He couldn’t say for sure if it was metal or something else entirely. To be honest, ever since he came back from the library, he’s been unsure about a lot of things. However, one thing he was certain of was that he found himself in a room, specifically on a bed.


    It dawned on Akuma that he must have lost consciousness after the while Achillies incident, finding himself woken here.


    The room was predominantly white and likely made of some metallic material, giving an almost clinical sterile feel. The walls gleamed under the harsh fluorescent lights, and the air was tinged with a faint antiseptic smell that only heightened his confusion. But against, he was unsure if the ceiling he was looking at was metal or not.


    He turned his head to his left, taking note of two beds. The one closest to him held a small girl with striking lavender hair, her delicate features softened by the gentle rise and fall of her chest. She looked peaceful, lost in a dream, and for a moment, he felt a sensation akin to an older brother who wanted to protect his little sister. The bed further away, however, was occupied by a rather large jellybean -no, wait- upon closer inspection, that was just a chubby guy, sprawled out and snoring loudly, his belly rising and falling like a ship on the waves.


    To his left, was a sleeping woman who seemed to be a scientist or perhaps a doctor with how clinical the room felt. She was quite large, and I mean that in more ways than one -I’ll let your mind wonder. Her presence filled the room, and even as she slept, she exuded an air of authority. Strangely, she clutched onto a thin red string tightly with her thumb and index finger.


    Suddenly, her large snot bubble burst as she jolted awake.


    "Where am I?" she exclaimed in a panic, her eyes darting around the room. "…Oh yeah, I''m at H.Q."


    With that, she retrieved a pack of cigarettes from her lab coat pocket, placing one between her lips with a practiced ease.


    A bead of sweat trailed down Akuma’s cheek as he watched her very “interesting” behavior.


    “Um… I hate to be that guy, but should you really be smoking in front of a patient?"


    Given her cloak and the sterile environment, he couldn''t shake the feeling that this was indeed some sort of hospital -surely that assumption wasn''t too far off, right?


    He watched in disbelief as the woman he secretly suspected of being a con doctor, and abducting him for uncanny experiments, started to chew on the cigarette.


    As she munched away, she explained, "It''s actually chocolate. I think a lot, so I’m constantly eating them… Besides, I hate smoking. It makes me feel old."


    "Y-You don''t say…" Akuma stammered, taken aback by her unconventional approach.


    And it was at that moment he realized something. There was something about her that felt oddly familiar, not in the way one might recall a beautiful stranger, but rather like a father recognizing his child, even without ever having met.


    "…You’re Victor. The Queen of Clubs."


    As she finished the last of her chocolate, the strange woman inquired, "What makes you say that?"


    Akuma straightened up, leaning against the wall.


    "At first, I didn’t notice, since your Celestial Essence seemed to have faded. But then I spotted that string you’re holding… It’s ''The Third String of Fate'', isn’t it?"


    He tilted his head against the wall, his eyes drifting to the ceiling as memories of a certain golden-haired boy surged through his thoughts.


    "But if that’s the case, it means you aren’t the Victor I created… It’s pretty laughable. We created such similar worlds, even filling them with the same creatures, yet we ended up so differently… Tell me, you were created by ‘him,’ weren’t you?"


    A blend of astonishment and intrigue lit up her expression, accompanied by a playful smile that danced at the corners of her lips.


    "Very descriptive, pal. It''s a wonder I know who you''re talking about. But yes, you’re right… I’m not entirely sure how it happened, but somehow, you two ended up swapping worlds… Sooooo... What do you think of my father’s Yggdrasil?"


    "What do I think…?" I mused, the memories of my past life washing over me like a tide, each wave bringing with it the laughter and warmth of my lives long past. Those memories were sweet, filled with joy, and undoubtedly among my most cherished. Yet, beyond that…


    "It’s utterly laughable."


    …they were the worst memories I''d ever had the unfortune of making.


    Her eyes narrowing slightly, intrigued by the intensity of my response.


    “Oh?”


    “It’s all wrong. Completely wrong! Gods are meant to guide humans, to teach them and ensure they walk the path of virtue! But he… he… HOW COULD HE ALLOW THIS TO HAPPEN!!”The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    “You must really care for humans, huh?”


    “Absolutely! I love all things! Everything in this world! …But I guess I’m the only one who does.”


    Victor erupted into laughter, not quite one that belonged to a maniac, nor a human either, a strange melody that resonated with both sides.


    “I like you. You may not be our father, but you’re alright. Yes. Let’s go save humans.”


    “Uh… okay…”


    Come with me.” she said, rising from her chair. “Let’s go meet with the others.”


    Stepping through two automatic doors, the two were immediately engulfed in the chaos of rush hour. It was a familiar scene that he recalled from somewhere, a multitude of busy robots of varying sizes, and surprisingly, a few humans and even some enormous insects mingled among them -which was quite unsettling.


    While struggling to dodge the small robots that zipped in between his feet, Akuma asked, “Who exactly are you taking me to?”


    Victor -dressed in white from head to toe, and towering over Akuma by a good two heads- popped another cigarette in her mouth, or I guess chocolate.


    “I’m not sure how things work in your world, but here, the gods aren’t particularly kind to humans, even before Lucifer stole God’s throne. That’s why I’ve assembled a force dedicated to eliminating those disgusting creatures.”


    “Well as long as I can save humans. Or maybe I should save the gods? No, I wanted to save the world, not the people. Wait, that’s not right. I wanted to save bo-”


    “Easy there, big guy. No need to get all crazy on me.”


    “Huh? Oh, sorry about that. Kinda just happens sometimes.”


    With his legs finally free enough to walk normally, Akuma’s gaze drifted to the bustling environment around the two, surprised he was even able to navigate such a throng.


    Just as he turned his attention back to the path ahead, he was blindsided by a towering attack of paper. Naturally, it was too late to dodge, and the attack ended up colliding at full force, causing an unexpectedly cute “Eek!” to escape the stack of paper’s lips.


    “Damn.” Akuma muttered, rubbing his forehead. “…Are you okay-!”


    But as he opened his eyes, he was met with a sight that left him utterly speechless, unable to comprehend the sight before him.


    “Oww…” she let out, finding herself on the floor after their unexpected crash. This was the person behind the stack of paper, too tall for him to have seen her until now with all the paper scattered across the floor.


    Perched atop her head, a small creature began to bark out adorable yet aggressive sounds, clearly displeased with Akuma’s clumsiness. It resembled a miniature panda, though he had his doubts. Well, I’m not sure if that’s accurate as he didn’t even pay it any mind.


    In truth, the barking faded into the background as his attention fixated on the girl he crashed into, specifically, her soft lips and stunning eyes that opened slowly, almost like a delicate flower blooming. And her pink hair… Not once in his entire life has he met another person with such a color.


    “Alice…”


    A heavy silence enveloped the two, and he could feel himself gulp as their gazes locked. Even that pesky panda had fallen silent, as if sensing the tension.


    But then…


    “Who… are you?”


    The question struck him like a bolt of lightning, sending a devastating shockwave through his heart. He felt a mix of confusion, a hint of heartbreak, and maybe even a touch of anger that coursed through him.


    “W-What do you mean…?”


    “Aw, so it seems you’re familiar with my employee here.” Victor chimed in, casually twirling the chocolate stick around with her lips.


    “What? Your employee?!”


    “About a week ago, she just showed up here. I’m certain she’s linked to the countless people who suddenly appeared in this world.”


    “What did you do to her?!”


    “Calm down, lover boy. When she arrived, she had already lost her memories.”


    “Hey, is what this woman says the truth?”


    “Um… Who the hell are you talking to?”


    Unbeknownst to both Victor and Alice, an apparition of sorts resembling a child began to murmur softly into his ears.


    "What she says is true. The root of Alice''s memory loss stems from Finral''s teleportation. During the transfer, the Yang part of her soul took damage, resulting in her amnesia."


    "Is there a way to bring them back?" Akuma inquired.


    "Since she hasn''t checked-out her true story from the library, she currently possesses a demo soul. In theory, if she were to shatter her Yang barrier, her original story would merge with this one, thereby restoring her memories."


    “I see… Thanks for the help.”


    "I-Is he out of his mind?" Alice questioned Victor as she helped her up.


    "Absolutely."


    “Hey, Victor.”


    “Hm?”


    “I need you the break her yang barrier.”


    “What?”


    “I said I need you to break her Yang-”


    "No, I heard you. I just wanted you to grasp how ridiculous that request is. What makes you think I can influence her soul?"


    “Well, you’re the one who fixed mine, right?”


    “Wow… I’m surprised you remember that.”


    (Truth be told, I heard it from someone else, but they she doesn’t have to know that.)


    "Listen..." She said, rubbing the back of her head. "…Typically, it''s impossible to directly affect the Yang part of someone''s soul. The only reason I managed to do it was due to Megara''s Amplification. And she could amplify me like that because she used the Devour technique… Besides, I’m sure you sensed it." She gestured with the hand holding the red string. "As long as I’m gripping this, I can’t use any of my powers. That’s the cost of wielding a divine item… Now, onward."


    Her response left Akuma feeling frustrated, mostly because he had to confront the reality that he couldn’t help Alice regain her memories. All he could do was gently smile at her.


    "Sorry… I guess I had the wrong person."


    Oddly enough, as he walked past her, his mind fixed on one wish. In the grand scheme of things, it was hardly relevant, but he just couldn’t help it.


    He really wished he could’ve helped her pick up that stack of paper. Would he have loved to have done that. Maybe it would’ve felt like a scene straight out of a shojo manga, where that adorable couples harbor feelings for each other but are too shy to admit it. You find yourself yelling at the pages, urging them to just confess.


    But alas, this is reality… a reality where she doesn’t remember his name.