finally arrived at a tiny village nestled among the rolling green hills with a river running through its center. It was quaint and peaceful looking, and plenty of people were milling about outside their homes. In the center of town was a huge building surrounded by a stone wall, probably a temple. Several other houses stood scattered around the outskirts. It reminded me of a medieval European settlement. As we walked closer, I noticed that most villagers were women. All of them were dressed in decent-looking clothes, all things considered, chatting happily amongst themselves. Some men also wandered past, occasionally rough-housing with each other, but none of the girls paid them any mind. Instead, they watched us curiously as we approached. This place must have been reasonably well off. "Wow," I murmured quietly to myself. "These guys are really friendly." "Yes, they are good folk," Lori agreed. "A lot of traders and adventurers alike pass through here, so let's make ourselves comfortable in a tavern." "Alright," I sighed agreeably. Alice's soles were painfully, and I mean painfully soft. A hike that really wouldn't have bothered me before I wound up here now felt like death, and I was pretty sure I'd already picked up some blisters. At least I wasn't limping anymore, though, so I guess that's something. Still, I was glad when we finally found a proper tavern. The locals seemed happy to serve us, and we spent a couple of hours just eating fresh fruit and meats and relaxing until the sun finished setting. It was just nice to finally get some food of substance in me after such a confusing day. Then, Lorina went off to talk to the mayor. Now that I had time to actually get my bearings, I began reassessing my situation. I crossed my hands as I warmed up at a bonfire near the town square. I had somehow woken up in another world. How? Why? And more importantly, how do I get home?! I thought hard for a while, trying to remember what had happened before I woke up, but I couldn't recall much beyond the initial shock of waking up. Everything was a blur of pain, confusion, anger, and heartbreak. Who am I? What kind of world is this?! Is it even real?! Am I dreaming!? No, I know I'm not asleep. I've been in this too long, and everything is too clear. Too vivid. But... why is everything in my mind distorted? Did I go mad? Maybe I'm having delusions brought on by stress and fatigue. That would explain why I recognize the language spoken here as English. Or perhaps it's something completely different... Maybe I died... I remembered being a fully three-dimensional flesh and blood human. Softer details came to mind. I had a budding career. I was well-read. I had flashes of memories, from winning the state spelling bee at twelve years old to placing second place in a regional science Olympiad, to graduating from Columbia University. The constant tears of a single mother crying softly into late nights when she thought I was asleep. She'd died thinking I didn't know or appreciate how much she sacrificed for me. She had never been the same after my father perished in the World Trade Center attack. Regret. Pain. More images flashed by. Where did I live? What were my specializations? What did I do? I was in a live-in relationship with...someone. For four years. Five years? Was it six? I did all the cooking, laundry, and cleaning. I did their take-home exams and graduate thesis. In a field I had no right dabbling in, but they got their doctorate. We fought. I was someone. Someone capable. Someone who used to be strong. My soul and dignity had been beaten down and crushed. I stormed away. Something happened. Pain, confusion, anger, and heartbreak. And suddenly, I woke up in this weird, surreal anime world in this girl's body. I was confused. Very confused. Everything was so very, very disorienting... My thoughts drifted elsewhere as I sat alone in front of the fire. I decided to sit with my head bowed low and wait patiently for Lori to go around and finish whatever business she had. As I waited, I took inventory of my surroundings. Apparently, this area didn't have streetlights yet, although they did exist in this world because once darkness descended upon us, we still had trouble seeing where we were going. Lori eventually returned to me with a smile and a fresh fruit basket. I scowled at her as I silently grabbed a fruit that reminded me of a pear or apple. Thankfully, the innkeeper provided lanterns for us to carry around with us. When we entered our room, it was surprisingly spacious. We each had our own bed, and the entire room was easily big enough for five people. Even more surprising was the price tag attached to the bill; it cost us more than six silvers a piece. I'd picked up on the conversion rates very quickly - one gold piece was worth ten silvers, and a silver piece was worth a hundred bronze pieces. That meant this trip alone was worth several thousands of dollars or euros' worth of purchasing power. That sinking feeling I had at the bulletin board earlier came back to the front of my mind. I was starting to wonder if I was making a mistake coming here and taking up the job. Then again, that was virtually every second since I'd woken up here. "Ahhh, that feels great," I sighed as I tossed off my boots and flopped onto the bed, flexing my aching toes. I looked all over my body. I could feel damp sweat against my body, but I could only see a bunch of large droplets. This was incredibly surreal. Suddenly, someone knocked on the door. "Who is it?" Lori shouted from inside. "Room service!" answered a voice muffled by the thick wood. "Okay come in," Lori responded. The door opened, and a young woman stepped inside carrying a basket full of bread rolls. Her skin was dark brown, and she had golden eyes. She was wearing a white dress with blue trimming, and she smiled warmly as she set down the basket next to the table. "Thank you for your patronage," she said politely. "May I bring you anything else while you're staying at our establishment?" Lori glanced at me uncertainly. "Err...sure. What do you recommend?" "Anything from our menu will suffice," the barmaid assured her. "And if you don't want food, perhaps drinks would suit you better? Our ale tastes particularly nice tonight." Lori pondered for a moment. "Hmm..." "Well, what kind of drink would you prefer?" the barmaid prompted. "Beer? Wine?" "Um, actually," I interjected nervously. "I haven't tried ale before. Can I have a glass of that?" I'd stopped drinking for a while before wound up here, but I felt like I needed it right now. Her smile widened slightly. "Of course, milady." She returned to the counter with a tall mug containing a frothy amber liquid. I guess drinking ages weren't really a thing here. "Here you are, miss," she handed it to me. I raised it to my lips and sniffed carefully. It smelled sweet and fruity, but I decided to take a sip first to test its flavor. It was smooth, crisp, and refreshing. I took another gulp. This stuff was actually delicious! Then it dawned on me. Why was I having fun drinking this? Wasn't I worried about getting drunk? Or maybe I just liked the way it felt on my tongue? Wait, does alcohol affect people differently depending on their race, species, or whatever? Ah, whatever. However, no matter what I thought about it, the ale went down smoothly. I finished my cup rather quickly and ordered two more. I started to sip my second mug. Then, my brain started spinning wildly. Everything seemed clearer, sharper, and easier to understand. Suddenly, everything became clear to me: how the world worked and how to solve problems. I understood the reason for the war between humans and demons and knew exactly what to do about it. "Hey Loriiiii!" I exclaimed excitedly. "I figuuuuuuurrrrrrrrred it out!" "You did?" Lori asked incredulously. "Yeah!" I grinned triumphantly. "I know how ta end the war!" I scooted over and gave her the deepest, most affectionate hug. She was such a good sister! She was so beautiful, and she was so brave earlier. "What!?" she cried in shock. I gulped hard and forced myself to calm down. "Caaaaaalllllm down, Lori," I told her. "Take a deep breath. Now, repeat after miiiiiine." I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. Calm, cool, collected. Just relax and breathe. Slow and steady. Relax your muscles. Focus. Think. Figure it out. Breathe. Breathe. Deep breaths. Deep breaths! That's rude! These ruffians... Don't panic! Calm yourself! Look at the problem rationally. Evaluate the situation. Use a fireball! Analyze. Analyze. Make a plan. Brainstorm. Visualize the spiritual core. Execute. Execute. Success! ...and I blacked out.

I stepped off the carriage and into the fog-filled street. Everything was quiet. Too silent. Not even a bird chirping in the distance. Even the breeze felt strangely still. I narrowed my eyes and looked around carefully. Nothing seemed out of place. Everything remained calm. As though nothing was wrong. But something definitely was. Something was very wrong. And it wasn't just the silence. The air was heavy. Heavy, like the sky during an approaching thunderstorm. This isn't normal. This doesn't feel right. I took a deep breath, and tried to steady my nerves. I need to figure out what's going on here. I'd never felt this alone since I woke up in this world. First things first; I needed to locate my siste- Suddenly, there was a flash of light in the air, causing me to make the most undignified squeaking noise. Lori appeared in front of me next to the carriage, like she'd come out of a portal. She was covered in blood, and holding the severed head of a monster. It looked awfully similar to the monster that almost ate me in my hallucination. Her sword was drawn, and I could see four runes along the blade glowing a bright silver. "Lori?" I asked hesitantly. "What's going on?" She looked at me with cold, serious eyes. I shivered. Those were an uncharacteristic eyes for her in the time I'd known her. "Tread very, very carefully right now, Alice. Keep your eyes open." "What?" I trailed off nervously. "Where are we?" "In Halton, of course," she responded calmly. I shivered. This was wrong. "Halton? What?" "Yes." She answered curtly. "Sorry sis, looks like my Party's past is coming to bite us in the rear. This is an ambush. Likely, specifically for me." I swallowed hard as my fear kicked up another notch. "What do we do?" I asked frantically. She gave me a strained smile and said nothing. Then, a small red bird fluttered down from above and landed gently onto Lori's shoulder. "It seems my visions were correct. He's not as dead as we'd thought." I blinked. The bird spoke in the mystery woman's voice. "Be careful, old friend," The bird cawed quietly, turning its head toward the distant horizon. Its wings rustled slightly, and it hopped onto Lori's other arm. The two of them exchanged glances, then nodded to each other briefly. Then they turned and began walking away quickly. The bird shifted into the woman who'd been on the carriage. Except, she was dressed in an outfit out of a Wuxia film. She still had a veil that covered most of her head. What in the actual fuck? "Wait! Where are you going?!" I shouted after them. "We must move," the mysterious woman called back without looking over her shoulder. "Follow along quickly, child." "Lori?! Wait a second!!!" I screamed out at their retreating backs. They didn't even turn around to acknowledge me. I sighed heavily and started following behind them. There was something very wrong about this entire situation. My heart was beating furiously, my skin tingling with goosebumps. A chill ran down my spine. I stopped suddenly when I realized why I felt so uneasy. There was no wind blowing through the streets. I glanced around cautiously, and saw that there was also no movement anywhere nearby. Even the birds and insects had disappeared completely. There was nothing but silence everywhere I looked. This is wrong. Something is very wrong here. I took a deep breath, and focused on calming my nerves. I couldn't let my fear control me anymore. I needed to get a hold of myself and think clearly. Okay, okay. Calm down. Think rationally. What should I do next? I continued to follow close behind the mystery woman and Lori. My feet moved mechanically, and I stared straight ahead without really seeing anything. This is too much to handle right now. I'm not ready for this. Not yet. I don't know enough about magic or monsters to fight properly. I clenched my fists tightly as I walked. I shook my head slowly as I thought about what to do next. But before I could come up with any good ideas, Lori suddenly stopped and drew her sword. I heard a faint sound from behind me. A low growl. I whipped my head around to look behind me, and froze in place. There was a large creature standing between me and the carriage. It was huge, easily three times as tall as me and twice as wide. Its body was covered in black fur, and its face was humanoid in shape. However, it had sharp teeth protruding from both sides of its mouth, and a long tail that swished back and forth ominously. Its hands were tipped with claws, which dripped with blood. It growled again, baring its fangs at me threateningly. It began to slowly approach as I scrambled for my wand. "W-what is that thing?" I stammered out nervously. I took aim at it, but I was too scared. The symbols wouldn't form in my head. I stared in terror as I tried again and again but it just wouldn't work. Lori just shrugged her shoulders, and raised her sword into the air. A bright white light shot from her sword, and struck the monster square in the chest. The beast roared in pain, and stumbled backward. It fell to one knee, and clutched at its chest with its claws. "Lori..." I whispered softly. Ok, that was, admittedly, really damned cool. She ignored me, and kept attacking the creature. Suddenly, it struck out, shredding Lori's breastplate in a single hit and launching her in the air. But another blast from Lori sent it tumbling backwards once again. She drove her momentum forward in the air, and swung her sword down hard onto its neck. Blood splattered across the ground like rain. "Lori!" I cried out, rushing towards her side. "Are you alright?" She spun around and glared at me angrily. "Don't touch me!" she growled. I recoiled in shock, and stared at her in disbelief. Where did that come from? "What's wrong with you?" I asked incredulously. "Why are you acting so weird?" Seriously, what was wrong with this girl?! "Weird? Weirder than you? You're the one who's been acting strange lately," she snapped back. "And what happened to your magic? That was an easy shot. I nearly got killed just now because you've been a dipshit about your problem!" "What? I don't know what you mean." "Don't bullshit me. You lost control of your magic after Rivershire," she said accusingly. "What did you do to yourself? Be straight with me, Alice. I've never seen you struggle with something as basic as a Mana Bolt. I felt something was off when I saw those books but that just confirmed it." "I didn't do anything! And what does that have to do with anything?" "Don't play dumb with me!" She shouted furiously. "I might not be the smartest girl in the room usually, but I have damned sharp eyes. Look, I'm your sister. You can talk to me about this stuff." "Lori!" I exclaimed in horror, taking a step away from her. Where was all this coming from? "What else am I supposed to say?" she demanded harshly. "You're always so calm and collected, and so damned smart, and now you're the one who's been acting like an idiot." "I'm not an idiot!" I yelled back. "I'm...I'm just scared!" "You're scared?" she scoffed. "Get your shit together sis, this is serious right now." "I'm still trying to figure things out," I screamed. "How can you be so calm when we're surrounded by monsters?!" "Calm?" She snorted derisively. "You're the one who's being stupider right this moment than I've been acting on our baby adventures." "What?" I gaped at her in surprise. "This is serious. Before this? That was all small fry to antagonize and get you experience. This is our first real battle," she explained impatiently. "If you want to survive this, you need to focus on the enemy, not your sister." She scowled, her eyes darting around, "The only way for us to win this fight is if you stop thinking about me, and start focusing on fighting back." Her eyes suddenly shifted my way. "Duck." "What?!" I gasped as I suddenly felt something approach. "Duck!" She repeated urgently. I ducked instinctively as a large ball of fire flew over my head. It slammed into a monster's chest, and it burst into flames instantly. The creature howled loudly in pain and collapsed to the ground. Lori turned to the air next to me, and nodded with a stern expression. "Good work, Haigha." A man with brown bunny ears popped out of thin air beside the burning monster. He was wearing a blue suit with an orange bowtie and he had a wand drawn. He smiled cheerfully at us, then looked behind him curiously. "Is everyone okay?" he asked in a soothing tenor voice, before he turned to look at me with wide eyes, "Oh dear. Alice...you've gotten so big!" "Yeah, we're fine," Lori answered quickly. "Where's the chief?" "Oh, just...just erm, give him a minute!" the rabbit-eared man replied nervously. I jumped slightly when I saw a giant demonic-looking bear standing behind him. Its body was covered in thick black fur, and its face had sharp teeth protruding from both sides of its mouth. A long tail swished back and forth menacingly. It growled deeply, showing off its impressive fangs. "Blasphemers..." the bear said gruffly, glaring at Lori threateningly. Lori sighed softly, and raised her sword into the air. A bright white light shot from her sword, and struck the bear square in the chest. The beast roared in pain, and stumbled backward. It fell backwards to the ground and didn't move. "Lori..." I whispered softly. Ok, that was, admittedly, really damned cool. I was MORE than fed up with her shit at this point, but that was still cool. The red woman suddenly transformed into a wolf and pounced onto the unconscious bear. She sank her teeth deep into its neck, and shook her head violently. Blood splattered everywhere, covering the ground like rain. What the heck. This was horrific!. I needed to get out of here. Another creature appeared on the scene, and rushed towards me. It was a huge humanoid frog with three heads. One head had two horns growing out of it, while another had four eyes. The third had no eyes or nose. I screamed and pulled my wand out of reflex, and fired a mana bolt at it. The spell hit home, and it let out a high pitched squeal before dissolving into particles of light. I blinked in surprise. I did it! Under pressure! My mind raced as I tried to figure out what was going on. The wolf transformed back into a woman next to me. "And THIS is why you're taking my place, Alice..." she spat, coughing out the bear's blood. "Screw this life." Huh? Take her place? A loud growl made me jump again. A large wolf with eight eyes stood before me, looking at me hungrily. Its body was covered in dark brown fur, and its face had sharp teeth protruding from both sides of its mouth. A long tail swished back and forth ominously. It growled again, showing off its impressive fangs. But then, it got hit by a....molotov cocktail? Yes, that's right, a molotov cocktail. Except, it was less of a liquor bottle and more of a glass orb. The wolf creature burst into flames and began to thrash and howl. And then suddenly, a rain of a dozen arrows began to strike its torso. With a whimper, it stopped moving. I turned to the source, and saw a tall elf in a green tuxedo with puffy orange hair and a ridiculous top hat. He had a ludicrously packed utility belt, and he was juggling three red balls similar to the one he just tossed at the wolf. "Hey!" Lori called out cheerfully. "I'm glad you could make it, Chief." She turned to look at the roof with a wink, "Dinah!" "Uh..." I stammered out nervously, staring wide-eyed. My eyes followed my sister's eyes, only to land on a bow-wielding catgirl on the roof with long red hair and blue eyes. She flashed me a grin when she met my eyes, and a thumbs up. The elf waved his hand dismissively, "No need for formalities here, dear. Sorry we had to meet again under these circumstances, Alice." "I don't think this is quite the time to be worrying about formality," Lori snapped back. "We're in the middle of a fight against one hell of a warlock and his monsters. Anyone see Friar Dodgson?" "He'll turn up," The elf acknowledged slowly, before turning to me. "I am sorry that we couldn't meet again under better conditions, Alice. We've been eager for this moment since we heard about your graduation!" "Wait," I asked confused. "For what?" The elf took a step forward, and placed his hands on my shoulders. His touch felt warm and comforting. "This moment for you to join us," he explained softly. "Join you?" I asked blankly. "Wait..." I suddenly remembered what Lori told me when I'd first woken up in this world. This situation was really, really messed up. The elf pumped his fist, "Yes, Alice. Please. Join our little group!"

Lori rushed forward with a roar, swinging her fist at Zlatan's midsection. Her arm swung faster than any human should be able to move, and she threw a strike at him. It hurt my neck just watching her punch that guy. But apparently, Zlatan was expecting that and dodged it easily. He caught her wrist in his own hands, pinning her arms against her body while twisting around to bring one knee up between her legs. She fell backward onto the ground with a thud, groaning loudly. The catboy stepped forwards, grabbing the hilt of a short sword hanging from his belt. He drew it smoothly, pointing the blade directly at Lori's throat. "You're making quite a mess," he said calmly. "Are you planning on cleaning this up yourself, little missy?" I swallowed hard. This was bad...really, REALLY BAD! If I hadn't known better, I might have thought this was part of some sort of trap. I decided to try and help out anyway. Maybe I can distract him somehow? I coughed, clearing my throat loudly so he'd notice me. "Um, excuse me..." I called out in a girlish voice, stepping closer. His head snapped towards me. His eyes widened slightly at the sight of me in the shadows, and he started to speak, but I interrupted him. "Uh, sorry to bother you sirs, but I think you may need medical attention. Soon." I stepped out of the shadows and glared at Zlatan. Oh shit! Why did I say THAT?! Now he's going to kill me too! I crossed my arms and tried to project as much confidence as possible. My arms just started trembling. I could feel my heart racing away from me as my pulse picked up. Even if it was on a reckless, unbalanced attack, there was no way I could defend myself against them if Lori got taken down that easily. The elf and brown-skinned looked at each other confusedly, and Zlatan paled visibly. "Men. That's the girl from Rivershire Crossing..." The elf stared at my arms, trembling. "T...This bloodlust..." he muttered, staring at my trembling arms. At that statement, all three of them took a step back. "Well, if you insist, I guess I don't mind helping you clean up your mess," I continued. I gave my best impression of a serene anime protagonist and flicked my stupid ahoge while walking forward. I took a deep breath and held it for several seconds before letting go, exhaling forcefully, and staring at them. Hard. "Stealing from the Adventurer's Guild...is strictly forbidden." The background started ghoulish red and hazy. Everything distorted and twisted. Wait, was that me doing it?! It was clearly a group hallucination, but ghosts and ghastly creatures began screaming in our mind's eyes. A witch's laughter went off, and my face projected into an abstract, laughing face with a cut-out mouth, empty cut-out eyes, and a matching hat. My heart continued to pound in my chest. I was scared stiff, but I refused to show it. I was determined not to give them any reason to suspect that I wasn't a threat. I focused my will on my staff, focusing on the enchanted crystal core. I only had the one levitation spell, but I focused on it with all the energy I had. "Ahahahahahah AHAHAHAHAHA!" I laughed as the hallucinatory caricature of my face with a witch's hat cackled. All the crates began to levitate in the air at once, and the dumbfounded catboy watched his loosely-held sword lift into the air. And then I heard it. And smelled it. The sound and smell of the men collectively pissing themselves. In a flash, Lori grabbed the catboy's sword out of the air and turned to wrap Zlatan in a chokehold. "Hah! That's my sister!" Lori smirked. Then she brought her elbow down sharply into his jaw. With a loud crunch, his head snapped back, knocking him unconscious. The catboy stood still for a few moments, staring blankly ahead. Then, he slumped onto his knees before collapsing entirely to the ground, sobbing and pissing himself. That was the first time I ever saw someone pee themselves like that. I turned back to Zlatan. He was lying on the ground, clutching his bleeding mouth with both hands. Blood trickled through his fingers and soaked the dirt beneath him. He stared up at me in sheer terror. "Wh-what are you?!" he cried out, trying desperately to stand up. Lori stepped up beside me, glaring down at him. "What does it look like she is?" She smiled and then offered me a fist bump. My heart was pounding so fast I thought it would explode out of my chest. I was terrified, but I couldn't allow myself to show weakness. I put on my poker face, stared coldly down at Zlatan, and painstakingly returned Lori's gesture. "Good work," she whispered. "Let's turn him in." I nodded silently and winced as Lori kicked Zlatan in the ribs, sending him slamming into the alley wall. She dragged him by his arms to the front door of the Adventurer's Guild. I leaned down to look the catboy square in his heterochromatic eyes. My lips twitched as anxiety almost overwhelmed me entirely, but I held it in. "You'll be a good boy for us, won't you? Your friends too? Yes?" I asked softly, tilting my head. "Y-yes," the three of them replied weakly. The catboy wiped tears from his eyes with his shirt sleeves. "Thank you very much." With that, we walked inside and handed the unconscious Zlatan over to the receptionist. Seeing us walk in with Zlatan's unconscious body in tow, the imposter manager immediately began to try and run, as well as all the (presumably) Picaroso gang members in the crowd. They quickly scattered when they realized who was there. Chaos erupted as officials and adventurers alike began to chase them down. We sat at the bar and ordered drinks. Lori seemed particularly happy about something, but she didn't tell me what was happening. Instead, she told the bartender to buy everyone that caught a Picaroso member a round. I sniffed the mead here and was definitely tempted, but I thought better. I stuck with some floral tea instead. As the chaos died outside, the mood inside gradually shifted to a celebration. Everyone cheered, drank, danced, and sang songs together. We stayed until the sun came up, celebrating our victory. After that, Lori and I retired to our rooms for the night. After waking up late the following day, I headed straight to the guild office to see if anything new had come up regarding Zlatan or the case. When I arrived, I found out that Zlatan had been formally arrested by a pair of guards, along with a dozen other Picaros, after being caught breaking into the Adventurers Guild. There were a lot of witnesses to testify that he'd stolen some items. I sighed in relief and let out a small laugh. It felt good to know that one of the ringleaders of the people that roofied me was locked up safely. Hopefully, he wouldn't escape jail. When I finished talking with the receptionist, I left the guild. As soon as I stepped out of the building, I spotted a familiar figure waiting patiently. "Hey there, Alice-chan!" Lori grinned at me cheerfully, waving excitedly. Her face lit up even more when she noticed my bag. "Where'd you get those?" she asked, pointing to my bags. "Oh, these? Well, uh...I got some basic spellbooks," I said sheepishly. "I figured I'd retrace some of my fundamentals, you know?" She gave me an odd look before flashing me a bright smile. "Yeah right. You're probably planning to sell them on the market at home for a quick profit aren't ya?" she teased, smiling brightly. "Don't worry, I'm not mad at you." I shrugged noncommittally and started with her towards the carriage service. "So...whaddya think of yesterday?" she asked casually. I stopped walking and turned to her. "Why do you ask? What did I miss?" Her smile grew wider, and she answered with a cheerful tone. "Nothing really big happened last night. But apparently, Zlatan and his crew is officially indicted now. That was quick!" "Really?" I raised an eyebrow skeptically. "How many charges did they throw at him?" That was....a little too quick for my comfort. What was the criminal justice system in this place like? That gave me a very uneasy feeling. Lori shook her head. "They say he broke into the Adventurer's Guild and stole a bunch of stuff. But that's nothing compared to the news coming from the capital today!" Lori exclaimed happily. A chill ran down my spine. I don't know; I just had a gut feeling. "News from the capital? Is everything okay?" She giggled, shaking her head. "Not exactly...but it seems like the king's finally decided to take mobilized action against the Picarosa Gang next month." "Is he mobilizing the army to arrest them already?!" I gasped in surprise. Lori shook her head again, grinning mischievously. "Naw, they're not taking any direct military actions yet. Just arresting their known leaders and money movers. Hopefully the whole gang might end up getting wiped out without anyone actually dying." "Huh...so that's good, isn't it?" I asked curiously. Lori gave me another smug grin. "Yep! Low casualties, low bloodshed Hopefully. If anything happens, it'll just be a few head honchos." "Right..." I muttered uncomfortably. "Well, thank you for letting me know." "Sure thing! Oh yeah, the two of us are getting formal public credit for this whole crackdown because we brought in Zlatan. Can you believe it?" She swept her hands across the air and began to do her rambling thing again. "The Liddell sisters. Responsible for finally initiating a crackdown on the Picarosa Gang! Dealing a fateful blow to one of the most sinister and notorious organized crime syndicates in the Kingdom of Cheshire! I mean, they gave me the option to opt out, but I felt like we could use the rep boost. Especially with my little sister just coming on as an adventurer." I just stopped walking and stared at her. The implications of pissing off what she just did came crashing down on me. She'd just flipped off a giant middle finger to the Mafia. "Lori..." my eyes darkened, and that ghoulish miasma I had been leaking last night came back. "A-Alice-chan?!" she shrank away. "Are. You. For. Fucking. Real?!??!?!"

I spent the entire morning and early afternoon filling out forms and signing documents at the Adventurers' Guild in the Royal Capital. When I finally finished, I realized I still needed to eat lunch. Since I had nothing better to do, I decided to wander through the city until I found somewhere to eat. Lori had gone out to run some errands for her adventuring party, and we were supposed to meet back at the inn. "Excuse me miss..." A voice interrupted my thoughts. A middle-aged Orcish-looking man wearing an official uniform approached me cautiously, his hand held out palm upwards. His hair was graying but cut neatly short and parted down the center. He wore a crisp white shirt under a brown leather vest over a blue tunic, which seemed quite fashionable compared to the raggedy outfits worn by most civilians. Despite being older than average, his physique remained strong. He was tall enough that I needed to crane my neck to meet his gaze. After a few moments, he spoke again. "...are you Miss Alice?" "Yup." I nodded politely. "What do you want?" His eyes narrowed suspiciously but widened in surprise when he saw my Rank C insignia. "Oh! Congratulations on formalizing Rank C!" "Yeah." I shrugged indifferently. "I hope you won't mind answering a few questions," he began hesitantly. "First, may I ask where you hail from?" I raised an eyebrow at him. "Ahh! Oh dear." He took a deep breath and straightened his spine. "I apologize. Of course I meant 'where are you currently living'. Please forgive my rudeness." I chuckled lightly. I thought about it for a minute, but suddenly I remembered the signs I'd passed. "I umn, live in Halton, one of the capital's large suburban towns?" "Halton!" He exclaimed delightedly. "Do you know Lord Garth Duskswain? He used to be the leader of our local branch of the Adventurer's Guild." Garth Duskywind? I shook my head. I knew next to nothing about this world or my body's existing relationships. "I see." He frowned slightly. "In that case, please allow me to introduce myself. I am Colonel Garenna Rufus, commander of the Royal Army garrison stationed in the Royal Capital. May I have a moment of your time?" "Sure," I agreed noncommittally. We briefly discussed my background, how long I'd lived in Halton, and whether or not I had any family members who were still alive back home. Then he asked if I wanted to join the military. "Huh?" I blinked. "Why would I do that?" Colonel Rufus smiled apologetically. "My apologies for asking such a bold question, but I assure you that joining the army as a commissioned adventurer will greatly improve your standing among the locals. You'll gain access to many privileges and benefits unavailable elsewhere." "Like what?" I tilted my head curiously. "For instance..." He glanced around furtively as though someone might overhear us. "If you choose to serve in the military, your rank and status will automatically increase to match that of an officer. If you are willing to become a soldier, you will receive additional pay and training to prepare you for combat against the looming Demon Invasion threat. In addition, you will be provided with housing, food, clothing, medical care, and even a stipend for travel expenses. On top of these perks, you will also earn respect from everyone else in society." Wait, wait, wait, hold up, Demonic invasion threat? What is going on? Is there a demon invasion going on in this world? Lori mentioned something about a Demon Lord, but... "This is a very exciting opportunity for anyone interested in serving their country and protecting others," he enthused. "But I understand that not every person is suited for active duty. For those who wish to contribute without risking life and limb, we have several positions available. Our Intelligence Corps is always seeking volunteers with special skillsets and well. you can see I am here at the Adventurer's Guild searching for young talent personally. Members will be treated as reserves, and will be able to continue as active-duty adventurers." I considered his offer carefully. It sounded interesting. Not only did it involve a lot less danger than combat, but I wouldn't have to worry about getting hurt anymore. Should I give it some consideration? This guy really reminded me of all the US military recruiters at home and all the horror stories I'd remembered about people signing their lives and sanity away. "I think I'll pass," I replied slowly. Rufus bowed deeply. "Of course. Thank you for taking the time to speak with me. My door is open anytime you change your mind." He handed me a metal card stamped with the crest of the Royal Army, then turned and walked away briskly towards another group of soldiers waiting outside the building. As soon as they spotted him, they saluted and followed behind him. I watched them go silently for a bit before turning my attention back to the cityscape around me. The Royal Capital looked pretty nice, actually. Compared to Halton, the town I'd come from with Lori, it felt almost futuristic. Like, 1800s London. Buildings were taller, cleaner, and brighter than anything I could remember seeing in the town. They weren't all built out of stone either; there were buildings with visible metal components and concrete, but most appeared to be constructed from brick or wood. There were some old-time 19th-century complexes, and the architecture was very reminiscent of European design from that time period. No large roads ran through most of the city proper, but instead, wide boulevards lined with trees. Gondolas floated down canals and rivers that ran through the entire city, and the water shimmered against the late-afternoon sun. Most buildings were multi-story affairs, but a few smaller shops were located on the ground floor. The Royal Capital was a port city by a gulf, so I could see boats that reminded me of Spanish galleons docked at a pier near the central square. They had cannons mounted on their decks, but they also seemed to have ornate-looking anti-air ballistae pointed to the sky, which made me wonder just what the technological level of this world and country was at. However, there was little traffic because everything was moving fast. People ran everywhere, carrying loads or pushing carts filled with goods. Spotted zebra-like horses pulled carriages loaded with passengers while other pedestrians rode odd-looking bicycles or those bird-horse-like creatures. I blinked as I saw something like a modern-day hoverboard zoom past me, powered by what looked like steam. As far as I could tell, none of these things existed in my world with a direct, 1:1 comparison. I wondered if I was looking into a mirror dimension where my own world had been transported. That would explain why I recognized the language spoken around me—but it didn't help answer the bigger mystery: how I ended up here in the first place. After a few minutes, I noticed a small shop off the side. It was painted bright red, and its sign read "Café." Curious and hungry, I made my way over. The inside was tiny, crowded with tables and chairs crammed together tightly. The walls were decorated with framed paintings depicting landscapes similar to the ones I'd seen in the castle town. One painting showed a waterfall surrounded by lush green forest, while another pictured rolling hills covered with colorful flowers. Another featured a field of white flowers stretching across the horizon. There were lots of people walking around, too, dressed casually in whatever style they liked best. Some wore robes like mine, while others favored leather jackets or ...jeans? In any case, this looked less like a proper café than an art gallery serving coffee. Not a single baguette in sight. I poked my head back out of the café and continued to walk around. So many people were milling around that I couldn't help but feel overwhelmed. Wherever I stepped, people moved out of my way instinctively. At least half of them were women. Everyone was friendly and polite, smiling at me whenever we passed each other on the street. Even though I was new here, people kept giving me weird looks. Was it because of the outfit? Either way, I definitely wasn't comfortable yet. My stomach grumbled in hunger again, and I frowned, rubbing it thoughtfully. I had been thrown for a loop since I'd woken up in this world. Lori was perfectly happy to just keep dragging me from place to place, from one situation involving dangerous criminals to another. Yet again, I was left hungry from official adventuring work and documentation. After wandering aimlessly for a while longer, I ended up in front of a... large high fantasy shopping mall. I stopped to look inside and gawked at a four-story building in shock. It looked like a modern roadside shopping mall, but it was packed with all kinds of odds and ends. A massive clock tower displayed the time in big numbers atop the roof over a glass ceiling. Like my original world, it was separated by twelve numbers and thirty-degree angles. It struck midday when I arrived, and the bells rang loudly throughout the entire building. People milled everywhere, browsing racks and shelves full of clothes and accessories. Everything from jewelry to swords and shields hung on display, and the store clerks stood ready to assist customers with any questions. I looked around in wonder as I passed through the mall. I was passing by a store full of various gemstones and jewelry when I heard a bell ringing somewhere overhead as an elf sales clerk beckoned to me excitedly. "Hey! Hey, hey!" She waved enthusiastically at me. Her blonde hair fell past her shoulders, tied in two neat pigtails. A red ribbon adorned the tips of both braids, and she wore a green dress underneath a matching jacket decorated with golden embroidery. She smiled at me, and I felt the room light up in sparkles and happiness. Literally. The girl was gorgeous, and I stared at her with a blush for a second. "Um..." I cleared my throat nervously. "Can I help you?" Her smile faltered slightly, but then she quickly regained her composure. "Oh yes, hello there. Are you lost, dear? Do you need directions?" "No, um..." I stammered. "Actually, I'm looking for food. Can you direct me to somewhere nearby?" She furrowed her brow in confusion for a moment before shaking herself free from whatever thoughts were occupying her mind. "Oh! Right. Yes, sure thing." She pointed across the road at an eatery sign across the mall. "Over there, you can find anything you're hungry for." "Thanks," I said gratefully, then turned and headed to an establishment that looked like a tavern in a mall. I walked a few steps toward it, and I just...stared. My eyes darted left to right, trying desperately not to let the sheer amount of stuff get the better of me. It was a tavern, but...the place was absolutely massive. There's so much stuff here; I don't even know what half of it is. There were shelves full of weird-looking food: loaves of bread, vegetables, and even meat! Wait, is that chicken? And look at those big fish in tanks! I paused for a second, feeling overwhelmed, then I turned back to stare at the elf. The elf behind the counter looked at me curiously but offered no input. She didn't seem too bothered by my confusion, either. Oh right. What kind of store was this anyway? I could see a lot of books here....were those magic wands? The elf girl spoke up with a smile as if reading my mind. "What can I help you with today, miss?" "I'm..." I took a deep breath and closed my eyes briefly. "Erm, what kind of store is this, anyway?" She blinked in surprise. "A... store for magical reagents?" I looked around again. The shop's interior had a lot in common with other places I'd been inside recently, but there was one crucial difference. Maybe I could stop feeling so helpless with the goods here? "Yes, that's correct. We specialize in gemstone catalysts." I tilted my head quizzically. "Gemstone?" The elf looked back at me questioningly. "You know of these gems that some people use in sorcery and artificery?" I thought about it. Magic, sorcerers... sorcery... Well, I'm supposed to be a magic user, but I don't exactly have my memory. It could have been anything. I shrugged and tried another approach. "So are these gemstones the kind I need to practice with?" She gave me a confused frown. "No. They're very expensive. Only for very advanced practitioners. Even this garnet catalyst would run you 20 gold pieces." I gawked in surprise, running through the numbers in my head. If 6 silvers could purchase a whole night's worth of room and board for one person at a trading town. That's well over two thousand dollars of purchasing power! She noticed my expression and hurriedly explained. "But you wouldn't be able to learn how to use it effectively without years of guidance from expert mages." It seemed like the price would get much worse the more complex the spells and the intended goal of the reagents. "So umn. Do you have any beginner's magic books here?" Her expression lit up in relief. "Of course!" She grabbed one from a shelf behind her, and I saw it was about 3 inches thick. It looked cumbersome too. "Here, try this. ' An Introduction to Household Utility Spells ' - the price of this book is eight silvers." I accepted the book with gratitude. I had money to spare with my cut of 100 gold in the bank, and the elf started to read aloud as she demonstrated a basic spell. "This spell allows you to levitate objects around you that aren't resisting. Memorize these runes, then visualize them in your head in your mindspace. Then, orient the frame of your mind towards your intent and channel your mana through the rune path." She reached behind the counter and withdrew a black wand. "Here, use this. Vocalizing your intent after helps you channel the core mana focus. I wouldn't expect you to get it on the first try, though. If you're a beginner, your body won't be used to channeling and wielding mana." I closed the book after she finished demonstrating the chant. I closed my eyes and tried to do as she instructed, focusing on myself. The next thing I knew, I was hovering above the ground. The sensation made me nervous. It wasn't exactly fun, feeling myself falling helplessly towards the floor. I flailed my short, stubby limbs out. "Whoa there. You should always move slowly when learning new spells, and definitely don't use it on yourself!" the elf reprimanded me. "But good job! You definitely didn't look like a beginner there!" She helped steady my descent, then took her hand back. The elf smiled proudly. "All done. Now, try it again!" This time, I put the wand down and concentrated harder. This spell looked simple enough that even someone who couldn't remember what sorcery was supposed to be could still cast it. All I had to do was picture a bunch of magic symbols floating into the air around me, trace the flow of mana, then, focus on someone or something. But it still didn't work. I opened my eyes with a start. "What? Oh no!" "Oh, it didn't work did it?" "It's just..." I looked around me. I felt dizzy and lightheaded for some reason. She sighed, looking disappointed. "You have to visualize the mana pathway of the spell, that is, the abstractions provided by the symbols perfectly to properly channel mana into it. Mages use catalysts like wands to give them a much wider margin of error. There can be recoil for failed attempts, sometimes." "Woah!" I gasped, suddenly understanding. My head was spinning again. "But that means... Oh no! That means I can't cast spells wandlessly unless I understand exactly how they work!" Her smile wilted as she nodded solemnly. "That's right. I've heard rumors of highly talented mages such as a recent young, prodigious graduate of the Royal Academy using high level magic without a staff or wand, but they're extremely rare. Staves are engineered to allow a mage to focus more mana into a spell though, and they allow for even faster casting and increased mana output. Some individuals have affinities for certain schools, such as illusionism, conjuration, evocation, or even specific elements." I slumped against the wall and pouted down at my feet. "I guess it's time to start with the basics, huh?" She gave me an awkward shrug. "Well, we have all kinds of books on basic spellcasting here. Why don't you start there? I suggest finding a good teacher to teach you how to use magic though." I thought about that for a moment. "So then why would I need a wand? Isn't it better for beginners to focus on getting used to the concept first?" "It depends entirely on the person, of course. But wands are generally easier to handle and less prone to error." She pointed at the shelves, where various types of wands were lined up along the walls. "We have some basic wands available for beginner-level magic users. If you're starting out, it's best not to tax your mana reserves heavily." I looked over at a small display of wand-like objects. Each one was about 10 inches long, made of wood with a simple design. I was pretty sure whatever Alice had blew theirs out of the water. My bag back at the inn had a wand, staff, a bunch of scrolls, and gemstones in them as it was. I shrugged, "I think I'll take the book....and this 'Introduction to Self-Defense Spellcraft' book. I'll be back for sure Miss...?" She nodded. "Just call me Elenor, dear." I gave her a curt nod, then left the shop with my purchases in my traveling bag. There were more shops than I expected nearby, but they seemed like they sold little of interest to me. My stomach growled, so I decided to try the eatery across from the store. I found a bench outside and settled down on it. The eatery itself had two main rooms. A large dining hall at the front and another smaller dining room on the opposite side. I could see several people eating from both. There were also quite a few tables lining the hallway to my right. There was a lot of noise coming from inside, too. "What the hell is going on here?" I muttered as I approached the window. The entire place was filled with all kinds of weird-looking people, some dressed like they were heading into the wilderness while others were wearing full suits. Some had armor, and some weren't even carrying any weapons at all. This is like an old-fashioned inn. Or like...an adventuring tavern! It's got the same kind of decor and smells similar to the one at Halton. The smell of food made my stomach grumble in anticipation, but there was something else I couldn't quite put my finger on... A young girl was sitting at the bar in the corner. She looked a bit like a waitress, wearing a red apron over her... schoolgirl uniform with matching red hair and red eyes? I figured I could get my meal to-go and eat it somewhere out of the way, but then she turned to look at me. She was looking straight at me. "Huh? Are you the one who just got certified?" she asked curiously. Her expression was curious but pleasant. And I was confident that the voice was familiar. "Who are you?" I asked cautiously. "I'm Suzuki. The one who certified your magical proficiency last month? Anyway, welcome to the Waystop Tavern." She came over and sat next to me. Her outfit wasn't quite so strange when she sat down. "Do you want something to drink or something? We have tea, coffee, juice, soda, milk..." "No thank you," I replied. "Are there any seats inside? I just want something hot and savory right now. I'm faaamished." "Sure, if you'd like." I opened the door and followed her into the dining room. Two people were sharing a table in the back. I walked over to them. "Excuse me, may I take the seat here?" I asked politely. They seemed to be eating a large amount of meat, but they smiled pleasantly at me as they waved for me to sit. I sat down across from them and ordered some breaded steak sandwiches. I couldn't help but listen to the conversation next to me as I waited for food. The two were clearly adventurers, judging by their outfits and equipment. One was an elf with silver hair and brown eyes, and the other was an orc with brown hair and green eyes. "So what's been going on?" Silver-Hair asked. Green-Eyes shook his head. "Not much. It hasn't been too hard to find work." Silver-Hair nodded, looking down at his empty plate. "I've seen quite a few people with weird stuff going on around town." He paused for a moment, then added, "Well, we all know that the royal capital is full of people with unusual abilities yeah?" "Mmhm," Green-Eyes agreed. Silver-Hair looked down at his own empty plate again, then glanced up. "There's something that's been bothering me... Have you guys heard about all the disappearances lately?" "Yes..." the silver-haired adventurer replied quietly. "Disappearances?" I asked, "Like women and children?" "No," Green Eyes responded, "A bunch of pretty reputable C rank and B rank adventurers just...fell off the grid." They both went quiet, and then Green-Eyes continued eating as he spoke. "I had a party member get killed by a group of thugs recently too. They took out his legs before he could fight back. Silver-Hair looked down at his food and sighed deeply. I frowned, shivering at the grisly thought. But then I perked up as my sandwiches arrived. It smelled so good, and I finally dug into my food. My mind wandered back to what they were talking about. These kidnappings didn't have any connection to the stuff at Rivershire Crossing, did they? Nah, that was too big of a stretch. ...At least, I hoped so.

I woke up to bright sunlight streaming through the window. For a split second, I panicked, thinking I had overslept. But then I remembered I had fallen asleep last night. How long ago was that? I couldn't remember, but judging by the sun's position, I guessed it was early morning. Groaning, I sat up in bed and stretched. My head ached, and I realized I hadn't slept properly. I yawned stretching my arms above my head. When I lowered them, I spotted my clothes neatly folded at the foot of my bed. Huh? Did I sleep naked?! I grabbed a towel, covered myself, and then opened the curtains to look outside. Sure enough, there was a large crowd gathered near the gate. Most of them wore robes, but there were some guards standing guard as well. "Wh-what's happening?" I stammered. I was feeling nauseous and was pretty sure I was hung over. "Well," Lori tapped her chin with her fingers while looking at me curiously before pointing outside. "We did get attacked during the night." "Attacked?" "They broke into the inn and a bunch of other buildings, and stole a few things." I frowned. "So...they got away with it?" "In....a manner of speaking. Yes." I groaned, feeling a dizzy spell overtake me. "That isn't good." "Indeed." Lori nodded grimly. "But fortunately, they left behind their tracks! Which means we should be able to track them down soon." "Wait, track them down? Why do we care?" "Welllllll...sheesh. How drunk WERE you last night?" "What!?" "Ahaha. HAHHAAHA! Just kidding." I stared bat her for a minute, then she burst out laughing again. "Oh man, you're hilarious." "Sorry." I shrugged awkwardly. "Was that supposed to be funny?" "Ha ha! Noooo, silly! I'm just messing with you! You need to learn to loosen up when you aren't drunk sometimes, you know?" "Umm..." "Now come on, we've gotta go get our magic jewel thingie back." Wait. Wait a second. Magic Jewel? "They....took the jewel?" I repeated. "Yep," Lori replied serenely. "It's quite valuable, so it'll fetch a high price in the black market. And since they're thieves, I imagine they won't give it back without getting paid." "Right," I muttered numbly. "So, um, what now?" "We follow them." Lori pointed towards the door. "Come on, let's leave." I stood up slowly. My legs were sore from sleeping in the same position for so long. And I was way too young to have the hangover I did. That was maybe two 'drinks' tops, but Alice was a goddamned lightweight. As I hobbled to the door, I caught sight of the maid who had brought me my ale earlier. She was staring at me with wide eyes. "...Uh, hello," I greeted her with great hesitance and trepidation. She snapped her mouth shut immediately and turned away in fear. What was that about? Once we exited the building and headed toward the town center, I noticed something strange. There were fewer people walking around than usual. Some of those we passed glared angrily at us. They must have recognized Lori from yesterday. "Is everyone angry at us?" I whispered to her. Lori shook her head. "Welll....you drove off the bandits last night, but you set quite a few buildings on fire." Wait, me? I set some buildings on fire? "Wait seriously? H-how many?" I asked dubiously. "Seven," she confirmed. "Thankfully none of them burned down to the ground." I winced. Not great. "Still, it's not like anyone died," Lori continued optimistically. "Those four bandits you flew into the air and went all nyoom nyoom WIND BLADES on will probably miss their limbs, though." Wait, I did it? I dismembered four people? In one night? "If nothing else," she concluded, "at least we got rid of those damn thieves. We can rest easy knowing they probably won't bother this town anymore." I stared at her, speechless. Lori laughed. "See? Nothing to worry about!" I blinked in confusion. When we reached the town center, a small army was already waiting for us. The soldiers wore heavy armor and carried spears and shields. Their leader approached us cautiously. He was a dwarven man with a round face, and his hair was cropped close to the scalp. His expression looked severe and stern, and his beard traveled down below his chest. If I had to guess, he was about five feet tall, which seemed tall for a dwarf based on what I saw around town. "Lady Lorina Liddell," he addressed her in a formal and respectful manner. Lori smirked. "Hello, Captain." He sighed heavily before turning to address the crowd. "...Very well. Please excuse my rudeness. I am Captain Olimar of the Royal Guard. I apologize for interrupting your day once again, Lori. You were a magnificent help last night." Lori waved him away dismissively. "No problem at all, sir!" Olimar cleared his throat. "Please allow me to introduce my men to your dear sister. This is Staff Sergeant Milla." Mila bowed politely. She was a brown-haired elf, and her uniform appeared identical to the other Royal Guards. Next came Lieutenant Hildebrand. She was a human with a similar uniform to the others, although hers was decorated with medals. And finally, there was Lieutenant Domingo. He was dressed in a robe, which made me think he wasn't part of the military. My instincts told me he was a magic user. Captain Olimar continued. "These are my best men. Our job is to protect and serve the citizens, ladies, and gentlemen of the Kingdom." I glanced at Lori and saw she was wearing a smug smile. "Of course, if you don't mind, I would appreciate it f you could tell us where the item they pilfered was last located." "Why do you want to know?" Lori asked casually. "Because, it belongs to the royal treasury, and I'd like to return it as quickly as possible." "So," I remarked dryly, "If this thing was important enough to have some elite, royal guards all over this here...why exactly was this assigned to a Rank B and fledgling adventurer again?" Lori flashed a sweet and excited smile. "Because, my dear, that's how we roll here in the Kingdom! We value efficiency over everything else, so people delegate tasks to adventurers wherever possible." "Ergh," I grunted. "That makes absolutely no sense!" "Hmmph." Lori rolled her eyes. "Anyway, I'm glad you decided to help us out, Captain." "Thank you, Lady Lorina." "Don't mention it," she replied breezily, batting her eyelashes. "Let's go see what kind of trouble we can stir up today, Marcus!" "Just like old times, eh Lori? I mean. Lady Liddell..." Captain Olimar turned to judge me with an appraising eye, "Anyway, the townsfolk told me your sister was quite the hellion herself last night. Nasty stuff indeed. Are you sure she's fit to be out and about yet?" I froze. What the hell? Was he talking about me? I blushed in embarrassment. "Um, yes sir. I believe so." Lori said while letting out an obnoxious and mischievous giggle. "Her stomach has calmed down now, and she seems to have fully recovered from the effects of alcohol poisoning and her mana expenditure. Shall we begin tracking these thieves right away?" "Yes, please." Olimar nodded enthusiastically. "Follow me, then. Let's catch them before they cause any further problems." I groaned inwardly. What was I even doing here? Wasn't there anything better for me to be involved in? Like helping a little old lady cross the street? Or maybe cleaning up trash on the side of the road? Lori turned to Captain Olimar with a serious expression, "We'll go on ahead, Marcus." "Wait, do I really need to be involved in this?" I asked as Lori dragged me off with one hand. After leaving the town center, we found a trail of footprints heading northward. It led straight through the forest, so I assumed whoever took it had been traveling along a main path. "Wait, Lori, what are y- AAAHHHH!" I jerked in surprise as suddenly, Lori slung me over her shoulder and carried me in pursuit of the thieves, jumping in massive bounds. She jumped from tree branch to tree branch, and I felt the wind whip past me as she moved with unbelievable speed and grace. I stared in amazement at the girl who carried me, who seemed like a warrior from an actual high fantasy anime. Eventually, the visible tracks faded from the ground, and we came out to a clearing with a marked path that split into two forks. We stood still for several seconds, and I began to second-guess myself again as Lori caught her breath. Then, she spoke up. "Okay, let's split up and search the area. Remember, stay quiet, and keep your voices low. We don't want to alert our targets to our presence." "Wait," I panicked, "That doesn't sound like a good idea..." "You'll be fine! Just fire off a flare spell if you see something," She winked playfully. "But...what if we're spotted?" I questioned with a bite of my lip. "They might attack us Especially if erm, if I'm alone." Lori shrugged. "Then you fight back, okay?" "I don't really think I want to do this, though," I said uneasily. She scoffed. "Well, it sure didn't look like that last night! Those guys should've known better than to mess with someone like you." "But still, I don't feel comfortable going after them alone." She sighed impatiently. "Look, I know you're worried, but just trust me. These assholes are gonna regret messing with you. Look, I'll be able to find you easily. Just yell!" I swallowed hard. That sounded pretty ominous, coming from her mouth. Before I could respond again, Lori jumped off in one direction and left me to my lonesome. I stared at the other fork in the road and sighed. I began to wander into the woods, following the trail. I looked around, taking in the scenery. The sound of birds and insects chirping just sounded creepy to me now that I was alone. I continued walking down the trail and eventually came to a campsite. I had gone camping before, but never in this nerve-wracking context. At first glance, it seemed like the site was being used regularly; empty bowls were scattered about, discarded food wrappers littered the ground, and a fire was still smoldering. I saw more footprints on the ground and began to follow them. They looked fresh. Reaching into my bag, I pulled out Alice's wand. I had no idea how this worked, but I could use it to bluff in a worst-case scenario. I heard voices in the distance, and a group of trees blocked my view, but I could still hear voices from somewhere inside the wooded area. From the sound of it, they were arguing. The foliage was thick, but I could slip through the trees with my unarmored, petite body. "Hey, hey, calm down!" a man shouted. A woman responded frantically. "No, listen! I didn't steal it! I swear!" There was a brief pause, then another voice spoke up. "Then who did?" "I don't know! Someone must have stolen it after I handed it over!" "You're lying! Everyone knows you stole it yourself. The masked man was going to pay handsomely for it." "Stop it, you idiots!!" "Calm down, both of you." An older man tried to intervene. "It doesn't matter who stole it. All that matters is finding it." "Yeah, yeah," said a fourth person. Following the voice, I snuck ahead and looked around. I squinted hard at the distant figures from my hiding spot until they became clearer. Three men. Two women. One of them was carrying something wrapped in cloth. Judging by the size, it might be a box or suitcase. The other two were holding large sacks of coins. "Fine. Just stop shouting at each other." The first man sighed tiredly. "We'll split the money between us once we get back." The woman gave him an incredulous look. "How much?!" "Forty percent of whatever we earn to me." "Eeeeekkkk!! Forty!? That's robbery Zlatan!" "Relax. If we take less, then we won't make enough to pay off our debts. We'll never be able to start a new life anywhere else." "But...but..." "Hush," the man I identified as Zlatan interrupted her. "This isn't a negotiation. Now let's go." At that moment, I spotted movement in the corner of my eye. Something glittered in the distance, reflecting sunlight. I blinked and focused on it intently. Then I realized what it was: a single golden ring hanging off a branch on a string. It was suspended above the ground, swinging slightly in the breeze. The swaying made me feel dizzy, and suddenly I found myself hurtling forward. Oh shit, oh god, oh crap! I thought desperately. I was definitely staying away from alcohol from now on. My body was betraying me! "Alice, wait!" Lori suddenly screamed out loud from close behind me. I had the wherewithal to wonder, ' where did she come from!?' - right before I lost my balance and stumbled forward, tumbling right into view of the alleged thieves. Everyone stopped abruptly and turned toward me. They stared at me with hostility, and I felt a sudden rush of heat rising to my cheeks. Oh god, what the fuck. Why does this shit like this keep happening?! I hate being in this world. I hate being stuck in this stupid, clumsy, and weak body. "Who goes there?" demanded one of the men suspiciously. My eardrums pounded in my head. I held up my hands in surrender, and then I felt myself retch. My head spun in circles, and I promptly hurled a continuous stream of stomach acid and digested foodstuffs on the ground in front of me. It hit the dirt and began bubbling and burning fiercely, spreading across the entire area in an instant. "Crap! It's her!" the first woman shouted. "Seven hells, Alice! You don't have to go for the overkill spells right out the gate every time!!" Lori panicked from above. I didn't know what the hell I was doing! How could I have done that to them!? And I hadn't even intended to use fire magic! It just sorta happened! "D-Damn it!" cried the second woman. "What do we do?!" The background changed to pure green, and their arms and legs seemed to....turn into comically underbudgeted circles, and they ran in circles with that classic anime panic and swear animation. "Run! Run for your lives!!" yelled the third guy. "She's gonna burn us all alive!" They dropped their cargo and fled as fast as their legs would carry them. The first woman started running towards us, waving her arms wildly. "Look out! Look out!" Zlatan shrieked. "Get away from the fire!" "Y-you too, Captain!" the second woman called out fearfully. "Flee now!" "Right behind you!" I watched helplessly as the three thieves ran past me without stopping. They disappeared into the trees, disappearing from sight. "Did you see that?" Lori exclaimed excitedly, shouting behind her as she caught up to me. "She really scared 'em good! Ha ha!" "Lori..." I groaned, fighting off a migraine. "Well, don't worry," she added cheerily. "I've got plenty of potions left for that hangover." "Good..." My head throbbed painfully. My vision swam in and out of focus. I couldn't seem to move properly. Everything around me seemed to spin and thrum, and I struggled to remain upright. Where was I? Was I dead? Or perhaps I was dreaming... Wait. No. I definitely wasn't asleep. I remembered the events clearly. I was in the middle of tracking down some thieves when— Suddenly, a sharp pain shot through my skull. It was almost like my brain itself was splitting apart. I gritted my teeth and clutched my head, trying not to scream aloud. "Alice?" Lori asked anxiously. "Nnnngggg..." I winced as another wave of agony washed over me. Oh God, this hurt! "Are you okay, Alice?" Lori asked again. "Can you stand up?" "Uhhh...no," I mumbled. I felt green and accidentally barfed all over Lori's armor. I tensed in fear for a second, then I relaxed when I realized I hadn't set Alice's sister on fire. "Oh no," I heard Lori mutter as she....doted on me? "Do you need medical attention?" "I don't think so..." I muttered. "I just...need...some time...to rest...water." "Okay, fine." Lori pouted unhappily. "Take a few minutes." As soon as she stepped aside, I collapsed onto the grass. I was exhausted. Exhausted beyond belief. My whole body ached from having exerted myself so much yesterday. Alcohol was a bad idea, too, even if it was just a little bit. Even though I hadn't gone crazy, it still messed me up pretty badly. Maybe I should stick to eating meat instead of drinking next time. "Here, drink this dear." Lori passed me a canteen. "Drink slowly. Don't gulp it down." "Thanks," I murmured gratefully. I gulped it down in a second. Once I finished drinking, I sat up carefully, careful not to fall flat on my face. "Is your headache better now?" Lori asked kindly. "Not really," I admitted sadly. "But thanks anyway." "Ah, well, don't worry about it. Drink some water, then get going. "Uh huh." Captain Olimar approached us, looking concerned. "Lady Lorina, what happened to you?" He glanced at me as I stumbled around. "And why are you covered in vomit?" "That's... a long story," Lori explained. "Let's continue following the trail of footprints. Hopefully we can catch them before they reach the capital and get some information." She looked at me pointedly. "Don't forget to stay hydrated, Alice!" "Whatever," I glowered. I looked towards the back as Captain Olimar's crew approached, then I froze as I saw a figure in black robes standing on top of a hill through my blurry vision, staring at me with malevolent red eyes. I blinked, and he was gone. I glanced back at the giant bag of loot the thieves had left behind. Now that they weren't there anymore, it was safe to pick it up and examine it. Wow, these guys sure had picked up a lot of stuff. There was a pile of gold coins and dozens of bags containing various items. Luckily, the box with the magic jewel was right there for the taking. There was also a strange-looking book sitting on top of everything. Its cover was shiny metal, which reminded me of a sword hilt. I reached for it out of curiosity, only to recoil violently. The binding stung my hand like hot iron. I gingerly flipped it open with my wand, and I saw pages filled with words written in a language I'd never seen before. What the heck is this thing? I wondered with a great sense of unease. It looks dangerous as hell! I decided to put it back in its place in the loot pile quickly. After all, I didn't want to deal with any cursed artifact nonsense. I knew that much.

The kitchen had a nice warm light shining through its glass panes, making everything seem cozy despite the dark storm outside. It smelled terrific: bread, fruit, meat. My stomach rumbled suddenly at the smell of bacon cooking in the brick oven, but Lori gave me a reassuring smile before turning her attention to the food in front of us instead. We sat in silence, eating quietly as we stared at the wall clock above our dining table. I wish there was internet here...or even television... or radio...some kind of entertainment to take my mind off things for a bit... Lori finished her meal first, wiping her lips with the edge of her sleeve. Then she leaned back against her chair and gazed thoughtfully across the table at me. "We managed to gravely injure the masked mage and force him to leave," she explained. "We all knew it was him because...he has this weird dimensional magic where he can pull people in certain strength brackets into parallel planes temporarily. I'm not sure how it works, exactly." "Oh?" I raised an eyebrow curiously. "But why did he come after us?" She bit her lip, "We almost killed him four years ago, and we killed his brother in that quest," she answered simply. "He's a drow mage named Micarlin, and he's apparently quite mad about it." I blinked. "A drow?" "Yes," she replied, nodding slowly, "A dark elf. A race of elves who are born from the shadows rather than birthed by mothers. We are fairly sure he's sworn to serve the Demon Lord, and his attack yesterday was personal." I gasped, "So he came after us because of revenge?" She shook her head, "No, it wasn't purely that. He was also trying to kill us because of what we are. He was assassinating high-level adventurers when we started investigating him, and it looks like he's started again based on the guild's intel. Micarlin is currently wanted as a Rank A Hunt target by the guild." I paused, thinking about that for a moment. "Wait, so...he's killing people just because they're adventurers?" She nodded, "Yeah, that's what we've gathered. The higher level you are, the bigger of a target you are to the demon lord. Rank S and Rank A adventurers are usually suicide missions for anything other than their champions and generals, but I would be a prime target as a Rank B Swordmaster, along with the rest of the crew." "That makes sense, I guess," I muttered, "I mean, if you're going to try and stop a demon invasion, wouldn't it make sense to start with the strongest adventurers?" "Exactly." She nodded vigorously. "It's pretty much a given that if you're going to fight the demons, you'll probably eventually die doing it anyway. That's why most people don't want to do it - even though there's no shortage of us crazy enough to take those jobs. Still, all of us will have to stand up to that tide someday." I frowned slightly. "But enough about that, what are you planning to do, Alice?" she asked gently. "About your magic, about this whole situation..." She trailed off as she picked at her own cutlery absent-mindedly. "Well..." I began hesitantly, "I've been trying to think about what's best for all of us - what's going to be safest." Lori raised an eyebrow curiously, "Safest? You mean like avoiding danger?" "No," I shook my head, "I mean safe for me. Like...safe for my heart, for instance." That was a bit hard to admit, almost as hard as saying what I'd really felt earlier. Lori pursed her lips together and furrowed her brow as she listened intently. "I don't want to leave this house," I told her bluntly. "I don't want to abandon the family, but I've thought about just leaving and going off on my own." Lori tilted slightly, "What does that have to do with your magic?!" "I don't know," I admitted sheepishly. "But, I've felt so much pressure about it...like if I'm known for my magic, and I've forgotten it all, then I'm useless to everyone here. Everyone in this family and everyone in this town." Lori blinked slowly, "So you're afraid you won't be useful anymore?" I nodded silently. "That's silly," she said with a laugh. "You have nothing to worry about! You're not useless, Alice," she insisted firmly. "You're the smartest person I know. You're always helping everybody out. Heck, even without magic you'd be the most important member of this family." My eyes widened as I gaped at her in shock. "Really?" I breathed softly. Lori nodded emphatically, "Of course! You're the family baby, and we love you very much!" I let out a quiet sigh and smiled at her awkwardly. "Thank you, Lori..." I murmured softly. I felt guilt for a moment, knowing I had stolen Alice's life. I'd felt like I didn't belong, but I hadn't asked for this, and she did comfort me. She shrugged shyly, "It's only right. And hey, I've told the Chief to piss off about trying to recruit you. For now, at least. If you ever want to join up, he's left an open door." After a moment of silence, she cleared her throat and spoke again, "So, how are we going to solve this problem? Your magic thing?" I frowned and chewed my lip before answering, "I planned on studying every day once we got back. Maybe with utility spells first. Then maybe move onto the self-defense stuff when I finish up there." Lori nodded slowly, "Yeah...that sounds good. And I'll help you study too, alright? If that's what you want, at least. I'm not as smart as you and I'm sure you've figured it out, but I can be there to keep you fed and hydrated and nudge you to take breaks when you're stumped!" "Th...thank you," I mumbled quietly. We both fell silent after that for several minutes. Eventually, Lori looked up from her plate and met my gaze. She seemed to be thinking carefully about something. "Alice," she started slowly, "Are you still...feeling weird about me? About how I was hunting for danger and erm, trying to make you take the stage?" I winced and bit my lip nervously. It made too much sense in hindsight. She'd taken all the roadside brigands down in an instant but sat back to see what I'd do with the last one before intervening. She did it again when we pursued the thieves, slowing down as I navigated the foliage. Lori had spotted Zlatan immediately, and she had let me take the initiative to sniff out his heist attempt. She could have probably taken down him and his men at any time, even at the point of the catboy henchman's sword. None of those people along the way were a threat to her whatsoever. But it didn't change the fact that it really wasn't cool to me, and it was both stressful and nerve-wracking that she'd put me through that. "I'm sorry," she apologized immediately. "I really didn't mean to make you so anxious..." "It's fine," I assured her quickly, waving my hand dismissively. "I just meant, you know...it's okay if you do hunt for danger. That's what adventurers do. It definitely was too much at multiple turns. I'd like to avoid unnecessary danger, if possible. The behavior really wasn't cool." Lori gave me a small smile, "I'm sorry. You're...more than valid, Alice." She paused for a few seconds, then added, "But, Alice...you really should consider getting stronger in your own way. We need to protect each other more than ever now. The world is dangerous, and we can't afford to be weak. I...hate to say it, but the masked mage busting up Fourth Street was far from the worst thing that could have happened to this town." I opened my mouth to ask about the masked mage but closed it again and nodded slowly instead. I knew she was right. I couldn't be careless or reckless, but I couldn't be complacent in a world as dangerous as this. But...I wanted to feel safe too. To have peace of mind. I sighed softly and shook my head. "I guess I'll go get more books," I muttered finally. "I can start with utility spellbook I bought, and work my way up from there." "That sounds great!" Lori replied happily. We finished eating in relative silence after that. After cleaning up our dishes, we left the kitchen together and walked back upstairs to my room. I pulled out my Introduction to Household Utility Spells spellbook and began flipping through its pages while Lori watched curiously. "This is the first book on the list," I explained as I flipped to the second page. "It's a basic introduction to spells used for everyday life." Lori raised an eyebrow, "Like what?" "Oh, well..." I trailed off as I glanced over the first couple of spells listed. "Like...preserving food, washing clothes, things like that." Lori blinked slowly as she read the list. "Huh...so you can actually learn these yourself?" "Yeah," I nodded. "They're pretty simple, but useful." She shrugged nonchalantly, "Well, it doesn't hurt to try." I continued reading, "And here's the next one: Lighting a Fire." Lori tilted her head slightly, "Fire? Like wood fires?" I nodded slowly. "Yeah, I guess so. I don't know much about it though, so I'll look into it later." Lori turned away from me and leaned against the wall with a thoughtful expression. "What are you thinking about?" I asked curiously. "Hmmm..." she hummed thoughtfully. "Well...I think maybe we should build a fire pit in the backyard. It might be nice to have somewhere warm to sit outside during winter." I smiled at her and nodded eagerly, "That would be wonderful! We can use magic from this book to make the bricks too!" "I'll get started on that tomorrow," she promised with a grin. "I'll tell dad to let us borrow the tools from the smithy when he's back from the capital. Er, what's left after the bankruptcy auction, at least." "Thank you, Lori!" I gushed gratefully. After that, we spent several hours studying together every day for the rest of the week. Every morning, Lori woke up early to make breakfast while I studied inside my room. Then after lunch, we'd learn together until dinner time. She also picked up a couple of the spells in the process. As it turned out, Alice did have a bunch of more advanced books left, and her traveling bag was full of spells that were too complicated to memorize and sight-read. Those spells ranged from temporary short-range barriers that could probably tank a nuclear bomb to a thesis paper on anchoring pocket spaces to reality that went over my head. Lori was always eager to help me learn new spells and seemed to enjoy watching me practice them. She'd coach me on improving my mental framing and give sage advice for overcoming hurdles. She may not have much magical talent, but she was a master swordsman and practiced her sword swings several hundred times outside whenever she had free time. You didn't reach her level without learning how to practice. We practiced most of the spells in my spellbook, and in a week, I learned most of the spells in the book. My memory had improved since coming here too, so I could easily recall everything I'd read. I wondered if that was because of how Alice clicked and processed things. How much of this was me, and how much of this was Alice? I wasn't sure yet, but I figured I'd find out eventually. I learned how to summon a basic light I could use as a flashlight, enchant brooms to sweep the room, grab small objects telekinetically, project my voice over long distances, shape water, suck dirt and sediment up from things, light and put out fires, and manipulate ropes & knots. That wasn't all, there were all kinds of subsections about manipulating stone, metal, plant matter, and all kinds of things you would encounter daily. All in all, the book was handy, and I learned to do all of this wandlessly by the end of the week. Lori and I were still working on making the fire pit for the backyard, but we still needed to get around to building it. We decided to do it once we had some free time before winter set in. The weather was still quite pleasant, but it would only last a while. Winter came fast to this kingdom. Its culture split the calendar into ten thirty-five-day months and seven-day weeks; winter and summer lasted three of them. The other four months were spring and fall. So, winter would come soon enough. I hoped it would be mild. I finished reading the book with the utility spells and closed it with a sigh. Lori was sitting on her bed, reading a book of her own. She looked up at me when she noticed I was done. "What did you think?" she asked curiously. I shrugged, "I'm glad I bought this book. I can see why people say it's essential for adventurers and domestic mages alike." She nodded, "Yeah, it's a good one. Not many books are written like this anymore." I stretched, letting out a high-pitched yawn, "I feel a little tired," I said softly. "Maybe I should go to bed." "Oh yeah," Lori agreed absently. "You've been studying for hours every day." I nodded and yawned again. "I guess I'll just take a bath first. I'll wash your clothes tomorrow." "Okay," Lori replied with a nod. "Goodnight then." "Night," I murmured as I climbed upstairs to my room. I removed my robe and washed quickly in the bathtub before climbing into bed. I stayed there for a few minutes, staring at the ceiling and listening to the sounds of the house settling down for the night. The clock ticked steadily as it counted the passing seconds away. I sighed quietly and closed my eyes as I tried to relax. It was hard to sleep, though. There were too many thoughts running through my head. I wanted to learn more about magic and spells, but I had to stay focused on surviving this place. I thought back to my conversation with Lori earlier in the week. I needed to protect Lori, too...but how could I do that? If she got hurt, I might never forgive myself. As new as it was to me, she and I had formed a genuine sisterly connection. I could tell she cared for me, for Alice at least, but there was a chance I would be Alice for the rest of my life. I might as well embrace this girl's identity now and get used to it. And even if I did get out of this town and leave, where would I go? I didn't know how to survive on my own in this world. The memories I had of another world. Of a lifetime of hard work only to end in muddled tears and regret. Who was I, even? Am I Alice Liddell? Was I doomed to repeat that here? Was my past life the true hallucination and delusion? I had no idea how long I stayed there thinking of thoughts like that. Eventually, I drifted off into a restless sleep.

I was standing in front of a crowd of people who flowed in and out of a tavern. They were all dressed outlandishly and their skin colors varied widely. Some had pale complexions while others were darker brown, or orange, or even green. Most of them looked similar to each other though: tall, slender figures with long legs and arms, and narrow waists. But what stood out to me, was the variety of fantasy races represented here: Elves, dwarves, ogres, humans, gnomes, goblins, orcs, lizard-men, halflings, cat-men, and more packed the streets. Some were walking along casually, while others were hurrying past. Many carried weapons and equipment on their backs or belts, while others had items strapped to their heads, chests, waists, thighs—anywhere they could carry stuff. There were merchants selling goods and services, and travelers coming and going. Everyone moved quickly and efficiently, yet everyone still managed to maintain a polite distance between themselves and the rest. The vast majority of them though, were athletic beyond belief and looked like caricatures straight out of well, anime. All of them stared at me intently as we passed each other. "Um..." I began nervously. The body I was in was unbelievably short and to put it nicely, scholarly . I definitely felt it as we passed through the crowd. "Hm?" Lori whispered, turning towards me. A lizard man stepped forward. He had a large mustache, dark green robes, and a golden ring around his neck. His eyes were sharp, and he glared at me intensely as he approached. "Uh," I swallowed hard and tried to gather my thoughts. "Um... hi? Hello?" He spoke quietly in a gruff tone. "...Are you new here?" I nodded hesitantly. His eyebrows rose in surprise, before he chortled in a rough laugh. "Really? I thought you were someone famous." "Huh?" "Like, you're really well known in these parts, right? The genius adolescent daughter of the Liddell family? Potion brewer and former supplier of the Adventurer's Guild? Same house that came crashing down overnight in disgrace? That's why you came here instead of staying home all pampered, yeah?" A chorus of laughter and raucous whispers echoed through the room. My heart sank. I didn't even realize how much attention I was drawing until now. "Err," I stammered, "No. Actually, um—" "Ahhh, nevermind," the lizardman cut me off. "Sorry, I shouldn't have bothered you miss. Have fun being a celebrity, girlie." With that, he returned to his friends and continued on. Lori nudged me playfully, "See? You're doing fiiiiiiiiine." "Thanks, I guess," I mumbled, embarrassed. We kept walking through the crowds, before we came up at a bulletin board. "So, uh, what do you wanna do first?" she asked me. I paused mid-stride and turned to her with a look of confusion. "Do... what?" She smirked at me, "Oh cute little Alice-chan. On her first widdle adventure. Of course, I'm assuming that you're curious." I glanced down at my weirdly cel-shaded anime hands. They were small, delicate hands with long fingers. My nails were short flawlessly drawn, manicured, and pink. I raised my gaze back to hers and narrowed my eyes suspiciously, "What are you talking about?" She laughed lightly, "Cute. You sure you aren't a little kid?" I crossed my arms over my chest, puffing up my cheeks. I couldn't help but feel a bit offended. I was a grown adult! I narrowed my eyes, then blinked in confusion as the background turned purple and hazy. Lori zoomed out to become a scared-looking tiny chibi knight. What the hell? "Okay! Okay!," she frantically waved both hands at me placatingly. Lori transformed back from her chibi self and leaned in close, and lowering her voice conspiratorially. "Here's the deal. When I told you that we were going adventuring, I wasn't kidding. We're gonna start working right away!" "Work?" Uh oh, I didn't like where this was going. "Yep. Our party leader wants us to earn some money quick, so we can get you better gear and stuff, ya know? Get you broken in before we meet with the crew officially." "Umn, I'm really having second doubts about this. Third doubts, in fact." "Right!" she exclaimed excitedly, "I'm so psyched!" She didn't hear me at all, did she? "Ooookay," I said slowly, "so, work is going to be...?" She held up her fingers, and did an 'eenie meenie miny moe' motion with them, pointing at the bulletin board. "This one. There's a job posted there. Let's check it out." The board listed several jobs available, ranging from monster hunting to treasure retrieval and even delivery requests. All of them were paid fairly well. Lori picked out a request that seemed interesting. I furrowed my brows and read it. Somehow, I could understand the script perfectly. The written syntax was a bit different from English and more like German, but it mapped out in my head correctly to the letters of the alphabet. Delivery Request: Item for Delivery Description: A package containing a rare item needs to be delivered to the Royal Palace by tomorrow morning. Please make every effort to ensure its safety during transit. Failure will result in immediate dismissal without pay. Rank: B Details: Package contains a magical gemstone Must be dropped off within the royal palace within five days. Payment details: Upon successful completion, the delivery party receives 200 gold coins. Any damages incurred upon arrival results in loss of payment. Requirements: Party must have at least two members. At least one B-rank adventurer. Up to eight. I read through the description again, then looked up at Lori expectantly. She smiled brightly, "Oh boy! Two hundred Crowns for a six hour delivery!? Cmon sis, we'll be having mutton tonight!" I blanched. Something about the job description didn't sit well with me, "Wait, wait, hold on!" "Come on!" she urged, grabbing my hand and dragging me towards the door. "No, no, wait listen to me!" "Hmmph." She rolled her eyes at me and dragged me outside. I followed after her reluctantly. As soon as we left the building, I spotted someone approaching. "Hey, isn't that..." Lori started. It was a man wearing a red cloak and carrying a greatstaff. He walked briskly down the street toward us. He had a thin face and pointed ears, and looked like he was in his early 20s. He had long, shiny and silky green hair, and a pair of piercing bright blue eyes that lanced immediately to my heart. I flushed red, feeling a rush of teenage girl hormones begin to race through my body as the man stared at me. Thankfully, his gaze was broken as he blinked at us in confusion. God fucking dammit, this body was already annoying the crap out of me and it hasn't even been a day. "Hiya, Mr. Elf!" Lori called out cheerfully. "How's your day been?" He stopped abruptly. His mouth hung open and his eyes widened in shock. "What are you doing here Lorina?!" he exclaimed incredulously. "Hello, sir," I bowed respectfully. Who was this guy supposed to be? "Goodness gracious!" he breathed in amazement. "Is this really you? By the goddess you two have grown big fast! How are things at home? Oh dear I've heard the rumors..." he trailed off, looking flustered. "Where's your mother and father? Did something happen?" "Nothing's wrong," I assured him. "Everything is fine. Um, I think?" "It's all good!" Lori beamed. "We're just a little bit bankrupt!" Everything paused for a second. Suddenly, the elf's head grew massive and the environment faded out again. I could see comically large streams of tears trailing down his face. "BANKRUPT?!" the elf screamed. "By the heavens. Charles and Helen. What have your parents managed to get into? It has scarcely been shy of two decades since Lord and Lady Liddell ceased adventuring with me. The fortunes we retrieved should have..." "Welllll," she stuttered. "It's complicated, but don't worry!" Lori added hastily, "I have a plan to save the house!" She pulled me closer and proclaimed loudly in my ear, "Mr. Elf!" Lori exclaimed happily, "This is my little sis Alice. With her on the team, we'll go from B-rank adventurers allll the way to S-rank in no time! From taking on hordes of roving troll slavers to honest-to-god dragon slaying! We'll be in the big leagues!" A record screeched in my head. ...Did she just say roving hordes of troll slavers? ◆◆◆ "Wow," I gasped at the box as we reached the front gate. "That looks pretty expensive." "Yes," Lori replied proudly, "That's why we need you, Alice-chan!" "Me?" "Of course you, silly! This is an order from the king himself. If anyone should take it, a prodigy mage like you would be perfect, wouldn't you?" "But..." "Don't worry, I'll tell you everything later," she reassured me. "Now let's get moving, okay?" "Alright..." I sighed. I really, really didn't want to do any of this, but what choice did I really have? I had no idea what was going on, this is apparently the original body owner's sister, and I was stll figuring things out. As if on cue, the guards opened the gates and we left on a cart drawn by two giant birds. Yes, giant birds. No, not those kind of birds. Birds with heads bigger than me. Like, twice the size of any bird I'd ever seen. They were huge, with bald heads, and covered in spiky feathers. They weren't exactly friendly either. In fact, their faces were terrifying. Their eyes were completely white, and they had thick black beaks with wicked teeth. One of them gave me a menacing glare while the other snorted disdainfully at me. "Wowwwwww," I whispered under my breath. "Yeah, that's the idea," Lori giggled. "Look at that! Aren't they beautiful? Don't worry, Struthids won't bite. Well, unless you piss them off or something." "Hehe," I chuckled nervously. "I'm...I'm sure I'll be fine." She hopped onto the carriage, then helped me on as I struggled to get my legs up onto it. "Well then, please hold on tight!" she shouted cheerfully as she cracked their reins. "Hold on?" I repeated dumbly, "AIEEEEE!" I screamed as only a shrill, teenaged anime girl could as the cart lurched forward, throwing me against Lori's side. She grabbed onto my arm tightly, holding me steady. As soon as we left the city limits, the scenery changed dramatically. The trees grew taller and thicker, blocking out most of the sunlight. The road itself became rougher too; the bird creatures struggled to make progress, and occasionally slipped in mud or snow. The air got colder too, and it smelled wetter than ever. After a few hours of travel, I started getting bored. I wanted something to do! Something to occupy my mind. God, traveling low-tech sucked. I looked around the carriage for anything I might use. There were blankets piled up on top of each other behind the seats, and some kind of cloth hanging over the sides of the bench. I turned to Lori, "Do you have a book or something?" I asked Lori hopefully. She shook her head, "Oh you precious baby. Unfortunately, no. We had to sell most of them after father's catastrophe. Just keep your eyes open. Practice your magic!" My magic? I had no idea what that meant. Maybe if I concentrated hard enough, maybe I could figure it out myself somehow... I looked at my hand, and stared at it really hard. I had no idea what I was doing. Why was it so difficult? Could I just summon a spell by thinking about it? Was that how this worked? Maybe I should try casting something simple first? I closed my eyes and tried to remember anything. Fireball. That sounded easy. Fire ball. I pictured the flame in my mind, and focused on sending energy into it. Nothing happened. Fuck this. I thought angrily, and decided to give up for now. Lori kept talking to herself though, so I figured I should probably listen. "...and then the next thing you know, our family was broke," she muttered to herself. "Father always told us never to rely on others, but look where it got him! Now, we're going to have to beg for money from strangers doing odd jobs because he couldn't manage his own finances." Her voice wavered slightly when she spoke about Alice's father, but she quickly regained composure. "Anyway, that's why I need you, Alice! You can help me make a living, right? Sisters against the world, just like the old days! And then we'll live together foreverrrr!" I blinked blankly at her, wondering whether I had misheard her. "You really want me to work with you?" "Yup!" she nodded enthusiastically. "Just like old times. Remember? When we used to run away from home and hide in the forest?" Unfortunately, I wasn't Alice, and I had absolute. Zero. Recollection of this. "I guess we did something like that once..." I murmured absentmindedly. "Haha! So cute!" Lori laughed. "I bet you were scared shitless!" "Um, yeah, actually I was..." Her mouth twisted into a triangle, and yet again, her art style changed as she laughed obnoxiously. "And you cried your eyes out until mom came and found you!" "Uhh..." "Ahahahahaaa! Of course you did! Haha, hahaha!" Suddenly, Lori burst out laughing. Her laughter echoed across the plains for miles. My cheeks burned hot, and I felt embarrassed. But I still didn't understand what was so funny. It was like I knew on some level though, and I was reacting automatically to my sister's antics out of habit. "Okay, stop it!" I scolded her while my face instinctively twisted into a pout. "Stop making fun of me." "Ha ha, sorry sis," Lori said sheepishly. "I shouldn't laugh. It's just, I miss our adventures so much. Back before we were famous for graduating the Magic University at a young age, and semi-famous as a credentialed adventurer. Back when we were just normal kids playing in the woods." "Back when we were children," I mumbled. "Exactly! Before life made us adults! Ahhhh, these memories are priceless. Can you believe it?" She wiped away a tear and sniffled. "We were such idiots back then, running around without a care in the world!" "I mean, uhm, yes, I suppose..." I admitted awkwardly. She smiled warmly at me, and wrapped her arms around me. "Thank god you're here with me, little sis! I missed you so much!" I blushed deeply at her sudden display of affection. She was acting weird. Why was she being nice to me? What was happening? "Are you alright, Alice?" Lori asked worriedly. "You haven't been yourself lately, have you?" I shrugged uncomfortably. "I dunno, I guess I feel kinda strange today..." "Hmm," Lori hummed softly. "Maybe it's just your imagination. Anyway, I have an idea! Let's go play in the forest!" Wait, what? No. That's a terrible idea. Please don't suggest that. I thought desperately. "Nuh-no thanks," I said quickly. Let's just stay on this nice, bumpy cart with the mean bird-horses. "Come on, Alice! Playtime! Just like old times!" "No. Thank you," I repeated firmly. Lori frowned, and this time she wore the pout, "Aliiiiice-" Before she could finish speaking, the ground beneath us exploded violently. Because of course it did.

I woke up early the following day to the sound of a knock on the front door. It was still dark outside, but I dressed quickly and ran downstairs while Lori snored soundly in her room. I opened the front door and found something wrapped in a bundle of what looked like sheepskin on the floor and some bottles. I picked it up and saw a neatly scribbled note inside. "Fresh cat-ch for lunch or dinner! Wishing you a purr-fect day!" - Dinah ♥ I blinked and unwrapped the sheepskin. It looked like a cut of game meat, some kind of venison brisket by the looks of it. The note and gift put a smile on my face, and I walked back inside toward the kitchen. I staggered and nearly lost my balance from the weight of the cut immediately, so I gently put it down. I picked up the bottles and sniffed them. It smelled kind of like goat's milk. Looking at the bottles thoughtfully, an idea came to mind, so I decided to go for it. I waved my hands and visualized the symbols I needed. I floated a cut of some venison-like meat Dinah had brought us for lunch into the air, and then I moved a large mixing bowl onto the kitchen counter before floating the venison into it. With an exaggerated twirl, I made a scooping motion toward jars and cans of salt, spices, and marinades and popped their lids open. Then, I drew the exact proportions of herbs I needed and compressed them into a glob in midair. I sent it gently into the mixing bowl and delicately blended the spices evenly with the meat. Humming to myself, I floated some wood over to the oven and pointed at it. I visualized the 'Light a Fire' symbols in my head and started up the stove. I reached into a bag of oats and waved my hands, steel-cutting many oats perfectly with magic. I poured my freshly-made oatmeal with honey into two bowls and added some dried fruits. Then, I snapped my fingers. In an instant, the milk started boiling over. In a minute, the oatmeal was cooked to perfection. Just as the oatmeal was finished cooking, Lori walked downstairs with a yawn. "Morning," she yawned as she walked into the kitchen. She blinked and sweatdropped, "Did you cook all this yourself? "Mmhm!" I smiled sweetly at her as I walked over to the mixing bowl. I floated the cut of venison next to me as I walked over, opened the hatch, and put the perfectly marinaded shoulder in. Then, I vacuumed up all the blood and marinade goop and bacteria in the mixing bowl in a single 'woosh' sound to a floating blob above my hand and tossed it into the oven on top of the meat. Giant explosions and lightning bolts? Screw that! Stuff like THIS was the best part about learning magic! Still, I frowned to myself. I had to be careful with abusing this. I could see how the original Alice got so out of shape if she defaulted to this with anything heavy. Lori sat at the table and stared at the food with wide eyes. Her mouth was hanging open, and she started poking at the oatmeal with a spoon. "What is this?" she asked quietly. "It's breakfast," I replied simply. She looked at me with a blank expression on her face, "Is it good?" I nodded, "Yeah. Nutritious too!" Lori took a bite of oatmeal and chewed thoughtfully. Then, she swallowed and looked around again. "Where did you learn to do all this?" she asked curiously. "You spent a week helping me learn all those household spells," I explained. "Dinah brought us some meat and milk, so I thought I would try putting those spells together and cook breakfast and lunch with them." Lori stopped eating for a moment to stare at me, "You're joking right?" I shook my head, "Nope." She giggled, "You're definitely my adorable genius sister alright," she muttered. Was I, really? Ah, I'll save those existential questions for later. I rolled my eyes and shrugged, "I'm just trying to help out here. You know, make sure we don't starve or get eaten by monsters while you're gone on a quest." Lori snorted, "You're going to have to work harder than that. Remember, we have nearly eleven thousand gold to pay off." I looked suspiciously at her, "What are you planning?" She smirked evilly, "Oh nothing. Just making sure you don't waste your time doing stupid things." I huffed and turned back to cooking. "So...what should we do today?" I asked as I swirled my fingers in the air, fanning the oven's flames. My sister sighed and stretched, "Well, since you're such an expert in housework now, maybe you can teach me how to cook some stuff later...other than that, I think I'll look for a job." I smiled widely at her as I finished cooking breakfast and lunch. After that, Lori went out to the Adventurer's Guild to pick up a quest while I took the time to take a break from my studies and finally explore Halton. It was a large town or small city that was part of a larger metropolitan area around the Royal Capital, depending on how you looked at it. A satellite city like New Haven and Bridgeport, Connecticut, are for New York City or Oakland and Berkley for San Francisco. The main street was lined with shops selling everything from weapons to potions to armor and other equipment. There were also several taverns, restaurants, and even a few brothels. The streets were packed with people walking around and chatting happily among themselves. I walked through the crowded street and found myself stopping every once in a while to watch a show or listen to someone play an instrument. I heard something that sounded like a violin playing beautiful music in one corner of the square, and I couldn't help but stop and listen for a minute. It was more of a cross between a Chinese erhu and a violin, but I loved listening to instruments played on city streets, especially stringed ones. They reminded me of home. I walked over to the musician and tapped him on the shoulder when he was done playing. He jumped slightly before turning towards me. He was a halfling who was probably no older than twenty-two or twenty-three years old. His dark green hair was tied back in a ponytail, and his bright red eyes twinkled merrily as they met mine. "Hello there!" he greeted me cheerfully, "What's your name?" I swallowed for a second before giving him a fake name, "Amy." The halfling laughed at me, "That's not very original." I shrugged, "It's better than 'Alice' right?" He grinned, "Very true! What brings you here?" "Just looking around," I replied casually, "Do you mind if I ask where you got that instrument from?" Then, he nodded and pointed behind me, "I bought it from a traveling merchant last week." I tilted my head curiously, "Really? How much did it cost?" The musician shrugged, "I dunno, like eight gold or so? It's a rare model though; I only saw two others in all of Halton." I whistled quietly, "That is expensive." He nodded, "Yeah. I guess the man said it was made by a famous master craftsman from the country of Yue." I blinked, "Yue? That sounds familiar." "Anyway, he said this guy used magic to craft it." I furrowed my brow in thought, "Magic? So does that mean it has some sort of magical element to it?" The boy shook his head, "Nah, I think it's just a really good instrument. But I've never seen anything like it before. It's definitely different from any instrument I've ever heard before." I nodded slowly, "Yeah. It's pretty cool." Then, smiled at me, "Thanks. Anyway, do you want to hear me play something else?" I hesitated for a moment, then nodded. The musician pulled out a small piece of paper and quickly scribbled something down. Then, he put his left hand on the strings and started playing a simple tune. It wasn't very complicated, but it was still fun to listen to. I hummed along quietly as I watched him play. After a few minutes, he stopped and handed me the paper. "Here," he said as he gave it to me, "I wrote down the notes for the song so you can learn it if you ever pick up music." I frowned slightly, "You didn't have to do that." He shrugged, "No problem! I'd be happy to teach anyone who wants to learn." "Thanks." I looked down at the paper and looked at the notes. I was familiar with music notation at home; surprisingly, the system was the same. I think, at least. It looks like something in B minor. I folded up the note and tucked it into my pocket. Then, I turned around and waved goodbye to the halfling. A string instrument crafted with magic, huh? That gave me some ideas. The original Alice apparently had a potion brewing business, and I wonder how that wound up going bust, given all the things I could do with precision in the kitchen this morning. ◆◆◆ After I spent some time exploring Halton and doing some grocery shopping, I decided to meet up with Lori at the Adventurer's Guild. Lori returned with a Rank C quest to hunt some bandits that she thought about accepting. Apparently, a child had been kidnapped by bandits when she went outside to look at the stars one night. I sighed as I looked at the map. Lori sat down next to me and leaned against my shoulder. "What's wrong?" she asked curiously. I rolled my eyes and sighed, "Nothing...just thinking about our current situation." She raised an eyebrow, "Our current situation?" "Yeah. We're both working hard to pay off the family's debts, and we need money to survive in this world." Lori let out a soft sigh, "Yeah, you're right. But there's nothing we can do about it. They took your lab when dad went bust. You know that." Well, that explains a lot, but still. I shook my head, "There are always ways to make more money. There must be something we can do." Lori laughed softly, "Oh yeah? Like what?" I thought, "Well, maybe we could try making some items and selling them? Or even start a shop somewhere?" She tilted her head quizzically, "What kind of things would we sell?" "Anything really. I don't really care. Maybe we could use your swordsmanship skills to teach people how to fight or something." Lori snorted, "That's not really a profitable idea." That made me respond to her with a sweet smile, "Why not? You're pretty good at it." She huffed, "I'm good at fighting, but I don't have the patience to teach other people how to fight. I can help you practice because you're my little sister. I would scare them all away." I rolled my eyes, "Whatever." We spent the rest of the afternoon talking about different things, throwing ideas at each other, and just walking around town. When it got dark out, we headed back towards the house. As we were walking back through town, I noticed a large crowd gathered in front of the Adventurers' Guild. "What's going on?" I asked Lori. She shrugged, "Dunno." We walked over to see what all the fuss was about. When we reached the square, I noticed several adventurers standing around a table. They had a map spread across it, pointing at various locations on the map. One was a tall highlander man with long brown hair and sharp features. He wore leather armor with a red cloak draped over his shoulders. He had a sword strapped to his waist, holding a piece of parchment in his hand. "What's going on here?" I asked as I approached him. He looked up at me and smiled, "Ah, Alice! How are you?" I blinked at him in surprise, "How do you know who I am?" He chuckled lightly, "You're famous, Alice. Don't worry; no one will bother you while you're here." I rolled my eyes. And this is why I use an alias when people don't recognize me off the bat here. Then, I looked back at the map and frowned slightly. The man pointed to one spot on the map, "A lot of us are going to check out this dungeon that was recently discovered by the local miners. We've heard rumors that it's filled with treasure, so we want to get in there before anyone else does." I scratched my chin, "What do you mean by 'recently'?" He scratched his chin thoughtfully, "It was only found about two weeks ago, and nobody has been able to explore it yet. The entrance is hidden deep underground, but it looks like it leads into a very large cave system." Nodding slowly, I responded, "Well, I guess that sounds alright then." I returned his smile with a sunny one of my own and walked away with Lori toward the town gates. Then, I started giggling. "You okay there, Alice-chan?" Lori asked me quietly. I gave her a sunny smile, "Yeah. I think I might have an idea about we can earn some extra money." Lori raised an eyebrow, "Really? What did you have in mind?" Giggling evilly, I flashed her an even bigger smile, "Well, there's that dungeon that just got discovered by the local adventurers. It's supposed to be full of treasure, so I bet we could find a way to make money off this." Lori's eyes widened, "Are you serious? You want us to go after a dungeon? Isn't that dangerous and umn, bad for your mental health given what you just went through?" Shaking my head, I responded, "No Lori, quite the contrary. This is exactly what we need right now!" I closed my eyes and focused on a plant matter manipulation spell from the Household spellbook. I bent down, feeling the billowing grass beneath me. Then, I channeled mana into the spell and focused on pulling as many fibers as possible from the grass near me. After that, I weaved and spun it around in the air. The work was precise and mentally exhausting, but I was able to get it done quickly. In about a minute, I turned around and passed Lori a yard of brittle, grass-spun rope. "Oh." Lori gasped softly. I grinned at her. Now I just needed some better raw materials and ideas.

As we rode the carriage home, I squinted at the spellbook in front of me. The road was bumpy, and the wind kept whipping my hair around, making it hard to concentrate. "What's wrong?" Lori looked at me worriedly, glancing between the spellbook and me. "It's... just so damn complicated," I groaned, closing the book and shoving it into my bag. "The weather's making it hard to concentrate." "Complicated? For you?" she scoffed sarcastically. "Yeah right. You've always been the type to yell that you failed an exam with a ninety-six percent." I glared at her and then glanced away. In a way, that did describe me in my previous life too, but I wouldn't admit it here in front of her. "Sorry...that sounded pretty harsh. But I guess it's true though. I haven't seen you fail a single anything academic or magic since we were kids. I don't know!" Lori smiled gently and patted my shoulder. "Just remember to eat properly when we're back, alright? I shrugged nonchalantly. "Eat properly?" She nodded firmly and gave me a sunny smile. I rolled my eyes and continued staring at my book, trying to focus on my spells. There was something here that would be extremely useful for someone like me. Mana Bolt. It's a common brute force attack spell that could be rapid-fired. A good beginner spell for beginners. Simple enough to learn, powerful enough to kill monsters. It also had a painfully short range for a magic spell. It was also massively mana inefficient, but I thought about what I supposedly did while I was completely drunk. Unless I was mistaken, my mana capacity was supposedly monstrous for my age. So I should have been able to cast it several times without running out of power, at the least. I took out my wand and aimed out the window. I visualized the symbols for Mana Bolt and aimed for a boulder. I chanted the words quietly and concentrated. My mana gathered slowly inside my body. I closed my eyes tightly and focused all my attention on the spell. And then I unleashed it. My spell flew through the air, going in a weird arc before slamming into a nearby tree along the road. The impact caused the bark to splinter and break off. The tree fell over onto its side, blocking half of the road. "You're such a doofus, Alice-chan." Lori snickered, slapping my leg lightly. "Ugh..." I grumbled under my breath. "I mean, you're the one who told me not to go for the overkill spells, Lori. I'm getting some practice in with the fundamentals." Lori gave me a strange look for a few seconds before laughing loudly and patting me on the arm again. "Good luck with that." I sighed and tried to calm myself down. The spell hadn't gone as well as expected; it was supposed to hit a target far further away than this in a straight line. I opened my book back up, readjusted the positioning of the spell, and clarified the symbols in my mind's eye. Then I began to chant once more. This time I aimed for a small rock by the roadside. Once I finished chanting, I released the spell. The Mana bolt flew forward with a satisfying boom, but my angle was still off. The blast went wide and slammed against the opposite side of the road instead. I cursed as the ground shook violently, and dust and debris blew up in the air. The bird-horses stopped running to turn around and glare at me in sync. "Hmmm...whoopsie daisy," Lori said, smirking at me. "Try aiming a bit higher next time?" I scowled at her, and she giggled merrily. "Oh come on, Alice-chan! Don't be so serious!" I huffed and closed my book back up while waving off at the creatures staring at me. "Don't mind me, guys. I'm just practicing. And it's not like you need to worry anyway." One of the birds-horse raised its head slightly and cocked an ear towards me suspiciously. Then it started treading forward back on the road. Lori stared at me intently for a minute before tilting her head and giving me an awkward smile. "Come on, let's move out!" Lori called out cheerfully. We resumed our journey, heading home. "So how does it feel to be an adventurer, Alice-chan?" I paused for a moment and then replied casually, "Honestly? Terrifying." "Why's that?" I shrugged nonchalantly. "Because I don't even know if I can fight yet." "Oh come on!" Lori rolled her eyes. "Once again, look what you managed to do SHITFACED the other day! And then there was the Zlatan business. I thought they had me dead to rights!" "Zlatan doesn't count," I corrected her dryly, "All of them basically gave up in front of a teenaged girl bluffing." "That's still impressive what you did if you ask me though! Besides, it was the smarter move instead of blowing up the Adventurer's Guild's building." Not that I could have then, but that's beside the point. I grunted and crossed my arms. "Lori, I didn't do shit." Lori frowned and tapped her foot impatiently. "Listen, Alice-chan, I think you underestimate yourself. We both know you're strong. Stronger than you give yourself credit for." "But that's not what I-" She grinned wickedly at me, "I'm fast! I'm strong! I'm good with a sword! But I'm not the one who could burn an entire town to the ground in minutes! That's your talent, Alice-chan!" Her grin widened, and she pointed her finger directly at me, "You're better than anyone else thinks you are! And people think you're pretty darned strong now! Now stop being modest and start acting like it!" I blinked and groaned. Great, what would Lori think if she knew my conscious spell repertoire boiled down to a freaking levitation parlor trick and what amounted to a magic musket shot right now? How could she possibly believe I'm stronger than everyone thinks I am...when I barely know any spells whatsoever?? I sighed and decided to drop it. At least until I got the hang of things. "Fine, fine." Lori smiled happily and slapped my shoulder playfully. I ignored the pain and forced a smile onto my face too. "Hey, what's that?" I looked down and saw a young woman walking up to the carriage. Her hair was long and tied up into two braids. She wore a simple white dress with a red ribbon and carried a large basket on her back. She made eye contact with Lori and greeted her excitedly, "Excuse me, may I trouble you for a ride?" "Wh-" I started. "Sure thing!" Lori replied brightly and opened the door of the carriage while hopping out. "Hop on in! We're going straight back to Halton." LORI!? What the hell are you doing?! Haven't you heard of stranger danger? I stared open-mouthed as she climbed into the carriage first, followed by the stranger. Lori shut the doors behind her, and the carriage moved forward. I couldn't help but stare at the mysterious woman sitting across from us. She wore a pair of glasses and a veil covering most of her face, leaving only her mouth visible. She smiled at me and softly said, "Hello there, child." "Uh huh..." What kind of game is she playing? Is she really just a random passerby? Or is she part of some cult or something? I narrowed my eyes and watched as Lori talked animatedly to the strange woman. There was a bit of familiarity between the two. I noticed that she was carrying a basket full of foodstuffs with her. There was fruit, bread, cheese, meat, and vegetables. She was probably someone from Halton then. The woman pulled a few coins from a pouch attached to her belt and handed them to Lori. Lori thanked her and put the money away. Then she turned to stare at me again. Just when her stare made me want to turn away, she whispered, "Are you alright, Alice-chan? Really okay?" I nodded absently. "Yeah.... okay. I'm okay." Toootally okay. I'm fine. I'm tranquil. Not really, but still. I kept looking at the mysterious woman as we traveled on. ◆◆◆ A few hours later, the carriage slowed to a halt. Lori hopped out and helped the mysterious woman off the carriage. They walked together toward a gatehouse built at the gates of Halton. I stared at the mystery woman. It turned out that she was an actual retired adventurer and friend of Lori's, making me breathe a small sigh of relief. She was pretty tight with her identity and what she was doing in the middle of the road, though. She just seemed to meditate the whole way. Literally. After a brief conversation between Lori and the guard stationed outside, he gestured for them to enter. They returned to the carriage, and Lori cracked the reins to take us inside. Thank god. The second we were done here, I was absolutely done with Lori's nonsense for good. No more adventuring and no more getting dunked headfirst into danger. I wasn't going to have any of this. It was straight-up abusive. As soon as the carriage passed through the gates, though, everything did change. Just not in the way I wanted it to. Suddenly, it felt like I was in a completely different place. It wasn't quite nighttime anymore either – it was almost dusk. There were no buildings here -only grassy fields stretching as far as the eye could see. A thin layer of mist hung in the air above the land. Birds chirped softly in the distance. It was peaceful. Calm. Peaceful. Quiet. Just the way I liked it. No humans anywhere in sight, just birds, butterflies fluttering about lazily....and insects buzzing around. And then I spotted something moving in the field ahead. Something big. Very big. Bigger than anything I've ever seen before. A gigantic monster towering high enough to block out the sun itself. Its body glistened wetly with sweat and dripped thick dark fluid all over the ground beneath him. He lumbered along slowly, his huge hands wrapped tightly around the neck of another creature struggling weakly in its grasp. His legs dragged heavily behind him, and he made little effort to hurry. His skin was mottled purple, green, and yellow, and he had several horns sprouting from various parts of his skull. My reflection appeared on top of the cart. The monster growled and snapped the poor creature's neck. Then he turns to me and stares intently. His gaze lingered on my chest for a second longer than necessary. "Idiot! Flare your mana!" My reflection screamed at me, pointing at my chest. Flare my Mana? Why? How? "I can't! I don't even know what you mean!" "Well, obviously I know that, idiot! But you have to! Hurry up!" Wait...what? "Seriously? I can't believe this!! You're a joke!" she yelled at me. Tic-tac-toe red veins popped out of her head as her eyes slanted and turned white. Okay, now I'm getting pissed off. "Shut up!" I shouted angrily at myself. "Who are you to call me an idiot?!" "Wow, you're such a shitface! How did I end up like this?!" "Fuck you!" I shouted at her. "You stupid piece of crap! Do you seriously want to die here?!" "NO! Stop yelling at me and tell me what to do!" "I can't believe this..." "Gahh! You know what? Fuck off!!!" "JUST CHANNEL A SPELL DUMBASS!!!! DO I HAVE TO SPELL IT OUT FOR YOU!?" Okay. I'm done with her shit. My shit? I raised my wand and blasted my ghostly reflection with as much energy as possible into a mana bolt. Glass shattered against glass, and shards flew everywhere. The ghostly reflection cracked, and then the environment in front of me fell into tiny pieces scattered across the floor. I guess it worked, but what the hell was that all about? The world shimmered once more, and I sat alone in silence. I shook my head and focused on stabilizing the mana flow inside my body. Once I regained control, I glanced around cautiously. I was in the carriage again, but Lori and the mysterious woman were gone. In their places, I found a bunch of broken glass. I sighed quietly and leaned back into my seat. Did I get hit by some kind of illusion or nightmare spell? Nevermind that. First things first - where the fuck is Lorina? I looked around. It was Alice's town....my town, alright, but it was covered by a thick fog. The streets were empty. No one was home. ... Okay. NOW what?!

Arc 2 I woke up screaming, desperately clawing at my throat. The sensation of the horrifying creature's sharp teeth ripping out my bare neck was still prominent in my mind. I could see its red eyes glaring at me through the fog as well as the awful, otherworldly the sounds of the horrible shrieks it made. The horrible, unnatural motions it made as it rampaged through the streets and rooftops flashed through my mind. It was the first time in my life that something had actually frightened me enough to make me panic in this way. I screamed and trembled violently, tears rolling down my cheeks. I cried harder and harder as I felt a pair of soft but strong arms wrap around me, stroking my hair. It helped calm me somewhat and quieten my crying, and after a few minutes, I was able to regain some composure. I continued to sob, hugging the other person tight for dear life. "Shhh," Lori said softly into my ear. "It's okay it's okay... You're safe now." She tightened her grip ever so slightly, and then continued to rub the back of my head gently. I slowly pulled back from the embrace, wiping the tears from my face and looking up at my sister through teary eyes. Lori smiled at me warmly. She reached up with one hand, and brushed aside the ahoge hanging across my forehead before kissing me on the top of my head. "How are you right now, Alice??" she asked me carefully. "Can you speak yet?" I desperately moved my hands to my neck, only to feel soft, smooth, intact skin. There was a dull, persistent phantom pain there that echoed the sensation of having my neck torn apart. I nodded, forcing myself to swallow past the lump in my throat as best I could. "Y-yeah..." I muttered quietly, voice cracking a little bit as I tried to sound more confident than I really was. I pushed myself to sit upright, untangling my legs which were wrapped around my sister's waist. I looked around: It was early morning, and we were in my personal bedroom. I sobbed, shivering in terror as I thought about the monster's gnashing teeth and claws again. My hands were shaking uncontrollably though I was trying desperately not to let it show on my face. My hands moved up to my throat again. Tears rolled down both of our faces, but they came slower this time, for different reasons. Lori leaned in to hug me again, and we just held each other closely and cried until we couldn't anymore. "Thank goodness...I'm sorry," Lori finally said after several minutes of holding me. She looked up at me seriously with watery lavender eyes that seemed too big for her face. Her light blue hair was a mess, sticking out every which way like she'd been running her fingers through it while crying. Her eyes were dark and puffy. It was clear she'd been crying and not sleeping. "Lori..."I sobbed, "That thing...that monster..." She wiped away the tears with the back of her hand and sniffled softly, clearing her throat. "I'm sorry, I'm really sorry for everything little sis." I started to tearfully shake my head, starting to cry again despite being relatively calm now. Lori put one hand on my cheek, stroking my face lovingly as she spoke in a soft, calm voice. "Look, I know you said you didn't want that heart to heart, and I'm sorry for being selfish again. But by the Mother Goddess, when it smashed through Dodson's barrier, I...I really thought I was going to lose you." Her voice trembled slightly as she choked back sobs before continuing to talk, getting herself under control. "The truth is, I've never seen anyone do magic in the way that you did before. It was unbelievable. And all without using a single word! You'd wield the heavens and earth itself without even any movement or chanting or anything! I....even though I'm the older sister, I really admire you." She took another deep breath before continuing. I just stayed there, silently. I was a little ball of emotions and I didn't know how to react. "It doesn't make how I handled things better, but that made me lose sight of what's really important. I was so concerned with getting you ready for a group that deals with large scale threats, that I didn't take your needs and wants into consideration when we left on our trip. So...I want to apologize for everything i said and did during that time." Lori paused to wipe away some more tears. "And most importantly...I want to be friends again. And sisters, before anything else." I looked at her closely, wiping the tears out of my eyes with the sleeve of my pajamas. Her eyes were moist again, and she looked like she might start crying at any moment, if she let herself. I swallowed hard once again, letting out a trembling sigh as I pulled back from Lori a little bit. She wrapped both arms around me, pulling me close as she hugged me tightly. We sat together in silence for a long while after that. "Lori," I whispered eventually. "Yeah?" she replied quietly in response. "Can we....can we just take things easy for a bit? Just stay at home for a while." I felt my voice shaking as I said this, but I still forced myself to speak calmly. "I can't get those images out of my head right now, you know? Not to mention, you have no idea how scary it was...and it'll probably haunt me until I find out how to fix it or something...so..." I struggled to finish the sentence before trailing off weakly. Lori stared at me intently and then nodded slowly and smiled. "Yeah..." We stood up together and walked hand-in-hand towards the bathroom. My heart beat rapidly, and my stomach felt sickly. But despite all that, I tried to act calm and collected on the outside. "I'm going to wash your face, okay?" Lori asked softly. I wiped away some tears on the sleeve of my pajamas and nodded. "...Okay." Lori stepped behind the vanity in the corner of the room and took down one of my towels, dampening it with some water from the sink. I wasn't sure exactly what the tech level of this world was, but I figured it would be all over the place like a typical fantasy world. Still, it was nice that we had running water. She gently wrapped it around my neck like a makeshift scarf and dried my hair with another towel before starting to clean my face with a warm, wet cloth. "Shhh," she whispered into my ear. "How's the pain?" she asked quietly. "Mild," I whispered back through a shaky voice. I reached up to my throat again. The dull phantom pain was definitely still there. "Do you want medicine?" she continued in a gentle tone as she began wiping my face again. "It won't hurt anything." "No thanks. I'll be fine." "Okay... You know what, it's just so frustrating, though. I don't understand why you have to be so tough sometimes. If only... you'd talked about your magic problem or problems in general, I could have helped. Can help. I'm your sister - I wouldn't have judged you. It's you and me against the world, and I mean it you know?" Lori stopped to stare at me seriously, sighing slightly before continuing to wipe away at my eyes with a soothing expression on her face. She held me tightly, almost crying herself as she spoke. "I'm really sorry for everything, Alice... I feel bad for pushing you and forcing you into doing things you didn't want to do." I sniffled and rubbed the sleeve against my nose before nodding slowly. "I'm sorry too... I should have been far more proactive about voicing my discomforts," I mumbled softly. "And I'm sorry about lashing out at you and your companions the way I did. You were right in a way, I guess..." I turned away quickly after that, still holding onto the towel around my neck with both hands. My heart felt like it was going to pound itself through my chest, so intense was the pounding in my head. Lori took a deep breath through her nose and then sighed loudly. Her shoulders drooped slightly as she walked back over towards me. "How are you feeling?" she asked in a calm voice. "I-I'm okay now...Thanks." I forced myself to smile even the tiniest bit. She shook her head, "Let's try this again: How are you really feeling?" she asked me. "Please, it's okay." I bit my lip, took a deep breath, and closed my eyes. There was a lot weighing down on me, and I'd bottled it all in. "I....I honestly feel terrified. Like, a fish out of water, like I'm in a body that isn't mine...coming into debts that aren't mine..."I admitted to Lori, "I feel like there's a train crash about to happen with me in it in slow motion. There's a financial time bomb ticking down on this household, and we're about to get shunted onto the streets. There's apparently a looming demonic invasion out gods knows where, and I have no idea what I'm supposed to be doing. I have all these massive, massive expectations placed on my magic, and all I have are Levitation and Mana Bolt to show for it right now." "I'm so sorry," she murmured softly, but firmly, as she wrapped one arm around my waist. "I didn't know how you felt, and I should have asked sooner." "You couldn't," I mumbled into the towel as I buried my face into her shoulder. "I was just so confused, and stressed out. From the second we left until we returned I was just going along with it. I was afraid to say anything. I'm scared, Lori. I'm scared of dying a horrible, violent death like I almost did, and I don't know if I want to be an adventurer." Lori rested her head against my forehead, stroking my hair gently with her fingers. "It's okay to be afraid. It's not weakness if you can admit your fears to someone else. We'll work together to solve it," she promised. "You're right...Thank you, Lori... For everything... despite everything, thank you for being here as my...sister" My voice cracked slightly on the last word. I was an only child in my original life, and I had no idea how to handle a dynamic like this. A part of my being had finally accepted that she was actually my sister here. Who else did I really have in this world? "I love you too, Alice-chan" she replied softly before leaning in and kissing me on the cheek and pat me on the head. She just held me tight, not saying anything and stroking my hair. I started crying again then, and after some time I could tell that my eyes were starting to dry up. I rubbed them quickly and sniffled loudly once again. I stood still for several seconds afterwards as I tried to calm down. Finally, I felt like I'd managed to do it enough, so I took another deep breath and pulled away from Lori's embrace. She wiped my cheeks again gently with her towel as I turned back towards the mirror, adjusting myself so I looked more presentable. I honestly felt far better now, and it no longer felt like I was walking around this world on autopilot. There was something about being able to talk about it all that helped. As long as I was honest with myself, I could get past this. "Well, umm..." I began awkwardly. "Let's just go downstairs, okay? Have some breakfast?" Lori nodded slowly and beamed at me gently, "Okay." We walked out of my room together holding hands.

We regrouped back at the town of Rivershire, where we met with the mayor. He was a portly human man with.....closed eyes? And a huge handlebar mustache? "Thank goodness you've come back in one piece!" he said happily. "The Picaroso Gang has been growing increasingly bold lately. This is the sixth time they've raided the village since last year." "Six times!?" Lori gasped. "That's terrible!" "Yes, yes," Mayor Roden nodded solemnly. "However, luckily for us, they seem to target rare weapons and armors specifically here and not the people. I can't say the same for smaller, less fortunate settlements however." Wait, were we dealing with human traffickers here? "Rarer than the magic jewel we recovered?" Lori inquired eagerly. Mayor Roden shook his head emphatically. "No, nothing quite so valuable. However, we found a number of magical swords and shields here and there when hunting down their lairs. As far as I know, this is the largest haul the guild ever took from our town. Normally, they're more interested in small objects like jewelry and trinkets, although they occasionally steal food and supplies too. But I'm glad you brought everything back." He opened one blue eye towards me and swung his fists in an exaggerated, friendly swing. "And this young lady is quite the smashing living hurricane herself! Why, if that wasn't the most severe magical thrashing, I had seen in my long life last night!" Living hurricane? I was way too hungover to question it. Whatever. I was just glad we got the job done without really having to fight. I just wanted to get things over with and find a way to secure safety and comfort while I figured things out. "You're welcome," Lori replied politely. "By the way, did anything unusual occur today?" "Nothing major," he responded hesitantly. "A few people reported seeing someone wearing a heart mask and robes in the distance, but nobody actually saw anyone enter or leave the forest. We had two separate reports of monsters appearing near the riverbanks, but neither report mentioned any actual attacks. In fact, it sounds like the creatures just came close to attacking villagers and then vanished." Mask and robes? I thought about the man I thought I'd hallucinated in the forest... "Huh?" Lori frowned. "How odd...You're sure it was a heart mask?" "Yeah," agreed Olimar. "If I remember correctly, my men encountered something similar to those monster encounters on the way here. Do you have any idea who might have sent them?" "None whatsoever," the mayor sighed. "It's possible they attacked each other by accident, or maybe the animals were driven wild somehow." "Hmmm..." Lori pondered thoughtfully. "Maybe they were just testing the waters? Trying to see how strong adventurers are in this region?" Olimar scratched his chin dubiously. "Might make sense. If I recall, you don't have many experienced warriors in this town. Perhaps they wanted to gauge whether you could defend yourselves against such threats." "True enough," the mayor conceded. "The Picarosos generally try to avoid hurting citizens of the region, though. Unfortunately, they have many family ties here. "Then why bother coming here at all? Why steal?" Olimar asked. The mayor shrugged apologetically. "Nobody knows for sure." "Hey..." Lori tapped her chin thoughtfully. "So what exactly did happen to the thieves?" "One of them was apprehended," the mayor answered. "Unfortunately, the other four escaped into the woods. We searched for them thoroughly, but we haven't found them yet." "What happened to the thief that you captured?" Lori asked. "His name is Sartorious Boscelli," the mayor began. "Apparently, he used to work for Lord Bercouli. He betrayed him and joined the Picaros because he wanted to become rich quick and famous. His crimes include theft, murder, kidnapping, trafficking, and fraud." "Sounds like fun!" Lori laughed. "Too bad he got himself arrested instead of becoming famous!" I glared at Lori, but I said nothing. She was really getting on my nerves at this point. "At least he won't do that sort of thing anymore," the mayor declared. "I'll personally ensure that he spends the rest of his days rotting in jail." "Very wise," Olimar nodded approvingly. "In addition to the treasure trove of stolen goods, we discovered a large quantity of drugs and alcohol in the hideout," Mayor Roden continued. "Some of the victims claim that the Picarossis' leader, Fals, is using them to drug and abduct local citizens. The Picaros also sell weapons and armors illegally, so it seems likely that they're involved in other illicit dealings too." "Criminy.." I muttered tiredly. That sounded serious. "This is getting worse every day," Olimar lamented. "I wish we could take action sooner rather than later." "Well, we can't let these criminals free," Lori firmly insisted. "They're probably planning something big." She turned towards me, her expression stern before she pointed at me. "I'm counting on you to stop them." "Me?" I squeaked. "Why me?!" Lori beamed proudly. "Because you're a great fighter!" "Great fighters don't embarrass themselves like I do," I grumbled. "Did you see how I just got vertigo and fell right on my face today? "Of course I did! You were amazing, though! Just look at what you managed to accomplish even then!" "...yeah...thanks..." I mumbled awkwardly. "Besides, you've already defeated the Picarosa Gang once, remember?" Olimar added encouragingly. "We can get another Rank B job filed away right away! We'll get the funds deposited for this job to Lori's account at the Adventurer's Guild the moment we reach the Royal Capital." God. Fucking. Dammit. I don't even know how I did that! I was blackout drunk! "Good point," Lori smiled brightly. "Come on, we should go file that paperwork first. Then we can discuss things further." I groaned loudly and slumped onto the ground. My hangover was starting to fade, but I was still feeling miserable. Even thinking about doing something made me feel sicker. "Are you okay?" Lori asked worriedly. I shook my head, "I...I think I'm going to hurl again. Please give this job to someone else." Lori sighed with exasperation. "Fine. I'll talk to Captain Olimar about it." She stood up and walked off. After she left, Olimar approached me warily. "Alice, are you alright? Are you feeling ill?" "Nnngh...yes..." I moaned weakly. I put on my best Oscar face, hoping he would buy it. "I'm fine. Really. It's just...a little bit of nausea...and dizziness...nothing to worry about..." "Okay, good." He patted my shoulder reassuringly. "It will pass, Alice." I forced myself to smile and nod. With Captain Olimar's crew in tow, we made it to the Royal Capital without incident. Lori told Lieutenant Hildibrand and Captain Olimar that we couldn't accept the job due to personal reasons. Still, she promised to send them a message after filing the report. Once we arrived, I drank some of Lori's hangover potions and collapsed into bed at the tavern. ◆◆◆ When I woke up, I felt refreshed and energized for some reason. My hangover had wholly disappeared overnight. Maybe that weirdo's potion really worked. I thanked Lori profusely as soon as I caught sight of her. "Oh no, I didn't do anything Alice-chan," she protested. "Your body just healed itself naturally." "Thanks anyway," I replied gratefully. "Don't mention it," she said modestly. "Hey, you're looking better than yesterday!" Olimar exclaimed at the breakfast table cheerfully. "That potion must have done wonders for your health." I blushed furiously. "Uh, thanks..." "So, about that whole 'drunken rampage' thing you pulled the other night..." Lori interjected nervously. "Is there any chance you could tell us what happened? We need to file a formal report to the guild, and I'm afraid it will reflect badly on you if you keep quiet." "Uhh..." I paused, unsure of what to say. "Please, Alice-chan!" Lori urged softly. "There's no need for embarrassment. We're sisters, aren't we?" "Um, yeah." I nodded reluctantly. "Sorry about that. Well to be honest. I blacked out entirely after one drink so I can't tell you much." "Really?" Lori looked surprised. She leaned forward eagerly, resting both hands on the table. "Damn girlie! How'd you manage to get so drunk so quickly?! Was it laced with drugs?" "Erm...no?" I stammered. Captain Olimar cleared his throat pointedly. "Actually, that might have been exactly what happened. It wouldn't explain her lack of memory of the incident or passing out, but she may have very well been drugged." "Whaaat?" I gaped incredulously. "Well, the Picarosos have a reputation for drugging and trafficking young elves and humans," Olimar explained casually. "It turns out they may have gone in this time with the intention of abduction too. Two things turned out in the peoples' favor though." I stared at him, speechless. He continued, "Unfortunately for them, their preferred kidnapping drug, The Glory of Mysta is a hypnotic herb that works as normal for most regular folks, but it causes temporary, rampant psychosis in people with high magical potency. The other cog in their plan was well, Lady Lori. She eliminated most of their muscle for the operation on the road. We found a near-dead beastman on the road and took him in for questioning." Seriously? I got roofied by human traffickers on my first fucking day here?! What kind of shitty welcome is that? I couldn't imagine what other horrifying things lurked in the background waiting for me in this world. "I knew it!" Lori clapped excitedly. "Now that explains everything! That's why you went berserk and started hugging me saying you loved me. Here I was wondering why you were screaming how much you loved me before you suddenly threw off your clothes and charged downstairs!" I did what? "No, wait..." I sputtered. "I mean, yes, that's part of it. But I think it's more complicated than that." Olimar nodded stoically. "I believe that the Picaro gang has been using a variety of drugs and poisons to control their slaves, including this mysterious herb called the Root of Bayn. This would add up, although I don't think the Mysta flower would make you black out entirely...that was likely the alcohol." "Wait, what?" I blinked. "Slaves? Like...human ones?" "Yes," he confirmed. "Orcs, beastmen, and goblins too, apparently." "Eyewitnesses say you went berserk and started levitating and throwing spells around like a girl possessed. All while naked as a newborn babe wreathed in storm, earth, and fire. And then, you passed out in defense of the town as a registered Rank E adventurer driving off the bandits. So technically speaking, you didn't break any laws." "Wait a minute!" I gasped. "I'm a registered adventurer now?! What does that even mean?!" "It means that you officially belonged to the Adventurers Guild after we picked up that mission!" Lori explained patiently. "Which is kind of cool, since you get your own membership card and rank insignia!" "Cool..." I repeated dully. I guess. "And now that you've proven yourself capable of fighting off an entire strike force of bandits alone, the guild master has decided to immediately promote you to Rank C!" Lori cheered. "You can be paid as a member of the reserve corps now to be called upon any time to defend the Kingdom!" I sweatdropped. Literally. More opportunities to die horribly, I guess. "As for your reward from the previous mission," Olimar continued, "we received word earlier today that you can expect a sizable deposit to your bank accounts within the week." "Wow," I exclaimed happily. "Thank goodness for small blessings. There wasn't any nonsense with the magic jewel I take it?" "Not at all!" Olimar assured me. "The King himself gave us permission to use the royal treasury to purchase the artifact." Whew. Here I was, expecting the other shoe to drop or something. It seemed like a perfect cliche setup, after all. Guess things did turn out okay sometimes. "Congratulations on your promotion," Captain Olimar grinned warmly. "Welcome to the ranks of commissioned adventurers, little Alice-chan. Rank C adventurers are no joke in this world!" I cringed in response, but I forced myself to smile. I really, really wanted absolutely zero part of being involved in more dangerous situations.

The first thing I did the next day was visiting the Adventurer's Guild again. There were more adventurers than yesterday but fewer than there would be during peak hours. They were all clamoring excitedly around a map that'd been posted up in the main hall. "Good morning, Alice," said a short, halfling woman with light purple hair tied back in a ponytail. I waved at her, "Morning! Are these people all here for the new dungeon? What's the rush?" She sighed and shrugged, "Well, most of them are here for the dungeon, but there are also a lot of jobs going up about another group of bandits terrorizing the local villages." I nodded, "Yeah, I heard about that. That's pretty bad. The crowds for the jobs have gotten pretty large, huh?" Lori did plan to hop on a quest to find a missing child, but I'd managed to talk her out of it as there was a swarm of adventurers in town to take up jobs with the bandits. Truth be told, I was also being very selfish about it. My personal sense of security just...wasn't there anymore after my near-death experience. The halfling woman let out a soft sigh, "I know. If they catch the bandits, maybe the villagers will stop complaining so much about how little protection they have." I tilted my head curiously, "Protection? I didn't realize that there was anything wrong with their security." The halfling woman laughed softly, "Well, you know how it goes: everyone wants to live in peace and harmony with each other, but nobody really wants to pay taxes or fight for the kingdom if they don't have to. So, the king makes sure that the villages are protected by having guards patrol the area regularly. Every country on the continent has been sending annual garrisons to the Ukidian front in preparation for what's coming, so we've been stretched thin. " I frowned, "Makes sense." "So, what are you doing here today?" she asked me with a curious look. That drew a smile out of me, "Say, you wouldn't happen to have an inkling towards how the potions I used to sell are remembered by adventurers today? You know my family fell on some pretty hard times and I lost my sourcing and lab, amongst other things, so I haven't been able to supply the guild in the last eight months." The halfling woman nodded, "Yeah, I heard about that... Truth be told, your potions were pretty useful! We had a few of them when I was an apprentice burglar joining my first Rank E party." I blinked, "Really?" She chuckled, "Yeah, the Gaseous Form, Climbing, and Water Breathing ones were a real hit with my crew! They made climbing walls easier and gave us a way to sneak past guards without being seen. The water breathing one helped us avoid getting caught while swimming around underwater to escape pursuit. Your prices were really good for what we got too." I scratched my chin thoughtfully, "What if I were to come back to market with....more mundane things, like high quality tents and rope? Would you buy those?" The halfling woman looked thoughtful, then nodded, "Sure, I guess? It might not be as flashy as your old potions, but we could always use more supplies. The Liddell brand still has some weight in the Cheshire Capital region, although your pops did his best to overextend and blow up a good thing." That caught my attention, and I nodded slowly in response, "Okay, well, I'll see if I can make something happen before the big rush." The halfling woman smirked, "You do that. But, remember: don't go overboard! I'll trust you not try to pull one over on us." I flashed her a brilliant smile, "I definitely won't. See you later!" I walked out of the guild hall and headed towards the Adventurer's Guild storehouse. Several people were waiting outside the building. Some seemed to be talking about what they wanted to purchase, and others were just milling around. I approached a young man wearing simple leather armor and carrying a sword strapped to his waist. He had dark brown hair and light green eyes. "Excuse me," I said politely, "Do you mind if I ask what you're looking for?" He turned towards me and smiled, "Well, I'm here to get some new equipment since I just finished my promotion to Rank D." I nodded, "Ah, congratulations! What kind of things are you interested in purchasing?" He thought for a moment, then shrugged, "Well, I do want to get on that dungeon rush, so I guess the usual? A flint, lamp and oil, a ten foot pole, rope, and the usual food and drink." "Gotcha. Do you have any particular preferences for material, weight, size, and so on? For example, would you prefer a rope that's more flexible and elastic, or one that's coarser and harder to break?" He thought about that moment, then replied, "I'd say a coarser rope. Something like this." The boy pulled a rope out of his pack and tossed it to me. It was about four feet long and very thick. It felt rough and prickly. I grinned at him, "Nice choice. This is perfect!" I tied off the rope's end and handed it back to him. Then, I reached into my bag and pulled out a small pouch filled with dust. I held the pouch towards him, "This is a special powder I've been working on. If you find runes, a map, or riddles, you can turn them into a paste and use it to take a clay imprint. The young man took the pouch, opened it, and sniffed it curiously. He glanced at me and asked, "Is this stuff safe?" "Yeah, it should be fine. Just don't breathe in too much of it," I warned. He nodded, "Alright then, let's see what happens." "Hey!" he shouted, running excitedly towards the crowd, "Anyone have a map of a cleared dungeon?" A couple of eyes turned in our direction, and some adventurers raised their hands. One was a tall, muscular human with short blond hair and grey eyes. The other was a dwarf with black skin and white hair. They had a Rank C and Rank D insignia, respectively, and the blond man looked like he was in his thirties. "Here," said the blond-haired man, "I've gotta map of a dungeon that we went through two months ago here on a stone tablet we kept as a souvenir. What's it to ya? You looking to see the new dungeon, kid?" The young man nodded eagerly, "Yes indeed! That sounds great! Can I borrow this map?" The blond-haired man shrugged, "Sure thing kid, what's the interest though?" I waved at the man shyly, and he finally noticed me, blinking in surprise, "Little Alice? Ya wouldn't be comin' back to the potion biz by any chance? I heard ya family got caught up in some kinda trouble..." I shook my head as I walked up to him, "Nope! Probably not for a good while! But I've come up with some nifty things that could be useful for you guys soon." He blinked at me in confusion, "What kind of things?" I smiled brightly before I picked up a small canteen on my belt. I poured the putty dust all over my hands and got to work kneading. Then when I was satisfied with the consistency, I pressed it firmly down on the tablet. Once it hardened, I peeled it away and handed it to the young man. Then, I created a ball of fire in my hand and held it underneath the paste. "This is Dungeoneer's Paste," I explained to the group, "It's made from crushed up quartz crystals and other minerals, and I'll be bringing in a batch in compact, portable pouches. It'll harden up if you heat it up for a few seconds." The young man took the newly minted map and stared at it with wide sparkling eyes. He seemed impressed. "Well, thanks Alice!" said the blond-haired man thoughtfully. "That sounds like something we definitely need! Let's talk about a price later!" I watched him go until he disappeared into the crowd waiting outside the storehouse. I turned to the young man, whose eyes had literally turned starry-eyed, "Hey, would you be okay if I took that back as a sample?" "Sure thing!" I smiled at him and handed him a free sample pouch for his trouble. I sighed softly, "I wonder how many more people will be interested in this stuff after today." Hopefully, they'd spread the word around town and help me get more money for my goods. I thought about including a free ten-foot pole with each one I sold, and I planned on pricing it at one or two silvers in a pouch. The cost of making it was a bit of cheap quartz and some mana from me, and with no competition, I could come away with a couple hundred gold from this. I turned to head into the Adventurer's Guild, trying to think about what else I could come up with that would be unique for these adventurers. ◆◆◆ As I walked past the counter, I saw the same halfling woman who had helped me earlier. I approached her and said, "Hello again! How are you doing?" She smirked at me, "Well enough. What can we do for you, little Alice?" I grinned, "I didn't know you worked behind the counter! Umn, I just wanted to ask you some questions about the guild's rules and regulations regarding...supply sales?" The woman leaned forward on her elbows, "You're serious about going through with it?" I nodded slowly, "Yeah, I'm very serious. I've been thinking about coming back here to sell some supplies, but I don't want to cause problems for anyone, or upset the system too much." The halfling snorted, "The system? Don't worry about that! It's pretty easy to make money here without breaking the rules. Especially for a Rank C adventurer and past prolific seller like you. You'd get bloody fast-tracked." "So, what should I do?" She looked up for a moment, pursing her lips, then replied, "Well, first off, we need to find out what kind of items you're selling. Are you talking about Rope? Runes? Maps? Equipment? Or something else entirely? If your product is approved by the Guild, it'll be available at the storefront so long as you meet demand quotas. The house takes 10% for any high ticket items like enchanted equipment and 20% for common consumables such as potions, torches, and glowstones." "Okay, so what kinds of things are allowed?" "Anything that doesn't harm others inherently is okay. So that means food and drink, bedding and other personal effects, clothing, weapons, armor, and so on. Anything that can be used as a weapon or tool is also permitted. However, anything that has an effect on magic users is forbidden unless specifically stated otherwise." I scratched my chin thoughtfully, "Got it! So if I were to make a burn salve or something along those lines, that'd be fine right?" She nodded, "Sure! But if you have any ideas for new products, bring them in and we'll see if they're worth considering." I smiled brightly, "Thanks! I'll be sure to let you know! I do have one today that I'd like to get approved." She raised an eyebrow curiously, "Really? What might that be?" I pulled a small leather pouch out of my bag and handed it to her. She opened it up and sniffed suspiciously. Then, she reached inside and removed a pinch of the silicone dust. "This," I explained, "Is Dungeoneer's Paste. I'll be bringing in a batch in compact, portable pouches if you could send it in for approval." I demonstrated how it worked by pouring some onto my hand and pouring some water on it. I handed it over to her, and she started kneading it around in curiosity. Then, I placed the tablet with the map on the counter and gave the same explanation I had given to the adventurers earlier. "Well," she said after staring at the paste for a while, "Niche, but nifty. Seems like a no-brainer to add in the consumables section!" I grinned happily, "So, does this mean I'm all set?" She laughed softly as she replied, "Yup! Also, my name is Calphina Summereye, for future reference. Good to finally meet you in person." I extended my hands towards her and took hers gently into my palms as I shook them lightly, "It's nice to meet you! Alice, just for formality's sake." We shook hands, and I left a few pouches before departing for my home. ◆◆◆ I walked back through town, thinking about other easy ideas I could come up with that would sell well in this world. Getting minerals was pretty easy for us. Charles had that supply chain set up, and I'd rummaged the product out of literal junk from the basement and garage. I'd learned that the Liddells were in the equipment and supply business, and Charles - well, my father, I guess, had made a classic mistake many successful businessmen made. He'd found success after he retired from adventuring, and then he'd gotten overzealous and overleveraged himself to the hilt, not bothering to have a backup plan if something terrible happened. He hadn't even looked at ways to cut back his risk. When a bad product launch built up like that, it almost always blew up hard. Now the family business was on its last legs, and his company was worth almost nothing, or rather it had just about been sold off to satisfy creditors. The land his minor noble family had grown on for generations now belonged to a merchant, who had basically gouged it for as much as he possibly could. Charles Liddell had hired most of our family and our relatives into his business to create something for us. Unfortunately, with all this borrowing and equipment buying, there weren't any assets to fall back on when the company began to go belly up. The whole family was just staring down the barrel of being kicked out of the only place that was left of a budding empire, our modest three-bedroom house in the equivalent of Berkley or Bridgeport. I sighed. Maybe if we took in enough to buy a house with a foothold in some more rural village? With a stable source of income, I thought we might be okay for a while, but we would have to work hard to improve our fortune, and there would be some difficult changes ahead. Well, time to go back home. It had been a long day, and I still had plenty to do in terms of brainstorming. Suddenly, I felt the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end and a familiar prickly sensation in the small of my back. I looked around the street and noticed the shadows stretching out along the ground. It was a beautiful late afternoon for a walk. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, but I couldn't shake the feeling of being watched. I slowed to a stop. The hairs on the back of my neck continued to itch with the same sensation, and the tingles ran across the small of my back. My body stiffened, and the urge to flee took over. It was probably just a random passerby walking by that triggered it; nothing sinister about it at all ... But somehow, I knew that wasn't true. As I walked through town, I realized that even in this city which had always struck me as calm and laid-back, many people actually carried weapons. But there were far more than usual here. A lot of people wore leather armor with various designs painted on them. Their faces bore tattoos and scars, and they moved with purpose as they stalked down the streets with their daggers and short swords. They made no effort to hide from view, instead strutting down the main thoroughfares boldly with menacing stances. There must have been ten or fifteen of these types moving slowly through the crowds. They definitely added a lot to my paranoia. I picked up my pace, running towards my house while I still could. The instinct that I was being watched or followed got stronger, and I started sweating and feeling nauseous. I didn't know why I was so scared, but I had this odd, nagging feeling like something terrible was about to happen. I quickened my step again and suddenly found myself tripping on an uneven stone in the middle of the street. I tumbled forward headfirst into the cobblestones wit- A strong arm caught me in the fall and gently pulled me back onto the ground before helping me stand back up. I heard a giggle behind me as I tried to catch my breath. "Hey there, sport." She spoke softly, "You alright?" "Uh...yeah," I gasped out between gulps of air. It felt like every part of my body was tense and ready for flight at any moment. I looked around frantically at all the people, shops, buildings, and streets I had passed. I turned around with a gasp, only to see a familiar redheaded catgirl with aquamarine eyes standing there with her arms folded, eyes full of mirth as she helped me off the road. Her body language screamed friendly and safe, but there were definitely a lot of people nearby chasing me who carried weapons. And those people were following me right now. My heart raced, and it seemed like I had been holding my breath this time until just that second when it came pouring out of my mouth as I took a massive gulp of air. She held her position with a slight smirk on her lips, watching me breathe in and out heavily with a look of amusement on her face. "What's wrong? Cat got your tongue?" She asked teasingly, with another little chuckle in the end. The catgirl pulled out an arrow from her quiver. Then she turned around and shot her bow up over the roofs of the houses. The arrow flew into the sky where the setting sun gave it a crimson hue glow, and the bowstring snapped loudly through the quiet early evening air. I heard a cry of pain, and then a man fell off the roof. I cringed as he hit his head hard against the cobblestones below him when he landed awkwardly to a thudding sound. She was already in motion, nocking another arrow. "Get ready. Me-nyeow!" ... I groaned. Loudly.

A moment after the man fell off the roof, all hell broke loose. I saw three people scramble as Dinah hopped onto the top of one of the houses, holding an arrow trained directly at their heads from above. Then, she yelped in pain as a spell hit her and she fell into a tumble on the rooftop. Another figure climbed onto the roof of the building beside them, and they began shooting arrows at her as well. I noticed two other men approaching behind me, probably about half a block away. I gawked for a second. One had a sword in hand, while the other nocked an arrow and aimed at me. Screw this. I ran for my house up the block in a zig-zag pattern, pulling out my wand as I did so. If we're under attack, I need to alert Lori right away. The wand crackled to life in my hand, glowing blue with magical power, and then released its light into our front door. As I sped forward to get back inside, I watched with dread as another arrow whizzed past me, barely missing me by inches before it crashed through our home window. A purple bottle of some sort crashed through a window of the house next door. I cried out in surprise when I felt the sting of splintered glass along the side of my arm, and then a large explosion rocked the neighborhood around us as a fireball blew through the wall of the house next door, tearing a massive hole into the brickwork and shattering our windows. The building next door seemed to be on fire now, and the roof collapsed into the alleyway between houses while black smoke poured into the sky. The walls of the opposite building of mine shook slightly but thankfully didn't collapse; I could still see a small part of Dinah standing atop the chimney as she fired arrows down at whoever was trying to climb onto her position. Dinah fired off arrows like she was shooting a freaking assault rifle. "Dinah!" I called out urgently over my shoulder as we rushed towards my house. She looked over her shoulders as if surprised at hearing her name and then nodded at me with a thumbs up and a wink. We arrived outside my house, where all the windows had been broken open from the explosion. God. Fucking dammit! The door of my house slammed open, and Lori came stomping out in a bathrobe and sandals carrying a kitchen cleaver in one hand. Her hair was wet, and she looked positively furious. "What in seven hells is going on?" She yelled angrily without even acknowledging that there were other people around who might have heard her voice. Then, her eyes landed on my scratched-up arm. I trembled in fear and anxiety for a second before I raised my good arm and pointed at the two tattooed men directly pursuing me. "That's them." She paused for just a second to glance back toward them before turning back to me with fury burning in her eyes. Literal eyes lit by flame. Lori growled, then she disappeared from my view with a crashing boom. Somehow, the fire that had started up next door grew in my perception to cover the city block. Then, she swung the back of her cleaver with incredible force towards the knees of the man who'd aimed a bow at me. He screamed out in pain as his leg shattered into pieces beneath him, and he crumpled awkwardly. Then, she smashed her cleaver directly down the center of each hand once before moving on to his companion nearby. She blurred in and delivered a one-handed blow to the back of his neck, and he fell onto the pavement with a sickening crack and groan. The first man thrashed in agony, but she just coldly picked him up by his broken leg as he flailed in agony and tossed him onto the doorstep. Lori definitely looked like she deliberately avoided dealing him a finishing blow with the blade. Then, she grabbed his right eye and gouged it out mercilessly. Blood flowed freely down from her hand as the man screamed and cried in agony beneath him. After, she stomped on the ankle of his broken leg, then again as he cried out in sheer agony. I shivered. I swear - flip a switch in her, and Lori becomes one of the scariest people I've met yet in this world. By far. Something that looked like a barrage of firebombs suddenly flew toward our house, and I froze. I threw my hands out of reflex, calling up my basic telekinesis spell, and froze them in the air. I breathed a sigh of relief as I slowly levitated them down to me. Whew! That was nerve-wracking. "Seriously? You guys were ACTUALLY stupid enough to come for us?!" Lori shouted furiously as a dozen men moved to surround her. "Get it through your braindead skullss. You're messing with B-rank adventurers. MULTIPLE B-rank adventurers. IN THEIR OWN HOME. SURROUNDED BY FRIENDS." The mob paused and remained silent before turning to look at each other at once; they didn't answer or say anything. She shook her head and said, "I'll give you one. Chance. Take your companions and go home, and tell Fals to piss off. This is your only warning. Otherwise, I'm turning the blade of this cleaver around here, and I'll move on to take the standing commission on his head after." Around eleven men were surrounding her now in an even semi-circle formation with weapons pointed in our direction. They looked at each other uneasily as the man on the ground continued to scream and squirm in pain. I tiptoed away from the action nervously as I moved to our neighbor's house. It was turning into an inferno fast. A massive plume of black smoke rose into the night sky over their burning home while more people came out of houses across the street. Some had torches or lanterns held aloft so that we could see what was going on. Others carried weapons like swords and spears along with them. The sounds of breaking glass and shattering wood rang loudly outside, and a small part of me felt bad that some innocent person might be hurt by it. But it wasn't like I had much control over it anyway; I focused on tracing some symbols in my mind's eyes and began to put out the fires in front of me. "Hehehe!" Dinah giggled from above, "Fellas, you're already seven down with just Dinyah here!! Think the twenty of you can do better with the Azure Wind out here waving a cleaver too, friends on the way, and little ol' muah up here taking potshots?" "Hey..." one of the henchmen began to speak up close behind me, but I ignored him. The man on the ground had devolved into whimpering, and I was pretty sure he had vacated his bowels down there. Instead, I made a few quick gestures with my wand, casting magic without thinking about it. And just as he started talking again - BOOM. The flames in front of me went out with a flash of light. "You know what? This crap ain't worth it," I heard another voice call out from beyond Lori's circle of men, still pointing their weapons at her. "Gang's gonna be donezo soon, anyway." another voice agreed, "Let's scram." Tension seemed to ease throughout the mob around us, and they all began to break ranks and flee as the town guards approached us rapidly on the backs of some pony-like mounts. Most of the group turned to leave immediately before the guards arrived, and they hurried away with no regard for the direction or destination that they'd taken off towards. They just wanted to get away from here as quickly as they could. One of the bandits hoisted the man that had been left a broken, whimpering mess by Lori into a fireman carry, and dashed off into a side alley. The guards didn't bother chasing anyone further and simply rushed into the house to ensure everyone inside was okay after the explosion. Lori walked over to me and grabbed my arm gently. "Let's go back inside, alright? And...I'm sorry, once again." she whispered under her breath so quietly that I almost missed it entirely while we ran over together in unison, "I'm going to do better. I promise..." she whispered to me. I looked at her with a shocked expression as we moved across the street, where a few of our neighbors stood with concerned expressions on their faces, staring at us with confusion. She smiled awkwardly, then turned back to the crowd leaving the scene. "Go home! That goes double for you idiots!" Lori called out to them loudly before turning back towards me again, "C'mon." She gave me another soft pat on the shoulder. Then she strode purposefully towards the front door, holding me tightly by her side until I began to stumble and trip along behind her like a child dragged by her hand. We entered through the front door, and I noticed immediately that the front room was trashed. The sofa cushions were scattered everywhere, and there were bits of glass still sticking from the walls; it must have been one hell of an explosion. Dinah entered behind us with her arms and whistled. "Daaamn, sisters. Those cats were pushovers, but wow, did they leave a hubbub here..." she commented with interest before hopping to squat on top of the single layer of brick on top of our fireplace in one nimble hop. I gaped at her dexterity. Her boots were twice the length of that brick layer, so how did she... never mind. High fantasy anime catgirl logic. Lori's eyes fell onto the blackened stone fireplace, and she grunted. "Dammit." "I've got this," I spoke softly as I started waving my wand toward the debris. It took only a few seconds for my spells to finish cleaning everything away now, including the smoke, soot, ash, glass, and all the rest. I compressed it all into one ball before floating it out to sit in the yard. Then I opened my mouth wide and breathed out sharply, thin air while simultaneously cooling down the whole house. "Giiirrrrrlll!" Dinah exclaimed, watching me work while turning to lie on her side on top of the fireplace, "Are you sure we can't keep you around with the crew? Even a little?" She turned into a caricature of an excited anime catgirl and looked at Lori with sparkling eyes. She had a ":3" face and everything. "I wanna keep her, Lorinyan! She's so cute!" "Dinah," Lori warned dangerously. She glared daggers at Dinah and put her hands on her hips, "She isn't ready. And probably won't be." I quickly walked over to stand between the two girls and waved at Lori, "Hang on a sec, Lori." It was obvious that Lori's been seriously shaken up by that attack on us tonight. I wanted nothing to do with throwing myself into harm's way, but hey...actually. I'd considered their pitch entirely from an angle of 'joining the Avengers' at first, which is probably what that Lucky Charms go-go gadget elf in the green tux and top hat wanted. Maybe I could...actually work something out that's support based? Something where I wouldn't get hurt or anything? "I'm working on a project right now, and honestly, I've been turned off the idea of adventuring. However! I think I could work some stuff that'd help your team out in the near term from the back! How about that?" I suggested brightly. Lori turned and gaped at me with shock across her face as she listened intently, but she didn't say anything immediately as she seemed lost for a moment. Then she took a deep breath before letting it out slowly as she spoke again. "That...sounds like a good balance?" Lori said in a forced tone while shaking her head slightly in thought. I felt a warm tingle of happy realization wash over my entire body. This would be perfect for helping out Lori while also keeping my safety in mind! I had no problem doing my part to contribute and help them out if they needed me to do so, as long as it didn't involve putting me in the line of fire. Maybe things would work out after all.

After finishing my meal, I felt refreshed and ready to tackle whatever problems this world had for me. It was almost time for me to meet up with Lori at our inn, so I headed over to it. I passed by several strange shops and even stranger people as I made my way from the main thoroughfare to the Adventurer's Guild. It seemed like every other shop was trying to sell magic items or accessories to adventurers, and many were even hiring new adventurers out of the corner of their stores. I stopped at one store where a guy in a dark purple shirt showed off a magical sword. He had two of them on display. One of the swords was black, and the other was red. He waved the red sword around in a showy fashion, then pointed the black sword at an adventurer dressed in brown. "Okay so you're up for the test? See this here?" he asked the adventurer, holding the red sword close to his head. "This is a special enchanted weapon! No, watch this..." I shook my head and returned to meet up with my sister. I saw the brown adventurer suddenly fall backward onto the ground from the corner of my eye. He hit hard enough to cause a small crater to form beneath him. He just collapsed and didn't say anything. The store owner took a few steps back and gave him a confused look. "I wonder what happened there?" I muttered as I headed inside the guild. I shrugged; it wasn't any of my business, after all. A crowd of adventurers and townspeople gathered near the entrance, talking excitedly amongst themselves. I made my way through the crowd and into the reception room. I looked at signs that said 'Registrations open' and 'free equipment repairs.' There was quite a bit more going on inside. Some people were waiting in line for a table while others were waiting to have their equipment inspected and repaired. A number of the adventurers were also doing paperwork at the reception counter. I spotted Lori at one of the tables. She looked a lot happier than when we first met up. "Well Alice-chan! You've formally made it to Rank C. Congrats!" "Is something like Rank C such a big deal?" I turned away for a second, and when I looked back to Lori, she had glasses on and was in a schoolteacher's uniform. ...Okay then! Lori laughed heartily, pushing up her glasses, "All adventurers here have to take a certain level of examinations and/or training before they can get access to the Adventurer's Guild, starting at E-rank. Rank C adventurers have proven themselves to be capable of handling things that threaten large townships. Which you did! Shitfaced at that!" I blinked. I definitely wasn't expecting an answer like that. 'C-rank' just sounded so unimpressive on paper. But Lori explained further. "E-rank is for those who are good enough to help out with minor cases, like missing cats, robberies or other petty crimes." She flexed one of her athletic biceps through her clothes with a wink, "Achieving B-rank, on the other hand, means we can handle threats to large cities or even national security. Your rank in one kingdom's guild carries over through the International Adventurer's Association so there are all kinds of perks!" Her explanation got me just a little more interested. It seemed like there were a lot of different ranks, and it all depended on how capable someone was. I blushed a little when I realized just how ignorant I was of this world. No wonder they would entrust her with that magic jewel worth thousands of dollars. How did a girl like her make it up to such a high rank, though? That was what really mystified me. I turned back towards the back of the guild to spot an anomaly. Some people walked out of the reception room carrying a mysterious wooden box. A young woman dressed in brown led them towards the door. She passed the parcel to a middle-aged man, then headed to the adventurers in the line. The woman handed off another box to a man wearing the same brown clothes as her. I followed their progress, curious about what they had brought with them. When the man in brown finished taking the boxes from the adventurers in the front, he went to his side of the counter where another middle-aged man sat, opening up the first box. His mouth dropped open slightly at sight inside, then he nodded to the other man, who quickly closed it up again. The man in brown took the other box from the woman and headed to a table in the corner by himself. He looked down at the box sitting on the table for a moment, then stood up, leaving the guild. I looked around, confused, and saw that the adventurers who had left with those boxes were all gone now. I frowned and turned to Lori. "What's going on?" Wait, when did she get back in her armor? Nevermind. She tilted her head towards me and asked, "What's what?" as she put one finger on her chin. I narrowed my eyes and whispered, "I'll check it out. One second, Lori." I'm petite and inconspicuous, and this was setting off all the alarm bells that I could have in my head. I pulled over the hood of my robe and made my way into the back of the main hall. I stopped cold. I spun around to find the man in brown talking to some adventurers. They were clearly adventurers like me, but something was very wrong. They were wearing the same outfit and uniforms and didn't seem happy. I couldn't understand the conversation, but it had an ominous tone. I peered over and looked at the man in brown, and I froze in shock. I didn't know what he was doing or why he was here, but it was the same man I'd seen back in the forest at Rivershire Crossroads. It was Zlatan, one of the ringleaders of the thieves we'd broken up. Zlatan was a tall human man with pale yellow hair and blue eyes. He looked like a caricature of a Caucasian man that you sometimes see in anime. I stared at him for a few seconds, trying to process what I saw. Then he noticed me looking at him and looked my way. I looked away from him as fast as I could, keeping my face obscured by my hood. The man in brown gave a slight shrug, then headed towards the stairs with two more of the men I had seen. A chill ran up my spine. Something was not right! Something terrible is going to happen in here, that's for sure. I hurried back to where Lori waited for me at the front. The man in brown came back up and passed the boxes to the Adventurers' Guild's manager, who looked relieved after receiving them. He thanked the man in brown, then left. I frowned. There was definitely something strange going on here. What did those wooden boxes have in there? As if reading my thoughts, Lori spoke up, "Hmm! Something deeeeefinitely doesn't feel right about this!" "Yeah," I replied softly, "but what do you think it is?" I didn't want to get involved, but if there was going to be a terrorist attack or something right there, well... I thought back to my poor mother, sobbing in the moonlight at 2 a.m in the morning. She worked tirelessly to raise me, denied of both love and time from the loss of my father. I didn't really want to admit it to myself, but If a lot of people were hurt or died here over something I saw, I wouldn't be able to forgive myself. At the very least, I had to figure out what was happening and report it to the city guards. I glanced at Lori, and she smiled reassuringly while sticking out her tongue, "Don't worry, I've actually been watching them since they arrived and started moving. I'll bet fifty bronzeheads that we aren't dealing with a real manager here." Huh? "Come with me, let's see what they're up to." My stomach twisted nervously as Lori led us both out of the building. We walked along the main street, then crossed to the side alley of the Adventurer's Guild. My legs felt weak and shaky, and I wanted nothing more than to run home and hide under my bed. But no matter how much I tried to convince myself otherwise, I knew that wasn't true. I couldn't just run away; if something terrible happened, I would never forgive myself if I just ran away and let everyone else die because of me. So instead, I kept my pace steady as I marched alongside Lori. We reached the end of the alleyway, and Lori pointed to our left, saying, "Over there!" I followed her gaze and found ourselves staring straight into the Adventurer's Guild back alley. All kinds of crates lined the wall behind the building. Zlatan was standing next to a stack of five identical wooden boxes on a wagon, and three other men were busy stacking the last box onto the top. As soon as they completed the job, they moved aside, allowing Zlatan to approach the boxes. There was a....catboy, an elf, and another dark-skinned human. The catboy was almost entirely human-looking, but he had a mane of orange hair, matching cat ears, a long lion's tail, and heterochromatic blue and green eyes. I watched intently as he picked each one up and opened it, revealing a variety of weapons and tools. Each time he lifted something out, he scrutinized its condition, then set it back on the floor. Finally, he placed all the boxes neatly on the ground before leaving. He paused for a moment, looking back at the boxes on the ground. Without warning, he grabbed one of the wooden boxes, which began glowing brightly. It grew brighter and hotter until it became bright enough for me to see the contents without squinting. I gasped aloud as I recognized the items inside. These weren't ordinary weapons and tools; this was the equipment the Adventurers up front were turning in for 'repairs.' I turned to look at my sister. Judging from the smug grin she was giving me, she wasn't surprised either. Now, where was the nearest guard station? We didn't have to get inv- "Alright time's up let's do this!" Lori suddenly shouted. Zlatan's head turned to snap at her. "Wait!" I shouted after her. "HEY ASSHOLE!" She charged in, throwing up a cloud of dust behind her. Dammit, Lori!!!!!

Gunnar Quirinus, a teenage demon slayer, who can use the power of darkness freely, entered an empty building full of demons. "Muahahaha, I will slaughter you all". Gunnar said. Gunnar took out his katana, and immediately attacked all the demons there using the power of his darkness, with his easy he could slaughter all the demons there. "Ah. How come you guys are weak ". Gunnar said. Instantly a demon who was much stronger than the demon before him immediately attacked Gunnar, so that Gunnar was slammed into the wall. "Muahahah, humans like you are going to slaughter us? Don't make me laugh". Said the demon. Gunnar smiled psychopathically, and enveloped his katana with an aura of darkness. "Hahaha, you talk a lot too, don't you?". Gunnar said. Gunnar lunged at the demon and with one slash of Gunnar's super strong darkness, the demon immediately fell. "Pfttt, why did you lose? ". Gunnar said. Unknowingly, someone was watching Gunnar's match, from a distance. "Hmphh, that person is not bad either". The person who was watching Gunnar from a distance immediately approached Gunnar, and greeted Gunnar with a very unfriendly kick. Gunnar was knocked down once again by that person's kick. "Hmph, this is the second time I've been attacked from behind ". Gunnar said. The person who just kicked Gunnar took out his katana, and said. "I want you to join me, join my team". That person said. Gunnar smiled slyly, and said. "Just try to make me want to join you". Gunnar said. Gunnar lunged at the person, but the person managed to uppercut Gunnar, so Gunnar bounced up. "Hmph, you're so weak". The man said. Gunnar got back up and entered his serious mode . "Alright, before that, what's your name?". Gunnar said. That person tried to attack Gunnar once again, saying. "My name is Gallagher Osraed . ". Gallagher said. Gunnar used his darkness power with Full. "Feel this... FULL DARKNESS ATTACK, btw my name is Gunnar Quirinus". Gunnar said. Gunnar attacked Gallagher with Gunnar's super dark darkness attack on Gallagher, making it difficult for Gallagher to defend. "How about this, if I beat you, you have to join me, if you beat me, you can kill me". Gallagher said. Gunnar smiled casually, and said. "Challenge Accepted ". Gunnar said. Gallagher used his Eternal Blue Flame power, and attacked Gunnar heavily, but Gunnar managed to protect himself by using his darkness power as a shield. "Ahhh, feel this... SHADOW FORCE: DEATH DARKNESS". Gunnar said. Gunnar stabbed the ground with his katana, and released an aura of darkness that destroyed everything around him, but Gallagher immediately attacked Gunnar. "Ahh, you will lose... JUDGEMENT DEATH SLICE". Gallagher said. Gallagher unleashed a flurry of attacks on Gunnar, and they fought each other, but unfortunately Gunnar lost . "Aghh, no way ". Gunnar said. Gunnar was knocked down for the third time, but this time he fell unconscious . After Gunnar lost the fight with Gallagher, Gallagher approached Gunnar . "Ummm, how am I going to get this guy to the base?". Gallagher thought. Gallagher picked up Gunnar, and went straight to his headquarters, which was the headquarters of the demon hunting organization Cross Dreamz. "Ahhh, let me go...". Gunnar said. Gunnar had woken up from his stupor and he could see several people around him. "Ah, are you awake?". Gallagher said. Gallagher released the rope that tied Gunnar 's hands, after that Gallagher immediately introduced Gunnar to Gallagher's men, namely Thuy, Maldwyn, and Wyne. "Uh, you really kidnapped me and forced me to join you?". Gunnar said. Gallagher smiled widely. "Hahaha, do what you want while you're still here, or maybe you still want to kill me?". Gallagher said. After that Gallagher left Gunnar, along with the others. "So.... Am I going to fight you guys?". Gunnar said. Thuy approached Gunnar and gave him a wooden sword. "Hmm, how about we get acquainted first?". Thuy said. Gunnar laughed out loud at Thuy's words. "Why should I introduce myself to my enemy?". Gunnar said. After that Thuy directly hit Gunnar in the stomach, and Gunnar fell down in pain. "Hmm, well, Nice to meet you Gunnar, hope you're okay". Thuy said. Gunnar ferociously rose to his feet and fought back against Thuy using his wooden sword, but Thuy easily knocked Gunnar down. "Ahh, sleepy 😴". Thuy said. Maldwyn, and Wyne were training together while Gunnar was just being played by Thuy. "Damn it... I won't forgive you all". Gunnar said. Gunnar took off his wooden sword, and looked around, and there he managed to see a fucking real katana. "Hmmm, how about this". Gunnar said. Thuy was confused at Gunnar 's words, but Gunnar immediately lunged towards the real Katana. "SHADOW POUCH". Gunnar said. Gunnar shot himself with his darkness power, and took his Katana. "Muahahah, now I can kill you all". Gunnar said. Gunnar immediately spun around and lunged at Thuy. "Ehh? I thought we were just practicing?". Thuy said. Gunnar became even angrier with Thuy's words, and decided to attack Thuy. "Ahhahah, just practice in hell... goodbye...." .... SHADOW STRIKE". Gunnar said. Gunnar lunged at Thuy with a katana shrouded in darkness, but for some reason Gunnar could not touch Thuy. "Eh? How did it get through?". Gunnar said. All of Gunnar 's attacks penetrated Thuy's body, leaving her unharmed. "Hmm, you're pretty stupid huh?". Thuy said. Gunnar raised his Katana, and flowed darkness all over his katana. "SHADOW ARROW". Gunnar said. Before Gunnar threw his sword like an arrow, Maldwyn jumped on top of Gunnar and shouted at him. "AHHHHHH". Maldwyn said. The sound waves that Maldwyn produced, made Gunnar unable to focus and finally he fell down. "What? Why does it have to be like this?". Gunnar thought. Gunnar got up and at that moment Wyne hit him in the stomach. "Eughh". Gunnar was knocked down for the fourth time. "You guys... I'll kill you all...". Gunnar said. Gunnar screamed very loudly, and awakened his true dark power. "Ahhhh, SHADOW FORCE: THE HALF CRAZY SHADOW". Gunnar said. Gunnar 's entire body was filled with an aura of darkness, Gunnar held his katana tightly, and in a matter of seconds, Gunnar instantly teleported behind Thuy. "FUSION SHADOW". Gunnar said. Instantly Gallagher appeared out of nowhere, and held Gunnar 's sword, using his bare hands, so that Gallagher's hand was injured quite badly. "Stop it, Gunnar, you shouldn't hurt your own partner". Gallagher said. Gallagher threw Gunnar to the ground, so Gunnar fell down. "Ahh, you again!!! Why did you resist my attack with your bare hands anyway?". Gunnar said. Gallagher smiled at Gunnar . "You are my man, and I am your boss, I will train you to be a great demon hunter". Gallagher said. Hearing those words Gunnar 's heart moved a little, and Gunnar decided to be more docile. "Mauahahah, alright then, if you want to make me a great demon hunter". Gunnar said. After that Gunnar released his katana, and took back his wooden sword. "Alright, let's practice some more". Gunnar said. After a few weeks, Gunnar finally became tame towards his comrades, and at that moment Gunnar decided to ask a few things about his comrades. "Ah, I want to ask you guys something". Gunnar said. Thuy and the others would gladly answer all of Gunnar's questions. "I want to know how strong you all really are". Gunnar said. After a few moments of silence, Thuy walked up to Gunnar. "You want to know?". Thuy said. Gunnar said yes to Thuy. "Try touching my body". Thuy said. When Gunnar was about to touch Thuy's body, for some reason his hand went through Thuy's body, it made Gunnar know that Thuy had a power where she could make herself invulnerable and could not be touched, but it also made her unable to attack while in invulnerable mode. "Wow...". Gunnar said. Next up was Maldwyn. "Alright, how about you, Maldwyn?". Gunnar said. Maldwyn was not a man of many words but he was quite good at fighting. "Alright, can you come close to me?" Maldwyn said. Gunnar approached Maldwyn, and at that moment Maldwyn snapped his fingers, and Gunnar was immediately knocked down by the finger snap. "Ughh, your power is cool, but mine is cooler 😎". Gunnar said. At that moment Gunnar got information, that Maldwyn could organize waves, and the effects of waves. Then Gunnar decided to see Wyne's power, Wyne had a much bigger body between Maldwyn and Thuy. "Hmm, try hitting my stomach". Wyne said. Gunnar without hesitation immediately attacked Wyne, and hit his stomach, but his stomach was very hard like iron. "Hmmm". At that moment, Gunnar realized that Wyne's power was that he could harden his body like iron. "Hmmm, so it's like that. Gunnar said. After that, Thuy asked Gunnar about Gunnar's past, Gunnar sat pensively with his sad, deciding to tell his partner. "Hmm, so you want to listen to my past?". Gunnar said. Gunnar told me that his parents were killed by a demon called the Demon King Griffin, Griffin is a demon who is said to be dead, but in fact is still alive, but Griffin is still in his weak phase. "I want to avenge my parents by killing all the demons". Gunnar said. Not long after that Thuy, Maldwyn, and Wyne got the order to clean up the demons in a place. Gunnar was confused because he never got the assignment, and it made Gunnar feel a little annoyed. "Don't-maybe I'm still too weak anjr". Gunnar thought. Gunnar felt that he wanted to leave the organization, and at that moment Gunnar decided to meet with Cross Dreamz's Leader, Master Melech. "Hey, why don't I ever get a mission?". Gunnar said. Melech scolded Gunnar for trespassing on his premises, and at that moment Melech said. "Your power is too strong to fight ordinary demons, and also your power can hurt innocent citizens". Melech said. Hearing Melech's words saying that Gunnar's strength was too strong, Gunnar became arrogant. "Hmm, am I too strong? Maybe it's time for me to leave". Gunnar said. Melech felt suspicious of Gunnar, and at the same time Gunnar threw the kunai of darkness at Melech. "SHADOW KUNAI". Gunnar said. Instantly a pile of ice appeared from the floor and held Gunnar's kunai of darkness. "FUTURE PASS". Instantly someone appeared behind Gunnar, and threw Gunnar out of the Leader's room. "Huft... you may as well? New kid." Tamish said (Tamish is one of the strongest captains along with Gallagher). Gunnar rose to his feet and attacked Tamish with his darkness power, but a pile of ice was thrown at him, so Gunnar bounced and fell. "Muahaha, do we have permission to kill this new kid?". Edrie said (Edrie is one of the strongest captains along with Gallagher, and Tamish). Gunnar rose to his feet and smiled with a psychopathic smile. "Muahahah, it's you who will die". Gunnar said. Gunnar without hesitation immediately lunged at Tamish, but Tamish parried all his attacks using his katana. "SHADOW STRIKE". Gunnar said. Gunnar's shadow strike managed to injure Tamish, and at that moment Edrie attacked Gunnar, and managed to stab him in the stomach. "DEATH ICE: FROZEN KILL". Edrie said. Edrie shot some very sharp ice at Gunnar, so that Gunnar's body was pierced by the ice. "Ughh, I... won't lose to you guys". Gunnar said. Gunnar awakened his darkness power almost perfectly. "SHADOW FORCE: KILL EVERYONE". Gunnar said. Gunnar quickly disappeared and immediately cut down Tamish, and Edrie with a speed that could not be seen with the naked eye. "Ughh, I won't let you run... PSYCHIC WALL". Tamish said. Gunnar kicked Tamish so that Tamish bounced, and also Edrie tried to attack Gunnar, but Gunnar immediately slashed Edrie. "SHADOW FORCE: ULTIMATE STRIKE". Gunnar said. Gunnar slashed Edrie and knocked her down in one powerful slash of darkness. "MAGNETIC FORCE". Tamish said. Tamish tried to grab Gunnar using his psychic powers but Gunnar dodged all his attacks, and teleported directly behind Tamish. "SHADOW FORCE: ULTIMATE STRIKE." Gunnar said. Gunnar slashed at Tamish so that Tamish finally fell and lost. "I told you.... I'm much stronger now". Gunnar said. Gunnar ran away from the base, and at that moment Gunnar ran away without any regrets. "What... happened?". Gallagher said. Gallagher looked at Tamish, and Edrie who were lying on the ground with severe injuries. "Ah! Let me guess.... This must be Gunnar's doing". Gallagher said. Gallagher walked away from Tamish, and Edrie, at the same time, Gallagher ordered Thuy, Maldwyn, and Wyne to meet him in an old building, the building where he first met Gunnar. "Gunnar, I knew he wouldn't change...". Gallagher hurried to go meet Gunnar. "Wherever you run... I've put a tracker behind your ear...". Gallagher thought. Gallagher very quickly went straight to Gunnar's location. "Shit.... I'm going to kill them all.... Demons and humans alike". Gunnar felt a rage that he had never felt before, at that moment Gunnar also realized about how strong and dangerous his power was. "With this kind of power... I will conquer the world". Suddenly, someone kicked Gunnar from behind and he was knocked down for the fifth time. "Ughh, I didn't expect you guys to be here". Gunnar realized that the one who attacked him was his own colleague. "Hey, Gunnar what you did at the base was a very bad thing, we even got orders to execute you here". Thuy said. Gunnar shouted very loudly at them. "You idiots, I will kill you all here". Gunnar said. Gunnar lunged at them and Maldwyn tried to knock Gunnar away using his waves but Gunnar was able to prevent it by sucking all of Gunnar's waves into his darkness. "I already know your weaknesses". Gunnar said. Gunnar lunged at Thuy, and Gunnar's attack went right through Thuy's body, and when Thuy turned around to attack Gunnar. "SHADOW PATH PINCH". Gunnar said. Instantly everything behind Gunnar was hit by the darkness attack, and the attack managed to knock Thuy down. "Mweheheh, two more humans". Gunnar said. Wyne tried to persuade Gunnar with his words. "Hey, why do you hate us so much? Didn't you think about our relationship when we were training together?". Wyne said. Gunnar gathered all his dark aura into his hands. "I don't know, now it's your turn to fall, SHADOW PUNCH". Gunnar said. Gunnar hit Wyne with the power of darkness, Wyne tried to harden his body, but Gunnar's power was too strong so Wyne also fell. "Now you're left". Gunnar said. Gunnar picked up his katana, and lunged at Maldwyn. "WAVE CRACK". Maldwyn said. Maldwyn tried to attack Gunnar, but all of Maldwyn's wave attacks were blocked by Gunnar with his darkness. "FULL DARKNESS ATTACK". Gunnar said. Gunnar finally managed to take down all his comrades, and at that moment Gallagher came to fight with Gunnar. "Ah, I know, you must be able to track me because of this tool, right? I deliberately did not destroy it, so that you can come to me, and at that time I also have the opportunity to kill you all". Gunnar said. Gallagher took out his katana and prepared to fight with Gunnar. "Ah, I remember this battle... SHADOW FORCE: ULTIMATE STRIKE". Gunnar said. Gunnar quickly attacked Gallagher, but Gallagher slashed Gunnar so that Gunnar fell down. "Hmm, don't you know why they call me captain?". Gallagher said. Gunnar rose to his feet and unleashed his dark power perfectly. "SHADOW TRANSFORMATION: TRUE FORM". Gunnar said. Gunnar's eyes turned red, and his entire body was surrounded by a sharp aura of darkness. "Muahahah, you will die here". Gunnar said. Gunnar jumped up and shot his dark power at Gallagher, but Gallagher managed to deflect all his attacks. "DIMENSIONAL SHATTER". Gallagher said. Gallagher slashed at Gunnar with great force, but Gunnar was not hurt at all. "SHADOW FORCE: CERTAIN DEATH". Gunnar said. Gunnar concentrated all his dark aura into his katana and threw himself directly at Gallagher. "JUDGMENT DEATH SLICE". Gallagher said. Gunnar's power exceeded Gallagher's, so Gunnar managed to stab Gallagher with his katana, making Gallagher lose. "Ugh... you managed to beat me". Gallagher said. Gunnar remembered Gallagher's promise that he could kill him if Gallagher lost, but this time Gunnar had no passion to kill. "Humph, I'll let you live, but the second time we meet, I'll definitely kill you". Gunnar said. Gunnar ran away leaving Gallagher and the others behind.

The cold wind was blowing through their faces.The air in their lungs got harder to breathe with every passing second as both of them were looking at eachother with bulging eyes. In a quick moment,a light appeared in Takada's eyes and a smile on his horrid face.That was the starting signal for the black assassin.He started the engine of some sort of jetpack on his back and let himself fall from the roof. Takada,confused,didin't know where to look,but still pushed Key back as defence.As she fell she saw the assassin up in the clear sky.The glowing moon was reflecting on his helmet as he took a sharp sword out of that jetpack of his and rapidly flew towards them. The speed he had was insane.In mere seconds he got close to Takada and both of them engaged in a fight. Takada took the knife from earlier out of his pocket and started swinging at him.He was blocking every attack with his sword as fire started to blow out of his boots. He was propulsating himself with them, swinging his sword with every move.Takada could only hear their swords colide as he was incredibly fast too as a human. Key could only look in horror as Takada was getting cut every second,but she decided to man up and join the fight. As she shouted "Hey!Look over here dumbass!" the assassin stopped and rose his sword up to his chin and pointed it directly at Key. She took a deep breath,clenched her jaw and ran straight to him. Takada shouted "No!Get back!" as Key got cut in mere seconds by the man.The weird smell of blood was so infuriating. The black hand appeared behind her back again and she struck the man with it,but he dodged the attack without a problem.She struck him more times after that and even rocks were flying left and right,but it was useless.He dodged it all with no sweat. Key's face turned red,her eyes had only the sent of anger in them.She rose her right arm as electricity was coming straight out of it.In a second she was right behind the assassin and struck him with a powerful punch he didin't see coming. The punch didin't do much damange but he was pushed right into Takada. Takada kicked him with his leg and started going all out on him.Key and Takada were working like a team,Key punching him with her electric hand and Takada stricking him with his knife.The sounds "Slash,slash,creak,creack" could have been heard as the assassin was getting hit from two sides. The assassin shouted "Enough!" as he propulsated himself backwards and sent 4 rockets from his shoulders.Takada dodged the two of themt that flew towards him but Key couldn't,so she got knocked out. Takada moved his view to the man and started laughing maniacally.Black crows started to surround them.They all flew to the assassin's helmet blocking his view.Takada got close to him really fast and got a good blow on his armor. He did that again as more birds started to fly to the assasin's head even if the blood of their comrads started flying everywhere. Two dogs jumped out of nowhere and struck the assasin's armored.They got sliced up pretty quick,but this gave Takada another opportunity to strike him and this time multiple hands grew behind his back and picked up some of birds clashing them onto his helmet. The Assassin had enough,so he formed a flame tornado with his sword as fire was bursting from his boots and killed all of the birds,but Takada was nowhere to be seen. For a mere second everything went silent,but then Takada jumped from behind and struck the man's jetpack with his knife. It didin't take much damange and the knife got stuck,but it made the man giggle a bit and put his sword back in the jetpack.He said with a formal voice "You are really interesting.I think you are quite the opponent.I look forward to our next fight!". Takada smiled back at him as the assassin rose into the air and flew past a few buildings. For some reason he sent some rockets to the random buildings and fire started to spread. People started to panic and Key heard all the screams of agony.She rose back up and looked at Takada.He was looking at the chaos,doing nothing. Key pushed him and jumped to the top of one of the buidlings that were burning. "What the hell are you doing Key!" "I can't hear them.I don't want to hear them anymore.I don't want to hear the screaaams!" shouted Key with tears of anger in her eyes looking painfully at Takada. "Then save them.If you truly don't want that,you should just save them." "...You are right,but...but you aren't going to help me?" "This ain't my fight.I am sorry,but i will get involved only if i need to protect you.Other lives are your priority if you really care about them." "I see...I will save them myself then.I will save them all, so they won't have to go trought pain.Their pain is our fault after all..." After their conversation Key got into the bulding.She was going to every floor protecting herself with the dark hand from her back.She found a family in the fire as one of the kids started screaming and crying.She couldn't take it anymore.With tears in her eyes,she blocked all the fire and made a way for them to escape. At another floor,she found an old lady that seemed quite calm.She asked with a worried face "What are you doing lady?!We need to get out of here fast!" "Oh,my dear.I think my time has come.Why should i try." "No!Don't say that.Every life is important.This is my fault!You shouldn't have to pay for it!This is not your time!If anything it is mine!" "Don't be so silly.Stuff like this always happends.It is just God's will." "Aaah.Just take my hand" said Key angrily as she took her weak hand leading her to the exit. Key left the building and got to the next one and then the next,saving a whole lot of people thanks to her power,but for some it was not enough.A lot already died from the impact of the rockets or the fire when she got to them.She wasn't fast enough for a lot of them and not even for the last building as it exploded right in her face and the only thing she could have done is watch. "Damn it!Damn it!Damn it!!!Why...why did that bastard do this.He wanted us,but got all of these people involed and for what.He was human,but a...a monster too!" shouted Key as she watched the building burning to the ground. At that moment a family approached her and thanked her deeply. This made Key smile a little bit as she was able to atleast save some people. She saved a lot of lives that day,but it was her fault that even happend,so was it really her saving them or her wanting to not live in pity that she took their lives. The police and firemen were already at the place and Key's dark hand dissapeared after she left the last building she was in,even if she was still having emotions of rage and pain,she felt like she could control it better and commanded it to dissapear.To her surprise it actually did,like it had his own will and could actually hear her,but it was probably the fact that she had way to many emotions at that time for the hand to comprehend them. She still had to run from there pretty fast so she wouldn't be seen by the police.The people were still looking for her so they could thank her,but she was already gone. Key ran to an alley and she sat on the floor. Tears started falling from her eyes,but a little dark hand started to clean them up.She could truly control it a little bit now. "You know.You don't actually have to always feel strong emotions for it to appear.You can control it just by thinking about what it should do or what would make you feel better.The is the key to control your power." said Takada coming out of the dark of that alley. "Oh,you are here.I didin't even see you,but i guess you are right.From what i have done today it made me feel better to attack that guy,but it also made me feel better to save those people or wipe my tears away i guess... ." said Key showing a little smirk on her face. "Either way,I think you have been through a lot,so we should call it a day." "Yeah...You are right,but the police might come to my apartment again or that robotic assassin!" "Don't worry.I will be there for you.From this point on I will protect you!Mark my words!" "You are really weird you know that,but also sweet in a way.You might not be the best person,but i will take your words for now." "That makes me feel a lot more relieved.Well then!Let's go back to your apartment." Key got up and Takada took her hand and they both sneaked back into the apartment.They could finnaly rest a bit,but for some reason when they got back Takada opened the rusty TV Key got and turned on the news. It said widely on it "2 US governamental agents killed by a so called Terrorist Angel." "Interesting... ." affirmed Takada with a pleased look.

She put her numb fingers on her face and took a deep breath. "It's cold.I feel cold...How could I have done this...I have killed before,but not like this, i never saw the outcome of it and i didin't really feel bad about it,but now...now this feels like i shot an arrow trought my heart" One more tear dropped on her face as the dark hand returned from all the sadness she was feeling. A policeman who happend to pass by turned his view to the bloody scene. "Oh my..."said the policeman as he watched in horror,the scene.His face turned pale as he saw a girl sitting in the pool of blood with a dark transparent hand above her head.He couldn't believe what he was seeing,but he had to do his duty as a policeman,so he approached the scene calling for backup on his way. "We got a code A!Code A!I repeat,code A!...Damn it i can't get too close...Hey girl!Are you...ahem alright...?" said the policeman as he was getting closer stuttering at every word. Key noticed him and looked at him with straight eyes as she got up.She then turned her head around and without saying a word she started running. "Hey!Hey! Get back here!" shouted the policeman as he started running after Key. After some minutes Key got to her apartament.The policeman was still on her trace and two other colleagues of his joined him while he was chasing her. She opened the door and stepped on the gloomy floor.She looked at the almost empty apartment with just a small bed,a little kitchen and a rustic table and chair,closed the door in an instant and went to the bathroom.She then punched a hole through the window with an angry face and it shattered in millions of pieces.As blood was puring down from her hand she said in tears "I am a coward". The policemen finnaly got to her door and started knocking saying that they just want to talk to her and won't hurt her.Of course Key didin't believe them but she had no other choice than to open the door,because if she didin't they would still get in with force. "Ye..s...s?" said Key as her lips trembled in fear. "Mam!We would like if you could acompany us to the station so we could ask you some questions about the incident that happend tonight." The policemen said that with a smile on their faces,but that smile faded quickly as they started sweating.Key noticed a strange figure approaching them.The policemen were screaming that they can't move and in a flash the figure pulled a knife and sliced their heads. Key's breath quickened,because of the fear that was surrounding her.Her eyes lightened as she saw the figure's face and body.It looked like a normal man dressed in some kind of loose white uniform jacket with long sleeves,black pants and a pair of white trousers.Key was feeling a little bit better knowing it was another human,but what truly scared her is how he licked the knife he used to kill and then let his hands down loosely.After that he started to get closer to Key and spoke the words "Do you want to be my angel?" Key freezed in place.She didin't know how to respond to that,so the man got so close to her she cloud easly see his pale face with red markings around his devil looking eyes.He got so close that he whispered softly "I won't hurt you.We are one and the same." Key pushed him in a flash and with an angry voice said "You are nothing like me!" "Really?Am I not?We are both dark archangels after all.How can we not be... the same?" said the man holding that soft voice while talking. "You are...a dark archangel? Just like me... but we are still not a like.It's not like i believe you one bit,but you killed those men without mercy and I would never do that!" "Maybe you wouldn't but deep in your heart...you wanted them to go.They were just another problem you didin't want to face and that is why i took care of it for you.Just like i told you...I want to protect you." Key looked at him with keen eyes one more time as she heard the alarms of multiple police cars from outside the building.Key started to look really stressed,but the man continued to look at her with firm eyes and affirmed with his angelic voice "Do you want to see a magic trick?" Key nodded her head slowly,because she didin't even know what that should mean or what the man will do. "Close your eyes and all the problems will dissapear" Key did as she was told,because she had no other option and in some seconds the police alarm stopped. She opened her eyes and the sound was gone.She walked to the window and when she looked outside the police was gone like it was never there,no cars,no officers. "How did you...?" "Want to go to the celling of this building?" interrupted the man. "Why that?" "I just think better when i feel like the moon watches over me" "Alright I guess.If you say so then let's go..." responded Key with a croaky voice.She still didin't know if she could trust him even if he saved her.The man was still a murderer,but Key was no better.She never killed on purspose but she never saved anyone either.She was close to doing that if she wouldn't have lost her mind to her emotions. She still decided to go with him so they both got to the celling and layed down on its edge.Their feet were swinging in the air as the moon was illuminating their faces. "Isn't it nice?" "Yeah.I think it is,after all that happend tonight." affirms Key in a relieved voice. "You have truly been trought a lot,but even so i hope i can help you as much as i can.I just tought about it that i haven't even told you my name.I am Takada.Nice to meet you." says the man as he slowly moves Key's hair behind her ear. "My name is Key...I am also pleased to meet you.To be honest what truly interests me is you said about you also being a dark archangel." "That is true.I am a.. destruction archangel just like you." "A destruction angel?Are there more types of archangels?" "Oh,you got a lot to learn,but yes there are 3 types just like in the old stories.There are destruction,control and creation angels." "I think i remember some myths about there being more types of them.I guess,because of how strong my power is,I am a destruction archangel." "You can have different powers as an archangel.Power is not the only thing that defines destruction." "I truly need to learn more about this stuff.I have been like this for 3 years and still don't know much." "That is perfectly fine.I don't know much myself but i will try to teach you everything i know." As they were talking Key truly felt a stronger connection with him now and turned her face towards him with a big smile on it,but she was greeted with 3 red dots on her forehead.With a breathy tone she asks Takada "Do you see that man in the distance?He is pointing somehow 3 red dots at me." "3 red dots...Damn!!He is trying to shoot you!!" responded Takada fast as he throws himself on Key to protect her. The rockets are sent flying towards them,but Takada stands up as Key is on the floor and avoids every rocket as they explode behind him.He then moves his eyes slowly towards the man that just tried to kill them.He was standing on top of a building that was 7 blocks away from them.He looked just like a robot with a modern robotic mask over his face with a black visor.His costume could have been considered a full body armor which was also cybernetic and stealthy looking being all black with retractable metal shoulders where the rockets probably came from and on his waist he had places to hold weapons like some knives and 2 pistols.He also had black armored pants and metal boots up to his ankels.He looked like some sort of Cyber Assissin as he was looking at Takada,pressing a button on his visor.A red dot lit up on it and the words #Operation Archangel Commance# could have been heard and seen.

"People are always afraid of what they don't know.They fear the unknown more than anything,that is why they hate me if i show who i truly am.This is my fate now thanks to just one bad day." says the girl with a tired face as she starts to sleep on the table. That girl is Key and she had just 14 years when the most horrific event in human history happend.Not only her life changed from that point on,but the whole world changed. On that day a place of horror with creatures that only desire to kill named Tartarus has risen above the capital of Japan,Tokyo. Those creatures were said to be dark angels,but they were only myths found in books until that day. The day she lost everything... The military created a defensive bubble for the situation in no time.It was like they were prepared for this.It was like they knew what was going to happen,but one thing they didin't know till later was that the whole place was just a prison for the worst types of dark angels and it was guarded by something on the inside but it was not enough as some of those dark angels that were imprisoned in there have escaped. In those myths it was said that those monsters had the powers to posses humans to create a dark archangel.A devil with a human mind that has the first instinct to kill if they are angry,sad,scared or feel any other emotion and they have special powers to control,destroy and create. "I never belived in those myths,but like most kids i still loved to think what it would be like if they really existed and enjoyed the stories about them. ...I don't think i will ever enjoy something like that now...because on that night as i was staying in my bed trying to fall asleep,one of those horrific beeings came into my room.I was so scared i didin't know what to do,feel,think.I remained unphased,but my parents heard the noise that monster made and came into my room.As i stood there unable to do anything my parents were getting masacred by the beeing.As i stood there doing nothing the angel killed the most important persons in my life. I somehow had the power to move my eyes and after i saw them covered in blood on the ground i almost fainted,but out of the blue the angel approached me and started to strangle me with his gigant shadowy hands but then he sudenly stopped and opened my mouth .He entered it little by little as i stood there unable to move.He entered my mouth... .I could feel him... inside me.After all that i fell on the floor of my room from my bed.I closed my eyes...and that was it.Everything that happend that night remains imprinted in my memory, but i can't remember well what happend afterwards. I might have went on a killing spree,when the police came into my house, the day after that to check on the residents of the city that could have been hurt.The only thing i truly know is that i was left on the streets at just 14 running from everyone. I never finished my education and never went to school again.All of the people i knew...i couldn't see them again,because i knew that what i have become is a dark archangel... a monster." remebered Key as she was laying down on the table. That was 3 years ago.Key's life was changed forver and just like right now, she falls asleep and remembers the events of that day,she remebers it all like it was yesterday.Now she can't even show herself in the world,so she wears a mask and says that she has a disease to everyone that asks about it.She also has a work place now,because she needs a place to stay and food to eat.She works at a coffee shop and tries everyday to not attach herself to other people,because she doesn't want to hurt them or even worse,kill them. She has to live in fear... "Wake up Key! You fell asleep at work again! It is the third time this week" said a tall girl with blond hair that was looking down at Key. "Aaaa!I am so sorry Chisata!" "Oh! You don't have to be sorry silly! I can guess you might have not slept this night at all.That is just a tought tho." said Chisata with a big smile on her face. "No no! You got it wrong i was just day dreaming and i guess i fell asleep. You don't have to worry about me!" "I will still worry tho!After all we are great friends and that is what friends do! Either way we both now gotta get back to work!" "I understand,i understand.I am on it!" Even after all that happend and even if she tried to not attach herself to people she still failed.Chisata is just her friendly partner with blond hair and blue eyes at the coffee shop and they talk all the time there.Key needed someone to comunicate with and Chisata was always there to take her mind off of things and talk with her,but she never got really personal with her.They never talked about what they really do after work or where they live and Key always left work 10 minutes early so she could get home without no one following her or knowing where she really lives but today it was different as Chisata wanted to go home 10 minutes early too and hang out a little bit with Key. Key tought that maybe Chisata got really attached to her now and she wants to know more about her and not be just work partners but friends. As they were walking down the street Key and Chisata started taking about their usual stuff like books and movies.Chisata loved mistery novels and Key loved fantasy ones as her life is pretty much a fantasy to most.At one point Key asked "I think we have been walking for some time and it's starting to rain.When are we getting close to your home?". "We should be close very soon,but is your home even in this way or do you want to spend more time with me too? If that is so it would be really cute of you."responded Chisata with her sparkling eyes. "Well if i want to be honest i also want to spend more time with you even if i shouldn't really get attached to others... but my home is also this way" "Why that?Are you afraid of something if you get attached or..." Chisata didin't even finish that sentence as a man covered in black cut their way,pulling out a knife he started making demands like "Give me all your money!Give it to me now!Right now or i slice you both!" with a scary looking face. The girls were frightened and didin't know how to react.The man was so impulsive so Chisata started taking out her purse,but right at that moment Key snapped. Her eyes lit up with a red flame and her mind became all chaotic.In a second a dark hand appeared from her back and sliced the robbers body in half.Chisata that just witnessed all of this got so scared she wanted to run but in a moment of rage the hand severed her head. Key didn't even realize what she had done,until she saw on the ground,the bloody head of the woman she wanted to call a friend. It started to rain.The dark violet hand dissapeared leaving Key all alone looking at the head of Chisata and the sliced body of the robber.Tears started pouring down from her eyes just like how the water started to pour from the clouds.She couldn't believe what she had done.This was worse than a nightmare for her.All of the good moments she had with Chisata at the coffee shop,every conversation they had,the relationship that was made, it was all gone thanks to a moment of rage. "I am truly a monster... and i am afraid...afraid of myself" murmured Key with a wheezy voice through all those tears.

5 years ago, Floating Country - Cerez. In the midst of the dark night. Thunder claps, rain pours, the wind rages. A group of mysterious people dressed in a way to conceal their identities, a cloak which hood's covers almost the entire face. Wielding weapons. A chase is happening on the roof of houses. The chased not knowing what she's being chased for runs for her life, perhaps for the chasers. The girl who was being chased pulled out a sword out of thin air and decided to fight back clashing with the chasers. "who are you people, what exact reason are you chasing me for?" The girl asked calmly as she stands on a pose while she holds her sword infront. "Hero, Misaki, you are marked to be assassinated tonight" Yes, the girl was named Misaki and was indeed the hailed hero of the country. A long black hair on the contrast of her pale skin, deep purple eyes. She figure out that this might be a strategy of an enemy nation to take her down before any actual confrontation between. Being the Hero, Misaki has brought victories on the service of her country. Making enemies is already expected to happen. Misaki, as she confronted the enemies stood at the middle of the night as the rain pours. " Activate Magic Field " Misaki internally uttered, however there was no response. She realized that her enemies might've trapped her in some kind of anti magic field. As a hero who greatly relies on her magical prowess, she is in great advantage. But instead of panicking, she thought of other possibilities that brought her enemies here. The King! Rushing towards the throne, she realized that they are here not only for her but to also take the King's life. "what a bunch of cowards" She thought. However due to her magical powers being restricted by the field, she's barely using a percentage of her usual strength. " this is for our nation " Said her enemy as it threw a spear charged by energy impaling Misaki on the process just right before the gate. " this is the best i got now huh? " She thought to herself. She needs to protect the throne no matter what. She sacrificed her remaining life force to create an attack not made of magic to defend the throne she swore to protect. Incapacitating all of her enemies as she drew her last breath. Marking that night, Misaki became a legend to the whole country. The brave hero who gave up her life defending her country. Monuments and Statues were built in order to honor here, thus marks the greatest lost of their country.

The United States 07:46-07.10.2037 In front of the white house,walking towards it were 3 people wearing all-black costumes with red ties.As they got in they were greeted by the president of the United States who sent one of his operatives to approach one of the three people.He got really close to the woman staying in the middle and whispered in her ear "You have heard the news.As our best assassins,you got the mission to capture or kill them.We will secure your flight and your arrival in Japan.From that point on you are alone in this mission.Do not come empty handed." After that the agent straightened up and turned to the president whispering something in his ear. The president smiled after that and said that they will take off in 3 hours. "May you have the best luck agents!" said the president with exicetement as he walked the assasins out of the house right after their one sided conversation. The French empire 09:15-08.10.2037 The rain drops of the night hit the head of a little girl while she was humming a little angelic song.With each hummed syllable a man dressed in black approached her little by little.He sat right next to her on a bench and handed an envelope to her and said with a serious tone "What do you want in exchange?".The girl turned her head to him and a big smile appeared on her face while she affirmed to the man "A big house of dolls,but i don't want any dolls.I want real dolls.As real as possible!" "I think we can make that happen" said the man as he got up only to be greeted by a huge monster made out of blood with black eyes who was looking at him intensively. The man started to smile, moving away from the monster, putting his hat over his eyes and his head down. "This is going to be fun" Germany 08:24-08.10.2037 As the wind blows through his threads of hair he sits on a bench in the cold,a man with black hair and a coat. "Do you have an way to get there? I heard the reward is pretty big" said another man that was already on the bench turning his view to the saphire eyes the coated man had. "Nope.Sadly at the moment i don't have any way to get to Japan,but the offer does interest me." "I can get you there in no time Meyer,but as our best operative and assasssin you will have to capture one of them or kill one and bring the body back to us.We will have everything covered for you and the reward, you already know it is big enough to sell you out for life." "Yeah that seems fair enough to me.I will take off tommorow,alright.Also i will need an arsenal.From what i have seen those things won't be easy to kill,man." said Meyer arranging his coat as he took out a cigar and got up from the bench looking at the sky with a little smirk on his face. Russia 12:44-07.10.2037 "You are already here! Aww my big man is finnaly not late!" said the girl with a ponytail wearing an eyepatch and blue suit approaching a beast of a man. "You are right lady Tanya.This time is special.We got one of the most important jobs of our lifes" said the massive shirtless guy with a iron ball shaped helmet as he hands out an envelope to his partner. The lady picked up the envelope and read it out loud pointing out "Ooo Japan!I always wanted to see Japan and i am pretty sure you wanted that too,Dominik,but monstrous creatures that have superpowers?Really?Doesn't it seem pretty sketchy and dangerous if you think about it?". Dominik approached her and said with an exicted voice "Look at the reward." "Never mind all that then! Haha,this is freaking great!We will go as soon as possible,but we will need our best artilery for this one.Hope we make it back homeee!" said Tanya laughing as hard as she can. The United Kingdom 15:36-08.10.2037 "Ring...Ring..." can be heard from a phone upstairs.A man with black curly hair picks up the phone as he rises from his desk and gets to the second floor of his apartment. "Have you heard about the Angel Japan Crises,Mister Feray Aldemoire.I think it will be a fit job for the best and most technologically advanced assassin in the whole world." said the gloomy voice on the phone. "You don't need to tell me twice,I have already heard about it before you.I got more sources than you guys,you know?!I was already waiting for this moment for some time too." "We see.Well then,We think we can prepare a way for you to get inside as the military has put Japan in some sort of confinment zone since the word of these creatures got out" "That would be really lovely from your company.Besides you guys already got me covered with all the weapons i need for my suit,so providing me with a vehicle would truly be great." "We didin't exactly mean we would give you a vehicle of your own,but since the mission is very important we could provide that too.Either way,you will take off as soon as tonight." "Got ya.I think i might have the best chance at completing the job from all the assassins that will go to this murder fest." "You already know about that too,huh.That source of yours must really be imformative.Well,We wish you the best of luck!" "Aww I didin't know you were so simpatic towards me!" responds the man with a smirk on his face. "Oh shut up and prepare already! "Alright,alright.I will see you tonight." 21:40-08.10.2037 "I think we are all done.Thanks for the help miss Layla" says Feray with a pleased look as he puts his bags into a sofisticated aircraft. "Ooh,just stop.We both know this is just for work Farey,but still i hope you will be alright."says lady Layla from the agency that supports Aldemoire with his weponery,blushing head to toe. "Well,thanks.I don't know if i will come back,but if i don't...take care of yourself alright." "Tha...anks.Goodbye" said Layla still blushing as one last goodbye before Feray got in the aircraft. The engine of the aircraft started and Feray took off as he looks back at the lights of his city New York,because it might be the last time he will see it.He put the suit on and the sound "System Online" could have been heard.With a serious look on his face,he left New York city. He turned on the computer of the machine that is in his face and noticed that it got information on all the known angels up to that point. "Huh.It looks like Angel number 1 is a well known terrorist.Well,I think she is gonna be the target for the others so maybe Angel 2 could be a better choice for me." tought Feray as he looked at the screen. He changed the page and noticed that Angel 2 has been spotted 15 minutes ago in the city of Tokyo,district 15 and is pursued by the police. "This is interesting.She is a fresh target!Might just be my go to option,even tho...I see Angel 3 has been spotted too in the same district a couple of times,but his identity is unknown and Angel 4 looks to not even be in Japan for some reason and Angel 5...There is no info on him.That is really weird,but all of this means target 2 is the best one and i might even be lucky to find target 3 too.I should get to work." tought Feray as he pushed a turbo engine button that propulsated him with an unspeakable speed straight to Tokyo in some minutes. "I just looove how much technology has advanced.I will probably be spotted soon so I should turn the invisibility mode on." Fred pressed a button that turned the aircraft completly invisible and got in Japan with no problem.He flew straight to district 15. He got there in no time and noticed like 10 police cars surrounding a house.All the policemen seemed to be armed too so he didin't act yet,but then something strange happend.In one of the apartements from that house the curtain was drawn and all the policemen got into their cars and drove off as if nothing had happened. This intrigued Feray, so he got out of the car 7 blocks away from that house and began to observe. In some minutes he spoted 2 people getting on the celling of the block.They seemed really calm and started to talk.Feray observed them well,but he was not sure if they were the dark angels or not.There was only one way to find out. He opened his shoulder pad and set his view on the pair launching a rocket straight at them.Somehow one of them dodged it and looked straight at Aldemoire with narrow eyes.The air around him was thin.

Darkness. Blinding lights. Vague shadows moving across a blurry white background. The steady beating of machines. Then... Open. At first everything seemed blurry, indistinct patches of light and dark shifting into and out of my vision. Then shapes appeared, and the world around me resolved into a scene both easily recognisable but completely unfamiliar. I was in a hospital bed. The room around me was sparsely furnished, and mine was the only bed in it. There was a potted plant sitting across from me, standing atop a low wooden dresser on the wall opposite to me. Turning to my left I noticed a small cloth armchair beside my bed, standing between it and the room's single window. The blinds were drawn, leaving only a small gap that was difficult to see through from my angle, but it was clear that the window took up almost all of the left wall. A thin beam of white light shined across the room ahead of me, wavering, as if unsure if it should be there or not. I started suddenly as I heard the click of a door handle, and I swivelled my head to find the room's door swinging open on the far right. I could feel my pulse quicken and my heart begin pounding at the unexpected noise. Calm down , I thought to myself as a woman stepped through the entrance and started towards me. She was wearing a set of blue medical scrubs and she smiled kindly at me as she made her way across the room. "Good to see that you're awake, love," she said as she lifted up a clipboard at the foot of my bed. I hadn't noticed that earlier. I nodded mutely as she glanced at the clipboard and then back at me. There was a slight crease between her eyebrows for a moment, then it was gone and her expression returned to what seemed more and more to its default cheery state. "How are you feeling?" she asked, but it felt as if there was something more behind that question than just politeness. I bit down on my lower lip and shrugged. "I'm feeling fine," I said, raising what I hoped was a smile on my face. I felt sluggish, as if my muscles had decided they were tired and didn't want to fully wake up today. Coordination felt a bit strange too. "What am I doing here?" The nurse (she seemed to be acting as one, and had the right uniform on besides) nodded at me. "You've been in a coma, dear. It's been two weeks already, so it's good to hear that you're feeling okay." She took the seat at my beside before continuing. "Now, I know this might sound silly, but could you tell me your full name and your birthdate?" I felt the corners of my lips twitch upwards slightly at that. A wave of laughter rippled through me - I managed to keep it silent but it would've probably been pretty obvious to her. She smiled patiently as she waited for my response. "Yes that's alright, that's completely fine," I said, composing myself. The nurse nodded encouragingly at me to go on. I straightened up in my bed, shaking my head as I firmed my lips together to stop myself from giggling. What was that? It was unexpected, though I suppose it shouldn't really have been, but either way it definitely wasn't of the humour-esque variety. The nurse slapped a hand to her forehead suddenly and looked sheepishly at me. "Sorry, I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Louise. I'm the nurse who's in charge of looking after you and making sure you're all fully recovered before we let you go home. It's nice to meet you." She brushed a lock of hair aside and I saw the name tag it had hidden behind it. LOIUSE GORDON, RN, it read. Then on the next line, in regular writing; Registered Nurse. I grinned back at her and held out my hand. "Nice to meet you Louise. My name is Cecilia Wang, and my birthday is on the 17th of September," I said. I realised I hadn't said which year I was born in, but I figured that this would be all they needed from me anyhow. "It's a pleasure, Cecilia." Louise was pretty, I thought. She looked like she was somewhere in her late twenties, with long, flowing black hair that went all the way down to her middle back, waving a little in the slight breeze coming in from the window. Her figure was slender in a way that most people would probably find alluring, and she had on a pair of small dolphin earrings which I found endlessly cute. I spent a brief moment wondering what I looked like right now and my mind drew a blank. Guess I wasn't great at visualising then. Her voice floated up at me and I snapped out of it. "Do you remember how you got into your accident?" Louise asked. I shook my head. Accident? I guess that explains why I was in a coma. Was two weeks a long time to spend in a coma? I wasn't sure. Louise nodded and noted it down on the clipboard. "That's alright," she said. "It'll probably come back to you soon enough. I'll let you know now so you won't be in for a shock later, but two weeks ago you were involved in a car accident." I nodded. That seemed to track. I mean, car accidents happen frequently enough, right? And they were definitely more than enough to be able to send people into a coma. Probably. Louise glanced back up at me. "What's the last thing that you remember, dear?" she said. "Ummm..." I thought back to the first thing I thought of when I awoke. Had I been remembering something from before my accident? I couldn't remember. I frowned and kept searching through my mind. I mean, worst comes to worst, anything would do right? So long as it wasn't too far away from the time of the accident, in which case it would prove that my memory was intact. This situation felt so familiar I almost had to laugh. But why did it feel like that? I'm sure I had never been in a coma before. Probably from a show somewhere, I figured, though I couldn't remember which. I shook my head. These thoughts were not helpful. "Sorry... just trying to find something, haha" A worried look entered Louise's eyes. I ignored it and tried to smile. "Aha ha, umm.... errrr..." I tried not to panic as a deep sense of dread rose up within me. This couldn't be happening, could it? I felt my breathing grow rapid and I worked to slow it down before speaking. This really couldn't be happening. There's no way. I glanced towards Louise, who was looking increasingly more concerned. I tried a reassuring laugh, but it made me feel even worse. I swallowed before I spoke. "I don't remember anything," I said.

In the morning, I'm awakened by the maid. She brings me breakfast and informs me to go join Kaoriko-san in the garden after finishing breakfast. Later, I've joined Kaoriko-san in the garden. She enquires an abundance about me. I vaguely tell her about my past. Avoiding everything about being a god. Furthermore, I'd tell her that I'm heading west to Aokigahara. She is astounded and warns me that I may not come out of that forest alive once I step in there. Yet, she commend me on my bravery and asked me if she could tag along. I refuse initially. But her skill of debating is undeniably top-notch. Cutting through everything I've said. I, therefore, let her come along with me. And so, I leave Kyoto and continue my journey with my new companion. Luckily, Kaoriko-San owns a carriage. Seems like we gonna meet sooner than I anticipated, Mother. "Kaoriko-San, remind me. Why he's here again?" I asked as I realised that Munechika-san has also come with us. "I don't know why either." Coldly replied, Kaoriko. "Don't be so cold, Riko-chan. I said I'm kinda busy but it doesn't mean I don't wanna help you." He whimpered " well, you see, I'm here because you guys need a horse rider. And I happen to be the only person suitable for this job for some reason." nervously laugh, Munechika. "By the way, Where're we heading to exactly?" Questioned, Munechika. "Don't you pay attention! We're going to Aokigahara" Fumed, Kaoriko. "What?!? Are you having a death wish or something!?!" "Ask him, not me. I'm just here for a poetical purpose" "I...... need to find my deceased mother......" "Reasonable indeed, Aokigahara the place where earth and underworld are connected......" Murmured, Kaoriko. "Well, if that's the case, We make sure you'll meet her quickly as possible. We promise!" Cheered up, Munechika. Somehow, I feel like he indirectly told me to die. "Certainly." Serenely said, Kaoriko. Having travelled from dawn to dusk, we arrived at the little town called Koka. According to these two, this town is well known for its professional ninja services. Now, we're having a sojourn at a ramshackle ryokan in the town. Initially, I expected something more luxurious since Kaoriko-San's an aristocrat and all. She couldn't stand such a commonplace. But astoundingly, She was more than willing to stay at the place. Furthermore, She was the one who selects this very place. We share a room altogether. More unexpected of Kaoriko-San. She seems more easygoing than I imagined. Same room Same mattress, at least not the same hot springs though. That would be too awkward. Well, I'd better have a rest now. The path is still far. "Sano-Kun, wake up!" A fainting voice called out for me. "Gosh! please move. He shan't be awake by such tingling. I shall use my poem. Thunderous thunder..." "That won't wake him! More like making his reunion with his mother faster!" "I beg to differ. A mere zap wouldn't kill a man." "Is something matter, two of you?" By that argument, I've no choice but to wake up soporifically. Either of them appears to be frightened by something. Judge by Munechika-San who's trembling right now. Also, Kaoriko-San's heavily sweating. Honestly, She's rather hard to read due to her aristocratic personality. But thanks to Munechika-San, She likes an open scroll. "A f-f-f... fox......" stuttered, Munechika. "A fox?" "A fox white shimmering floating al fresco......" Bafflingly spoke, Kaoriko. Kaoriko-San is out of her mind once again. This must be something. "You lost me, I'm afraid. Let's discuss this in the morning, shall we?" I've returned to my slumber. However, those two appear to be too frightened to sleep. Therefore, I decided to sing a song. "雨 潸潸と この身に落ちて わずかばかりの 運の悪さを 恨んだりして 人は哀しい 哀しいものですね それで も過去達は 優しく睫毛に 憩う 人生って 不思議なものですね......" ......................................................... "Sano-Kun! Rise and shine!" "Do not disturb him, Sanjo. The boy deserves a rest. We bothered him enough last night." "True, but what the hell happened last night? Where does that ghost fox come from? And what're you reading Riko-chan?" "Oh, this thing? I found it on his forehead when I've awaked. Must've been that mischievous little fox doing, I assume. " "Ow Ow! What does it say?" "'Follow the white fox.'" "What's that supposed to mean?" "Based on my assumption, I surmise that we ought to find that fox. Supposedly, it may attempt to inform us of something. Something crucial, perhaps? let us discuss this later with Susanoo-san, shall we? For now, Let's find something to eat. Have we anything left in the bento boxes?" " 'fraid not. It's all out. Should we hit the town and get some supplies? I've to find something for a battle ahead, anyway. " "Isn't your rustic hammer adequate?" "Of course not! I'll never use my precious tools for reasons like that." ................................. While Sano-chan is sleeping, Riko-chan and I decide to hit the town for supplies. Our ryokan is at the edge of town. So we have to take quite a walk to the market. "Wow! This town is so cool! Look! They've got ninjas everywhere. They've even got a Ninja blacksmith shop. Can we check it out? Pretty please?" "I suppose, I'd better obtain subordinate weapon also. For an unexpected circumstance. 'Better use a crane before you fall' " Agreed, Riko. We walk into one of the shops and browsing stuff. There are tons of interesting things. Like that chained kunai, a ball filled with caltrops and these strange darts with threads on the bottom sides. "Oi, Riko-chan! Find any you like?" "Just gaze upon this Dagger! What an elegant dagger it is!" amazed, Riko. "Riko-chan, that's just a tuna knife" "Whatever! I'll take it" Ignored, Riko. "Excuse me, Owner! How much is this?" In the end, She ends up buying that silly knife. For me, I just buy a dozen of smokeballs. In case something happens, I guess. "Well, That was cheaper than I thought. We should go for breakfast next. I'm starving." "I concur, What would you like for breakfast? Salmon, perhaps?" "Nah, I prefer onigiri. It's more convenient. We can share it with Sano-Kun later too." "What a remarkable idea from an idiotic mooncalf! Let's do that then." "Sometimes I just feel like you want to murder me." We've bought onigiris from within the market and head back to Sano-chan. But on the way back to the ryokan. "Sanjo, Look!" gasped, Riko. "Okay, Alright, let's run!........." "What a scaredy-cat! We must follow it, Or else!" glared at me, Riko "Now, Come. We've got a fox to follow."

Who am i? A simple question. Most people would usually state their name along their hobbies and what they're living for. A very simple, it's so simple, yet i have no answer to it. I don't exist at all, i might be present physically however i'm an empty shell. For the past 5 years, i've lived not knowing who i am or who i was. I have no memories of my past whatsoever. For the past 5 years, i've gone by the name Yuu. I need atleast something to be referred with and went with that. Despite living for 5 years, i've done nothing but repeat the same thing everyday. I wake up as just like any other normal person, i eat, but i stay up all night over thinking my existence. Grown bored, depressed over it. I decided to find answers. In this world, just like any other fictions that people have read. It's world filled with magic. There are groups that utilizes then uses of it. First are Sorcerers, a group revolving around soldiers serving the country. Fight for it and defend it. It is made up of ranks. The lowest rank, Cadet. Although being a part of sorcerers already, they're still under trained. Gaining experiences. The second rank, Knight. A respectable rank of people. Commanded to fight and defend. The third rank, Paladins. A much higher rank that revolves around the higher parts of the country. Captain Rank, they're mostly known to command small units of Knights and Cadets. Commander, the highest rank. They're the ones to give commands literally, and have authority over a whole army dedicated on several cities. And the one commanding all of it, Supreme Commander. Specializing on large strategies and movement, the top of sorcerer ranks. Commanding every armies and ranks on all cities. The called Legendary Hero Misaki was the previous Supreme commander, however after dying, it was changed. That's the Sorcerer. And the other one, Adventurers. Unlike the sorcerers that is a military serving the country, adventurers are global. It is made up of different ranks. Bronze Class Silver Class Gold Class Diamond Class Platinum Class Zarantium Class (Note: Zarantium is an inside verse element created on special occasions born after a death of a star, the energy from it forms new kind of material which later on landed on the planet) Master Class Adventurers revolved around exploring dungeons and collecting informations around the planet for the country it's serving. Although separated, Sorcerers and Adventurers are somehow connected. The information collected by adventurers are later on explored through a mission by Sorcerers. I've decided to become a part of Adventurers. I never had any knowledge of these until recently, i was told about it by a guy who called himself Mitsuki. I just met him a few months ago, apparently i piqued his interest, it was also him who suggested that an answer might lie there. Tomorrow, I'll visit the Guild of this country. I lied on the bed and let the night pass. It's the day. I got up, changed and kind of got ready. I left the house and looked up on the clear blue sky. "The sky is so bright yet my future seems to be dark" Walking through the city, it seems to be a lively city. Each people have a smile on their faces, it must be weird to be the only one looking all serious here. After a few minutes of walk, i reached the guild. I entered the place, inside it were some people discussing about their findings, next stop and etc. I approached the master of the place. I told her what i'm here for. "To register? Sure, this way" she lead the way to the counter where contracts are formed. From there, she asked me details about myself, Name, Age, Gender. "Name is Yuu, just Yuu. Age is 15, Male" She wrote it all down as she repeats what i said, perhaps a habit. And so, my registration was done,. I was charged a bit for registration fee but what matters is that it's done. All that's left was to check my Magical aptitude. [Clairvoyance] a common skill, it lets someone check small details on an individual, be living or not. The lady started using [Clairvoyance] on me. " Magical Power: C " Turns out i'm not that impressive. " Class: ??? " I asked the lady why it shows nothing, she answered that it is because I'm barely fit for any class. However my registration is over. All that's left was to wait for a day for my license to be forged. And so another day passed, I'm back on the guild to fetch my license. Immediately after gaining a license, i should be able to join parties and start now. I'm a bit asocial though so it's kind of hard to ask just anyone. But turns out i didn't need to, someone approached me. Apparently they needed another member to take a certain task. He told me that i didn't need to do anything, they just need another member. The payment for it seems to be really high and he told me that I'd get a share of it. Well isn't that obvious? I'm still taking a part so. I thought to myself. I took the offer, we'll take off later night. The party seemed to be bunch of amateurs who just started recently as well. I took a walk around the town to pass the time, i have nothing else to do anyway. On my way, i bumped on a person Golden hair with crimson eyes, a noticeable cowlick and mole on his chin, that person was Mitsuki. " Oh! Yuu! I didn't thought i would see you here " Mitsuki said. " Oh, Mitsuki — " While talking, i got interrupted by him. I should just call him Tsuki, he said. And so i did. " Right, Tsuki, what are you doing here? " i asked. " i'm here for my registration " Tsuki replied. Apparently he's here to sign up as a Sorcerer and join the force. I see why he brought that up to me the other day. He then asked me why i was here too, which i replied that i registered as an adventurer and that my first task was tonight, i was just walking around to pass time. As i chatted with Tsuki, i noticed that he was with someone. A mysterious looking guy, green hair and golden eyes, fair skin, and a noticeable mole on the left cheek wearing a cloak. And with that, Tsuki remembered that he was with someone. "oh wait, let me introduce you to someone!" It's like the thought just crossed his mind and snapped on him, he stepped aside a few and introduced the person he was with. " This a friend of mine, his Name is Sora " The boy named Sora stepped forward to personally introduce himself. " My name is Sora, from the Arashi family. Arashi Sora, Pleasure to meet you " A well mannered person? I suppose. " likewise, my name is.... Yuu, just Yuu " A bit hestitant on introducing myself, after all Yuu was never my actual name. I just started calling myself that as i needed a name to adress myself however i have no memory of what could my actual name have been. It seems like they don't have that much spare time so Tsuki and Sora left immediately, both of them are entering the ranks it seems. I remained on the same spot for a few minutes until i decided to continue my walk again. I probably have walked through the whole city already by the time the night falls. I went to the meeting place, apparently i am a bit earlier. I sat down below a tree as i waited, but it didn't took that much time before they arrived. A figure of a tall man approached along few people with him. " oh you're here already " said the person who invite me earlier. They're panting, it seems like they rushed running here. They spent a moment to catch their breath before making any conversation again. " allow us to introduce ourselves, we're the night fang party, my name is Kou. " He introduced himself and the party members one by one. The girl on a support caster mage get up was Mira. The Guy with archer get up was Gen. And the Leader on Swordsman get up, Kou. Apparently their fourth member is currently unavailable but they already have accepted the task so they were desperate for a substitute member, fortunately i was there they said. Kou then asked for my name. I introduced myself the usual way i do, just Yuu. " so Yuu, what can you do? " Now that i think about it, I've never really done anything. I guess I'll be just a burden to this party. " i can do... Mana Control atleast " Just when i was expecting a dissapointed response, they were instead amazed. " Mana Control? That's great " Kou commented with an amazed face. Is mana control that impressive? I didn't know it was an actual thing in the first place, i just made it up. " Mira should learn from you then, she's our mage, she's fine at spells but not on control " Mira then commented that she's looking forward for it if i would. " well... Sure " What the hell, i think i just put myself in trouble, how come i didn't refuse. " well then, enough chit chat team. Let's proceed now! " Kou lead the way, we walked a long way. Apparently our destination is a newly found cave which used to be a castle, however it was piled by dirt and turned into a mountain overtime. Our task was to map it and return the map to the country order for later exploration. Days passed. I didn't know it'd be that long of a journey. We stumble upon the entrance of said destination. But before engaging, the leader decided to camp first and have a dinner. It was 19:00 of night. A fireplace was built, seems like they were ready for it. They even brought raw ingredients. I helped on preparing and cooking it, after all I'll have a share. And so we ate together, have some conversation. They're a fun and friendly kind of people, for the first time i felt like i actually want to live this moment. I guess it's not bad at all. Perhaps I'll try joining their party as an official member, That'd be fun i guess. They are amateurs, but that's why it would be fun to venture with them. I cut my thoughts as we finished and cleaned up, a few more moments and we'll enter the entrance. Back to the capital city of Cerez. We all got back to the front of entrance as we entered it. The feeling on the air suddenly changed, it became heavy.A lot of pressure can be felt on the air. However i still moved forward with them. Mira casted a light based spell to illuminate our paths. We explored every paths and marked them down as we draw it on the map. " I wonder what kind of loots i can get here " Said Kou. " we should focus on our main objective here you know! " Mira scolded. " i know i know, but we might find treasures that might just make us millionaires with ease " Kou replied as he made a silly expression in a jokingly tone. " even if we do, the treasure will be claimed by the whole country for it's own sake anyway. " Said Gen. Kou understood that part, it will be always the country itself to claim whatever treasure is found by it. " you're right, i'm just joking " Although he said he was joking around, his face seemed really dissapointed. An expression that says "ah what a let down" Until we opened a certain door. Chills ran through my spine, I also noticed that they also stopped moving. Whatever kind of creatures might've been inside just got disturbed and is now aggressive. The fight or flight senses kicked in, as the creatures inside roared, we all ran. The roars were so loud it shaked the entire place as they broke through their room. It was Wyverns. I've read about these on books. They guard territories of dragons as a minion. If that's true then we just dug our grave by entering this place. Desperately running for our lives, we were taking random turns on hopes to get away, but that's impossible. Wyverns have special senses that can see even in pitch dark places. And we entered another room. This one is a very hot area. There are pools of magma around, shrieking sounds were heard above. " why these creatures are here? " i muttered. A bunch of large spiders, about as large as humans chased us. Glowing yellow on contrast of it's black skin resembling that of magma. They were [Infernal Spiders] A kind of spiders that has mutated to the harsh conditions of volcanoes. Once again we ran, the Wyverns seems to have stopped ever since we entered this area though. Weird but it's a good thing, if we can only get away from these arachnids. [Infernal Spiders] are known for their fiery webs unlike normal spiders, they can also produce magma instead of venom. And this time, we entered another area again. Much larger than any of previous areas. The whole party are out of breathe. But thankful that we weren't eaten alive... So we thought. Suddenly the the whole party aside me got feeling sick and started vomiting and then fainted. I was about to ask them what's wrong until i heard a grunt. " what purpose hast thou humans visited this place for? " A loud voice spoke. An enormous figure, this place was probably a nest for it. Black shaded scales with glowing blue claws and eyes. It was a dragon. A dragon was standing proudly above a pile of treasures, artifacts and weapons. The whole room lit up, every corner was illuminated with lights, but there was no source of it. I see, it must've been the dragon's presence that started making them feel sick. But why am i unaffected? Being the only one standing, the dragon has turned it's attention to me. " you're.... " the dragon seemed dumbfounded. " no way, is it finally... " the dragon muttered. The dragon glowed all over and started becoming smaller, it was shaping into a humanoid figure. Black short hair and a horn, blue glowing eyes. A pretty lady. " it is you " the formerly dragon lady said. She bowed down. " my lord, i am filled with pleasure for the time has come " I was dumbfounded, the creature which i thought would be my end bowed down infront of me. The dragon lady standed up and approached me then held my hands. I was astonished by the current situation. However before i could react, i started doing the glowing thing all over my body too. " well then, i shall now restore your memories and core " the lady dragon stated. A huge sphere glowing on seven colors was formed from her as it slowly entered me. I was engulfed by a large energy. My mind then suddenly went blank or perhaps white. My ears started ringing, it was as if I'm sinking into darkness or being engulfed by it. Am i disappearing....? No.... No.. I don't wanna disappear. NO I DON'T WANT THAT! DON'T TAKE ME AWAY!!! It felt like my whole existence was melting. I WANNA KEEP ON LIVING! I DON'T WANNA DISAPPEAR! just when i felt like i finally was able to live something for, I'm going to disappear. AAAAAAAAAA My head started hurting as it flashes memories. 5 years ago. Thunder claps, rain pours, the wind rages. A group of mysterious people dressed in a way to conceal their identities, a cloak which hood's covers almost the entire face. Wielding weapons. A chase is happening on the roof of houses. The chased not knowing what she's being chased for runs for her life, perhaps for the chasers. The girl who was being chased pulled out a sword out of thin air and decided to fight back clashing with the chasers. "who are you people, what exact reason are you chasing me for?" The girl asked calmly as she stands on a pose while she holds her sword infront. " Hero Misaki, you are marked to be assassinated tonight" The girl was named Misaki and was indeed the hailed hero of the country. A long black hair on the contrast of her pale skin, deep purple eyes. Below there was a small child watching everything happen, a child about 10 years old. She witnessed everything. The Hero, Misaki getting murdered by unkown people. Misaki's dying body fell on the ground, the spear which impaled her chest has disappeared. The child then rushed towards her as she begun to cry. She couldn't accept the reality that's infront of her. Misaki's last words were asking the Girl, Miku. To keep on living. She couldn't accept it still. The said small girl apparently excels at Magic and Skill usages. Born from her deep desires, her body started glowing. <<Accepted, the process shall start now>> A sphere glowing on seven colors emerged from her. As it spreads through the country. The girl then fainted. Fast forward to the day after. A 10 year old boy woke up, having no memories of his past. 5 years earlier prior to Hero Incident. Another Rainy day. A small girl somewhere age of 5 was wandering around the city drenched in rain. Cerez is a wealthy country, no signs of poverty is shown on it's capital. Which is why it was strange for an abandoned girl to wander around it. That girl bumped on someone, it was the same Hero, Misaki. Hoshino Misaki. The two had a conversation. Misaki took the girl back on her house. She took care of her, fed her and gave her a place to stay in temporarily. Hoping to get her back to her home, she asked the girl about herself to narrow down where she came from, unfortunately it was negative. The girl did not know either, all she got was her name, Miku. Misaki was never the person to let a child wander around alone, she's also got a soft spot for them as she always wished to have a younger sibling. A month passed, yet she still haven't found her parents or where she came from. But at the same time, the child Miku has grown to be quite affectionate towards Misaki. When she first came into the place, she barely talked or reacted. But that has changed. She started being talkative, curious and lively. After a few more months, Misaki gave up on finding parents and decided to adopt Miku as her sibling. (in this world, adoption works differently, not only you can adopt someone through paper but through blood as well. Lore wise, developments of magic was able to create one that lets an individual change blood relativity through it, Miku and Misaki became siblings both paper and blood) The two of them spent years together with fun. Miku lived on the name Hoshino, Hoshino Miku for 5 years. (Back to Present) My mind has gone completely blank, however the process was over. <<Core Restored>> I opened my eyes. Weird feeling, it feels like i woke up from a long dream but it's not. Should i say I'm back? I walked to the mirror on the corner. It's my face. A mismatched color of eyes, Blue right eye and Golden left eye. A long black hair, fair skin. The process seemed to have disintegrate my clothes as well. I walked towards the wardrobe in the room and took some clothes. I took a pair of black boots, high thighs socks that are thick and as durable as dragon scales giving of blue hue of reflection. Black skirt paired with golden belt. White Blouse like shirt with golden tip at the collar part, a hole that leaves both shoulders exposed. A pin that resembles a white wing for my hair, and lastly a black cloak. Weird, i might've retrieved my memories but i have no memories of these yet i know they're mine. I took a sword that stands at the top of the piled treasures, i called upon it's name. [Zhaqiel] The sword glowed, A large sword with black blade and golden tip. Sword guard on both sides of the handle and the cross guard resembles wings painted on glowing yellow color as if it was made of crystal. The sword was larger than me in size generally but i altered it enough to be carried by hand. I stabbed myself on the chest with it. [Zhaqiel] is a strange sword, rather than having a sheathe. It's sheathe is the user itself, it becomes intangible and vanishes when sheathed on the wielder, calling upon it's name will summon it back. I walked infront of a mirror. Seems like i've gotten smaller too (From 178CM to 160CM) " Aoi " i called for the lady dragon earlier. " treat these people and drop them off to their homes, oh and make sure to erase their memories of this " i commanded her. " understood " she responded and immediately went to obey my words. Funny how i thought i was disappearing earlier for gaining back my memories, a bit embarrassing now that I'm thinking about it, heh. It's time to drop the Yuu identity. My name is Hoshino Miku.

The guy with the hat was so upset about Genkei's retirement that he came up with an idea. "No! Falling for him will be disrespectful to Genkei! I have to be that person -" No, you don't. "To push him to not give up!" as the guy with the hat speaks emotionally in his thoughts. The guy with the hat then clapped his hands which echoed among the crowd of boys and caught all their attention. "Master Genkei, before this night, I have not heard of you but now I do and I would like to say I'm your biggest fan. And as your biggest fan, I cannot allow my master to give up just because life got hard." The guy with the hat begins his speech. "What is it, son." Genkei responds. "I want to show everyone here today that you are not just a legend from the past but also the present! Please put back on your boots and shoot your shot with another girl! Please inspire us guys like you usually do to find women the way you do it! Master Genkei! Lead us!" The guy with the hat raised his voice like a Spartan and the whole crowd reciprocated the same energy and roared like warriors on the battlefield. Genkei who is not fazed by the pressure that was dashed on him accepted his biggest fan offer as he looks around without uttering a word for the girl he can target. Finally, he replied. "I pick her." Genkei points at a girl who had long, dark, green hair with hot pink eyes as she's not only the spotlight of today's party but also the person who hosted the whole thing. She is the exact statement of a 'Stunning beauty'. The guys in the crowd all gasped even louder as they recognized who the beauty was. "That's Nana Shima! The most popular girl on the whole university campus! Rumors have it that she's never gone out with a guy once and has rejected a hundred guys." As the random guy analyses. "A hundred guys have asked her out?" some random guy nervously said. "And she rejected all hundred of them? What a monster!" Another random guy defeatedly said. "Will Genkei even stand a chance against her? I say he should just stay in the retirement-" "ARE YOU GUYS DOUBTING THE MASTER ALREADY!?? SO WHAT IF SHE REJECTED A HUNDRED GUYS! OUR MASTER WILL BE THE FIRST GUY SHE WILL NEVER REJECT! IT WILL BE A MATCH-UP BETWEEN A GUY WHO DATED A HUNDRED WOMEN AGAINST A GIRL WHO REJECTED A HUNDRED MEN!! THIS IS A ONCE IN LIFETIME MATCH!! WHICH I KNOW THE MASTER WILL WIN!!!!" The guy with the hat let off a motivational scream which picked up all the guys who doubted and lost hope for Genkei and they all began to cheer for him. " That's impossible for him ." Finally, someone that's normal that I can agree with. "That's because Nana Shima only goes for 6'4 ft boys with the blood type of A and who strictly stay away from all fur products and are only vegans and allergic to banana- No! No! No! No! No! No! No! Anyone else but this guy! "And according to my calculations and experiments all the guys that asked her out all had different traits and personalities but the only thing they all had in common is that they all wore clothes. Soo... I know what your thinking but I already tried it. Tried what!!?? Tried what!?? You sicko!! "And the guy with the hat is wrong, her rejecting 100 guys is incorrect because it was actually 97 to be exact. How do you even know that!? "Because boy number 98 to 100 were all me. In three different disguises. I just concluded that Nana Shima rejecting boys has nothing to do with her type but just because she's simply just attracted to girls. Nope! I ain't letting you get away with that! I'm pretty sure that's not the reason and I'm going to expose you. Ladies and Gentlemen meet; Junichiro Kondon. "But if I had to guess without no calculations then I would bet that good-looking guy over there has a chance." Junichiro thinks to himself. Kaito Okamoto, the good-looking guy that Junichiro was referring to is seen walking up on stage to Nana Shima. "Oh my gosh! It's that you Kaito!? You've grown big and tall." Nana seems stunned. "Yeah and I've heard you've gone prettier and by the looks of it, it's true." Kaito grins. "Yeah well, I'm guessing it's good that you didn't go to the gym today. Nana laughs while she gently pats Kaito. "Why?! Do you want me to be fat!? You're so insensitive! So inhumane!" Kaito took it the wrong way as he stormed away. "Hehehe, even though he looks different, I guess Kaito is still the same." Nana giggles to herself. Yeah, I guess this will be the closest I will get to normal, So I should just be happy.

"No, Brother! Mother!" I vehemently screamed as I found out that it was just a nightmare. The same one that I constantly have since I've left the heaven. All due to my sister's lies, My brother, Tsukuyomi, has forever been banished from the heaven. He was accused of the murder of, Ukemochi, the chef goddess. Her culinary skill was the top-notch one. Who could have done this? I know my brother couldn't do it. He couldn't hurt a fly. After he's gone. I went after Amaterasu demanding answers from her. However, instead of answering, she challenged me: each of us shall turn each other belongings into gods. She took my sword manifesting into three goddesses. In contrast, I grabbed her magatama and transformed it into five handsome gods. Undoubtedly, I was a victor. Yet unsurprisingly, it was her manoeuvre all along. She told me that those I have given life were hers since it was her magatama I used. Then followed by the event of my very own sister being hit by a corpse of a horse and I banished myself from the heaven before someone you know who could. When I was packing up my stuff preparing for a long trip to the earth, someone'd knocked on my door and left me a message. "The matriarch shall reveal all -Inari" Thanks to this message from Inari, I am now making my way to Yomi. To find my mother, Izanami. The only matriarch I know. As a ruler of Yomi and a mother of myriad gods. She must be the very one Inari mentioned. I can feel it. "Young man, are you all right?" asked, the benign old man who let me tag along with his caravan "I... I'm okay, it's just a nightmare" I replied. "You are sweating, dear. Would you like a cup of water?" offered, The old man's wife. "No, thank you." The moon descends from the sky while the sun commences to ascend. Half of the path is just right ahead. Soon, We shall meet, Mother. We have arrived in Kyoto. I've parted ways with the old couple. They are such a benevolent couple. Before we parted, they even gave me some money and three boxes of bento. I shall repay their kindness, someday. I'm wandering around the city. Hoping to find a blacksmith. A path up ahead may be more perilous. So I reckon a sword might come in handy. Time passed by, and I seem to be lost in the city. It feels like I've been walking in circles. I've decided to rest for a while, but as I'm about to lay my butt. There is a girl who holds loads of books getting bullied by some random ugly chicks. Those chicks shoved her down and then disappeared. I, therefore, automatically go help her. "My lady, are you alright? I asked as I lend her my hands. "Oh, why thank you, kind sir!" I help her recollect her books. "That would be all, thank you, sir. I owe you big time." "Happy to help." "I'm Kaoriko, From the Fujiwara family" "I'm Susanoo." I replied "Kaoriko-san, Do you know any blacksmiths around here?" "Indeed, let me show you the way. I'm about to head there, anyway." Kaoriko-san led me to the rusty-looking shop. Is she mishearing something? I need a blacksmith, not a clairvoyant or a ghost hunter. Oh, brother. Did she see a child sitting on my shoulder? I hope not. "Munechika-san! Are you home? I've brought books for you." Shouted, Kaoriko. "Ah, Riko-chan! Look here! What do you think?" Munechika came out from the back with a sword in his hand. "It's a sword, obviously. Now, these books......" annoyedly answered, Kaoriko. "Exquisite, right? Inari himself help me forge it! My God, I can't believe that just happened" "Stop hallucinating and take these books already. It's heavy!" "Oh, sorry! Sorry! Sorry! place it there near the bookshelves." Kaoriko-san place the books near the bookshelves as Munechika-san said. "Now, what's with this sword you're blabbering about? Inari helped you make it? How is that even possible?" "Oh, Who's that guy behind you? Your friend?" "Don't change the subject as you please!" "I'm Susanoo, Please to meet you" "Susanoo!! You are Susanoo! I didn't expect you would arrive this sudden." over excitedly exclaimed, Munechika "Please, take care of Kogitsunemaru!" "Wait, what?" exclaimed altogether, both Kaoriko and I. "Inari told me to give it to you......." "Enough of your nonsense! I......" Before she could finish, the rain has poured abruptly. Due to this unexpected situation, We all end up trapping there and killing time over a cup of tea. A kettle of green tea and some desserts has been served. As everyone gathers around a table. Then Kaoriko-san delicately poured tea for everyone. "Now, on to the matter at hand. About your Inari things. I refuse to believe everything you've mentioned unless you have a proof to ascertain" "Here!" He slid a leaf to Kaoriko-san. "What's this?" She said as she picked a leaf up and examine it accordingly " 'Susanoo shall bring glory signed Inari' I suppose this is a valid proof.......... As if! Anyone could have written this including you Munechika-san! " "It's the truth. Why don't you trust me, Riko-chan?" "This is absurd! Someone must have poisoned you! After this rain, you'd better visit the doctor." "But......" Before the argument could get any more severe, I suddenly realise that I still got that thing in my bag. "Excuse me, but I've got something that might help verify Munechika-San's word" "Oh, this is getting too far. Very well, let's see it." Sighed, Kaoriko I open my bag and handed 'that thing' to Kaoriko-san "Oh, my! This is......... just another leaf, Seriously? 'Matriarch shall reveal all signed Inari' well, at least the handwriting is utterly identical. But if I say that I believe you. There's still something unexplainable." "And what will that be?" curiously asked, Munechika-san. "Both of you wouldn't have met each other if there wasn't the third character, Me. If I wasn't accidentally tripped over. I wouldn't have taken him here in the first place." questioned, Kaoriko. "Kaoriko-san, Back then, Weren't you getting shoved by some ladies? I saw it with my own eyes." I demurred. "What, no! I just tripped over." "And Susanoo-Kun, no one would dare to harm her. She's the heiress of Fujiwara's family. One of the most powerful noble families in Kyoto." added, Munechika. "Mist of Kitsune" muttered, Kaoriko. "Yes, Kaoriko-san?" "The mist of kitsune. An ability of a high-class kitsune. Assuming if they used this ability, then it's clear. I met him. Everyone...... " Spread dark aura, Kaoriko. "Now, she lost it." whispered to me, Munechika. "Yeah" The sun has gone as the rain passed away. Kaoriko-san has offered me a place for a night at her mansion. Also, I've taken Munechika-San's sword with me as well. He wants me to have it. I, therefore, try to pay for the sword. However, He insisted on giving it for free. From now on, My life depends on you now, Kogitsunemaru.

Night time falls as the party ends. Everyone makes their way out of the party and Lucky is also outside as he is walking home wearing a screw-up face. "Why is it always the ugly friend that always tries to cockblock. I was on the verge to grab her number damn it, I could have been walking home with her right now but that fat b**ch says [Ah no, he looks very like those guys that see us, girls, as food and will just eat you up and go for the next! Please sis, ignore him!]" Lucky kisses his teeth as he mimics the voice of the ugly friend. "With her huge size, I was thinking she looks at the whole human race as food, how can one be so big! Well, at least I know the pretty girl's name is Sara Inoue and I also know what she studies, so I should be good." Lucky reassures himself. Suddenly, there were random outbursts of atrocious singing which were ringing on the late-night streets of campus. " WHO LET THE CATS OUT! MEOW! WOOF! PIKA! PIKA!" Trying to make his way home, there was a girl with big boobs which you can see from afar who was carrying a bottle that was half her size, who look likes she was the same age as Lucky. She was completely washed and sloshed in drunkness as she couldn't control herself mentally and physically. "IT DOESN'T MATTER IF YOU ARE BLACK OR WHITE! OR WHATEVER RACE YOU ARE FROM! YEAH! YEAH!" The drunk girl wouldn't stop singing as she was packed with soo much energy. "Don't tell me, she's left alone while being this wasted? Where are her friends?" Lucky was surprised. Lucky noticed a group of guys who looks older about to approach the drunk girl. "YO SIS! I TOLD YOU TO WAIT OUTSIDE THE SHOP WHILE I WAS IN THERE!" Lucky jogs to the drunk girl's aid as he pretends to know her. "Huh? Sis? I don't remember having a brother? Wait does that mean your my long last brother?!" The drunk girl replied astonishingly. "Erika? Are you that drunk that you can't even remember your brother, Lucky?" Lucky smoothly carries on the act as he calls her by a fake name. The drunk girl then realized a group of older guys are walking in her direction. "HEY, HANDSOME BOYS! MAKE SURE YOU ALL GET HOME SAFE! HAHAHA!" The drunk girl idiotically screams and laughs as she waves at them. " And you girls are the reason why 9 out of 10 boyfriends die from stress ." Lucky puts on a fake smile with annoyance. The group of older guys reached Lucky and the drunk girl. A man who has a scar on his face steps forward. "Haha! You seem quite an energetic darling. Why is a pretty girl like you here alone at night? I was gonna make sure you make it home safe." The scarred face man pressed on her. "Don't worry she got her brother with her, so she's good but thank you for worrying about her." Lucky continues smoothly with the act. "Oh yeah, I did hear you calling her sis? Hmm, now that I'm up close, you two look nothing alike." The scarred face man suspiciously investigates. "It's not like we're twins? Plus our parents got different genes, that's all." Lucky calmly replies. " Hmm? Alright, but maybe for your protection allow me and my gang to escort you home. You don't wanna run into trouble, especially on these late nights." The scarred face man pressed on harder. Out of the blue, Lucky had a mischievous grin on his face as he tilts his neck slightly up while bags under his eyes vividly appeared. His usual innocent eyes quickly transitioned into a cold glare. The drunk girl noticed this expression "Trouble? Are you kidding me? You're trying to say that I'm incapable of protecting my sister? Lucky condescendingly scoffs. One of the older guys behind the leader felt attacked and began to move brash. "You must be feeling suicidal to give us such a look! Yanagi, leave him to me." one of the older men viciously said. "I could say the same about you but we gotta jet, bye!" Lucky quickly grabs the drunk girl and runs away with her. "YEAH, SORRY GUYS BUT I WANNA GO HOME WITH MY BROTHER ALONE TOO! BUT THANKS FOR THE OFFER! CHEERIO! The drunk girl's voice echoes away as she's being dragged. "Cheerio? Who the hell says that?" one guy from the group commented. "Ah, shit! Yanagi, they're getting away!" the hot-headed guy gets agitated. The scarred face man who is also known as the leader puts his hand in front of the hot-headed guy. "Leave them. They both go to this university anyway. I'm sure we will see them again." Yanagi mysteriously said.

The angry woman paused her attack due to the entrance of the fat man. "WOW! A FAT MAN!" Yoko jumps in excitement. "According to my calculations and judging by his outstanding size, he's the culprit." Junichiro points. "Sorry people, I didn't know my way around campus so I got lost and ended up in this kitchen for the whole day." The fat guy explains while eating a slice of pizza. Everyone in the kitchen had the same thought. "Of course, you'd find the kitchen." The angry woman released Genkei and he returned to normal but this time he looks scared and drained of energy. "So you're telling me! You're the reason why our kitchen is a mess like this!? We were all about to lose our life because of you!" Genkei raged as he clenches his fist. The fat guy felt really apologetic as he explains himself further. "I said I'm sorry, I live in Block C but I don't know how to get there and I got all hungry and didn't want to take your food in the kitchen without asking-" "Well, I'm surprised you didn't steal it" Lucky quickly buts in making a smug comment. "Argh! Whatever, I can't be bothered anymore. At least you don't live here too, so this will be the first and last time I will ever deal with this." The angry woman began to calm down. "It's soo soft and jiggly! You're really beautiful, sir! What's your name?" Yoko consistently pokes at the fat guy's stomach. "Oh thank you very much, and my name is Simon" Simon kindly responds. "To make up for the mess, how about I share one box of pizza with you guys." Simon kindly suggests. "Only one!?" Genkei is about to lose his marbles. "Won't you get hungry?" Lucky makes a mocking comment. CLAP! CLAP! The angry woman gains everyone's attention. "Alright, numbskulls! It's time to clean up! We can all talk and introduce each other when we're done." The angry woman gave the order. Everyone in the kitchen started cleaning as they were all working together as a team, except for Yoko, who was zooming around while mopping the floor like some maniac. "Weeeeeeeeeeee! I feel like I can go faster and faster and faster and-" as Yoko's energy spikes through the roof. "I thought we took the bottle away from that girl? Why is she still drunk?" the angry woman became confused and complains. "Huh? What are you talking about? I've sobered up a long time ago." Yoko paused to answer the angry woman. SMASH! Genkei who was washing the dishes dropped a plate. In that instant, everyone froze in supreme shock. "Wait? Did you just say you're sober?" the angry woman asked. "Yep!" Yoko straightforwardly replies. " So you running around cleaning and screaming [I'm an alien! I'm a bird !] is you being normal?" Genkei is sternly trying to clarify as he mimics Yoko's voice. "Add the part of her poking someone else's belly of who she's never met," Junichiro adds on "Hey, guys! I just caught her trying to drink washing-up liquid, is that good for you?." Kaito just remembered. The angry woman simply looked at Yoko and then looked at Dai afterward. "Dai, you might have competition." The angry woman calmly said. "Hey! That's mean!" Dai yells at her back. Moments later, the kitchen is almost looking spotless which they are all finishing up. KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK! There was knocking from the kitchen door but no one knew who it was. The door slowly began to open which a curvy and elegant woman bestow before everyone. She was so gorgeous that if you stared at her for more than five seconds, you will collapse in love. "OH MY GOSH! BABE! I WAS SO WORRIED ABOUT YOU! I JUST SAW YOUR TEXT THAT YOUR LOST AND RAN HERE AS FAST AS A JET!! DON'T SCARE ME LIKE THAT EVER AGAIN!" The elegant woman rushed to Simon's side as she cuddles him like a teddy bear. "Ohh, my baby! I'm sorry to make you worry like this! Let's go home and watch a movie while you play with my tummy." Simon flirts with his girlfriend in front of everyone. "Gotta go people, my girlfriend doesn't like it when she sleeps before me, you know how it is, right guys?" Simon said. Simon leaves with his girlfriend as the door shuts. "Alright, now the kitchen is nice and tidy, how about we start introducing ourselves." The angry woman stretches out her arms. ACCKKK! URRRKKKK! The sound of someone struggling for air as they are choking. This sounds like an emergency as the angry woman turned around in a panic. Out of the blue, Dai is seen standing on the table as he has a rope around his neck while all the boys are urgently trying to stop him. " No! No! No! Let me die! I said... let me die! Maybe I will become fat in my next life!" Dai emotionally breaks down in tears. " You have to be stronger than this! You think I'm not hurting too!" Genkei tears up while trying to drag Dai down. "According to my calculations it only takes ten to twenty minutes to die from strangulation... so please don't do this to yourself! Junichiro pleads while his eyes are wet. "That looks fun! Jump! Jump! Jump!" Yoko playfully chants like an idiot. "Where did you get that rope from?" Kaito asks while all the boys are in tears. Then Kaito just realized something. "Aaaah! That's my skipping rope! You can die another day!" Kaito panics. Kaito snatched back his skipping rope which Dai accidentally fell off the table and landed on the ground. " If this is accurate, it cost a 2.4million yen for a funeral." Junichiro kills the mood. "Damnn, I can't even afford to die." Dai gets depressed. Lucky majestically approaches Dai and he stretched out his hand to him. "Son, what is your name?" Lucky softly speaks. "Dai Hagimoto... Daddy." Dai responds weirdly and is aroused. "Don't call me that again... but anyway, fellow brethren please state all your names too." "Genkei Watanabe." Genkei responds "Junichiro Kondon." Junichiro responds. "Condom? And what about you brother with the muscles." Lucky making sure is the right name. "Kaito Okamoto," Kaito responds. "Don't give up hope yet. If someone like him can get a girl like that, then don't you think someone like you handsome brothers can get any girl you want in this huge place of a campus." Lucky gave a heartfelt speech. Lucky's words rang through the hearts of all the boys and they wiped their tears and puffed out their chests like soldiers who are ready for war. "That's what I like to see boys!" Lucky yells like a general. At the speed of light, the angry woman dished out powerful punches to the boys for their stupid behavior. They all ended up with bruises and swellings. Disclaimer: This is pure fiction and comedy, please don't bite my head off, I'm just the narrator. Teehee. "Jeez, you numbskulls are too silly! Since you already started the intros, I might as well introduce myself. My name is Ren Masaki, and I will be the cook for this accom (accommodation), but you all have to pitch in for ingredients, that's how it works!" Ren gives off a blazing introduction. "AND I'M YOKO!! HOWDY!" Yoko jumps with static energy. "Hi, Yoko! I think we should do an icebreaker question to get to know each other properly, what do you guys think." Ren suggests. "Oh, I know! I got an ice breaker question to ask!" Lucky jumps like a kid. "Go on Lucky," Ren said. " Would you guys suck d**k for a billion?"

Lucky's sniggering manages to break through the anxious illusions of Genkei's negative thoughts that created a fake reality of everyone insulting and degrading him. This brought Genkei back to reality. "Hahahahahahaha!" Lucky couldn't control himself to stop sniggering. Everyone had perplexed expressions on their faces as they all found it rude and disrespectful for Lucky to laugh at someone's else insecurity. Ren became triggered in anger and grabbed Lucky by the shirt. "Oi, Lucky! You're taking the piss right now! I know you have a sharp tongue but this time you're going over the top!" as her angry eyes lock into Lucky. Lucky wasn't even fazed by Ren and continued to laugh which even caught her off guard. "Genkei, you're really funny. Do you know that?" Lucky had a fat innocent grin. Genkei, who was overthinking about scenarios that never happened was speechless to hear Lucky's words. Lucky stretched out his hand to pull Genkei from his knees. "I can tell just by meeting all of you today, that our time at university is going to be super, super fun! Imagine all the stuff we're going to experience and can't wait to share it with all of you guys!" Lucky expresses himself with happiness. This happiness spreads along with everyone else and they all started to crack small smiles at each other. "This guy..." Dai said to himself as he was impressed by him. "Your too weird Lucky, you know that?" Ren releases him and puts her hand on her head as she's getting tired. Lucky giggles in response. "Anytime, I'm starting to feel sleepy too, so I'm heading to bed. Since I don't know Yoko's room, I'm just gonna let her sleep with me but anyway goodnight numbskulls. Ren leaves the kitchen with Yoko leaning on her while she's sleepwalking. Yoko then slightly opened her eyes and noticed a slight smile from Ren. "Ren-ren, you look happy, what did I miss?" Yoko yawns as she's beginning to wake up. "Ren-ren? Do I look happy? Maybe just like Lucky, I'm also looking forward to this year with those numbskulls. Doesn't seem like it will get boring around here. Anyway, for our first night, do you want to do a sleepover in my room?" Ren replies with a smirk. "Yayyy, sleepover, I call dibs on the bed." Yoko sluggishly said. "Oi! That's my bed you numbskull!" Ren said. As only the boys remained in the kitchen, Lucky came up with an idea. "Hey, I know! Let's create a boy's group chat! With only us four involved! What d'ya think?" "I'm liking that idea!" Dai was high-strung about it. "According to my calculations, having a group chat will allow us to communicate with each other efficiently about the latest news on campus," Nerdy explains. "Aren't we group chatting right now?" Kaito said. "But what are we going to call the group chat?" Genkei asks. "We can just call it something simple like... 'Mandem GC'" Lucky said. " 'Mandem GC'? What does that mean?" Kaito asked. "It literally just means a group of guys and 'GC' stands for group chat." Lucky explains. "Wow, that is very simple!" Kaito seems impressed. " I also think that's a very nice and easy name." Nerdy agrees. "The name sounds like it can ring," Genkei said. " I love the name! I love it! I love it! Everyone, give your phone numbers to Lucky. He will be the admin of this group chat." Dai couldn't hold himself back. "Nah, you can be admin Dai." Lucky rejects. "What!? Are you sure?! Thank you dadd-" Quickly as the scene changes... phew, I don't even want to know what Dai was going to say next. Anyway, moments later...everyone is in their room. Ren and Yoko are sleeping together on a bed in Ren's room. Nerdy is using his laptop while his legs are curled up. Kaito is doing push-ups while his suitcase is on his back, Genkei is playing video games, Dai is pulling weird expressions while he's on the toilet, and finally Lucky is lying on his bed while using his phone. BING! A notification sound that Lucky, Genkei, Nerdy, and Kaito have received at the same time. They all look to see where it came from on their smartphones, Notification: Mandem GC created by DAI-DAI. DAI-DAI: Hiiiiiiiiiiiii!!!! Kiddos! 🙈 Genkei: I thought this is a boys' group chat only? Nerdy: I was thinking the same. I haven't seen any boy using the monkey emoji... according to my calculations. ¯_( ͡❛ ͜ʖ ͡❛)_/¯ Kaito: Maybe someone has Dai's phone? Lucky: 😂 Lucky: What a bitch. DAI-DAI: Shut up lucky! And it is me! I am Dai! Genkei: Why is your font like that? Change it. DAI-DAI: No. I like it! Nerdy: And he also calls himself DAI-DAI...Weirdo ( ͡❛ ͜ʖ ͡❛) DAI-DAI: Who here also saved Junichiro as Nerdy. Genkei: ✋ Kaito: ✋ Lucky: 😕 Lucky: What was his real name again? Nerdy: SCREW YOU GUYS! AND THAT'S NOT FUNNY LUCKY! DAI JUST TYPED IT IN THE CHAT!! ᕙ( ︡'︡益'︠)ง DAI-DAI deleted a message. DAI-DAI: Type what? Nerdy: (ㆆ_ㆆ) Lucky: 😂😂😂 Lucky: Why do you use punctuation for your emojis? Your really a nerd😂 Nerdy: Be quiet! It's the creativity that counts! DAI-DAI: Anyway guys I think we all know the real purpose of this group chat being formed, right? Genkei: Obviously. Lucky: Of course. Nerdy: Whatever, go on. Kaito: Isn't the group chat made so that we can keep check-ups on each other. DAI-DAI: What girls are you guys after? I know all of us went to the campus party today, so I won't hear any excuses from anyone! Which girl is your target?

Lucky and the drunk girl scurries through campus grounds as they cross roads to get away from the group of older guys. "I think we've either lost them or they didn't even bother to chase us. Aw, I'm upset. That means they didn't see me as a catch." The drunk girl was sobering hard while running out of breath. They've stopped running as both Lucky and the drunk girl ran out of breath but the drunk girl is filled with adrenaline as she screams her lungs out. "MAN! I WANNA DO THAT AGAIN! LET'S GO BACK! LET'S GO BACK, PLEASE!" The drunk girl thrillingly howls. "Hey! Hey! Your street smart aren't you! The way you handled it back there like you experienced!" The talkative drunk girl wouldn't shut up. "I'm even surprised you're sober enough to notice that. Pass me that bottle too." Lucky grabs the bottle from the drunk girl's hand as he downs the liquor in one go. " Drink! Drink! Drink! Drink! Drink! " The drunk girl chants loudly like a fan watching a soccer game. "I definitely deserve a drink after all that! Earlier I couldn't find a girl that catches my eyes but when I did, her friend came and interrupted, and to make matters worse, I almost got in beef with some street thugs!" Lucky became tipsy as he rants. "Are you a first-year student?" the drunk girl asks. "Yeah, what about you?" Lucky replies. "Yep, my name is Yoko, Yoko Nakaya! HOWDY!" Yoko excitedly introduces herself. "Lucky Itsuki!" Lucky reciprocates the same energy. Yoko grabs the bottle back from Lucky and aggressively puts her arm around his neck. " Then to both Lucky and me, Yoko! Let's enjoy our university life and live it to the fullest!" Yoko enthusiastically cheers as she sips on the bottle like an old drunkard along with Lucky who joined in with her parade as he puts his arm around her too. The both of them march forward together like there's no tomorrow. " Quick question?" Yoko asks. "What?" Lucky responds. " How do I get to Block A student accommodation?" Yoko said. "Don't worry, I'm going there too." Lucky tipsily responds. "What!? Are you living there too?! This calls for a celebration song!" Yoko became extremely excited as she swings her feet while walking. " ROW, ROW, ROW YOUR BOAT, GENTLY DOWN THE STREAM!" Yoko starts off the song Lucky joins her and they both began to sing it together and their voices sounded like hell. " MERRILY, MERRILY, MERRILY, MERRILY LIFE IS BUT A DREAM! " Fifteen minutes later, Lucky and Yoko both arrived at Block A student accommodation where they are both currently walking through the hallways until they heard something frightening. "I'M GOING TO COUNT UP TO THREE! IF NO ONE OWNS UP BY THEN, I'M GOING TO BASH ALL YOUR HEADS IN!!!" Such a roar was easily heard through the hallways which alerted both Lucky and Yoko. "What the!?" Lucky was caught off guard. "ONE!" "It sounds like it's coming from the kitchen," Yoko said. "TWO!" In a flash, both Yoko and Lucky sprinted into the kitchen which inside was a whole mess. The kitchen looked like a massive junkyard of uncleaned plates, fast food leftovers, and soo much littering on the floor that you can barely see the kitchen floors. Lucky and Yoko immediately covered their noses from the devilish, disgusting scent which was oozing from the gluttonous bins. "Who had sex in here?!" Yoko talks funny as she pinches her nose shut. Dai, Genkei, Kaito, and Junichiro looked like they were about to piss themselves in fear as they were all seen being backed into a corner by a girl who was filled with utmost wrath as her hair grows vicious snakes like Medusa. "Haha! Look at those four cuddling each other like wimps!" Ignoring the heated atmosphere, Lucky burst into laughter. "Anyway, there are two women here right? Yoko and the angry girl should just clean it up and call it a ni-" A second later. Lucky panics for his life as he is joined by the boys backed into the corner with his face covered with blood and bruises. That's what you get for being sexist. Teehee. "Please spare me! I'm sorry I will say please next time when asking you girls to clean!" Lucky pleads for his life. "Is that why he thinks he got clobbered!? That sexist bastard!" That Dai, Genkei, Kaito, and Junichiro all said at the same time within their thoughts as they felt bizarre at Lucky. "Yoko, please help me from the angry woman! I said please this time!" Lucky panics for his dear life. Suddenly, a cheeky grin appeared on Yoko's face. "Those pizza boxes over there belong to Lucky. I saw him eating it this morning!" Yoko lies through the skin of her teeth. "She's lying! She's lying! I only just met her fifteen minutes ago! I'm even allergic to cheese! WHO THE HELL EVEN EATS PIZZA IN THE MORNING! " Tears spray from Lucky's face as he couldn't stop being scared. "Ah, she betrayed him for being sexist. Serves you right, you misogynistic bastard." Dai, Genkei, Kaito, and Junichiro all said at the same time within their thoughts as they sniggered. CLICK! CRICK! CRACK! The sounds of the angry woman clicking her knuckles as she's getting ready to pummel all the boys. Lucky was in front of all the boys quickly and hid behind Genkei who was next to him. "Oi! What are you doing! If anything you deserve this more, you sex-" "No this might be our chance! According to my calculations and rumors, if the legendary Genkei can use his infamous smooth talking which even seduces boys-" "I NEVER SAID THAT!" "Maybe Genkei's words can seduce this woman and we could still live another da-" "Who? This guy that my hand is around his throat? Well, he's turned to stone. She's actually not lying. Genkei has truly turned into a statue made out of stone. "How did she?" Lucky was speechless. " Wait! Look! I'm a girl I still got fake nails on! If you hit me that's Domestic abuse!" Dai cries out. "According to my calculations... were dead" Junichiro lost hope. "Why Stone off all things? If it was me I would've chosen to turn into gold." Kaito stupidly said. Ermm... please ignore Kaito... Creeeaaaakkkk! The sound of the door opening. A 7ft tall, morbidly obese, plump of fat, elephantine, tubby, chunky, meaty, roly-poly, tubby, wait, did I already say tubby? Um, sorry I was having too much fun... fat piece of shit walks into the kitchen with ten pizza boxes in his hands.

Dai asked a question within the group chat and all the boys are active and about to respond. Lucky: I'll go first. Lucky: The girl I'm going for is Sara Inoue, I find her pretty and she's hella flirty too. My type. Nerdy: Time to bring out the files to showcase the CRB . ( ͡❛ ͜ʖ ͡❛) 👉 Genkei: Pardon? Kaito: Doesn't that mean 'Criminal Records Background'? Nerdy: *uploads 3 photos of Sara Inoue* DAI-DAI: WTF!!!!! 😱 😱 😱 Genkei: I'm lost for words.😶 Kaito: He must know her. Nerdy: These are pictures I've collected from Sara Inoue. Her CRB: Her 'body count' is two. (Body count means the number of people she has slept with.) She can be flirty at times and there have been cases of her accidentally leading boys on. Genkei: Yikes that's a red flag 🚩 Lucky: Nope 🤪 That's fine with me. I love the chase😝 Nerdy: She can be mistaken to have a nasty personality but she's really polite. She chose to study Criminology just like Lucky. She has the average amount of friends but her best friend is called by her nickname 'Mama V'. She's a real cock-blocker and a strong defense to break through. You may need a wingman to help assist you, so you can score when the defense is broken. That's all the data I've got on Sara Inoue. Next, Lucky: 🙎 Lucky: Nerdy, give me 50 reasons why I shouldn't send your number to the police. Nerdy: Because with my knowledge, you will successfully end up dating Sara. (͠≖ ͜ʖ͠≖)👌 Lucky: 🤝 Genkei: It was that easy to sway you?! 😒 DAI-DAI: ANYWAY, MY TURN. THE GIRL I'M GOING FOR IS ASUKA NISHIKAWA, SHE'S IN FIRST - YEAR DAI-DAI: And She's- Nerdy: *Uploads 5 photos of Asuka Nishikawa* DAI-DAI: It's okay Nerdy I've got this. Nerdy: Asuka Nishikawa CRB: DAI-DAI: No, I wanna say it! Nerdy: Her body count is one from her one and only ex-boyfriend and they'd just come out from a break-up. She's currently single. DAI-DAI: HOW DO YOU EVEN KNOW THAT!? Nerdy: She has a sweet loving personality like sunshine and flowers but she's obsessed with make-up since she going to study Beauty Therapy. DAI-DAI: YOU'RE TYPING TOO FAST. GIVE ME TIME TO TEXT! Nerdy: She likes to keep a small circle of friends and likes to keep it tight with them. DAI-DAI: HOW DO YOU TYPE THIS FAST!? Nerdy: She's very private DAI-DAI: HEYYYY! Nerdy: AND SHE LIKES TO MIND HER OWN BUSINESS. DAI-DAI: DO YOU HAVE THIS COPIED AND YOU'RE JUST PASTING IT RIGHT NOW!? BECAUSE THERE'S NO WAY YOUR TYPING THIS FAST! Nerdy: It will be hard for her to open up so soon due to her recent breakup. DAI-DAI: I BET YOUR LAPTOP IS CONNECTED TO YOUR PHONE! ISN'T IT NERDY! ANSWER ME! Genkei: Is that even possible? Nerdy: Alright, that's done with Asuka Nishikawa. DAI-DAI: 😡 Nerdy: Next, (͠≖ ͜ʖ͠≖)👌 DAI-DAI: 😡 😡 Kaito: Oh! Me! Me! I wanna be next! Nerdy: State the name of your girl so I can get your search results. Genkei: Wth? Are you Guugle? 😰 Dai-Dai: 😡 😡 😡 Kaito: Hana Kiyama Nerdy: *Uploads 2 photos of Hana Kiyama* Lucky: How wow! She's pretty! DAI-DAI: 😍😍😍 Genkei: Damn... who would have thought someone like Kaito will go for someone with this caliber. I wouldn't expect you to have good eyes 👌 Kaito: YOU TRYING TO SAY I'M BLIND!? ☠️ ☠️ ☠️ Genkei: No that's not what I'm saying... Genkei: Wait? Hold on? What does that emoji mean?! And why send three of them!? Nerdy: Hana Kiyama is a first-year student who studies Sports Science. Kaito: That's the same as me! 😜 Nerdy: Alledgedlly she's a virgin and doesn't party out much but is major serious about her studies and sports. Genkei: Huh? Allegedly? DAI-DAI: What does that even mean? Kaito: She's into sports just like me! 😜 Nerdy: She's not really into boys Lucky: Oh? So she's the same type as Genkei. Genkei: Oi, what does that mean. Nerdy: I don't mean by romantically but in terms of in general since she's always serious about her studies so she never has time to date. Genkei: You purposely sent that message late, didn't you Nerdy. Nerdy: This might be difficult for you Kaito Genkei: DIDN'T YOUUU!!! Nerdy: I hardly got any relevant data on her. Genkei: HEYY! STOP IGNORING ME!!! Nerdy: But I'm sure it will work out since you both got something in common in sports so you should be good. Kaito: Thanks, Nerd. Genkei: 🤬 🤬 🤬 🤬 🤬 🤬 🤬 🤬 🤬 🤬 🤬 🤬 🤬 🤬 🤬 🤬 🤬 🤬 🤬 🤬 🤬 🤬 🤬 🤬 DAI-DAI: Don't worry Genkei. We'll get him back for this 👊 Genkei: 👊 Nerdy: Alright Genkei, your next. Genkei:... Nerdy: Genkei? Genkei:... Nerdy: What's wrong with Genkei? DAI-DAI: It's you. You're the problem. Nerdy: No worries. Nerdy: I already who he's going anyway. Nerdy: And it's... Nerdy: Nana Shima. DAI-DAI: Yep, he's got no chance 🙅‍♂️ Genkei: But we just did a bro's fist ☹️ DAI-DAI deleted a message. DAI-DAI: Nope, can only see your fist. Genkei: YOU TRAITOR 🤬 Kaito: You're after little Nana? Genkei: You know her? Kaito: Yeah, were childhood friends. Genkei: Sweet... so do you think Kaito: But I thought you would go for a dude since we know how you really are. Genkei: 🖕 Nerdy: As I was rudely interrupted Nerdy: *Uploads 10 photos of Nana Shima* DAI-DAI: This just makes it worse for Genkei you know Lucky: Wow! She's looking pretty! Are you sure you can handle this one Genkei? Nerdy: Nana Shima is a second year and she is too also a virgin. DAI-DAI: She's a virgin!? Lucky: That just pushes her price even up Genkei:... Kaito: Lol. Genkei: If you got something to say Kaito! Then say it! Nerdy: She's famous throughout the whole campus and you will find nobody that doesn't know of her name. She's got dozens of friends and has got friends in numerous friendship groups. Kaito: Who would have thought little Nana was this popular? Nerdy: She's known to have the perfect personality which she's filled with a bubbly spirit. Genkei: Perfect. Lucky: Bullshit. Genkei: Huh? Lucky: No one is perfect, don't let that fool you. Seeing the text of what Lucky just said, put a slight smirk on Genkei's face of reassurance. Nerdy: She's a party girl to the core and is also super rich, she's a materialistic and luxurious girl who likes the finest things in life and won't settle for anything less. I also forgot to mention she can drive and owns a car. Lucky: Genkei Genkei: Yh Lucky: You're fucked. Nerdy: She studies Art & Design and to finish it off every guy on campus from first to third years all got their eyes set on her. DAI-DAI: Well, of course, someone like her will be in demand in the market. DAI-DAI: So what are you gonna do Genkei? Nerdy: And she also rejected 100 guys up till now. Genkei: You sent that message late on purpose... didn't you. Nerdy: (¬‿¬) Genkei: Lucky do you really think I've got no chance? 🥺 DAI-DAI: Maybe you only TURN to stone from Ren since she's scary, to begin with. Lucky: And you can easily mistake Yoko as a human. DAI-DAI: Hey Lucky, that's RUDE. Genkei: I wish what you guys are saying is true but this condition of mine has happened way before I came here and happened a lot in high school. DAI-DAI: Oh. Lucky: ツ Lucky: Are you sure you wouldn't suck d**k for free? Kaito: 🤣 🤣 🤣 🤣 🤣 DAI-DAI: GOOD ONE LUCKY 😂 😂 Nerdy: (👍≖‿‿≖)👍 👍(≖‿‿≖👍) Genkei: SCREW YOU GUYS ❗ ❗ ❗ ❗ ❗ ❗ Genkei: YOU GUYS ARE JUST HURT AND JEALOUS THAT THE GIRL I'M GOING FOR IS THE BEST LOOKING THAN ALL YOUR GIRLS! Genkei: WATCH ME! Genkei: YOU GUYS CAN DOUBT ME BUT WHEN I END UP MAKING HER MY GIRL WE WILL SEE WHO WILL HAVE THE LAST LAUGH!!!!!!! Lucky: But try not to turn to stone first. Genkei: I'm going to bed. Genkei got fed up with the constant jokes that he was about to throw his phone but then suddenly... BING! Genkei paused to throw his phone and checked one last time in the group chat. Lucky: And like you said Lucky: Make her your girl Genkei's eyes widened as he was caught off guard by this message. Lucky: Then laugh at us back as much as you want Lucky: We will laugh with you too Lucky: And don't worry we will watch you all the way Lucky: 😁 Genkei had flashbacks of the times he got teased and bullied in high school. At the time people who he thought were his friends will use him as entertainment for girls, used him to embarrass himself, set him up so that it can make everyone laugh, and treated him as an object to be laughed at because of his unusual condition. The only way for him to run away from it was to shut himself away in his room. DAI-DAI: Let's make a bet. DAI-DAI: I bet 650,000 yen on Genkei 👊 Nerdy: According to myself, I bet 500,000 yen on Genkei 💪 (`▿´) 👊 Finally, that door of his past is being opened with the new friends he has gained and slowly Genkei began to tear up quietly as he brings the phone close to his chest. Kaito: I bet my clothes on Genkei 👊 Lucky: I bet everything I own on Genkei 👊 A couple of minutes have passed and Genkei hasn't replied. Lucky, Dai, Nerdy, and Kaito were doing their things. Suddenly... BING! The four boys received a message. Genkei: 👊 Genkei's eyes were slightly red and dried up since he finished crying. But there was a bright grin on his face when he sent that message. Lucky, Dai, Nerdy, and Kaito all had smiles on when seeing that message. Nerdy: So I guess is now my turn Nerdy: So the girl I'm going for is... Lucky: It's getting late now Nerdy: I will make it quick Lucky: So I'm going to bed Nerdy: Wait, hold on Lucky: Later Nerdy: Are the rest of you guys there? Kaito: Not me, I'm asleep. Nerdy: You wouldn't reply if you were asleep! Kaito: I'm typing with my eyes closed Kaito: See ya Nerdy: Dai and Genkei, I hope you two are still awake Nerdy: What I'm going to say will be very quick DAI-DAI: Hiya Nerdy Nerdy: You almost got me there. I thought you'd be asleep. Genkei: Should we remind him Dai? Nerdy: What are you talking about? DAI-DAI: If you scroll up in the chat DAI-DAI: YOU WILL Remember how you were ignoring both I and Genkei Nerdy didn't reply within minutes. Genkei: Huh? Genkei: All of a sudden is taking you a while to reply now. Nerdy: Sorry. DAI-DAI: SORRY FOR YOURSELF Genkei: Bitch. Nerdy: Wait! Nerdy: Guys! Nerdy: Guysssss!!!!!!! Nerdy: I said I'm sorry!!! Nerdy: Damn it! Nerdy: Hmm? Nerdy: Would the audience/readers like to hear the girl I'm going for? No, they don't and goodnight.

With the ice breaker game done. Everyone is just chilling in the kitchen while Yoko is fast asleep on Ren. "I'm surprised Genkei, I thought you'd keep your hand up," Ren said. "Don't be silly. Nothing less than a million for me." Genkei said while crossing his arms. Ren giggles. "Then you're just like me." Ren pats Genkei's head which suddenly he turned into stone. "AHHH REN!? WHY'D YOU TURNED HIM TO STONE AGAIN!? HE DID NOTHING TO YOU!!" Dai yelled with terror. "Huh?! All I just did was touch him!" Ren was frightened as she let go of Genkei. Genkei returns back to normal but he's shaken up in nervousness as he's drenched in sweat while breathing hard like he's run a marathon. "Told you, look he's already back to himself," Ren said. "Now that I've noticed, anytime you return to normal from being a stone, you look pretty scared and fatigued." Nerdy asks. "Who-who me-me?Nah I-I'm good." Genkei stutters as his teeth shiver. "Are you sure? You don't look so good?" Dai seems concerned. Kaito butts into the conversation. "If he says he's good, then he's good. You guys are forgetting, he's Master Genkei, the guy who dated a hundred girls and dated a mother with a child, and also legend says, his words are too smooth that even guys fall-|" "THE LAST PART IS NOT FROM ME!" Genkei rebuked in anger. "Oh yeah, I've been hearing about 'that' master Genkei, so it was you that everyone was talking about," Dai said. "Yeah, that's me, haha." Genkei nervously chuckles. Lucky walks to Genkei and places his hand on his shoulder, but nothing happens. "Hmm? Nothing happened," Lucky said while experimenting. "Why-why are you-you touching me!?" Genkei startled. "Alright, except for Yoko and Ren, everyone put your hands on Genkei." Lucky called out. Genkei responded with some sort of confidence. "That's a weird request, there not just gonna do-" Nerdy's left hand is on Genkei's right arm. Kaito hand right hand is on Genkei's left arm. Lucky's left hand is on Genkei's left shoulder. Dai's right hand is on Genkei's thighs. "DAI WHY THE HELL IS YOUR HAND AROUND MY THIGHS!!!!?" Genkei feels extremely creeped out. "Sorry, it was a reflex." Dai weirdly replied. "Huh? Genkei is perfectly fine?" " Ren was surprised. "Now Ren would you do the honors to touch Genkei." Lucky insisted. Genkei began to break into huge sweats as his body vibrates in fear. "Erm... I think I'm getting a bit tired guys so-" In a flash, Genkei turns to stone as Ren has her hand on his head. "What the hell Ren!? Do you have some agenda towards Genkei!?" Dai seems surprised once again. "Argh! Grr! Shut up Dai! You think I'm doing this on purpose!?" Ren stresses out as she lets go of Genkei. Genkei returned to normal. Which he looks even more exhausted and alarmed than before. "Ren, maybe you're awakening your powers but you don't know how to control them yet," Kaito said with deep interest. Ren spoke on an intellectual level suitable for Kaito. "No... Kaito... Super... powers... ain't real." "Same with your wig," Kaito said unprovoked. Ren uppercuts Kaito and he flew to the other side of the kitchen. "You idiot! This is my real hair, not a wig!" Ren was super pissed off. "Hmm? Let me try something" Lucky said out loud to himself. "What you talking about?" Dai said confusedly. Lucky grabbed Yoko's hand as she was asleep and brought it close to Genkei. "No stop Lucky! That's not funny!" Genkei was terrified for his life as he tried to crawl away. Yoko's hand ends up touching Genkei which he turned into stone. Lucky removed Yoko's hand and Genkei returned to normal as now he looks like life has been sucked out of him. "Yoko got powers too!? That's not fair!!!!" Kaito began to be frustrated like an idiot. "Wait don't tell me?" Dai became stunned. "According to Lucky's experiment, it may seem that Genkei is-" "Gay." Lucky blurted. "I'M NOT GAY!" Genkei outraged. "Genkei, are you afraid of being near or touched by girls?" Dai asks in concern. "That will be a big problem, especially in a university where going which girls are always around us," Nerdy added on. "Wait? Doesn't that mean the rumors of you being the Master of talking to girls were all lies?" Ren brought it up. "Genkei... is... gay?" Yoko sleep talks in her dreams. "STOP SAYING THAT!!!!" Genkei rages again. The atmosphere in the room became awkward as no one had any words to say. Genkei became frustrated as there was a frown on his face while he grits his teeth and clenched his fist in frustration. "Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit! They're all giving me those looks! They think I'm weird! They're gonna talk shit behind my back! They're gonna tell everyone! I'm gonna get bullied again! Shit! You're telling me I left home to be bullied again!? No, maybe I can play this off as a joke." As Genkei's anxiety shoots through the roof as he constantly conflicts with his thoughts. "Um... hey guys... did you see the trick of how I turn to stone. Cool, right?" Genkei desperately tries to earn to be in their good books. "Do you think we're stupid?" Ren rudely said. "Yep, it's too late." Genkei sounds defeated. "I thought I was weird but you're telling me that you struggle to be around girls at your big age!? You're worse than weird, you're a fucking wimp!" Dai ridicules him. "I really thought for a second, I could have a fresh start with these guys." Genkei losing hope. "According to my calculations, Genkei you shouldn't be allowed to be recognized as a man, because no man can be this scared to talk to girls. That's extremely pathetic and beyond my calculations." Nerdy belittles him. "It's not like I want to be this way, I tried, I tried but no one will ever understand that." Genkei losing even more hope. "Now we know who to avoid at university now, right guys? Kaito said. "And just like that, I've been isolated." Genkei feels dead inside. "Let's look for a new spot to chill, this one here has already been contaminated," Dai said while leaving the room. Everyone else follows Dai leaving Genkei on his knees. Is this what people are really like? They judge you in a split second and do a complete 360 just because they know your one weakness? Welcome to University. Lucky completely burst out into sniggering which he couldn't contain.

"Oops not her, she eats too much so why the fuck is she eating apples- no- my bad- that's apple pie, that counts. Not her too, she eats too little, so why the hell is she eating a burg- never mind is just a veggie burger." While at a university campus party, first-year student Lucky Itsuki examines the girls but not one has caught his eye. You may think Lucky is rude but is kind of far from that. The boy is just too innocent and honest that he says what he sees. " Hmm... ooouuu who's that girl?- Oh boy! That's a trans- transformer, almost got canceled. *Whistles* saved it." O-okay maybe he has a bit of a vulgar tongue but I promise you he's sweet and looks adorable. As he continues to scout for other girls, four other boys are doing the same thing as Lucky within the party. "Kyyaaahhh! Ohhh my gyasshh! U serious gyalfriend!? If I was u gyal I would've just dumped his ass!" Smacking his lips which are flooded with red lipstick as he waves his fake, long acrylic nails to the group of girls, Dai Hagimoto is dressed up as a girl himself. Erm please don't ask me why he's done this...I'm just the narrator. "' So waz your name gyalfriend?' My name is Daisume and I feel like I will become your new BFF!!! 'BOYFRIEND- I MEAN BEST FRIEND FOREVER!!'" Breaking a cold sweat as he almost mumbled the wrong words, Dai was able to still keep his composure, and his mumble of words worked in his favor as the pretty girl within the group who he was trying to please; Asuka Nishikawa who has long, curly violet hair which the left side is braided and cute black eyes giggled, finding Dai funny. "You're really funny and nice to meet you Daisume. My name is Asuka Nishikawa and I also feel like there is potential for us to be best friends too." Asuka shows a friendly gesture to Dai. " G to the U to the R to the L , what's that spelled... GUUURLPOWER!!!!" Dai chants with a high-pitch tone like a sassy cheerleader snapping its fingers around. *Aaacccch-tooey !* (Narrator phlegm out) I had to spit after Dai leaving a bad taste in my mouth. There was a neatly and stylishly dressed man who can be described as dapper. He looked too smooth and expensive that he was surrounded by dozens of guys who were drawn and inspired by him. His name is Genkei Watanabe. Remember it! "Hey Genkei, please tell us more of your stories." A random guy asks in awe. "Don't just ask, but beg me to tell you as your life depends on it." Genkei arrogantly flaunts. "Aww come on man!" another random guy whines. "What's going on here?" a guy with a hat comes by. "Huh? Don't tell me you came here without knowing who this man is?" another random guy replies in shock. "He's Genkei, the man who dated a hundred girls without even getting caught once!" the fifth random guy yells. "He also slept with a 35-year-old woman and got so far as to get her to divorce from her 15-year marriage. The woman had 11 kids and to make it even worse... he did it with her when she was pregnant with her ex-husband!" as the extras of random guys hypes Genkei's name which everyone among the crowd of guys gasped. "Not only that but he's soo smooth with his words that one time, a guy nearly fell in love with him- " I NEVER SAID THAT! " Genkei quickly rebuked such a comment. "Woahh, he's such a legend!" a random guy said with amazement. "He's the definition of 'The Game' ." "What do you mean!? He is 'The Game' ." "Huh? Why are they acting like they didn't see what just happened?" as one irrelevant guy didn't forget about what was last said about Genkei. "But I'm afraid all his legendary stories have come to an end." One random guy felt upset. "Huh?! Why?! Did he finally get a true girlfriend?!" the guy with the hat was feeling worried. "No... no one knows the real reason but Genkei has retired from 'The Game' in other words, he has hung his boots ." The random guy explains. "REST IN PEACE!" All the boys within the crowd all got on one knee as they said together at the same time. Tears slowly fell from the guy with the hat, as hearing such a legend meeting such a twisted fate. "What a legend man! I wish I knew him from before! His stories must live on! How do you guys know of all this stuff about him!" the guy with the hat is filled with last hope. "No one else but Genkei himself." Someone else randomly responds. "Huh? Your telling me all the unreal stories I've heard about him all came from his mouth? Now I'm feeling to fall for this guy!" the guy with the hat quickly became a fan. I know I'm just the narrator but Genkei might as well lie that he saved the earth three times, bloody hell.

Ren completely became flustered as her face turns beet red by Lucky's vulgar question. She blurts out in embarrassment. "WHA-WHAT!? THAT'S DIS-DISGUSTING?! NO ONE IS GOING TO ANS-" "Yes! I would!" Dai shoots upstanding. Ren choked on her saliva as the fast response caught her way off guard. "Wait, in yen or dollars?" Dai seriously asks. "Dollars" Lucky responds. "Then my answer stays the same." As Dai won't waver from his conviction. Ren began to feel annoyed by Dai's stupid answer. "WHAT THE HECK DAI!? YOU CAN'T BE- " " I'm super serious" Dai gave a quick, stern response which he looks severely sincere. "You... your really telling the truth." Ren became dumbstruck. " I would also suck d**k for a billion too!" Yoko shouts out. "Well, duh? You're a girl, that's like winning the lottery for you. And I think I would do it too." Genkei comments. " Bu-but your guys! You would do that, just for money!?" Ren became overly confused. " REN, DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH A FUCKING BILLION IS!? " Dai automatically grabs Ren by the shoulders as he barks at her ears. Ren began to tremble in fear as the intensity from Dai makes her feel uncomfortable. "Ye-yeah I do, but-" "I CAN FUCKING BUY YOU, YOUR MOM, AND YOUR DAD TEN HOUSES... SCREW THAT, MAKE THAT HUNDRED HOUSES WHICH EACH HOUSE RATHER THAN WATER COMING FROM YOUR TAPS IT WOULD BE MILK AND HONEY!! WITH A BILLION I CAN QUIT UNIVERSITY AND NEVER HAVE TO WORK IN MY LIFE!! I COULD SIMPLY LIE AROUND IN MY BED AND BEAT MY MEAT FOR THE WHOLE DAY, COMFY!!! I WILL NEVER HAVE TO BE SCARED TO LOOK IN MY BANK ACCOUNT OR WORRY THIS MIGHT BE THE DAY WHEN MY CARD WILL DECLINE WHEN BUYING FOOD! I NEVER HAVE TO LIE AGAIN TO MY FRIENDS WHEN IT COMES TO SPLITTING THE BILL FOR A CAB, HECK I WILL COVER THE WHOLE COST OF IT, THERE AND BACK, AND EVEN TIP THE CAB, DO YOU KNOW WHY? BECAUSE I'VE GOT A FRICKING BILLION!" Dai's words aggressively hammer into Ren's soul. Ren is covered in sweat as the heat from Dai's breath continuously slaps her cheeks. "And all... I have to do... is suck d**k? I will even give it a goodnight kiss afterward ," Dai said. "According to my calculations... Dai, you've just gone off the rails." Junichiro became disgusted by that last comment by Dai. "I take back what I said earlier, there's no competition with Dai, he takes the medal." Ren also became disgusted by the last comment. "Suck d**k for a billion? Is it a boy or girl?" Kaito said. Everyone just stared at Kaito. "What about you, Nerdy!" Yoko shouts as she refers to Junichiro. "Nerd-Nerdy?! I have you know that my name is Juni- " "Just answer, Nerdy," Genkei demands from him. "My name is not Nerdy and according to myself, I feel like humans shouldn't do everything for money. For instance, what about things like integrity and pride. You don't wanna grow up and tell your kids that you're successful because you suck d**k. Don't you think you would be happier if you earn a billion through your hard work? Then to sell yourself? It may not seem logical..." Nerdy speaks honestly about the question. "Finally, someone that gets it." Ren was relieved. "But I'm a logical person, so I would do it without a second thought." Nerdy completely does a 180. Disclaimer: As I said earlier, this is fiction and all comedy. Please don't take these characters seriously. "What about you Lucky? I haven't heard anything from you since you asked the question." Dai asks. "Hell no." Lucky quickly rejects the question. "Ouch." Dai became hurt. "Why do you feel offended?" Ren became weirded out. "Alright, let me switch it up. Would you do it for a million?" Lucky said. Dai has his hand up. Genkei has his hand up. Nerdy has his hand up. Kaito has his hand up. Yoko has his hand up. "Erm... I-I would do it bu-but... aren't you guys scared?" Ren became embarrassed as she hold her face. "Why would you be scared? If I was you I would do it for free." Dai said. Ren knocks Dai's lights out as his face is buried into the table. " Next, would you do it for a 500k?" Lucky asks. Dai has his hand up. Genkei puts his hand down. Nerdy has his hand down. Kaito has he had up. Ren has her hand down. "Sorry, but I'm worth more than that amount." Ren shows self-confidence. "A million is fine but half of it is a problem? Women." Dai mutters under his breath. Again, Ren punches Dai's lights out and the injuries on his face worsen. "What about you, Yoko?" Lucky asks. Yoko began to feel drowsy, as she is wobbling from one side to another. "I-I don't know... can you answer for me... Lucky." As Yoko is beginning to feel sleepy. "You can come to sit on my lap and sleep on me, Yoko?" Ren happily suggests. "Awright... cheerio... everybody." Yoko ends up falling asleep on Ren. "Aww, she looks even cuter when she's asleep." Ren was immobilized by Yoko's cuteness. " Next, would you do it for 100K?" Lucky asks. Dai has his hand up. Nerdy has his hand down. Kaito has his hand up. "You'd really do it for that much, Kaito?" Nerdy asks. "Huh? How much?" Kaito replies. " For a 100K?" Nerdy responds. "100K what's that? I thought we were playing 'Simon says. Am I the winner yet?" Kaito replies. "Your really special, Kaito." Dai mentions. Everyone responds to Dai at the same time except for Yoko who's asleep. " You have no right to talk." Dai is the last person standing as he answers all of Lucky's questions which he wouldn't back down. It felt like a fight-to-the-death showdown as neither fighter wanted to back down from this clash. This created an intense atmosphere in which everyone in the kitchen was anxious with sweat, not knowing when Dai will give up. "Would you do it for 10K?" Lucky asks. "I will do it with pride!" Dai responds with honor and total seriousness. "Would you do it for 5K?" Lucky asks. "That's too easy!" Dai smirks like a badass character. "What about... " Lucky creates suspense. This suspense got everyone in the room coming up with questions. "What amount will he say next?" Genkei anxiously waits. " I've never seen Dai... looks so passionate." Ren was shocked. "According to my calculations, no one can be this down bad which suggests, Dai is an anomaly to the human race." "You guys disqualified me from 'Simon says' because I was winning right?" Kaito is in his little world. "Would you do it for just 100 dollars?" Lucky asks. "My... mouth... is... ready... to... be... open!" Dai breaks his sentence one by one while still being serious. "Oh c'mon Dai! You've got to be pretending at this point?" Ren was concerned. " Student finance is tight," Dai responds like a sage. BEEP! BEEP! BOP! BEEP! The sound of hitting the keyboard on a smartphone. Lucky is seen next to Nerdy as he's watching what he's typing on his phone. "What are you guys doing?" Dai asks. "We can make it happen," Lucky said. "Make what happen?" Dai replied confused. "Were searching on the internet for anyone willing to give you 200 dollars for their d**k sucked by you," Nerdy explained. "Hey! Wait! Wait! No! Chill out, guys! That's not funny!" Dai began to slowly shiver in fear. "Were also being serious too," Lucky said. "You did this to yourself, Dai." Ren nonchalantly said. " I've got 200 yen?" Kaito said out loud. As they are all getting used to it by now. They all ignored Kaito.

As usual, the sun prepares to start its early shift as morning arrives. Lucky who was still in bed woke up and lets out a loud yawn while he scratches his stomach. BEEP! Just before he was about to get off his bed, he received a notification. Notification: Good morning cupcakes! I will be hosting a 9 AM meeting in my room. I want to see all you handsome boys by then. "9 am? That's exactly in the next hour." Lucky yawns while he scratched the back of his head. Knock! Knock! Knock! There was knocking on Lucky's door which surprised him as he doesn't remember having any plans to meet anyone today. He then approaches the door figuring out who it could be which it turned out to be Yoko as she's wearing her pajamas while having an energetic expression. "HOWDY LUCKY!" as Yoko's voice reaches volume 100%. "Yo Yoko!" Lucky reciprocates the same energy. Together, Lucky and Yoko high-fived each other, and suddenly an angry voice surged through the hallway. "ARE YOU TWO CRAZY!!? IT'S ONLY 8 AM!!! TURN DOWN THE NOISE!!!" the sound of Ren's death-threatening voice as it echoes through the hallway as both Lucky and Yoko cover their ears. "Should've expected that right? Hehe, come inside." Lucky chuckles. "Yayyy, I wonder what the inside of your room looks like," Yoko said. Yoko skips inside the room as Lucky closes the door behind her. "Woah, so this is what your room looks like." Yoko seems impressed. "You talk like you've never been to a boys' room." Lucky implies. "Who me? If anything I used to always be in a guy's room." Yoko casually responds. "Oho? Would you say you're a sexually active freak?" Lucky attempts to tease her. "Nope. I'm a virgin." Yoko is half paying attention as she jumps on Lucky's bed like it's a bouncy castle. "Really? Then why are you always in a guy's room,...oh! They must all be friends of yours." Lucky realized. "Ex-friends." Yoko dishes out while being distracted by going through Lucky's stuff. "Ex-friends?" Lucky repeats in confusion. Lucky just then noticed that Yoko is going through all his stuff which is creating a huge mess. "Oi Yoko, what is it that you're doing?" Lucky asks. "Trying to confirm my theory that all boys hide porn magazines in their room." Yoko concentrates as she carries on searching. "Why buy a porn magazine when you can watch it for free on the internet? Anyway, I stopped watching it a long time ago." Lucky lets her know. "Huh? Really?" Yoko seems shocked. A sudden transition occurred in Yoko's face as she had on a funny irritation expression. "Drat! My theory is a bust." Yoko was pissed off. Lucky chuckles at her stupid behavior. "Anyway Yoko, when do you start lessons?" Lucky asks. Yoko then crossed her arms and closed her eyes with a condescending pose. "Tut, tut, tut... come on Lucky, get widda program. Who comes to university for lessons or to study? University is all about living your best life, staying up late without your parents nagging in your ear to go to bed early, coming home extremely late without to worry what excuse you should tell your parents or doing last-minute revisions for assignments and tests which you will somewhat end up passing with a good result because you just do. Now you should-" As Yoko rambles away with her dumb speech, the sound of a phone dialing can be heard as Lucky has his phone to his ear. "Who ya calling?" Yoko asks. "Nothing important. Just calling the university." Lucky said. Yoko sighs in disappointment. "It's like you didn't just hear what I-" "Oh, it's not for me tho. I'm just calling them to not waste their time on you." Lucky said. Yoko then jumped on Lucky's legs as she cried and beg for mercy and Lucky accidentally drops his phone. "Don't do that Lucky! I was joking! If you tell them what I said they will end up kicking me out! I will go back to a home with no freedom after just tasting some. Please!!!" As she burst out in crocodile tears while gripping Lucky's legs. PING! Lucky's phone went off near Yoko as he received a notification. He looks down to see it but Yoko has already gone through the phone and for some reason, she has a smug face on. "Who was it from?" Lucky asks. "Hehe, sorry for interrupting you and your girlfriend on the phone." Yoko nudges his legs while teasing him. "Nice try, but I'm already going after a girl in this university." Lucky replies. "Who said you can't two-time, cheater?" Yoko still pressing on teasing him. "Two-time? What with you? To be fair, the way we get along so quickly, I wouldn't be surprised if others think you're my girlfriend..." As Lucky got his hand on his chin thinking out loud. Lucky then thought deeper to himself as he voiced his thoughts. "Hmm... that might be bad in terms of me pursuing Sara Inoue," Lucky said while thinking. Yoko's smug face got even worse as she smiled like a Cheshire cat. "Hahaha! I know I'm a stunning and beautiful girl that even you can't resist me but too bad you're not my type, but please tell me more about this Sara Inoue." Yoko arrogantly said while being intrigued. "You have a type? Seriously? I thought you would approach anything that breathes." Lucky rudely said with an innocent expression. "Please! Please! Tell me!" Yoko begs as she still clings to his feet. "I will tell you after you give me my phone," Lucky said while being unfazed by Yoko grabbing his feet. "Really? Okie Dokie!" Yoko happily gives in. Yoko hands Lucky his phone and he read the notification. "On a second thought, I don't think I can tell you now but maybe later," Lucky said after reading the message. "Huuuh!? But you promised." Yoko whines like a baby. Lucky showed Yoko what was on his screen which displayed the group chat of the 'Mandem GC' and a message from Dai which is telling everyone to come to his room now. "... huh? What is 'Mandem GC'? Wait did you and the boys make a group chat without adding me? Is it because I'm a girl?! Yoko dramatically said. "Yes," Lucky said with no hesitation. Yoko stood up and puts on a ridiculous act like she was in a soap opera. "I knew it! I knew you've always hated me! Is it because of my skin? No that's not it because if that was the case you'll be racist! So it has to be that I'm a woman right?" Yoko dances around while giving a speech like a drama queen. "Yes" Again, Lucky replied with no hesitation. "Then if that's the case I will just-" Lucky sighs and walks towards the door as he's about to leave. "GOOD GOLLY! You're just gonna leave me here, alone? I knew you hate me!" Yoko wasn't trying to give up the act. Lucky turns his head around to Yoko. "Aren't you coming? You may not be part of the group chat but you are still part of the gang, right?" Lucky asks to reassure. Yoko was caught off guard as her silly drama queen act was for naught as she was thrilled to hear Lucky's words. Maybe a bit too thrilled as she jumped onto Lucky like a 5-year-old kid and latched onto him. "Thank you Lucky! You're the best bestie in the entire galaxy!" as cheerful Yoko just couldn't stop expressing her gratitude.

As the sun began to set, a lone samurai wandered the plains of feudal Japan, though he could barely be called a samurai. A samurai serves a lord, yet this swordsman serves a lord no longer. He was a Ronin, a samurai without a master. It was a rare sight, but certainly a saddening one, like watching a stray roam the streets, or to see a bird without its flock. The Ronin didn't mind it all that much, however. He could take the glares of civilians when he passed through towns, and he could get by easily enough on his own, yet there was one aspect he couldn't stand, and that was what everything else had to say to him about his situation. As he walked, he came across a rabbit. It was small, white, and defenseless, yet it didn't run when it saw him. He pulled out his katana and pointed it at the creature, or at least, what remained of his once brilliant weapon. It was now just an edged stub on a handle, and though he knew it, he still held it strong, like a warrior would. To the rabbit, though, he was nothing more than a fool. "I see through you," it started, yet the man remained still, unflinching. "You lack purpose. You won't kill me, for salvation isn't what you seek. You want a master." It said, and the Ronin, without so much as a look towards his scabbard, sheathed his sword and glared towards the rabbit, his gaze as cold as ice. The rabbit, on the other hand, began to hop away, yet it continued to talk, as if it expected him to follow. "You were one of the greats, once. I'm sure you liked it. You seemed like you did, yet you left. Now, you're hated, cast off, and known only as an outsider. Tell me, why did you do that? You want a master, yet you left your own. Why are you a fool?" the rabbit asked, yet the Ronin did not respond, and only walked along the path he was following, and the rabbit hopped ahead. Before it spoke again, however, a second voice appeared. "Is it a foolish act to defy those that are corrupt?" it asked, and the rabbit turned to look towards the sheathed blade, where the voice emanated from. "Is it not foolish to strike down those that do you no harm? Is it foolish to leave the one that opposes your beliefs?" the blade asked, and the rabbit continued to hop along. "It is if it goes against what you claim to want. What if you found a new lord, and they were worse?" "Then we would leave yet again in search of one better." "And what if the world becomes only filled with evil?" "Then we will rid it of such corruption." "And what if-" The rabbit started, but the Ronin held up his finger to silence them both. "I've known you both since I was born, yet you both lack an understanding of me. If anyone is the fool, it is the ones that claim to know that which they do not. Since you are both fools, I'll give you an answer that is correct, but will not please you: I left because I like the way that freedom tastes in my unbound mouth, sounds in my open ears, and feels on my unarmored skin. My morals aren't for you to decide, nor is my goal. I'll do as I please, regardless of what you think I will. And thus, I cast off my past completely, killing two birds with one stone." He stated, walking away from his sword, which was now stuck into the gut of the rabbit, and was beginning to shatter to dust as the Ronin stopped holding such a title, now only a man, though a man uninhibited by loyalty, expectations, and presumptions. This Novel Contains Mature Content Show This Chapter? Yes

Lenya came out of the wardrobe after changing into light white sneakers. He was a guy 170 feet tall and weighing 60 kg with brown hair and dark green eyes. His clothes were dark blue denim trousers, his body was wearing a white short-sleeved shirt, and under it a white T-shirt, because today the second lesson should be physical education. Well, here's another year of torment," thought Lenya. "They'll start forcing us to do fucking homework again and even Artem will constantly bother me, not with life, but with a real nightmare." After passing two stairs, the guy went up to the second floor and entered the literary hall. The whole 10b was busy with his business: major Max Samarin, who was always dressed in fashion, bragged to the girls about new Rolexes, blonde Masha with a fourth-size breast and green eyes sat and took selfies, troeshnik Kostya Zhivko as always slept on the desk, Lenya sat down at the nearest desk without hesitation and began to pull the textbook out of the bag but before he could reach for his notebooks, a sarcastic voice immediately rang out nearby. " Look who we have here? Hehe!" From this voice, Lenуа got goosebumps on his back and shivered, he raised his head and saw three guys who were already standing near his desk. The first of the trio was named Artyom, a blond guy who was two centimeters taller than Leni, had beryuzovye eyes, the second guy was called Dima, this kid was skinny and tall, always cut a half-box, his hair was light, his eyes were brown, the third guy was Yarik, who wore a hedgehog hairstyle, was blond and yellow-eyed, his physique was average and he was one centimeter shorter than Artyom in height. "What the idiot was staring at,You saw the second coming!"-Artyom smiled maliciously. " Guys leave me alone, please!"- Lenya answered fearfully. Artyom grabbed Lenya by the collar, then shouted a few times and maliciously blurted out: "And then what? Will you tell your mom or anyone else? Come on, complain, girl!" Lenya, not knowing what to answer, so that he does not speak, will turn against him anyway, this will only increase the mockery on the part of Artyom and his gang, say something bold, they will beat you, if you keep silent, they will beat the secret out of you, the guy's soul is gone, but then the voice of a young girl interrupted the humiliation. "Good afternoon class, I hope everyone is in a good mood!" It was Ekaterina Alekseevna, a teacher of Russian language and literature and a class teacher of 10b, who had graduated only recently from university, so she was very young, even more beautiful: brown hair to the middle of her back, blue eyes, a light face with light makeup, she was dressed elegantly: a white short-sleeve shirt was on her like a glove, piquantly emphasizing her figure and size three breasts in a white bra, and a dark blue skirt and white high-heeled shoes gave her grace and beauty. Seeing the teacher, Artyom was taken aback and, afraid of getting scolded, rudely said hitting Lenya in the shoulder: "We'll talk to you later, loser!" He trudged to his place at the back desk until the teacher got to them. Meanwhile, Ekaterina Alekseevna chalked the number "02.09.14" and the topic of the lesson "The Origins of the Russian language" on the blackboard, then she turned on a projector that depicted computer slides, there was a minimum of text and more beautiful pictures on each slide, Ekaterina Alekseevna told all the material herself, while delivering her phrase with interesting comments while communicating in parallel with the class, even Kostya came to life during such a lesson, although he always slept in all classes. The lesson lasted forty minutes, when it ended, Lenya left the classroom heading to the gym, he passed a bulletin board that was covered with all sorts of papers like school newspapers, memos for teachers, posters with the phrases "patience and work will grind everything" or "Your future does not depend on the lines on your hands, because even those who don't have hands still have a future. Indian wisdom", as well as announcements about sets in circles such as: journalism, drawing, technology, programming, music, cooking, but there was also an inconspicuous announcement about a set in a circle of detectives, only one phrase was written in it "come, it will be interesting" and below was indicated the office "43" such a feeling as if the author was too lazy to write information. "I wonder at the expense of what? Where are the facts and their description of what will be interesting?"- A guy with black hair and a stone face yawned as Lenya passed by - "One phrase, this is not an argument for attracting people." Almost no one was impressed by these words on Lenya, and because they were phlegmatically and indifferently pronounced, the only thing that struck him was the logical reasoning of those words. These words did not give Lena peace of mind because he was struck by the iron logic of that guy at the blackboard, there seems to be nothing unusual in that inscription, there is no ad like an ad, but that dude was able to figure out the inscription, so he thought until a volleyball hit his head. "Mirov, no one will pay you for sleeping!"-Ilya Alexandrovich, the physical education teacher, laughed. Artyom and his two sycophants picked up this joke and laughed softly, whispering among themselves. "s-s-sorry"-Lenya shrank-"It won't happen again." The volleyball game continued, Lenya could not hit the ball properly, missing, and sometimes even falling, which forced jokes from the physical education teacher and laughter from Artem and his gang. And when the guy changed his clothes and left the locker room, Artem and his friends came out to his meeting. "Hey, how are you, buddy?"-Artyom smiled maliciously-"Let's go have fun?" "No, please, guys, don't"-Lenya got nervous. "Come on! It's going to be fun!"-Artyom grabbed Lenya by the collar and pressed her against the wall-"You'll like it!" And then a sharp punch to the stomach made Lenya twist, then two strong blows to the face made the guy fall, Lenya tried to get up, but the trio began to kick him with loud laughter, not giving him such an opportunity. It would have lasted another ten minutes if not for the scream of Ekaterina Alekseevna. " Stop it! What are you doing?" "After lessons, I will send you to the derektor and you will be punished"- Ekaterina Alekseevna sighed angrily-"And now quickly go to class!" Ekaterina Alekseevna took a wet napkin out of her bag and gave it to Lena, whose nose was slowly bleeding, who took it and slowly applied it to her nose. "Lenya, are you okay?"-the girl asked, - Does it hurt much?" "Everything is fine, thank you"-Lenya wiped the blood. "Are they constantly bullying you?"-Ekaterina Alekseevna hugged Lenya to somehow comfort him, pressing her chest against him-"Everything will be fine, don't worry, in a year everything will change, maybe you will even find a common language and be friends." "Ekaterina Alekseevna, can I go?"- with a sigh, Lenya interrupted from the fact that the teacher's chest was pressed tightly against him. "Yes, you can go"-the teacher replied.

"Our deaths are never death for us until the moment we forget them." ------------- -You call yourself a professional, but its already the sixth time this year you're late for an important mission. -You should love me less, that's bad for you. "A high risk mission also has a big reward, right?" -Three enemies to the left. *gunshots* "Why didn't the Company give me information about the reward? Do they want to make me a surprise or something?" -I think it would be good to get a new partner, one who cares more about me and takes work more seriously. -Shhhh... Don't play with serious things. "I think this is the top floor, looks like the others have cleaned up the rest." -Behind that door is your purpose Coma. - Understood, madam. "It's been 25 years since I got into the murder business. I never thought of doing a mission that would benefit the place where I was born, I always killed for any kind of service regardless of saving someone or not. I think I've done enough in life and I'm going to retire after this, will I be able to buy an island with the money from the mission? Well, if I don't have enough, I think I'll get an harem" -I'm coming in Sophie! *gunshot* With a single bullet, all my capabilities passed into their most rudimentary forms... I couldn't move, I knew there was a familiar smell behind me, but I didn't want to believe who was there. -I believe your life has been good Coma. I opened my mouth, but no words came out. The shock was so big that the betrayal made me think: "Ah... so this is a broken heart...". The rose scent she always wore, her black skirt and white slips attached to her dress. Her black hair tied up that looked like a black rose. The person I most admired was about to take my life. My white suit was dyed with my blood and she knew that in a short time I was going to die because she wasn't just anyone, she was my soulmate, the person who worked with me all these year of service. The only thing I could think of was "Sophie...why?.." even though i was asking, I was selfish from the moment I met her. -Thank you Coma, no... thanks ***. Thank you for all these years you spent with me. Suddenly my vision blurred and the last thing I could hear was a cry, it sounded like a child being told "no" for the first time, the only thing I could do was smile. Just when I thought I could rest in peace, a voice was heard. - [Ahahaha, check it out, the famous ***. Looks like we have someone interesting today.]

The Three Deaths "Right through that door, Zina," the voice said into Zina's earpiece. "Got it." She said, taking point while walking through the abandoned building. The smell of death and rot filled the air. It was hard to distinguish if the stench was from dead animals or dead people; the fact of the matter was that it was disgusting. Zina was used to it, though. This wasn't new to her; it was just another day on the job. "Be ready, Bao," Zina said to the 6 foot 2 inches Chinese woman with long black hair. "I have your back, Zina," Bao said with a deadpan tone and no feeling whatsoever. Zina could tell that Bao was used to this as well. "I hear you out there! Freedom won't be stifled!" A voice yelled from the other side of the door. Zina could hear the sounds of movement behind the door. It was clear that the person who yelled at them was looking for some sort of weapon or shelter. "I guess I owe you twenty bucks, Aisha," Zina said into her wireless earpiece. She was completely unfazed by her current situation, and what annoyed her more was losing the bet to Aisha. "You should never doubt your wise leader," was all the voice in her ear said. She also heard a small adorable laugh; it was clear she was trying to stifle it, unsuccessfully. "In we go, Bao." Zina brushed the laughter aside and got her game face ready for what was about to come. "Right," Bao said, standing behind Zina with her M-4 rifle at the ready. "Remember, wait until I'm done," Zina told Bao. "Right," Bao confirmed. Zina was used to her emotionless and curt responses at this point. Zina kicked the door open and walked in. A fat, little man stood there shaking with his M-1911 .45 pistol pointed awkwardly at her. "Come any closer, and I'll shoot you!" He yelled at her. Zina could tell that his hand was shaking, and he was scared, despite his best efforts to hide it. "Go ahead. It's not gonna make a difference." Zina walked toward him with all the calm and composure of a Buddhist monk. "You're crazy! Who walks into the range of a loaded gun?!" The man asked, shaking even more uncontrollably than before. "I'm not crazy. My sister, Bao, on the other hand... She's always talking about how great a hippie's live intestines feel in her hands. To be honest, I'm pretty sure that's the only time she ever shows emotion. She's a serial killer, by the way. She's right outside. She's waiting for her turn." "What?!" The man was very visibly shaken and confused at this point by what he had just heard. Zina could see his eyes darting all around the room, trying to find an escape route. Little did he know that there was only one way out of this. "Hey, don't tell him what's coming. That ruins the thrill for me." Bao yelled from outside the room. Zina turned to respond to her, and the man took this opportunity to try and make his escape. Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bullets ripped through Zina's body. One to her head right above her left eye, three into her chest, and one into her shoulder. "Ow! That shit hurts, you know? I may already be dead, but getting shot never feels good." Zina said, walking towards the man, brushing the bullets aside. They were as effective as dead flies pelting a windshield. "What the hell?!" The man fell to his knees and almost dropped his gun. He was shaking uncontrollably and had no idea what had just happened. Zina could smell the faint odor of urine, and she looked down and noticed that the man started pissing himself. Bang! Bang! Bang! Click! Click! Click! Three more bullets tore through her body. The indistinguishable click of an empty clip reached Zina's ear. She could see the puddle of piss growing more pronounced around the poor man's legs. There was nothing funnier to her than a guy pissing himself in desperation. "Hehe! He's out of bullets, Bao. You can come in now." Zina turned towards the door to speak to Bao, peeking her head into the room from the doorway. "Awesome!" Bao said with uncharacteristic joy. Zina knew that this was her favorite part of their missions. The sizable Chinese woman skipped into the room like a giddy schoolgirl who was just confessed to. The only real difference was that Bao had a scalpel in her hand. Although Zina had seen plenty of yandere anime, this was normal for her. "Remember, you can't kill him. Daddy needs him alive." Zina says, pointing her finger at her giant of a sister's face. The man dropped his gun and just stared in terror at the giant towering over him. "Right," Bao said with a smile on her face. The man knew that was the face of a true psychopath, the last thing their victim sees before it all ends. All Zina saw was her sister getting ready to enjoy herself. "I'm gonna go find something sweet to eat or drink. Did we pass any vending machines on our way up here?" Zina asks Bao. For this poor man, this was the most terrifying day of his life; nothing will ever compare to the fear he would feel that day. For Bao and Zina, this was just Tuesday. "I remember seeing a soda machine on the second floor," Bao said, bending down to inspect the man who was now cowering on the floor in fear and covered in his own piss. "Okay, thanks," Zina tells Bao as she skips out of the room. Zina walks out of the room and heads back down the hallway they came. Body after body littered the floor as Zina skipped all around them. Some girls skipped through a field of flowers, some through a field of dead soldiers. Bao made short work of them on their way up. She rarely showed emotions, but when she had her "fun," she went all out. "Hmm. Seems to be more than usual." Zina thinks to herself as she heads towards her sweet reward. Zina walked through the now-dead hallway of the once thriving Presidential Palace. Everyone was either dead or had abandoned the palace as soon as the fighting started. Zina realized she was terrible with directions; she chalked it up to being shot in the head one too many times. "Hey, Aisha, where's the cafeteria in this place?" Zina asked her brave leader, who couldn't even bother to be there with them. Zina waits patiently but receives no response. "HEY, AISHA! GET OFF YOUR FUCKING PHONE!!" Zina yells into her communication device. A second later, she hears faint static as a voice speaks into her ear, "Sorry, what was the question?" "I need my sweets to heal. Where's the damn cafeteria?" Zina asks her, a bit more annoyed. "Let's see. Walk about two hundred feet straight down the hall, then take a right, and you'll see the cafeteria entrance on your left." Aisha explains the route to Zina. "Got it, thanks," Zina responds and skips gleefully down the hall. "Oh, tell Bao to remember the laptop this time. Dad got pissed when she forgot it last time." Aisha tells Zina. "Sure thing." Zina is more concerned about getting her sweet fix than helping her sister from getting punished. "Tell me when you're done so I can summon you and Bao back here," Aisha tells Zina as she signs off. Zina takes a right and sees the door to the cafeteria, "Okay, will do." All she cared about at this moment was getting her sugar levels up. Zina walks into the cafeteria and heads straight to the kitchen. "I love these industrial freezers," she tells herself. She was wondering if she could order one for personal use and write it off as a business expense. "I hope they've got Vanilla ice cream." Zina was already making plans for all the ice cream she would hoard in her room with one of these freezers. Her dead body had slowly started to regenerate, but she wasn't fully healed yet. The wound above her eye was almost completely healed, the hole was barely visible. Zina opens the freezer and walks in. "Oh, there is vanilla! Yay! Eew, it's next to the pistachio, though!" She picks up the giant ten-gallon vanilla ice cream container and walks back toward the dining area. She sits down, placing the spoon she picked up on her way out on the table. She opens the giant container of ice cream and digs in. "Ohh! It's so good!" She flashes her vanilla-covered smile to the empty dining room. This was bliss, this was paradise, this was worth getting countless bullet holes all over her body. Zina makes short work of it as she chows down on the vanilla ice cream like a monster possessed. She finally reaches the bottom of the container and tosses it aside. "Aww, no more? I better get back to Bao then," she tells herself. "How's it going, Bao?" She says into her communication device. "I did a bad thing," Bao says, emotionless, like always. "It's all right. We all make mistakes. Some more than others." Zina knows full well that the man is no longer among the living. "I'm gonna get Aisha to summon us back to HQ. Remember the computer." Zina knew there was no point in even trying to scold her; it would have no effect. "Okay," Bao replies. "Did you get that, Aisha? Go ahead and summon us back." Zina hopes Aisha is not playing on her phone again. "Got it. Give me about ten seconds." Aisha responds. After a quick ten seconds, a summoning circle surrounds Zina. What looks like blood-red fireflies encompass Zina. A strange pulse shakes her body, and it feels like she just got a straight punch to the stomach. Then a bright flash of light washes over Zina as she collapses. She opens her eyes and sees her sister Aisha standing over her, still playing on her phone. Aisha was from Kuwait and the de facto leader of their group; Zina herself was from Japan. She thinks back to her life before she met her father, Grant Shipman. After her mom died, Zina became somewhat of a recluse. All she did was sit at home reading manga, light novels, and watching anime. She was the quintessential weeb. After years of being a female otaku, her depression finally got the best of her. It really shouldn't have come as a shock with all the anime and manga she consumed. She had become delusional about reality and figured if she died, she'd end up in a fantasy world as an overpowered main character. Truck-kun; that was the only answer. Sadly for her, things don't work that way in the real world. She doesn't remember much after jumping in front of the box truck. Someone later told her what had transpired after her death. Her father, Grant Shipman, stole her body from the morgue and put her back together. She was later told that he spent about 6 billion dollars and used classified alien technology to bring her back from the dead. Well, he can do what he wants. He's technically the ruler of half the universe. Rules here on Earth really don't apply to him. Zina remembered when she was a newly born-again zombie and had a craving for brains. Her mind was right after being brought back, but she needed brains as a food source to survive. Her father came up with a pretty simple solution: Cow Brain Hamburgers. At first, she couldn't get used to the taste of them, but after some time, she couldn't tell the difference. At the end of the day: brains are brains. Her father sent her to his patented Knowledge Centers, and over the years, she learned many new skills and gained lots of knowledge. She did so by using the Learning Machines (LM) found at the Knowledge Centers; what a horrible name. She learned a vast array of things, ranging from every known language to every form of martial arts from across the known universe. She could drive or fly any vehicle, from Queen Cobo's starships to personal submarines. She was taught how to use every kind of weapon, but she never had the talent for weaponry her sister had. Her aim is always completely off, no matter how hard she practices. She prefers to leave that shit to Bao. "How'd it go?" Aisha asks as she helps her up to her unsteady food. "Ugh, good," she tells Aisha. She always felt groggy and dizzy after teleporting. "Looks like Bao had too much fun," Aisha tells Zina. Aisha was looking at Bao standing next to her. Zina looks over at Bao and sees her covered in blood from head to toe. "Looks like she got the laptop this time, though. So that's something." Zina tells Aisha. She was barely getting her feet under her and didn't have any strength to try and reprimand Bao, not that it would do any good. "Good job on the laptop, Bao!" Zina joyfully yells at Bao, who is ten feet to her left. "Thank you," Bao says emotionless. As soon as she was done killing, she went back to being the emotional robot she always was. Any man looking at Bao would automatically fall in love. She is Chinese, tall, and gorgeous. Under different circumstances, she would probably be a world-famous supermodel. But alas, that wasn't the case; being born to a Chinese prostitute and having been physically and mentally tortured daily by the Chinese Communist Party to turn her into the perfect killer had caused something to snap in her mind. Bao did turn into a serial killer, but a serial killer with a taste for hippie blood. Bao had a collection of hundreds of blood-soaked tie-dye t-shirts that she had slowly been collecting from her victims over the past few years. From drum circles to liberal protesters, they were her ultimate prey. She carried a scalpel with her everywhere she went, just in case. You never know when you'll run into a hippie. "Why don't you two take a shower and get out of your nano-outfits?" Aisha instructed them. Of course, she was clean as a whistle, perks of being a leader and conducting the mission from HQ. Aisha was the total opposite of Bao. Her mother is part of the Kuwait Royal Family. Grant, has always been in her life. Aisha's mom and Grant weren't married or anything; Grant didn't like sticking to one woman. He was always more of a wandering nomad, impregnating women all over the universe; as a result, he had a lot of kids. Some are just nourished and loved more than others. Being the richest person in the universe and a madman to boot has its advantages. Through Grant's teachings, Aisha became one of the world's most brilliant military minds alive today. She was always reading every book about war and tactics she could get her hands on. That is why she now leads "The Three Deaths." "That's a good idea," Zina said to Aisha. The world stopped spinning around her so she could take a shower without fear that she would fall on her ass. Zina and Bao walked out of the war room and headed towards the locker room down the hall. "Was there anything left of him when you were done?" Zina asked Bao as their nanosuits fell to the ground. The nanosuits automatically crawled their way into a small box on the floor. They had a mind of their own; they were truly technological wonders. Zina inspected herself in the mirror to make sure there weren't any injuries left on her. Zina was short, about five foot six inches only. She had somewhat small perky breasts, a downside of being an undead zombie. She had her hair in a short pixie cut and was bright silver. Her eyes were silver as well. They had a metallic glow to them; another side effect of being a zombie. "Not really. I tried to see how many organs I could remove without him dying." Bao said to Zina. "What was the final count?" Zina was genuinely curious to find out. "Four," Bao said as they walked into the shower. The water turned on automatically as they stepped into the shower. It splashed off their naked bodies. The warm weather felt great on Zina's skin. She might be undead, but she could still enjoy the little things in life. There was nothing like a nice hot shower after a busy day of getting shot. "I figured it wouldn't be much," Zina says to Bao. Bao might seem uncaring because of her tone, but Zina always tried to make conversation with her. They were sisters, after all. After the shower, they got dressed in their pantsuits and high heels. "I am going to my office to reflect on this experience," Bao said to Zina. "Okay. I'm gonna go find Valentina," Zina told her. Zina walked down the long, endless corridor, going from bulkhead to bulkhead. Definitely the headquarters of an evil madman. She walked past countless numbers of clones; they were the worker bees of her dad's organization. They were all clones of people from her dad's enormous distant family, cousins, nieces, and shit like that. The one clone she could tell Grant liked the best was this cute little tomboy with short red hair. Grant always treated her differently from the others and almost seemed to dote on her as if she were one of his many daughters. Zina had heard Grant refer to her as Charlie. Zina walked up to a huge oak door that had the words "Executive Vice President" emblazoned in gold trimming on it. She put her hand on the doorknob without any hesitation and opened the door. There was no need for her to knock, and she just walked in. "Hey, are ya here?" Zina asked as she confidently strode into the office. "Hey, you're back," replied a tiny aqua-green-haired loli sitting behind a desk that was way too big for her. Valentina was undead like Zina. She was the clone of a great vampire named Nauaiasa. Valentina wasn't a full-blooded vampire, though. Because of this, she didn't need to drink blood to survive. She was somewhat allergic to the sunlight. After ten years of UV light therapy that Grant had been giving her, she was able to withstand five hours of sunlight without dying. Valentina was twenty-four years old but looked like she was about twelve. A lot of folks didn't take her seriously because of her demure size. Zina knew from past experiences that you shouldn't mess with her. She was extremely strong, deceptively strong. She's able to lift over seven times her own weight. Zina actually saw her lose her temper once; she ripped a clone's arm straight off without any effort whatsoever. Grant also appreciated her strength and even stronger business acumen, and he made her third in command at Shipman Enterprises. Shipman Enterprises is Grant's public aviation company. He uses it as a cover-up, along with his countless other shell companies, to make the world think that he is just rich. They have no idea that, in reality, he rules the world with an iron fist. "I want a milkshake. Do you want to go with me? You can get some coffee." Zina says to Valentina. "Yeah, sure. I'm almost out anyway, plus this spreadsheet is pissing me off." Valentina says to Zina. Even if they were members of an evil organization, they still had simple everyday office issues. "Where you thinking, Shake Shop?" Valentina powered off her computer and stood up to stand next to her undead companion. "Definitely," Zina says to Valentina. Even though she had just put away 10 gallons of vanilla ice cream, she could always go for more. Valentina had become Zina's best friend since returning to the land of the living and moving to the United States. She was the one who helped her when her craving got really bad and was always there to cheer her up when she was sad. Plus, she's a loli vampire. There was nothing else that needed saying. Zina had read about a lot of them in her manga and light novels; she never thought she'd become friends with one, though. How her world has changed. Valentina and Zina walked out of her office and headed straight for the elevator. They took it all the way to the ground floor. "I swear, even though this elevator goes like 125 miles per hour, it still feels like it takes so long to get to the surface," Valentina said. "I know, right? It is smart to have the HQ underground, though." Zina said to Valentina. Zina felt calm being so far underground; perhaps it could be because she was a zombie. "That is true," Valentina replied. She shared her friend's love of being underground. *DING!* The telltale sign that they had reached their destination. The two undead friends had made typical small talk during their long elevator ride. Your usual teenage girl's small talk, their favorite color of nail polish, the latest fashions, and how to get blood and guts out of your favorite dress. "Ah, here we are," Zina said. She enjoyed chatting with her best friend, but her sweet tooth was overpowering her. The doors of the elevator opened, and they were left standing in the middle of a field. It was just your normal, everyday, unassuming country wheat field. The elevator rose out of the ground into a wheat field. It was the perfect hiding spot for Grant's headquarters. "I hate having to walk," Valentina says to Zina. Zina wondered how someone so small would have any issues walking around anywhere. "It ain't too bad. The car isn't too far away. Just think of it as a really huge parking garage," Zina tells her. It could be because of her penchant for sweets, but Zina had a very sweet and friendly disposition as well. "Fine. I just don't see why I just can't fly? There is no one around. Besides, if there was, we could just kill them." Valentina grumpily says as she looks at her feet. "You can always just hover above the ground a pretend you're walking, Val," Zina says smugly. Since they were best friends, she knew just how much she could tease her and get away with. "You know what. That's what I'm gonna do," Val says. It seems her plan had backfired on her, and she ended up encouraging her friend's laziness. Oh well, she was already dead, so what's the harm? Valentina begins hovering about an inch from the ground, and the two "walk" out of the field. Zina walks about half a mile to a megachurch called Persistent Christ Church as Val giddily floats next to her. Of course, Grant owns this megachurch; the most diabolical and cynical man in the universe needed to control the masses somehow; what better way than through religion? He let his good friend, Luci, pretend to be a preacher there. In reality, the main purpose of this megachurch was the same as any other, to take all of its followers' money. Zina always found it ironic that her dad let the Devil himself pretend to be a preacher. Luci was the nickname Grant and his employees used to refer to Lucifer. "He is a nice guy," Zina thinks to herself. She knew personally how quick society was to jump to conclusions. They see a demon or a zombie and are quick to label them monsters and evil. Zina and Val walk up to a jet-black 1967 Chevrolet Impala. She loved the show "Supernatural." Zina might have been an otaku, but was very much obsessed with western pop culture too. "Hey, Baby," she says as she pulls a set of keys out of her purse. The lewd bunny girl key chain didn't go unnoticed by Val, nor did the fact that she named her car Baby. "I'm glad you didn't forget them like last time," Val says to her. They loved to tease each other; they did it all in good fun. Deep down, both of them knew they loved each other dearly. "That happened one time," Zina replies. She makes a mistake once, and she's never allowed to live it down. Zina unlocks the car door and gets in. She reaches over and unlocks Val's door. Val plops down into the seat with a sigh of relief; her feet must be killing her after floating through that wheat field. "Okay, seatbelt!" Zina says as she puts hers on. They might be undead, but Zina knew that wasn't any excuse for not following proper safety precautions. "I still don't understand your fascination with things that keep people alive when you're already dead," Val says to Zina. Zina didn't have to take her eyes off the road to know that Val was rolling her eyes at her. "Agh, it's nostalgia! Plus, I don't want to get a ticket." Zina replies with a smile on her face. Every ticket she got meant less money for Nendoroids and anime figures. "Dad owns the police, court, and the district attorney! You're not gonna get a ticket." Val replies. She sometimes wondered if Zina's brain was too far gone; maybe they left her dead for too long. "Just put your damn seatbelt on, my car, my rules," Zina yelled at her. She hated when Val used facts and logic to poke holes in her extremely convoluted reasoning. "Fine," Val said as she put on her seatbelt. She knew there was no point in arguing with her. Once Zina got an idea in her cold dead head, there was no getting it out. Zina put the key in the ignition and turned Baby on. The 327 engine and four-barrel carburetor engine roared to life. "VROOOOM" Zina knew that the purring of the engine was better than any orgasm. "I still can't get over the sound of that engine," Zina thinks. She loved the car almost as much as she loved her dad. Zina backs the car out of the parking spot and leaves the church parking lot; she rolls onto the streets of the small town of Carboner, Ohio. Carboner, Ohio is a small blue-collar town in the northwest part of the state. There was nothing there but farms and farmers. They were about thirty miles away from Fort Wayne, Indiana; just across the border. Carboner was also the last place you would expect the headquarters for the biggest evil organization in the universe to be, hence why it's there. Almost no one in town knew that just below their feet were some of the most fiendish and evil group of people they could ever possibly imagine. In fact, Carboner was such a small town that Zina and Valentina knew most of the people in town, and they knew them. They don't know what they do for a living, though. If they knew, they might freak out and want nothing to do with them. The tight community of Carboner was a god-fearing one; it was just too bad that the devil was hiding among them. Bao and Aisha live in Fort Wayne, but Zina and Valentina live here in the small town of Carboner. Zina wanted to try living in a small town after being brought back from the dead. She was used to the big city life of Tokyo; she wanted a change in her life. She was physically, spiritually, and emotionally reborn. She had to do shit differently. She didn't want her life to end up like it was before; that part of her was dead, just like the rest of her. She looked at the Rudias Greyrat bobblehead on her dashboard and smiled. Even if that part of her life was dead, one thing remained for sure: she's still an otaku. After driving two miles down the road, they pull into the small parking lot of your average mom-and-pop brick building. Zina knew they were in the right place as she saw the neon red milkshake on the side of the building. Right below the giant milkshake was a sign with the words, "Billy's Shake Shop." Billy's Shake Shop is the oldest continuously running restaurant in Pauling County, Ohio. It got its name because it was situated right next to the railroad tracks, not because of the delicious milkshakes. When the Norfolk Southern trains go by, they shake the entire shop. Of course, back when this place was built it was the Nickle Plate Railroad. It makes for a great dining experience for any tourist making their way through Ohio, but it was hell for the workers. "Trains are cool," Zina thinks to herself. She was from Japan, so her love of trains was ingrained into her very soul. So was her fear, and slight arousal, at the sight of cephalopods. One of the cool things about living in Carboner was seeing the Nickle Plate Road 765 heading to the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad and back in the fall. The NKP 765 is an "S-2" 2-8-2 "Berkshire" Steam Locomotive built on September 8, 1944. It was world-famous; even those not obsessed with trains would know about it. One of the reasons Zina loved this small town was the fact that she was always trackside when she traveled anywhere. She knew Japan had some nice vintage steam locomotives, but they couldn't hold a candle to what the United States had. A couple of years ago, Zina drove Baby to Cheyenne, Wyoming, to see the King of the Trains run for the first time since the '60s. It is one of her fondest memories of her undead life. The King of the Trains went by many names, including being called the Big Boy. It was a 1,198,500 pounds, 117ft, and 7in long 4-8-8-4 behemoth. The largest steam locomotive ever built, the Union Pacific #4014. It was definitely a sight to see. She will never forget the view of that gigantic machine. She couldn't understand why more people weren't into trains; standing in the shadow of such a colossus left her in awe and admiration for the perseverance of men. Zina knew that if she didn't snap out of it, they would be here all day, and Valentina might get a bit perturbed at seeing her friend moan as she stared at the train tracks. Zina brushed her fantasies aside and stepped out of the car. She and Valentina walk into the Shake Shop and are quickly greeted by their friend Caly. "Hey, girls. How's it going?" Caly says to them. She had grown accustomed to seeing the pair walk into her restaurant every day. "Hey, Caly. Doing good," Zina replies, waving to her. A dark thought quickly went through her head, what would Caly think of them if she knew just who they were? Caly's family went all the way back to the frontier days of western Ohio. They've been here for as long as Europeans had been in the county. Her dad is the local police chief. Caly herself is a mom of two rambunctious boys and is married to a town councilman. She's tall with brown hair and brown eyes and in her mid-30s. She's pretty well known in this town of only three thousand. The locals were very much set in their ways; once they found a restaurant they loved, they would not deviate. "As usual, just sit anywhere. I'll be right with ya." Caly says, walking over to attend to two tough-looking men in flannel and ball caps. They were definitely truckers; it was easy to spot them. They made up all of the tourism and outsiders around these parts. Route 24 went right through the county, it wasn't an Interstate Highway or anything, but it was still a pretty busy road. It was four lanes wide, like a regular highway. These middle-of-nowhere roads saw a lot of truckers moving products across the country. Places like the Shake Shop survived on these truckers, the bloodline of America. "Hey, Zina!" A man in the back of the kitchen yelled to her, waving a steel spatula. He seemed happy to see some of his favorite regulars. "Hey, Ben! How's it going?" Zina yelled back at him. "Doing good. Just cookin', cookin', cookin'." He replied, laughing at his own terrible lines. Ben was in his forties. He was fat and balding. He had worked as the cook here for about twenty years. Zina knew he had a crush on her; he made it obvious. Retarded folks aren't her type, though. Okay, maybe he's not full-blown retarded, but he is really slow. All that shaking from the passing trains couldn't be doing him any help. Fast cook, though. "You want your special meat today?" Ben asked her. She could see a twinkle in his eyes; she could only guess what he was imagining and what type of meat he was thinking of giving her. "Please. Thank you," she replied. Zina knew that she couldn't kill him, and besides being a bit lecherous and having a wandering eye, he was mostly harmless. "You've got it!" He said joyfully. He thought he could win his way to her heart through her stomach. Most restaurants in Carboner carried her special meat. She could eat regular meat just fine, but every now and then, she got a craving for cow brains. "Hopefully, no one else orders it by mistake. They'd be disgusted," she whispers to Valentina. All the businesses around here were told to carry the special meat, but they weren't told exactly what it was. "I think they'd find it interesting," Val replied. She had been living among humans for a long time and had seen way too much FoodTV and food porn. She knew that humans would put absolutely anything into their mouths. They sat at their regular booth, with a window view facing the railroad tracks. "Vanilla milkshake for ya, Zina?" Caly asked as she walked up to the pair, ready to take their order. "Yep," Zina replied, smiling. "You know the routine by now, just keep them coming one after another." "You have heard of diabetes, haven't you?" Caly says jokingly. Zina and Valentina had been regulars for a while now, but she was always amazed by how many milkshakes the small girl could put away. "Yeah, I wouldn't worry much about her health. She's pretty fit," Val tells Caly. It might not be very believable, but it's easier to tell her that than to explain to her that she's already dead. "Okay," Caly replies, smiling. Caly was the quintessential southern belle with a smile and attitude as sweet as the apple pie she sells. "What about you, Val? Cappuccino?" She was also an adamant professional and had already memorized all of her regular's usual orders. "You know me so well," Val says to Caly. "I still say that a twelve-year-old little girl like you shouldn't be drinking coffee," Caly says to Val. Zina could see that she was trying to put on a concerned look, but it quickly gave way to giggles as she couldn't keep a straight face. "Yeah, yeah, I look like a kid. Yes, it's funny," Val replies. She had to temper her bloodlust and resist the urge to rip her throat out. "I'm just pulling your leg," Caly says. "Quad caffeine shot?" "You got it," Val says a bit curtly. "Well, I'll bring you your drinks shortly; I'll let you gals decide on what you're gonna eat," Caly says. She quickly turns around and heads towards the main counter to get their drinks ready. "Thanks, Caly!" Zina says to her as she walks away. Caly almost seems to gracefully glide across the restaurant. "So, how'd the mission go?" Val asks Zina. "It went okay," Zina replied, shrugging. All her missions seemed to blend together to her. It could be due to all the headshots she had incurred or the fact that she paid little attention to her work. "Did you girls remember the laptop this time?" Val asks her. She hoped they had forgotten so she could poke more fun at her friend. "Yep, now we have all the nuclear codes. No more nuclear weapons on Earth." Zina replies. She was more occupied people-watching than going over the minute details of her mission. "Awesome. Just conventional weapons from now on," Val says. She turned her attention to Caly, trying to see if she finished making their drinks. "Yeah. Dad may be a crazy madman, but he does help the world when he can," Zina says. She stared at the imposing-looking truckers and wondered where they were heading. Were they picking up cargo on the west coast or delivering to the east coast? "I mean, he is evil, but still, he can do some good," Val says gleefully. For all of Grant's many faults, she admired and cared for him deeply. "Right? He's done more good for this world than 95% of most of the old world leaders combined," Zina says. She might not show it very often either, but she loved her dad and all he had done to bring her back. "I know. I wish we could tell everyone," Val says. She joined her friend people-watching; it was the same group of people as always. The weather-beaten locals who were here every day and the odd collection of truckers making their way through the country. "Quiet is king and helps with peace, dad always says," Zina replies, shaking her hand at Val. She tried to mimic her dad's mannerisms to really drive the analogy home. "Yeah, yeah, I know. I just wish we could get some recognition from the world once in a while," Val says, looking down. Zina knew that Val's small frame always bothered her, and she craved the attention and adoration of others to make up for her shortcomings. BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! "Hold up," Zina says to Val, reaching into her purse to get her phone. "GOOD JOB ON THE MISSION. TAKE A FEW DAYS OFF AND RELAX. I'LL CONTACT YOU WHEN YOU'RE NEEDED." Speak of the devil, her dad just texted her. Zina realized that saying doesn't really work once you met the actual devil. She quietly snickered at the thought. "I WILL RELAX ON YOUR ORDERS. THANK YOU." Zina replied back. BEEP! "WHY DON'T YOU GIRLS GO TO THE BEACH? SUMMER IS ALMOST OVER. TAKE VALENTINA WITH YOU. I'VE GOT A NEW EXPERIMENTAL SUNSCREEN SHE CAN USE SO SHE DOESN'T BURN. TELL HER NOT TO WORRY, IT'S BEEN TESTED THIS TIME." Zina hadn't been to the beach in a long time. Grant was right; they really did deserve a nice relaxing break. "GOOD IDEA! WE'LL DO THAT. THANKS, DAD." Zina responded. BEEP! "NO PROBLEM. I'LL HAVE IT DELIVERED TO YOUR HOUSE. HAVE A GOOD WEEKEND." Zina puts the phone back in her purse and looks up at Val. "Dad says he has a new sunscreen for you to try, don't worry, he said it was tested this time. He also says we should go to the beach. What do you think?" Zina asks Val. "Awesome! Let's go," Val says joyfully. Even if she was a creature of the night, she wasn't averse to such creature comforts as a nice day at the beach. "Wait. What about work?" Val asks. She got excited at the prospect of spending some fun in the sun; she almost forgot she was actually an adult and had to work, no matter what her body led others to believe. "He told us to take a few days off. He'll call us when we're needed." Zina tells her. "Oh, okay. Cool." That was another perk of the job: you could take some paid time off. "Okay, here ya go. One vanilla milkshake with extra whipped cream," Caly says, putting the gigantic milkshake in a beer mug in front of her. "And here is your Jumbo Cappuccino, Val." Caly places the humongous coffee on the table in front of her. "Yes!" Val says happily, pumping her tiny fist in the air. "I still can't imagine how big your bladder must be, Val. You know, for someone so small." Caly couldn't resist the change to needle Val some more. "It's big," Val replies. She didn't care if Caly tried to make fun of her right now; her only concern was enjoying the delicious rich nectar of the gods sitting right in front of her. "I'm sure it is," Caly says. "So, what do ya two want to eat?" She pulled out her pen and notebook to take down their order. "Your normal double cheeseburger and cheese sticks, Zina?" Caly asks Zina, writing down the order before she even has a chance to respond. "You got it," Zina replies, in between mouthfuls of milkshake. "Ketchup, mustard, and extra cheese?" She asks without even looking up from her notebook as she jots it down. She was saying it out loud more for herself than anything else. "Yep," Zina says to her as she almost polishes off her first of many milkshakes today. "What about you, Val? You're always different." Val was one of the few regular customers that always threw her for a loop. "Hmmm..." Val thinks for a second. "Grilled cheese with tomato soup, crackers, and apple slices," Val tells her after a few seconds of examining the menu. "Do you want me to peel the skin of the apples, too?" Caly jokingly asks. It brought back fond memories of her two boys growing up. "Actually, yes," Val smugly replies. "See! That's what a twelve-year-old would say!" Caly says, pointing at Val. She couldn't hold back her laughter at the unexpected response. "No, they wouldn't! They'd ask for french fries," Val says with her arms crossed. She looks away from Caly, trying to hide her blushing cheeks. "Actually, modern twelve-year old's would ask for apple slices. They're much more healthier than the previous generation." Zina says to Val. Caly is surprised she even had time to breathe, let alone speak, as she slurped down her milkshake. "Seriously?" Val asks Zina with her arms still crossed. Zina could feel her staring daggers into her, but her sublime milkshake demanded all her attention. "She's right. They would. My two kids love peeled apple slices," Caly says to Valentina. She joked with her a lot, but she reminded her so much of her kids and she had an inane instinct to mother her and tease her. "Hmm. In that case, two fried Twinkies instead of apple slices." Val says with two fingers up. Caly had to resist the urge to point out to her that using her fingers to point out the numbers was such a childish thing to do. "Okay. Y'all ain't gonna make it to the age of thirty, but okay." Caly says walking away laughing. The girls were always a highlight of her day, and she enjoyed talking with them. "Damn. Caly can be a bitch sometimes," Val says to Zina. It didn't escape her that Zina basically threw her under the bus back there. "I think it's just your small stature. She can't help but tease you." Zina says as she puts a bendy straw in her milkshake, trying to suck up every last drop of it. "It's not my fault vampires grow slower," Val says, still pouting. "It's just funny to see a tiny girl like you with a gigantic grown-up drink. It's hilarious." Zina says, smiling at Val. "This coming from the zombie girl drinking a massive milkshake bigger than her head?" Val replies. "Hey, I've got a medical reason for eating and drinking sweets. Dad gave me a health card and everything. Sure, he might have forged it, but it still counts!" Zina says. "I think he did that to make fun of you," Val replied. She takes a sip of her coffee; unlike her friend, she was more civilized and took her time enjoying her drink. "Seriously?" Zina asks. "Yeah. I hear the clones joke about it all the time. Aisha finds it pretty funny too." Val responds, sipping her coffee and enjoying the warmth it provides. "Damn it!" Zina says, her mind blown. A part of her doesn't want to believe her friend, especially since she appears to be in one of her moods, but she also wouldn't put it past her dad. "Have you actually read what it says?" Val asks her. "No," Zina says. "Why don't you read it?" Val responds. Zina reaches into her purse and pulls out the health card from her wallet. NAME: ZINA SHIPMAN OCCUPATION: SOLDIER REASON FOR HEALTH CARD: SHE'S A LITTLE PIGGY "DAMN IT, DAD!" Zina yells. Everyone stops what they're doing and looks over at the pair. "Sorry," Zina meekly replies. She's not sure what's more embarrassing, the scene she just caused or the fact that it took her so long to realize she had been tricked. "I thought the cartoon pig hologram in the background would have given it away," Val says, smiling. She had to use all her strength not to burst out laughing right now; she would just end up spilling all her coffee if she did. "I thought it was the company logo!" Zina says to her. She can't believe her daddy would trick her like that. After a few minutes of Zina explaining how her dad is a jerk, but she still loves him, Caly comes back with their food. "Alight, here ya go, sweeties," Caly says as she puts the three-fourths pound double cheeseburger in front of Zina and the grilled cheese on Texas toast and soup in front of Valentina. "It's a shame both of y'all gonna die of a heart attack before you turn thirty, but enjoy!" Caly says jokingly in her sweet, dulcet voice as she walks away. "Yum," Zina says as she digs her teeth into the massive burger. There was nothing quite like a nice, bloody cow-brain burger. After eating, Zina and Val order another drink and then pay and leave. Zina drops Val off at her home, an old farmhouse on six acres of land. Valentina had taken to the quiet small-town life just like Zina had. She enjoyed the calm and tranquility that came with living in the middle of nowhere. "You want to come in? We could watch some TV." Val says, holding the door open. There was nothing better than relaxing in front of a TV after a hard day of work and a nice meal. It doesn't matter if you're a human or a vampire, that was just the best way to relax. "Nah. I need to get home and get some sleep. The nightmares are back," Zina tells her. She would love nothing more than to spend more time with her best friend, but she knew how bad her nightmares could get and just how comfy your own bed can be. "Oh, shit. I forgot it's that time of year again; I'll let you go. Unless you want me to come over? I can help you through it." Val asks. She knew this was a tough time for her friend and wanted to be there for her. Val also knew that Zina might not show it often, but she had a lot of pride and didn't want to rely on her too much. "Nah, I need to face them on my own. You've helped me too much already. Thanks for the offer, though." Zina says with a smile. She knew Val would always be there for her, but she didn't want to take advantage of her kindness. There were some things she needed to do on her own. "Alright, but if you need anything, call me. It doesn't matter what time it is, day or night." Val tells her best friend. "I will," Zina says to Val; glad to have her support. "Well, I'll see ya this weekend then. Bye," Val says, waving to Zina as she closes the door of the Impala known as Baby. Zina waves and drives off. It had been a long day of getting shot and eating sweets; she couldn't wait to get home and just relax. She knew that relaxing wouldn't be easy around this time of year. The nightmares come around the same time every year, just like clockwork. What made this time of year so special? It was the anniversary of Zina's death. Death is the most traumatizing thing a person can go through. It was supposed to be the ultimate finality, but Zina knew that wasn't the case for her. The thing is, the longer your body stays dead, the more traumatic the resurrection will be. Most people who have had near-death experiences aren't dead for long; a few minutes at most. Zina had been dead for three days and is still technically dead. Grant had used repurposed alien technology and supernatural powers to bring her back from the grasp of death. Some aliens that Grant was friendly with and the Devil himself had helped in bringing her back to life. Grant had said the Devil could have done it on his own, no problem. Grant was as prideful as she was, though, and wanted to do it himself. He just needed a little help to get things started. He spent two billion dollars on three hundred and seventy-two gallons of ectoplasm. He also spent a quarter of the world's gold reserves to pay an alien named Jerry, for some experimental artificial blood his species had created. After a small zombie outbreak in Nevada, and two years of being unconscious, Zina was finally back. She was almost like a wild animal at first, but with the help of Grant and Valentina, she was eventually able to adjust to being a normal teenage girl. Well, as normal as someone can be being the daughter of a megalomaniacal madman. But the first week of September is always hard on Zina. Zina pulls up to her home, a dark blue barn that had been converted into a house on 3 acres of land. She parks Baby next to her house and gets out and walks to the front door. She heads inside and takes off her shoes, a habit that she carried over from Japan. She takes a moment to admire her little home again. Even if she hadn't been back to Japan in a long time, some hobbies were hard to shake. This was the house of a neet. Zina's salary is twelve million dollars a year; half of that goes to Japanese anime, manga, and light novel memorabilia. Zina took her hobbies seriously and didn't mind spending some cash to live in Japanese luxury. She had a handmade leather Sailor Moon inspired couch as the centerpiece of her living room. Her kitchen was custom painted with characters from Mushoku Tensei and she had katana and kunai adorning the walls. She also had a smattering of random Japanese collectibles all over the house. Anybody who walked into the house would believe it was actually a museum or shrine dedicated to Japanese culture. Zina puts her keys and purse on the Berserker hallway table and walks upstairs to her bedroom. On the wall to her right, going up the stairs, is a custom-painted mural of most of the characters of One Piece, in a Last Supper pose with Luffy as Christ. "Ugh, so tired. Must sleep," Zina says to herself as she walks down the hall to her bedroom. Her bedroom is the same as the rest of her eccentric house. Anime figures packed tightly in multiple bookcases, anime posters adorning the walls, and a closet full to the brim of sailor uniforms and kimonos. Even her bed sheets are anime-inspired, adorned with images of Zero from The Familiar of Zero. Zina was a weeb right down to her core. She groggily fumbles her way towards her bed, acting more zombie-like with every step. The weariness of the day finally caught up with her tired, dead bones. As soon as she reaches the edge of the bed she collapses on it and instantly falls asleep.

In the beginning the world was formless and desolate, the raging ocean that covered everything was engulfed in darkness. Four wizards,who were the only ones still clinging to their shipwrecked lives,collected all the souls of the fallen and replenished them,set them a new and used them to their advantage. These wizards; Dismark of soul, Premule of time, Solarce of reality and Cariptus of space;created vegetation from the earth, light from the sun, animals from the soil and six more different races. Where there is good, evil must rise. One of the wizards wanted all that power for himself. When the others saw this and learnt the truth, they exiled him. The three that remained thought of it a good idea to split their power into different smaller portions so as to not cause chaos. They summoned seven discs from the underworld and manifested half of their own power into the discs. They also crafted a tool that changes according to the wielder's tastes and preferences. But this tool was given a code, which will grant the wielder access to use it. "If anyone is worthy to hold you by thy side is worthy to hold your power." The wizards thought that security status will have to be overdone for. They chose seven beings from seven races. They named this group as Adzukis. Gave them a mission to purtake in. That series must be protected till it finds it's owner. They gifted the Adzukis with the seven discs. Power was then granted to them immensely. The wizards had fulfilled their duties. From sacrificing their own power they just remained as empty shells turned to stones. The Adzukis protected series for a long time. Series was so powerful that it corrupted the minds of two Adzukis. One Adzuki used a spell to warped series out of the hands of the two, and, down to the world.

"What happens when someone dies?", something simple that doesn't have an answer. I was one of those who would never believe that there was something after death, I've always been a person who needs proof to accept something, however, something changed after that shot. I opened my eyes and woke up in a kind of ship, it wasn't something that would exist in the moment I lived, I thought I was in a dream after death. In front of me there was a mirror and... "Who is this hottie over here?" Apparently, I was younger, my old "I" from +/- 25 years ago. I was impressed and thought I was in an area that was going to send me to heaven, even though I thought I deserved to go to hell. -Where is the harem I always dreamed of? Behind me I heard footsteps and a deep voice came out of the mouth of the person who was walking towards me... -Name: ***. -Nickname: Coma. -Age: 42 years old. -Profession: Hitman for Hire. -Professional Activities: Psychology, Medical Surgery. -Hobbies: Chess, Casinos, Bars. -A person with an unknown past. -But unknown only to the public. A war strategist with infallible assassination tactics, an unusual agility and an otherworldly stealth, despite the strength not being so much, you have been named one of the highest risk people of your old world. Impressive for a lesser being. From the moment you were chosen by ***** to be his apprentice we had the pleasure of following and spying on you throughout your life, I heard that you performed several miracles, such as saving Winston or... I got chills hearing that name and for a moment I stopped listening to what I was being told, the person referred to wasn't someone I looked up to, nobody knew my connection to him, so... -W-Who are you?.. -We? AHAHAHA! We are the owners of this country, powerful people, much stronger than the owners of your old world. I was trembling, but I needed to intervene, he wasn't exposed like that by any person. -Ahahaha, is this some kind of joke? How do you know *****? I asked you... HOW THE FUCK DO YOU KNOW HIM? -Hey, lower your voice insect. For a moment I thought my head was going to explode, the sound of concentrated energy took over the place, the weapons were being charged towards my head, the technology was very different from what I knew. -Bang. With a simple word bombs fell from the sky and the view I had from the outside was completely devastated and transformed into a huge cloud due to the explosions. -We called you into this world to give us victory, but we can always discard you and go look for someone who wants to take over. I calmed down a bit and questioned them. -Ehhh, first you spy on my life and then you pull me a "we can always discard you"? -HMMM... INTERESTING AHAHA! A strong wind was felt on my arms and legs, leaving them immobilized, and a small dagger went towards my leg. It was such a high speed that my eyes couldn't keep up. The moment the wind stopped, the scythe dug into my leg. Grrrr . I was able to contain the pain a little, but I never expected such a friendly welcome. -Hey Althea! Don't kill our salvation yet. -Ohhh... this is our guest of honour. Nice to meet you Coma. It seems that there is no one who doesn't know me. She reached her hands close to my leg and yanked the dagger off, saying only one thing. -Heal. Green particles sparkled around me and I was surprised by an enchanting sight, in a few seconds my leg was normal, without any cut marks. The deep-voiced man headed for a door, while Althea followed. -Let's go Coma! "Hmmm, I have a bad feeling about this." -I'm going to show you something you'll like, don't get tense. -Understood Captain. -Call me Sprinkler. "What? Was he serious? Sprinkler... He..." Althea burst out laughing at the name. It was normal. Who in their right mind would call themselves a Sprinkler, especially someone serious like him. ------------- After walking a while and listening to Althea making jokes with his name, we arrive at a room full of screens around it. The screens turned on one by one and what was projected amazed me. "They really know everything." Several photos of individuals appeared and there was one thing they all had in common. They were killed by me in my previous life. Of course, I couldn't remember all the faces I killed, but most of them I recognized, and they were victims of high-risk missions. In short, they were important people. Sprinkler turned to me. -Do you know anyone from here? -Impressive, people I killed in my life, but... why are you showing me this? Althea looked troubled by all of this and I couldn't say why. -Most people here were reborn into this world with only one purpose... -Kill you Coma. That man knew he would see you again in another world, we don't know how he deduced that, since he had already prepared everything before he died. I'm sure "that man" was referring to my teacher, he was known as Aamon[1] and I only discovered his real name in his last words, expected of the person who caused the destruction of a continent. -Well, I think it's time to be useful Coma, I hope you enjoyed your days of freedom well, because they are over, we have nothing personal against you but we are in a war against a neighboring nation, luckily the leader is one of the people who is looking for you, if we don't hurry our country will be destroyed. Althea winked at me and walked towards the exit of the room, the doors closed and the interior was covered by curtains that appeared to be steel. So this is what they meant by "you are our salvation". Sprinkler pulled out an energy weapon and hit me in the chest. A background explosion was heard and I passed out. ------------- I opened my eyes and I was on the ground being carried by someone. -Awake Coma? -Wh-where are we? -Can you walk? -Wh-what happened? My head was confused and I couldn't figure out what was happening. Where is Sprinkler? How long was I unconscious? Why am I being carried by Althea? And why are we on land? There were questions that flooded my head. -We're going to run away, I came to save you Coma. - 'Don't worry, I'll save you *****' " Sophie ..." For brief moments Sophie's image came to my mind. -We are almost there. -For there? Where? What happened? -Do not let your guard down, we are still in enemy territory. It looks like she doesn't want to answer me. -Hey?! -Shhhh, we'll talk when we get out of here... take it. Huh? It was a small metal bar. I looked at Althea and made a weird face as if I was questioning her actions. -Throw it in the air let's go... But watch out for the fall. What do you mean in the air, what's the point of this? -Hurry up! -And what about no? -WE HAVE ENEMIES NEAR US! IF THAT'S HOW YOU WANT IT, IT'S OKAY. She took the metal bar from my hand and threw it in the air. -CATCH THIS! -Incredible... The small bar increased its size to +/- 2 meters height and a black curve blade with red strokes came out from the side. Holy Shit... I tried to pick up the scythe it had turned into, but the moment I tried to grab it my hands burned. -It seems that she doesn't like you, try to dominate her, she has a certain will of her own. -Huh? An object with a will of its own? -Do as I tell you, but hurry up. I grabbed her again but this time with all my strength. A figure of something big and frightening passed in front of me and soon disappeared, despite the time having been almost zero my guard increased to an extreme level. -You don't know anything about this world, but you're really amazing Coma. Althea told me with a smile. When I found myself the burns disappeared and I was able to pick up the scythe normally. -Well, it's time to fight. I looked at her and a big smile filled my face. One, two, three, it feels like I'm really in the prime of my life. Because I "got" younger my agility improved compared to when I did my last missions, age costs lol. As we advanced more people were decapitated by my weapon and as for the bullets fired at us, the scythe absorbed them whenever they came close. Althea was formidable too, she wielded daggers and dodged bullets like it was nothing. ------------- Enemies appeared less frequently until reaching a point where they no longer appeared. -Hey!? -Something wrong? -Who are you? Why did you save me? -Oh... Yeah... Hmmm... I think there's time to explain everything to you until we get home. -Home? ------------- (Althea's vision) 16 hours ago -Hey, he's about to reincarnate, don't you forget what we agreed to, did you hear? -Of courseeeee! Looks like I have to hurry with the preparations. I went towards the ship's main engine and there I began my work. Install the micro-bomb, check! How will he be? I heard they call him "Coma". He looked a little old in his pictures, but also elegant... hmmmm... I think I'm going to have a good time partnering with him so when the time comes we'll see. * phone rings * "Huh? There is a few minutes left before he arrives. What do they want?" -I came to take a look at the storage, I'm on my way there. -Okay, but hur- * end call * "Okay, that's all I need. I think they were going to discard it as being of no use, stupid." "I found it! The Hell Bar, I'm sure he can use it." "Time to see him eheh." I went towards the ship's main room. "Uhhhh guards at the door, he's really special." -Lady Althea, our salvation has arrived, Sprinkler told us to stay at the door because they had to talk about something confidential, but as front line you must join them. -Understood. "Will I give him a friendly welcome?" As soon as they opened the door I saw someone sitting in the middle of the room. I used wind to immobilize his limbs. He will be important to me, that's why I have to welcome him. I threw a small dagger at his left leg, at least I avoided hitting him in some ligament, well, he should thank me. Time passed and what Boss told me started to make more and more sense, he really was taken to an isolated place with Sprinkler. I winked at Coma and left the isolated room before the curtains closed. "I've waited so long for this day. It's time for my moment." *BOOM!* The bomb exploded the main engine and soon Sprinkler went to see what happened, the cameras were also deactivated and it's impossible to have any suspicions since at almost all times I was in the blind spots of the base. Almost 2 minutes passed, and he finally appeared. -Hey, Sprinkler! He looked at me and I shot a bullet towards him, it wasn't just bullet, but one imbued with magic to make him immobile. -Well, time to talk. -Wh-what do you think you're d-doing? -After these 3 years I worked with you, I saw the kind of person you really are. At first I didn't know very well why we were at war with our neighboring country but now I understand... what Boss told me was true. -Boss? Neighboring country? -You're smart for some things but not for others. Remember when you found me for the first time and called me a prodigy? I was "wounded" and "lost" in the middle of the border. You barely thought that I was a spy from Encers. Our nation's Boss, the one you said that if Coma was handed over the war would end, you were right, the war will end, and just as he predicted, from the moment I set foot in here and gained your trust, it was a matter of time before you fell into ruins. I assume you stunned him and left him in that room, I'm going to run away with him and that way we don't need to fight. You don't know anything, you don't know how important Coma was in Boss's life, you thought he was just one of the victims but no, it wasn't like that, you think the 'Life System[2]' is perfect, but, nothing is perfect, that thing is full of errors and half of the things you supposedly know about Coma's life are not how you think. -You are truly a prodigy... *gunshot* ------------- -After that I went to get you in that room and ran away with you while you were unconscious, they were all naive so I don't know if anyone there survived. -And... those were his last words? -Yes. Well, now it's time to see your friend, we've arrived ' home '. -Friend? -Angel Reaper. Coma looked at me with a twinkle in his eyes and I smiled at him. Let's see if he can handle living in that place. * Aamon[1] - (Also known as Amon and Nahum), in demonology, is a Grand Marquis of Hell who governs 40 infernal legions, and the 7th spirit of the Goetia. He is the demon of life and reproduction. Life System[2] – The so called "Perfect System" where new world's people use to watch previous lifes.

"Now then, it's time for you and your pretty little girlfriend to die say your prayers while you still can scum!" Kaguya sprinted towards Kohaku and lashed at her abdomen with her katana, but Kohaku dodged it just in time. "You a quick brat, but let's see how long you can last" SLASH! SLASH! FLING! Kaguya attacked her mercilessly. No pauses in her attacks. Kohaku, although a very skilled fighter, could not last long against Kaguya a skilled, experienced fighter. Because of jumping around and running while fighting, they ended up on the bridge about 100 meters from where Haru and Minato were "Dad..." Bam!! Minato kicked Haru at his left hip and Haru went flying into a tree to the right. "Come on Haru, show me what a student of Kazuto Takase can do!?" "Why are you doing this!?" Haru shouted as he tried standing up. holding down on his hip. "Why? Why you ask..." Minato chuckled at his son's question. "...You would never understand. You just a little kid, You could say that i will be receiving redemption... Now give your old man everything you've got. Oh, and I was not joking about killing you." "What about mom!?" "I never truly loved her... It's a little different with you though, I don't know maybe It's that black hair and eyes of yours. So majestic just like his... Pow! "Liar!" "Sad but true. Nice punch though, I did not even see it coming." "haaaaaah!" Haru released a roar and started fighting back with all his strength They threw punches, kicks. It was like a fight from an anime. It was painstakingly clear who was going to win. Despite knowing this, Haru still gave it all he had. Whenever Haru thought he got Minato cornered or in a position where he could counterattack, Minato effortlessly evaded or used that moment to attack. It was during one of these moments when Minato decided to end it. Haru went for a flying roundhouse kick. Minato not wasting anytime at all, used this moment to hit Haru in the abdomen with excruciating force and power. "GWAH!!" Haru fell down to his knees and with his hand placed on the affected area. He also, just realised that the whole time he has been fighting with Minato, he has been hearing screams coming from the direction Kohaku and Lady Kaguya went. The screams just came to an end, this made Haru anxiuos. "Enough with this... It's time to put an end to this." Minato said with a sly grin. He grabbed Haru by the hair and pulled him to the execution area. This being the bridge, where the basilisks torture and kill there victims and cast them down into the river. ******* "The girl has already received her punishment. Now make that so-called son of yours scream." The look on Lady Kaguya's face was pure evil, but Haru caught her looking vulnerable at times. Kohaku just laid there on the ground in a pool of her own crimson blood beaten up mercilessly. "KOHAKU!?... GWAH!" Haru went flying into the railings of the bridge. The sound echoed in the dimly moonlit night. "Playing house with you guys sure was fun Haru. But I finally got what I've been looking for." "and what might that be, father?" "you don't need to worry that kid. You going to die anyways." "Gaaa! Let go of me! Naaa!" Kohaku screamed as she got put into the position the Basilisks put their victims before throwing them off the bridge into the river, which was flowing quite strongly. "Take your hands off her!" Haru threw a flying kick at Kaguya, but instead he got kicked down by Minato. And mercilessly beaten up. From punches to stomps, Minato held nothing back. "There now you look just like your little girlfriend." Minato let out a Snicker. "Shall we proceed, then?" Said Kaguya with a evil little laugh. "alright ladies first..." Kaguya handed Minato her Katana. "No! Dad! let her go! please! I'm begging you!" "My, my. Silly boy, we cannot spare her life. She is Captain Kobayashi's daughter, after all." Haru gasped when he heard that. "You lying there is no way..." 'Haru,' Kohaku interrupted. "I was planning on telling you someday. I just couldn't find the right time..." 'Gwah! Aaaaa!' Kohaku's frantic screams were followed by the sound of blood splattering. "You Bastard!" Haru yelled with a punch directed at Minato. Gwoof! Kaguya jumped in the middle and punched Haru in the stomach with her palm. "you won't get away with this..." Haru fell down as he tried standing up. "Haru run away! Don't worry about me!" "Well, would you look at that? You're still conscious." Minato grabbed her by the hair and shaked her around violently. "Its time to engrave our trademark symbol on the two of you." What Minato is talking about is the cross✝️ that is engraved onto the backs of the people they kill. "Hayate, come here, Keep them at bay as I proceed." "yes sir!" First Kohaku then Haru. Their screams were so loud it hurt Hayate's ears. The bridge is right in the middle of the park, far away from the streets. Blood was now dripping down the bridge into the river. "Now help me throw them over, starting with the girl." Haru was too weak to put up a fight now. Drenched in blood, he could just watch as they proceeded. Before they picked Kohaku up, she murmured something to Haru. "Thank you for always being there for me. And I... I will always love Y..." "No! Kohaku!" He crawled to the edge of the bridge, and watched as she fell down into the river. "now, now, you will join her soon enough no need to be so hasty. But first I need to tell you something, son..." Minato grabbed Haru by his hair and looked him dead in the eye "I loved you like my very own son. It may not seem true to you now, but that is a fact. But there has always been a part of me that despised you, especially your unique black hair." And right after that, Haru got thrown over. It could have been his imagination, but as he fell, he was looking at his father and next to his father was Kaguya. It makes sense to him that Minato would look down at him with a kinda sad face, but he could not understand why Kaguya looked at him that way. ********** PRESENT DAY During the opening ceremony, Haru daydreamed most of the time. Mentally editing a list of snacks he plans on buying after school. (I'm probably going to hangout at Taichi's place later so I will have to buy snacks for then too.) Haru suddenly got the craving for a nice hot cup of coffee. Just when he was about to ponder over the list of snacks again... POW!! He got hit right in the ribs by a devastating elbow attack. "GWAH!" Haru looked at the person on the right-hand side of him responsible for the attack. Standing next to him was the elegant Suzune Takahashi. "Hey, what was that for!?" "Pay attention!" She said as she swiftly switched her gaze from him. "You know, you could have been more polite. Damn!" "I was trying to get your attention for several minutes. What were you so deep in thought about, anyway? I swear if you say coffee, you won't like where the next blow hits!" Wah, jeez. Talk about scary, gotta come up with a lie. Haru put his fist and palm together when he came up with an idea. "Uh... I was wondering why we got summoned to the clubroom on the first day of school." "Yeah, I was thinking about that too, until a certain coffee addict distracted me." It's ok for her not to pay attention, but if it's me I get elbowed in the ribs. Yeah, classic Suzune. "So, any idea why we got summoned?" There was a slight pause before Haru responded. "Yeah, we should pay attention." "Haru?" Asked the dumbfounded Suzune. He knows something, I haven't seen Haru so serious since that happened. ************ After the opening ceremony, the students headed to their designated classes they have been assigned to. Again, this year Haru has been placed in class along with some of his closest friends. As Haru was about to enter the class, someone called out to him. Waking him from his daze. "Ey, Takase!" "Huh?..." "Oh, it's just you... Kirigaya." "What up? I see you got placed in class A again." "Yeah, I take it we are in the same class this year." Again seriously. Haru sighed exasperatedly. "Man! That Ms. Karuizawa must like you a lot. You've been in her class since we started high school." "I told you it's not like that!" Haru blushed a little. "Well, enough about that..." Kirigaya looked out the window as he spoke in a more serious tone. "Haru... listen... I'll get straight to the point you see... I saw a ghost today." "What are you talking about!? For a second there, I thought you were being serious." Haru put his hand in his pocket and looked out the window (clicking his tongue) "I'm being serious!" Kirigaya looked at Haru with a stern look on his face. "Just remember, it's not her..." "Takase and Kirigaya, just what are you doing? Homeroom is about to start." Ms. Karuizawa interrupted. Haru did not catch what Kirigaya was saying. "Oh... yes, ma'am!" they both said unanimously, with a hint of fear in their voices. More so in Kirigaya's voice. They both entered the class before her and sat in their designated seats. "Just remember." Haru whispered to himself as he sat down. Remember what? "Alright class, settle down now..." Haru went over his mental list of snacks he was going to buy again. Not paying attention to Ms. Karuizawa. "As of today, a new transfer student will be joining this school and has been assigned to this class. Please refrain from being an annoyance to said student. NO, INNAPROPRIATE BEHAVIOUR. BOYS! Her father just so happens to be a high ranking..." (The sound of the door sliding open interrupted Ms. Karuizawa.) "Well, we were just talking about you... Miss Kobayashi." The name Kobayashi brought Haru back to reality somewhat violently. Turning his attention from outside the window to what was happening in class. He could not believe his eyes. Was he dreaming? Hallucinating? The same color hair, eyes, it was her it had to be. Of course, this would be his reaction. It was the same for Taichi, Yosuke, Suzune, Yui and even Ms. Karuizawa. Them being members of the Manjushage, this reaction was inevitable. "Good morning. Apologies for being late. My name is Kyoko Kobayashi. I transferred from another school and will join you guys from today. I look forward to learning all sorts of things with you guys." Ms. Karuizawa struggled to form her words properly. (Clears her throat) "Kobayashi... your seat is the empty one on the right at the back." Taichi sitting in the last seat in the row next to Haru signaled to her where her seat was. When she finally sat down in the seat in front of Taichi. Haru looked at Kirigaya and finally understood what he tried telling him. Just who is this girl that looks like Kohaku from Haru's past? She has a different first name, but everything about her is Identical from top to bottom.

The pleasant smell of caffeine woke Haruhiko from a not so peaceful slumber, giving him his usual morning spark. As he dusted away the sleepy dust from his eyes, he heard the voice of his loving mother calling out to him from downstairs. "Haru! Are you up already? It's almost time for school. If you don't get up now, you'll be late!" she says in a stern, calm voice. "Yeah, I'm up ma! I will be down in a sec." As he lay in bed, scenes from his recent nightmare played in his head. The night he lost his best friend. It's been almost exactly five years ago since then. If only he had not told her about his secret mission, then she would of still been alive today... "Haru! if you don't come down this instant i will throw your coffee down the drain." "No, don't! I'm coming, I'm coming." 'sheesh that woman. She knows how much I love coffee.' Is what he said going down the stairs scratching the back of his head. "Huh? You say something?" His mother Cherami narrowed her eyes and gave him a little stare. "No," 'slurp' ******* While Cheri was preparing breakfast, Haruhiko scanned through some channels on the TV, taking sips of coffee. He ended up watching the news. 'You know, I don't think having the Manjushage around is a bad idea.' 'I get what you saying, but they are still breaking the law. Enforcing justice is what the police are being paid to do.' 'they doing a sucky job if you ask me.' 'even so vigilantism is a crime. Calling these people heroes has a negative impact on the children of our city.' The two reporters went on debating on the issue. "Someone order a Takase special breakfast?." Cherami posed like a cute waitress "oh, wow! Ma, you really outdid yourself this time." "well of course i did. Who do you think I am?" That was her reply. She also gave him a little flick on the head as she made her way back to the kitchen. "Oh, Haru dear?" "yeah... ma." He replied with a mouthful of food. "Hey, don't talk with food in your mouth...and eat a bit slower would you." Cherami sighed before continuing to speak. "I want you to deliver that parcel on the table to Chiyoko for me." "Oh, yeah, sure." Haru replied as he was scraping the last bit of food into his mouth. Chiyoko is one of Cherami's best friends. And chiyoko's son (Taichi) is one of Haru's best friends. It's the same with Cheriami's other best friend's son, Yousuke. They have been close for as long as they can remember. Oh, and make sure to throw your uncles cigarette ashes out once you done. ok?" She gave him another stare, this time with her right hand placed on her hip. "Honestly when is that idiot going to get himself a house." ****** Lazily Haru put his school uniform on. As he fixed his tie, he thought about the conversation he had with his uncle last night. This conversation is most probably the reason why memories of that night five years ago came flooding back to him. THE PREVIOUS NIGHT After browsing through his social media feeds on his smartphone. His eye lids could barely stay open, He yawned a long yawn just as the digital clock on his nightstand read 02:55am. He changed into his night wear and dove straight into bed, not even brushing his teeth before bed. I'll brush them when i wake up. He said to himself before closing his eyes. "Back to school tomorrow huh." Haru said this a loud laying in bed, getting ready to fall into a peaceful slumber. But then... "sniff, sniff" The smell of cigarettes snuck in through his open window. "Haru, are you awake?" the voice of a man on the balcony reverberated through his ears. "Uncle Kazuto, is that you?" "Yeah, come on out for a smoke. I got some intel you need to hear." By the sound of his voice, whatever he is about to tell him should be serious. Haru hopped out of bed and walked over to his mini fridge next to the computer desk, He grabbed a can of maxxed coffee and He then went over and opened the sliding door. And there he was, his uncle relaxing against the balcony with his back facing the city lights. "Hey there, little nephew, long time no see." A piece of burning ash fell from the cigarette, swept away by the breeze It's color changed from bright orange to white. "hey, uncle Kazuto. did your mission end in success?" "I guess you could say that..." Before Kazuto laid out the details of his mission, he took a puff on his cigarette. "We did not get any information about where Minato Bushida is now or what his motives are. it's like the damn bastard vanished from the planet..." Minato Bushida. a name that should not be spoken of lightly. This man is considered the most dangerous person in the Kagawa prefecture. And he is also the leader of a notorious gang that started spreading out to other Prefectures in the country. He is also on Japan's most wanted list. He has a huge bounty on his head. "... but we did however get some very interesting intel on two people we should be wary of." "Oh, really. This should be interesting." Haru said as he took a gulp from his coffee. "First off, we have received word that lady Kaguya will be released from prison next month." "That's impossible! She should be in prison for another ten years." the shock and disbelief showed on Haru's face. "It's quite possible, actually. We don't know how, but there is a good chance she will be released." Haru clenched his left fist tightly, as he thought of the person his uncle just mention. Kaguya Bushida. Wife of Minato Bushida. just thinking about these two people makes him want to punch a wall. You see, these two hurt a few of people close to Haru. And because of them one of those people is... she was a dear friend of Haruhiko. 'and it's all my...' Haru was about to say something but Kazuto spoke despite of that. "So you ready to hear the name of the next person?" "Oh, yeah. sure." Haru put his emotions in check. "You see, we also received intel that a certain somebody will be transferring back to Takarametsu." Haru thought about it for a second but could not come up with a name. As if realizing this, uncle Kazuto told him the name. "Lieutenant colonel Ken Kobayashi." When Haru heard this name, It's as if he saw a ghost. in the moment he dropped the can of coffee. It rolled off the balcony where it spilt the rest of it's contents. "No, that can't be true. I... Haru took a step to the back ...I thought he retired." "Well It seems the famous Colonel has decided to fight crime again. The timing couldn't be more perfect. We believe he got some leads on who killed your friend that night. Since you were involved in that incident. I want you to lay low for a while. If he catches on to you, it won't be long till he finds out that you are part of the Manjushage." "Yeah, I understand." Haru did not argue and accepted. Kazuto is the Grandmaster of the Manjushage after all. Haru is just a Major. "I already informed your mother. I guess that's about it for now. We will have a meeting with your squad in the clubroom tomorrow after school. Don't be late." "Yeah roger that." "Oh and one last thing..." Kazuto climbed up the railing and looked at haru over his shoulder. "Yeah, what is it?" "...Don't let what i just told you rile you up. Take it easy." "Yeah, whatever you say Grandmaster Takase." "Attaboy boy! Now go get some rest kiddo." uncle Kazuto put on his trademark mask and jumped off the balcony vanishing into the darkness. every Manjushage member is required to where this mask during working hours and each one is unique. Haru closed the sliding door and took in the city's view. Then, noticing his reflection in the glass, he banged his head against the glass twice. If it were not for me, He clenhed his fists. Kohaku would still be alive right now. ****** On his way to school, he couldn't stop himself from thinking about what happened five years ago. The night of his secret mission. You see, Haru belongs to a vigilante group called the Manjushage. They fight crime during the dark hours. Without a doubt they have made a lot of enimies with many of the criminals around their area. The biggest enemy they have is the most dangerous gang in the Kagawa prefecture. They are not like any normal gang you used to they involved with almost everything. In fact, a lot of the smaller criminal groups work for this gang. They do a job for them and get a payed. I remember that night so clearly, the blood spilling, the sounds of her screams. and all i did was watch, i'm pathetic! It should of been me who died that night! Haru stopped walking when he reached the halfway point of the bridge. The railing he was looking at had cuts and dents in it. Haru knew the reason for these being here. It's as if he can taste and smell the blood they both shed that night. ****** [past memories] 'I wonder what that nicotine-addicted uncle of mine wants to discuss with me now. I'm supposed to be having a meeting with my squad.' by meeting the 14 year Haruhiko meant playing video games with his friends. (knock, knock) "You may enter" As he entered, he saw Colonel Ichika, Grandmaster Takase's personal bodyguard. She stood beside him. "Hey, now what's with the serious expression on your face? First lieutenant Takase." "You sure as hell know why. Why did you call me here?" (SPLAT!!) "HEY! THAT IS NO WAY TO SPEAK TO A SUPERIOR OFFICER, AND TO THE GRANDMASTER OF ALL PEOPLE. KNOW YOUR PLACE! RELATED TO HIM BY BLOOD OR NOT YOU SPEAK TO HIM WITH RESPECT!!!" "Now, now, Colonel Ichika. We are behind closed doors, and it's understandable why he is upset and he gets this attitude from his father. Colonel Ichika just clicked her tongue and looked away. "Now then, first lieutenant Takase. I called you because of something really important." "Well, if that is the case, then leave a note more serious looking, not with colorful emojis and rainbows." colonel Ichika slapped her head and let out a sigh when she heard what He said. "ok, ok, sheesh..." "...Now then, let's get down to it. There is a mission i need you to do." "Is that so? Then where is Major Karuizawa? you usually team the two of us together when there is a serious mission you need taken care of." "This is a mission I need you to take care of alone. Major Karuizawa will take over your squad." "I don't like it when someone has to take over my squad, but if it is her, then I don't mind, really." Haru took a seat on the couch on the right hand side in the middle of the room. "Now then, as for your mission, First Lieutenant. The spy we sent in to infiltrate the basilisks of purgatory notified that they have gathered more than enough evidence about the leader of the group, and are ready for extraction." "YOU SENT A SPY IN!!!" Hearing this infuriated Haru. "Calm down, First Lieutenant. let the general explain." Colonel ichika stepped in "To hell with that Colonel. What if they find out?" "Colonel please excuse us." Said Grandmaster Takase But Grandmaster Takase... Kazuto stood up and sat on the couch next to Haru. knowing what he meant by this action, Colonel Ichika reluctantly exited the room. "Haru, I know what..." "Sorry for being so rude, Grandmaster. It's just the thought of what they would do to this person if they found out about them... I have seen the violent ways they go about their executions. especially of people who are either part or affiliated with Manjushage." "The reason you finding out about this now is because I feared that you might secretly take upon that task yourself." "I think that might have been the case if i did." "Now then, as for your mission, Haru. You are to meet with the spy at this location..." Kazuto took out a map from the inside pocket of his jacket and pointed at the location marked with a red pen ...and bring her back to headquarters." "Are you sure this is something I should do alone?" Haru asked a little bit confused. "Having a group might look suspicious..." Kazuto lit a cigarette "...If you run into trouble, notify my me immediately. I will have your squad dispatched to your location." "Understood Sir." Haru saluted the Grandmaster and took off. ***** After the meeting with the general, he headed home. It felt as if he was being followed on his way home earlier. He had a good idea of who it might be, but their presence disappeared when he passed the convenience store. He was busy getting everything ready for the mission later tonight. Took out his special black hoodie and Katana out from his secret closet. then... (bzzt, bzzt) The sound of his phone vibrating stopped him from what he was doing. When he checked who the caller is, the caller id read (Yousuke) so he answered. (Hey Yousuke, what's up?) (So you taking on a solo mission?) (Yeah, sorry but i can't go into detail about it.) (That's fine. The rest of the team and I just wanted to make sure...) (So what about the job you guys are doing tonight? Will it be difficult?) (nah should be a piece of cake. we got major karuizawa with us so no problems on our end) (That's good to hear.) (Hey yousuke! gimme! gimme! gimme!) (Ah, looks like taichi wants to talk with you.) (Fine, hand him the phone.) (Solo tonight huh? Is that the truth or is it just an excuse to hang out with a hot chick?) (It's not what you think? kukuku) (Yeah Major Karuizawa is totally missing you right now. She keeps saying things like i wonder if Haru is doing alright and stuff like that.) (Ok, I am gonna hang up now. Good luck.) (Yeah, good luck to you too.) After the call, he fell down on his bed, facedown. As he laid on the bed, he heard the sound of the sliding door open. Then heard footsteps inching closer and closer to the bed slowly and with a thrust the person jumped up into the air and landed on his back and shouted "gotcha" with slightly uncontrollable giggling. "Kohaku, you know you should not be here." "I know that. But it's been so long since I last saw you, I just had to come see you." This is Kohaku, Haru's close friend. They have been friends for a short while, but they get along so well it feels as if they have been friends for ages. "So, when did you return from vacation?" "About two hours ago. Did you miss me?" She asked with a little giggle "Yeah, I guess so" "Whadya mean you guess!? Just admit that you spent everyday I was gone thinking about me." She threw her hair back as she said this. "Yeah, you got the wrong guy. Jotaro missed you so much. I mean, you are his girlfriend, after all." Jotaro is Haru's cousin, they grew up together. And he is also a member of the vigilante group. "Hmph, I could not care less about that jerk." "What did you two get into an argument again?" "Enough about the lame brain. I brought snacks" Kohaku lifted up a bag of (snacks) she kept hidden behind their back. "Oh sorry Kohaku, I can't right now. I got something to take care of." "Whaaaat!? But I just returned from a weeklong vacation." She pouted so cutely Haru could not help but head pat her. "You know, head patting me will not help." and she pouted again. She says that, but she seems to be enjoying it. "Just stay here till I get back, OK? Then we can chat all night long. Ok?" "Yeah, ok I guess that is fine." "So by business, do you mean crime fighting business?" "Yeah." "So then you going to meet up with the others right now?" "No, I am going on a solo mission." "A solo mission? So it must be something serious then. Will you be ok on your own? You know I can always..." "No, Kohaku! You know you can't. You are not part of the vigilante group and your dad is a high-ranking police officer who wants my whole family locked up in prison, he is determined to rid this city of crime. Especially the Basilisks of purgatory and the Manjushage. It's too risky. I don't want you to get hurt." "Yeah sorry Haru." She covered her head with a pillow, and just laid there. twiddling with a few strands of her coffee brown hair. "Ok, I will be back in a bit. See you later." TO BE CONTINUED...

The year 2053,the modern technology reached it's peake,in a way that everything became as easy aspressing a button, Everything became a part of a system called O.n.R program(organic and robotic program),this program was designed to Calculate points on people's data so that everyone becomes a part of this system,the o.n.r was a great help to The modern civilisation, helping every single individual determining his own path,and byknowing each person's Capabilities the world was in peace, or that's what we thought, The year 2055, there was a strange recod on the internet that shows a masked man killing over 20 person in a brutal Way,torturing them while laughing, who's this?, how come the system didn't notice he's behaviors ??, is the system even Working ??, those questions sowed suspicion in people's hearts . Days has passed and the mysterious murderer,didn't show up,nor peoples and nor government knew who he was,how he did it And why he did it, and finding this killer wasn't the only problem for the police, because after that video's leak, many people Got inspired by it, which increased the crime's rate over 40% higher than before . The year 2060, the government couldn't find any clue about the culprit of that horrible video,or any of the other serial killers, The crime rate this time was over 60% above average, which made the world a dangerous place to live in, the government decided to take A serious action against those crimes so it gathered the top 6 geniuses of that era, "the savvy", Savvy was a name given to them by every single person in the world, those people were natural born geniuses, with an iq level higher than Any of the historical famous scientists,they were the world's last hope. After the meeting between savvy members and the government 5 of savvy members agreed to help if just the government gives them the authorities To do anything they want to the serial killers they catch, of course the government had no choice but to agree, but the last member of savvy claimed That he's not the so called hero and he have no interest in saving the world because if he'll interfere nothing good will happens, and the more Criminals he'll catch, the more will appear .

"Welcome, welcome, pleeeeease be welcome to the kingdom of Atlantis! I am Aegis the Fourth, and I'm absoluuuuuutely delighted to have you all here today for this Game of mine!" Who... was talking? Where was it coming from? Where... was I? I looked around. It was pitch-black... but just feeling around with my hand on the wall behind me, I found a switch. I pressed it. The lights turned on, blinding me for an instant. "What the...?!" I was in a square room, walls and ceiling completely made out of glass. Outside was—water, as far as my sight would reach. I was... under the sea? How in hell had I ended up here? Maybe looking upwards would give me an idea of how deep I was... And there, in the exact center of the ceiling, I saw it. A bomb, and a... timer attached to it?! "Heeeeeello, dear... uh... whatever your name is! This message has been recorded only for you! Feeling privileged yet? Anyway, as a way to thank you for participating in my Game, I have prepared a warm-up exercise for you to crack open in an instant with your wonderful abilities! You only have to escape this room before the timer on the bomb taped to the ceiling runs out... If you don't, the whole room will go boom and you will die! Isn't it fun? Nothing better than some high-stakes action to get your brain and muscles going!" Oh, for fuck's sake! The voice was the same as before—high-pitched, irritating and kiddish—and it was coming from a speaker in the corner of the room. I hadn't seen it before in the dark, but there was no doubt—it was the same voice as before, and coming from the same place. In any other situation, I would have broken the speaker into pieces. This was such a bad joke, I refused to believe any of it... But I didn't have time for that. The timer on the bomb was incessantly going down. Five minutes, ten seconds—or in other words, not an instant to lose. Still, looking around this room a little more... The ceiling was fully made out of crystal, but the walls were only transparent from wait height up. Below was a handrail and the lower part of the wall, a dull grey metal just like the floor. But the room itself was almost fully empty. Except for a computer screen and keyboard on the middle, all I could find were seven pieces of paper with incoherent words in them. I picked them all up but didn't spend too much time trying to make sense of them. The timer already said I had little more than three minutes. The computer screen didn't give me a clear answer to anything, either. Introduce your TRUTH to unlock the FUTURE. Fun way of saying I would die if I didn't. I could only enter one word... but what word should I enter? There were no clues anywhere, the words on the pieces of paper didn't work...! Two minutes left. I still had nothing. I tried basic words and even simple math equations that everyone would agree are true. But as I feared, none of it worked. One minute left. I was really starting to panic now, the computer didn't react to anything I gave it! Thirty seconds left. And then a clue appeared on the monitor. TRUTH is only for YOU. Find yourself in the TRUTH and be FREE. A truth to find myself in... What the fuck did that even mean?! Twenty seconds... Ten seconds... Oh! A truth to find myself in—my name! But what... was my name? I couldn't... remember... I mashed the first thing I could think of into the keyboard and pressed Enter... CHECKING... PLEASE WAIT. Five... Four... Three... Two... Your TRUTH has been accepted. Exit open. The timer stopped. A big, round hatch opened in the floor. It was hidden so well that it would have been next to impossible to guess its presence with the naked eye. Good job, Shin! Almost didn't make it, did you... It would be suuuuuch a pity if you died so soon though, so please get out of that place and come meet the rest of us! The game is about to start!" ... I had made it. I couldn't believe it had accepted Shin as my name, but since it clearly had and the bomb hadn't blown me up into pieces, I didn't exactly feel like complaining. Looking into the hatch that had just opened, a ladder going down into a pitch-black hole was all I could see—no, that's a lie. If I squinted hard enough, a minuscule light dot seemed to indicate an exit to the tube. Of course, I had no choice but to go down and follow along what that voice had been saying to me over the speakers. ... ...... The ladder really did seem endless. I went to check my trusty old wristwatch so I could at least have some awareness of the passage of time, but—it wasn't there. Actually, not only that, but I also had glasses on, even though I'd never once worn any before. I thought of checking my clothes as well, but in this darkness and hanging from a ladder that might as well not have an end whatsoever, it probably wasn't the best idea I could have had. ... ...... ......... "Ouch!" That had been me—at some point I had turned my brain off and just kept going down, but when I reached the point where I only kept moving thanks to muscle memory, I reached the floor and tripped. My butt hitting the floor didn't hurt too much, though. I quickly got up and started feeling around the wall, and it didn't take me long to find a doorknob—below it, through the gap between the door and the floor, a tiny amount of light came through. It barely seemed any brighter or more noticeable than it had from up above... which made me think it had been kind of a miracle to be able to spot it before going down. I pulled on the doorknob, half expecting it to be locked, but it opened easily. ... The light blinded me for a few seconds. When I could finally open my eyes again, I was met with something defying all that I'd assumed true since I woke up here. I wasn't in some underwater facility like I'd thought. One of the walls in the big hall I found myself in was transparent. And, instead of fish and sea life, what I saw was... clouds. We were now high up in the sky. "What the..." How could this be? I was sure what I saw in the other room wasn't false, I could see all the fish moving and even colliding with the glass sometimes... but now that felt like a dream far away. Were we in a moving vehicle...? I had no clue how much time I'd spent going down those stairs, so it wasn't impossible. Still, I didn't have time to wonder that. I needed to know where I was and how to get out of this place before some psycho I hadn't even seen the face of blew me up with another bomb— wait , I stopped myself. Who's that next to the transparent wall...? Whoever it might be, it would be for the best to go look at their face and talk to them, to at least assess if they were a friend or a foe. "Hey," I touched them in the shoulder. They were wearing a hoodie so I couldn't even tell their gender from behind. "Hey!" They didn't reply. They didn't even seem to notice my hand on their shoulders. Not the slightest movement. And then—they crumbled to the floor. A young woman... or rather, her corpse.

Elias sat in the waiting room, one foot tapping restlessly against the vinyl floor. He hated the sterile smell that filled the room, hated the eyes he could feel on him from the few other people sat around him. He held the puppy in his jacket a little closer, rocking it slightly, not knowing if it was in an attempt to comfort the dog or himself. The walk to the veterinarian practice had felt like torture, and to say he was shook up would be an understatement. He had hoped that with it being midday Monday in his suburban town that the streets would be empty, but that hadn't been the case. Every time someone had walked past him he had tried to call out, wanting to ask if they knew anything about the dog, only for the words to get lodged in his throat. In return for his efforts he had received odd stares, and one particularly cold glare from an elderly lady who was walking her own dog. He wasn't exactly dressed in a respectable manner, and with the puppy whining almost constantly he probably looked like he'd stolen the pup. The worst thing was, there hadn't been a lost dog poster in sight. "Coffey-sama, Yoshimura-sensei is ready for you." Elias started, before nodding and standing up, allowing himself to be led to one of the examination rooms. He swallowed heavily before walking in, knowing exactly what kind of reception he was going to get. His heart in his throat, he watched nervously as the nurse closed the door behind him, sealing his fate. "What the hell have you done." Elias scratched the back of his arm nervously, one hand still cupping the messy pup bundled up in his jacket. He had known it would happen, but being lectured still wasn't a pleasant experience. He glanced up at his long-time friend, eyes filled with guilt. Takumi Yoshimura was the only real friend Elias had made since he came to Japan, and he knew him better than anyone. Elias watched as he raised an eyebrow, dark brown eyes flickering between Elias and the puppy in his arms. "I don't see you in three months and now you bring me a stray dog?" "I-" "You, the guy who can't even pick up the goddamn phone, picked up a dog. You?" "I know, okay?" The other man shook his head in disbelief. "You're lucky we're not busy on weekdays... So? Spill." Elias explained what had happened, leaving out the bit about the excruciating walk to the clinic. As he reached the end of his story, he realised, "Crap. I didn't go to the convenience store... I don't have any money on me." "You've got to be kidding me." Takumi sighed. "You owe me drinks - oh no, don't think you'll get away with just that. You'll be paying me back in full, too." "I will." "So, what? You want me to check this mutt over?" "I was hoping you could check if it's microchipped first... I read that's what you're supposed to do in this situation. And please give it a general check-up, I don't think it's a healthy weight and its fur is all matted and god knows what else is-" "Okay." Takumi replied, cutting off what he knew would become a long ramble otherwise. "Hand it over." Elias did as he was told, hands still slightly shaking from the wait in reception. He wasn't exactly comfortable being around groups of people, especially when they were all staring at him. He felt like they were judging him as some terrible person who couldn't look after his dog - or shut it up, for that matter. With the puppy now safely in the vet's hands, Elias shook out his arm, realising it was slightly numb from being in the same position for so long. He watched as Takumi pulled out a scanning machine, searching the dog's neck, or at least trying to as it relentlessly wiggled around. "Nope. No microchip. Could you hold it still while I look it over?" Elias nodded, moving forward and gently grasping the puppy by the sides of its stomach, the feeling of dried mud under his hands making him feel sick. The dog was still shaking, whining as it tried to wriggle free from his grasp. He watched on as Takumi shone a light inside the pup's ears, pushed his fingers into its mouth to look at its teeth, checked its eyes, nose, and each of its paws. He then moved Elias' hands aside, smoothing his own hands down the dog's ribs. "Well, you've got a pretty unhealthy girl right here." Seeing the panic in Elias' face, Takumi changed his tone. "Don't worry, she's not on the verge of death or anything. I'd say she's been outside for a while though, and considering she's only a few months old at most... Here, hold her again while I get the scales." Elias held the dog in place, her soft whining suddenly making his sinuses sting. She'd been alone for so long, and with no microchip... Had she been abandoned? "Don't cry, she's going to be fine." Takumi stated bluntly, signalling for Elias to hand back the dog so he could weigh her. "Have you reported this to the police?" "I read that most dogs that are taken into shelters are exterminated." Elias blurted out, a part of him wanting to cover the dog's ears. Seeing Takumi exasperated expression, he looked to his feet, his fingers gripping the dog's sides a little tighter. "No, I haven't." Takumi sighed for what felt like the millionth time. "You have to report this. What if she's lost and someone is looking for her? Knowing you, you couldn't ask anyone on the way here if they recognised her. You don't have to hand her over but... Don't tell me you're planning on keeping her?" "I..." "Do you have any idea how much of a responsibility that is? This is a dog, Coffey. Taking care of a dog is like having a kid. You can barely take care of yourself, how do you expect to take responsibility for another living thing?" Silence hung heavily in the air. "I'm not taking that back." "You don't have to. I know you're right. I understand that, but-" "This isn't about you, Coffey." Elias flinched, eyes still on the floor. "Look, the bottom line is, you have to report the dog. You have to look for her owner, even if she's been abandoned. But that doesn't mean you have to hand her over. You can take custody of her while you search, but you have to be prepared to take responsibility of her until the end. If you end up abandoning her... It's just too cruel. You can't take in an animal with half-hearted feelings." Elias nodded, taking in the gravity of his friend's words. It wasn't as though he hadn't thought this far. If anything, he'd already imagined all of the things that could possibly go wrong several times over. There was so much risk involved, so many things that could happen... But from the moment the puppy had pushed her head into his palm, a part of him had known he wouldn't be able to let go. He watched as Takumi lifted the dog from the scales and placed her back on the examination table with one hand, making a quick note with the other. "She really won't quit whining, will she?" Takumi said in a light-hearted tone, trying to clear the stifling atmosphere. He scratched behind the puppy's ears. "You must be hungry, huh?" Elias watched as Takumi set the dog down on the ground. She started sniffing around, exploring. "I'm going to go get the dog food, you stay here and watch her. You've got a lot of thinking to do." "Yoshimura!" Elias blurted out, making the other man stop before he reached the door. Takumi turned around, one eyebrow raised, waiting for Elias to continue. "...Thanks." Takumi laughed through his nose before shaking his head and opening the door. "Shut up."

Writing porn, like any other job, had its ups and downs. You got to write about all kinds of different sex - from the vanilla to the incomprehensibly kinky - which was pretty fun, especially when you weren't getting any yourself. However, there were various challenges, and Elias Coffey was facing one in this exact moment. The fact of the matter was there were only so many ways you could write sexy moaning noises, and he'd already used a whole bunch. "Damn this main character for being so vocal-" His shoulders instantly flinched as his mobile phone began to ring. He took a deep breath through his nose, closing his eyes briefly before glancing at the screen. He relaxed only slightly when he saw his editor's name, the repetitive buzzing of the vibration against the desk burning his ears. He waited for the call to end before picking up the phone with shaking hands. Sure enough, a notification popped up informing him he had a voicemail. Taking another deep breath, Elias slid his finger across the screen, and brought the device to his ear with an unsteady hand. "All okay as usual. Just a couple of typos, but I fixed those on my end. I do have some bad news, though. The next client wants to meet face-to-face, or at least speak to you on the phone about the details... Let me know which one is easiest for you. I'd really rather you not pass up this opportunity, but I understand how... difficult it is for you. I'll be waiting for your email. Oh, and don't forget to check your bank balance and make sure the last payment went in, we had some issues on our end. Anyway, that's it from me. Until next time." Elias took a moment to take in what his editor had said. Sometimes clients did ask to meet in person, but more often than not he refused. Phone calls even more so. What was the point when you could express what you wanted far more clearly in an email? He placed his phone back down on his desk before rubbing his eyes. "I should go check my balance..." Erotica wasn't exactly the most profitable of businesses, and porn scripts paid even less. If he wasn't careful with his finances, he'd be living hand-to-mouth. Huffing out a deep sigh, he quickly pulled on a zip-up jacket, reaching for his phone and earphones. The faster he got it over with, the better. Grabbing his keys and flicking his music on shuffle, he left his apartment and started the brisk walk to the convenience store. The walk itself wasn't bad - Elias might have spent ninety percent of his time indoors, but that didn't mean that he hated being outside. There was a slight chill in the air but bright skies. The road to the store was lined by huge trees, with one side leading off to a small park. He took a deep breath in, enjoying the sensation. That's when he heard it, a sound that even his the music in his ears couldn't muffle. A distinct whining was coming from the direction of the park. Pulling the earbuds from his ears, Elias stopped in his tracks to listen. Again, he could hear a whine. It clearly wasn't a human noise - he had heard enough of those in his time - and it didn't sound like a cat... It definitely sounded like a- "Dog?" Elias muttered aloud before he realised it. Looking into to the park, he saw something small and furry scurrying around. He was about to keep walking when he realised - there were no people in the park. Looking around once more to confirm, he took slow steps into the open area, keeping a distance from the animal. The park had an earthy ground, with tufts of grass here and there, and was surrounded by trees. However, there wasn't a person in sight. What there was, was a small cardboard box with a tattered umbrella resting over it. An even smaller dog kept running up to the box, jumping in, before whining and jumping out again. Thinking it might be lost, Elias slowly walked a little closer to the box, wanting to check for a collar. The dog remained completely oblivious, too occupied with running about and making noise. He saw no collar around its neck, no sign of identification. In fact, now that he looked closer, the dog seemed rather thin... Too thin to have as much energy as it did. What he had assumed to be its natural colour was actually what seemed to be mud matted into its fur. Just how long had it been outside...? The panic quickly set in. What was he supposed to do in this situation? Whipping out his phone, Elias quickly googled 'stray dog.' "Millions of stray dogs gassed in Japan" "9,000 stray dogs killed per day" "Cruel 'euthanasia centre' for stray dogs discovered in Tokyo" "You're not helping, Google!" Elias muttered frustratedly, quickly changing his search to 'what to do when you find a stray dog', and trying to forget the information he'd just seen. He quickly tapped on the first article, and took a deep breath as he flicked through the contents. The first point stated, "Assume lost, not stray." Elias took that to heart. He'd much rather think this pup had got lost somewhere than it had been abandoned, but something about that cardboard box made him think otherwise. "Calmly approach the dog, prioritise your own safety if you feel it may be dangerous." "Dangerous, huh?" He took another glance at the dog, which had now calmed down slightly and was pacing around the box, still whining every now and then. Elias took another step forward, making coaxing noises and rubbing the fingers of his right hand together in an attempt to look friendly. Before he knew it, the dog was bounding towards him, tiny front paws clawing at his legs. Slowly lowering to his knees, he reached a hand out towards the dog's small head, and it only flinched slightly before pushing its head into his touch. Elias was surprised at how warm it was. "As if you could be dangerous..." He glanced at his phone again, checking the next step in the article. "Ask around to see if the owner is nearby." Elias swallowed heavily. That one was impossible at the moment, for various reasons - the main one being there wasn't a single person around to ask. He looked down at the dog, petting its head once more before slowly wrapping his right hand under its stomach, pulling the dog up to his chest. He had known the dog was small and looked thin, but he hadn't been expecting it to be this light... Worryingly light, and shaking. Looking from side to side and still not seeing anyone, he slowly unzipped his jacket, bundling up the pup inside before zipping it back up again, leaving the top slightly open. The puppy wriggled around inside his jacket before popping its head out of the top, black nose sniffing around as muddy paws held on to the hem of his zipper. There was only one person he could think of who could help in this situation. Hooking one arm under the dog in his jacket, he brought his phone back to his face and opened up his contacts. With a deep, shuddering breath, he scrolled, finding the name he was looking for. He paused for a full minute, his eyes scrunched shut. Take a deep breath in, out. Repeat. Opening his eyes again, he quickly pressed call before he could chicken out. "Hey, it's Elias. I kind of need to head to your place. Yeah, right now. Is that okay?"

the small quite town was in the middle of nowhere trees surrounding it no exit no entrance. in our small town we only have 1 super market well that are open anyway. 2 chapels that are open anyway. another thing is last month an entire street was closed down some of the residents of the town say its haunted hens all the places closing down. personal i don`t believe in that bullshit but others do. All i do is play video games with my friends shin and Ryukyu my name is zeroshiki. i`v got a more than avridge life. But one day. something. happened. my. mother died or was rather murdered by someone or something. my life changed for the worst i decided in the dead of night i would investigate the closed of street when the police are not at the only way to get in there. i snuck in there and went to the center of the street the mall i went in and i saw monsters not just any monsters they looked different to monsters in games they had 4 arms 2 where blades for hacking through people and other monsters, i hid sneaking along until i got to the floor vent it was loose no screws where in the vent so i moved the vent cover and got in to see what was going on from a (fairly) safe location. This Novel Contains Mature Content Show This Chapter? Yes

The Three Deaths Chapter 2 The darkness engulfed her; it was heavy and thick. Black as ink. Everything around her felt murky and ominous, yet it somehow felt safe as well. Zina had grown accustomed to the darkness; it served to soothe her tired and aching bones. A side effect of dying is that you quickly get used to living in darkness. Zina knew that people had it all wrong. Just because darkness could hide any matter of baddies; that doesn't mean that's always the case. In an environment where anything can sneak up on you, Zina knew that nothing ever did. Zina found great peace and tranquility in the comfort of the murky darkness. Nothing could bother her here; nothing could hurt her. Zina was suddenly snapped from her reverie by a voice ringing out through the vast emptiness. "Are you okay?" the girl's voice asked. "I think so," said Zina. She was startled by the unknown voice. She quickly regained her composure, though, and started assessing her situation. "Where am I?" "The Void," is all the voice said. "The Void?" Zina asks. It was different from when she died; it didn't feel the same. "The place in between Life and Death. Some people call it Purgatory. It goes by many different names." The girl's voice rang out and seemed to fill the void left by the darkness. It was both comforting and timid, as well as demanding and daunting. "And who are you?" Zina asks, trying to mask the trembling fear in her voice. "Don't you know? I'm God. I'm kind of new at this, so sorry if I mess up. I was just voted in five hundred years ago," the voice echoed out across the vast darkness. "The Afterlife is a democracy? Go figure." Zina says, slightly mockingly. Even in the face of God, she couldn't hide her sarcasm. "Basically, yeah," she responded. If she noticed the sarcasm in her tone, she didn't show it. "Cool. Hey, while I have you here, who the fuck was the guy who cucked Joseph and knocked up Mary?" Zina couldn't miss the opportunity to try and answer a question that had been nagging her for ages. "Yeah, that was Earl. He was impeached shortly after that," the girl's voice said. Zina could note a hint of shame in her voice. "Wait. Jesus' dad is some dude named Earl?" Zina asks incredulously. "Yep. He's a meth dealer now. Mostly sells to demons," the deity's voice explained. "Oh my God," Zina says to herself. "Yes?" The voice asks. "Sorry, I was just using your name in vain," Zina replies. "Ah, no problem. I don't really mind that. Some of the old-guard really hated it, though," the young deity told her. "So, what's your real name?" Zina had lost her fear, and her curiosity had fully taken over. "I can't tell you that because... How can I say this? Let's just go with I can't. Also, remember that time is not fluid," she says with a snicker. "What's that supposed to mean?" Zina asks, completely confused. "Don't worry about it. Oh, by the way, keep an eye on Valentina," she tells her. Zina couldn't see where the omniscient voice was coming from, but she knew that the person behind it was grinning. "Why? What do you know that you're not telling me?" Zina asks. She started to worry, wondering what her friend could be capable of. "She's not what she seems; I mean, she is a great friend and will never betray you, but remember not to play with fire," the voice boomed out all around her. "Why are you speaking this way? Just tell me!" Zina yells. She was not happy about being jerked around like this. "I'm sorry. I can't. She has to learn slowly. I'm just giving you a hint," the voice says. "Okay. I don't like it, but I'll take it," Zina says. She was annoyed but knew that battling with God wouldn't end well for her. "It's not really gonna matter. You're gonna forget all of this in a little while. You will dream it over and over again, but when you wake up, you'll just remember having a terrifying nightmare," the voice told Zina. "Well, that sucks," Zina replies. "Yeah, being brought back from the dead really fucks with you mentally," the voice tells Zina. Zina could make out a hint of sympathy and sadness in her voice as she said this. "Wait, am I going back to Earth?" Zina asks. She still had so many questions she wanted to ask. Even if she would not remember any of this afterward, she needed to know. "Yep. In about five... Four... Three... Two... Bye!" "AAGGGGHHHHH!!!" Zina yells as she shoots up in her bed. Covered in sweat, she looks at the clock next to her bed. It read 7:07 AM. "I guess it's time to get up," she tells herself. Her mind was foggy as she tried to recall what woke her in such a fright. Zina has little time to worry about her nightmare as the morning light falls on her body. She quickly jumps out of bed and heads toward her bathroom. She rushes past the countless anime wall scrolls that adorn her hallway. She reaches her bathroom and flings the door open. She is immediately greeted by the sight of a traditional tsunami drawing adoring her bathroom wall. She runs into the bathroom and drops her pantsuit bottoms as she sits down to urinate. Her fancy tech-heavy Japanese toilet and bidet combo whirs to life in a mechanical hiss as it greets her good morning in Japanese. It's connected to her home WiFi, of course, so it also reads out her notifications and appointments for the day; in Japanese, obviously. Zina's mind is elsewhere as she empties her bladder. The shock of her nightmare is still racing through her veins, and she can feel her heart pounding in her cold, dead chest. She doesn't remember exactly what the nightmare was about, but she knows that it terrified her. She's bathed in a cold sweat from tossing and turning all night. She can feel her dress shirt clinging to her, and it's starting to make her uncomfortable. Zina knows that no matter how hard she tries, she won't remember any pertinent details about her nightmare. She decides that the best course of action is to start the day off right. Zina peels off her shirt and tosses it into the dirty hamper next to her. She foregoes the bidet, no matter how much the automatic toilet tells her to use it. Instead, she groggily makes her way toward her shower and pulls back her 'My Bride is a Mermaid' anime-inspired shower curtains. "God, I hate this time of year," she says as she turns the water on. The shower comes to life as the warm waters of her showerhead pelt her head and wash away her sweat and fears. She lets the water roll down her body as she stands there with her hands against the wall for support. She watches as the water circles the drain at her feet and wash away the worries of the night before. Zina reaches out and grabs the special soap her father Grant had specifically made for her. He manufactured it to not only leave her smelling like roses and not as if she were pushing up daisies, but it also kept her skin from falling off. She quietly hums 'Renai Circulation' as she showers and tries to scrub herself clean to the beat of the song. After going through the song a few times, she finally decides she's clean enough and steps out onto her Naruto shower mat; she enjoyed stepping on Sakura's face after a shower. She grabbed her Spy X Family Anya-adorned towel off the tower rack and dries herself. Once she feels sufficiently dry enough, she wraps the towel around her hair and walks back to her bedroom, naked. She heads toward her dresser, which is decorated with more anime stickers than any sane person should ever have. She pulls open her underwear drawer and picks out a matching set of bra and panties. She decides on her special 'One Punch Man' underwear for the day; Saitama's face would adorn both her breasts and crotch for the day. "This will do perfectly," she says to herself, smiling. She slips her weeb underwear on and admires herself in her bedroom mirror for a second. After checking herself out for much longer than she should, she finally decides to get dressed and heads downstairs for breakfast. Zina's kitchen is somewhat normal: compared to the rest of her house. It is the only room not covered in anime memorabilia. It is painted a bright yellow with blue trim all around. It has that Southern Comfort feel to it, your typical Americana-styled kitchen. The only thing missing to make it a true cliché is to have an apple pie cooling on the windowsill. Zina chuckles to herself at that thought and walks toward her refrigerator. Unable to fully hide how much of an otaku she is, she noticed her small collection of anime kitchen magnets as she got her breakfast ready. Zina pulled out a two-liter of Coke-A-Cola and a blue Tupperware container containing some leftovers. She makes her way across the room to retrieve a frying pan from the cupboard. She places it on her electric stove and turns it on as she reaches for some olive oil. She coats the frying pan with a generous amount of oil, and empties the contents of the Tupperware container into it. She then reaches for the two-liter bottle of Coke and proceeds to chug the entire bottle in less than fifteen seconds. "Ahhhh. So fucking good," Zina happily says to herself. She tries to hold a small burp back but is unsuccessful. Before she could excuse herself to absolutely nobody, she is stunned by a sudden sound. DING DONG, the doorbell rang. "Who the hell could that be before 8 AM?" Zina thinks to herself. She wasn't expecting any company this early in the morning. Completely forgetting that she is not wearing anything but her underwear, she walks to the front door and looks out. Valentina is standing out there wearing a pink shirt and bleached-blue jean shorts. Zina smiles at her and opens the door. "Hey... You do know that you're in your underwear, right?" Valentina says, pointing at Zina's lower half. "Ah, shit! Just... Just get in here before anybody else sees," Zina says, covering herself with her left hand and pulling Val in with her right. After closing the door, she looks at Valentina and asks, "What the hell are you doing here so early in the day?" "Well, it's that time of the year for you; I wanted to make sure you were okay," Val tells her. Zina could see the worry in her friend's eyes. It made her feel bad. She didn't want her problems to be her friend's problems as well. "You could have just called," Zina says to her. She appreciated everything Valentina did for her, but she didn't want to bother her too much. "You know me. I'm just nosy," Val says, smiling at Zina. "Whatever. You want some scrabble?" Zina asks. She might have forgotten to put on her clothes, but she didn't forget her manners. "You're never gonna make me eat that shit, you sick fuck. I'd rather eat the brains," Val says disgustedly. She never understood how her friend could put that garbage into her body: dead or not. "Hey, scrabble is great! It's the best fucking food in the world. Okay... Maybe not as good as rice, but it's definitely a close second!" Zina says gleefully. The thing she missed the most about living in Japan was all the great rice dishes. "Oh, please don't go on one of your rice rants," Val groans, turning her head away, annoyed. She knows that if Zina gets started on one of her famous rice rants, it is almost impossible to stop her. "Rice is the food of the Gods!" Zina yells. She does not understand how people can not see how great rice is. "You Japanese worship rice too much; it's weird. News flash, the rest of the world thinks you're crazy." Val tells her delusional friend. "Shut up. Rice is the shit!" Zina exclaims. She loved Valentina but couldn't allow her to continue insulting the best food in the universe. "I'm sorry to say, but chocolate is the real food of the Gods," Val says smugly. "Whatever. We'll find you something to eat," Zina says. She walks back toward the kitchen with Val following closely behind her. "Don't worry about it; I already ate. Sugar Smackers, of course. I could go for a snack, though." Zina wonders, if Valentina wasn't undead, would she have died because of diabetes by now? Zina decides to make a quick omelet for Val and finishes frying her scrabble. She then grabs two sakura flower-adorned plates from her cupboard to plate their food. They both decide to take their meal in the living room. They make their way to the Sailor Moon couch and sit down. "I will admit, your omelets are fucking great, Zina!" Val says with a mouthful of egg. She makes sure not to spill any on Zina's couch; she knows how much her crazy friend loves her anime memorabilia. "Yeah, you can thank dad for that one. He taught me how to cook a lot of shit once I was somewhat back to normal," Zina explains. "Yeah, dad is a huge supporter of assimilation," Val says while shoving more eggs into her mouth. "What are we watching?" "Oh, hold up. This is just Jerry Springer. Let me turn on HiDive." Zina grabs the controller and points it at the TV. "Okay, so what have I not watched yet?" Zina rhetorically asks as she goes through the menu of the anime streaming service. "Oh, season two of Peter Gill is out! This show is so fucked up! I love it," Zina says joyfully. "What's it about?" Val asks as she continues to shovel food into her mouth. "Well, the first season was about this guy who was the top fighter in the world and consonantly cheated on his fiance. It's funny as hell, though. I'm sure you'll love it," Zina says. She enjoys sharing her love of anime with her friends. In her mind, the perfect world would be one full of weebs. "Oh, okay. Sounds good, let's watch," Val replies. After three hours of watching Peter Gill... "We should head to the beach soon," Val says to Zina. "Yeah, you're probably right. Let's turn this off. We'll watch the rest later," Zina says as she turns off the TV. Zina grabs Valentina's plate and heads toward the kitchen. "You do realize you are still in your underwear?" Val tells her oblivious friend. "God damn it! Why didn't you tell me earlier?!" Zina screams at Val. She's masking her embarrassment with rage. Zina could see that Valentina was throwing to hold back her laughter. "You've had way too much head trauma, Zina. Go get dressed, you simpleton." Val grins as Zina saunters toward her bedroom. "I am not a simpleton!" Zina yells back at Val as she makes her way to her dresser. "Just go get dressed. Remember to put your swimsuit on. You don't want to go topless, do you?" Val can no longer hold back her laughter as she chides her friend. "Shut up! That was your fault!" Zina huffs as she storms up the stairs. "Just go get dressed already." Val sighs. She loves Zina, but sometimes she feels that she's more trouble than she's worth. "Fine," Zina growls as she reaches the top of the landing. Before she heads to her room, she turns around and yells down to Valentina, "Will you wash the dishes?" "Yeah, sure." Val gets up and heads toward the kitchen sink. "Thanks," Zina responds as she slams her bedroom door shut. After Zina finally gets dressed, the couple leaves the house and climb into Baby, ready to enjoy their vacation. Zina spends a few minutes talking to her car and annoying Valentina before she finally turns the ignition and pulls out of the driveway. Their destination, Benton Beach on the edge of Lake Erie, is an hour-and-a-half drive through mostly empty highways. Valentina turns on the radio to help pass the time and is blasted by a peppy high-energy anime theme song. After a few seconds of some random idol belting out mushy cliché lyrics in Japanese, Valentina has enough and shuts off the radio. She instead looks out the window watching the landscape race by her as they make their way to the beach. She feels her eyes getting heavy as she can faintly make out Zina going on one of her famous rice rants. When Valentina finally wakes up, she can see the sun high over their heads and blasting down on them. She turns to look at the dashboard clock and realizes it's already past noon. As she rubs the sleep from her eyes, she looks out the window and sees the lake in front of them. It seems she woke up just in time; Zina is pulling into an empty parking spot. "I'm surprised the campground still has so many empty openings," Val says as she gets out of the car. She stands next to the car as she looks out over one of the biggest lakes in the world. Lake Erie is one of the five Great Lakes in the Midwestern United States. It is almost 10,000 square miles or a little over 16,000 square kilometers. It is the second smallest of the five Great Lakes. Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, Lake Huron, and Lake Ontario make up the other four. Lake Erie, at its deepest, is 599ft or 173m deep. In the winter, it can completely freeze over. It is one of the most popular vacation spots all year round for any of the local inhabitants. Benton Beach is in the Magee Marsh Wildlife Area in the southwestern area of Lake Erie. It is located southeast of Toledo, Ohio. It is almost always packed to the brim with tourists and vacationing locals, except for today. "Yeah, I'm pretty sure dad had something to do with that," Zina says, stretching her tired legs and looking over the endless expanse of water. "You're probably right," Val says to her. "Come on. Get the towels out of the trunk." Zina pops open the trunk so they can retrieve their supplies. She grabs a couple of towels and a beach umbrella. She tells Valentina to take the beach chairs and sunscreen. They make their way to the beach to pick out a good spot. They soon find the perfect location and set up their towels and beach chairs; they then make their way back to the car to get the cooler. They drag the cooler back to their towels and finally settle in and enjoy their day. "Okay, time to test out the new sunscreen," Val exclaims to Zina. "Fine. But I'm not touching your ass," Zina says. She grabs the bottle from her friend's hand and plops out a sizable dab of sunscreen on hers. "Why would you say that? We're both wearing shorts," Val says. "Plus, we've done worse than that." Zina notices the small mischievous grin on her pale friend's face. "Yeah, yeah, yeah," Zina says. "Okay. Applying Advanced Sunscreen!" Zina proceeds to rub the sunscreen on Val. She starts on her shoulders and works her way toward her back. Her nimble fingers make sure to coat Val's entire back. As she applies the sunscreen, her mind wanders back to what her friend mentioned. Zina and Val have had plenty of physical interactions in the past. Zina would be lying if she said she didn't enjoy them. She gets too excited as her mind wanders and decides to focus on the task at hand. "I still don't understand why he made it taste and smell like chocolate," Zina says as she licks the sunscreen off her fingers. "Dad's a pervert; what did you expect? He probably wants us to do naughty things while we're here. That or it's probably some repurposed sex lube," Val snickers at the thought. She noticed Zina grinding herself on her leg as she applied the sunscreen. "Or it could be both," Zina says as she puts more sunscreen on her finger and eats it. "I wouldn't be surprised," Val says, sitting up. At this point, Zina is eating the sunscreen straight out of the tube. Val flirted with the thought that maybe the sunscreen was actually an aphrodisiac before chastising her voracious friend. "Damn it, Zina! Stop it!" Val grabs the tube of 'sunscreen' out of Zina's hand. She screws the cap back on and tosses it into the cooler. "What? It's nice and yummy," Zina mumbles with a mouthful of sunscreen. Val wonders if their dad made it white, on purpose, for situations like this. "I know it's good, but people are starting to stare," Val tries to hide her embarrassment as onlookers walk by, gawking at the awkward couple. Zina looks up and sees at least ten people staring at her in abject horror and total shock. "Oh," she says, embarrassed as 'sunscreen' slowly drips out of her mouth. After spending some quality time at the beach, the sun starts to dip below the horizon. The girls pack up their things and make their way to the campground. They arrive just as the sun fully sets, and they set about setting up their tent before darkness fully surrounds them. Just as they are about to light their campfire, they are startled by a flash of lights coming from the woods, first red, then blue. "Ah, shit," Zina says. "Damn it," Val responds. "Twenty bucks says it's Kiki," Val says with a small sigh. "Nah, I bet it's Xixi," Zina responds with a sigh of her own. There's some rustling in the woods as a cute girl with light blue hair walks out. She is wearing a leather bodysuit adorned with eight shiny and sharp knives. She makes her way toward the girls who have finished setting up their campfire. They are now in the process of roasting some marshmallows. "I'll pay you when we get back home, okay?" Zina says dejectedly to Val. "That's fine with me," Val says as she eats her marshmallow off the stick. "Hey, Kiki. Want a marshmallow?" Zina says, pointing her marshmallow-laden stick toward her. "Why the hell don't you ever answer your phone, Zina!?" Kiki yells at Zina. Even in her anger, she reaches out and plucks the stick from her hand. She stares at the burnt white object at the end of it. "Oh, shit," Zina says, looking frantically around. "I think I left it in the car, sorry." Zina's cheeks flush red in embarrassment. "You're such a simpleton," Val says, smiling at Zina as she roasts a brand new marshmallow. "Shut up!" Zina yells back at Val. "What do you need, Kiki?" Zina asks. "My mom needs Bao and you on the ship tomorrow," Kiki continues to stare at the marshmallow, curious as to what its purpose could be. "Aww. We were going to go fishing tomorrow," Zina says. She knows there's no point in arguing with her. Her vacation was already ruined. "What time?" She asks with a sigh. "Around 9 PM, your time," Kiki hesitantly pokes at the marshmallow, worried that it might explode at her touch. "Oh, cool," Zina says joyfully. "We can still go fishing!" She grabs a stick and a marshmallow, seeing as Kiki has absconded with hers. "Want to join us, Kiki?" Val asks, in between bites of marshmallow. "What are you girls even doing here?" Kiki asks curiously. "Camping and roasting marshmallows, can't you tell?" Zina says as she leans back on her chair and enjoys the night breeze. "What are these, by the way?" Kiki asks as she points at the marshmallow. Kiki is an alien-human hybrid from the Alpha Centauri Galaxy. Her mother, Queen Cobo, is Grant's lover, and they have two twin daughters together, Kiki and Xixi. Kiki looks human, but her twin sister, Xixi, has ancient alien DNA that makes her look alien. Kiki could easily fit in perfectly here on Earth. She has short light blue hair, but apart from that, she has typical human qualities. In fact, if you were to slap some hippie clothes on her, she'd fit in perfectly at an all-white BLM rally. Just like her sister, Kiki is extremely cute. "That is a marshmallow," Zina says to her confused friend. "Eat it." "It's not something disgusting like when you tricked me into eating a bug, is it?" Kiki is hesitant to eat the marshmallow. Zina and Val had tricked her once before, and she swore to never fall for it again. "No. Here I'll eat it if you want," Zina says as she reaches for the marshmallow. "You did the same thing with the bug!" Kiki says suspiciously. "Zina! What the hell?!" Val yells at Zina. "What? It was hilarious. I made Bao laugh. You know how rare that is," Zina giggles as she remembers that day. "Okay, if it made Bao laugh, then it's okay," Val relents. "Here. I'll eat one." She quickly devours the marshmallow she just finished roasting. Val then reaches into the bag full of marshmallows and pulls out two more, one in each hand. She eats another one of them and hands the other one to Kiki. "See. They're good," Val says through a mouthful of marshmallow. "Okay," Kiki says as she reluctantly takes the marshmallow out of Val's hand and hesitantly puts it in her mouth. Her eyes widen in surprise as the sugary taste hits her taste buds. "Oh my God!" She says, shocked by the taste. "This is really good!" She reaches for another marshmallow to roast. "Right?" Zina says. "Come on, sit down with us," Val says, patting the log they are sitting on. The three girls spend the night talking and roasting marshmallows. After the marshmallows have finally run dry, they groggily make their way to the tent. They settle in for a good night's rest, with their bellies full of marshmallows and hearts full of joy. Val's 5 A.M. alarm wakes them from their deep slumber. She rubs the sleep from her eyes and reaches over to her phone to shut it off. "Why do we have to wake up so early?" Kiki asks. She gets up from her sleeping bag, her hair is a mess, and her eyes are closed. She doesn't want to meet the glare of the sun just yet. "You've got to get out early to catch the fish," Zina says to her. Zina seems to be in a chipper mood despite it being so early in the morning. "Why do THEY wake up so early?" Kiki asks grumpily. "I don't know. They just do," Zina responds. She's getting her gear ready to go fishing. "Fish are stupid," Kiki says. She tries to curl up into bed again, but her friends drag her back out. "I'm not gonna argue with that," Zina says as she drags her by the leg out of the tent. "Yeah, fish are pretty stupid." Val says. Kiki decides it's not worth trying to get some more sleep, so she begrudgingly gets up to face the day. She's wearing shorts and a t-shirt that Zina had let her borrow the night before. Surprisingly, Zina and her are the same size, so they fit her perfectly. She peels off her impromptu pajamas and puts on her bodysuit again. "Come on, we've got to go get some breakfast in us first," Zina says to her angry friend. "Halos Pancake House?" Val asks the pair. "Fuck yeah!" Zina replies ecstatically. They finish packing up their gear and put it in the trunk of Baby. Once they have finished packing everything up, they get in and drive to Halos. The girls spend the short trip talking about the weather and how obsessed Zina is with rice. They soon pull up to an antiquated, weathered, wooden shack with the words "Halos Pancake House" emblazoned on top of it. They park Baby and make their way into the restaurant to enjoy their breakfast. The only other people up this early are the local fishermen getting ready to face the day and the waves. "Ugh, he's here," Zina says, disappointed. "Let's just sit down." Zina and her friends make their way to an empty stall. "Maybe he won't see us," Val says, trying to avoid eye contact. A tall crusty old man in his late 50's wearing a Kid Rock shirt and Budweiser baseball cap stands up and walks over to the girls. "Zina. Val. How are you gals doing?" The lecherous old man says, smiling at Zina. "Hey, Ben. Going fishing?" Zina tries to remain civil. "Hell yeah. The walleye are biting like hell this week." Ben says with a chuckle. "Awesome," Zina says, trying not to sound too curt. "I am going to beat you this time! You're State Record will not stand! I am gonna catch one that's way over your 16.24 lbs!" Ben exclaims. Three months ago on a fishing trip, Zina made an enemy out of Ben Jensen when she beat his State Walleye Record. He has vowed revenge ever since. "Sure. Sure you will, Ben. I believe in you," Zina says to him mockingly. "Now, will you let us sit down and eat in peace?" "Fine. Enjoy your meal, girls," Ben says as he stomps away. "Thank you," Zina says, gritting her teeth. As soon as Ben is far enough away, they all breathe a sigh of relief and reach for their menus. "Hey, girls," a spunky woman says as she walks up. "Hey, Barbra," Zina replies warmly. "Hey, Barb," Val says with a smile. "Who's this?" Barbra asks, pointing at Kiki. "This is our sister, Kiki. She's from out of town," Val says to her. "You ain't one of them Antifa fucks are ya?" Barbra asks, chewing her gum loudly. "I don't know what that even is," Kiki says, perplexed. "If you don't know who they are, then you're okay with me. The blue hair worried me for a second. Just so you know, they're fucking Commies. I wish they'd all die," Barbra chews her gum even louder as she continues with her diatribe. "You'd like our sister Bao," Val says to Barbra. "She's got your same state of mind." "How many sisters do y'all got?" Barbra asks while pointing her pencil at Val. "A lot. I'm really not sure about the number, though," Val replies. There's no point to lay out their entire family tree for her. "Your daddy is a whore," Barbra says in a motherly tone. "You are 100% right on that," Zina laughs. "Caffeine Milkshake for you, Zina?" Barbra asks. "Yep," Zina says. "And a cappuccino for you, Val?" She quickly jots down Zina's order as she turns to Val. "You got it," Val responds. "What about you, sweetie?" Barbra turns her attention to Kiki. "Me? Umm..." Kiki takes a look at the menu. "Get her a large orange juice," Val responds for her. "Okay," Barb says. "Be right back." She struts away to the counter to get their drinks. "What's orange juice?" Kiki asks Val. "It's a drink. Trust me; you'll like it. You really need to spend more time here on Earth." Val tells Kiki. "I've been too busy. Mom's got me in charge of a battalion of star ships. Even on my days off, I'm running errands for her. It's exhausting." Kiki sighs as she stares at the menu. "Yeah, you definitely need this day trip. You're really gonna like fishing. Japan, where I'm from, fishing and rice are life." Zina never misses an opportunity to bring up her roots. "Don't you bring up rice again, Zina!" Val glares at her and hopes she doesn't go into another one of her rants. "Fine," Zina says, huffing. "I like rice. Fried rice is really good," Kiki says. "Ahahahaha!" Zina laughs. "Wait? You've had fried rice but not orange juice? Where did you have fried rice?" Val asks Kiki. She's always amazed at the life Kiki has had here on Earth. "Dad taught mom how to make it years ago. It's a universal holiday now. Everyone eats it." Kiki says with pride. "I'm never gonna let you forget this, Valentina," Zina says smugly. "Shut up, Zina," Val responds. After five minutes of Kiki and Zina talking about the greatness of rice, Barbra finally arrives with their drinks. "Thank God," Val says with a sigh of relief. Barbra hands each of them their drinks. "You gals ready to order?" Barbra asks as she pulls out her pencil and notepad. "Yep. Three short stacks all around," Zina says. "Okay. Coming right up." She strolls back toward the kitchen to place their order. Kiki stares at her orange juice. "I've never tried anything orange. It seems strange," Kiki says. "Trust me, you'll like it," Zina tells her. "Okay." Kiki brings the drink up to her nose to smell it first. "It's got a good smell, at least," she says. "Just try it. Trust us." Val tells her. Kiki puts the glass up to her lips and takes a sip. Her eyes widen again. She chugs the entire glass in seconds. After finishing breakfast, the three girls make their way to the dock. Val and Zina focus on prepping the boat while Kiki scurries towards the bathroom to relieve herself from the fourteen glasses of orange juices she drank. "Maybe we shouldn't be introducing her to all these sweets," Val tells Zina as she dumps the ice into the cooler. "Ah, she'll be fine. Can aliens even get diabetes?" Zina asks as she makes sure they have all their gear. "Well, she is half human, so I'd say there's a chance?" Val says, a bit worried. Kiki makes her way to the boat after emptying her bladder. "Wow. I've never had to piss that bad in my life," Kiki says. "Yeah, orange juice goes right through you," Val giggles. "You ready, Kiki?" Zina asks. "Yep," she replies. She sits on the boat as she watches the duo finish the preparations. The girls take the 18-foot outboard to Zina's favorite fishing spot. A place just outside Sandusky Bay. It takes them about twenty minutes to get there. "Catch me some fish, you little shad!!" Zina yells as she casts her line out. "Using fish to catch fish? Very war-like, I approve." Kiki says as she tries to cast her line the same way Zina did. "It very much is," Val says, reclining in her seat. "Remember, Zina is from Japan, and they are very war-like people." She adds another coat of sunblock to her fair skin. "Fuck you, Val. We technically haven't been to war since World War 2. We're pretty peaceful now." Zina yells back at her friend as she keeps her eyes locked on her bobber. "It took... You know what? That's too mean." Val bites her tongue. "You were gonna mention the bomb, weren't you?!" Zina bellows. "I'm not gonna respond to that," Val says. "Yeah, you better not." Zina finally turns to glare at Val. "Your little floaty thing just went under the water." Kiki points to the little ripples forming where her bobber used to be. "Oh, shit!" Zina yells, pulling back on her rod. After a short fight, Zina reels in a four-inch yellow perch. "First one of the day!" Zina exclaims with joy. She takes the fish off the hook and throws it back. "Are you not gonna eat it?" Kiki asks, confused. "Nah. I always throw them back. I just fish for sport, not food." Zina says as she casts her line again. "Ah, I see." Kiki says. "Can you swim in this water?" Kiki asks her sisters. "Yeah, sure. Go ahead if you want to take a dip. Just swim in the back, so you don't scare away the fish." Zina tells her as she keeps her eyes on her line. "That's the first really good idea that has come up on this boat." Val stands up and heads toward the back of the boat. "Yeeeeaahhhhh!" She yells as she cannonballs into the water. "GOD DAMN, IT'S COLD!!" Val yells as she pops her head out of the water. "What did you expect? It's September in Lake Erie, idiot." Zina laughs as she makes sure not to avert her gaze from the bobber in front of the boat. "Fuck it. I'm staying in. Come on in, Kiki." Val tries to encourage her sister to join her. "Okay," Kiki says as she jumps in. "It isn't too bad," Kiki says. "Oh, yeah. I forgot your species has a higher body temperature than humans do." Val says, shivering. "Zina wouldn't feel shit if she jumped in here. Her body temperature is higher than normal, too." She's getting used to the temperature but is still shaking a bit from the cold. "Damn straight. All thanks to that artificial alien blood your mom's husband created." Zina yells back at them. "Jerry is a cuck," Kiki says with a grin. "The biggest in the universe," Val says to Kiki, her teeth chattering as she grins. After spending the day fishing and swimming, the girls head back to Zina's house. As they walk into the house, Val turns to Zina and says, "Well, I had a lot of fun today. I better head home now." "All right. Give me a hug first, though." Zina spreads her arms open to embrace her. Zina and Val share a deep and warm embrace. "Give me a call when you get home, okay?" Zina tells her. "Will do," Val says. Zina and Val finally let go of each other. "Well, I'll see you all later. Nice to see you again, Kiki." Val says, waving goodbye to her as she walks out the door. "You too," Kiki says as the door closes. Zina looks at Kiki and says, "Let's head out to the shed." Zina locks up her house, and the two head to the shed out in her backyard. She keeps her trusted tractor and yard tools in it. Being Japanese means that she must also ensure to keep her yard well tended. "You ready?" Zina asks. "Just do it," Kiki replies. Zina puts her finger behind her right ear and presses down. "Where to?" A woman's voice crackles in her head. "The USS Jerry is a Cuck, please," Zina replies. "Permission granted," the woman's robotic voice responds. A summoning circle begins to light up around them. The same red flame fireflies surround them, and the punch to the guts hits. Blackness engulfs them... "God, I fucking hate that," Zina says as she stands up groggily. "You're a little early," A tall blueish-green woman with dark blue hair wearing the same nanosuit as Zina is there to greet them. "Early bird gets the worm, Queen Cobo," Zina says as she walks up to her. She takes a look out the window. She stares out into the endless expanse of space. She takes a moment of silence as she stares out the bridge of the starship USS Jerry is a Cuck. "That it does. That it does." Queen Cobo turns to her with a smile.

It was just after 9:00pm. Haru could see the park where he was supposed to meet up with the person who infiltrated the city's most notorious gang. It was eerily quiet around this evening. He scanned through the area, looking for the person in question. As he scanned through the park, he spotted a lone girl sitting on one of the benches. He could see what she was doing, but it looked like she was fidgeting. Her face cast down to the floor. She slowly looked up and scanned her surroundings as if someone were watching her. Then, noticing him, or rather the hoodie that he was wearing, standing next to a tree, she came running. With a look of relief on her face. The Red spider lily prints on the hoodie is what made the young lady realize her escort has arrived. "Huh!" she gasped when she saw his mask he had on and noticed who he his. "First lieutenant Takase!?" What are you doing here!?" "Warrant officer Yoshimoto, congratulations on completing your task. Now let's head back to headquarters the Grandmaster...." "No, there is no time for that!!" She said in a stern voice. But her body started shaking uncontrollably. The look on her face says it all. She is terrified of something, but what? "I am not sure who it is, but I think I am being followed." "Followed?" "Yeah..." Yoshimoto checked their surroundings. "...But not just that... Haruhiko! It's the leader of the Basilisks of purgatory..." Yoshimoto took a couple of steps closer to Haruhiko. "Yeah, what about him?" "Believe me when I tell you this. Ok?" "Sure." Haru took a step back and listened to what she had to say. "The leader of the Basilisks of purgatory, the leader's name is mina..." Just as she was about to say the leader's name, Haru caught a glimpse of a shiny object racing towards them. When he realised what it was... "GET DOWN!!!" He dragged her down with him behind a tree. The aggressor, still a distance away spoke up in a rather menacing tone. "Hey, hey, Yoshimoto, what are you doing here with Manjushage scum? Don't tell me he is your boyfriend. That breaks my heart." (THUD!!!) The sound of a knife hitting the tree gave Yoshimoto a fright. She tightened her grip around Haru's waist for a moment. The aggressor's footsteps became more and more audible as he approached them. "Hey come on out now! Let me see who I am going up against." There is no avoiding this. Now what to do? Is what Haru thought to himself. Haru pulled out his cell and messaged someone. Yoshimoto assumed he messaged someone from his squad. well technically yes. Still in a frantic panic, Yoshimoto asks Haruhiko what they should do now. "Head to the Shiboyu train station. An acquaintance of mine will be waiting for you there." "First lieutenant with all due respect, but you can't fight that guy..." Baffled Haru asked... "and Why is that?" "He is the son of lady kaguya. She trained him herself Haru. He is too strong. I've seen his skill..." "Well, isn't that interesting?..." Haru stood up chuckling. Yoshimoto failed to understand why he was laughing in their current situation. "It's bout time I fought someone worthy." Haru's whole nature changed, the glimmer in his eyes says it all. This warrior can't wait to battle. "But first lieutenant..." "Enough!" The sudden change in attitude frightened Yoshimoto a bit. "Now get yourself to the train station. A guy my age will get you there. He has white hair, he'll be wearing a hoodie that has a fierce tiger embroided on the back. His name is Kirigaya." The first thought that came to Yoshimoto's mind was "The Sleeping Tigers." The "The Sleeping Tigers." is Also a vigilante group that mainly oversees the northern parts of Takarametsu. Their relationship with the Manjushage is not the best. But in the past the two groups did fight together. Yoshimoto confused could not bring herself to argue anymore, so she left. "Ok, but be careful." "What is this? You can run Yoshimoto, but just remember, I will always find you, and know this when I do find you. I will kill you." "Threatening a member of the Manjushage in front of me is not a wise idea blonde-kun" "huh!? I am who they call "Kira" now what do they call you trash? You going to come out and fight or keep playing hide and seek?" "Its been a long time since I fought someone of your calibur, so please make this interesting..." " ...oh and as for my name it's Kurokawa." Kira burst out laughing. Haru failed to see a reason for this unexpected behaviour. "KUROKAWA!" Kira put so much emphasis on the Kawa in Haru's nickname. "Oh, I have been itching to go a few rounds with you scum bag I could almost cry." Kira put his hand on his face, as he could not bear the joy he felt. "If it is a fight you want, you sure as hell got it. Now can we begin. My mom promised to make me a nice warm cup of coffee after this job." "Your mother!! Kukukukuku" he burst out some more laughs so uncontrollably his stomach started to hurt. "You know nothing, you little shit. That piece of trash..." He burst out laughing again, not being able to finish his sentence." "...You know, you one funny guy. I got to admit it." "Well, I was not trying to be. And I cannot see the reason why you keep laughing." "That's it. You don't know nothing... not even about yourself... Kukuku" Haru normally does not take anything his enemies say to heart. But what Kira just told him struck a cord in him. There are times when Haru does not feel like himself. Times when feels like... "Now enough about that Kurokawa let's begin!" "Sure, whenever you're ready." "Welcome to Purgatory ." In a flash, the two were already exchanging fists with each other. Their overwhelming speed, their flawless technique. Showed that they are both expertly trained. "Gwah!" Kira swiftly kicked Haru in the abdomen with his knee and followed it through with a headbutt. Overwhelmed, Haru took a few spaces back. To create some distance between them. But Kira would not allow him that, so he swept back into close proximity of Haru and went on the offensive. Haru unfortunately had to go on the defensive as his opponent's swift movements kept him from fighting back Bang! Haru was now laying on the ground. He could not believe how quickly Kira put him to the ground. "Now, I think it's about time I start using this." What Kira was referring to was his Katana. In a matter of seconds, he pressed Haru down as he was trying to get up. His blade facing Haru's throat. "You were no fun at all Kurokawa! I guess even if you are trained by the great Akihito, you are still no match for me." Reluctantly, Haru was slowly accepting the fact that he was outmatched Then... Swoosh! Someone kicked Kira in the head. Kira went flying with his sword. That was a very good kick, just who could it be. "Haru are you okay?" asked a girl, with long coffee brown hair. "Ko... Kohaku! What are you doing here!? I told you to stay!!" "If I stayed you would be a highly caffeinated corpse right now. And a thank you would not hurt, you know. "Go back now!!" "What you yelling at me for!? You the one that just almost got killed!" "Kukuku" "The Kurokawa saved from the clutches of death by his girlfriend." Kira got back up and faced his prey "We not dating Haru is my best friend." "Unrequited love! Kukuku what a shame." So how does it feel being rejected, Takase!?" "Do you know what the blonde idiot is talking about, Haru?" "No, he has been saying shit like that from the get go." Haru stood back up and stood next to Kohaku. "You got beat up bad and quickly, too. Let me take care of blondie over there. Ok?" "He is too strong. It's unbelieveable." "Nothing I can't handle..." "... And don't butt in coffee breath." Kohaku walked with elegance and confidence towards her opponent, her beautiful brown swaying in the moonlit night. "Just so you know, I am not a big fan of hitting girls... But if you do insist, then I will just have to follow through with it." Before they could begin their battle, a lady who emerged from the darkness in the park interrupted them. Her hair was white as snow and the most beautiful woman both Haru and Kohaku ever saw. "Kira! How long are you going to continue with this and where is the bitch that infiltrated our ranks!?" Kira ran and went down on his knees quickly when he realised who she is "I'm sorry ma'am, she got awa..." Crack! The lady kicked Kira. The second kick to his head this night. " What a pathetic excuse for a son." "pfft" she spat at him as he layed on the ground in agony and fear. "Now, You Manjushage scum, tell me where the spy is. If you do, I will make your deaths painless." "Don't worry about the infiltrator, Kaguya. Our men are chasing her down as we speak." "That voice..." Haru whispered "Your true identity has not been revealed yet. Do you really think it is a wise decision to reveal it here and now? In front of these spectators, especially that black-haired one you seem to praise more than your actual son." "Either way, cat's gotta get out of the bag. Besides, I finally got a solid lead on who attacked us that night." The man, who was exchanging words with Lady Kaguya, slowly approached Haru from the back. Haru was too afraid to look back to see who the person is for sure. He stood dead still, whereas Kohaku watched in shock when she finally recognised who he was... "No! It can't be!" Kohaku shouted. "So you leave for several years, find out who attacked us and now you want to come back home? hmph! So then, as for the spectators, we should dispose of them. Immediatley" "Haru, we got to get out of here!" Kohaku's shout brought Haru back to reality. He turned around and faced the man behind him, now only a few feet from him. He froze up again when he put a face to the voice together. Confused, he tried asking him, 'what are you doing here' and ' 'what were you talking about just now?' But he spoke so softly the guy could not hear him. "You know Haru, it's a shame that you have to find out like this, and on the day you die too. Well, not that I care..." "DAD WHAT ARE YOU SAYING!?" "We should take care of this before the cops and other vigilante members arrive, Minato." Kaguya raised this point sternly. ******** meanwhile, back at headquarters... The sound of the Grandmaster's door creaked open with powerful force. "GRANDMASTER TAKASE!" Colonel Ichika walked into the office with a serious look on her face. "The spy has arrived, Sir." The Grandmaster sat at his desk, smoking a cigarette. After a pull on from it, the spy entered the room without her Escort. "Yoshimoto, where is First lieutenant Takase?" the Grandmaster asked her this while stubbing the cigarette in the ashtray. "Goo... goo... Good evening General. The First lieutenant is not here. He got into a battle with one of the Basilisks so he told me to hurry on to the Shiboyu train station where an acquaintance of his will be waiting for me" "An acquaintance you say... His name... this acquaintance of the First lieutenant. Is it Kirigaya, by any chance?" "Yes, Sir." "um... Sir with all due respect, but I'd like to skip over to the intel I've gathered. I fear that there is not much time left." Colonel Ichika wanted to say something about the way Yoshimoto was speaking. But with a show of his hand, the general kept her quiet. "You may proceed" "Sir!" "The Manjushage has been infiltrated by the leader of the Basilisks of purgatory himself." Grandmaster Kazuto dropped his lighter when he heard this. His expression changed from neutral to serious almost instantly. Meanwhile, colonel Ichika just stood there like a statue. "Are you certain about this information!?" Asked Ichika "Yes I am colonel..." "...And I also know who the Infiltrator is." "Go on, tell me who the sly bastard is, Yoshimoto." Kazuto tried guessing who it could be. It would have to be one of the top-ranking officers and they had to be part of the group for sometime already. But who? Kinushita, Hashimoto, Kurosaki, Takahashi, Onodera, Karuizawa? Those are just some of the family surnames that have been with Manjushage from the beginning. "The man's name is... Minato Bushida! Or as we know him Minato Takase." When Kazuto heard that name, he stood up from his seat quickly. Staring at Yoshimoto trying to ask her if she is 100% certain about her Intel, but the words couldn't come out. "Wait, are you saying that First lieutenant Takase's Father is the leader of the Basilisks of purgatory!?" shouted Ichika. TO BE CONTINUED...

after finding the location that is safer than the rest i slowly pulled out my pocket knife flipped it out and started cutting small pieces out of the wall vent cover so my filed of vision isn't too blocked. i saw the monsters crowding around a certain place in the building, i saw a human other than my self i threw a rock to the upper floor of the building distracting them they ran towards the upper floor i climbed out telling him to follow me out so we could survive together. we got out, but they saw us in there and began chasing us. we got to the entrance of the building, but luckily we got out and locked the door by boarding it back up we snuck through the zone and got out in one piece i decide to go to the national library the one that is always open. This Novel Contains Mature Content Show This Chapter? Yes