《Unwritten – The MMO Experience (Season 2)》 === Chapter 1 [Jar] I am sitting in my desk and looking at my computer screen. This day was like every day, boring and without flavour. Additionally it seems that the weather is forecast to worsen with the upcoming days. What a pain really, on days that cold and rainy you would rather stay and work from home. Unlucky for me, this job doesn''t allow it. I''m technically a commercial advisor for the company Avalon, I give ideas for how to sell the game they created, Unwritten. It is a sandbox MMO with a lot of freedom and focus on using new technology, like Synapse and VR. Thanks to that our product is basically selling itself, as there is nothing like this on the market currently. Furthermore, even if I work here, I dislike every second of what I do. I even tried to sabotage the project, suggesting a weekly fee, but recently that was revoked. Yet, the real reason to why I hate my work is my father, a person that I hate the most. No matter what I do, I can''t escape his influence on me. He is the one that got me the job. [Hi, can I have you for a minute? If you have time, see me at the meeting room, there is something we should discuss together, you are in particular needed.] [Right now? Don''t you have anything better to do than to bother me again?] [Right now would be preferable. If I said it''s about Wolf, would you be more willing to listen?] If I tried again to break out of this cycle I would probably need to use someone like Wolf. [Well then, I will just finish this first, dad.] Yes that was my dad who is probably going to force me into doing something again. As much as I hate to say, without him my future would be doubtful. I should be glad at least that he helped me at all but...that is also the reason I dislike the situation that keeps continuing no matter how hard I try. In 2026 there aren''t many things that the youth can still enjoy without any worries. This is due how world was shapedthe elderly continue to be in control with the young people refuse to take the government over for their own sake. This inactivity imposes the working class, the rising generation, to work much harder than their parents did. For example, out of college graduates only one of the third is fortune to start their career in their sector of choice. The rest, along with the stress of their college debt, are forced to juggle between many minimum wage jobs with no future. Some even try to escape this never ending loop with video games and internet. Of course, they only delay the inevitable. [Okay, lets see what the old man wanted.] Even if Im just a cog in the system, I also tried to break away. I was almost fired for my ego. Leaking some confidential information from the company, I planned to gather some players and see if I were able to convince them, if they would be able to accept the truth of the world. I was unsuccessful, and now, the only reality that remains is that of me meeting my boss, like a normal white collar. [Hey, thank you coming son, we were all waiting for you, so let''s start right away okay?] [Whatever, I''m only interested to know about Wolf, so make this interesting.] Several people gathered in the meeting room, which was enclosed by a sound-proof glass wall. I recognized those facesthey were responsible for the GM controlled special characters in the game. Even though I was one of them as well, in charge of a Moon goddess Lunar, I wasn''t really into roleplaying. [So as you might not know all the details yet I will start from the beginning if that''s fine. In near future we are planning to create an event for the players. This is because that we are facing a problem. The problem is that there is too many players logged out which creates too many AIs in the game.] [So why don''t just log them out? We already have a limit to how long they can be in that state.] [Yes, but that''s not enough. A lot of people just log in and leave the AI running, especially after going free to play. What I want to say is that, technically this is not a bad thing, but it also fills the game with more AIs than players. If such will continue, we might be facing a quite foreboding problem of oversaturated towns without humans in them.] [In MMOs there are so called raid-loggers, players who have limited time to play. They only log to do dungeons. Is that a bad thing? Players can always try to another town or create their own if they can''t find a home. There is no need to worry about AIs, though some players complain AIs destroy the balance in terms of wars.] That reminds me. We had a big guild war on server 2, the one I managed as Lunar. During the end, both guilds couldn''t do anything against each other''s defences, thus the war ended without a major battle. Quite disappointing, I would rather want to see how this could have been solved differently. [I don''t consider this either a bad or a good thing, I want to see this as an opportunity for an event. Lately, after Wolf''s actions and the situation with Net Neutrality, the players did not look all that satisfied. Part of that would be leaving them free to do what they please, and leaving the narration to them alone.] [So in other words, the players that got bored from playing, or rather did not see any special reason to continue playing. Therefore now they only log in to reset the timer on their AIs mode, right?] [I think so too, but we can still use that to our advantage and I shall explain how Wolf is involved shortly.] Wolf...the player that defeated our version of Net Neutrality in the game, but did not deal the killing blow. It is because of him I couldn''t convince others to stand against our times and elders. What a pity really... Wolf was a person who used lies to create his own narrative in the game. It was an obvious lie for me, we could see that he was not using Synapse, thus couldn''t really see the visions he claimed to see. Things about this world and the game world being connected were also a part of his fairy tale. Because he managed to convince players from this game, they started planting trees in order to save the world. Even if those trees are the evidence of his existence, during my investigation I was unable to find Wolf. I''m sure he is somewhere in the universe, waiting to see if another hero will rise and save the world again. [Considering our options, I think we need to reduce the number of AIs players by giving them more limits. For example, you would need to perform certain tasks in the game, other than staying idly in the game, to fill up your AI allowance. Doing so we might lose players, but we should also gain more new people.] [Are you saying that people would simply choose not to play the game and leave space for others to join? That does sound risky. If anything we should discuss exactly how we are going to implement this into the game.] [This is where Wolf comes in, or rather the new GM Wolf. See, I think we could use him to our advantage, we can''t have him to log in, but we can create a character based on him. Let''s say, Wolf ascended and became a god, alongside with Lunar. There is a special reason for that, and it will involve players that didn''t play for a while.] The connection of Wolf and Lunar is quite obvious, but my connection with that person is rather complicated. He is the opposite of what I want to dohe lies to create a fake world for himself and others. I on the other hand, I want to wake people from the lies they created and face reality together, do something good for this world. [Yes, my plan is to spread a virus among the AIs, not a literal virus but rather a spirit that will possess them. Doing so, I want to accomplish two things, to turn them into a horde of enemies, and to create a certain narration. That narration is the connection of the present youth to their past ancestors, which in turn is related to Wolf.] [A horde of enemies? Like Zombies? That might be interesting but what about the narration?] [Our ancient humans so to speak are not very pleased to have guests, although most of them don''t react. This was true to the point until Wolf became one of them. Because of their restlessness, they try to awake their sage. They invoke the spirits of the past upon the living to convey the idea of waking, while Wolf and Lunar try to stop them.] So this is again about Words huh? I guess making a bunch of zombies and then waking them up would work, as a part of a narration, but will surely not affect both of our worlds. It''s what Wolf saidthe world of fiction and reality can affect one another. I''m against that, I need yet to see them connect, for our world to be saved by a real hero. [Mindless zombies that in trance and players trying to awake them... It''s quite a concept really, but is that okay? What would players say if they can''t log in or have to run away from zombies, or anything at all? Most importantly, what about Wolf? Are you literally going to steal his account?] [We will be making sure that people will understand what is going to happen before everything, so don''t worry. Additionally, I would rather do this first and then change how the AIs work with a patch. If we do it right away, people wouldn''t understand the reason why would we do that in the first place. And finally, Wolfs avatar is going to be controlled by no other than my son, he has connections with him.] [Hold on a second, I didn''t agree to...] This was another plot by my father, I knew it! Controlling Wolf in his "Ghost AI" form or whatever, and doing the dirty work them as well... you are asking for a lot father. You better have a good reason. [As I said, you are perfect for this job. I don''t want to speak here about what we were talking about, after that incident, but please consider this as your chance I''m giving to you. The rest is up to you.] [Right... I will consider this only because of that.] And thus I was in a difficult position. Once again I was given a chance by my father to make things right. If I was able to convey the idea of waking up from a trance to people, then my plan would surely be successful. I would gather the masses and convince them to stand against the oppression of the current regime. However... This is also a hurdle put by father. I don''t believe in fiction having a factual and positive effect on people. Even if I was able to communicate the message through a video game, it would surely be for naught. Unfortunately, this is true if I was to consider how unsuccessful I was with convincing Wolf''s party. Therefore I''m left with a choice, either to believe Wolf and my father, or to be true to my own convictions and not participate in the event. The path is... pretty daunting both ways, I need more time to actually figure out the best solution. [Take your time, son, and let''s hope that will get your ending this time.] === The sun is bright... it is shining as always. A few changes in the weather here and there, but our usual days are the same as always. Wind is blowing... it is a little chilly but pleasant. It is always drifting towards one certain direction, though during a single day it might change its course a little. There are sometimes clouds... there is sometimes rain. The sky gathers its blackness and rains upon those below, but even as a drenched cat I can always find a place to dry myself. [Why hello Pina, how are you today? Going for a walk? Hey maybe I should join you today, how about it? *wink* I don''t have anything to do at this moment so why don''t we have some fun?] It was a nice clean weather after it just rainedthere were several puddles on the ground still remaining. Luckily for me, I was wearing my Geta, which helped with avoiding them. Not that it actually mattered, because you can''t really get wet in this game, even underwater. The clothes dry really really fast... Speaking about clothes, I was wearing my usual yellow-orange Yukata, which was matching to my sister''s orange-yellow one. Our colours...it was a basic colour swap, but the design and all was the same, just like twin sisters should look like... [I don''t mind Hina... I was just looking for something... but then I forgot what it was so... I was just wandering ever since.] [Right! I know, I shouldn''t be probably be talking about now, but I think we should definitely look for a fashionable umbrella together. Of course, if you don''t mind, since we might do something else if you want.] [It''s fine. I''m okay with rain... although it dries super quick. I also don''t mind the fashion... I''m usually bad at little details anyway.] That''s right. I''m actually a 2D artist that draws here and there, only for my amusement though. I tried to make it pro for this game, but I don''t really get a lot of requests. I can draw most of things, but I have to leave 3D modelling to my sister. She is the reason why our shrine is popular, I only help her. Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. As for me, I dont really feel like Im improving my art...especially lately. Even the colours I use seem to become duller with each day. [Don''t worry about that, you always make things super cute, and thus easily recognizable.] [You think so sis...? Thanks.] [Right right! *petpet* Anyway, without your help I would be missing a lot, you always have amazing ideas for making designs from scratch, I''m impressed.] Although it is true that I make them from scratch, I use reference pictures found on the internet. My sister actually does the same thing while she builds models Anyway, if not for my sister, I would be at a loss. Even if she sometimes takes too much credit from it, I''m happy that at least I can make her smile. [Hey look, this shop looks like it has Japanese umbrellas. Want to check it out?] [Yes... they all look the same old shape.] [But the design is what matters right? I''m sure they have details too if we look further.] And so we did, I stepped inside with my sister and we both played around with different settings. You could change their height, weight and colour to your liking, but furthermore you could also choose a design, and additional attachments like cat ears or special handles. My sister was really into this I could tell. [Hey, we definitely have to make those matching as well right? If I make each triangle orange and yellow, and then add the ears... Wow, this does look like it would go well with the Yukata right? *Wiggle*] [Right... I can''t disagree with that sis... It indeed fits aesthetically yes, but there is still something missing... like a flower print or something.] The thing I was missing however wasn''t the flower print, but something more specific and harder to convey. It was about the days we spend here, doing nothing but selling our merchandise and working on our models. For my sister it was a chance to prove herself, but for me it was only the feeling that something was missing. [Okay, what about something like this then? Or actually... I''m sure they would accept your drawing if you send one to them.] [Can we afford this sis...? I will think of a design then.] [It''s fine, for my little sister I would do anything you know? *wink*] [I''m fine without one... I''m used to the dampness on you head by now.] I unconsciously whispered to myself with a little tear in my eye. What I was really missing was my friend, WRose, who stopped playing since a while ago. She was someone I could connect to on a different level than my sister, thus I couldn''t really express my sadness when she left us both. I at least would like to know how she was doing but... Well I talked about her with my sister and she said that she wanted to meet her offline at some point. Unfortunately, things got complicated, she said, and she was unable to contact her in person. "Let''s go together, you know her address right?" I plead to her, but it seems the complications are too profound for us to meet with her at all. I didnt learn any details from my sister, but I was told that it''s better to leave her for the time being. Hina said that WRose is getting through something really important in her life and that she needs time for herself. I trust my sister, even if she might not have said everything, but I also know Rose kept some secrets so... It''s fine [Sorry, your mic is quiet, could you repeat that again?] [I''m fine... let''s go somewhere else. Also, thanks for the help miss clerk.] [Right right, we will contact you when we will have those designs okay?] [Certainly, it is always a pleasure to see two little girls enjoying a rainy season.] We bowed at each other, and both I and my sister left the shop. Is it like she said, somehow I have to enjoy this rainy season, even if I dislike it I have to endure it. It''s not just for me, but for Rose and Hina as well. I also think that...think that the design would be nice if we could make a drenched cat when the umbrella is wet, that''s possible right? Well it would be a problem making a texture on such round surface...you would have to very carefully transform the picture...but thats like UV mapping problem right? Drawing sure is fun... [The rain is getting heavy, quickly!] [Oh... yea sure sis.] === [Hey there guys! Long time no see right? I have been wondering really, where you have been and what were you guys doing ever since that concert and stuff.] It was the Knight girl, also known as Titania. She was a part of the WRose''s party. However, things changed, nowadays no one actually plays the game any more, not even Tania herself. She only logs in for her boyfriendthey are having a virtual relationship or something. I''m not really interested to know how that works for them actually... [Hello, how are you Tania? Are you glad that we are still able to meet you around here and all right? Things have gone pretty lonely ever since that day, but nevertheless, we have to look at the bright side of things. Just tell me if you need something related to fashion and I will look for something okay? You would look really...] [I''m fine really! I mean I don''t play this game any more or anything, but my boyfriend doesn''t really mind me wearing this armour all the time. But just so you know, I do little pvp from time to time with Albert.] [Wait... who is Albert? Is that your second boyfriend? Are you a two-timer? Wow Tania, I didn''t know you were that kind of a girl really, it must be really fun to...] [No, not at all ehehe~ I''m just doing pvp and stuff with Albert, I''m not dating him. And although I have not said anything about that to Robie I''m sure he wouldn''t mind either. So whatever you do, just don''t say weird things if you meet him okay? I would be mad...] I could tell just by looking at her piercing eyes and her clutched fist. That''s basically Tania for you, she might be nice on the surface but it''s possible to get her angry really fast with the wrong words. In any case, it seems my sister backed out from the topic and we all sat next to Titania on the bench. [Say, maybe you know something about Wolf or others? You seem to pretty close to them, so I figured you might exchanged contacts or whatever. Me and Pina miss Rose very much, you know?] [Yea... Rose was the best friend to talk with that I had. My only regret is that we haven''t talked enough.] At one time I learned that WRose for some reason used a voice program, instead of her real voice. There was a secret behind that, I figured, but I couldn''t tell what it was. At that moment I also...told her my secret. I spoke about my legs and the accident. I thought at least that would open her up but... [I''m sorry, I don''t know much about others, we talk from time to time, but I can only say they are okay. Rosie is probably busy with her work or somethingmaybe she and Wolf are dating in the other world? That would make sense since she said she was going through some kind of process... Yea, let''s leave it at that.] [I see, you know Titania, I have also did not mention to you this before but I... Well I went to Rose''s house and tried to meet her in person, we exchanged contacts at some point. You are right, I rather not say this in public but to give you an idea... well it''s about...] Not only her eyes but her fox ears were searching for a good place to hide away from both of our gazes. I knew that look of my sister. She tried to pace herself with a well placed statement, one that wouldn''t look like a lie or the truth. I also think she considered Rose''s feelings as well. [How I should put it? She is facing a transformation, I think, but I don''t know all the details. It is something that she wouldn''t say to others, something that she keeps deliberately a secret from others. I also think it is better to keep it at that, and speak of it no further. I mean she is a girl and...] [Right sis... girls have their secrets and it is better that way. I can understand as far as that... but it is also Rose who made me understand, that keeping a secret is not always the right thing. I wish she would have] [The thing is, I''m not sure myself. I''m missing a piece of important information, which I don''t want to confirm. If you understand that at least, then you should be fine right? *wink* It''s for her sake after all.] If you say so, then why don''t you want to confirm it yourself sister? I hate that smirk she is doing noweven Tania is a little taken aback by it. In any case, I''m sure that I can''t convince her if she is like that, thus I simply had to leave this problem like it is. I wish I was able to do something for WRose... anything... [Right right, don''t make such sad faces girls! I knew Rosie for longer than both of you, and she didn''t speak to me either. I feel you are making the right choice thought, just imagine how awkward would it be for us three to visit her all at once, right?] [A little bit awkward right... not only for her, but for us too.] [That''s right my little sister! We haven''t seen Titania or her friends offline either right? I reckon we might live in different cities or even different countries but we should definitely...] [As long as Rose is okay... I will be okay too.] That moment my sister almost jumped out of her chair with her fox ears straighten. I guess he just realised, that WRose wasn''t the only one that had a secret she wanted to keep for herself. I gave her a little stare, and then a smile. It is okay sis, if it''s Titania and others I''m fine with telling them. My sister calmed down. [Anyway... let''s change the subject girls! I mean it sucks but what can you do, at least we can still meet in the game. Speaking about that... you know that other girl, the drow one, that you guys were playing with? What about her? Anything you know Tania?] [You mean Darku? Well first of all he''s a guy, he said it himself. He just has a rather girly voice. Don''t worry about himhe was like Im dealing with my past finally or something so I''m good.] [Oh I see, that''s nice to hear... that he is doing well.] And so continued our chat for a little while longer like that. Nothing interesting was said however, only things I could care less about. What I wanted to know was why did Hina was so convinced that keeping it secret was the right thing to do? I''m sure that WRose herself wouldnt mind if I asked her directly but... But what if I was wrong? What if there was something that she avoided at all costs? It was not my fault, I told myself, not knowing what I might have said that she found offensive. But now I wasn''t sure about that any longer, maybe indeed I was the problem? Though she didn''t meet with Hina in person the first time, it is my sister who doesnt want to try again... I... don''t want to think about this any more... it''s just too depressing on myself. My vision got directed at the puddle, and I saw my reflection. A little girl with blue eyes and in them a single drop of a strange liquid running down. It was not just in the game, but also happened in reality. Licking it off like a cat, I tasted how lonely I became... [Sorry sis... I think I need to go now... We can talk about the meeting some other day...] [Okay see you later Pina, I will contact you guys when I talk with others.] [Sis... wait! Oh my, she looked really depressed for some reason.] [Huh? Now that you mention that...] === And after all that, I wanted to retreat to my own room in the game as well... but I shared it with my sister. I wanted to log out and retreat to my own room in real life as well... but I shared that with my sister as well. Therefore there was no place for me that I would call my own room... not in reality, not inside of the game. [Look Pina, I know sometimes things are sad, but that is what you have a sister for right? I miss WRose too, but things like that can''t just cloud your entire mood, you know? *pet pet* Here you go... you are my precious little sister and nothing can change that. So at times like that, at times when you need to be strong, you should allow your bigger sister to do her job as well.] Which was petting me to make me happy... this is what she has been all the time inside of the game. Don''t worry about your legs... Don''t worry about that we are not making enough money to continue your rehab...Don''t worry about anything because I''m your bigger sister and you can leave everything to me if you want. [Hina... I''m happy that you are there. So let me try to play my part... as your sister.] My part was simple. I was just her model and her assistant working online. In this game you could create and sell items. With the virtual currency you could then exchange virtual dollars into real life money. The income was barely anything big, we probably didn''t even had enough to buy ourselves food every day, but at least we were heading towards our goal. What was important for me is that my sister was doing something she enjoyed, even though I could not say the same about myself. There were times I wished I wouldn''t be reminded about my disability, times were we changed into mermaids and swam underwater, times were I was standing in that quite peculiar shrine maiden outfit and greeted visitors. All those times I couldn''t move my legs... But I''m doing this so I could somehow stimulate them, because the doctors said it would help. In truth, they gave me a category which meant that I can no longer use insurance to pay for rehab...How much that helped my legs I do not know, but at least my daily life was more interesting that way...like having a reason to go outside for example. [Your part, your role? Well we can do something together if you want Pina. I mean it''s hard for me to find things you would especially enjoy in this game, so I try and try, but in the end I can''t do anything, you know? I really wished...] [I understand that sis, that''s enough lets put away the sad stuff, okay? You know... now that I realized I can''t do anything for you, I do feel guilty. You did mention that you had that one outfit you wanted to try... remember?] [Right, is that what you want to do Pina? I''m completely okay with that, in fact we are already home so we could do it right now, is that okay? Maybe you want some tea or something first, I can make it if you want.] [I''m fine sis... I just want to think about something so modelling is fine. I also hope it will sell well... though this is the first time we made normal clothes.] That is true. I at least can''t remember when we were just simply sisters. It is always about... cute shrine maidens, or lovely mermaids... or fashionable twins... everything I do in this game is simply because my sister says so. I wish I was able to be more assertive or something, but I lack the courage to say that to my sister. [Okay, this should be the item, please go ahead and change if you like. In fact it seems they already accepted it. It looks really nice, dont you think?] [Yea... the outfit kinda look cute and fluffy in their miniature form too.] In reality however changing clothes is not as simple as one could think, but I got used to it. I ride a wheelchair, I can go around the house just on my ownthere are no stairs or anything. Additionally, because of technology, I have the convenience of using a normal toilet. The machine removes the seat and I use the armrests to lower myself down. The wheel itself is made out of special rubber that can change shape, effectively making the chair change its height. Even with all that, my mother and doctors say that is not likely for me to recover, even with operation. Its a pity that all they gave us was this technologically advanced wheel chair. I also feel a little guilty using it, I want to find some way to repay my family for all that they done to me. But the truth is I cant even earn my own living [Right, here is the tea, just don''t forget to take your VR off before.] On top of that I''m forced to live with my sister in the same room, ever since I was born. Now it became kinda cramped...And every time she says something while playing I can hear that. Sometimes she asks me to put on headphones, but I can still hear her. The same goes for her I guess, so she must be pretending to give me a sense of privacy... right? [I see you made it exactly like in the picture... It looks cute, so congrats. By the way... when you put up the hoodie what happens to your ears? Do they disappear magically or what happens with them I wonder?] The outfit I showed myself in was quite a change to what we previously made. Firstly, it was a hoodie...well not just some ordinary one, but one sewed together with multiple materials like a patchwork stuffed doll. For the bottom, short pumpkin pants or a plaid skirt if one wished. The pants gave more volume, so I liked them more. As for other accessories, I picked wrist scrunchie that fitted of the image of a fluffy bunny, especially if you were to put your hands into the hoodie''s pockets. I also had high-tops with ankle socks. They had a special sole which made squeaking noises as you walked. Very cute little bunny noises... [Oh my gosh! These squeak squeak soles must be the brightest idea I have had so far! Of course it will sell! Anyway, I must thank you for the design Pina, it is a nice innovation. Anyway, when you put your hoodie down holes should appear for your ears, can you try that?] [Wow you are right... I don''t need to worry about that... though I prefer to not wear anything on my head for a reason...] [And that reason is... of course to receive petting from me right? *pet pet*] More or less... I do that because it feels nice to have someone pet your head with ears on, a lot different than in real life in fact. That alone at least is worth playing this game for... [By the way sis... I dont want to make you sad but as for the colours, I was clueless. I ended up choosing all white for the initial texture, but it seems you put a lot of thought into that too.] [Yes, that is true. I wanted to add colours that would imitate rabbit''s fur, so you have chocolate, cinnamon, lilac, amber, pearl and so on. Whichever you choose, it would be fluffy right? Here, how about we try to go for an autumn-like theme...] My favourite colour is blue however, just like my eyes. As for her, it''s probably gold, just like her eye colour. Besides that little detail, our avatars are completely the same. Even our clothes are the same too, and soon even this hoodie might face the same fate, I wonder... That is...our avatars used to be completely the same until I decided to cut my hair short. I got tired of having long hair I guess? I cant think of a better reason now really... === Ring ring, someone seems to be at our door. I was confused at first, because it seems in the reality, and the virtual world doorbell is the same. However, this time it was the game world door... [Oh there is someone at the door? It''s probably a client so I will take care of him.] [It''s fine... I will just sip on this tea you brought here.] Indeed, the tea was just like my sister always makes it, two spoons of sugar. Though I sit on the floor, I can still reach everything on desk without moving. This is important because I can''t move a lot. [Oh welcome to our shop! How can I be of service to you little miss?] Though I was getting excited for some reason, it was in fact just a client. How disappointing. Although she was behind a door in the game, I could hear her in the room just fine... Well, I decided to stealthy look through the keyhole and see what was happening in over there. What I saw was... [Hm... this... and that... Interesting, how very delightfully absorbing this experience is... truly.] Ignoring my sister, a strange looking young lady was making a very detailed examination of our selection. She also spoke gently with a very mature and womanly voice, though her words were hard to comprehend. Also I just noticed something peculiar about her outfit so I decided to stare very closely at her. [Well, is there anything I can do for miss? How about I share my opinion on this piece? I know it might be too early to be dressing for a dive, but don''t you worry about it! The tail part is optimalyou can wear it with a human shape quite comfortably as well.] This must be about the mermaid swimsuit huh? I still do regret I can''t do actual testing. [No no no... I don''t need your help fox ladyI''m quite frankly good on my own here.] The lady appeared to be just browsing... what a pain. However, she did look very pretty I would say...She was only a little taller than my sister, probably due to her shoes, but her skin was pearl white. She also had an amethyst coloured crown shaped braids with very little hair in the back and short bangs up front. The top of her hair was decorated like a crown, with shiny gems and glitter. Her golden eyes also shined, she probably used a white eye shadow with glitter. Her lips were lavender blush, quite smooth looking too...All of this gave the impression of a little princess from a fairy tale that was far brighter than the mermaid ones. Additionally, her presence was quite elegant and royalty-like. She had an old style rococo Victorian knee-length dress. It had three parts, the outer part which looked like a frock cloak with puffy sleeves and ended with ruffled cuffs at wrists, the middle part with a straight across neckline that was decorated with a trail of little ribbons down to her waist, and finally the tiered skirt part which was split by two lines of tiny bows that also gathered and pulled the material a little bit up. [How delightful and yet quite unappealing. My darling I must say one thing only, that have talent but not the chic. What I can see is but a small cry of a little fox that is hungry and begs for food from random passer-bys. I mean that, and this is my precious opinion, you should quit making those stuffy clothes and make something...] [Wait a second, you came here to just tell me that? What is the point, you can complain all you want but don''t you think that''s kinda rude?] Partially, the blame might be on me, but that doesn''t matter. I was will endorsed with admiring her clothing. Going down from her skirt, I could see little girly bloomers underneath, as well as several layers of petticoats. Furthermore, she wore perfectly fitting nylon maize coloured tights with various prints on them, like ribbons, jewellery, bows... Finally I was looking at her shoes. She had little kitten heels, their top part was glossy but the heel part was brownish. I also noticed that she was looking at her painted nails a lot, as if she paid more attention to them than to Hina. They were slightly violet and had some glitter glued onto them. In fact, you could say her entire clothes were shiny. Giving her entirely a glance again, she had jewellery on her wrists too. There was also this large diamond on her neck, and around it there was a lion-like ruff that was aligned upwards, but did not touch her hair... also, the facing of her frock coat was designed to resemble a lion fur... also, she even wore little lion ears on her head. How strange that I have just noticed that. [Wait a second sister... I''m also offended because I did draw that...] I said that trying to defend my sister, but my objective was really to join into the conversation. I opened the door slightly, and noticed how the ladys coordination spoke highly of her. She was bathed in violet, white, light pink and lion yellow. She was like a princess but also like a lion. She was pretty and shiny like a snowflake, but fierce like a wild fire. Her brilliance was further illuminated by her bag, it was coated in the same style as her other accessories. [What did you say dear? I have trouble hearing you from outside of the door, so if you could please come in.] I came in, slowly opening the door and taking a squeaky steps one after another. The moment I saw her fully, my head went down, as if I was not worth to bask the shabby looking me in her radiance. But as soon as I arrived, as soon as I was at her side, she reached her elegant hand and raised my chin involuntarily. I gulped a little and... [My my, what a fair and gentle expression you are having my dear. Is that the most prized of your possessions?] She turned to my sister, asking as if I was her merchandise... well she wasn''t quite far from the truth. [This is my sister, and she is helping me with the store as you can see. We both run this shop, so please if you find this outfit cute I would gladly...] [Oh no no, I don''t just find it fancy, I love the entirety of it. Therefore, you wouldn''t mind if I took it, yes?] However, from the tone of her voice and from her eyes, which were looking at me, I could tell something else. She wasn''t clearly interested in the clothes, but into the person standing next to her. This was a little awkward for me at first, I thought initially, but then her expression grew more serious than from before. She actually meant the words she just said. [You want me... to work for you or something? Is that why you were looking around? I mean sure... my sister did the 3D stuff but I did the designs so Im only good at 2D.] [Nonsense my dear, I appropriate the effort the most. Now speak to me, what is that you want? I can offer much, gold or even real life money. Nothing in my grasp is impossible thus consider any of your requests granted. And yes, before you ask, I do fancy your design. It''s very attractive street-wise I must say, a truly people''s piece.] This must be the first time someone told me good words like that... well other than my sister. She might be nice sometimes, but overall she is my sister so that is expected from her. I don''t know what exactly the lady wants from me, but she looks peaceful so far. [I feel honoured really... but I''m not sure what to say.] [Wait, Pina are you actually going to accept her offer? I mean she came here and didn''t buy anything and was rude...] Right on the money, she pulled out a check out of her bag. It was quite the sum waiting next to my hand. [Would that be enough? I don''t want to disrespect you as an artist but this is only an entry amount. After certain time I''m sure my shop... I mean our shop will get popular and you will be paid a lot more. I only require you to draw illustrations and leave the model working to me, it''s a fair offer, wouldn''t you say?] This is the biggest sum I saw in this game, at least for me who didn''t even get any jobs at all. If this is the kind of payment I would be getting, I will be earning far more than my sister. It''s really tempting but at the same time... I feel like I need to think this offer over first. [I will think about it... I need to have myself ready first...] [Gladly I shall you provide with time you need, my dear, here is my card.] And so, albeit having my sister gazing over my shoulder, I looked briefly at the card she handed to me. It was a boutique called Brilliant Dream, a much fashionable name than our Fox''n''Cat I guess...Anyway she left our store and me with thoughts. Would my sister really be okay if I worked there? I think this is the first time for me to be making an important decision like that for myself so I really need to think... === Chapter 2 [Lion] === Chapter 2 [Lion] [Sis... You would be fine on your own right? I just hope that her work would not be too difficult. I mean she only wants for me to do designs so...] [But I don''t like how she talked. Don''t you think her wording implied she thought of buying you? My precious sister is not merchandise, thus I will not allow her to become someone else''s model.] [Though... the job only included drawing designs.] [That too, don''t you think it will ruin our shop as well if you do that? We would get fewer visitors if you lend your talent to her, so it''s totally wrong.] But I didn''t listen much to what my sister had to say, I had my own talents and could do whatever I wanted with it. As much as I hated it, I almost went into a quarrel with my sister there, enduring it with silence. I like my sister, but I also need time for myself, alone without her or her influence. I didnt want my sister to do everything for me, thus albeit in a rush, I have made my decision. I stand now before the door to the Brilliant Dream. Im a little wobbly too [Okay, I''m doing this for my sister too... so she wont worry about me all the time. I''m also doing this for WRose too... thats what she would have advice me to do probably. And finally I''m doing this for myself... so I prove to myself that I can do things on my own.] Above me there was a signboard with the logo of the shop made in shiny colours that resembled various gems. It had no art, just the writing, thus it felt elegant rather than cute. Additionally, I peeked inside the shop, various dresses and skirts, from cutesy-like to refined, from simple designs to more princess-like ones. All of this was a level above of what I doI only do simple art meant to attract the eye with its cuteness. Would I really be able to work at a place like this, I wondered, it is a little overwhelming to be honest. My hand was on the handle already, pushing ever so slowly it down. It definitely would not hurt to take a look inside... [Don''t mind me I''m just looking... around. But no one seems to be inside?] I slowly opened and the door and took a step through the doorway, there was not a single living being inside. It felt very doll like at first, mysterious yet inviting, foreboding yet calm. With a few more squeaky steps, my mind was within a whole different world. It wasn''t just a fairytale, it was actually real. As I pinched my cheeks... I was instantly surrounded with materials I only read about online, like velvet, cashmere, silk, satin, or chiffon. Furthermore, even if it looked old-fashioned, the dresses didn''t use bird cages, actual corsets or anything, just petticoats. With my hands from off the cheeks, I probed different materials to see how they feel. I found myself close to satisfying my curiosity when... [I spot that my little curious cat demoiselle has found her way into my lair, quite splendid. ohoho~ As you can see from our selection, we have anything a proper lady would need for her beauty desires. Don''t you find yourself immersed too? If that''s the case, please feel free to try on whatever you like.] [Oh hello... you startled me a little there. But I''m fine now. Before anything... maybe I should introduce myself first okay? My name is Pina, I draw little and cute stuff... It''s a pleasure.] My words followed a bow which was replied with her dropping a curtsy. Her movement was graceful, unlike mine, but there is a reason for that I rather not talk about... I mean this is just a job, so don''t worry, I said to myself. First impression aside, she walked towards me, doing pleasing-to-ear click click noises as she walked the stage. [I see you are that girl who this ingenious madam wanted to purchase a little while back, yes that is your face I reckon. I pardon my mind''s absenceI should also return my greetings as well. My name is Avaria, the lady of this boutique. I must say my original designs are all far and beyond my clientele expectations. You must be entranced by them too, right?] [That is correct... I feel a little nervous though, so sorry. I mean I like the designs but... I don''t know if I achieve that level myself. I will definitely try so please give me a chance! I will work hard.] With that being said, I found myself bowing my head very deeply, like apologizing for something I haven''t done. It was just my nerves after allI couldn''t collect myself in this luxurious environment at all. I was scared a little, but then the lady did the similar gesture as before. She gently traced her delicate finger through my chin upwards. [Look up, I would not have invited you if you didn''t have any talent yes? We already established that.] And so, my head slowly lifted without my influence. I was in her spell and looking directly at her beaming face. It was as if a mother was seeing her child, a very gentle and genuine slime. I was almost tripped with my balance shaken. [I do... of course I have talent! At least that''s what I like to think. Anyway yes, I''m here for the job, but this is all new to me... I''m afraid. Sorry, but could we talk what exactly my job would entail? I was wondering...] Since I''m also working with my sister of her designs I would like to do both jobs if my shift allows it...Is something I wanted to say when Avaria interrupted my words and prevented me from finishing my sentence. [You don''t need to think deeply, I did envision that you will just do fine after all, yes? All I really require is someone to make illustrations that would fit the style I''m showing here. When I say that, I mean things like elegant tea parties, fabulous ball dances and princess-like rooms. You can definitely do that, so believe in yourself okay? It takes time to grow, so don''t worry my child.] [Um... I will definitely try hard on doing art, I promise.] But why I''m being petted again? It feels differently than before, at least inside of my head. The warmth doesn''t just stop at my head but goes down to my chest and stops my breathing. Along with her voice, her hand doesn''t tickle, but gently carcasses my short hair like a fuzzy pillow. [So then, maybe we should get you ready for work, shall me? Of course, you can do work from anywhere, but to give you a better idea I think you should stay here for a while and feel the air of this fine establishment. Thus I find it most fitting that you would help me with selling, I''m I wrong? This requires however...] The curtain to the back room was slowly opened for me. Inside was a spacious environment with mannequins, mirrors and tidily organized boxes with materials. The wooden floor was shining and fresh air was present. On the walls, various material and pattern details were placed. This is the room was quite well equipped for designing, I thought [Come on right in, I won''t bite. We have to dress you up first after all, right?] [Of course... but please be gentle about it, okay? Im a little nervous.] === There I was, looking at the mirror and wondering about what I was actually doing. Avaria, as gentle as she was, asked me to pick my own coordination. I was a little afraid I wouldn''t be able to choose, but she insisted. And thus, after being guided by her keen eyes, I engaged the clothing animation and a curtain appeared. [So what do you think... I figured I would have picked the essentials first. I''m just missing shoes and other stuff... but I didn''t want to keep you waiting.] [Splendid, I shall concur your decision. You look far more refined now, far more lady like, and you work fast, so consider all this as a compliment from someone with experience.] My outfit totally changed. Previously I was wearing the bunny hoodie my sister made for us, but right now I''m was wearing a stylish dress fitting someone who has a high sense of fashion. [You really think so? Well thanks... I feel extremely honoured, Avaria.] While I was feeling the material and looking at the mirror I just noticed how much I have changed. The hoodie was now a marine blue jumper skirt that reached just below the breasts. The print itself was an image of seafrom the top it was imitating light-blue waves from the sea crushing into the coast, while further down the colour of the sand contrasted the dress with a darker shade. It was also decorated with orange seashells-like buttons on the waist, and cat-like vanilla cupcakes near the bottom. As for the rest of the top, I had a sand yellow shirt with ruffles underneath the dress. From the legs down I had cotton tights which were yellow from top and blue at the bottom. It was a similar effect to how the skirt was designedthe blue was foaming into the yellow in the middle. I did actually draw all of this now, so I was impressed to how this all contrasted well. [Well isn''t there something missing still, Pina? I see you have mastered the colours, but the design is lacking in volume. By that I mean, you had the right idea, but we can go further. Here, allow me to help and I shall present you with something even more breathtaking, yes?] [I can''t say no... I tried hard but I guess this is still not enough... I mean I''m not finished but you might as well tell me what''s wrong, I will fix it.] [Nonsense my dear, you are fine just the way you are, you little kitten, ehehe~ but more seriously, I only want to gather that cute side from you and show it to the world.] In the end, I tried to take a firm stance against my captor, but I was once again defeated by her petting. A little while after, she returned the clothes I gave her and I changed myself again. And even though... [Well this no different... you only added tabby cat like frills on the straps and at the bottom? I guess that is more cute now, but... why does it feel like you are not finished yet?] [One step at a time my dear, for you see I have plenty of other things to dress you with. Don''t you find this completely adorable and yet still something is missing? I can tell...] Suddenly the room was filled with an ominous presence. I noticed her voice changed a little, she was more serious and her eyes were focused as well, like a lion stalking her prey. From the way she looked at me I instantly noticed that she wasnt talking about the clothes anymore. [...by the look from your face. You want this look but you are just a little scaredy cat.] That is more or less true, I am missing something from my life and I''m afraid of some things...But I''m not sure. I looked at my face again to confirm my doubts, and she was indeed right. I liked the sea, both calming and relaxing. The sand is warm but the sea was colder. Just like my outfit, the contrast between sadness and joy, that was the face I saw in the mirror. [Can you see this now? This carousel of depression, your ups and downs, arent they obvious? The moment you choose that outfit I already knew what it represented. But do not be shy, I shall accept it all. Here, fashion it into your hair, it will help you hear clearly.] Her hand was over my head in the mirror was holding an item, which I equipped by pressing it against my hair. The moment our hands touched, a chocolate and blue headdress appeared on my strait-cut short dark hair. It had ribbons and little shellfish bells on the side. When I traced my finger over them they ringed into my ears. It was a deep sound that emanated from inside of a seashell. Usually you could hear just the sound of the sea, an empty meanness echo. But I swear I heard something else... It was voice from someone close me that I lost. [So this is... what I lacked, this is what I was missing right?] [Was it the courage to see yourself in the mirror? Was it the bravery to listen to forgotten voices? Oh please do tell, it intrigues me greatly. ohoho~ ] [It was...] With her behind my back and enveloping over my waist I could feel her gentle air arriving at my ear drum. My cat ears twitched and my posture straighten. But at the same time there was something else that was strange. I felt at ease, as my body became warmer and mushier. This motherly feeling, was this what I was missing, I wonderedStolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. [It was genuine love, Avaria.] === A little while later I calmed down from the awkward word I just said. However, Avaria acted as nothing has happened. [Well now, we can''t just stop at just one accessory, we have to complete your look, don''t you agree? ohoho~ I have big plans for you my little assistant. Your loveliness is still far from mature, thus we need to spark you further...] [Umm... sorry I think I need a breather first before we continue. I will get some tea or something... one moment please.] The look she was giving me felt like I was being hunted by a lion but at the same time I was already used to it. And so I have decided to make myself some warm tea, even though my sister is usually the one that makes it. I prefer sitting on floor chair so going up to the wheelchair would be a bother if it was just a normal one. However, this one could lower down and deflate into an easily accessible shape, even if you where on the floor. Anyway, it seems that my sister is not at home at all, that''s fine I wouldn''t want her to eavesdrop anyway. Luckily my sister prepares the kettle on the stove so its within my reach. I return to my room with the tea, and put on my VR headset... which I was wearing all this time. I forgot I was wearing it all the time seems... [I see you like playing around too, how childish like, but it''s fine.] [Eh... what happened?] Before I realised it seems that the VR device, reading the movements I was making while going up the chair, did some strange things. It''s quite embarrassing...I do that sometimes when I model for my sister too. That is because when I move outside of the range of the cam, it switches to the standing mode, instead of the sitting mode that I use all the time. I have to think of something... [Em... that? I''m just fancy playing like a cat sometimes... that''s all there is to it.] I was embarrassed so I couldnt think of any other better excuse I hate talking about this, basically because I hate how they treat me afterwards. But perhaps I could trust Avaria? At that point I wished I could have just said I have a disability and that would be all but... [Playing like a cat you say? I see... ohoho~ so you finally showed me your cute side, didn''t you? How about you come here and sit for a while, I have a perfect present for a cat lady like you.] In her hand there was a pair of shoes, something that I feared the most... but it happened. Normally when you shop for boots you supposed to raise your leg for the person fitting it. To do that I had to somehow move my leg around with my hands secretly, while on the chair and... [Emm... I can help myself with that, you don''t need to pamper me this much Avaria.] My words were a little quieter than usual, as if I was inviting her to do it. More and more, my face reddened as closer she approached. I was still on the ground, unable to stand up, and with my legs curled up. I was defenceless in that position so I only managed to cover my eyes. [There there... I would never make good girl do what they aren''t supposed to. I do say, if there is ever anything you want to say I shall not force it, it must come out naturally. Right now, you shouldn''t listen only to your voice, but to people that are around you.] My hands started vibrating, but were stabilized by her gentle touch. My eyes wanted to tear up, but the smile of her face froze them. She was right, I thought, I was lonely, but I can still hear them through my memories. The moment I realised that I was immersed into an ocean of beautiful voices. [And now my dear Pina, as you are listening, I shall keep my word and grant you your wish.] Which a caressing movement she lifted my leg ever so slightly, as I could barely feel anything. But soon, as she slid the little shoe into my foot, something started twitching on the tips of my toes. I couldn''t believe it myself, it was the first time I sensed something like that after the accident. Were my feet moving on their own or was it just Synapse? Was this magic or could I really move my toes? [With these two little shoes, the silly cat lady will now stand and face me head on.] Her enchanting voice, like a spell, made me feel like I was able to move again. I was a princess from a fairytale, and she was the queen. Joining each other hands, we gently stood up from the ground. I was looking down, the marine blue mary janes with sea foam on their toes, they were a replacement for the glass heels. Now it was my time to shine, and as I raised my head I found myself just an inch away from Avaria. [I accept the dance... my lady.] My legs moved on their own, as if they were enchanted by the wind that swirled our dresses around. Step by step, clicking sounds followed in a circular motion. Our gentle legs, like scissors, cut through reality. This wasn''t just another worldthis was a fantasy that was everlasting and pure. I was the little sister, my colours were a little lighter and I was smaller, and Avaria was the taller and older one, her colours were darker. Like a lion and her cub, both of us embraced one another. It was the same distance as with my sister, but surprisingly more spacious, like a ball room. This strange and mysterious place where I could walk freely... [Do you like it Pina? My gift for you wasn''t just the job, but much more.] [Yes... thank you for making me believe in myself, Avaria. Well I know this won''t matter now but I have to say something...] At that moment our movement slowed down. I wanted to confess my disability to her, feeling that it was the right time, but she insisted that I kept my words to myself with a soft finger on my lips. I had to yield without fighting and... [Words are not always necessary to convey your feelings, my dear little kitten. Silence and trickery are sometimes necessary for a lady to show her demeanour.] Suddenly the room got darker, was it the sun or her words, I wonder? All sound was silenced. Around me several mannequins, and on them familiar clothes. Now I remembered, those designs are something I saw already. They were actually copied, from various sources. Though Avaria said those were original designs but she must have lied about that, I was sure. [Life without a light or colour is just journey through the monochrome, a saddening trip. Thus what a girl really needs is something to make her truly sparkle with joy, something that shines. Surrounded by things you like, you can enjoy your everyday, and without it you are at a loss. Am I right so far Pina? Do you accept that there are things in this world better left unsaid?] But her gentle and doubtful words didn''t stop from my mind from disagreeing. In fact, it further made me realize that she her logic was correct. Like an unpleasant truth, like a rainy day without an umbrella, they are only negative if you think so yourself. [Yes Avaria... I understand what you are saying and I accept this. I was always tired of being someone who is being serviced by others. But now I will change, I shall wash away my old self and accept your light. You gave the feeling in my legs and the courage to walk, thus I accept everything.] [So be it then, I shall do according to your wishes. Let it be known that I, Lady Avaria, will take this child as her own and teach her the ways of splendour.] As if with a flick of a wand, I was given a new light to shine with. My fingernails were now coloured, from light blue to deep ocean blue. They had little shell rings with a tiny amber embodied into them. [This is... quite a gift really. In real life this must cost a lot.] [Of course, anything for my darling. ohoho~ I shall not allow such beauty to go to waste.] It was certainly prettythis entire outfit gave an impression of a fine and fashionable lady. For once in my life, my very own look was complete, different from the one my sister gave me. In the mirror I saw a completely different person, someone who wasnt submerged into the sea of sadness. It was a girl who was gorgeous. These clothes and jewellery was the first time I ever dressed myself up. [Therefore, from now on you should remember what I have to say to you now.] Suddenly, another accessory was given to my neck. Without thinking I equipped it hastily. It was a small collar with a padlock that had "ownership" imbued onto it in golden letters. [This adorable thing is the symbol of my investment, of my purchase. I said I want it all right? Truth be told, you must now face a difficult task. You can be with your sister, or you can be with me, whichever you choose will cause problems for the other I''m afraid, thus the choice is yours.] [I said I accepted it all but...] Between my sister and Avaria, which person was the one I would rather be? I didn''t even have to think much about it much, I already knew what my answer would be. [If any problems truly occur, I will consider staying with you Avaria.] Being with her felt similar, yet different that with Hina. Although she was far more forceful, Avarias gentle words were genuine. They made my hair stand on end, yet resonated within me. Furthermore, she looked through me and accepted who I was, treating me fair. Without those gifts, I would have still been lost and wandering. Even as a possession, I was very glad to be at her side. [Then my little Pina, I shall never leave or fill you a dubious love. Our days shall be filled with joy, as long as we both have each other.] [Yes, Avaria I mean my lady.] I curdled up onto her lap on the floor, like a little kitten, and she petted me gently. This is the right choice, I thought, as my mind was calmed by her soft caressing. She granted me my wish, giving me care of a true mother that I never experience in reality. === It was raining again it seems... but I didn''t mind that at all. My new and pretty dress was getting wet... but it didn''t matter in this game. Even if the puddles reached above my ankles... I wasn''t bothered with that. Even since I accepted the job and become an employee of Brilliant Dream I had a lot of work. From the ground up, I had to make a lot of designs for the shop and change its mood. Now the silent and foreboding atmosphere was filled with cutesy designs of elegant ladies. Everything was thanks to the lady who I met by chance, Avaria, who was the fanciest person I have ever met. She wore a princess dress that was simply refined looking, always having a dignified look as she walked. She inspired me to try out fashion for myself, and I ended up prettying myself up too. However...all that came at a cost and I had to abandon my work I did with my sister, I simply didn''t have the time any more. [So had enough? I reckon you want her back but I must disagree with your opinion. She feels a lot better with me than with you, so I suggest you accept your defeat.] Further down the road I could hear some voices, two people were fighting on the streets. It was unusual for Maremoda to host to such activities in the middle of the walkway, so my cat ears instantly turned towards the source of the squabble. What I heard then was... [You ask me to accept defeat so easily? I''m her sister and you are just some rude lady! I never thought you would have done something like this but you don''t leave me with a choice here. This is not just about her, but about how you treat her. I most certainly can''t allow it!] [Then we shall battle until one of us will lose the will the fight, is that was it comes down to? Listen, I want only to avoid unnecessary complications for you and for her, thus stop this at once. Have you no shame battling a fellow artist for the sake of profit? Have you lost your mind completely?] In the far reach of my vision there were two girls fighting despite the rain. One was standing on the stairs, the other one was trying to reach her with magic from below. However it was a pointless effort, since her attacks were deflected by barrier. Slowly the girl on the top moved towards her opponent. She had all the timeshe was playing a Priest, the same class WRose played. They can heal others, and themselves, so they can fight for a long time if you let them. Needless to say, her opponent was a Wizard, an archetype that had difficulty with surviving for a long time as they lack any long-term survivability skills. It seems that out of all people, only I was interested in watching, so I moved closer to the fight. There was no danger of getting into crossfire during the duel either. Thus, when I had a better view, I realised who the two girls were. One was my sister, Hina, the other was my lady, Avaria. [So you think you can humour me with your a petty effort like that? I expected much more from you, but it seems your power is just at a beginner level. Such a disgrace to think I was against a serious opponent.] [You say so, but you are almost out of mana yourself. I have been saving mine all for a moment like this.] What I was about to witness was that the trump of my sister''s brilliant tactic, I thought. However, I was mistaken. As soon as my sister launched her magic blast, the other one stood still, and created a shiny barrier made out of gems which absorbed the hit and then redirected it back. [Ugh... how dare you? Such dirty tricks.] [Coming from a fox person that seems like a complement. ohoho~] The result of the battle, my sister was down on the ground in the dirt and my lady was standing victorious. She gave a foreboding look towards her from the stairs, a warning gaze not to try this again. With that, my sister with regret in her eyes accepted defeat and punched the ground which slashed the water around her. [You did well sis... I mean we barely even play this game so you should be happy.] [Wait Pina? Why are you even here? Have you been watching since the start of the fight?] My sister, who asked me a little while ago to put on headphones, has been fighting my lady. However, she wasn''t strong enough to defeat her and was now sitting partially submerged in a puddle. The rain drops covered her face, her hair and ears were drenched thoroughly. Not only her avatar, but her face also did not appear looking good. She made an expression of a child that was about to cry. [I don''t think I need to explain anything to you Pina, isnt that right? We did talk about this before, I''m glad that you have a job now but what I worry is about you. Are you really okay with Avaria? Isn''t she treating you like a pet and asking you only work for her, while forbidding you from any other work?] [Never said I stopped working for us... I just didn''t have time for our shop lately. Its just...I had to draw a lot of stuff from the ground up so....] This was nevertheless the truth, no matter how my sister felt about it. Perhaps when I have more time, when Avaria releases me from the initial workload, I will have more time for my sister. No problem there... [But look at you Pina, are you okay with what are you wearing right now? This collar, this shiny jewellery... isn''t this just to make you stay there? Remember what she said, about that she wants it all? You must have noticed by now that she wants to posses you fully.] [I''m sorry Hina, but you are unfortunately wrong... She never took me in as her possession. It was my own decision and my own conviction... that I accepted the gifts she bestowed upon me.] All this time, Avaria, who was standing above us on the stairs, was looking at us silently. Her head was covered by a roof above, while I and my sister were exposed to the rain down below. The silence continued while the little droplets felt onto the ground. Eventually, my sister spoke [Did you really agree to that Pina? I respect that decision if it really came from you but... Your outfit is all drenched, as well as your hair. Here, I brought these for us.] It was the umbrellas I have finished the design for on the side. She must have been carrying them all this time. Quite frankly their colour was yellow and orange, one had fox ears and the other had cat ears. The design was an animated cat, or a fox, that ran around and left paw prints whenever it would rain. With one hand she covered herself and with the other she reached towards me. But I didn''t want it... [I don''t need an umbrella... I''m fine in the rain.] The rain kept falling onto me, eventually reaching my legs and feet. This sensation, the little tingling Synapse was giving me, was the true reason to why I liked the rain. [It fits together, like it''s our colours and everything! It''s even has your design on it. And even with that you don''t want it? We are twins, remember? You always liked when...] [Stop... I think...] I was lost at words, because I didn''t want to say this out loud in front of Avaria. [What''s on your mind sis... I really want to know why, so please tell me.] Without the umbrella, she reached for my hand but I avoided her and hid my hands behind my back. [You know, maybe I''m really supposed to say this but... I promised I will change to Avaria. And the thing WRose said to me, not directly but still... I think there is no point in keeping it a secret, not any more... You said that it''s fine to tell others if I feel like it, right? Then I will say so.] [Is it really? Do you really trust her as much after just meeting with her? Sister...] Walking snuggling on her knees, my sister grabbed the hem of my skirt and pulled it, pleading for my attention. I looked down on her, from an elevated position, and I saw not just her tears, but her desperation. Slowly, I tried to push away her shoulders but she only clutched harder. She was sobbing ever so quietly. It made me sad two, I even shed a tear or two, but they soon were engulfed within the raindrops. [Listen to me... I really wanted to make you feel better. I tried my best with the Mermaid City, and the shrine stuff. I listened to your every desire and done everything you asked. We had fun, we cried too, and all that was for you. Is there even a better sister you could have? If so...] The pain of separation pierced through my headphones, it was the sensation that my sister was feeling. She was afraid that if choose Avaria, she would be left alone. But that was just her wild imagination. The more I pushed her away the more she was getting closer to me, both in the game and in the real world. [Dont be hysterical Hina. I will be frank... I can see similarities between you and Avaria. You both have a desire to possess things and have difficulty giving them up. The difference is however, she never made that the topic. You always try to help, but sometimes it hurts more than it helps. Even if she treats me like a pet, you did as well besides, her sincere love is greater than your sibling one.] That last sentence left my mouth with distaste. I wasn''t lying but I used a statement that wasn''t correct, just like Avaria did. Her affection might have been based on desire of possession, but it felt less dubious that my sister''s. Her gifts might have been a shallow way to show gratitude, but it''s better than forcing me smile through my teeth. It''s things like Mermaid City or modelling that reminds me of my feet, but my sister doesn''t understand that. [Her love? You mean that collar you are wearing is a symbol of her love? She never talked about it with you, and yet you have no doubts about her intentions? You put her above me, and yet you barely even know her, so please reconsider] [No you don''t understand!] After I almost shouted, there was a length of silence between the two of us, each looking at each other with a worried expression... The truth is, I was just getting angry and needed to vent my emotions. Like a drenched cat in the rain that has to raise her voice so their owners would open the door for her, I really felt like raising my voice, but not towards Hina. Slowly, in the silence, my sister released me... [I always wore the same clothes as you sis... but never had a wardrobe of my own. I was always worried that you and mother worked hard... but I was never able to repay you. I always sat silently and endured the help you gave me... and though it is pain to say it... what I always wanted was you to treat me as a normal person, not someone special because of my disability.] And there... I have said it. It took real courage that I lacked but it was finally done. [Sister...] I don''t care what my sister will do afterwards, I think for myself now and I don''t need her opinion. As for Avaria, I would have probably had to tell her sooner or later, but I''m glad it came out naturally. [Listen Hina, I know its hard to understand, but no matter how hard you try you can''t just make me forget.] My sister faced the problem, trying to be as useful as an older sister could be. But she wasnt helping me, just herself. Avaria, on the other hand, was the first person that made me feel like I could move my legs again. Maybe its still too early to dream, but I have hope that one day, with her help maybe my legs will heal... [Thus I won''t accept your umbrellaI don''t need it any more.] Still holding to her own, I left Hina who was in the ground and parted the scene with Avaria. We walked towards a bright future, my lady and I, as the sun dispersed the clouds and the rain stopped. Even though there was a rainbow, you could barely see its reflection on the surface of water. Rainbows supposed to have seven colours right? This one... you couldnt even tell them apart. === Pitiful are the sinners that gather their malice and spread among the young, weakness unkempt. Such is the nectar that curses and spreads upon those that are weak, shielded must be the human soul. Without perspective, reflection is what only can be seen. And thus, further and deeper they fall... In my vision today, the very essence of dreadful, the lady that hunts down the weak as her prey. She is but one that is responsible for the demise of humans, corrupting them with greed and dreams. If the world were to erase her it would be for the better. But this evil is desired by me, it has a use. [My salutations dear Avaria. I have come to collect what is rightful and fair. Let us discuss the matters.] [Oh my... what a strange looking man dressed in such rags. You called me mister? Are you perhaps a debt collector who made a mistake? I never had any problems with money ohoho~] As petty as her laughter is, I have to endure it for a greater cause. I shall steel myself, for the path ahead of me is only filled with thorns and hurdles. But at the end great things await. [It is a pleasure from Schuld my lady, I shall state that I have what you need and desire. For that, I shall impose a small price. That are my conditions and offer, think it through well.] My plan was simple and obvious, for the small rare item that was in my belongings, I wanted to recruit her. There is a greater reason to why I chose her and to why I decided to gather party members. Soon they shall know about it as well, but for know I can only say as much as it is required to understand. [So you want something for this little gem? Certainly this marvel of nature is gorgeous, I have to agree, but what is that you want minster? Is my assistance that you so desperately require this highly valued?] [It is but a simple party request, and specifically, you can feel honoured that you were chosen. However, the time and place shall be decided later, thus keep your preparations at all times.] The question why was she chosen has an easy answer. It is her parents, in particular her relation with them. Long have this girl enjoyed the delight of having a sponsor for her expensive lifestyle, one she refuses to give up. Her father, who acts as if he was royalty, is responsible for her upbringing in greed and snobbery. At one time, that caused a quarrel that caused her parents to separate and now Avaria lives with her mother who she loathes. She curses her for her unfaithfulness toward her husband, which is also the person who is dearest to Avaria. The mother claims, money is not everything and you exploit people. But the Father rebukes, I created this with my hands fair and square. And thus, in the middle, Avaria sides with her father, claiming her mother faked love in order to marry into money. These convictions fashioned her sin, her maniacal attachment to money and people. And it is only growing, with the money she keeps receiving from her father and due to her newly acquired possession. Thus I act, to claim what is rightful and fair and release her from the burden. Her pardon and my goal will unite together, that is why she was chosen for my plan, for I foresee a great calamity in near future and only those who have sinned will prevail. [So I should consider myself as a mercenary for you, mister Schuld? Gladly, if that is all I shall take my leave. I will be meeting you later, I assume.] With her overemphasized elegance she parts me with a curtsy. I have others matters to attend to, other sinners to gather as their guide. Thus with the hope in chest I escape into the darkness, until I appear next. === Chapter 3 [Bird] === Chapter 3 [Bird] The white is around me and covers everything in sight, I''m cold. It''s snowing again it seems, I''m cold. The wind is in flurry and rages furiously, I''m cold. I''m slowing down because of its strength, I''m cold. Even if the sun shines above me, little shiny points appear on the ground, I''m still cold. No, the reason why I''m cold is not the winter climate. No, the reason is nether the snow or the wind. No, the reason is also not close to how I''m dressed, even though I am pretty well equipped. The real reason to why I''m cold is that my body shivers from inside. This is a bad sign, and I know the reason why. Some places become dangerous to get close. The bed is most probably the worst of them all. The second one is the bathtub, especially filled with hot water. But I still have to warm up, so I have no choice but to use a blanket and cover myself entirely. Sometimes that''s still not enough. [You remember that one time when you wanted to make a snowman? I said that the carrot was crooked, my gosh it was so funny ihihi~ Then you said it''s better to lay down and make an angel in the deep snow, but mine was a little small. Brr... it definitely was as cold as it is now. Too bad this is just a game.] Yes, the best thing I could think of was playing a video game. I made a character in the VRMMO called Unwritten, it''s a game where you can basically do anything you want and play however you want. That was what I wanted, my own play style and my own story. Additionally thanks to Synapse and VR this was truly the experience. How I played this game was very simple, I was outside the influence of others, an explorer of sorts. I travelled the worlds no one ever visited and tried to survive as best as I could. Times it was difficult, but it was really satisfying that all this was only due my effort. I was really glad that I could take things my pace. Additionally there was no one that could tell me what do. I usually get called by my parents and they remind me that they still exist. But I don''t care any more about thatI can just enjoy the game as it is. They wouldn''t understand either, so there is no point in explaining them anything. They already made their statement too many times before. [When you walk through the snow, do you gently step on the snow or do you run as fast as you can? Sometimes the snow is frozen solid so you might trip. Sometimes it''s fluffy so you legs dig deep into it. I guess it does depend on the snow, right? ihihi~ it''s not like you are going to fall into a hole or something.] The place I was currently was a tundrathere was mostly snow everywhere, a few trees, bushes here and there. What was special about this place was that it was basically all white. Wherever you looked, you couldn''t escape, you had to surrender to the avalanche of the shiny creamy puffiness. Apparently it was not all that popular and I wonder why. Maybe because it drained stamina at a faster rate? Clothes didn''t matter, although I would say I was equipped well. I had like a blue long hair that was kinda coloured like an icicle. It even had like a frosting highlights. On my head, a brown-white chullo with blue pompons. Its design was two duck feather on the top and hazardous signs beneath it. Furthermore, I wear a gauze mask, also in white and with a green hazardous sign. I just like that kind of things. As for anything below, I have a conformable skiing suit that, albeit its puffy, fitted tightly with my thin body. I even had to secure it with multiple bets, because I didn''t feel it touching my skin enough. It''s white and greyish, like a snow-camo. Above that, I also have ski gloves and snow boots, they have the same camo but have blue snowflake tips. [Well today I should be thinking about getting food since I might be needing it soon. I do plan eventually to move, because monsters were showing up less here lately. In this game you have to hunt monsters, much like that other game, so you have to look for tracks and stuff... pretty boring but once you get the hang of it you can quite good at it.] As per usual, my routine is finding food and materials I can use. There is hardly anything rare in this place, but I manage with animal meat and wood. I also build an igloo as my base. It does really help with the stamina I guess, but also allows me to store materials and supplies for later. I always pack light so there I don''t have a lot of stuff. So I step outside my house, rather I crawl outside on my fours, equipped with my sniper rifle and several tools. What I will be doing for today would be underwater ice fishing. Now I know you ought to do that on the surface, but I don''t really care. In this game there is no danger to doing that, the only penalty the stamina cost, but it is fine. Tracking my memory I get out the map I drawn for this place and I find my path to the lake. Along the way, I find not a single soul or tracks, I just hope I''m not being followed either. If it comes to that, I have a mean of defending myself, though my chances are better if I just keep running away. Finally I arrive. [This is the place. Okay, now I have to break the ice and dive in. Normally you can just wait until the fishes gather, also using a groundbait perhaps, but I don''t need it. I''m going to the alternative method, which is just swimming with the fishes, and hitting them with a harpoon. That way you simply save time by not having to make a fishing rod and all that stuff. Okay, I''m ready.] So to start, I take out an axe and chop the surface of the ice. It takes a few swings but eventually a crank appears. I pick the ice which is quite thin, that way it''s easier to break. Fortunately, there is no danger of breaking everything, because this is a game and over-realistic things like that would have been just simply annoying. I''m very glad for that. After I finish, I simply take a dive in and have fun with swimming on the surface. This is quite surrealistic, you can''t really dive in and you can only swim on the surface. Naturally I mean under the ice. In reality it would be unwise to do so, but this is a game. I think they will eventually want to make diving a feature, but as it is now its kinda funny to me, ihihi~ Under the ice I search for a school of fishes and attack them with my harpoon. To speak the truth, I don''t attack them, I click on the gather option and the game does the animation for me. I find it funny that with each successful swing, a fish appears in your inventory. I wonder how that happens, but I guess it''s just another way to convenience the player. [Well isn''t this a blast? I feel a little bit cold but I can manage on my own if I keep heating myself up. I wonder where he went, all this time I have been waiting in the cold and he did not come. I''m shivering here, both my legs and arms are at work here, but no matter how hard I rub, I still feel cold. If only he was here...] I finished my daily finishing with a little larger than usual catch, thus I go back to the hole and jump out. I''m happy that all went well so I can''t complain, although my stamina is probably very low now. Usually Synapse, the device responsible for making me feel like I''m in the game, responds to the player if their stamina is low. For this particular sensation it''s the feeling of cold, something I feel from time to time. But to speak the truth, there is another reason why I chose this place and why I do swim under the ice. Now I know it might sound difficult, but there is a difference between the cold of my inner body and the cold wind or water that the game is making me fell. Yet, the important thing is that when they overlap they somehow cancel each other. Basically I do all that because I don''t want to feel coldI don''t want those shivers that invade me from time to time. This game allows me to do that, quite in strange way as well. Without it I would probably not feel at ease, so I''m glad the game doesnt force a certain way of playing upon its players. [Yes, eventually I have to return home and feed myself. I know that I''m not the best person around, that I have faults and I''m not really good at everything, but if you give me a chance I would surely... But they never listen, no matter how hard I try to convince them. Sometimes I feel like freezing, sometimes I feel like saying something, but that would only make things worse... It''s truly a horrible predicament.] === [Wait a second, I can hear someone in the distance... those must be hunters. Their timing is most annoying, but I guess I could deal with then since I''m already here.] I don''t really like other people doing stuff on my territory, not that I mind that but I''m afraid. You can never really trust someone out in the wildthey can stab you or take your loot and leave. They can also return with friends and destroy your house for fun, so I can''t let that happen. On the prowl I move stealthy onto the hill, trying to make as little noise as I can. This is important, I can''t let them see me or hear me if I am to surprise them. My sniper rifle is all I really have, so ambush tactics is a must. I crawl in the snow and climb a hill to better observe my adversaries. Luckily there are only two people, a Tank and a Priest. That might be difficult since the Priest, the support archetype, has a lot of healing magic that would undo my damage. I need to wait, and patiently use my opportunity to attack. The best situation would be if I kill the Priest first. [Yo, tanknspank this fella. You got me right?] [Okay, don''t worry I have healing down, and I don''t plan on doing anything else.] Both of them played this encounter very defensively, they didn''t spend a lot of mana and just used basic attacks. If that continues I wouldn''t be able to use the monster to my advantage. Sitting here motionlessly was not an option either. I had to make them panic a little. I also had just the idea about how I would do it, at least theoretically I had. I had set a trap down below the hill, an Arrow Trap that would attract the bear here. Doing so, I hoped that it would change the aggro and attack the Priest. Afterwards I would then focus on the Tank, preventing him from dealing any damage to the Bear and thus eventually having it kill them both. The only problem was that the trap itself had very short range and only fired in a straight line. If I didn''t hit the monster or get its attention, the entire plan would fail. But I also didn''t have any other ideas. Therefore I went with the one I decided on the spot. Surely it was better than just sitting idly and letting them kill the bear, I would lose a lot of potential damage then. [Well here goes nothing...I have to move back to the hill now, I sure hope you notice this you stupid bear. Come here...] And then with a flick of my fingers, the Arrow Trap activated and started shooting projectiles slowly. No one seemed to notice that, probably because they were obscured by the boss. Eventually they did hit, and damaged the bear ever so slightly. But soon the trap ran out of arrows and the stupid bear was no interested. If I repeat that process, I would probably get the same result. This plan didn''t work, so it was up to me. I took out my sniper and started aiming at the monster. I had more than enough range, so that wasn''t a problem. What I feared I would be discovered by the players due to my shots. But since they didn''t notice my trap, I was certain that they would also not notice this either. With the finger on the trigger I took my breath. [Okay, I hope the plan B will work. This time the stupid bear will come here!] With a charged round I shot at the monster. For Sniper Rifles, you can either fire a burst fire three shots, or one charged shot that has a lengthier animation but also a longer range. I was at my prefer range, thus I had the ability to fully utilize my rifles advantage. This is also how I usually dealt with fights. And so, the first bullet hit and followed by several others. The monster was visibly getting damaged slowly, but it still had a lot of health. I was worried that he wouldn''t notice be, but at some point I was startled. Suddenly, the bear had changed its behaviour and turned away from the Tank. It was looking directly at me. In a raging rush, it jumped into my position on the hill. Bears could do that? I was surprised, but what was more to come was a little more worrying. The snow beneath us two started to crumble, and slid down, causing my footing to disappear. I tried to Dodge to move to the nearest ground, but I landed too short. Together with the white fur ball, I was sliding down to the ground involuntarily, and I wasnt having any fun either. [Ugh... you damn bear! You want a fight or something?] Face to face I slowly rose from the ground only to have to deal with the bear claws. Without warning I was swiped, and took the damage before I could do anything else. Flying away from the beast, the other two were now here. However, rather than help me, they came here to finish their hunt. Perhaps ignoring me was their plan all this time.Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. I knew people were like that, cold and without compassion, so I wasn''t really surprised. A second later, I was back on my feet and ready to show them what I thought. With my rifle, I aimed at the Priest, who just recently became a new target for the bear. Just as I planned, I thought. I''m sure if they paid attention to me, they would have noticed that I''m preparing my skill against them, and that I wasn''t targeting the bear. But just like I did envision I had no problem with using the Sniper Rifle''s unique skill, One Last Shot. It had a long animation but it dealt a lot of damage if the target wasn''t paying attention. And so, with a flash of the rifle, the bullet travelled through the silent air above the snow and hit its mark. [Huh? You got shot mate? Bruh how rude!] [Shut up! Who needed help just a while ago?] Now they have noticed me, although it was the Tank that did. The Priest on the other hand was in a difficult position. He was being mauled by the bear after I staggered him with my shot. Considering the damage, he won''t be standing back up. Thus I managed to finish the first part of my plan. What remained was to deal with the remaining two. I was certain that the Tank would rush at me next, but he did choose to focus on the bear first. He probably thought that I wasn''t going to attack him but he was wrong. Without any restrains, I started shooting at him, though he noticed my shots and tried to evade them. What a pity. With the situational awareness, he even used my shots to his advantage, positioning him behind the bear. Reluctantly, I did manage to help him defeat the beast in the end, as his spear dealt the last blow. Now it was only me and him, and the Priest who was down on the ground. With no danger he approached his comrade. [Hey, I appreciate this shooting stuff gurl. That bear aggro though, kinda my fault I guess?] [Bear aggro? I was aiming at you dumbass. Don''t think you can escape.] I raised my rifle and aimed directly at that guy, with rage in my eyes that could melt the snow around me. Fortunately for him, he realised that I wasn''t just some good girl that goes around and helps people. I was here for only one goal, and that goal was survival. No matter how big they are, I shall hunt them all. [Yo you be that Battle Royale fan huh? I totally can full respect that. But, if you wanna fight you might as well go there. We be friendly here okay? ] [You better don''t come close or I will decimate you, you hear!?] He was moving slowly, but it was only a matter of time before he would reach me. Tanks are the worst, their grapples and armour is hard to play around, especially up close. I had to do something quick, and I didn''t have too many options to choose from. The least I could do is to buy myself some time. I had one skill that helped with that, Ice Ammunition. It charged my basic attack with the slow property. Utilizing that, I would be able move outside of his range to gain advantage. With a reach for my belts, blue energy that glittered a little appeared in my hand. I loaded the bullets into my rifle and fired it in burst mode. It doesn''t matter which firing mode you use, the slow lasts for the same duration. Even with the Tank blocking, he was slowed down. Not for long thought...Since he also countered my debuff with his ability, which froze the duration of my slow. This wasn''t something I predicted at all. I made up another plan. It was a gamble, but my time was short. [Yo, I dont want to do this but...] [Don''t come close you filth!] As I thought I can''t stop him now but I can do something to defend myself, he used his Bullrush. This allowed him to close the distance quickly and nudge me a little. I was pushed back but I also had a surprise. During his rush I prepared a Spring Trap, which was now right under his feet. The moment I landed, he was in the air. This was the Tanks'' major weakness, once staggered they could not block any longer. This was my chance to deal damage, thus I started with my basic attacks and followed with a Gallery Snipe. Then as he was falling, I launched him again, and continued my combo. I also moved away from him, so I would be in a preferable range when he stands up again. But rather than fighting, he chose to run away, slowly moving backwards while defending. Unlucky for him, his buff was due, and his movement was slower again. Unable to escape and receiving damage, he couldn''t heal, or run. He was stuck knowing that whatever I do is going to prevent him from escaping. Thus he had one choice. [Hey gurl, why so aggro?] [I said don''t come close!] He attacked me with the rest of his strength. It wasn''t much I noticed, but enough to make him take a gamble. Using his skill, he wanted to force me to attack, but I was smarted than that. His move had armour, so I couldn''t really do much about them. I could only move to evade, and so I did. But he was already too close. With his Seismic Blast, he launched a projective that was moving on the ground, and plowing the snow through. It was following my footsteps, thus I couldn''t evade it. If I slowed down and attack, it would have hit me, thus I had to be on the run, he thought. He was mistaken however, because all I had to do was to move upwards. I jumped up to the hill. That was high enough to stop the projectiles and I was able to use it to my advantage. Before he could react, I knelled down and concentrated my aim towards him. Just at that second, my special sniper skill came off the cooldown. I knew that even the blocked damage would be fatal. He couldn''t run away or attack me because of the difference in elevation. [Say goodnight scum.] With my shoot connecting with ease, it was over. [Sigh...] Even if he put a good fight, he didn''t try to block. He accepted his defeat it seems, perhaps because he had enough. I calmed down a little, with my wounds healing slowly. The snow was covered now with a bit of red, but I wasn''t done. I had to finish them both, and loot all three of the bodies. This was my single victory after all. Thus, I was rejoiced. === With simply reducing HP to zero you can''t really loot anyone, you have to finish them off as well. This usually keeps them away, and is consider as a PK, meaning it was bad to some people, but this was also a part of the game which I accepted. While getting my prizes I also wondered if I should be leaving to more deserted place, now that these hunters came. With my sniper rifle, I shot the Tank, finishing him and forcing him to drop loot. The Priest on the other hand, he was defeated by the bear so his loot would be inside of the monster. With my carving knife, I skinned the bear, and gathered some monster teeth and a pelt. It was a fair gain for my troubles but there was also something else. Outside of the combat zone, I noticed something that was not the part of the conflict. It was a poor penguin, a very young one, who was covered in bear swipes and had blood around him. Though pathetically, he was still breathing, vomiting blood as he peeped. He called for help, for anyone to take care of him because there was no one for him. [Oh my gosh... what a terribly ugly bird. You must be hungry huh? Ihihi~ I''m joking, You aren''t this gross, just unfortunate like myself. There, I can give you some fish. I hope you like it raw and uncut because Im not giving you anything else, okay?] But to my surprise it seemed to accept just raw fish, and swallowed it in a one big gulp. A little while later, his wounds also disappear slowly and he was back on his feet. This guy must have been like a newly born birdhis feathers were still grey and he had problems with standing still. He was cute in that regard so I figured I would pet him. [Don''t worry about this fish, I have plenty more in the storage. You dont even understand human language do you? But maybe you do, because you are just a virtual bird? Let''s try to talk, what is your name little penguin?] However that didn''t result in any of his reactions. It seemed to be programmed as a normal animal, thus it doesn''t react to speech of humans. However it did react to actions, and so, after feeding him, he appeared to be more interested in me above everything else. I''m sure his parents are worrying for him. [One fish is enough for you, I don''t think you should be begging for more okay? I know you wouldn''t understand but at least you can listen to the tone of my voice, maybe? HEY! hey! No more food! Go away! ...or something like should work right? What a dumb bird...] It looked like whenever I made my voice louder, it grew more attracted and replied me with his peeping. The louder I screamed the louder he got. What a strange little fellow, thinking that I am his mother maybe. Even if I wanted to walk away, he followed me with his tiny feet, falling down several times in the process. I was thinking what I should do with a penguin but I didn''t find really a good use for him. I could maybe use his as bait but that would have been just too cruel. I was not that broken. Considering his companionship was also quite unlikely, he would probably just get in my way all the time. Just like now, he was only making footprints and his presence obvious with his peeping. Still, there was something about him that I could accept and found adorable. His little courage to walk, his fearless bird head that decided to follow me everywhere I go. He did remind me of a certain person. [So little fellow, you are really okay with following me around? I don''t need to feed you or anything, you understand that? You probably don''t, you ugly bird! Look at your feathers, all dirty and muddy. Do you always want this hideous? I can tell you now, whatever you do, they will never find you attractive.] But the bird didn''t seem to listen to my woes. Oh well, that''s at least the best I could do for him. I didn''t want to hide the truth from himhe would eventually have to learn it for himself. But really, what I was thinking talking to a penguin about that kind of stuff? Sometimes I''m just feeling cold. [Listen well, I shall give you a name so you can be happy about that. From now you will be Penkun. Is that fair? When you grow up you will probably just leave me alone, thus until that time I I''m stuck with you. I know, I can''t just leave you behind, I''m not that cruel. You are only a baby after all, right? So be glad about it for the time being. Also, here, I think it would be faster if I carried you.] With body turning a little colder by the second, I picked up the bird and carried it in my hand. It was strangely warm, though it was just a sensation from the game. I wasn''t fully satisfied with it, but it was different than the warmth from my blanket. I guess from now on my igloo has a new heater. === Sometimes all I can see in the horizon is snow, but thats okay. Sometimes my snowflakes fall onto my nose, that''s still is fine. There are days that the hail doesn''t even allow me to leave my house, but I can manage. Even if weeks aren''t going well and you get hit by the hardest winter all of a sudden, you can still warm up. Recently I have found a new source of warmth, and although it''s wrong to think it that way, I find that playing this game with the Penkun really did help me realise that. The reason for that, perhaps I''m just not good with people and I prefer talking to animals. But even if its just an AI, not an actual living being, that should be fine right? In any case, he became a special virtual snuggling pillow for me in the game. Everyone where I go I take my own snuggling pillow with me, the one from my room. When I hug it I feel like Penkun is with me. On the bed or sitting in the chair, his fuzzy little cotton helps me calm down at times when I need him. At bad times and at good times, he is always there for me, both in the game and outside of it. [Hello Penkun. It''s nice that you decided to stay inside the igloo all the time, because it would be hard to keep you safe outside. You probably understand that, right? Here, I brought you some fish, so eat it up. You are a growing bird thus you need to eat a lot.] He does certainly eat a lot. Like I could probably feed him endlessly and he would still accept it from me. Right now I was giving him four fishes which he swallowed instantly. Afterwards, he cosily jumped on the ice sofa, and snuggled down next to me. The sofa already had a quite soft and warm yet not melting cover on it. [To tell you the truth, I have been thinking lately about why I did talk with you this much. You are not even an AI who can understand my words but yet you seem to listen to me the most, I feel. Thus perhaps I was giving you too much attention and not enough attention to myself, right? That might be why you have never answered me with something different than a low-pitched peep.] However, his behaviour did eventually change as he grew up. As a little boy he was peeping uncontrollably, every time he saw me. But nowadays he did quiet up and his voice got more mature. I kinda miss his younger, adorable sound. Additionally his feathers did change its colours and he was longer the ugly bird he was once before. You could now clearly see the black and white contrast of his feathers, which were shining and smooth. It was a total transformation. [Say, if humans too could grow feathers would that mean they would be able to become beautiful as they mature? I wish I was a bird like that, so then at least I wouldn''t have to worry about my own charm. It''s a pity really, no matter what I try they won''t look at me. But don''t worry. You will always have me, no matter where we go.] I was planning to move soon, since there was too few monsters and food remaining in this place. Further towards a colder place was my destination, and who knew how big this game''s world was really. After several weeks the players actually managed to map the entire world, so I have heard. It''s really big, even too large for the current population of players. For me, I was happy with my Penkun, and no one else. But that soon changed... [Penkun? Where are you? Are you hiding under the sofa? It is time we move out, so you have to go. I''m already packed so don''t worry... well are you outside maybe?] I crawled out of the igloo to find Penkun''s foot printsit was a trail leading out of the house. I figured he went for a walk or something. In any case I had my stuff on me so I only need him now. Afterwards we could just travel wherever we wanted. Now, where could that free-loader went to? Following the path in the snow I hoped that he didn''t walk away too far, so I wasn''t worried. But soon after the trait was no more. The snow was not falling, thus I did not see a reason why it vanished. His footprints simply stopped without any other traces, no blood or anything. This was strange. [Penkun? Penkun! Where are you birdy? Don''t you miss the fish I gave you all this time?] I tried to call him as loud as I could, and I tried to wave around his favourite fish in the air, but to no avail. What could have happen really I did not understand. He never left the househe always stayed inside and waited for me to login or for me to return with his food. This was worrying. I started desperately digging in the snow, eventually reaching the frozen and cold bottom. No matter how hard I tried and no matter how long I dug, I was unable to find a single living being. Deep inside I knew this was just my stubbornness. I couldn''t cope with the loss, but my hands did not stop. The situation like this one wasn''t something new to me, but my legs were deep into the snow. [Why Penkun... you were my pet, my bird that couldn''t fly. You grew beautiful... yet you were rotten to the core in the end. You left me behind like the rest... without saying a single word, even though you couldn''t speak... but now you are no more.] I ended up on my fours and faced my reflection on the surface of the ice. My silver eyes, and their greyish eyeshadow was a mess. Smeared all over my tear covered face, my vision was clouded. Sobbing beneath my mask, words like poison could not leave my throat. I felt sick and wanted to puke, but I held my stomach. The thing that was the most disgusting was meI was ugly without a cure. [Disgusting... I can''t look...] When you grow up you will probably just leave me alone I regret I have said those words Some time has passed after that and I had calmed myself down. But the days of when I felt cold returned. I miserably tried to find a replacement for Penkun but I knew that would not help me in the long run. He was not the solution and I was the problem. That is why I wanted to be alone all this time. I knew that whatever I do, I only cause disgust to people. When I ask them for help, they were clueless. I could only be alone, in the cold, and that was the only solution that was left for me. Alone in the snow... [Greeting and salutations human, it seems that this unit has finally succeeded in scouting. I presume, if your memory banks would allow, that introductions are not efficiently essential.] At some point I decided that I would travel around the world, thus I was always on the run. However this was not always the case. I was also a part of Anti-TSA onceit was a nice guild. I wanted to fit in, but I knew in the end I couldn''t so I left and went solo. This robot, G1, is also the part of the same Guild and the person I did talk and hurt the most. Why was he here? [Wait, it''s you G1? How the hell did you find me you bastard! Did you stalk me you creep? To go through this cold tundra...you would have to really be horny for me or something. Damn, I feel sorry for you now, but I have to kill you. You understand that at least right, you nut brain?] [Negative, this unit is not here to discuss the past, but rather converse about the future. The information about a certain penguin pet was acquired thus this unit decided to put it to use.] [Wait a second, what kind of penguin? Penkun is dead! If that''s not the case, you probably kidnapped him or tortured him or... even worse you sick bastard!] [That is also a negative. This unit simply wants to state that based on a recent animal investigation, the unit referred as Penkun was discovered among other of his kind. This should please you, unit Yukihiru, as you were deeply attached to the bird I presume. One additional word, stalking has not occurred, this unit only visited unit Yukihiru on one certain occasion.] With a robotic movement, G1 wanted to apologize for stalking me, but that somehow felt like a lie. On just one occasion? I know he was helpful in the past, but then I distanced myself from him. He is not a bad guy, so he deserves better than more. That aside, what about Penkun? Is he still alive? [Then just don''t stand here, take me to him at once! You think I would just believe you words, you rusty nut?] [Affirmative, this unit shall provide escort services. Please head this way.] === Blood of the youth spilled from own veins, for other desires than the needs of the flesh, self-harm. The vitamins and blood cells ingested with abnormal care, bones and skin is what remains, anorexia. This child have seen the horror of the truth and escaped into the dark realm of true madness. As strange it might appear, I have too prophesied that this one would be fitting for my needs. I have walked literal snow deserts with nothing but white endless sand. I am certain of my conviction, all this effort will in the end be worth more than just that. I will be successful, thus today I say... [Greetings oh child of snow and feathers. It is I, Schuld, the wondering soul of this world. Finally, after days and weeks of my search I have found you today. Thus I am overjoyed.] [What a creep... you sound like you have never met an actual girl playing a video game. What is your deal, are you going to beg me on your fours for my number or something?] I had considered my tactic beforehand, but I can''t rely on it any longer. The situation changed lately, thus I have to adapt and change my tongue in order to get the perfect resolution in the end. [Bluntly I shall now state that I have only interests that are purely and mutuality beneficial for us both. The matter is as simple as joining a party and doing exactly as I say. The gifts you will receive as payment, the benefit you will experience is far more than your imagination can surface, thus think carefully.] [Unless you show me goods first, you old dirty man, I would not listen to any more of your words. I also hope you came equipped properly. I''m going to shot you anyway, because I don''t like you.] But this was the reaction I was expecting, thus everything henceforth spelled good forecast. I knew from the start that if this person was going to be recruited, I had to prepare myself to do the unspeakable. Yet, my mission was more important. [Then Yukihiru, I shall take a different approach. I don''t know only about your boyfriends, but about your family as well, and I''m more than happy to keep my lips sealed if you accept my terms.] [What? You know what? Don''t come close!] With one word after another, I started giving her the rundown of her biography. She started nicely, she was able to finish her college with good grades and was on her way into the industrial cogs. However, as much as she was smart and bright, she was not a normal girl after all, she had a weakness. Every time when she returned to her house, she came to an empty cold room. She had no one, she needed a man. Thus, as her desire grew, just like the number of her partners, she also discovered something that disgusted her. No matter how hard she tried to stay beautiful, no matter her honey coated words, in the end the men left her in a hurry. Her parents claimed that she should try againthat she was indeed a normal girl, but that only hurt her more. She knew that deep inside that wasn''t the case, though she kept that for herself only. It was a strange fewer. Whenever men would come near to her, spreading her germs onto her, her body would heat up at an alarming pace. This is why she decided to freeze her heart, and endure the cold alone. This was her sin she was committed in. [I know that you don''t want anyone to hear what I just said, and thus you will accept my conditions. It is all fair and just, because I''m doing this for the good of you and everyone in this world.] [Stop... don''t... stay away!] She was fighting, not against me, but against her sickness. It was clearly futile. Eventually she rushed at me, trying to kill me, but she could not land a single shot. Thus, tired and catching her breath, she her only choice was to accept her defeat. [Okay... I accept... just if you please release me. Promise that you wont tell anyone okay? I will anything] [Dont worry my child, I will contact when everything will be ready.] Her mouth was panting heavily, and her body was trembling with her lower limbs together. She was cold, but I knew she would recover until her time would come. Onto the next I go. === Chapter 4 [Cogwheel] === Chapter 4 [Cogwheel] It is the biggest and most impressive looking town on this server, and I''m a part of it. I talk about no other than Everkeep, the capital of TSA and the safest city ever created. It is here were our hero will have his next chapter of his thrilling and exciting story. [So we gathered here today to discuss the robbery that took place today. Items were stolen from the stone warehouse. The quantity of items is two hundred units. The crime took place between now and four hours ago. Considering the circumstances, we already have a list of suspects thus you were called here Juger.] It is I, Juger, the hero who has been called to the court for helping with the investigation. I am the quartermaster of this segment of the storage area so Im directly involved in the case. I manage materials of stone, which provides us with defensive capabilities beyond perfection. [It is not certain to why the materials vanished in the thick cloud of mystery. I dare to say, I concur your statement and also consider the time of the crime accurate. To confirm my claim, I have been at the place of the crime four hours ago and did number the items we held in the storage. It was precisely the current number, but higher than two hundred, thus theft is to be considered.] [That is quite obvious, and we already established that Juger. Let''s proceed with the questions. Firstly, what have you been doing in the last four hours? We have to confirm your alibi first.] [But of course, this is because only I and six other people have access to the vault, is that correct? Thus I will state the truthI was not logged in after I confirmed our supplies. That is all I have to say. To confirm my claim, I suggest conversing with other partisans that keep their words in darkness.] What I said was the factual situation. I was called from work as soon as I finished my job in the game. I had not the time to steal anything or to witness anyone who might have had. Thus the most likely suspect is someone that has been online. If we will be able to narrow down the list, the judgement will be served. [Well this is fair. We can confirm that with our version when we talk with other suspects. Listen well, we don''t think you have done it, because I checked our guild list a while ago and you were offline. However there is still room for doubt. Perhaps we should ask, if you have a slightest idea who did it?] [With boundless precision, if the dark spectrum of fate allow it, the culprit will the pointed out, by a single mistake they have made. This should not be allowed to happen under any circumstances, thus I consider making this my personal mission of honour that I must deliberately carry at once.] [So you don''t, I assume. Fine then, you probably need time for your investigation and two hundred... well the matter is not that serious, we just don''t want this to happen ever again. Anyway since you''re in change, would you be okay on your own? We will question everyone and see what we could find and then call you okay?] [If that is the will of the council of law bringers, then let it me. This black knight shall deliver it with haste, justice, to those who have violated the code of chivalry, and show the truth to those searching for it.] With a flick of my cape, I leave the court room at once. It is a custom of our Guild that we have those things, like actual trails and laws that are the basis of our functionality. The guild is big after all, we need those rules. On top of that I was a part of the management ladder, as the person responsible for organizing building materials, such as stone or wood. My job involved making sure that the numbers were correct with the intake and output, much like my job in real life. I also have six other people who have access to the vault. Two of them are guild leaders so they are unlikely. The other two have no logged in for a while, thus considering them as well only two real suspects remain. To be honest, I have no other leads that would point me in the right direction. I could question the AIs around, perhaps they will give me any clues about who visited the vault during the four hour period. However... [We do not ever speak about those topics, neither we seen anything or anyone.] Is what they answered me when I asked if they saw anyone in the last four hours. They might be programmed like that, I''m not sure, but they are never of help if you need them, well at least if you want information from them. They are only really good at defending and selling items. Besides that they are basically a bunch of pushovers. In my time I have no experienced a robbery yet, thus I couldn''t say I knew what exactly to do now. I have checked the vault againit was sealed by a guild council seal, which meant I couldn''t affect it. I had privilege to look inside, but not put or take any items out. Thus I confirmed again the number of stones. Still there was two hundred missing, and even since this was a small clue I did wonder why that exact number. It made me think that there might have been two culprits that took one hundred each, but would that make sense? Perhaps there was something I didn''t knew that could act as the evidence, but if that was true they would have already... [If we run down the list of suspects, it would appear that the blackened are obvious. However, from their perspective it is also uncertain who performed the burglar act of desperation. Those without the sins shall stone those with, thus I realised what the council expected from me.] === The city of safety, the capital of progress and the prosperity, like a machine it transforms the soul. Robotic are the people you meet, as the congestion of AIs here is pretty dense. They are the workers, the fundamentals that of society that make this giant contraption working day and night, without rest. From south the sky reaching wall shields it from harm. It is further protected by towers with trebuchets on them. From north and west a natural wall of mountains, steep and impassable, encircles the land with a carrying embrace. From east there is a coast which is not required to be reinforced because you can''t build siege ships with cannons. And so, this most defended place in the world, supported by villages around the country, is my living place. From the entrance, a huge plaza hosting merchants. Further the wide road, two sets on houses stacked like apartments. Finally, crossing the river with a bridge, the castle and centre of it all. That is how the city of Everkeep was designed. [With knowing so, I could trace that the culprit must have passed though the main gate if he was to reach the vault. But that again have no importance to what I''m actually searching for. The matter at hand is the all seeing eye, the one that divides the lies and truth, information which I can only confirm by making contact with the suspects.] And by suspects I mean the two who I was talking about earlier. Even though they were in the same guild as I was, they were a lower rank so to speak. We both had similar privileges in terms of the guild bank, but they directly answered to me. Was it the trust, or was it just fate that I was given a higher ranking? I also had the responsibility for solving this matter. [This dark knight is pleased to see his comrades on this fine day. Let the wind of doubt carry not these words, but I am required to question you two about the recent accident. I reckon that the blind messenger already informed you?] [If you are talking about the council, we were already interviewed. And if you are talking about the burglary, then it is kinda obvious who did it now. I don''t think I need to say anything more, since you figured it out eh?] Said one of them. The other continued. [It might be not as obvious as you think here, if you consider only the alibis then what about the guild leaders? There are also two people who didn''t log in for a while, why couldn''t they be the culprits? I say it so because, we can only take one hundred per day, so it''s impossible for a person with a limit to be a single culprit.] If that at least is the truth then why did the culprit made it obvious? Why didn''t take only a hundred? That way he could have made everyone a suspect. But now the crime is almost certainly a work of two, if you don''t count the guild leaders. Thus, I presume that the pair who most likely did it is standing right before me. [Thus you take the pride of marking yourselves as culprits? Since there is no other evidence, the hand of the blind lady points towards no other than you two. Certainly if you have anything, even a sliver of resentment, you shall show me it now or be forever silent as the guilty of crime.] [Well I wouldn''t be so sure yet. For example, there is nothing that would confirm your own alibi. Only one record was made and it was done by you. Perhaps the crime was done this way on purpose, so that the culprit would make it that only two or more people were able to do it, and that means you could have done it.] One of them explained to me, and then the other followed. This seems to be their way of speaking. It doesnt matter who, they both were dressed the same so I couldnt tell them apart. [No, by following that logic you just make everyone a suspect. However only four people have the limit, so that clearly doesn''t exclude the possibility of them, in any combination, being the ones to commit the crime. All I''m saying here is that if you have to suspect one of us, you probably need an evidence to connect us.] [An evidence that would bind the truth with chains, that would reach for it with the strong arms of justice? Very well, if you require such formalities I shall present them to your very eyes. The evidence, the essence of your crime, is this very receipt that I have managed to acquire from a generous source.]Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. The sheet of paper was something that I have fabricated for the purpose of cornering my opponents. From the beginning it was obvious who committed the crime and I already concluded that from the early stage. There was no mistaking that only the two before me could commit such atrocities and tried to put the blame on me. The receipt in question is a proof of purchase of two hundred units of stone that was done half an hour ago. Even if the AIs are usually not helpful, they do keep their trading history open. This was as easy as asking, and coping it onto a sheet of paper. Obviously I was dealing with an unskilled crook, but justice bows to no one. [And so, what do you say about this undoubtful preachment of sealing evidence? Do you want to repent for you sins, or do you want to face the punishment on the spot? This black knight will gladly extend his pale gauntlet of justice.] [I don''t think it would be necessary, since I don''t see a connection with the receipt and the crime. You need to be a little more convincing than that. Can you show us the merchant you got with from, or specify who exactly was the buyer and the seller? I mean I only say this so you won''t make the wrong choice...] [That''s enough already, he clearly tries to escape because he is the culprit and puts to blame us. There is no shame in doing justice, then allow us to answer his call. We shall battle for the truth.] One of the said. Though I expected them both to be in unison, this was a surprise for me since... [This is all fair, but I said I didn''t plan on fighting from the start. You guys can have fun though.] The other backed out from the fight before it even began. === And thus our mighty blows clashed together. The dark knight standing in his firm stance, and his opponent with his shield and sword were both engaged in a conflict that would decide the blackened. The one surviving would be crown as the victor and he would be cleaned of suspicion. However, for our hero it was already clear who was the crook and who was the executor. With his giant axe he swung, striking metal against metal, shield against the blade. When one was tired the other would advance. It was truly the struggle of endurance. [So you are saying that we did it, but yet you didn''t provide us with a single conclusive evidence? Are you certain that you are not making a mistake? Have you considered all the possibilities?] [I have not yielded to the path of greed and deceptionmy words are just and carry power of conviction. Your petty accusations however are just the reason to why you have committed the crime in the first place. Like a vermin who begs for food and drink, you detest your superiors who don''t shower you in gold and riches. And thus, living your life on the streets, you desire for every penny, more than you respect the code of chivalry.] With my axe in hand, I swing it around and pushed closer towards my opponent. Up front, we Tanks are strong, but from the behind we have a weakness. I try to take advantage of that by using a skill that allows me to move. But that isn''t enough and my opponent is able to turn in time before my axe connects with his back and staggers him. Now I have to block his attack, he uses a skill especially designed against melee combatants, Disarm Weapon. Anyone hit by it will have their attack speed and potentially damage if S/A is used. With that I have no choice, even if I block the hit I would still get the debuff. Thus, I hit him back and we both clash and get staggered. After we both recover, we are still at the distance to attack each other, thus I press my offence continuously. With just using my basic attacks, albeit a little slowed, I swing at his shield, allowing him no time to strike back at me. But he knows that this is a good time to counter, and thus he decides to use his parry to throw me out of balance. [I see, you did all this so you can proof that we did it right? But who would believe a suspect like you? Fabricating evidence and then cornering innocent people, this is not a way of the just, but the guilty.] And so, with a swift swing from his sword he hits my black armour. I get staggered and face additional hits. This was my plan however, taking damage for the purpose of taking my revenge. With fire around my body, I activate Eye for an Eye, which increases my damage based on how low my current hp was, just as he was about to finish his combo. Now this is my time to attack. With my giant axe, I swing fast and fearlessly at my opponent, forcing him to block. My swings are slower, but I have an advantage here. Because my damage is increased from my burst cancel, his blocking is less effective. Thus even if he keeps on the defensive, he is losing his mana at an increased rate by the second. Then, he finally decides to strike, rushing at me from a close distance. His Bullrush, which pushes me back, also allows him to use Steel Heart to make his defence more effective. However, he is still in my range. I repay him with my Giant Swing, striking fast three times and cutting my way closer towards my opponent. [I see the cornered mice squeaks as long it can because it got struck by the hunter''s pawn. Face the truth, there is not a single way or a place for you to escape, for the hammer of justice will validate only the just. Your desperate effort is pointless little whelp, as the crushing evidence speaks against those that lie.] With the debuff duration over, my strikes get faster, but at the same time, his defence is not yielding. He was at a worse position however. If he plans on not attacking, he will delete his mana eventually. Not to mention, my mana doesn''t regenerate while my damage buff is active, though that''s still fine. Still, him knowing that he has to act, he waits for his Bullrush to come off the cooldown, and uses it right away. Afterwards he uses Second Wind, which I can''t cancel, followed by his Rest. His goal is to regenerate as many hitpoints as he can before I would be in range to attack. A bold move. Using this many skills however I reckon his mana is completely depleted thus it is clearly my time. I quickly rush towards him and my Savage Grapple with the idea to pierce though his defences. However he notices that, techs my grab, and answers with his S/A version of Heavy Lifter. [You can say what you want but you are the quartermaster. You are the most responsible one out of us all. If it wasn''t for your lack of diligence, this wouldn''t even happen. Thus I plead, take the blame will you?] [It is not my hand that is darkened, but yours. I was only following orders, therefore not a single sliver, not a single smidgen of crime rests on my side. It is the rats like you which are dirty beyond measure.] However I have one special skill prepared, just for this fight. It is Bash, which is not useful normally, since its very slow, but unlike all other skills, this one only staggers the target if it has armour. I have waited all this time, because I had a plan, to bright his hp down low enough so I could execute him in one blow. It was the time to strike the hammer of justice. Because he used his S/A version of Heavy Lifter, my strike connected first, bringing his movements to a stop. I use my axe to swing at him, the hit connects and now he is all mine. I use my Heavy Lifter to launch him, jump into the air myself and then execute my Grand Slam which then I extended into Axe Execution. Because my Eye for an Eye was still active, I deal tremendous damage. The pathetic body that did belong once to a knight is now just a pitiful red smear on the ground. After taking that hit he must have became aware how grave his sin really was. He did not try to stand, thus I claimed the righteous victory that was mine from the start. Sad are those that do not know when to stop. No one can escape the justice and its hammer, for it only strikes at those without honour and repentance. [Sorry guys, it seems the case is clear now. One of the guild leaders who logged just confirmed, he took the two hundred stone because he needed it for something, but he forgot to tell you.] === [You see Juger, this was just an opportunity to see how well you would have done in situations like these, and there is no need to blame anyone or take it seriously. Clearly the system doesn''t allow us to see who takes what, I tried talking with the GMs but they said that would be fixed in the next patch, like three months ago.] [For me to consider I made a mistake at all Xyl, is to accept the system was perfect, while it wasn''t. Thus I can only grief those that were hurt by that mistake. Even the lords of the underworld have honour, and ours was blemished that day, for I have acted hastily and out of order. For that only this knight apologises.] What did happen in the last days has truly regrettable. I was put into a situation to blame others, my co-workers who might have stolen materials from the storage. However, we lacked convincing evidence. Thus I had to produce some for the claim to be accurate. In the end, the true trouble maker was someone different. All of this was just an experiment, a trail if you must. We were tested to see if we could find the culprit, and acted accordingly to our roles. We were all suspects and we were also the detectives, but in the end, it was all a fun experience. I must say that I''m glad in ended with a fight for true justice, albeit it was brief. Additionally, above that we had fun, we also tested if with the current system we are able catch the thief, and the result was that we couldn''t. Thus I proven that their system had little holes that rats could pass through. Unfortunately, because it was not up to me, I couldn''t change for the betterI had to wait for the council to pass the law. [All in all it was an experience for not just you Juger, but for other people from the council as well. They say that even we need to think about changing the system. Without something that can be foolproof, we are basically going to run into problems again. Yet, because we cant have AIs do other stuff than they are programmed to do, we would need at least one person, that would be logged in and not afk, to stand near the vault and record everything.] My leader explained, adding one more thing after a pause. [Even with seven people, each having their own shifts, we wouldn''t be able to do that I think. Its just a game after allI dont want this to turn into a second job for anyone.] [But clearly it is not for the better of us all? Who is this dark lady of deceit called greed, compared to the trust from the great virtues of the just? Is the code of chivalry just empty words now? On trust we should build our relations, thus I plead, we should act now when it''s not all crumbled.] [I receive your messagewe should definitely do something about the rules in the future. Right now, they are convinced we should find a way to minimize the number of people that have access to the vault. We even have people who don''t log in any more so I think it''s about time. Four or so should be fine.] Yet, all those extras with limited access that could only carry out certain number per dayThey were supposed to help me, but in truth it was all up to me alone. Its sad to admit but, in the end their job was only a hurdle as they barely performed any vault related tasks without my advising. We created this little theatre to bring them out, to make them more aware of their job in the guild. But we managed to get the opposite effect and now rarely I do see them online. What a world this is. When you give others a chance to shine, they distance themselves from responsibility instead. Maybe this is for the better, but only for me. I really wished we could just resolve it differently, but now we are facing the same exact problem and the solutions are far beyond us. Even simple things like programming the AIs to tell you who went in or out, would be enough for our needs. Damn you Avalon! [What can I say that wasn''t said already? I trust you Juger that you give us your best all the time. Besides I know your history so I can only be your friend in times of need. Trust me on this, I meet a lot of people who were literately destroyed by their jobs, so talk to me any time okay?] [A sudden change in your voice Xyl? Is it the fairy''s trick that arises your mood, or it is just the wind a little bit more chilly today? Know that even if the gods are wrong, my justice was always righteous as it was given to me by the truth bearer from heavenly gardens.] [Not only that, but I mean you have been logging less lately, thus I did wonder if something happened. A lot of people do the same nowadays and I can''t blame them either. When this game went free to play, I guess some folks moved onto the other games. I see them on the social media thus I''m not really worried but...] I am a man who rarely takes interest into anything outside this game, thus I can care less. Social media and meeting places for me tend to desensitize me, for I am a loner and introvert. If anything, I rather keep every contact as brief as possible. And this brings us to our... [You might not see clearly after the haze of the morning sun, but I will keep my decision. No matter how hard it will be, I need the time to recollect the reason and my stance. This will be the better for us both, and with my resolve, you needn''t to worry about a thing.] [You will be right back on your feet, but I do respect your decision. If you need help, you know where you can find me. In the meantime you can stay in this town, though only AIs live here now. Also don''t worry about anything related to the guild because we already have someone for your place.] For the good or worse, after the experiment ended, I decided that I will take a break from the Guild stuff. Technically I was still a guild member, but in this game that said nothing. You could join several guilds, any number of them, but you could only represent one at a time. This allowed you to switch freely between them. But there was another to why I left. I was finally done with what I wanted to prove here. For the truth was there was actually a robbery that took place. In this entire fake and staged event, I have decided that I would take a small amount of stone to see if anyone would have notice. I was correct on my guess, no one ever noticed anything. The crucial problem and the real reason, to why I left the guild, was I already knew how rottenly unreformable it became since the alliance formed. Furthermore my time here showed me yet again that by simply working my way up the ladder I wasn''t able to change anything. Without regrets, a knight in onyx armour is leaving the castle. He will bring justice to the evil-doers eventually. === The dark heart filled with malice, the resentment drowns the exploited in deep in black tar, revenge. When many have seen balance, others saw an opportunity to make things righter than they are, justice. This one is a little more familiar with me thus he wasn''t that hard to find after all. Splendid. He is the one I would give my trust the most, for that knight is someone that will take the heaviest burden. I need to steel my resolve once more, but I feel at ease that it''s him. The dark knight, blind to fear, sees only the path I want him to see. Thus he is the perfect and most beloved subject for my plan as well. [Greeting and salutation, the one that walks the dark path of truth through the pale hand of justice. It is me once again, Schuld, that came to your sight and is now bowing in a form of greeting.] [How truly a surprise to see a robed man on the streets nowadays. I assume we have met old man, but refresh my memory. When did threats of fate entwined us together and brought us one the same plane?] [When it was is not important, for whenever you remember me matters not. It is the future, and this current conversation that is essential for me and for you. Thus without pointless words, I shall give you an offer. I need you to be at my side soon, thus I stretch out to you a gentle invitation.] [Ah certainly, now I remember someone named Schuld. He was a player that I did play this game with a long time ago on the test server. If this man is truly the same one then I''m overjoyed to see him still alive. In this world, full of doubt and mistakes, you can never be trusty of real friendship and your companions.] That is true, I can not say this isn''t the case. World is full of secrets and intentions for your fate, thus trusting others will only make it twist in an unpredictable way. The righteous path is your own, the one you choose for yourself and the one you take responsibility for. It is a way of true enlightenment. [I am happy that you have the memory and treasure it, but I am not certain what of it. Rather than talking about the past, let''s discuss the future and solidify your decision. It is required from you to listen to me and answer at a certain time. Therefore, when the day comes, you will join others in the party and lead them to victory. I shall show you the path.] [I''m sorry Schuld but this knight only follows his own way and ethics. I shall not be hired, or asked what to do under no circumstances. You way leave if that was everything you wanted.] And leave I will, but not after I''m done here. I have managed to convince others, thus you my friend...you will not be an exception. I have something you probably don''t want to hear but it will change your mind. [So by that you mean your own gain and code of chivalry? Don''t humour me, for I know very well, and can even point to your chest. When one hand greets, the other hides a secret, and in your case, it is a rock solid evidence of your double dealing. I needn''t to speak more if you understand right?] [Very well, this black knight understands now. Do your worst if you have, old man of many faces, but I shall remain on my path, as this one in craved not by the trickery of a wicked jester.] [Of course, I wasnt talking about some petty stone material alone, for I know more than you think. I shall explain.] Juger, the black knight who have fallen from the grace of his god and answered the devil. It was he who was once a son of a shrine that hosted a god for the people to worship. However, his popularity soon declined and he was forced to work not only his own, but the weight of his entire family. With the debts piled up by father''s gambling addiction and his mother''s condition, the only son, for he had no siblings, was forced to work day and night trying to support the leaky roof. But soon it happened, his parents faced death, the debtors took the shrine, while he was left alone. Even with him pleading others for help, no one wanted to save a child from a pathological family. And so, he was up against an entire world of people that were against him. Perhaps due his rage, he joined a terrorist organization which goal was to overthrown the current government by force. One day, he was called and asked to participate in an attack. The result of itthe members were captured, but Juger alone was never caught. Thus, unable to forgive anyone, he still carries the sin of resentment. [Even if you say my actions were unjust, it is you who is mistaken. I only did what I had, I bring no harm and pain without a clean reason. Thus consider your request granted, if that is the only way I can prove my justice to you, Schuld. We shall meet again.] [If that is all you had to say, then I gladly accept. Know that I have become a busier person lately, thus I also don''t have the time to discuss semantics of the lost age. Let us see together later.] And even this self-proclaimed righteous dark knight was no obstacle in my plan. This is well, it seems everything is aligned and my fate is sealed as well. Finally, after all these years, I will be a part of something greater than anyone could have ever imagined. Thus I leave until next time. === Chapter 5 [Blossom] === Chapter 5 [Blossom] With a step and a two, I move the stage with my dance. I hop and skip, I turn and jump, light as air I fall down on the clouds. Like the wind I''m agile, like a bird I fly, there are no barriers here for me as the space around bends to my desire only. On the tip of my toes I gently walk towards the right. Feet in feet, my position moves to the left. With the gentle hands I draw a circle above my head. With my flexible body I hold my position. My figure is perfect, as it should bethe true essence of the swans beauty. It''s marvellous. How much I do love this act as the people watch, how much I love as I raise towards the sky. There, in the gardens of the stars, I find myself floating into the endless sea of splendour. I am the one with them and the sky. On this stage tonight I wonder, will a wish be granted? [It... seems that fewer people came today however. I wonder why really. My performance was perfect, down each and single move, I do undoubtedly admit that. Maybe people just don''t like ballet? I''m going to try something else next time.] I walk a little on the streets of Maremoda againit seems that even less people are up tonight. What a shame, it almost look like I''m the only one awake. It wasn''t like this normally. A lot of things were happening at night, like parties and people meeting up at bars and stuff. So like, I think that its the free to play thing which is the cause of it. Ever since the fee went down, I guess people felt less and less compelled to playing this game. Nowadays what I can see online are...mostly AIs that sell things. Maybe their owners log in from time to time but that''s not really my worry. [The sky looks cool, though only recently it got stars I think? It wasn''t like this before, but don''t worry. I think that dancing for myself is pretty much what I want in the end yes? I don''t dance for others or to be watched right? I dance for the beauty itself mostly.] Yes that is true, ever since I was little I took ballet classes. Nowadays I guess things are different, but I can still enjoy just the act online. I remember when the first time I went to the ballet class with my brother, it was truly a magical experience. Like...we went to this empty space with mirrors and bars and a lot of girls. Strangely, most of the kids there were girlswe were the only boys. I was getting strange looks, like if it was that strange that I was a boy and wanted to dance ballet? Anyway I think they were shy, especially since we only had one changing room. I had to change in the corner because I was also a little shy. Anyway, once we dressed up our leotards and tutus we were doing sit ups. Basically to learn the basics, you had to make your body flexible first. It was pretty tiring and my legs hurt a lot. But eventually, I have managed to master the first position and move onto the others, more difficult ones. After that, we actually learned how to dance. But nowadays I''m a little too old to continue my ballet career. [Everything thanks to that one accident... well that''s in the past. Now I think I should just enjoy dancing.] While I was talking to myself, further down the road I saw a person waving at me. I wonder if that was my fan or something, but he looked like he wanted something from me. What would he want from a dancer? My outfit was quite light, which I basically wore most of the time and during my performances. It wasn''t just for ballet though. I made this character to be kinda muscular and tall, with Arabian skin, grey eyes with little eye shadow, and medium wavy dark hair. I have a violet leotard that is a little shiny, but not strictly skin-tight and restraining. On the lower part of my body, mauve knee-length harem pants with pink thighs underneath. As for the shoes, I wear pink ballerina-like sandals with lavender laces up the knees. On my neck, left hand and right ankle, there is a tulle-like bracelet with a purple ribbon that swirls as I dance and twist. It''s quite stylish looking. [Hey, do you have a minute? You must be Havah, so I assume from the clothes.] [Yes, that''s me. Do you want an authorship perhaps? Wow, it''s really cool that I have fans!] [No not that, I mean your other job. I came with an offer for you.] Oh I see, so this guy was just asking about that other thing I do in the game, right? Well, I don''t usually mix the two, but since everyone recognises me either way, I guess it cant be helped? I probably need a better disguise but I will work on that when I get famous. [Okay then, what''s the offer I wonder? Is it something dangerous like...] [No, I have an actual request, since I wouldn''t be asking this if it was something I could deal with myself. You just need to ask one of my competitors politely to leave the business. By that I do mean harassment, and anything you can think of. If you can bring me the proof that they quit, I would gladly reward you.] [Wait a second... are you talking about anything I can think of right? Right now I cant think of anything, because I am not sure what do you want actually. Like um... if I ask that person politely then surely...] [No I just want you to kill them. You can do that right? You''re an assassin of profession after all.] This was true, my other job in this game was an assassin. I belonged in a guild that you could hire, and they would do dirty work for you. I do say it was kinda pointless for targets within the city, since the guards would attack you right away, so there was little chance an assassination would work. You had to be more cunning than that, like leading the target into a non protected zone and then killing them. I didn''t have a long history of successful killing attempts but I can''t say I did try. One time I did succeed, and managed to lure someone out of the town, saying that I wanted to show them my dance. But in the end however...well they really liked my dance and I couldn''t really kill them after that. I got to be strong from now, I said. [Okay, just give me the name and I will do it. I promise you swift results so await no further.] [You accept? Then okay, here is the link. Use that note to gather info on your target and stuff, and then return to with me with a screenshot or something. I want that person begging for forgiveness.] [Wow this looks like an actual assassination information! Like it''s not even in the game, so it''s secretly hidden. No one will ever know we even talked, this is so cool, right?] [I... well do what you want kid, I rather not care whenever you tell someone or not, it''s your skin after all. I don''t need to tell you the essentials or how to do your job.] Right... I shouldn''t raise my voice in public like this, maybe someone is watching? Anyway, I left that guy and studied the information I received. It seems that person is...is a fashion designer and she is named Avaria. I can find her during day time in the upper part... === Okay, I have the target in sight, it seems she is alone and defenceless. This is good. If I could simply kill her here my job would have been very simple. But I know it''s impossible. I have to lure her somehow outside of the city and reading about what she likes I think... [Oh hello, you must be the lady called Avaria, who is a fashion designer, has a boutique, always carries a bag, has a very glossy-looking and fashionable dress, has a princess look and most of all is very attached to expensive things, right?] [Oh my, such complements from a simple dressed dancer boy like yourself? If my ears didn''t play a trick, yes, every single little detail you have just mention fits my glamours descriptions like a delicate glove. I''m splendidly pleased to meet your acquaintance, my dear Arabic looking man, what can Avaria be of service for you?] [Ah okay, so I guessed right. It''s annoying that you don''t see players name labels in this game, but I will trust that you say the truth. Otherwise, let me say why Im here. I am a merchant and I sell materials, very unique Arabic materials that you can use to make clothes from. Are you interested?] [Well then, as much as your flattery can do for me, my designs are quite European I''m afraid. Not that I wouldn''t be interested in borrowing from the Middle East fashion, but naturally, those two things didn''t mix well in the past. History is where I take my inspiration from, naturally.] Well this didn''t work well. I need to think about another way to lure her out of the town. Think man... what would a person that only cares about her money want? Well she likes clothes then... maybe I can offer her my beauty instead? Would that be fine I wonder? I got to try at least. [Okay how about I show you my dance? I have a special stage only for that kind of stuff, but I can show you the way. It''s not far from here and I must say I do get a lot of visitors. On top of that, I will offer you a free sample, just today. Does that sound cool with you?] [Oh my, you are a very persistent and lovable person, aren''t you mister? What is your name, is this fine lady is even allowed to know? ohoho~] [My name is Havilah but I tell everyone to call me Havah. Anyway, what about it?] [Well now, isn''t that a precious name Havah? I wouldn''t want such a persona''s talent to go to waste, especially that he offers me a very special dance as a free sample. I will tell how you can entertain me, let us both go to my boutique and I will allow for a display of your beauty in a more fabulous way. Of course, there will be clothing involved and cameras, so don''t be surprised. Wouldn''t this way we both benefit?] Wait a second, both benefit? I guess she wants a photo session of me dancing in my and her clothes. I mean I did say I sell material but I didn''t say I make clothes? I think she did misunderstand me, I''m not a model or something, I just dance and do stuff. This is my passion after all, so... But on the other hand, maybe going to her boutique wouldn''t be that bad of an idea. I have heard once, that in testing zones you can kill anyone and you would be penalised in any way. This was my chance, I could use an excuse of modelling to lure her into a false sense of secure and kill her on the spot. Yes, this was a great plan I figured on the spot. I just need to be very discreet about my true intentions. [Okay, I agree to that. I don''t have many different clothes on me, but I reckon that wouldn''t be a problem. By profession I am a dancer however, thus I rather move than stand still in a pose. Anyway, is that okay?] [But of course my dear little Havah, I can accept the mutual terms. However, I must say one thing first, I mainly deal with clothes for fashionable females of all age who can''t resist giving away their girly charm, therefore I don''t have many male clothes. However, maybe you don''t mind after all? By a quick glance, your name and assassination with dance and ballet I find already a little girly, thus it is fine with you?] [No... I''m not a girl. That''s a lie, I was born a guy, Really!] [Oh okay, pardon my mind''s slip and we shall talk no longer. Let us proceed.] Phew... I managed to make her walk after all. What is she thinking calling me a little girly anyway? I was born a man, even if my voice is not that manly, so that shouldn''t change who I am really. Everyone always says that, I get really upset when they lie all the time. When will they learn? === Okay, we finally arrived at her shop, called Brilliant Dream. It is shiny as the name suggests, but a lot of clothes are for girls there. I feel a little confused, all this cuteness is necessary? Also there are pictures and drawings of little girls doing stuff like drinking tea or trying on clothes... [Well then, the clothing room is this way, so if you please...] [Right to the point Havah? My dear, first I need to collect the clothes for you to pose in... I mean dance in so I can take pictures for our little agreement right? You wanted to show me, and I shall provide you in return. Just that would be acceptable, of course if you don''t have other plans.] [No no... no other plans that just showing you the dance. I mean surely I guess, I would prefer if you did go to my special stage but this works as well. Okay.] If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. I went on ahead, trying to get into the ambush position before she returns. When I entered through the curtain, I found myself in a wide dressing room with a lot of mannequins and cutesy stuff. There were mirrors, drawing of designs and shiny materials in tiny boxes everywhere. It was quite spacious as well. This place actually reminded me of a place I used to train my dance skills. I can''t remember well, but there was that one day when my brother got sick and I stayed with him instead going to the class. Be strong, I said, you can definitely get that major role even if you miss a day of training, more or less he said. What happened after that I don''t remember but I stayed with him the entire day, as if I couldn''t leave my bed either. We were twins so naturally our room was joined. Two boys doing boy stuff all the time, together and forever...but that changed however, that one day. I do miss my brother and I would do anything to bring him back. [Are you ready Havah? I''m back with the clothes and they are most splendid.] [Surprise! HAa!] I attracted without hesitation, just like a proper assassin, just like my brother would. But strangely, my kama didn''t connect with the target. What was this trickery? Normally when I click attack, it attacks. But this was different, the animation was playing but nothing happened on the screen. How could I miss? [Oh my, aren''t you ready and all fired up? This butler outfit should be perfect for you, but I see you prefer something with a lot more freedom of movement, right? ohoho~ how about this layered coat? It does look a little steampunk but also cutesy like a dress.] [No! I don''t want that. It looks girly and I don''t like it. Anyway, I didn''t came here to drink tea, or for a fancy dress up party. I came here to kill you and I will, so be prepared to die you witch!] Again and again, I thought I might have been too far the first time, but my strikes didn''t connect. It was always the same situation as from the first time. I didn''t know what was happening, but the woman laughed in her girly voice, while having her hand to her chin. That look annoyed me the most, I wanted to erase it. [Oh my, aren''t you a cute little boy, and amazingly naive as well. I trusted you, as a lady should, but it seems that this dance wasn''t meant to be for us both. Quite silly don''t you think? Anyway, what is that you really want, now that you realise this was pointless from the start? Let''s sit and have a talk.] Instead of an aggressive stance or a defensive one at least, she extended her hand, pointing on a stool. It was at a fancy terrace, with the view on the city, but I cared less. I guess I have to agree with her, this is pointless, so I sheathed by blades, and followed her step by step, keeping an eye on her all the time. [So tell me young boy, have you really came to kill me? Then you must be an assassin right? I have dealt with your kind before, and my, they are truly entertaining bunch of fellows. ohoho~ But enough about them, how about you my sweet darling? Would you fancy a cup of green tea?] [Oh man... I didn''t think I would be discovered this quick, but shouldn''t you be afraid? I was just about to kill you when something happened. Why are you so calm, smiling all the time?] [Isn''t it obvious my dear? The secret to that smile is to take the pleasure of life one step at the time. Furthermore there is no point to being afraidno assassination can take place here or in the city, because it is programmed so. I find you personally an enchanting person, one that offered me a dance, thus I returned that gesture with mine. Isn''t that only fair my dear Havan? Now don''t be a shy boy...] [Oh my gush, I''m not shy! Can you guys ever get that? Anyway, I wouldn''t say I''m done here, especially after all you have said. I''m angry, if you don''t stop with the bulling I will...] I will do something, but I''m not sure what yet. I was just in the middle of thinking about that, but it seems that lady won''t take a fight easily. I need to somehow provoke her. I wonder though, if she even knows why I was hired. Certainly from the description she appeared rotten to the core, but now she is simply enjoying her leisure and offering me a tea like nothing had happened. This sucks. [Are you going to cry? A big man like you shouldn''t cry darling, you were not the only one. You see, I completely don''t understand why that person keeps sending assassins after me. All I do here is fair businesses and no under-the-table or shady dealings are involved. ] [Oh I don''t know either, I was just ordered and you had a note of information and stuff.] Perhaps I shouldn''t have said that, she now looks at my face directly from her sitting position. Like a lion''s anger, her eyes burned and nearly ignite me. That was scary... but I managed to evade. I''m standing near her, not sure what else to say. I must to be strong, that''s what why brother would do. [So they were stalking me after all, it seems. It is quite reasonable, for a fair lady like myself, to have followers and men running around her, but the shady kind is what I do frankly dislike. Maybe the person before me will be kindly enough to inform me of the filth they insinuated onto me?] [Wait, why would I do that? Isn''t this supposed to be my job to clear the streets from filth? I mean I only got a few pointers here and there, but I don''t get anything from revealing them.] [But of course, how could I forget that you were a lawful contract abider mister assassin. ohoho~ As I recall your bunch specialized in harassing opponents until their yield? Relentless multiple strikes, until the victim surrenders to their will, they inconvenience their lives. A simpleton''s scheme I dare say.] You got to be stupid not to understand what an assassin does. They just kill people. They kill, so they can get stronger and not die. In this world you can get killed just by anyone. Therefore, the best way to stay alive is to be strong. Bulling is not what I do, you must be lying Avaria. [That''s not what Assassins do! You must be wrong about your claim. When did you even...] [A more important question, what do you do as an Assassin? You say you clear the filth, but isn''t killing wrong from the start? It''s quite unfortunate to say, but are missing the point. You came here with an objective yes? And here I am, a kind lady, trying to help you accomplish that.] [Wait will you help me? I mean how can you help me anyway?] [Just tell me the dirt you got on me and I will gladly allow you to fight me.] Fight me? I mean if I win that fight it''s my victory in the end. All I have to do is to kill her, and them make a screenshot. That is enough proof that I killed to the guy so I get paid. Simple, right? [Okay so, here I go. Just don''t tell anyone else okay? So the first thing I got was that you steal. You steal the designs from other sources and put them into the game claiming that you made them. It''s clearly a plagiarism, so it''s bad don''t you think? I would never steal because doing so is wrong.] [Quite the opposite my dear, and whoever wrote that is probably not an artist himself. You see, every and single bit of artistic expression is a form of the brain. A brilliant mind can''t simply copy, it transforms the information by getting inspired from various sources, then connects the spots into something splendid.] [I see, I don''t know much about art other than what I learned from ballet. But there is more, you stole a twin sister and made her into a personal assistant, or more like a slave, without her will. Wow, that does sound a little strange, however that was written. They also stated your reason, you wanted to make the sister of the assistant angry and force her out of the business possibly.] [Ah, they must be talking about my dear little assistant Pina? Then I shall explain again, she was not forced into doing anything, she choose her clothes, her job and her fate by herself. I honestly don''t mind you asking her, but that will be at a later date I''m afraid. Above that, the reason is clearly made up, because if she did it herself, I''m not a fault. Anything else?] Anything else she says? Well... she is right, that''s all about her crimes I could read. I wonder though, is that enough to want someone dead? More or less, in my opinion, if they talked with each other, maybe they will get into an agreement. But for the time being, I lower my head with my hands gathered my pelvis in a gesture that my talking was finished. [Thus if that is all, I presume you want your end of the bargain as well right? I''m a fair lady after all, I would never say no to a dance from a gentleman. ohoho~] === We were finally outside, the place where we could duel. She positioned herself above me, on the straits. We were on the narrow streets of Maremoda, a perfect spot for killing. I was ready as well and waiting for her confirmation. I hope she is not thinking I would go easy on her. [Are you ready Havah? Then, without further ado, we shall begin at once.] Suddenly, she reached for her bag she was carrying all the time and pulled out a sceptre. It was expensively looking and had shiny gems embedded onto it. With one of her hand pulling out a rod from it, the bag changed a shield that she held with her other hand. She was playing a Priest, I thought. [Okay, don''t run or it will hurt badly okay?] I warmed before dashing at her with full speed. Rogues are very fast, they deal a lot of damage, and they are quite versatile. My dual kamas allowed me to take things at a longer range then unusual, so I was always trying to take advantage of that, forcing the opponent to a defensive stance. After I finished my dash I used my basic attack, but she imminently jumped in the air, anticipating my attack. This was my chance to deal damage, so I used my shurikens, which were fast and would without a doubt hit her. I was right, she did get hit, but that alone doesn''t stagger people, I only did that so I could move away afterwards. With her being in the air still, she created a chilling sphere near me. I don''t know what that skill does, but I felt it had to do something with my movement. I was slower than usual now, and on top of that, she wasn''t finished. With a flick of her sceptre she made the white form collapse and knocked me on the ground. [How nice of you to show me your tribute, but it would be long from now.] Returning to the stairs herself, she created a circle of light that was enclosing onto me. But I didn''t pay attention to that and quickly attacked her with my Kamas. It seems she was careless, and allowed me to get a free attack. With the fearsome swing, I initiated my combo and started dealing damage. Between throwing shurikens and my basic attacks, I used my Blade Thrust and Edge Pirouette to finish her. However, I also become forgetful and did not notice that her light circle has reached me. Oh well...In a flash of light, I was staggered and unable to move, enough though I was close to finishing my combo. Now it was her turn and she used whatever tool was available to her. With her hand raised in the air, she summoned a brilliant light from the sky that enveloped the space around me. Then, with quick swings, she approached me and dealt little damage. But I also noticed something, the green light on her sceptre. [Are you enjoying this my dear? We could be duelling like this all you want, until you surrender. Just please let me know when you had enough and I shall serve you the finishing blow. ohoho~] Clearly I didn''t know what was happening, as I was flung down the stairs and onto the ground. But this was just the beginning I thought, I could still win if I continued attacking. Before I did so, she enchanted her weapon, now it had a green dancing light around it. It must have been a skill or something. Anyway, I dashed at her fast, realising that I had to deal damage before I would die myself. Additionally, I used my special skill, Showdown Dash which was really strong, at least in theory. I had to use it preferably as a combo finisher, to deal more damage, but using it raw was also fine, I thought. Unfortunately, she jumped again, evading my attack once again. I wonder really, is jumping overpowered? What can a Rogue do against this technique I wonder? Anyway, she was in the air so I thought I would attack her. I used my own jump to reach her in the air and used Eagle Dive, which is a skill that dunks the enemy in the air. [You think you can just jump over my attacks and win? Fight seriously please, if not this would be an easy kill for me, too easy for my sharp blades I''m afraid.] And as I boasted, we both hit each other at the same time. She used a strange skill I had no idea it ever existed, that made her weapon glow with a gold light. As it connected I was thrown back and she was smashed into the ground. Of course, she was the one that was back up first and thus, she had the advantage, while I was forced to react to her actions. Well she used that other skill again, and her sceptre had three glowing lights onto it. They also changed colour, into a darker red one. I wonder what could that mean, but I didn''t want to find out just yet. I still had to get to her, and make a successful attack somehow. I decided not to dash and simply moved close. I think my skills were faster but... Just as I moved and decided not to dash, she created a crystallite mirror under her feet. All the stairs now were now glass. I had no idea what that did, but I learned it soon. As I jumped up and wanted to use my Fox dive, she moved back slightly. I continued attacking with my Blade Thrust but something happened. Before I could finish my move my body was shocked in a flash. [So how do you like my little season for you, dear Havah? I told you I wanted to see you dance, and somehow that wish was granted. Can we stay for a while like this? I must say I''m enjoying this.] And with her little smirk, she looked most delighted by our duel. But then she smacked me, not with just one swing but several in a row. I understood what those painful red light were, they were her damage amplifiers. I wish I could have a skill like that really. In the end... === I was defeated with her breaking no sweat. I thought I was good at the time, all this practise and stuff, but if in the end I couldn''t defeat a single Priest. I was pathetic. Maybe I was born like that from the start, unable to take fights on my own. That''s why when my brother was there... but now I must be strong for him. I train my reaction timing, motion by motion. With each movement I feel getting betterit almost looks like my dance practices. Eventually you get can better and faster and more precise. But even with that will I be able to defeat Avaria and kill her? It was my job after all. Still, the guy who asked me to do that in the first place has said that I should quit, he even paid me a little. He eventually came to an agreement with her it seems, thus he no longer required me to kill that rowdy princess. Though that still did not satisfy me, I had to simply beat her and for that sake I had to become ever stronger. [Hya! Hya!] [Hey, what are you doing?] Doing my impromptu self-training a young boy who had black clothes has waved at me. What did he want from me, interrupting me in the middle of training? I only saw him for the first time so I didn''t pay him any attention. [Should I call this training even? This is not how you get stronger in this game at all. You must be out of mind if you think actual physical exercise is going to help.] No matter how many punches and kicks you do, you won''t become a better ninja, sorry.] I was indeed dressed like a ninja, that''s the outfit I choose when I work as an assassin. I have a black ninja mask on my face and my usual leotard is hanged onto one of the shoulders, with my other side warped in bandages around my chest. It looks really cool, so I went with that look. As for the bottom, my harem pants change into ninja long pants and my shoes to ninja tabis. They are all the same colour, though darker. Furthermore the accessories on my neck, left hand, and right ankle are removed and I have like a ninja gloves and shuriken belt on my chest. [A better way you say? Isn''t concentration and reflexes the most important skill when fighting? Without it you can''t become stronger, that is most certain and you can''t deny it, can you?] [Of course I can, this is just a game after all. Listen, I can''t say I''m surprised, but was just told by a certain girl that I should be more helpful to others and stuff. I don''t see the real reason behind that, but since she became almost as good as me, I have to listen to her.] [I see, so you must be someone who knows about this game a lot. Maybe that will help, can you teach me? Can you become my teacher and improve my game so I can become stronger?] If anything, his purpose for helping me was that only, I thought. I didn''t even know his name or anything, but soon he showed me a couple of online tutorials I could watch. They had very basic information, though I couldn''t really understand much from them. I did learn one thing, how the Priest skill work. [Yea, if you know how they work now, I can beat her right? I should be helpful, for at least that stranger. May I have your name?] I posed with one palm open, reaching towards the boy, with the other downwards close to me. [What the hell? I don''t understand body language, but if you want to know my name its Albert. I play this game, and even if some people disagree, I find myself the best Rogue on this server. You can''t be serious though, you will probably be defeated again if you go in like that.] [That can''t be, I know her every moves thus she can''t surprise me no longer. It is simple as that. All I have to do is to attack her knowing what she can do.] [Damn, how stubborn are you? When the best Rogue on the server says you need training, you just don''t say I will be okay. Listen here son, you probably don''t know how to play fighting games, but let me tell you, it''s not just knowing your opponent, it''s knowing that they know what can you do.] [Sorry... I don''t understand. Can you explain it a little further?] I clearly had no idea what was he saying. Fighting games and knowing what your opponent...this all seemed like new terms for me. Furthermore I could see his disappointment showing. [I have met with your opponent before and I did see you fighting, so let''s talk about that. Basically when you were going to dash, she countered it with a jump every time right? What can you do about that? Obviously not dash instantly right? But what you do then...] This all came back to me. Tracking back my memory that was indeed the case, her reaction was a jump. It was like in dancing, when you remember the first step you instantly recall all of them in a sequence. This was called muscle memory or something and it was basically that the brain remembers movement you perform. Ever since the accident the doctors said movement should help me with my condition after coma. Thus I decided to start ballet again, though after ten years the teachers said it was already too late. That''s fine, I wasn''t practicing it for myself, but for my brother who was unfortunate and never woke up. That was the memory I would give him every day with my practice and that is why I danced in the game. I wanted to at least make him happy, whenever he was now. The more I danced the more memories of him came back. Like this one time when I had to defend him from other kids, he was pretty scared and covered his face. I told him to run, that I will take care of the bullies alone... At least that''s how I remember that happening. [It''s simple, when you get the chance to do a mix-up, you just take the safe option. But that''s what they expect so don''t make it obvious. You can simply move behind them, or eat their skill with an delayed armoured launcher. That way you will hit them when they land.] [That might be useful, right! I have to try it out first, so give me a minute... you say either to move behind them or to delay a launcher. If I did that then...] I tried to picture this as a sequence in steps, but without my legs moving I couldn''t. Something hazy and obscure came out so I couldn''t really tell what was going to happen. With my hand pitching my chin and the other on my back, I was deeply in thought when... [I knew you wouldn''t get it. Jeez this is a pain, but oh well. Tania, you better give me a dinner or something for this. Okay, what is your name?] [My name is Havah, you already introduced yourself to me.] [Okay Havah, we are going to spar, but you will probably lose, don''t worry about that. Think about what mistakes you made and learn from them. That''s the only way for you okay?] And so, going a few times, we sparred. It was only the last few rounds I managed to land a hit, but I lost like ten times in a row. This guy was really strong and had an answer for everything I did. With his help I will become strong, I hoped, as strong as my brother was. Then I will get my revenge. === In front of eyes something is swirling, a darker than night cloud that twists the vision around, selective memory. Deep in red and without a light, only those that have sinned are the evil doers, revenge with conviction. After a long last, it seems that I have found all the puzzle pieces and now my plan shall be set in motion. Before me is the lost soul that was forgotten by its watchers. Havah, the one who consists by two halves, is someone who I am not sure about in the end. He is strong and she is weak, he is deceive one and she is unsure. It is something that even for me is unexplainable, but so it exists. In one body, two souls somehow reside. [Greeting Havah, whichever half I am talking to. I am called by the name Schuld and I came today for you. I require your assistance in matter which is not a difficult task, I assure you. What you say to that? Decide now.] [Huh? You are someone that I have met for the first time. I have no idea who you are mister. Maybe if you tell me more about yourself I will be able to possibly help you or something.] [Assistance is but a simpler way to say that you will be required to join a party at time soon from now. Then you shall follow my orders and perform. There are no other tasks I ask for after that, I can assure you.] [So it''s like an assassination contract? I got better that fighting so I should be fine. But all in all, if you don''t give me a fancy piece of information online or something, I don''t think I could count that as a job. Sorry, but I only accept official requests.] How much dense could this person be to desire something that supposed to hidden so openly? In any case, as my gut tells me, there is an easier way to convince this person to my plan. [I do not form or give you job because this is simply a matter of a greater value. I can give you however, something that is more than just a reward, the very chance of making you strong and fulfilling your wish.] [Oh that sounds interesting. Can you tell me something about that more? Like what is exactly my wish you are talking about and that gift or something...] [It is simple I will give you a chance to kill someone. Not just in game but...] [Wait what? How... kill someone?] His pose changed desperately. His waving hands and twisted legs stopped with his jaws dropped, an expression of surprise and euphony. I knew how to tick him and so I simply used the right tool. [Yes, I can promise that you will see on your very eyes someone being killed. Whatever you will do afterwards will be up for you, thus is my offer to you.] [Before my very eyes... someone dying? That''s sounds cool! I''m totally into this!] And so the young boy, not knowing what he was saying, has accepted my offer in the end. His story is also an interesting one. All started when he was a target of a terrorist attack, ten years ago. He and his brother was a victim of a bomb that put both of them into a coma. When Havan woke up, his brother was no more, at least physically. It was inside of his brain he remained. After the coma, she created two distinctive personalities, one of herself, a shy and weak girl who likes ballet, and the other one of the brother, strong and decisive, one that protected Havah during the attack. This was all happening in the mind, so to speak the truth first, Havan was born physically a girl. Because of her two personalities, she created fake memories that would protect her from becoming a weak prey again. In her head, the strong qualities of the male sex overwhelmed the frail female ones and thus she eliminated them. The coma caused her to think that she had a sex change operation after the accident, but her parents denied it. Whatever they say, she thinks they are lying on purpose. Unknowing and oblivious to her DID, she carries the desire to murder, all for the sake of becoming strong. [Yes to become strong Havah, you have to kill yes? Thus I will grant you that wish. Do not fret for I will return and give you prize soon. For now I must finish my final preparations.] [Wow this is going to be soo cool! I can''t wait.] Additionally, this person is not all that developed in terms of the mind. Due to her coma, she couldn''t have developed well and acts like a child, not knowing the grave sin that is murder. I considered her as the most unknown, but I have hope in others. For now I shall part until the next time. === Chapter 6 [Harp] === Chapter 6 [Harp] A lot of things happened between me and my sister, but also between me and my lady. I made a lot of changes to both of our shopsthey seem to be doing well so I''m happy. Additionally, I also came to terms with my sister finally. It seems that she finally accepted Avaria, and I was surprised that she did. In the end she said sorry and we all hugged. Thank you sis. Above that it seems that today, Avaria wanted to do something special with me, outside of work. I asked if I should invite my sister but she said it wasn''t necessary. We were going to form a party, and all the slots were covered so I couldn''t invite Hina. There was also something strange about it... [For you see, this matter was quite secretly placed upon my trust, thus I say Pina, do not mention it to your sister or to anyone else. Have your lips sealed darling.] [Yes my lady... I''m just a little nervous that this is sudden.] Together with my employer I teleported to a faraway place. It was quite dark at first, but soon I saw light. We found ourselves in a circle in the middle of a dense forest. The leaves were strangely shaped and coloured. It wasn''t just the fact it were golden, but the saturation itself was drained from those poor plants. A pretty gloomy atmosphere for an outing... My lady also said that we will be meeting others along the way, and our destination is the mountain. Indeed, from our position we could see something far in the horizon, a bald rock or something. Whenever I would ask about the place my lady would have smiled and said not to worry about a thing. [So you see Pina, take this as your everyday morning walk and I enjoy the moment. This forest, it''s pretty mysterious isn''t it? But do not worry about a thing my little helper, for I shall protect you.] [I''m do not worry about monsters or anything... it''s just this is quite strange.] [Ah yes, and so were his words. But eventually I think you will get to know him as well, as for now, if you allow, take my hand if you are scared. We still have a long way I''m afraid.] I nodded a little and took Avaria''s stretched out hand. As usual, her skin was soft as silk, and warm as cotton. With clicks after clicks, we walked the path of stone that was to lead us somewhere. I just hoped that destination was our goal. With time, the sun was more visible and trees were less dense. [Oh, hello there.] And it seems we finally found someone, I wonder what they were doing here. On the road, three people were standing. One of them looked like a tall knight dressed in black and with a cape. The other one was an exotic dancer. And the last one, albeit a little shyly hiding behind them, was a very thin girl dressed in a white camo snow-suit. [Oh then I assume that you are the one that humoured me before, mister Havah right? It''s a pleasure to meet you on this splendid day, though the circumstances are quite strange. I do reckon that you and the others are all the part of his plan, am I not wrong?] [Yea, I got stronger since that day. But why are you here? Were you invited as well or something? That''s kinda weird.] It seems that my Lady knew at least one person from the strange group we have just encountered. Additionally she said about something him, so maybe there is a person that organized this all? I do have questions but knowing that they are quite eager to talk with each other I remained silent. [I see that the old man has twisted our fates with the hand of dim mystery. Let us first disperse that fog for our visions to become clouded no more. This black knight shall begin, my name is Juger, the one serves the hand of justice, the one that follows the code of chivalry and seeks balance for all, above everything else.] Is something that the black knight said. I could only see his mouth, his helmet actually covered by his eyes. His voice was quite stronghe spoke as if reciting a poem or something. He''s a quite strange guy, I thought. [Okay, so I will go next. My name is Havilah but everyone just calls me Havah. I play the Rogue class, though I also dance a lot. I like both of those things. I also meet Avaria at some point and we have a bit of history in the past.] Havah said with striking a different pose as he was talking. His Rogue pose emphasized muscles, while his dancer pose was focused on flexibility of his legs. He also had a bit feminine voice. [How grand that you still want to continue our relationship Havah, I shall keep it dear to me. Henceforth, this fine lady shall introduce herself to others. The name given to me by my father is Avaria, and with grace I bow to you fine men and women, it''s a pleasure to meet you all. And also, this is Pina.] [Right... I forgot I was also a part of this now. Hello everyone, my name is Pina. I''m her assistant.] I did forget for a moment that I was just being an escort to Avaria today, but that was fine. It seems that everyone did travel and meet here for a certain goal, but I had no idea. I wondered if it was okay to talk about it when I also noticed something strange... The last person, who has not yet introduced herself, silently without saying a word, was backing up. She was moving away from us and into the woods. I wonder why she acting so unusual all of the sudden. [I''m sorry my lady, but do you have any idea who is that person? She seems a little fretted or something... she is a part of this right?] [I do beg your pardon, but Im afraid that Im as clueless as you are darling.] [Well...she was acting this strange ever since we saw her too. I mean she didn''t talk or said ever her name so I dunno.] [For her lips are sealed with a spell of a forest witch, I presume. However, considering our uncertain circumstances, I do consider her as a comrade. Therefore we mustn''t leave her to herself and pursue her dark demons.] I guess Juger was rightwe should definitely try to follow her. Even if this forest is quite scary, there is no way she would be in danger of getting killed. To make monsters spawn you have to first interact with tracks...but what if this is some kind of dungeon though? [Okay I will do it... I mean you guys seem to be a part of something, I feel like an extra so let me try... I will get her back somehow I promise.] [Quite a marvellous idea Pina, if I say so myself. Are you sure you don''t need my help? We could go together if you wish soI do not mind fostering you in the slightest. ohoho~] [I''m fine alone... I just need to see why she has left in the first place. She might think of you guys as people involved with this... but I''m not right? Therefore she will trust me more I think. You guys wait here okay? I will be back.] And albeit I wasn''t even sure what was going on, I went on a little trip through the scary forest. Others were surprisingly accepting my proposition, allowing me to go solo, even though I personally had no idea what was waiting for me deep within the foreboding woodland... === It was a little damp and muddy for my shoes, but I knew this game just messes with you all the time. It''s not like real life, where you have to clean your clothes every time when they get dirty. I jumped over a small river and climbed a fallen log, but the white wearing girl was nowhere in sight. [Hey! Can anyone hear me? I just wanna talk.] It seems that I could only hear the echo of my own voice, like the deep forest foliage was warped around me. There was this creepy chilly wind that made me feel like I was being watched. It approached me from my feet and ran all the way to my chest, making me shiver a little. But I wasn''t scared, I wanted to help that girl because I felt something strange that I couldn''t describe. Ever since WRose left, and I was playing this game just with my sister, it became a burden. I couldn''t just normally enjoy things any moreit was like a rainy day that keeps on repeating. Little droplets on my face, dribbled down to my chest, and eventually reached my numb legs. But those days vanished when I met Avaria, a shop manager, who was someone I learned to admire. She was like a sun to me, although fierce like a lion sometimes. She showed me the light, and shined for my cloudy days. She sold me the joy and pleasure I so desired during my lonely days. In return, I had to trade something to her as well. This little padlock is the seal of my conviction. [Hey don''t worry... I will return to you soon my lady. If I don''t find her then I guess I will have to improvise.] [Hey wait! Don''t leave me alone you little dolly like cat. I''m going to come out so don''t try anything okay? Nice and steady.] From the bush behind me, the girl raised from the prone position upwards. She was holding a sniper rifle which was aimed at me. It had a cutesy sticker on it with a little ducky too... but I didnt necessarily have the time to examine that now. Considering my predicament was more important, I raised my hands in the air almost instantly. [Oh it''s you? Why the gun... I''m quite a peaceful and docile cat, don''t worry. Can you lower it down a little... then we can talk all you want okay?] [I''m quite comfortable doing this, so I don''t mind. Perhaps you want me get angry? Now on the ground and with hands down! Do it or I will shot, you have no choice!] With my legs and my hands on the ground, I started to tremble a little. I''m not good at VR motions, especially involving a certain part of my body, though doing stuff like sitting emotes is fine... [Um... is this okay? I don''t really mean harm so don''t get angry okay? I just wanted to talk... not to become a hostage in the middle of the forest.] [Ihihi~ A hostage? That''s quite cute of you. I mean I''m just messing with you, if I wanted to kill you I would have done it already. Hey you didn''t think I would, did you?] [I was a little surprised that''s all... I never had a gun pointed at me like that.] I rose from the ground and began brushing off the dirt and the leaves that were stuck to my clothes. Luckily that was only the effect of the game again. I guess sometimes I do take this too realistically...Anyway I turned my head towards the sniper girl again, and although she did lower her gun, she didn''t put it away. [So I thought at first that you were just another person that was recruited by that guy. But I noticed what you said about your... master? I think you call her your lady.] [Oh you mean Avaria? I call her that... well because I like it. She is kinda like a queen or a princess so I thought that title would fit. But don''t get any weird ideas okay? We are just... good friends.] [Right right, sorry to bring this up all of a sudden, but I didn''t think you would have come here. Anyway, what about you? Is there any participial reason to why you decided to follow me around?] She seems quite nice now that she opened a little. I wonder what was wrong beforeshe feels like a different person now. With that mask on her mouth, and that messy makeup...I guess that girl was through something in her life. She also looked like haven''t eaten in days. [Oh yea I wanted to bring you back to the party, but I don''t even know why did you ran away. Maybe you could tell me? Others were a little too occupied so I have decided to go after you.] [You are interested in that I see? Don''t worry, I was just feeling a little cold, that''s all. ihihi~ I just needed slight warm up, that''s about it.] Somehow I could feel that she was being a little silly there, since she was a shaking a little and had red cheeks. I guess she was hiding the reason behind her shyness, but I really didn''t want to know. Frankly, the thing I was interested more was the party they formed at this strange location and all...The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. [I guess even with clothes like these it doesn''t matter how cold you can get... in this game, but that aside, my lady probably got impatient from waiting now. Can we talk about something else? Like about...If that''s not a problem, can you tell me why everyone did come here or why did you...?] [Oh I see... sorry for the cold feet. Though I don''t really have anything to do with your lady, I can still tell she was send here by the same guy. Somehow, believe it or not, there is this one guy, a very ugly old man in rags, who meets people and asks them to join his party or something.] [I see... so he went through all of you and invited you all individually. But I do find it strange... maybe a little weird do. Can you tell me about him?] [Well he has quite the tongue and can make people do things I guess?] Saying so, the girl was avoiding eye contact with me and holding her hands around the stomach. I guess she really was disgusted by the stranger that she didn''t want to further talk about him. I was not sure what to do, either to ask her more or to leave the situation completely unintended. [A strange man... well I guess I can talk with my lady about him later. How about you, are you coming back or staying? It''s fine, I''m sure he would...] [No! Don''t even think about involving yourself with him! He is rotten, he''s...] Suddenly, the girl, who I thought was getting better, got pierced with a strange sensation. She felt on the ground motionlessly, as if she was struck by lighting and lost consciousness. I immediately rushed to her side and caught her before she reached the dirt. She was cold, and a little shaking. I guess she didn''t really like that man but at the same time why did she... [Schuld is his name... he said that he would share everything if I wasn''t cooperating... Even if you think about beating him up, forget it. I tried and there is something strange about him... Anyway, you are not the same in the same situation as me, so you wouldn''t probably understand. For now can you just leave me...please?] [No that''s not what is going to happen... are you really okay with that? I can see you are not... though maybe I''m wrong because I just met you today.] How can a person who barely knows others help? Well for starters, I was already here, if I didn''t help her now then no one would. Just like WRose and Avaria, they were there for me. Because of that I couldn''t leave the cold sniper girl alone, even though I wasn''t sure what I was doing. [I''m going to say something to you... some things are better left unsaid. Whatever that bastard wanted from you is not important okay? You have others, you have me and I will help you, so don''t feel alone okay? It''s cold being alone...] More or less that is how I could relate to her. Using the words of my lady and my loneliness, in my finger tips I could sense that the girl is experiencing the same troubles. Thus for my sake, and for hers, I wanted to help. I wanted to prove to my lady, my sister and WRose that I changed. [Cold being alone... though I feel cold all the time and the winter never passes. I have met a person like you, though he''s a robot. He said that even an ugly bird, like my penkun, could grow into a fine member of society, more or less... Was that the truth? Was there a chance for me as well? Tell me! Do you accept me!? Why they always reject me?] Kneeling on the ground, I held the thin girl while she started her tantrum. She was quite furious, and trying to escape my grasp. Her words didn''t make sense. She threw them at the air shouting loudly, but they were not addressed to me. It was her memory I presume, something she didn''t want to remember. [How disgusting! How could ever a man love such a wench? I only make people cry, I''m not worth anyone and especially living with others. I''m sick beyond help...] Her voice was removed from any emotion and her empty eyes started watering. She was losing consciousnessI felt as her warmth was giving away. The cold from her body also reached me and I started shivering. This sensation of loneness spread and brought my knees further down. I saw sitting on my buttocks, much like I use to sit in real life. My legs gave no response, I felt truly hopeless like in the past. [But... I won''t give up.] Even if I can''t stand up myself, even if I can''t be truly a normal person, at least I can give others the warmth. Just like my sister, I started petting the girl before me. Just like my lady, I gently caressed her fuzzy hat. A cat that you snuggle in happy times, a pillow you hug in sad times, that was the least I could do for others. Was that okay with me? Of course it was, I already given up on my legs, but I couldn''t allow anyone else to... [Don''t give up... If there is a way you will probably find it, with or without help of others. I was lonely once... but then I found someone to take care of me. I ended up being her asset... but that''s not what''s important! She said a lot of things that gave me the courage to walk again.] [And so? You are not the sameyoure different! How could you even begin to understand...] [No thats wrong! We are different but despite that we can still connect somehow. Just like me and WRosewe both had secrets and although we didnt understand each other, we were still friends. So just like with that robotyou need to give yourself a chance to listen.] As I said those words, the sound caused the wind around us to suddenly rise. The leaves on the ground danced, whispering pleasantly in the air. Their rustling sound that gently caressed my ears reached the other girl as well. As her expression changed drastically, her eyes opened wide and her hair stood on end. We both raised our bodies from the ground, and held each others hands briefly. As soon as he was aware again, she retracted them back to her side. [Okay fine... I can walk just don''t say anything about this, okay? I''m going to shoot if you don''t so be a nice girl and show me the way back.] After that brief change of season she was back to her old self. Well I''m glad for that, however... [Hey... maybe without that gun pointing at me...] She still insisted on having her sniper pointed at me from behind. [Anyway my name is Pina, but how about you?] [I''m Yukihiru. But just so you know, I''m going to follow them because I trust you.] [Okay... Yuki I will keep that in mind.] If being her hostage a condition to having her back at the party, they sure...I can allow that. I still want to learn more about that person, one that gathered all these people here, although I feel like asking anyone about that is not a good idea, considering how Yuki reacted. Thus, onwards we go, through this forest, which appears to become more and more dim as I go. === [Universe 25 is the name of a rat utopia. It was a social experiment that focused on the effect of density of a population. A group of rats were provided with housing, infinite food, and limited space. From the start, it did not appear that the rats themselves had a problem with living in the enclosed space. They were healthy and behaving normally as far as rats do. However...] [As soon as the population rose and there was no longer space for every rat to comfortably live. Rats changed their behaviour, especially the alpha male ones. They started to be more aggressive with defending their territory and females which they own the right to copulate with. Additionally, female rats themselves were less keen on having babies, making them eventually infertile.] [Further into the experiment, some rats started to show a decline in their behaviours, such as killing their offspring or performing sexual intercourse with the same sex for males. This action was a way for them to release their stress, since weaker rats didnt have the access to the food soft or females. That was the privilege of the alpha rats, which treated their partners as beauties who cant be touched by others.] [The deviant etiquette became the new norm. Without new prodigies the population went into decline and eventually self-annihilated itself. All of the rats died. This wasnt the first experiment of this kind, but the result was the same in every case, even in differently constructed enclosed spaces. The question here is simple, with birth control and population density of cities, is humanity facing the same fate?] All things must come to an end, all dreams shall vanish and civilizations will perish. The unavoidable fate... for the better or worse? I am sorry for this little intermission, but it is utmost important to understand the behavioural sink before I met them in the flesh. Let us then hear out this discussion of the voices from the internet. [So considering this experiment I shall discuss several behaviours that describe our current generation. Firstly, because we are so free, we dont have anything to believe it. When you pick the healthiest milk, what is your way to being sure you made the right choice? Price, ingredients, expiration date? How can you be sure of whats inside the box?] [Certainly there is no way to be one hundred percent surewe have consumer laws for that. But I understand what you mean. There is no way of telling unless you have the money to run some tests by ourselves. No one will actually do that thoughits a waste of money. But at the same time, people would believe in consumer or experts opinion more than they would in companies.] [Which in turn, I say that this belief doesnt just apply to milk, but to every other aspect of information. In a world where we have technology that can literally tell us more than ever before, we need to know. Whenever it is tomorrows weather, or best college, or best partner, we want to make the best possible decision. This is what we grown up to be. However, that sounds good on paper, in reality it only magnifies the confusion which is deeply established of late.] Rather than To be, or not to be the question of today is To believe, or not to believe. In this chaotic world where your well-being is decided by a roll of dice, which misery will you choose I wonder? [This was the case in the past as well. Even though philosophically there was no definite answer to human suffering, people still chose to live and created the civilization that we live in today. And I wonder, besides that, how do our choices connect with the behavioural sink?] [Because we have no telling which choice is good for us, we choose randomly, right? That was not the case for the rats. They chose to perform acts that normally were not socially accepted. Birth control, falling for fantasies, aggressive behaviour towards others...arent those things present in the real world now as well?] [Some countries do experience a decline in new births, we have a generation of electronic entertainment addicts, and we also have some terrorist attacks and protests here and there. How all of that is the cause of overpopulation though?] [Maybe it is not, but the fact still remains. Knowing this dark forecast, would you rather do anything to stop it? The truth is, no one actually knows how to please everyone, no one individually is strong enough to change anything, and no one is outside of the problem, it affects everyone.] [Yes, I agree that together we can think of something. But I also dont think the situation is that desperate. Improvement is something that comes overtime, and thus humans can change their ways. We can definitely use the technology to change the world of tomorrow.] So it is true, if you believe the internet brings people closer, rather than secludes them further. The answer to that question I leave with others, not even a being as myself can answer that. Still, the burden of responsibly lies with me, and with you, the goal of making a better tomorrow for everyone. This is a task only fitted for a hero, but the world will not wait for one. If you seek salvation, you must act yourself first. Thus I did, gathering those four candidates to my side. Anytime soon they shall arrive, and I will explain all to them. I will save the world and myself, whatever it takes, no matter the price. === And despite a little chill behind my back, I was forced to lead Yuki back to our group. I knew now that they all were asked to help one man, but what did he do to Yuki I wonder? It must have been something hideous, so I didn''t dare to ask or even wanted to know in the first place. Eventually we meet up with the party and it seems that Yuki, although I didn''t look, lowered her gun before we arrived. However, she didn''t leave my back just yet, as we walked towards the mountain peak, she was stalking behind me at all time. [So how did it go, my little adorable cat assistant? Were you able to sniff out the missing one?] [She is behind me...Well just leave her aloneshe said she was going to follow.] [Hey I can talk okay? I''m Yukihiru... just please forget about this and let''s go.] Others just nodded, as no further talking was necessary. I bet they were also impatient, from all the waiting, but also exited to finally meet with Schuld. I was too in a wayI wanted to know more about the person who used trickery to gather Yuki and others here. The stone road soon receded in rocks and turned inky green. We were walking on the grass, and with each step it was less and less dense. Even the trees themselves started to disappear. Around us an eerie air of mystery chilled our limbs and shrouded our vision. It was dark. As soon as we exited the fog, we found ourselves in a world of no life. Around us, the remains of tress, the ground was ash-like and all sound was silent. Not even the wind blew. In this strange world, there was but one object standing from the rest. It was a huge rock on top of the hill with dark clouds around. It was shaped into something resembling a skull. I never would have imagined something like this was in the game. I was a little sacred... [Feeling anxious Pina? Don''t worry I got your back so if anything happens...] [Yes thank you Yuki... I knew I could count on your help.] [Anyway, we should be going towards the peak, I can''t see the old man yet.] [Precisely, the old man is probably hiding behind a rock, the worm he is.] [Then it''s settled, I assume that you gentleman know how to treat a lady, is that correct?] Somehow I had the goosebumps, even with knowing that there are four other people here. They didn''t seem too friendly with each other, especially Havah and Avaria. He did say...that he had history with her and he got stronger, so I could only imagine they had a fight. But anyway, the men seemed to know proper etiquette and escorted us ladies in the back. Yuki however refused any escort and just stayed behind me as usual. Thus our party advanced, and with every step the smell of burned wood was reaching my nostrils deeper and deeper. With a bit of progress, we managed to climb to the surface below the skull rock. From up close it wasn''t that big as I imagine, though I was a small girl myself. I guess I could climb it if I wanted to...but I really did not feel like trying that. [Welcome my dear lambs to the place referred as the Skull Mountain. It is here precisely, where I wanted to meet you, though your arrival is late. I shall say this once again, it is me Schuld, the one that brought you all here and the one that has prophesied it all.] Like a hermit suddenly appearing out of nowhere, a man dressed in rags and with a staff welcomed us. He was a bit old looking, to say the least, but had a very specific way of saying things. His tone also...it was as if he was stretching his throat to pronounce words in an ominous way. What a strange old man... [So you have shown yourself finally, after all these days of your absence. Listen well, for this dark knight has seen many atrocities in his life. You called us all in this very place, but provided us with no clue. I demand you shatter this dark mask and reveal the truth to us.] [Very well my impatient yet diligent old friend. For it is you see, I shall first have to inform you, that my task is not to be taken lightly. You shall face many dangers and doubts within your soul, but if you persevere in the end, you shall see your reward. Are you on the same page, so I could start my story?] [Very well, speak old manI shall hear what the whispers in the air grant our ears today.] The rest also nodded, as they were interested to what the old man has to say. As for me, didn''t get to meet this person before so I didn''t know what his deal from the start was. [Very well, I shall start with the essentials, as this will take a while. As you all might know, this world was founded upon the power of words. It is the essence of existence, the very building stone. Without it, this or the other world would have not formed, and it''s all thanks to our long forgotten ancestors.] [Yea I have read that, something about ancient humans? It''s kinda cool and all but the Word system is quite complicated.] Havan, who didn''t really gather how grave this situation was, reached out both of his open hands, and tilted his head a little in excitement. I too was curious what was the prophet trying to say in the end. [And so this world was created by words spoke by the people long before us. You may know them by the name "Ghost AIs". It is them who in the end manage to avoid the end of the world for all the Earth''s sake. And as you can see now, things are far from perfect today as well. Thus, by sheer twist of fate fortunate to us, they dream no more, and are awake even now. Not all of them, but I shall talk about that later. Firstly, I need to mention about Wolf.] [That Wolf? The sole benefactor of Lunar''s blessing? The black hero who decapitated the dragon? The one that in the end saved the world, brought the sun back, and then vanished into the mist?] I know who Juger was talking about, because I was actually there when it happened. I wonder though if Wolf and WRose are still together and well? I sure hope so... [Yes that Wolf, the person who was blessed by the goddess and showed the way to others, he woke up her from the dream and is now alongside with her. It is he who has taught others, about the connection between this world and the other. It is an indubitable fact, if you wish to believe, that whenever one world is affected, the other also suffer the same effect. That is what Wolf proven.] [I do fancy to hear out your words, my dear gentleman, but to believe that? Surely it was quite the show back then, but even so, how that connects to mua?] My lady also had expressed her doubts, she was uncertain to why we were involved. I like reading stories sometimes but when I don''t understand the plot...then I stop. [It is simple as a single glance around you. Now you see what has become of this place? Due a calamity, only ashes remain now. This is the result of the influence from the other world. It is there where it all started, were life began to vanish. For you see, the fires here not present, rather life itself lost colour and only darkness remained. What is the reason behind it all?] [That''s the question I should be asking, you prick! Get to the point already! Do you have no other hobbies than humouring strangers with your stories?] Yuki from behind my back complained, albeit she was only partially leaning from my side. I must say she was rightwe have finally reached the point where his man started to bore us. [I see, so perhaps if I all made it simpler and told you what to do, would that be of any help? Very well Yukihiru, I will start with you. Remember when we meet? Where you not missing your boyfriends? Were you not upset that the world rejects you and only gives you vague answers? Be it no more, for the end of the world is going to rectify it all, and we shall bring it with our own hands.] [End of the world? Are you mad old man? Why would I...] With her hands on my back, Yuki pushed against my body. But she wasn''t firm at all, rather she was shaky. She was confused because she didn''t know what to think about the rambling of the old man. As for myself...this end of the world business is pretty much old news. We already had several of them, according to certain prophecies. Yet, the atmosphere of this place alone gave me the shivers, much like it did with Yuki. [Various riches exist in this world but their value is nothing but a speck inside your mind. What is truly a treasure is the unambiguous love from others. Thus what is the world worth, if not for those very few things that people want to steal from you? Shouldnt they be punished?] [I do agree that you do make sense, but my problem dear is still...] Even my lady was a little shaken to express her words. Perhaps she did really admit that something could have been done to make the world a better place, but I wasn''t sure. [And so, every day there are people who don''t receive the justice they actually deserve. Only those in power can set the rules, thus those without are nothing but tools for them. What is that world worth when it''s rotten to the core and can''t be reformed by any means?] [You say that, you worm, but to destroy this world entirely...] Juger, albeit I couldn''t see his eyes, was the only one was really listening to what was said here. I guess Schuld did call him his friend thus they might have known each other for a long time. [World of lies, world where the strong dictates the rules and who survives. Who are you for others, if you are weak? Nothing more than someone they push around and tell how to behave. A world unjust like that, is it worth living in? What is the goal in becoming strong if they will never truly listen to your words?] [This is right... I have no need to become strong for that kind of world. I need only them to understand whats wrong. If that is what it takes then I will...] In that brief second, everyones breathing become silent. Havah, the one that expressed himself with poses, showed us the thumb oriented downwards and to the throat. Was he ready to kill, to make someone listen? [I''m sorry, but we haven''t yet meet mister Schuld. I''m Pina... I''m with my lady, Avaria. Anyway I wanted ask, why do you really want to destroy the world? Isn''t that a bad thing?] [Well my child, I see you have made your way here, thus you are also the part of our dark alliance. For you have not been chosen, I will say this. The reason why I did pick them all was that they do desire this, they sincerely desire the world to change. However, as you saw the way in which Wolf tried to save it, he was unsuccessful in the end. Answer me then, is there any other way for the world to be saved?] [I mean if you destroy the world then... it''s going to end right?] [It''s not the end of the world that matters, but what is going to happen afterwards. Hear the word of Lunar, sleep, dream, awakening and rebirth, follow that path and you shall be able to content us. Thus as you see, we already were through the part where we dreamt and did briefly awake, but in the end we went to sleep again. If someone like Wolf tried to save the world, he would get the same resulttherefore my belief is in rebirth.] Rebirth he says... he might be right that even from the ashes, the phoenix will raise. This notion is something that Wolf also said, about believing in the future after the fire. More or less... this seems like a thing that would make sense but I don''t understand why... [Listen to me, my young and beautiful kitten. There are things in the world better left unsaid. Whatever happens afterwards is up to us and we will manage, as long as we have us both right? Therefore I will say thismaybe it is better for all of us that we restore things to their original state.] [You can''t be serious my lady... I don''t understand!] [You will in due time, I am sure you will. It is the same reason to why do a lady needs bathe herself in the light of glamour. As for now, as your master and your owner, I would only dare to ask you to follow me, understood?] I guess if my lady says so, I shall at least try to understand her. She says that a lady needs bathe herself in shinies...as in everyone needs a guidance. For me its obvious that my light is Avaria herself, but does she really believe that the world would be better in its original state? And just when I was still quite puzzled, thinking about this rebirth plan, it seems that our knight wanted to speak up. [This is preposterous! You decide the fate of the world upon your own whim? The black knight before you will not agree to this so easily. Giving up on hope, diving into the abyss of darkness is something against the code of chivalry. Even if there is no other way, doing so will only doom us all! Search we must...] [This was also scribed in my prophecies. Very well Juger, you desire a special care after all. I will give you a reason and show you a way. Furthermore, this will be a test for everyone here. The door I will open will hold a Word. You shall acquire it, and do with it as you please. When you decide to return with your answer, when you gather your thoughts, I shall be waiting here.] [Let it be so, I shall do as you please. But remember you worm, my decision will be my own, and no one else''s. Are we clear?] === Chapter 6.5 [Harp] === Chapter 6.5 [Harp] After taking a small break from all of that, I returned to the party with my tea ready. Visibly, Yuki, Havah and Avaria were agreeing with the plan to destroy this world. I could only hope that this was a metaphor I wasnt getting, that if we did the thing here it wouldnt actually cause real world to end. I also couldn''t not understand their decision in any waythey all seemed to have their own convictions. Perhaps as a young person, I didn''t have enough experience with the world or was too naive, but in the end I didn''t want to convince them otherwise, not after my conversation with Yuki. My stance was neutral, while the only one against this plan was Juger. I didn''t know why, but at least he had some sense in his head. If only I actually knew what was going onIn any case, it seems everyone was ready and we stepped through the portal left by Schuld. [Are you guys okay with giving a brief introduction to dungeons?] [Wait, are you saying that you never did any dungeon before? Well it''s easy, you just have to not die. I guess you can look at others and just do what they say.] [Oh...that helps a lot. Thanks Havan] We found ourselves in a dark and spacey roomit was surrounded by massive metal walls and bolts. Even the air itself felt metallic somehow, like it was heavy and hard to breathe in because of the smell. Something was burned, something singed to the core, not only cables but coal and other chemicals. Quite confused at first I looked around, and saw that there was a big space above us. On our side there were giant hinges that connected to the metal plane we were standing on. Furthermore it seemed that it connected the platform to a cog-like elevator mechanism. Whatever that could mean I did not understand yet, but there was a line that divided the platform into two. It was as if the floor we were standing on consisted of two parts, and each side had a hole in the middle. I wasn''t really feeling to jumping down, but there was one more thing. In front of us, was like a giant gap, and a bit red button near the ledge. I would guess that button operated the elevator thus if we were to press it... [Alright, I think we got to press the switch... are you guys okay with that?] But they simply did a nod back to me, as if they didn''t care either way. Oh well, I can''t say I was excited either, but soon that changed drastically for everyone. As soon as I pressed the button, a few things happened in a sequence of events. First, the ground started shaking and the lights appeared around us. They were flashing on and off, but then they lighted up fully. It was like an elevator shaft with them lined up all the way to the top. Just now we saw that the wall around us were not just solid metal but had robots lined up on shelves. The further you looked up, the more you could find, and they were various kinds from big to small, from humanoid to beast... But I didn''t have too much time to watch because another light appeared. It was a red diode on the eyes of the robots, lighting up one after another in a sequence. [Here come the metal beasts with no flesh heart. Fear not their nuts and oil, for this dark knight shall take their metal against his own mettle.] Several already activated machines were already jumping down on our platform. They had metal heads, rusty bolts and carried very simple weapons like pipes or wrenches. They didn''t look threatening, so our party dealt with them at once. With a few strikes, Havah and Juger ceased their movement. [We need to be focused, we are kinda surrounded here.] But as the ninja said those words, another thing happened. In front of the elevator, a giant construct slowly rose up into the space. It was a robot of a massive size, a head big like a house and hands that were more massive than a loaded train cart. With a screeching grate, the titan rose before our eyes. It was so tall that we could hardly see his face. Since it was motionless still, I thought maybe it wasn''t an enemy, but I soon discovered I was wrong. Perhaps with a special command, it reached one of its hands and pulled a lever far up on the ceiling. Another set of lights appeared, this time there flashing yellow and red like warning signs. In that moment the ground beneath us stopped shaking and something hot entered the air. I could even feel it with my feet, something very scorching was now under the platform. It was the very substance that starter to fill the hole with the robot, fiery red magma. [I am glad that a heartless person like you has thought of giving us a warm welcome, but do please save it for others. It is so warm and I wouldnt want to inundate these clothes with sweat.] [Not that I do disagree with you Avaria, but your clothes should be the last of your worry. More enemies are coming, I''m gonna snipe them. Come on, I will turn you back into buckets!] One thing to note was that even with their numbers are a little lowthe robot''s bodies did not disappear. After a monster dies usually, and after a certain time, they simply vanish in thin air. But not those machines, what remained after defeating them was a bunch of metal and bolts lying down on the ground. I wonder... While the machines kept attacking, we did our best to destroy them as they appeared. However, it seemed like the room was getting hotter with each second we would waste. There was something, a trick to this, I thought. Thus, between flinging my magic at them, I picked the metal scrap and... [Well, if this is not what we supposed to do... I don''t know what else.] I dropped the remains of a robot into the hole. A large grinding sound was heard, and after that, something started to move. It was the cog that was the part of the elevator mechanism. We were moving up, just by an inch but nevertheless, this was something good. With this we could outrun the rising lava! [Okay guys... it seems we got to throw them into the pile down there. If we do that we will avoid melting... so that is a good thing right?] === With our effort combined, we managed to quell the numbers of the robots, one by one, and deal with them just as they appeared. They were weak and lasted like a few basic hits. Is this was the only challenge I was not impressed in the slightest, but I was wrong... As we were rising slowly, the robot legs started to transform, and revealed hidden ordinance. Between ankles and thighs a compartment opened and fired missiles at us. They were quite slow, but also quite dangerous looking. Additionally, it appeared that they also homed in on the person closest to the giant. [Don''t worry a thing, for this lady will do her job properly and take those rockets on herself.] Just like WRose, she was playing a Priest, which was the archetype that could deal with projectiles. With the Barrier ability, she could destroy all incoming bullets, rockets and whatnot. Pretty fancy...On the other hand, Wizards had a boring ability that allowed them to keep their mana high most of the times. In any case, it seems that my lady did not have any problems, and with a single flick of her sceptre, destroyed those missiles before they could explode. At the same time, our team was doing pretty well, and kept recycling the robots one by one, throwing them into the pile and making the elevator more up. I was happy that they communicated without a word and executed their jobs correctly... but there was more. Around the knees of the robot, something like a laser cannon popped out of the joint and fired a beam. Its speed was great, and even if Avaria tried to stop it, it was too late. She got hit by it. [My Lady! Are you alright? We have to watch out... when those lasers appear, run away. Just keep an eye at them at all times and be ready to evade okay?] She wasn''t that badly burned, so a heal or two brought her back to full strength. Additionally, because there was a whiz sound just before it fired, I got a good idea when you are supposed to move. [I''m fine my dear Pina, just watch yourself.] And as she said so, the platform started moving upwards a little, so it was a little shaky. We were halfway towards reaching the giant robot''s ankles when another laser was fired. This time everyone was aware and evaded it before anything bad happened. This was going well... When suddenly, something jumped onto the area. It was a spider-like robot with eight legs. It had an ugly look and had a nasty looking green acid-like substance coming out of its mouth. Without warning, it fired something chain-like from its abdomen towards Havah. Fortunately, Juger noticed that and blocked the hit for the ninja, though that caused him to become the victim. He was pulled towards the monster, and got attacked with its fags. For a Tank however, he was able to block the damage so he was fine. However we had to deal with it now. [Come at me beast of the night, we shall see who is the one that truly induces fear!] With a grapple he wanted to initiate a combo so that we would finish it as quickly as possible. I was ready with my magic spell, though I could only lower its magic defence perhaps. And so, the entire party joined up for the attack and used their skills to quell down the spider. However, at the same time we were attacked by the missiles again, so Avaria had to deal with them. Havah was doing pretty good damage with his kamas, relentlessly striking at the metal shell from behind. Juger used his abilities to contain the monster within his grasp, using grapple skills and Armor Pierce. Yuki, who was positioned in the middle, charged her sniper and fired a piercing round that finished the monster. With the enemy defeated, I carried the body of the spider and dropped it into one of the holes. It seems we were doing well, although more and more robots appear and more missiles fired. Eventually the platform raised up high enough that we didn''t saw the legs of the colossus any more. [Okay this would be the first phase I guess? Kinda simple so far.] But what followed was that the arms of the boss that activated as soon as we reached a certain height. They were massive and quite sturdy looking. On top of that, the boss was wearing armour, metal plates that were riveted onto it. I figured now we have to attack the main body but... The giant''s arm moved and smashed into the ground. Luckily it didn''t hit anyone of us, but soon they gained speed and started sweeping the entire area. Other robots and scrap was affected, and if we didn''t do something as well soon we would be swept away along with them. That very moment Yuki spoke. [I see how it isyou want to take us for a ride? I''m skipping this date, so don''t bother. I dont mind if I break your rusty metal heart anyway!] And with that said, she erected a Spring Trap just before the hand reached her. Using it, she jumped over, and landed on the other side, leaving us to deal with it ourselves. Perhaps a normal jump would be fine, I thought, but Juger wasn''t thinking that. He instead stood in the way of the hand and blocked it with his axe. [So you think you could out wrestle the hand of justice?] Thanks to his efforts, we managed to stop the hand in the place and it was no longer moving. Instinctively perhaps, Havah dashed at it and started attacking right away. It looked like a good plan, so I joined as well. Before I noticed, we were not only dealing damage to the hand itself, but the metal armour on the boss seemed to get affected as well. So this is how you damage it... [Okay I see, you can either jump over or block the hand to damage it. That''s cool! I do prefer the damaging option if you guys don''t mind.] It seems that Yuki, despite doing a solo stunt, was focusing on the boss itself now. Following her was Avaria, who used her Godly Punishment to heal all the allies who were attacking. I didn''t say idle either, and used my Disintegrate Ray to lower the boss'' defences. However Juger, who ground his steel against the metal hand, was getting damaged badly. Before long, the colossus retracted its arm and it returned back it from where it came. But two things were of notice nowtwo of our party members were now low on their health. It was Yuki, because she was alone and against the robots that kept coming, and Juger, from the blocking. With the hand out of our way, Yuki moved to the middle again to continue sniping the minions, while Juger stayed and dealt with the monsters on the other side. In the middle of this, Avaria, who was undecided to who to heal, asked them both to join their position together. [I assume it would be more efficient to heal you both at the same time, if you dont mind.] [I don''t need healing, this is a path of the dark knight.] [I''m sorry but I''m still fine, even if it''s a little hot in here...] It was true, the lava was rising all this time and there was no stopping it. On top of the robots we had to deal with, we also had to keep an eye on occasionally appearing spiders and the hands that were coming down from time to time. They had several different attacks, like smashing or punching, all of which also destroyed the minions. I did get hit once by the smash, and although it did some damage, it wasn''t that huge of a deal. Quite frankly, as our fight progressed, I was more worried about our party''s cooperation. Avaria was a lady for me, so I could count on her help at all times, but Yuki and Juger...For our sniper it didn''t matter what was our plan, and for our knight, he wanted to get hit for his buff. We didn''t have a united strategy and I felt that soon the fight will get even more dangerous. === With a rusty buzzing sound, several things flew down onto the arena. They were specialized robots, ones that looked like little mosquitoes. There were a lot smaller than normal monsters, so I figured it would be a pain to deal with them all individually. That''s why I wanted to use magic, to take advantage of my AoE skills and destroy them all at once. That was my plan, however... The swarm totally ignored me and attacked my lady instead. With her single strikes, she wasn''t able to do much but to swat them around. Their numbers were not decreasing, and furthermore, they seemed to be attracted specifically to the Priest''s spiritual energy. With every little sting they made, they took out a little blue droplet from her body. I can only assume that was her mana, but I couldn''t simply tell just by looking at it. I finished casting my spell, Flaming Tornado, which burned down the bugs quite quickly. Additionally, because this was a channelled skill, I was able to catch all of them in the arena. [Are you alright my lady? I understand... you must hate bugs, but leave the little things to me... I can deal with them.] [I am most thankful for you timely assist, my dear Pina, your little bug spray is tremendously appreciated.Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. Alas, it seems that those little bugs are more than just a nuisance. They sip your mana out so be careful.] At the same time, my lady was looking a little exhausted but that wasn''t a problem for her. She used her Mana Spring which restored not only her spirit but also others who were in range. Glad that we dealt with that, I returned to fight the endless minions that were still coming. We had to turn them into scrap in order to raise the elevator up. If we didn''t do that, the lava that was underneath would reach us and we would be facing a very boiling fate. However, that was easier said than done, as for the combat escalated even further. With the platform reaching about the chest of the boss, it started to move his hands in a weird way, and slammed them onto the ground, hitting the two holes on either side. Normally they retracted after a while, but this time they stayed in place and didn''t move, as if it was purposely blocking our access. [We got to deal with those first, I''m gonna start with the left one.] Without the scrap falling into the hole, we couldn''t move the elevator up, so we had to deal with the hands first. But as we thought it would be that easySuddenly, two spiders appeared on the arena, and did a pincer attack from both sides. The middle person, Yuki was most likely the target. However, she had her Safety Rope ready, and as the spider pulled her towards itself, she basically used it to return to the middle. That was all fine, but if we would not destroy them first, we could face someone dying. Juger, who was the first to initiate attack on them, had little support from his allies. Meanwhile, I and my lady were attacking the other spider on the right, I guess we did some damage. Furthermore, Havah was not interested in the minions and continued attacking the hand. [Damn you monsters and your tricks! This should not be happening.] Confused a little, I saw how Juger was flung towards the middle, badly hurt and unable to move. He was down for the count, meaning that he was still alive, but he needed someone to revive him. I rushed to his side with my lady, but at the same time, more little mosquitoes appeared. [Don''t worry... I''m going to deal with them my lady. You handle the knight and I will... think of something.] And so, with my fiery spell, I managed to protect Avaria while she made her way towards Juger. However, it seems that she was being also chased by a spider that she damaged a while before. It jumped towards her and blocked her way, thus she couldn''t get behind it and start helping out our Tank. At the same time, Havah, who was not aware of the situation, was being attacked by the other spider himself. He was swift though, and managed to keep him at range without getting staggered himself. As for Yuki, she could have helped Juger already, but she wasn''t interested, and kept shooting at the boss'' hands. In this situation it was all up to me, so I had at least some kind of plan. I rushed towards my lady, used my Thunder Teleport and vanished for a brief second. Afterwards I reappeared behind the spider, damaging it ever so slightly. I would have staggered it as well but it seemed it had a stagger protection... [Don''t worry about me my child. You go save that man before it''s too late.] Certainly, the time was of the essence as well, as I could feel the lava was very close now. With my feet almost on fire, I struggled to keep cool and rushed to help the knight stand up. Gently touching him I initiated the restore animation and his body was slowly filled with green energy. [Listen you lot, we are lost and without a leader we shall be moulded into their metal shells. Stand united we must, to prevail and to squash this little bugs into submission. From now, the black knight Juger, shall lead you. I have no other choice really, if we are to succeed.] With a new spirit that entered him, the tall guy before me gave a quick speech, and his power increased. It seems he used his skill, Eve for an eye, for which he has been holding his hp low all the time. Due to his speech, we also felt more powerful, and ready break from this struggle. This was our stand now. === As Juger''s hand lowered, it pointed towards the middle. We were to stay put, as the second spider came closer. We had to deal with them quick so there was no time for asking questions or speeches any more. Everyone, including me, already knew what to do. Thus, Havah dashed and attacked one of them, while we dealt with the other one. As fast as possible I used my most powerful spell, Meteor Shower, which was the basis of our strategy. Of course I could only imagine that others will protect me while I was casting, because I was defenceless otherwise. On top of that, this was clearly the way to go as others did use their most powerful spells as well. Juger, after using Armour Pierce, successfully grappled the opponent and brought down his massive axe down. Avaria, as a Priest could not do a lot of damage, but had a buff, Favoritism, which increased damage dealt and defence. Yuki, the recipient of the buff, concentrated her aim and fired a huge blast at the monster, dealing great damage. [This ugly bastard wants more I guess. Just don''t die, and keep at it.] With meteors falling down, both the hands and the spiders got affected. It was not just them that heated up the situation, but also the lava from the other side of the arena. It was boiling and steaming, almost gushing out on the elevator floor. But we still had timewe just had to make the boss release the grasp from one of the holes. As I said that however... The spider that lost interest of Havah, jumped right in front of me and started attacking. Quickly the ninja dashed at the robotic monster and tried using his Vault to get its attention. He was successful, but then he got hit by the revenge grab in return, and thrown away from our party. Luckily his body hit the land before reaching the lava pit, so he didnt meet the worst of fates. In the meantime, Avaria and Yuki started focusing onto the hand that was damaged by Havah previously. It had still some hp left, so they used all their ranged skills they had available. They did good damage, but the hand still blocked the hole. Furthermore, I was between two spiders now and things were not looking good. [Oh my, do we have enough time for this, my dear little snowflake? Perhaps I dare say, we should be helping miss Pina, as she is in a more desperate situation than us both.] [Who cares about that cat, if we don''t destroy this now we are going to get killed. You must be her master, so you should know that this is the only way of saving her.] [Oh right, and that way is rising the elevator even higher, am I right? Very well, I shall do as you please, since only I can save my darling after all.] [Hey you are doing this for yourself too, be focused okay?] And another meteor landed, this time the damage was visible, as the metal armour plates fell to the ground. The hand itself was no more, it was cut in half and only scrap metal remained. Thanks to that extra bit, our elevator did raise a little, but not a lot. We still had to throw more junk into it and we had just the plan. Juger, who now took aggro from both of the spiders, lead them to the hole and started attacking relentlessly. His armoured skills hit both the monsters at once, but he in return got hit back. His weakened body did not yield, and received help from the Priest. With a little more healing and Yuki''s Rain of Pain, the damage was mitigated. Following their bravery, Havah recovered from the ground and dashed towards the second hand. He was barely standing, as he only had a sliver of health remaining. Thus, he chose to distance himself the minions and safely slashed at the boss. With his effort and my meteor, we did manage to take more of its armour, but at the same time the lava was pouring out. [The magma from the depths of hell is no hindrance for our perseverancesmite those demons with your fiery might!] Briefly a swarm of sucking mana bugs appeared near Juger, but our combined AoE damage quickly destroyed them. They didn''t leave scrap therefore they were not essential. However, one of the spiders had enough, and fell right into the hole it was standing on top of. With a little push, we stopped the lava from pouring, though some managed to find its way onto the arena. It was mostly the other hand that was affected by it. But as I predicted, it appears that the lava did not harm the boss, as the metal armour did not react to it. Furthermore, Havah, instinctively jumped onto the hand itself, to avoid taking a dive into something very hot. Soon the orange fiery liquid covered his side of the elevator and he was unable to escape by himself. [Well, don''t worry about me, just destroy the hand. I have a plan.] [I see what you mean, and I shall follow your suggestion.] Suddenly, Juger stopped attacking the minion and soon I realised why. Our efforts were now all on the remaining hand, and it only took one meteor to finish it off. This would raise the elevator enough that the lava would sink back through the hole, and it was no longer our problem. However, during all that Havah was still on top of the hand. He had a plan obviously. The moment it was reduced to bits, he dashed onto the spider, and using his Showdown Dash. With that ability, he dealt enough damage to destroy it completely, and no longer any enemy remained. Letting out a sigh, we not only succeeded at our team effort, but we all managed to stay alive. [You don''t use this skill like that, but I only did it because it was cool.] [Okay Havah... I''m glad that we are all alive, though you are hurt.] [Right, one thing at one time. Don''t worry about the wounds my dear boy.] With the flick of her sceptre, a glowing orb appeared and we all benefited from its healing aura. Everyone seemed healthy again and the elevator raised all the way now. We were above the giant''s chest, and arriving at the top of the shaft. Behind us was a door that was sealed and before us the head of the colossal robot. === Before we could react, two giant body guards appeared jumping down from the head. There were large, mechanical mantises that were almost ten times bigger than the ones in nature. With their razor sharp blades, their tiny wings in the back, they rushed at our party, striking without a warning. It was thanks to Havah however, that one of their dash was clashed before it reached us. As for the other target... despite jumping I was still hit. [Oh I see, you can''t counter them with a simple deception? Don''t worry my darling wizard. I shall come to your aid.] With binding light, she used her grapple to get attention from the bug, and although it broke its combo, Avaria became its next target, though not for long. Juger, who wanted to take the aggro, stood in its way, and started swinging at it with his mighty axe. He wanted to reduce its armour before the heavy hits. [Let''s do it all at once! With my axe I cut you down and squish you like the bug you are!] Noticing that, everyone followed with their abilities to maximize the damage. As soon as Juger grappled, Yuki launched her perfectly timed shot she was preparing, as she had now more time to use other skills. Following her lead I also used my skills, though they only grazed the monster with little effect. Avaria was still focused on healing me, but I didn''t really need attention so I told her that... [My lady please attack... I will be fine for now.] [But of course, if that is your wish, I was merely...] [Just do it!] I shouted a little, and she was startled in surprise. Converting her healing changes into pain ones, her dark red energy broke the machine and it fell down to the floor. However, some of diodes were still lit. It wasn''t completely defeated, I thought. At the same time something else happened with the boss itself. Without a warning, the head started to open itself and from the mouth a set of stairs were erected. The inside of the machine looked like a globe and was illuminated by several flashing lights on the walls. In the middle of it, a computer like brain that was flashing in several different colours, thinking something. [This is our target, the very core of this calculated madness. We shall put it to the end, here and now. Fear not their sharpness!] And it seems Juger knew what he was talking about, because a certain light from the head itself appeared. Like a fog of electrons, it floated towards the defeated mantis and was absorbed by it. Suddenly, the robot started to function again and stood up, as if our damage did nothing in the end. But that was not all. Havah, who was fighting by himself all this time, got hit and fell to the ground. This was not looking good. [Let''s go guys! We have a better chance on the higher ground.] Yuki, who was ignoring the ninja, rushed to the elevated position provided by the stairs. Nevertheless, when she did expect a good result, suddenly the situation changed. The inside of the brain became red, and multiple lasers appeared, spinning like a planetarium globe. She must have triggered an alarm. [We must have angered it I''m afraid. And I thought here I was, thinking he would be this kind and allow us to win without using force.] My lady kindly informed us, looking at the inner part of the head, which was now a lot more dangerous place to be. On top of that, my low hp and Havah who was barely standing were the least of our worries. Hundreds, if not more, robots with flimsy looking equipment have appeared on the edges of the elevator. They were marching in unison and in a trance, as if to worship the giant globe that was glowing. We didn''t have much choice but to retreat to the stairs, though Havah only barely made it. Juger, who was on the bottom part of the stairs, was making sure that we don''t get surrounded. Avaria, who used her healing skills and Mana Spring, desperately tried to keep everyone alive. Yuki, who was more interested in the shooting than defusing the situation, continued attacking the mantis. [It''s not usewe have to defeat the very core of it. What a pathetic creature, thinking he is a god of the universe.] He, more than anyone, deserves the true hand of justice!] And as he was saying that, our attention was back at the boss'' head. It was there were we could do something, it was our only hope. Thus, I climbed the stairs to see if I was able to do anything, but as I did get close... [Cease your curiosity little cat, I shall perform the duty, while you deal with your job of giving me and others time.] [Why you? Are you crazy metal head? You''re the tank. You should stay and defend us!] [There is no time to talkonly the strongest will survive there.] And so with our trust, but without the trust of Yuki, Juger entered the laser dome. And as he did, it closed and he was there all alone now. I thought maybe we could push the mantis into the hole, but the holes were completely sealed, and on top of that, swarms of little robots were standing on them. I could only... [Here does nothing! I''m going to do...] [Wait before you do, just buff yourself.] [Wait what?] [Ah yes, my skill does wonders if we add good team work. Do as mister Juger says Pina.] [Okay... here goes.] Buff skills you mean? I do have some like Magic Shell so I used it without a further question. I also received a buff from others, like Air Step from Yuki, or Blessing from Juger. Hesitating, not knowing if this would work or not, I started casting Meteor Shower on all remaining minions. Before the first strike, the mantises already occupied the stairs and knocked down Havah, but my lady healed him. Another dashed at Yuki, but she somehow evaded the attack and dodged further upwards. Finally, from the back of the colossus'' head missiles fired at our position, but Avaria managed to intercept them. And thus it was my time to shine, as my meteor finally materialised and filled the arena with flames. It was devastating, knocking the mantises off the stairs, but did not affect any other minions. It was as if they were invincible, filled with power of the brain itself... this was pointless. [Wow... after that and not a single one down. Those guys are a pushover.] And that was not only my opinion, as others besides me were looking worried as well. We couldn''t stop them, each of our attacks and spells did nothing and eventually they reached to us. First Havah fallen, following Yuki and Avaria. They were smacked until they were beaten senseless. Only I remained... I thought. [I''m sorry... even with your help I was able to...] [There we go! This should do it.] My consciousness was fading as I was getting smacked by various tools and blades. But I wasn''t all alone. Just like they gave me their trust, and granted me their buffs, there was another person fighting for us. It was he who instructed us to act against our usual doctrines. It was he who guided us through this mess. Juger, the black knight, victoriously opened the head again and inside of it there was light no more. All of the robots before us collapsed to the ground, as if the lost all reason to continue fighting. [WARNING! SELF DESTRUCT SEQUENCE INITIATED. ALL PERSONNEL PROCEED TO THE EVACUATION HATCH.] [Well this is our cue to leave.] And so, after defeating the boss, all of us got back on their feet. This usually happens when the boss dies. But we didn''t really have time to talk, we had to run. Luckily the door on the other side opened, so we dashed there as fast as we could. Lava was pouring outside and lifeless robots were falling down from their shelves, but we did manage to leave this place in the end. Our reward was a metal chest containing a special item. === After the battle we returned to the mountain. In our party there was my lady, Juger, Havah and Yuki. It was some time after we acquired the word [Harp] which was quite strange looking. It had three strings, horizontally spread, made a strange broken sound when struck, and after several tries, the sound began to normalize. [So what do you think of this item guys? It doesn''t look like it is usable at all, it looks broken. On top of that I don''t think I can play a harp anyway so too bad.] [Don''t worry Havah, I''m sure there is a use for it... somehow I think. When I talked with Wolf for the first time he did find a way to use the feather. He placed it on a lake and a portal opened. It was as simple as that. At least...thats what I heard from WRose.] [So we just need to go to the same lake and do that again with the harp? I don''t think it will float but it would be cool to try right?] [I don''t think that will work Havah... it worked because it was a lake associated with Lunar. But I have a strange feeling that the harp is not really something like her, take it from the shrine maiden that worked at her shrine. I also drew her so...] With a nod followed by him bowing like a shrine maiden, I was expecting him to perform Kagura, but he was already done. Aside from that, we were also coming close to our destination, the place called the Skull Mountain. The name obviously came from the giant skull rock, but furthermore I couldn''t find anything about this online, nothing about a place with a black fog or ashes around. [This is a strange place, don''t you think? I usually live in the tundra where there is cold, brr! But this is a different kind of cold. It feels a little ominous, but only because that creep lives here. He even said that this place appeared because of something in the real world, but have not mentioned what. Do you think if we politely asked him, would he answer us? I mean it''s worth a try if anything.] [Oh that''s right Yuki. I doubt that he would answer us in anything but in riddles, so it''s pointless to ask him... I also think that we should better ask him about the Harp.] [And that is what I have decided to do, my inquisitive ladies. This knight walks the path of justice, and it shall be severed no matter what. Today is no expectation from that rule, thus onwards.] Along the way, Juger looked like he was more convinced today. I wonder what has happened. It is true however, that after the acquired the [Harp] our party had no clue what to do next. Thus, we decided it would be for the best if we asked Schuld about it. I didn''t like this plan, but at the same time the four of us also agreed to it so I saw some potential in his words. From what I could understand, he wanted to cause destruction of this world, whatever that meant, so that it would be reborn and would affect the other world. This was the only way, as he said, because Wolf previously failed. As for me, I was just a girl who severed my lady, I did what she said. Saving the world, or destroying the world... well I don''t think it would be possible for us anyway. I found this an interesting concept, how everything connected, but I have only carried a slight belief. No way this would be true, it was all a coincidence, I thought, so I personally had no problem following. [This is it, however as expected, there is no a smidgen of the worm''s scent here. On top of that there is a note. I do only wonder what atrocities he had left for us.] There was a scrap of paper at the location I first met with Schuld. Juger, without others acknowledging it, started reading the note. It was quite lengthy... The daughter of a man that knew only about greed and the mother that tried to stop him, she is the one that carries the sin of avarice, one that she inherited from her parent. The daughter of a couple that only sees to protect their good name in face of others, she is the one that carries the sin of unfaithfulness, it was forced upon her involuntary. The son of a shrine priest with a gambling addiction and the sickened greatly mother, he is the one that carries the sin of revenge, because it was his choice not to forgive. The child of a couple that was unfortunate and lost a twin brother in an accident, this child is the one that have no sinned yet, but carries a strong desire to murder. ... All of the above here mentioned have been blemished by the soil they took root into. Even if there is someone that will forgive their sins, who will break the cycle of rebirth? With each life, the newly born are asked to continue the wicked ways and live in sin with their creators. It is as if there was a thread of fate, which bounds the history so that it must repeat itself without end. After saying that Juger paused as he was taking a break to think. Others were speechless, and only gazed with eyes that were lifeless. It was visible that Yuki was especially affected, though I couldnt do anything about it. This man... Schuld, he knew about their parents. This was the first time I was extremely worried just how people can affect you with words. Whatever he knew about her, it was terrifying that even today this information is far from secure. [So you want a revolution... that is your plan worm? You want them to suffer, to make things right, in the same way that I do? Even the dark gods have their honour, but this knight is still not convinced. Is there really no better way? There is still more.] So I do speak to those that I chosen, you are all my subjects I trust the most, especially Juger. You must be the one that would lead this revolution, for we no need to listen to gods any more. No rain will fall, no Wolf will appear. [I see your logic of action. I indeed have forsaken the god of my shrine, I am like the people I despise, the one that betrayed me in the past. Therefore I have to listen to my own voice now, which tells me to...] The knight was pausing in mid sentence. Even if we tried to approach him, he showed us his hand. It was his fight alone and only he could defeat the dragon... I stayed silent all the time as well. The only obstacle that await are your own sins that you each carry, for they will not allow the world to be reborn without any fault. I have carried preparations to rehabilitate and purify your souls. [This must be this rope...] If you question whenever life is worth living, if its truly up to your free will. before you there is a threat that connects you to your ancestors. Cut it and you shall be free from sins. Do it and you shall be free not only yourselves, but bring a new beginning to others, though you will have to awake them from their trance first. With the end of old, a new age will come like a swarmit shall reform this world anew. [So you are asking us to cut from the society, from our parents, and from our sins? Doing so we shall be free from the burden of making the wrong choice... that''s it?] Juger, which is usually talking like a knight, changed his tone now. It felt like a normal and honest voice. I reckon he was thinking about this choice up until now so... [Maybe I shouldn''t be the one to speak first... but Juger are you okay? I don''t know what will happen afterwards so... maybe it''s better to...] [This Harp symbolizes the connection to your ancestors. At first it''s dull, but as soon as you get mend into their tone and note, your individuality disappears. This happens at work and at school...and even if I do agree with the notion there is more. [This is all quite interesting, my dear Juger. I do think that being someone is important.] Avaria spoke, as if she was on the same page as the knight. I kinda do share their opinion too... [A weapon this powerful in the wrong hand has made us into mindless cogs in the machine... Thats what happened. The nails that stick out must be hammered down by the hand of justice. But they are wrong and use their own narrative to overwrite our own. We are the ones that are left unwritten.] This was his speech, and I couldn''t tell why it resonated so well with others, but it did fire up Yuki at least. Something different in the air appeared, and for the moment my breathing stopped. Those scorching eyes, those clenched fists, they were totally different people now. Not looking at each other, rather in the distance, they all meet in a large circle. Standing still, they each raised their hand ahead of them. United only by a single thread, they were like in a different world completely. I too wanted to enter but there was no space left for me. There was also something ominous about this. I was in the middle of a strange lifeless rock, with a black fog surrounding me. My body felt like shivering, but there was no wind or sound in the air. My mind told me that something is about to happen, as if I was just watching a dream-like sequence unfold before my eyes, unable to understand or to act. [He was right, I would become the leader, but I had my doubt until now. I am now sure, that this world deserves the fate that we are going to impose.] Were they really this convinced that ending the world is the right choice? Were they really in this desperate for a change that they cared less about the consequences? Were they really this detached from everything that it didnt mattered what would happen... Well... I was like that a while ago too, before I met with my lady. I can understand that at least... the feeling when you are felt behind, alone. You start to enjoy things you wouldnt have otherwise, like the rain...the rain that reminds you that you are alive. In this place, absent of life, Juger, Havan, Yuki and my Lady all had particular eyes as if their bodies empty husks. Yet, it was so genuine, unlike any emotion I have seen before. Was I... really looking at a screen? [As we know no better, the end of the world shall be a new beginning for all. We are not the ones that will stand still and dance idly, like the straw men, we shall fight against this oppression, even if that''s the only thing we can do.] And so, everyone agreed with him, in silence. The only thing left for them was to cut the rope left by that old man. Havah looked like he wanted to do the honour. However, as he sliced in half with him blade... [This is... Schuld?] Something fell down. [Wow he was right! I actually got kill someone!] It was a body of an old man nailed to a cross with his neck strangled... he did not show us any signs of life... === Chapter 7 [Remorse] === Chapter 7 [Remorse] This happened before we went back to Schuld with the [Harp], but after all this nonsense with the robots. How this was all fitting me, the black knight, being the one chosen by that worm to become their leader. And here I was, against his plan for it was wicked, but at the same time everything was falling to place. I told to myself, there is no one else that would stand and rise for citizens like us, since from the start I knew that Schuld made no mistake when he selected us four. Weak and without care, our seeds sprout rotten flowers that no one will accept, but I will. Standing before a colourful building, in the town of dreams and hope that was swimming in the sea of imagination, our hero arrived at his destination with only one purpose, to cleanse his own demons and find the answer he seeks. It is here where our story will continue, whenever he desires it or not. With his hand he opens the door and the bell rings. [For whom the bell rings? It is I, Juger, the dark knight of heavy steel resolve. I do reckon that you are the lady of this shop, Avaria, hence it was easy to find you.] [Oh my, I don''t get many guests dressed like that I''m afraid. My speciality is cloth not metal, but I do find your fashion sense quite interesting my dear Juger. Say, maybe you would be so kind, and flatter this lady with your selection? ohoho~ After all, I say that people should pick their own apparel.] [How nice of you to show appreciation for my tastes, entrepreneur, but that is not the goal of my visit. Say you, haven''t you been wondering lately what we should do next? This dark knight know very little, and does not desire for his doubts go to waste. Saying this, I do push this question of conviction onto you.] [Oh I see, so you basically desire to have a nice talk with a cup of tea? Most certainly, this gentle lady would not say no if she was invited. Let us proceed then, if you please.] With a hand gesture belonging in the age of knights, she reached her palm towards me nonchalantly. For this armour has little interaction, I did not take my gauntlets off when I took her hand, though I don''t think she was bothered by my slip. Then we took to the outside, looking for the perfect place. This silent wind had me feel a little chilly, although the lady quite enjoyed it, sliming at me kindly. With her parasol, her dress and hair was gently carried by the current, but I was still on the ground. We eventually found something suitableit was a bridge over a ravine with a good view and benches. [We shall sit here, if you don''t mind my little crow. This place is perfect to feel the wind, don''t you think? I do say, on days like these I just wish I had more time to play with Pina.] More precisely, the view that was in sight had the colourful city and the fuming sea. You could see signboards and articles of drying clothes that were dancing in the wind. Nevertheless, below us there was an endless space and I was not able to measure how high the fall was. [I did not come to play here, frolic lady of the jester court, I do have a purpose that I want to state. Listen well and picture your answer before you speak, why is that you want to end the world? Is it that, you had your precious goods stolen from you, thus you choose to punish those who deserve to be judged?] [Well Juger, if you take things as that serious, I allow this charming lady to speak freely. You see, there is no gain in that plan, don''t you think? Naturally my logic is different. I simply take my steps very slowly, as you could see today, and have no attachments.] [No feelings for others you say? And yet I can see how you take care of that one girl. Her name is Pina and you have become her owner. Isn''t that the very evidence of your attachment?] [Things and people are different, although I don''t know how I would explain that...] Today was the very first time in my life I have witnessed this specific expression of doubt. Her eyes empty, and mouth a little pouting. She was telling a lie to herself, although it was one that was hard to believe. She must have gathered her thoughts and planned her next words very carefully, as we stayed in silence until... [You see Juger, perhaps you should know about the people who stole from me before anything. Saying so might leave a mark on my delicate heart, so a man like you must understand.] [The people who stole and caused you a loss I see, for I also had things like that happened.] [Then, as the gentleman you are, perhaps I shall let you speak first, if that is fine, yes?] With a little smirk that was partially hidden by her scheming palm, she pleaded me to speak before her. The topic at hand was of course my parents that I lost. Even today, I think I have done everything I could for them. Still, it is hard for me to say that I truly loved them, but that is the guilt I must always carry. [So you see, my parents died a while ago, I do miss them even if they were not the best I could have. My dad was into gambling and I couldn''t stop him. My mother had a sickness but I couldn''t cure her. So what I only could do was to give them money, but that also was not enough. I feel for them however, for I also learned how hard it is to connect with people from normal families when yours was blemished.] It is as if the children who are baptised are forgiven their original sin, but the sin of the parents stays. They do say that pathological families are bound to inherit their faults throughout generations. Is that true? If so, then I am too doomed to this fate and whatever I do, I won''t be able to escape. I find that dangerous to agree. [I see... well then I can understand that kind of loss since I was too a victim of unfortunate fate. My mother, who betrayed my father and called him a monster that destroys innocent people''s lives, has caused them to separate. I do miss my father, but moreover I can''t forgive my mother for that.] [And how that even compares? My parents are dead, while yours are still alive. You can forgive them for their sins even now, but for me it''s unfortunately too late.] [Forgive for sins... that''s quite silly if you ask me. My mother might not the perfect example of a proper woman, but so is my father who has his own faults. I comprehended them more with age, knowing they both tried to raise me in their own ways, though in reality they begged for my attention, and I for theirs, because I was their own child. How pitiful...] With some words still being left unsaid, the girl before me had both of her hands to her face. I did not saw, but only heard her bitter tears and her sobbing. Is this her true self, the one that she hides so vaguely behind with her glamours shiny jewellery I wonder? [All in all, it is I who also deserve to be punished. How can a lady from such parents not be broken herself? I searched wide for a person to tell me that, but I know how that will never happen, not with Pina or others...] As she said those sentimental words, she stood up from the bench and took for the railing. Before her was the vast space, but she chose instead to look downwards, into the abyss. [I ask them to fight me and to see who is right, but no matter what, I don''t get an answer. I know what I do is wrong, but at least, I thought, doing things right for others was okay. Do you accept such a person Juger, the person who cares not about the world in monochrome, but rather uses her own golden light to illuminate the darkness with prismatic colours?] [You don''t care about the world, you say? Is that why did you agreed to his plan then?] [Yes, I simply want someone to see me as someone terrible, someone who deserves to be punished. Whatever I do, I''m the lighthouse of brilliance, and people come to me knowing I have what they want. It is as if I sold their dreams, and by the gravity of my star, I am also sucked inside of that fallacy.] [If that is all you think, then I got my answer. Farewell. We are different people, me and Avaria, and so I don''t think I can help her and wake her from that dream. I got what I came here for, and I can only imagine how others are. Ending the world was an option for me, but even if I had a reason I wanted to be sure, that there is nothing else that I could do to reform society. [Are you leaving so soon? Perhaps we could meet on another occasion then, I must say I do enjoy the time we did spend together, my darling leader.] [We shall meet again when I gather our party for our next quest.] I waved at her from the distance and left the scene, disappearing from her sight. === This is cold... I feel a lot worse than before. I''m quite chilly, ever since I met with those people. It''s freezing here... and even I should be used to this temperature but now, this it feels different. All this happened after I met with the party and got the word [Harp]. To put it very brief, the party had two men and two girls, but before Pina and Avaria joined, I was only with the guys. Obviously I couldn''t stand my ground for too long and ran away before I would start to feel sick. All this time I was cold and shivering, I just couldn''t help it. That is because I haven''t met with anyone, for a very long time now. With each day my longing was only growing worse and worse. I couldn''t stop, and what made this worst was that they were actually quite nice looking and all... so cold... [Brr! I better look for more blankets or for replacement for Penkun. He was quite nice and all, but G1 said it was time to go and join others, just like the penguin did. Thanks to his idea, I have met Pina, who looks quite a fine replacement, but she seems to have her owner already. What a pity... ihihi~ of course I''m joking, there is no way I would keep someone a hostage or something.] I laughed to myself a little, even though I felt a little bad after saying all that. In truth, I returned to the tundra because I didn''t want to do all those bad things. I''m a terrible person, and Schuld knew that, so there was no way I could return to them. Furthermore, Pina said that some things are okay to keep quiet about, or rather not worth thinking about. Being alone is definitely something I dislike but at the same time I can''t convince myself otherwise. How can I accept others if I know I will hurt them in the end? In a way I also... end up hurting myself. [Ah finally...so this is where you were hiding. I have been searching for a very long time. You sure know how to hide, huh? Also it''s kinda cold here, why do you live here?] [Wait! What the hell! You wanna die? I''m going to shot!] [No I just came to visit. I felt like it would be a good time and all, because Juger said he needs the time to think things over.] By some miracle, Havah, the one I was in a party with, has discovered where I lived. This tundra was as large as an entire continent, so he must have had some kind of help. Seriously what was he doing here? I honestly just wanted to shot him but I couldn''t. [So what are you doing here? It''s not good to stay out in the cold for long.] [You say that, but you even barely wear anything! What are you, an exhibitionist?] [Quite the opposite, I perform the beauty that is the art of dancing. Even in this cold winter snow, I feel invigorated to move and slide on the ice.] [Whatever you say you freak! Do what you want, I''m leaving. Dont think you can invite me back to the party either you stalker!] I was done with talking to him already. He felt like bother honestly, but I knew he was just happy to see me. Anyone that ever comes dares to put their foot in this snow already knows that they are into some deep trouble. Without direction it''s easy to get lost and freeze, although you can''t literally die just due your stamina loss. So after all those days of searching, when a person meets another human they are always exploding with joy. This is what happened with Havah here, although I could care less what was his deal really. Saying hello huh? Why didnt he write a letter or something? Maybe if I scare him really bad he will run away and never come back? But, before I noticed, I was already leaving anyway. My destination was the lake, for I wanted to fish. It was my usual deal, just a little bit of stamina regenerating items for my everyday use, simple stuff. Still, there was one other reason why I did it, and today was especially cold, so I wanted to deal with it quick. [Okay, here my axe and harpoon. This would be easy enough, since recently I found that the number of fish increased. If only the holes didn''t disappear after a while, this would have been easier, right? But oh well, let''s get to...] [And today I thought I have done something terribly wrong. I want to say sorry, perhaps I was a little to forward the first time. But now I shall speak no longer, let us commence in our act.] And just like that, before my mouth could move even a little bit, the dancer started his thing around me. Of course, there was no way I would be interested but at the same time he was getting in the way of the axe. I wanted to move, to escape his moves and get away, but the bastard was persistent and kept on catching up. [What are those moves, those spins in the air and ground? Are you trying to get me dizzy or something? Could you...] At the same time as I was annoyed, the ice beneath me started resonating with the movement of the dancer. Though he didn''t have ice skates, it was as if he was skating. His moves were perfectly spaced and performed. There was something special about them, something that also made my legs a little bit wonky and frail. [Hey if you don''t stop dancing I will... damn he''s fast. I can''t aim if he moves this quick, but then again maybe... just maybe I could watch his dance for a while. It can''t hurt right?] I have decided for the worst that my fishing trip could wait and watched his performance. It was marvellous, just as if he was a beautiful swan dancing in the middle of the lake. I don''t think I ever saw something that entrancing. It filled me with warmth in my chest, causing me to almost melt from blushing. [Well, you aren''t that bad I can agree to that but really... can you please stop? I feel a little weird that you do this okay?] [Stop my dear ducking? No, for act two is about to start. Your hand please, mademoiselle.] With a swirl, he landed on knees with a stretched out hand. I gently accepted his and gave mine, though I didn''t know what I was doing. It was a strange sensation which caused my body to move on its own. [Hey this is... not that hard isn''t it? You are a good dancer if you know how to tread a lady... but I''m a bit embarrassed okay? Could you slow down a little so I could catch my breath?] Though I said that, my voice was weak just like my hands, which were fruitlessly trying to struggle. His warm grip was strong, and my heated up body was not able to resist his lead. We did little steps, as he had my hand stretched out in the distance, while the other was close to our hearts. This was tango, and although it was gentle, it also made me want to move even more, and without end. But I had to stop. [Okay this is enough. I know you wanted this but... But can we at least... I don''t know how to say this to you...] Yes I was struggling because I knew this would not end well. I was doing the best I could, but my body didn''t listen. It moved on its own, despite my mind telling it stop. And so did Havah, like in a trance, he was also just heating up. With his legs around mine, he made me lean down, before pulling me back up, and our moves grew more dynamic and lively. His hands crossed together with mine, twisted me faster and faster, and we spun and swirled around the icy lake. [Please... my head is making me dizzy... I feel like...] Still, the truth was I was enjoying this, at least one part of me. When I looked at his face I saw the reflection of mine, a gentle little girl who uses a mask to hide her face and who wears a lousy makeup. Something ugly and repulsing, was that really me? On the other side, his beautiful face, gorgeous long wavy hair and his charming expression. We were like from different worlds, he was a prince and I was an ugly duckling. I couldn''t stand looking any more so I closed my eyes, wishing it was a dream. [You feel like it, my precious Yuki? Like a change of seasons, I bring to you spring, to melt your ice away. Will you accept?] [...Yes] No! I said no but my lips released a different sound! What was happening with me? I knew very well, that I couldn''t escape this fate any longer. My will was absent and my mind was released from its chains. My vision began to turn blurry, I saw as if I was entranced in a dream by his words. His hands enveloped around me and kept on pushing my body towards him. For every single panting that escaped, one of my belts got undone, until nothing was holding me back anymore. Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. I could feel like my body exploding with heat, an indigent feeling I could no longer contain inside of me. My hair started to melt and curved up a little, my cheeks, my gloves'' and my shoes'' tips turned deep red. The prince was close, his warm and gentle breath entered me, and as I opened my lips, he gifted me with a kiss. === We both were in a different world now, but we were still in the area with endless snow. I felt like my body almost completely submerged into something warm and caressing. It was a hot spring, and somehow I was only wearing my short thermal undergarments. It was a little strange, but what surprised me was that my body wasn''t cold any more. With the thin body I had, I tried to move but I realised I was being held by something. I tried to struggle, to kick my legs, but all I did was to splash some water around. On top of me, there was a person that gently held my body between his massive thighs. He was muscular, strong, most of all handsome and delicate. He was a man of my dreams, but wouldn''t it be strange that I was not able to see his face clearly in the steam? [Wait are you... Havah? What is happening here?] Back in reality, this was a whole different situation. I was on my bed again, and as I feared, it happened. I tried to stop it as best as I could, but the desire won over me and shut down the signals from the brain. There I was, trying to escape all this time, but once it all happened, I was the one to lock the chains. Without noticing it, my clothes were quite all over the place in disarray. I was missing all of my layers, save from the innermost, just like in the game. Furthermore, despite felling comfy I was shivering a little, but not from the cold. It was the warmth that made my body react to every stimulation that Synapse was making me sense. Whenever I and Havah touched, our skin connected and ignited each other. His hands tracing my arms, up to my shoulders and down to my sensitive hips, while my uneasy ankles rubbed against his manly legs. [He wait... don''t you find me ugly? Now that you have saw it all, you probably feel disguised by it. It''s fine, I don''t deserve you anyway.] [I do not mind that, my special snowflake. I shall melt that ice that shrouds you, reveal the gorgeous maiden hidden within, and show you the true beauty of the swan.] As he enveloped me, we kissed again, and this time I was fully aware of his gentle lips, and answered with mine. His taste and saliva mixed with mine tasted most delicious. Then, our tongues connected in between our mouths, and with a delicate push, they tenderly caressed one another. His hair on my face, his arms and legs enveloping around me, his body pressing against mine, I was entirely constrained. [Mmm... Mmm!] It didn''t matter that my words couldn''t be released any more, for I was captivated not only by him. As I felt nearly defeated I tried to tie my legs and my arms to my bed, but it seems I was careless, and one of my hand escaped. Unchained to my mind, it traced my body in search for any liquid. I was sweating and panting from the heat, while my body struggled to free itself from the binds, twitching and turning. My free hand reached my mouth and my tongue, which discharged saliva at an uncontrollable rate. It then spread it all over my body, erupting the heat over my skin even further than the safety levels that I would normally allow. Even if I told my body to stop, it wouldn''t listen. Even if I clenched my hand hard, the muscle stayed relaxed. Even if I kicked hard with both of my feet, the bed wouldn''t allow me to escape. I was a prisoner to myself. But that was because I carried a sickness. It was because of that condition I tried to avoid all contacts with others. [People always say Im addicted to this, but I fight. I fight and I lose, I try and I fail. It is hopeless. It is like the men are carrying the germs and filling my fever, the one that releases me from the cold. Even if my mind says no, my body desires it. And so I have to ask you, do you find this disgusting?] There is very little to hide any more, it was just my feeble body that was almost bare lying on the covers. Even if I was quite thin naturally, I wasn''t like a skeleton before. Ever since my chances with boys lowered, I figured that I needed to become more beautiful for them, or then won''t even look me any more. For that sake I thought I was too fat, and started a diet with the notion to slim down. My curves were something I wished for, but eventually I didn''t realise that I was dreaming. When I woke up I found that not eating left my body frail and bony. This was my anorexia. On top of that, I felt disgusted how I looked and I wanted to make that look to disappear from my mind. I quickly find that I was easily addicted to sharp blades and that they helped the cold go away. But now, with my body full of fairly visible scars, I can''t think of a person that would love me. [I don''t believe there is a single person that would say so.] [You don''t... I''m sorry.] [Do not say sorry, for those are words of a person that is weak.] Thus, saying those words, our bodies connected again and my brittle lips were sealed by his gentle kiss. It was as the ice shattered in my eyes, and made messy makeup disappear, in its place a white, yet icy glitter. I opened them wide and now I saw, not the prince, but Havah and his handsome sliver eyes. [See how you changed with a single step? Just like dancing, you have to start somewhere. If you listen to your body, the next step shall be obvious, just like I trace my memory during dancing. You need strength, the confidence in yourself and in others. Your beauty lies within, and should you wish to spread your wings and fly, you must first grow and accept your weaknesses.] === The ugly ducking... that was me once, but now I was a little different. Thanks to Havah and Pina, I finally understood that even with pushing others away, I end up hurting myself the most. Who cares if I''m not pretty or something like that, even though the scars do remain with me... I mean, my parents always say I was normal, but I couldn''t believe them. How could they know? How could they even be close to understand how a girl this sick desire for germs feels like every day? This was beyond me, and I shouted that in my mind there is no way. But what did really change in the end? After I calmed down and dressed up again, I was walking through the snow with Havah. We were holding hands, although they were not as cold as I thought. He probably said those words...to make me feel better, but I vaguely even recall what did happen during that time. I didn''t really care really. [So huh... you say you like dancing and stuff, but you are pretty good. You must be pro right? I wouldn''t mind really if you gave me special lesson ihihi~] [A special lesson? That''s interesting but I am not really a pro or anything. Anyway, do you remember what happened? I felt a little strange and had to stop.] [Well I don''t remember either honestlyyou said you felt weird or something, so I guess let''s leave it at that? How do you feel, are you cold a little perhaps? Hey, there is an ice cave there, let''s check it out okay? Or do you have cold feet? ihihi~] [Oh that looks quite interesting, let''s go.] He was pretty confident that there are going to be monsters inside so we took out his weapons. I on the other hand was not afraid in the slightest because I knew that finding beasts here, or rather their tracks, is quite rare. If anything, I also did not see any human tracks on the snow so we were definitely not going to be attacked. Entering the cavern, the light itself slowly vanished and I had to take out my hidden flashlight. It was a special item that came with the sniper set I guess? I never actually got to use it until now. The light from it was quite fine, though you could only see this far in the cave. What a rip-off. Looking at the caves interior we saw several formations of icy stalactites and stalagmites, I dunno which are which. With little droplets falling down from time to time, the cave echoed with a dim sound. The air was also quite damp, at least for me. [So this is how it looks huh? I figured this place was a monster lair.] [But it''s not! Don''t worry about the monsters and just relax okay? You can think of this as a date, but don''t get any weird ideas again or I will shot you okay? I mean... yea it''s this romantic, right?] I think I have said something too fast there, but it was fine in the end. He didn''t look very motivated anyway, like perhaps there was something weird about him. [Okay sure, I will lower down the weapons. But tell me...are you here for the first time?] [Ha, now that you say that I might have visited it in the past, but I don''t remember. This place looks old right, so who knows? If anything maybe someone left a message, but I doubt it. There might be some rare resources like mineral veins further in though.] [Might be worth the try but I dunno, I don''t find mining all that interesting. It''s not like you can get any stronger just by upgrading weapons right?] [You probably will get stronger... well at least to a certain point. But whatever, fine, I will go alone if you are not going but I''m not sharing] And those words somehow made him decide to go with me. When we arrived however, though I did have my pickaxe and he didn''t, there were no minerals for us to mine. Someone was here I guess, but don''t worry. There is always another day, or another cave we can visit. [Disappointing isn''t it? We came all this way and we found nothing in the end.] [Hey at least this was fun I guess?] [I won''t lie to you, even if there are probably times when I should have said nothing, but this was fun... I guess? ihihi~ I mean you are an interesting person when you dance, but you are like a completely different person when you talk like that normally, don''t you think?] This was a date, as I said, and he was acting a little weird. Though this is something I would have said to my boyfriends, I had real doubts about him now, and it wasn''t just my intuition... [Yea my parents told me once that I had DID, you know Dissociative something something. I had no idea, but I think they were lying, most definitely, and I don''t really like lies.] [I see, perhaps then maybe you could share something about your parents then?] Well... Dissociative identity disorder is something I have read up one time on the net. It''s when a person has two or more personalities within them and they switch or something. That would fit for Havah, but why would he say they lied? Only a single droplet broke the silence. [My parents are awful really. All started with an accident that put my brother and me into a coma, only I awoke. I was damaged too but I recovered, albeit losing something... well now that doesn''t matter. In the end they can''t accept that I''m a guy so they use all those lies when I talk to them.] [Accept that you are guy? How strange, I wouldn''t think of you anything other than a guy. ihihi~] I teased him a little, but it seems he was serious this time. I remained with my lips sealed, with a little blush hidden behind my mask. [Yea I find it strange that I had to have a sex change operation due the damage after the accident. On top of that, my parents and the doctors refuse to admit it...Well if my brother was still alive, though his memory still lives on through my dancing, he would have say something to them.] [Right I don''t think I understand this all, so maybe it''s better to keep it to yourself for now? I mean there is no harm in doing that right? I can tell you about my parents too if you want.] [Well go ahead, I... just feel a little weird now.] I see, perhaps this feelings are somehow all connected to the accident, to his dancing and his brother? But I rather not further confuse him, since his head looks like its about to explode. He is a nice guy and I wouldn''t want to break his mind by mistake, though now that he mentioned his parents, I would probably benefit more from talking to them maybe? [Right, so listen Havah, my parents are the most wonderful people in the world, you know? Of course that is a lie because I hate my parents so much! They always care only about their image, and totally ignore the fact that I can''t function like everyone else. They say I''m normal but I''m not. Deep down that only hurts me, but at least you were there to give me the strength which I''m thankful for.] More droplets fell, one after the other. There were creating ripples on the surface of a little pond. As soon as the echo ceased, the water became silent as well. It was that bizarre scenery that reminded me...My past wasn''t that great and I had my share of memories I wanted to erase. But nature does not forget easily. [Hey what will you say if we simply forget about our parents completely and lived our own lives? I don''t find it beneficial, at least for me, to bare their presence ever again. They always annoy me, so I figured I would ignore them, but that''s impossible I think. In the end we have to live with it, so don''t be so cold and moody about it, and let''s have so fun, shall we? That''s the least I can do for you.] [Oh okay, but I only like dancing and killing, so I''m fine with either okay?] [Yea sure big guy, I''m going to have to snipe you if you try to kill me okay? ihihi~] [How about we just follow Juger? He looks like he knows stuff, if you know what I mean.] I see, I didnt think I would be saying that, but Pina and Havah, they are people Im comfortable having around. If I would be able to accept the others, due their help, I would be able to finally become a beautiful swan, right? [Okay, I will be looking forward to that day then Havah, but for now, lets have fun!] Well he is a nice guy, albeit a little childish to the point of one might think he has some kind of disorder. What can I say, people aren''t perfectI''m a for example of that. Sometimes you can''t fully connect to others, but as long as you can see their sincere smile, that''s fine. I don''t think I will feel cold for while too...though that could soon change depending on what will Juger or Schuld will do. That old man wanted to end the world, right? === [So a lot of things happened lately in the world, yes? I heard there was an increase in crime lately. Things like terrorist attacks on major corporations or illegal riots on the streets become a common place. It seems that this world is quite boiling up and the people desire a change, even if others still try to paint those actions negative.] Its always about public opinion this, people say that...in the end is the medias portrait of events that decides what happens in the world. Are we dissatisfied about our current regime? No, those are organized crime and terrorist attacks...they are not normal, they are negative behaviours that need to be suppressed instead of understood. [Are you saying about that thing which happened some time ago? Well I never would consider those things. In history we had years of bad stuff and of good stuff. I am always positive so no matter who is the government, no matter if there is a war in the world, all of this ends once the flame quiets down, thus I don''t even care.] [Ha, so when you are not involved in this, you basically see it as something that comes and goes? Surely you do pay taxes and did at least once participate in voting so you probably know a thing or two. Yet, being this obvious to everything isn''t that healthy I''m afraid, you should consider at least listening.] [There is never anything good when it comes to talking about politics. You must have seen that on the television right? People are just going to replicate what their ears accepted, saying mechanically things that they dont understand. President is bad, health care is bad, college debt is bad, taxes for individuals are bad, I hear this everyday honestly... Even if you were to convince someone, they would probably not even remember what you were talking about the next day.] What a hard person to talk to, this co-worker of mine. I wanted to see if I could at least try, but it seems in the end I have to follow my father''s plan for now. Everything always ends up as he says, so why bother even trying to convince people to wake up on their own? Okay, here he comes. [Hi, I have an unfortunate piece of news to everyone. Today, during the morning hours of server two we had an accident. I call it an accident but no one saw what happened expect from five people. You probably heard from the news, there was an event of a player broadcasting their suicide online, through Unwritten, so we are on all the stations.] [Wait what? That actually happened? I sure hope that we are not charged with anything yet. They can''t link the suicide to how our game works right? That should be against the law.] [I''m not sure, we have to talk about that with our lawyer, but since we didn''t get anything yet, we are fine.] [Quite sure this is something that might just get us bad publicity, if anything. I''m going to try to see if I can get an interview, but in the mean time, our usual stuff.] This wasn''t the very first broadcasted suicide either, so if anything I wonder if anyone remembers that Biggs kid. Anyway, I did read into what happened on the server this morning, for I had my duties during that time. His name was Schuld in the game, and even if we can get his name in real life, I don''t think I can do something about it now. Furthermore, there is an interesting story considering the circumstances of Schuld. Firstly, he planed that all. It seems he invited other players and asked them to do a dungeon together, then waited for them to come back, and did his act. All of that because he had a plan, and that plan is what worries me the most honestly. By mere chance perhaps, he somehow got the address of Skull Mountain, the testing area for our upcoming event. He knew when we did the tests, so he logged in when we were offline. We didn''t check any logs until now, but what''s important is that he had to get the address from someone, meaning that there is a leak in company. [So anyway, what about that event? We should put in on hold, because we encountered problems as you see. If we launch it now, people are going to be displeased that we are trying to cash in on a suicide. Thats bad publicity for you.] [That''s interesting, but I get your point. People might indeed be disgusted that we are doing zombies, when someone actually died. On top of that, we never had any influence over what he did in the first place. For a person to kill himself like that you have to set everything in your house, and in the game, which is not us.] [Okay I get that, but even so he did all that in a testing zone, not a normal player zone. How the hell are you going to explain that to the cops? We are most definitely involved now.] [Hold on guys, I wanted to discuss the event today. Not because of our meeting plan for today, but because of something else. If we leave things as they are, we will delay all other content. However, we could instead use Schuld to our favour and I will tell how exactly I plan that.] My father, as the genius developer he was, could change everything, even a person''s suicide into a video game mechanic. Maybe for him it was exciting that something finally was happening in the world of his video game, but for me, I was wondering if that guy was insane sometimes. He didn''t drink or smoke, but let''s be honest, he was a pothead. [I''m going to tell you what we have learned from the logs. It seems that Schuld had a greater plan than I imagined. He knew about the Skull Mountain and had access to it, but also knew our reason of designing it so. Furthermore, I investigated the logs which connected with the players he recruited, and it seems he also knew about their families. A person with this much information would also surely know about our event, thus I think it might be one of us.] [Wait, why would you think that? Is there even a connection?] [Searching randomly through the players, looking for certain background and stuff... Even if we can trace Synapse, we can''t do that much. This guy might have not been working alone. I say he would fit for some kind of terrorist organization, definitely the shady kind.] [If the police will conclude that, then be it so, but I dont think even matters. The thing I wanted to say was, and please listen, that he told others to end the world. Now don''t give them the cult option yet, I want to think for a second. What we wanted to do was to release zombies upon the world, which does sound like an end of the world scenario right? If he got insight information, then I''m sure his plan involved them. So what do you guys think about that interpretation?] Given that my father already has decided on his next words, I don''t think anyone planned to say anything. I wasn''t for sure, I was getting really bored of his long speeches each and every meeting. Schuld or not, we simply didn''t have the time to change anything about the event and how it supposed to play out. [I see you guys are still thinking. Allow me to start. With Schuld being someone more or less of a prophet, I think we should respect his decision and what he did in the game. I do think it''s wrong to talk bad about the dead, but for our event, apocalypse is a possibility, not only due the influence of the zombies, but because of the players as well. I think that we should allow the players to choose what becomes of the world after the event is done, any questions?] [But of course, we can do that even if that would be a little rushed and unpolished. Still, the problem lies in what do we do actually? We can''t literally give them that.] [Why not? I think that enough is acceptable for a mechanism that makes for a good narration. We can sort out what happens with the world afterwards, though it wouldn''t be just a sudden change. That should at least keep players playing, knowing that the world is alive and evolving with each day.] [I will have to see your ideas before we do that. In the meantime, I''m going to ask our pr guys. They probably already have their hands busy, but they should hear about the plan from us as soon as possible.] So in the twist of fate, or simply due the influence of my father, the deus ex machina of his Unwritten, it was decided that Schuld is going to be somehow involved into everything that will be happening. Yes, it''s probably something that would disgust me if not for that I had to play my part as well. [We probably need to create a safe haven for the players that wish not to be affected, but at the same time, to tie that location in with the story, I want you my son to do your part.] [What is that you require, oh lord of heavens or whatever?] [When I asked you if you were okay with playing Wolf, I only meant the GM things, right? Therefore, if you remember, Wolf and his garden exist in this world, and together with Lunar, they want to stop the invasion from spreading and inflecting every possible player...I mean every npc. I think that it would be okay if they used the garden as a safe haven for the players, okay?] [No need to worry, we didn''t even decide on what happens if they die yet I think. Maybe we should do that? Will I get pardoned if I make Lunar die or something?] [I don''t think she can die, but I would prefer using Wolf, because he was the hero in the end. I only want for you to log in and tell other players to seek shelter within forest. Wait... I''m going to write the exact message for you to relate, so that would be a button. Is that alone fine?] Well I can''t say my job was complicated thanks to the technology we got here but...Why does it feel like I was simply someone they pushed around all the time? How annoying, now he doesn''t even give me a choice, though he never said that I had any other instructions... === [Its interesting times we live in. I mean every generation said that during their time, probably. Like video games, movies or VR, all this was somewhere in the dream land of the previous generation, but now its a reality. So what do we get from all this?] [Of course we have opened our minds to all. Like transgenderism, people with disabilities, problems of the minorities, all this is now more important that it was several years ago. You know, its our identity after all.] [But dont you think its going a little too far? Previously we had strict presumption about what was a deviation, thanks to our fathers, but nowadays no will say that being gay is bad, that playing video games too much is bad, that even being fat is bad...Its all about your individual choice, rather than common sense.] I was listening to a video... [Even if you say so, arent people are like that? Even if people have faults, they can still be functional in the society. Where is the problem?] [Its the problem that the society now accepts those behaviours as normal. Even if you want to tell them otherwise, its their privilege that they are different, their free will.] [To a certain degree I will agree. Instead of diminishing everyone, even people who are balanced in their conduct, we set up the bar higher for people who are real deviants, meaning that our society now accepts those behaviours to a certain level, instead of outright calling them wrong. That saying, we all have free willwe just have to understand to understand one another. Communication is the foundation for our society, so by understanding others...] I was listening to a discussion on the internet on the side, in the middle of Maremodas beach. I was sitting next to my friends who were conversing as well, so my ears were full of noise. Anyway, I have also seen that one other guy talking about two genders. He asked others to convince him otherwise, although he was kinda rude with his guests. The two major points he brought up was that gender was relatively a new concept in science and that sex change operation did not affect the suicide rates, which would mean that it wasnt an effective way to deal with gender dystopia. Now, even if some people had problems with the research he was referring to, showing results of different experiments, it didnt really make me think less about transgender people and if they were happier after the operation. I have some friends who are in that situation so I have my own opinion about that. What that video made me really think about is that people can be easily influenced by random videos, and then lose their bearing, not knowing what is considered normal and what is wrong. [In the end we will have a society that is accepting everything, even socially-damaging behaviours. We will have strong individuals, with clean idea of who they are, but they will do nothing but to focus on themselves.] And this confusion caused by the overwhelming information is nothing new for me either...though it seems someone has called my name? [Hey how''s it going Darku? You probably missed having boobs for a very long time now huh? I missed you too sweetheart! Now come here for a big and warm hug before I assault you, ehehe~] Because my mind was still confused, it seems that I did in fact forget how tightly this girl actually squeezes. But I got to say I was glad seeing her again. A lot of things have happened since my last time here, though I rather discuss them later. Right now there was one thing which I wanted to know. [Good morning Tania and Darku. It''s been this long since we last met... I''m terribly sorry for not replying to things because I had stuff I needed to do, but I''m on a good and steady road from now. And... I''m glad to see you guys again.] WRose was also here, with her usual self and flowery outfit, she bobbed her usual curtsy. That was really refreshing for me, even though I was still being embraced by Titania. Furthermore, albeit she a little shorted, she also joined in for the hug from my behind. [Okay you guys... please come down a little. I know we all logged in because Wolf did, but as you can see he is not in the game anymore, so I am not sure what should we do next, I can ask around, maybe G1 knows anything about that, but I''m not really sure either.] [Maybe we should look around his garden. You know...that one place where people planted trees to save the world. I''m quite interested to see how well it was preserved, and well if our memories are still there.] [Oh come on Rosie, how can you be this sad just after logging in for one second? Aren''t games supposed to be fun? I tell you what, I have been playing this game from time and time and it was a blast really. You know, that Albert guy who said like "Wolf''s a lair, pants on fire", that guy is solid now, we were doing pvp tourneys.] [That''s interesting Tania, I''m sure of it. But I really wanted to meet Wolf again you know? I realise that is rather impossible now... but still I''m fine knowing that he is alive somewhere.] And as WRose said those words, I was reminded about something particular that I heard about recently. It seems that there was a suicide here in the game, but there were bizarre circumstances about it. For example, it took place in a location only available for the GMs, an area similar to Mermaid City. Furthermore, it seems that the devs are planning an event that is more or less about dead people. Was this person also involved with that? Would they really connect someones death to an event? I would say no, though I am not sure... Because I don''t know much about the event they are planning. If anything, I''m sure they will just say that they were not involved and that would be it. As for later, I should definitely check on Xyl and G1, now that I have logged in finally. As for now, I probably want to stay with my old party and see how they were doing all there days. It really feels quite nice and nostalgic to me, though without Wolf, it also feels a little bit sad. [So you see, I actually won the tournament, but merely in the Tank-only bracket. I think Rogue won overall? But man, wasn''t that a battle. If you guys could only see how I got top eight and then nearly won against the top 3 guy. They were really tough, I admit, but at the same time no one plays Tanks competitively, though I wonder why?] [That might be the time to try out new classes for you Tania. For example, I used to play a Wizard, then a Priest, but now I basically play them both equally. I mean I don''t play them now, but I log in and level them via the AI training. Before you ask me, I do still prefer playing Priest, just because no one does it.] [I was thinking about getting back to this game too at some point, but I never got the time to do so. You guys do remember when I talked about my Ex right? So I did meet with her in the end but a strange thing happened. We arranged a dinner but she called me and said that she stuck me up on purpose. I tried to talk to her... But in the end I don''t think she did receive well my words. I... I''m at loss to what do to next.] [Oh don''t worry about that, with Titania baby, you can get a new girlfriend no problem! Just leave it to me and I will ask around in class. I''m sure there someone...unless you want to try a boyfriend then... ehehe~] Tania, that would be what they call compensated dating, it''s nothing close to a real relationship. I could tell that she was joking, but at the same time her face was a little serious. Oh my... [Wow it''s really you Rose! I missed you sooo much! *Wiggle*] Suddenly, WRose got jumped on by a fox girl. I forgot that when you log in, anyone can read your status, as long as they are friends with you. [Hina! Stop it... you are tickling me with those ears...] [Don''t be so embarrassed when I haven''t seen you in ages. Just accept the petting, I need to stroke your head at least once for every day you had me waiting, you know?] [For each day? Look I''m sorry everything was so sudden back then, but I didn''t feel good. I''m fine with playing now, even without Wolf, but I didn''t have the time to log in at all. I needed to fix the things with my family and myself, and now I''m on the straight again so there is that.] [Oh I see, you missed me too right? I''m sorry from jump all of a sudden, but you know me. Anyway, there is still something I should discuss with you guys, and it''s about Pina.] Strangely, she wasn''t looking as happy as from before when she mentioned Pina. Usually those two are like twins who stay always together no matter now, but today...I felt like something terrible has happened to her sister. I had a bad feeling. [So you guys know about the suicide here right? There is like that one group, that Schuld managed to form, and somehow Pina got involved into all of this.] [Wait what? What would your sister do that? Jeez, this is getting intense...] [She was merely in the vicinity, okay? She was not the part of it or did become an official member or something. I could say that she is a hostage but that wouldn''t be accurate... but anyway let me speak first okay?] Everyone was little deeper in the chair and leaned toward the middle. We were curious, much like a fox looking at its prey before they jump into the ground. The atmosphere was tense... kidnapping, that one group, this was still just a game, there was no way this was real. [So let''s say I have the insiders info, though she would be mad if I told her that I eavesdropped on her. This group, lead by the man Juger, was created from specifically picked crooks by Schuld. I guess that... when he died Juger took control, or maybe all of this was a part of a greater plan or something. Anyway, I think whats most important is that those guys are planning on destroying the world!] [Destroying the world? You must be joking, since that just sounds ridiculous. Just like there are restrictions on certain things, would that be even allowed?] [Beats me, Pina never said what... I mean I never learned what exactly that means but it sounds bad, right? This is why, when I saw you guys log in, rushed towards you as fast as I could. If anyone could save the world, it would be you guys right? Even without Wolf you can probably do something about them, so please... *wiggle*] With a bow of a shrine maiden, she pleaded us for help. I could tell easily that there was more, that she perhaps wanted to save her sister above all else, though that would have to wait until we foiled their plan. Thanks to Wolf I did saw strange things in this game and between the two worlds, so perhaps they believe in that stuff as well? Anyone that would be planning something like ending the world must have greater motives behind it, I think. [Hina, are you sure you are not making this up based on what you have misheard? If Pina is in fact following that group, surely nothing bad should happen if you trust her. By that I strongly suggest you talking with her first, or leaving the matter to me.] [How about we all have a talk with them huh? I don''t say in terms of smacking their faces, just a nice little talk about what their intentions are and whatnot. Hey, how about that guys?] [I could certainly use a walk, if you suggest so, but we probably need someone...] [Don''t worry girls, I''m going to get the info from Pina and be right back.] [Wait! Is she actually...] I could only imagine what was happening inside of their house, but her mic was silent. In the end we did acquire some info, but not all useful. It seems they were all hiding, in different locations on top of that, and meeting them all at once needed extra preparations. === Chapter 8 [Decline] === Chapter 8 [Decline] So did my plan worked I wonder... I was asked by my sister to play the role of a double spy. I only agreed to see what exactly they were planning, though I don''t think my lady did mind that. She wasn''t willing to tell me her or the others reasons, but was fine with me leaking information. I almost felt bad now, because on one side was WRose and my sister, while the other side was Avaria and her group. When I invited the party into a remote location, I think they already knew what was going on. They didn''t try to disagree or leave, so I guess they wanted this fight. We all teleported and...After that everyone split, I was left alone in the middle of the grassland. Hey guys... wait! ...even saying that was pointless. They wanted this confrontation and I was not the part of their agenda. Sooner or later the other party arrived and they had to now find the escapees. Good luck to them. For me, I didn''t plan to fight from the beginning, and so did my sister. With open arms I hugged her, and with a little blush on my face, received her long forgotten petting. It was nostalgic... [Hey I told you not to wonder off like that Pina! I was really worried that you were taken hostage or something.] [I''m literally next door to you... couldn''t you ask? Anyway its nice that you havent forgotten about me. And I missed you too, though we still meet on the daily basis...Sorry, this just feels awkward a little...] It was a strange feeling, like if I was actually just released from a kidnapping situation, but it was more like playing make-believe at school or something. I didn''t feel like a princess, rather like a lady from a rich family, so I didn''t really know what to say to my sister at all. [I see, so that''s a possibility now? You always locked the door and said to leave you alone. Did you change your mind now? I mean that this is quite awkward for me too... wait a second.] [Hey, where are you going? She is standing still in the game... this could mean only one thing.] Before I could take off my headphones, Hina stealthy entered my room and hugged me from behind. The door was indeed locked, at least the very first days we were separated, but then I forgot...Though that is the past and I think both of her and my lady grew to accept each other for who they are. Saying so, I wished that at least Avaria would have stayed and talked, because this end of the world thing sounds bad. I guess she keeps her mouth closed to me because I couldn''t enter the circle, because I wasn''t officially one of them. She followed their pathshe trusted them more than me. I also... witnessed what that old man did... though I don''t want to talk about that with anyone else ever, if possible. [You surprised me sister... could you knock before you enter the room?] [It''s not like it''s your room anyway, you are just renting it from our mom right?] [But she is hardly even home anyway... it would be a waste to not use it. Besides I clean it regularly, at least as best I can... so this is fine for her.] [I see, but you still sleep, eat and do other stuff outside right? I''m glad we are family, I probably couldn''t have asked for a better sister that is this snuggable little kitten, right? ahaha~] I did make comment once that Im just like a cat that everyone keeps because its cute and fluffy. It seems that even now my sister never released me from that image, but that''s fine as long as she is happy. If that is the least I can do with my legs numb, I guess I should be glad that I''m not completely useless. [Say Hina, we should talk about something... I think it is fine if you understand everything. There were special circumstances to why this all happened, so I want you to listen okay?] [I see, very well sis, I can listen all you want, but just tell me if anything happens in the game.] After my sis came to the room, I took my VR headset off, so that it wouldn''t get into her way. You could still see the screen lit up, although it looked a little awkward and deformed. We both saw our characters standing in the wild growing grass, but nothing was happening. [So firstly, following my lady I met with the entire party, that is Yuki, Havan, and Juger. They briefly introduced themselves and then Yuki ran way... for some reason I guess. I decided that I will try to talk her... but she wasn''t really eager to listen at first. It seems that she was forced by Schuld to participate because he got dirt on her or something.] [I see, so they are that kind of people huh? Thinking that they can harass others to do their bidding You should be careful Pina, I really think so. Who knows, they might even blackmail you or something.] [No one is blackmailing me sis... you are overthinking stuff again. I gotta say, after meeting with Yuki I felt that she just got herself into something she didn''t want. So what I want to say is that... I''m glad I was able to talk her back to the party in the end.] Even if I didn''t know for sure what her deal was, I trusted that she had a good reason. I never learned what it was though, but that''s fine. Avaria says sometimes it''s better to not speak, and I felt the same way about her. Sometimes you want to connect to others, but not everyone is like Rose... [Furthermore, I should probably tell you about Juger... they all have decided to follow him at least. What is so strange is that initially he was against Schuld''s plan, saying that there might be another way. In the end though he said that for him there is no other way... thus he did agree to his method in the end.] [So he had a change of heart? Don''t you find it strange as well sis, this okay to the end of the world? Furthermore what could cause his to alter his decision and what about the others? What about you Pina?] [Oh slow down sis... Well I''m neutral, and others seem to have their reasons I think, but they never told me. If I were to tell you anything, only Juger stated his reason... and it was that he was betrayed by someone, and wanted revenge to reform the society. I also don''t know what this end of the world thing is really about. Maybe it''s not really that big of a deal... I mean the Skull Mountain is just a part of this world so...] Yea, if what people say is true, then both of our worlds are connected, though I don''t think that''s true. Maybe just metaphorically, but if there was a relation, shouldn''t everything matter? Despite that, only selected and important events are related, like the Net Neutrality affair, so I don''t worry as much. [Yea I also remembered something important. We did a dungeon and got a word from it... it''s this [Harp]. Somehow Juger knew what it was, or at least had a good guess. If you play it for a while the sound turns to normal. It basically supposed to symbolize harmonization with society... is what the black knight said to us.] [That''s so like a thing Wolf would say right? I don''t know what his connection with Lunar was, but as shrine maidens we should take note of that. And I don''t really mean merchandise... What I want to say is that we can assume that this Juger person is someone who wants to become an equal to Wolf.] [Like a Hero sis? Perhaps you might be right, but that''s not important. He also said that he knew Schuld, even before all this started, but I don''t think they planned this together. I just hope he knows... that he realises what hes doing before he would have to make the wrong choice... like destroying the world.] [So you believe in him sister? That''s unusual for you to agree with the villain. Look, we have to stop them all and their leader. Whatever they are planning, they are up to no good.] From the looks of it, I could agree, but Hina definitely don''t understand everything. Just recently...I received a letter from my lady in real life. It was filled with real money, not much but still. I hid it from my sister of course, and I bet she would go crazy if I told her I got actually paid. What worries me is that they are all nice people, but they follow the wrong path or something. They are like dark heroes who want to accomplish their goal without looking at the consequences. If I am not wrong...if my sister is not wrong then we will actually do good if we stop them. I really wish... there was another way. === A bed of flowers forms a garden on the ground. The wind is in the sky. With great struggle it blows, the mighty windmills on the hill. The power harnessed by the hand of men shall bring a change, not only a moving the season, but an improvement to quality itself, giving life to those who are esurient. Near the wooden giant windmill, a little girl dressed in white has her pedal clothes swaying in the wind. In her vision, a gorgeous woman donned in fashionable riches, with a rising sun shining behind her. The fuzzy grass flatters and sways around her, as if she was the centre of the world. Suddenly, a shadow is cast on the little girls face, but she is still and standing firm. [So you must be Avaria, the lady that Hina was talking about, is that correct? It''s a pleasure to meet you, my name is WRose and I didn''t come here to fight.] [Is that right my dear? You look like mighty determined to find me all the way down here. I shall welcome you, as I am a fair lady of the royal birth, and I shall not run like a coward.] In absence of sound, giving each other a piercing gaze, both of the girls reached for their dress and elegantly dropped a curtsy. It was a competition to who would perform it with more grace, and although both of the tried their best, the winner was not decided. With their legs returning to the standing position, the battle of maidens continued. [Say you, your fashion design is quite like the pure flower of the spring that blooms through the snow. You probably know the troubles and faced many different obstacles, but your smile shows it my dear. This season change will never come, so don''t trouble yourself with it. It''s simply impossible in nature.] [I pardon, but I think you are mistaken. Truly the depression might be among the wrong things, but the sun will come and melt the snow so that the flower can raise again. Isn''t that right, Avaria? The very hope is something... that I had all alone and Wolf was the person to show me that.] [What a silly little lily trying to rise above the magnificent dandelion, I do admire your courage though. You are still young and desire the sun to grow, like others, so having a delicate and naive bud is only reasonable. This tender and caring gardener could only imagine what troubles the wind has given to you, Im I wrong?] [I am through that phase and I know where I stand, thus I won''t waver to your words and doubts here. The strong wind shall test the tall grasswe shall see which flower will prevail in the end.] Again, the atmosphere changed as the great gale blew from afar. With their skirts fluttered, both did not give a step back from the challenge. Both standing firm, they were unlikely to yield. The wind quieted down, unlike their fiery eyes, full of passion. Their battle continued. [Say you, White Rose, I find that name most fitting for a lovely corsage such as yourself. I''m sure that you have delicately picked that name on your own, I am not wrong my darling? If I may, I think you will lovely if you were to adorn my magnificent boutique. The offer is yours to take.] [I thank you for the offer Avaria, but I did already my fair amount of modelling and research. It seems that you have invited Pina to become your assistant, but I only heard complaints from Hina. Is that true that you asked her to wear a collar with a padlock? Is that why she calls you her lady?] [Well my dear, I think we already have been through this, but if I must I shall say this again. Pina is my dearest accessory but also my partner in sales. How we do business is only up to us, thus would you kindly mind your own buzzing, and leave her to do what she wants herself? In fact, this would be most marvellous if we all had a cup of tea and talk. Will you accept, my lovely tulip?] [I beg your pardon? I do appropriate the thought, but most certainly that would not work. You see, with you in the picture I am afraid that she will only speak as much as you let her. But this enough is to show that you simply want to keep her, so forgive me, I must decline again.] With the wind silent, there was not a single sound in the space around them. Not a bird or a bug, only the two girls who were eager to approach each other and have a slap fight. But as one of them, the smaller flower girl, took a step closer to the lion-looking one, she was met with a sudden roar. [Hey! Are you certain you are not making a mistake? It''s a pity that you refuse my solution, my darling. I thought a person that cares so much about their look would understand the marvel of a true fashionista.] [I do like cute stuff Avaria, but that''s not all I am. You have a fashion shop, just like Hina right? And you allow people to dress in their own clothes. I do respect that so I don''t want to offend you, but I think art supposed to be something you share with other people, a medium you use to connect with like-minded. Now I know nothing about fashion in the end... but I trust that you might tell me your reason to do art?] The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. [I''m intrigued that you carry such an exclusive and precious reason. You surprise me more and more Rose, and this lady is most intrigued I say. Very well, I shall give you your answer and tell why I''m in fashion. Look at your clothes and then look at mine. Aren''t they both pretty? But the difference is my dear, they show how you see the world in white, while I have all the brilliant colours. That is my reason.] [You make yourself into a rainbow that people look at, the centre of the universe, the sun? As much as you shine with your light, it is just your own. Others are the source of light in my life, and I do apprentice my friends the most. You are not a bad person yourself... so I hope you will understand.] The sun was rising slowlyit has only started appearing on the horizon, still not fully bright. Two of the girls in conflict were now facing each other from a close distance, looking for something, for a way to solve their differences. Their faces full of hope and doubt, they eyes looking focused. Not moving their limbs they remained motionless and nothing, not even the shadows, underwent a change. [Avaria, can you please listen to me? Why do you follow others that want to destroy the world? I lived through dark times too, and I had days when I wanted to end it all, but here I am standing still. Can I say I''m a happier person now? A brighter one than before? I don''t really care about that any more. You see, if I was able to change you will too, I promise. We can do this together, just take a step back.] But as the flower girl did make a step forward, the other girl backed up with her hand close to her on her chin, brandishing her delightfully decorated fingernails. [I''m sorry Rose, I know that you, Pina and everyone else are just saying those things to make me feel better, but I don''t really care. I lived my life to see that I was able to enjoy myself, even if I am a bad person. With regret, I will decline and have my way, as this fair lady has rooted herself too far to be weeded out. If you please, we shall battle to see whose resolve is the stronger one. Now if you please, let us have our dance.] === In another place but at the same time, two shady characters, one with his cape the other with his cloak, met their sights on the stairs of a ruined castle. It was still daytime. The sun shined the barren rocks and the green valley below the mountain. With the temperature a little chilly, the two ignited their pupils. One of them, the dark knight clad in heavy steel armour, looked from the tower at his adversary. The one below, the drow that climbed the straits, was weary of his surrounding at every step. However the battle has not yet commenced as for the distance was still too far for both of them. [I beseech you, creature of the underworld. This dark knight follows the code of chivalry without mistake. Say that you knave try for any shady tricks, and I shall bring my hammer down and dispense justice at once. You were warnedbegone if you have no business with thy, or be prepared if you dare to enter my realm.] [Hey Juger, you are from TSA right? We were in the same guild, but we never meet before, I think? Anyway, I just wanted to talk because I don''t think fighting should be way for our thoughts to exchange. You probably don''t trust me either, because we set this all up, but if you listen at least we could...] [Silence you vile creature! You know no shame to plead from the one that is not longer your comrade? It is true, you have left TSA as I recall, though only Xyl have mentioned that briefly. I know nothing, about your exploits or your character, thus we are perfect strangers. I have no reason to trust you.] [But after all, Xyl didn''t speak ill of me. Therefore, could you give me a little of trust perhaps? I''m just going to take one step at the time, so don''t do anything rash, okay? Okay here I...] But as the Marksman took for the upward part of this ruin, the knight standing above gave him warning. Brandishing his sharp axe, he pierced him with a look, which paralysed the drow at the spot. Nevertheless, the bow warrior persevered despite the taunt and continued marching ever so slightly up the stairs. [I see that you seem to be a little afraid of someone that potentially might be your enemy, but as you can see I bear no ill words and actions towards you. If anything you have the advantage, and could have easily jumped down and attacked me. I trust that is your good will thus I don''t see a reason...] [You say, but I can only imagine what poison is inside of your arrows and your words to me. I shall say no further, going upwards is an invitation for me and a foreboding fate for you. I will see that you face punishment from trespassing, so think not of trickery and face me now.] [As I said, I carry no ill actions so I won''t shot you even if I could. That way you can trust me right? It''s just a way of saying that I don''t want to attack you in the first place, so please understand.] [Trust you, the very devil which lurks underneath the earth? How silly are the weavers of fate to brought you here, for it is you who should have been the marked one. I know your reason or showing up here, and I won''t kneel to it. I regret to repeat myself, but due to your kindness I shall do it once again. Begone now or you will suffer whelp!] But even with those words echoing in the air, Darku did not appear to be further threatened. He took one step, after another, and climbed the stairs to the ruins. It was not his destination, but part of it. Now he must search a way to accent the tower upwards, towards Juger and his goal. [You say you don''t trust me, yet all those years in TSA have taught you nothing? You know very well, me, Xyl, and G1 if you know him, were friends for a long time. I can bet will all the money in the world, that they are good people and would have never agreed to destroy the world. If you trust Xyl then...] [Your crafty logic is again faulty, as the choice of who I grant trust only belongs with me. But you are right in one thing, Xyl would have never agreed with me, for I am the dark knight. I follow my own code of chivalry to protect my ideals. I do not expect others to understand, for what I do is only clear to those of the same soil, for my decision no longer carries any doubt.] [So then step down from throne and show me your determination, if you are stopping me. But please be sure that my intentions are not to fight, that at least you understand right?] Although the drow did not hear a reply, the knight disappeared from his sight into the sky. Darku, knowing that a confrontation might be an option now, looked for a place to hide. Left and right, the castle walls appeared crumbled and there was no space of safety to be found. Slowly he walked, having the landscape to his right, a ceiling over his head and a wall to his left. This broken stone passage connected the towers of the castle had gaps in the middle, one wrong step and you would fall to the ground below. It is here where they both meet unexpectedly, and clashed their metals for the first time. [What are you, a fool? You listen not to my words but to your own voice. Cease this madness, for I only want to help you. If you don''t comprehend that much, I shall make it sharp for you.] With a swing of an axe, the knight dashed at the bow man without a warning. However, the marksman timely dodged, and although was in position to counter attack, chose to remain at ease. The two men looked at one another, each having their side of the old and crumbling-looking bridge. [You say that you want to bring the end of the world, what else I would need to understand? If anything, you should be the one to explain everything. What exactly you plan to do? How did you manage to involve others? What is your connection with Schuld or the event?] [All of this at once shall not make your mind clear, thus allow me to answer, one axe at a time!] With his massive tool in the hand, he smashed the ground in front of him, cornering and hitting the drow. [Though a sacrifice must be made, my plan shall bring a new beginning to society and the world. For that I considered all the possibilities, but where you have failed, we must take the risks. Our will is to end this world and affect the other, so that it will be reborn and reformed.] Another strike of the knight''s weapon has brought down his opponent to his knees. [Others have their own reason to follow me, which I don''t question. Each of them is different, but we are the same in one single aspect. The society didn''t give us a choice or a chance.] With his metal gauntlet, Juger grabbed the marksman and threw him into the wall. [Schuld and the event are just the means for us to finally speak, as our words matter. If that is all you wished to know, then let us be. We shall not be stopped by Wolf and his followers.] And so, albeit unsatisfied and still angry, the knight marched towards the tower, leaving his opponent. Darku, who suffered only slight damage, knew the battle wasn''t over yet, and followed the Tank upwards. Climbing the stairs, the two have met on the top of the tower, where their scrimmage truly began. === Somewhere in the pure white mountain area, even though it is silent for most of the time, a voice is heard. It is steep and dangerous, as ice lies beneath the puffy snow, and one wrong step could lead to a fall. Below the passage to the right, a huge depression that will take someones breath away, if they dare to look down. It is here, in this treacherous environment, where two sides are desperately fighting for survival. Though her colours are not pure white, the knight in shining armour is a part of the struggle. Her opponent, with a white-snow camo, seeks to defeat the adversary that challenged her for a duel. But before any rules are set between them, the sniper girl fires a warning shot first, and though misses, it forces the other girl to engage in combat immediately. She raises her two handed sword and watches her footing. The rocks and snow plates are uneasy and they can make you fall down at any moment, only one wrong step is enough. [Don''t come close you shiny tin can! I have a gun and you have a sword, so I will win no matter what. You can just jump off, it would be quicker that way, and I mean it! I don''t show mercy, so just you know.] [Hey you better watch your tongue, because it''s chilly and you might catch a cold if you talk too much.] [Do you have any idea about the cold here, you little radiator? Here I can show you, just stand still and I will fill you with fresh ice bullets, especially made for pricks like you.] The sniper girl was using a certain skill, Ice Ammunition, which supposed to slow down the Knight girl. She however was still at a distance and could easily evade the shots. With each jump, she landed further. Using this leaping frog tactic she was planning to close the distance until she would be able to charge in. However, as much as this worked from a longer distance, it was less effective the more she gained ground. Titania could no longer afford to just avoid the shots and had to block, thus got hit by one of the bullets. That didn''t slow her down enough to be out of range, and she responded with her own projective, using Ground Breaker. A ripple was created in the snow, forcing Yukihiru to pay attention to her footing. She was ready, and jumped over the single ripple without much effort. But her opponent came closer and she had to act. With haste, he placed a trap on the lonely rock that was obvious, but also had a strategic position. [Don''t come close or I''m going to make you a Swiss cheese! If you dont believe me, then consider yourself already milked, you cow!] [Oh my! I do prefer something with fewer holes, thank you. We are in the mountains so how about some goat cheese instead? I can take you a place just right for that and its nearby my school, you know? Oh... wait a second, never mind that, you probably live somewhere completely different I assume? Hey, where are you from girl?] [Why did you turn so casual all of the sudden? We are in the middle of the fight here, dammit! You should act more like a person I''m trying to kill, not some happy-go-lucky schoolgirl! I hate your kind the most, the so called normal people. I hope you die from lactose poisoning.] [Yo, that sounds harsh girl. I might not be nicest person sometimes, but that is just cold. Brr! Maybe you need to chill for a little there, on that rock, I''m just gonna stand here if you don''t mind.] With those words, the sniper girl just realised what her opponent was planning. The knight girl was buying time, because the trap would disappear eventually if she just stood there. In that case, Yuki was compelled to attack, thus she jumped down, firing at Titania rapidly with her gun. This of course was anticipated, and the blond girl rushed towards her enemy knowing that those bullets would not stagger or stop her movement. The Tank girl was also taking a gamble, because her slow was also wearing off. If her calculations were right, she would be able to reach the sniper girl at the same time as she should become speedy again. Still, Yuki knew that as well and had to act very fast. She used her Volley with haste to make the Tank block, and bought enough time for herself to jump back onto her rock, evading just barely the Bullrush from her opponent. What followed was that the Marksman girl shot a harpoon at her, using her skill Chain Shot. This allowed her to pull her opponent onto the rock, which still had her Snare Trap. Just before it vanished, she activated it and now Titania was unable to move, trapped just right before her target. However, the sniper girl had to act fast. [Say your prayers you little nun paladin whatever!] [Wow, you too think Paladins are cool? Can I have your name? Im Titania, maybe we could hang out?] [God dammit! Stay quiet while I shot you okay?] This was exactly the time she needed to change her sniper rifle and perform her One Last Shot. However, just as she was smiling with joy at the defenceless prey she was about to murder, something happened that changed the situation drastically, in the favour of the hunted. A large semi circle fired from the massive sword of the knight sliced through ground and snow. Following the destruction, a wall was erected just before the sniper fired and just before the hunters face. Instantly, the girl was knocked back by the combined force of her rifle and sudden stone rise. Although the knight girl was now free, she couldn''t see what was happening on the other side of the wall. She only heard a scream, following by a disturbing sound. It was as if the snow started to slide down, and created a small avalanche along the way. Titania knew that she didn''t have much time and rushed, only to briefly see her enemy''s face as she was desperately trying to grab onto something to prevent her from falling all the way. [Hold on I''m right there!] But even with her quick reaction she would have to move twice as fast to grab her hand. It was too late, though only from the looks of it. The knight girl had hope and quickly looked straight down. Not knowing the danger, she jumped down in haste on top of the big pile of snow that formed below. Trying to land without major damage, she managed to fall down on her buttocks, and slid down towards her destination from there. There, she kept digging and eventually... [Oh thank god you''re fine. It was quite dangerous there, I was worried.] [Leave me or I''m going to shot! You can''t fight back unarmed.] And after short time she successfully rescued the bruised sniper girl, who was inside of a small snow hole, curled up and with her rifle ready. She was a little shivering too, but eventually lowered her gun down. [So are you going to shot or not girl? Maybe a decision! It''s all fair and square if you do, if that''s your tactic or whatever, but damn you should be careful, you might hurt yourself.] [Says you! You look barely alive after that fall. I could probably finish you in one combo.] [Then why not take a shot? I''m standing right here...] [I... can''t move because I''m stuck in this buried-in-the-snow state...] Though looking fearsome, the sniper girl was a victim of mischievous programming, and needed help from someone. Knowing that she was the only person around, with an act of kindness, Titania reached her hand and saved her. Now both of the girls, despite of being in need of healing badly, didn''t appear like they were to continue their scuffle. [Do you live here? I guess you don''t get a lot of visitors so you might not be friendly with people, but hey I''m here now so, we can talk I guess? I can also show you around to my other friends and stuff, since you are nice and a good player after all, right? Come on, give me a smile or something here...] [I can give you some snow in the face if that will make you shut up! Listen, I didnt have a good experience... with my friends so I don''t want to talk about that. Furthermore I''m quite friendly with people I got to know recently. Strangers like you wouldn''t understand, so I gave up on explaining. Brr! Can you go away before I change my mind?] [Don''t worry, I have a boyfriend that is a total pushover anyway. He be like I''m going to get money for us both, but he never really listens to what I have to say to him. You know, let''s go on a date but we end up doing VR. Still, I think he is lovely, even if he has this weakness. Hell, I would be probably worse without him, so I''m glad.] [Wow he must be a lucky girl to have a cow like you mowing in his ears all day. ihihi~] Both of the girls started to giggle a little, and despite sitting in the snow, felt a little warmer inside. A fire place was lit, and the sun was setting. Despite their clear differences in the beginning, in the dark of the night their colours were blended. However, they sat on the opposite sides. [So you are saying that you meet this guy online and he is also the part of the group? Who are you guys anyway? Do you have a name and what about this end of the world?] [I wouldn''t care about that, our leader is Juger so I guess we are just his followers. Though I must say, I prefer Havah between the two. ihihi~ At least thanks to his dance, I was able to look in the mirror again... it''s kinda embarrassing to speak about that.] [Oh don''t worry, I never talk about my real life stuff because that bore people, but hey, I don''t think it would hurt to say that I''m basically a loser at life. Yea, hard to imagine, but my only skill is in video games. Outside of it I''m the big titty girl who trips a lot.] [A titty monster? Your breasts aren''t that big in the game though Titania. ihihi~ Frankly, it''s hard to imagine something like without seeing, like the time when I get hot and... Brr!] Quite visibly the other girl was getting cold, therefore Titania, the knight she was, offered her own warmth and stood up to sit besides the shivering one. But even though [Oh you know, let''s just stop talking altogether, okay? If I told you I would probably have to kill you anyway.] [You cannot be serious, right?] [And its no hard feelingsI just cant simply connect to someone who said they are loser at life We are different, youre just a normal girl and Im a terrible person. It would be better if you forget about me.] Even if it looked a bit threatening, the sniper girl took out her gun and aimed the other one. She was ready to shoot, but in her mind she was conflicted. One of her part told her that it was wrong, that talking to strangers about her problems would deteriorate her relationship with them. On the other side, thanks to her friends she was able to cope with that stress. In the midst of the night... a shot single was heard. === Far above in the sky, mountains were standing tall, almost grasping the cloudy night sky. Between the two tallest peaks, there was a single rope bridge that was fearless to wind. Despite it being dark, if one could look closely, there was someone on that bridge. Two people were engaged in mortal conflict, both of them eager to defeat one another. The first one was a little boy dressed in black, with a deadly blade and a gun in his hands. His challenger was a violet wearing ninja, with his sharp kamas he blended into the night. Both of them were excellent killers, but only the strongest would prevail in the end. Without exception, nature only chooses those that survive, so this was a fight to the death. Who will be the last standing and who will be one that will fall down to their demise? [Okay, its two and O for me now. You better get into shape or I''m going to be sad here. Damn son, I thought I trained you already but you still doing the same mistakes there.] [Oh sorry, I was just warming up all the time. I''m going to get you next round though, you are ready right? Because I''m going for the kill! Don''t think about mercy!] And so, the two guys fighting, or rather sparing, have been going on and on with this battle. Whoever would be on the top after ten rounds would be the winner, those were the simple rules. However, it seems that Havah, who forgot the timing on his launcher, has lost yet another round again. [Oh jeez, look I''m just need to focus, that''s all. I killed before, that old man. You know that guy right? I cut him good, so I''m a real murderer now! I''m super strong!] [Whatever you say. Look, I don''t care about Schuld, Juger or this whole world connection. Wolf was already the madman and I don''t want to listen to others. So just you know this, you can''t literally kill someone in game, they just did their suicide and your hands are free.] [What the hell are you saying? I cut the rope, I killed the guy! Don''t sympathize with me, I don''t need your pity or whatever. And furthermore, I''m better than you know, so die!] But even this time Havah had problems with his concentration. He was winning at some point, yet he used the wrong skill due a miss click and lost a lot of damage on his combo. Eventually, Albert caught up with him and used the frame advantage of his skill to catch the landing ninja. [That is four and O, you still have comeback potential son, so don''t worry. See what I did, and try to adapt. I''m sure by now you get the rhythm of combat. We begin when you heal up.] [Damn, I can''t have this fraud beat me this easily. I got to think... what my brother would do? Did he even play video games? Well that I don''t recall him playing then... He did ballet though, and was protecting me against bullies... nope he didn''t play video games for sure. What I should...] [Hey you should be ready right? Let''s do it quick before I get bored. Stop talking to yourself, because that won''t work. No matter what you do, to get me you got to be really good, I mean it.] [What a cocky... damn theres got to be something I can do! Why the hell my brother wanted to become strong? In the end he protected me but if I can''t face Albert now I would just be a disgrace to him. Okay come down, I just need to do it my way, just like in ballet. Trance the steps and use my muscle memory... that''s it!] With a surprise dash, the battle commenced once again. It was a desperate struggle for both sides. Blades were clashing and armoured skills were traded, but in the end, the victor was undecided. With the close range Parry, the boy wanted force his opponent to attack, but Havah didn''t pay attention. Instead he danced in his own rhythm, moved back and used his kamas special to hit him at a range. [Okay my mistake, but there are still five more rounds. Can you still do it? I doubt that, I know your play style now so you better just quit now, okay?] [No way, I''m going to win fair and square, and then erase that smirk off your face!] Another round commenced and it was decided quickly. Thanks to the ongoing onslaught of Havah, his opponent was baited to use his skills early, and unfortunately missed his Parry. Following that, with various options and mix ups, he wasn''t able to break the concentration of the dancing ninja. [That is four to two now, but I think I''m just getting better at this with the minute. Thank you for the tips, but I play my style now. You better just die on the spot, okay?] [Tsk, using the same taunt back is not a good sign. You are going to regret it.] Although they seemed evenly matched, Albert knew exactly what moves will lead him to victory, and waited for the perfect opportunity. On the other side, his opponent ran our ranged skills, so he decided to move in, but only to step on a hidden Spring Trap that decided the round. [One more win for me and you quit that end of the world thing okay? Thats what we have decided. Obviously, it was Titania that asked me to do this, but I would be damned, let''s go!] And perhaps that was his mistake, because the boy couldn''t distance himself properly this time. He was getting hit constantly by certain skills and was unable to land his Parry correctly. [I don''t even care about that, I only follow them because Schuld gave me what he promised. Even if this is just a game, Juger can''t be serious about his plan. I mean figuratively speaking, if I actually killed someone in the game, ending the world is also possible right?] [Damn you are nutcase. I already told you that you didn''t kill anyone. Furthermore, no one is ending the world, that''s also impossible. Stop thinking about this game realistically, and quit so sentimental about it as well. Don''t tell me you are buying into this lie from them?] Though the next round was similar, it also was quite close between the two. Havah, that was perhaps lucky that his cooldowns were working in his favour, was able to Backdash just in time to avoid the launcher from his opponent. Following his second activation, Albert thought he had the right skill ready but... [So this is the final round huh? Well good luck, because I''m going to give my all.] [Yea, I don''t have a reason to be happy myself, but damn. I''m doing so badly today... luckily Tania is not watching so I''m fine. What about you, do you want to win?] [Hey, I do want to win but not because of that stupid end of the world thing. I got to be strong for my brother, thus I train and do ballet. I like both of them, so that''s my reason why I really want to win! You are going to die here and now!] [Wow you really have a killer face now. Just remind me not to avoid you in the brackets.] Despite that joke, Albert was also serious about him giving his best. It was a strange battleboth of the fighters were only using skills at the distance and played very defensively. Alas, because of the moon disappearing in behind the mountain, the sun took its place in the sky. This created an unfair advantage for one of the competitors, Albert, who has light to his back. However, Havah, blinded by the sun, closed his eyes continued the fight with a handicap. With his body reacting only to the sounds in the game, he pressed his buttons in a sequence. This was his dance, his deadly blade twist that had to be feared by his opponent. With their weapons connecting, they traded skills and their attacks. Suddenly, at the same time they both got staggered and pushed away from each other. Standing up was sole victor of this battle, and he claimed it with a victory pose. [Well this is five to five, so it''s a tie. No need to show off, and thanks for the spar. Damn look at the sun! I have to go to sleep now. Anyway see you tomorrow maybe?] [Oh yea... I''m sorry I just got pulled into this all of a sudden.] === Chapter 9 [Apple] === Chapter 9 [Apple] The capital of TSA was an interesting city really, I mean this is my first time I didn''t expect this at all, but the scale of the walls and the sheer space around is quite overwhelming for me... The wide streets, the busy pathways and the impressive number of houses are something what Maremoda might never achieve. On top of that there is this castle in the background, pretty gigantic too. With all those towers, and guards around them... well I''m glad I am not an enemy to them to say the least. Is that all needed I wonder? They even have a river splitting the town and the castle. I can''t imagine who would actually think that they would be able to win against defences like this? In the meantime, I was asked by Juger to come here. Though I declined at first, it was my lady that...Well she was not upset but rather asked me politely to come, and I was unable to refuse her words. So there I was, in the middle of this teleport square, surrounded by my escorts, as Avaria called them. [See my darling little scaredy cat, you fret too much and all for nothing. The only foreboding thing here is the colour scheme, this town would sure use a palette other than grey, wouldn''t you say? Alas, for now my little pet, should you follow my will, no harm will be done to you. This is a promise from a gentle madam that only wishes for the best of you, thus remain at ease.] [Certainly my lady... this place is quite scary, but I guess it can''t be helped. If we tell them that they need a makeover... they might get angry or something.] [Nonsense my dear, the only happy proletariat is that with a purpose, thus giving them jobs is like a gift of kindness. Certainly you could agree my precious assistant. ohoho~ Of course that''s a jest, but look at you sweetheart, you are lovely, but your expression has changed ever since you have arrived. Fortunately, this caring matron can commiserate with her child.] [Of course that is true... you are good at reading people''s emotions and their moods. I''m sorry. Everything that happened a while ago is still on mind so I''m a bit bewildered. You knew that WRose and I were good friends right? And yet... you both had to fight.] With my head down I tried to apologize for asking so many questions to my lady. It was not the time or the place, but I felt if I were not to understand her feelings first and foremost, I would only make false assumptions later. Thus, a little timid, I looked to the ground, allowing the lion girl to approach me on her terms and desires. But as she did, she stool still for a moment. I was a docile kitten, standing there to accept her punishment. I have done a bad thing, I thought, and thus just like a good girl I should face the responsibility of my actions. However, being that said, my lady and I had a special bond, one that was unlike with my mother or my sister Hina. It was her whom from I once again received gentle and caring petting. Around the ears and down the back my neck, her hand traced my delicate skin and relaxed my muscles. Her other hand on my back, pushing herself towards me, giving my entire body the wrath of lion... or more than that even, it was a feeling that I got quickly addicted to, a motherly embrace that caused only the most fuzzy and warm memories to surface inside of my head... before I noticed my cheeks were red. [Lady Avaria... this is needed? Is there no way to come to terms with others, just like you did with Hina? I know that if we try we can perhaps somehow...] [You say so my little delicate maiden, however fighting is not desired by either of the sides. It is something that happens and I have no control over it, neither does Juger or WRose. I know, this might be sad to know, but please be strong my child, I shall protect you from the greys of the world.] And as she said those words, something resonated within me. Perhaps she was right, for both of us, there is no way to find a solution that was perfect, that was undoubtful and divided black and white. Just like this city, I am not sure whenever I can understand why, but even if something is missing, it might be for the best not to change it. As my lady use to say, some things are better left... [We have no time, thus cease your pointless discussion and let us proceed with haste.] [Certainly, my impatient yet charming Juger, this lady my pardon her forgetful behaviour. I shall accompany the party at once, and do as you please, exactly like I said I will.] [Most certainly your help is required, and your conditions are understood. You insisted on bringing this girl, the one that was not the part of our dark crusade, and asked us to accept her in our ranks once again. I say, once before she showed the others our location, thus is a turncoat from under the shade to be trusted once more? Listen to me well, lady of the lion sign, your little cat shall behave or I myself shall make her go home.] [I''m indebted by worrying and unnecessary words from a leader with a steel conviction. Alas, I must differ, for this humane lady has only one goal. We know who we are, and what we are to them, but that''s not all. It is only a speck of the truth, and I dislike being treated as a villain. Here I was thinking deeply, perhaps brining her would rectify our reputation? Convince me if I was just a naive lassie to think of that.] So that was her plan after all right? I can agree that my sister might be also taking things too serious, like saying I was kidnapped or something. Did this happen because I said they wanted to end the world? How could this be my fault, I asked myself, realising something...It was a big misunderstanding, and even if I didnt cause it, I was still the one that ought to make things right. [I want to trust you guys...and I think you do deserve some explanation from me, since I might have caused it. It was Hina who made me do this... I only listened to what she asked me to do because she was my sister. But now I think she might have been wrong from the start... so I promise this won''t happen again okay?] [You promise to this fervent lady that you will behave and she will consider her pet her absolution. ohoho~] [You really mean it? Giving me another chance? Of course I gladly accept... though Im not sure I am supposed to kneel down or something... ] [Of course, that was just a jest. My dearest Pina, you are my property, thus you will do what I say. Formalities are not necessary, as long you follow me. That alone is the proof that you trust me.] Between me and Avaria there was a ray light from the sky that shined at both of us. We were facing each other, and smiling with a beaming joy. It was our mutual trust that I finally managed to restore after the battle. Others that were around us however were a little taken aback by my words, as they didn''t take them as trustworthy. By words alone I wasn''t able to actually fix things, say sorry for what I have done and what my sister has done, but at least I wanted them to see that I was on their side... that I somehow was not against their crusade or whatever. We finally moved, and without a word we rushed towards the gates of Everkeep. I had to be extra speedy too, not that it mattered in the game as we all had the same running speed. The people around us gave us a look, but they were just AIs mostly so they always reposted politely, even if they had their weapons at the ready. My party on the other hand was a lot scarier looking than them...a cold sniper, a silent assassin, and a dark knight started talking amongst themselves. [We need to get there before they come right? We won''t survive if we don''t make it in time.] [Yea kinda sad if we would fumble now. I put a lot into training lately too.] [Cease your pointless jargon, we shall make it time if you two hurry. Rather than speak, be prepared for the task ahead, as not only your lives at the state, but the well-being of others. Think not of the loss or sin, but as the one who chose to shout, birds that bring a new season.] And the massive gates of the city laid finally open for the five of us. I could see the land and the great wall, both far in the distance. The grass beneath was barren, as if still not knowing of the spring. There was wind gathering, and the sun was getting warmer, as we moved through the farmland. That had me thinking about something... It was Maremoda, the city I basically lived in now. I could say that because I was modelling and making clothes, and doing other stuff with my sister in that world. If not for them, then the dirty mud, leaf-less tress, and slowly rinsing from the ground grass would be the colour of my life. Like a girl who grew up on an island, who knows nothing about the world outside the reach of her feet, I learned to appreciate my little caged habitation. As strange as it sounds, this is my freedom. The padlock my lady gave me is only the symbol of it, the need of being confined in a beach where the sea and the sand meet. This is where the place I belong is, the ground next to my lady, though I am not sure if I would be able... for my leash only reaches as far... [Okay Pina, you take one tower with Avaria, since you won''t be leaving her right?] [Right, I understand... I won''t let you down Yuki, or others.] Just before the really huge wall there were four massive siege weapons mounted on towers that defended the city. There were empty and without guards for some reason, so my guess was that Juger wanted us to use them. But I was too naive... and as so we climbed the entire walkway my lady started operating it and... [Be my guest, little Pina, as this lady will show you by action what is our plan.] [Don''t be like that... I will help you too.] We eventually turned the trebuchet by one hundred and eighty degrees. It was aiming at... [What is this? There seem to be a giant crowd there, they are attacking the city? I can''t tell, there is so many... what is happening there, if I may ask so my lady?] [I grant you the permission to know, though I rather remained silent about it. You see my young darling, giving you the colour of doubt was not the way I wanted to raise you. Thus I speak, those are our helpers, and with them we shall accomplish our goal. Think no more of what will happen now if you trust me Pina...] And silence filled the air as my lady reached for the handle. I touched her shaky and unsure hands, not ever her face was making an expression I could read. Thus I couldn''t let her carry this burden alone, and reached for the level together with her. Our hands joined and her cold entered me unexpectedly. She was hesitant, I thought, but I was her snuggle cat after all... I wanted to become a use for her too. [Listen... even if you guys dont want to say everything, I still want to believe. What theyre doing now my lady... I trust that they are doing it in good will. Its because that I''m not one of you, I can see that you all are good people. Take it as my selfishness... but if you desire it so then I will too become...] [An evil person like myself? There is no cure for this my ingenuous little kitten. You were given freedom, yet you choose to see the world behind the bars. Was this really... what I wanted you to become? My kindness, is the only gift I shared... alas everything else is my fault as well. You realise that you were not chosen, right?] I dislike being treated as a villain, An evil person like myself? those words Avaria used to describe herself. She...really wanted to change, deep inside. That is why she kept me as her pet on a leash...that is why she created this little cage for me and her, that is why she invited me back to the group. [And the ones that did are the ones that sinned right? I reject that, I oppose that thought! You can fight it, and just like me or WRose, become a person who does good. You are my lady after all, Avaria, and I wish you to be happy...] I wanted her to lean onto my shoulder, for her to see she can count on me in times of doubt. I wanted to become an evil person for her sake. That way she wouldnt be alone...that way I would be able to understand her better and help her change into a person she wanted to become. [Right... we shall do as you ask my persistent little darling. You are as green as grass, but that mixes well with our other colours. Feast your eyes now, and do please enjoy the show.] With both of our hands working the mechanism, the siege weapon fired, and with it others did too. The rock itself travelled far and reached it target. But it wasn''t the people attacking that got hit, but the ones on the walls, trying to defend... We have just made a huge opening in favour for the invaders... === [Hey did you hear the news yet? It''s hella messed up so you better listen okay? Some AIs who didn''t really get much of action now are now in like a full blown revolution. They be attacking random players and even other AIs, it''s crazy I tell you guys!] [Come down Tania, I know about the event and everyone else did hear of it as well. I shall also relate the information to you if needed of course, so if you please.] [Hey, the more the merrier right? I read that this was actually an event but I wouldn''t believe it just from reading. Just after I logged I confirmed, there are zombies now on the server. They aren''t literally zombies however, they are in a trance of something, something like mind control. I can only imagine how that could feel...] [It''s more likely to stay to say they are sleep walking, because their eyes are closed. But to be honest, I don''t want to actually know... I rather hope they will get better soon.] All things consider, the event on the server was so sudden, people barely knew what was happening. Of course I did hear from my friends about a thing or two, but they didn''t know about any specifics. Right now everyone is confused what to do, should they try run or fight? Currently there is no curethey just keep coming back after they are killed, even though they are pretty weak. What actually happened is that by some decision of our ancestors, humans were put asleep to towards a certain goal. We don''t know what their goal is yet, who they are, and where did they came from. But we know one thing. Wolf and Lunar are also playing a role in this, though we are not sure what their influence is yet. All of this confusing world story should be clear however, as soon as we will be able to contact the Gods of this world. In reality we probably need to wait for something to happen, even though it might be dangerous to do so. We don''t know how far this will spread if we were not able to contain it. We can defeat the AIs affected, but they resurrect and come back, just like normal people. However, how are we going to stop them knowing that? [Hey Darku, have you heard what happened in Everkeep? You should know in case Xyl didn''t tell you, but those are not nice news I''m afraid. Just saying, are you certain that you wanna hear this?] [What would be the reason not to, of course Tania, you can tell me any time okay? I''m stronger than you think when it comes to bad news. You should have known that already.] [Oh yea, that''s right! Anyway, your old guild is quite fairly in an uproar right now. Everkeep got attacked, by those things nevertheless, and someone mounted the empty siege machines to attack the walls of the city. Then the horde stormed in and pretty much did what they could and left. I also heard not a single human player was affected.] [But the AI were...Yea of course I heard about that. The invaders were AIs that came from beyond the wall as well. Because they were not player characters they simply swam around, ignoring the huge wall, and simply rushed to the castle. I wouldn''t have expected that, neither would Xyl, so he decided that it would be fine if they left the city in the hands of AIs alone. But I guess that was a good decision in the end, though with this little people online they couldnt do much anyway.] Although no one was hurt, they will have to rebuild the wall at least. It seems that those AIs, or "haze AIs" as they call them, pose no dangers to the buildings, so as long they are behind a wall. As long as you are playing tower defence, you dont need to fear them. By that I mean the players can easily deal with them. As for the AI...they rush at them and eventually they get killed...when they wake, they also become infected, like you would expect from a zombie invasion. That really poses a question, what happens in a human player dies to them? [So have you heard, they also...] [Hey guys, nice to find you here. I am worried about Pina...] [Ah! You want to talk Hina? That''s fine, don''t worry.] Although I was interrupted in mid-sentence, WRose allowed Hina to join us to the table. What she wanted to say is that now that the event is in full motion, you could no longer teleport. It would be too easy if you could so I guess devs to turn that option off so that the players will have to fight.This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. [Pina has been partying with them lately, but that''s not all that I found out. Listen to this! She also received some money from Avaria, and that is what troubles me the most. You know she could have been blackmailed to join them or something? I don''t know...] [I said don''t worry, she is working for Avaria right? I tried to talk to her that one time, she is not necessarily a bad person, but she doesn''t want to step down from the quest. So, the person you should trust the most if you sister Hina, trust that she will convince...] [But she locked the door again! I mean I was being quite noisy too but still, I know she wants only a little privacy but that money and that zombies on the run... You don''t think the other party had to do anything with that? Especially the Everkeep...] [You think your sister was involved? That''s quite harsh Hina I agree, but you have to believe her. Even if we tried to talk with them, they still wanted to do their thing in the end. It only shows how much... how much determination they actually have. Think about Wolf and how he needed the trust from us, I would have not believed him if I were not there. You also fought alongside everyone that day, didnt you Hina?] But as she talked like that, WRose was getting visibly sadder. I knew the reason for that. Wolf is a player that has not logged in a while. Generally players that had their AI running, and did not log in for a while, were the ones that were mostly affected. If that was so, Rose must have thought that Wolf was turned into one of them... I had no idea what to say to that. [Anyway, Avaria should protect Pina from danger, so don''t worry. You know, she also asked me to help her out, and she was sincere about that. I tell you Hina, if you really are worried about her, you have to trust her decision above all else okay?] [Speaking about that Rose, you haven''t been to my shop for a while right? Maybe if you have time, and after all this will end, you could model for me a little? I can''t pay as much as Avaria, but I rather have you to join me than her... Ahaha~ I just kinda need some help. *wiggle*] [Help you around because Pina is busy? I know that would be what you want but still, Hina I don''t know... If that is okay with you then I will gladly help with your shop. Just tell me what do to and, if I find the time, I''m going to check it out. Is that fine?] [Oh so you agree? That''s great! I really needed that happiness in my life now! Now what to make you do...] It seems that the mischievous fox was again up to no good, and I mean that she was a little sad too. Rose only noticed that and played along with her plan, so it wasn''t really her naivety, but her kindness. [So how about we start with getting you into your shrine maiden outfit again? Oh I did improve it since then so it shouldn''t be a problem for you any more. If anything I need to train you in dances and proper greetings and stuff... though you already have the most important thing, that being your sweet cute voice.] [Oh really, I''m extremely grateful and glad that you have thought of me as your candidate... Of course I don''t know much about that so Im not sure how well Im going to perform...] [And you know what, I will give you in on a bonus. Mermaid city is opening soon, and I don''t want the guests be bored with the AIs. I just had the best idea yesterday, remember that concert we did? I think it would be most amazing if you joined us again, and perform on a underwater stage! Come on, you only need to learn the dance sequence...] [Okay okay... listen Hina, I understand you are missing your sister the most, but maybe let me search for her okay? We can talk about... other stuff later.] Somehow I think that was her plan all along, she just didn''t want to speak about it out loud. So considering my encounter with Juger, I think they might be up to no good soon as well, but where exactly I have no idea. I''m going to ask around though, and help WRose find her. Titania, though she was mostly afk all this time, also decided to help so we were once again on the hunt. === It was already night time and things were not looking good for us lately. We had to be constantly on the run, not just because my sister was looking for me, but because the masses of mindless AIs were released upon the world. The fight with them never ended. Each skirmish we were worrying that we might get surrounded and die. Additionally, no longer you could cheese them with a wall, they learned how to deconstruct them, albeit very slowly. As for now, we need to hide for the night and the only place relatively secure was this shack in the woods. We were tired and beaten up from all this massacre...so there was no way we could advance without a proper nap. [What a nice and cosy place this is, quite similar to my igloo, but less icy.] [Do you live in an igloo Yuki? That''s really cool! You should show me at some point.] [Wow, I don''t find showing you hot boy ihihi~ but let''s be serious here, there is no room. I only have one couch and it''s pretty small. I would have to expand the house a little...] [Oh if you say so then I can wait. Anyway I''m taking the east side.] The very small wooden cabin we found had no furniture and just one chimney place. It wasn''t anything special but I guess whoever left this took all their stuff with them. We just had to assume they would not come back for the night, and throw us away. I started the light in the fireplace just to warm us up a little. We had wood we gathered on the way, and Yuki seemed to have food with her always. I guess it was her treat tonight and we needed that stamina. After all, I only had a sleeping bag with me and others barely even had the floor to place all their stuff. . [It''s going to be a very cold night... Brr! I need a little walk I think. You guys have fun here and I''m going to stand watch with Juger, okay?] [I don''t mind that Yuki... I''m going to watch your futon, so don''t worry.] [Marvellous my dear little kitten, how nice and sweet of you to think about others firstmost. This kind lady shall also permit her unending grace and grant you a position on her comfortable bed. Of course, only the best for my precious princess, this canopy bed should be big enough for both of us?] Yes...it is very silly that you can bring your entire room in your inventory, but I wont complain [Thank you my lady, that is very kind of you... but I rather sleep alone, just like I don''t sleep with my sister on the same bed any more...] Outside there was something going on too, I could hear someones voice as they talked. I was near the window so it was easier, but that must have been Yuki and Juger right? [So what do you know about this Schuld guy? He said that he has some nasty stuff, but I was not sure. Do you think he really was that kind of old perverted man that would look into that kind of stuff? Geez, if he wasn''t dead I would have killed him myself already... You must be glad that I didn''t.] [I shall state, I never had the intention of treating him as my friend, he was merely a person I knew from a long time ago. For present, say no ill words about the dead, lone rabbit of the snow, for the souls of the past have now joined the living. Should you desire not to become their prey, you shall forget about what he said and accompany my judgment.] For the other two who was getting reading for bedtime... Avaria was doing her hair I guess? When did she pack a whole dresser with her? As for Havah he was just snoring in his bed. I was the only one knowing about their conversation, I thought, so I stayed silent for the time. [He said that he forgave our sins, and yet we are to end the world right? That''s pathetic, if anything that''s no reason to kill yourself. I just can''t... get why he would do that.] [In time young bird you shall also spread your wings and see the world from the sky. Am I wrong to assume you came here to dispel your doubts? That we do is just, not evil? Among all the minds in this world there is not a single one that would host the final truth. You will find what you seek if you journey the depths alone, even if against the current.] [The truth is that we pissed some of the people and I wonder if that was necessary. I don''t care about society anyway, thanks to my parents, but do you think this is right?] [Every single brand that was marked upon me was inherited by my parents. They are now dead however, and the threat is cut. Thinking so I should be a free man, but that is not the case. I am the same one as I was before, all thanks to them. The group that is chasing us again, do they abide to the code of chivalry? Ask not who is wrong, but if anyone is right.] Juger, who I don''t know much about honestly, was always not willing to talk about his plan with me. I know now why however... Since he was someone considered greyto others his words were tainted. If a person not knowing his reasons would ask him now, why would he want to end the world at all, they would be basically against everything he would say. This was the brand he was speaking of. [So another thing Juger, I must say I''m quite worried about Havah. Ever since he... well kill someone? It that okay to say? ...Well anyway what I mean is that he did change and he also said some things too. Do you anything about DID? If you do then certainly don''t you think he might not be quite the person...] [Speak no more, for you only say things that darken even the eternal night itself. I dare to say and believe, with every step we take away from our comrades we also take the step into the abyss. We must stand, united and with steel resolve, despite having our own problems. There is no other path winter woman, for you or for him. You must walk the snow filled desert if you want to reach any destination at all.] [And as I do so, I leave steps for others to walk in... I see your allegory here Juger. I was just a little worried he may suddenly turn on us and it wouldn''t be his fault at all.] Although I couldn''t see their faces I noticed that they both went silent, as if enough was said. As I can recall, Schuld did mention that he has not sinner but carried a desire to murder...but I never actually would have thought that he would actually do it in front of me... Oh dear! If he really had this DID, whatever that means, it might be quite dangerous to approach him. I don''t know why but I started shaking even if I wasn''t cold. Like an uncontrollable sensation, it filled me through my body, down my spine and reached my toes which reacted in real life. Was this paralysing fear because I just realised where I was, or because I was one of them now? Should I escape now before it''s too late or stay so I don''t act suspicious? I was getting cold, and I was supposed to the one that gives warmth... so cold that I needed someone to warm me up. === [Hey are you cold? I could lend you something to warm up, but... This is a game so that wouldn''t work, that''s what Albert would say.] [Well thanks for the idea Havah, but I''m just fine... I mean I''m cold in my room, but there should be a blanket somewhere... could you hold up for a minute, okay?] I asked him to stay put until I return with my blanket but he was still talking to me in the game. I just hope my sister won''t hear anything as I try to sneak to our room and snatch something... [If you want to warm up I can show you my dance. Some people act strangely, like Yuki, when I dance, so I thought it might work for you too. Though the problem is that there is not enough room here... We would have to move outside where is even colder so that is not a good idea right? Oh well.] My character was lying down still all this time so I dunno what he was thinking. He probably did not notice it even. Anyway, maybe I should see what about this DID is about? Well... it doesn''t look good but its also quite complicated. It says that the patients are having multiple personalities so they can act in an unpredictable way sometimes too. What they also say that movement is a part of therapy so maybe dance is something that helps him? I can only guess... [Okay I''m back... oh he already went away before I returned. With this blanket I would be fine, so don''t worry. Let''s just talk, before the stamina regenerated fully, then we can log out okay?] But even if I said that, having my face partially covered with the sleeping bag, I did not notice the others. It seems now that Havah and Avaria were talking with each other, and probably thought I actually went to sleep. This was my opportunity to listen to their conversation as well, though it did feel wrong doing it twice tonight... [I see...so this is how the queen herself is prettying herself at nights like this. I shall say, your beauty is certainly a mysterious one to grasp. Such roar, such gentleness, like fire and wind, two opposite forces joined together creating this imagine of everlasting glory. Simply marvellous.] [I see you have a good idea for how to gather out natural charm out of people. It is a rare and precious gift, so my cherished young man should be proud of himself. Even if as he promised, he was unable to show me his dance all this time, it is this piteous woman that is most sad. I plead with my deepest apologizes, even if you don''t accept I do insist.] I could see a little clearer now, though the only light was from the fireplace. Avaria was bowing down. She was wearing her nightwear, which was anything but simple gown with a mobcap, while sitting on a stool. Havah on the other hand didn''t change his clothes, neither did I, simply because I didn''t have a wardrobe like my lady. Now that she revealed her secret though I was wondering if I should not ask her for some pyjamas... [Yes quite so, I don''t think that is necessary Avaria. Winds of change will come eventually, and they will sweep away your doubt in due time. A flower needs time to bloom.] Like she probably would have stuff me into something adorable, like a cat kigurumi now that I think about... [Yes this is true. A gardener not only is well versed in botany but also in the virtue of patience. Say my boy, you always carry a guise of a killer, but as the moonlight shines upon earth, you are innocent. This change overnight is quite mysterious and this lady wants to further know the reason behind it.] [Very well, as I already shared it with the one I danced for. It was a young duckling, afraid of water, taking her steps with care and grace, but never firmly. Thanks to the beauty of the changing season, she has grown into a fine swain and is now among those that dance in the sky, most heavenly of them all.] Wait why I''m thinking... I didn''t paid attention to what they were saying at all... something about a duckling? I guess that would be Yuki, since she has that hat and other stuff, and in the end all this makes sense right? Havah and Yuki do seem that they are close so they must have been on a date already... but something is still... [Pardon my words dear boy, but I was talking about your change, please do say that you do remember, the time you did it...] [The time I did it she was already out of egg shell and completely surrendered to the way of rebirth. Alas, I was not sure what I did wrong, I only showed her what was true beauty and kissed her many times. Still, my desperation was averted in the end by strange circumstances, as my body was not able to take it no longer... Not only mine but also hers was burning, and the heat was uncontrollable. Thus I have decided to end the act.] Bodies and kissing... Havah are you okay talking about that to another girl? Even though my lady was gentle, she too hid her blushing face behind both of her hands. Apart from that, it seems that the two calmed down, and although it was Havah that was worried, Avaria was looking in the distance, trying to find the right words. [For what purpose are your eyes are lost in space? Isn''t it in front of you? The answer to the question, which is the most beautiful in the world? Silent mirror speaks to no one, so I instead shall grant you the answer.] [Havah please, your flattery is only going to make this lady blush again. oho..ho~ I must say, perhaps it would be the best for us both to sleep now and talk later? You know what they say...] [Most certainly, a lady deserves her beauty sleep. But alas, before you do, I shall say one more thing. For I am worried about my lover, is it quite normal to react as she did? I feel that something strange, a hot sensation unlike others, clouded her mind and took control over her will. Like a doll she moaned, and pushed my hand towards herself. I trust you will answer seriously, as I am in no-joking mood at all.] [Seriously, you say? All I can say that when a girl wants it then a gentleman should... fell the mood. But beyond that lies a vague and hidden world that I shall not reveal. Listen to your heart my young man and answer, was she really true about her feelings? If yes, ask no more, for the solution is only in your delicate grasp.] I think Havah had some doubts about if Yukis love was sincere? How the hell would Avaria, or anyone else, besides his lover know that? I do understand he is young but maybe he is thinking too serious here... jeez even I don''t know what to do. All in all, my lady seemed to defuse the situation somehow, thus I am glad I can sleep again finally... [Being unfaithful to her feelings...? Thus showing her own beauty to herself that was a mistake? That is most dangerous to think and I shall believe, even though her unnatural desire, that she is normal.] With a whispering voice, Havah seemed to have said that to himself out loud. As for me, I really didn''t want to know what was behind the two, and why did Havah was worried about Yuki acting not normalthe whole Im a killer thing with him is not normal either. With every new information I gained...it all sounded more and more weirder and I wanted to simply leave as fast as I could. But then I dozed off in my seat and when I woke up everyone was already sleeping, expect Havah who was doing his guard duty. I could have possibly escaped, because they looked like they logged off, but I have decided to say, just like I did when I first meet Yuki. I''m sorry Hina, I am the only one there for them too... [Not sleeping? Well you can take my place if you want. Im... kinda tired.] [Oh no...dont worry go to sleep okay?] I seem to have not noticed this until now. They were not planning on logging outthey were actually taking a nap in real life, while being logged in. I hear about that, its called VR sleeping...but above that it seems that Im taking the watch now. I just hope nothing scary will happen...and that I wont doze off again. Sigh...I dont know why they just dont log out during the night, but I dont want to risk myself being alone when I log back in either so... please dont mess up my sleeping schedule. === The next morning we were already on the move and out in the middle of nowhere. We travelled the land, and visited places I never saw before. Always on the move, and always looking for potential enemies, always...scared that we might get surrounded by the horde and die. It was only a matter of time before the entire server would get swarmed by strange AIs we were fighting. Like under a trance, they did not listen and only attacked. They did not say a word but did action. They did not have their eyes open, but saw very well who they were striking at. This was a server event, and one that could fairly be considered the begging of the end of the world... Is what I thought at least. [This is quite...an experience for me my lady. I have never been in a situation like this before. Away from home, in the middle of nowhere, always on the run...and deprived of sleep *Yawn*] [Be not afraid my dearest little Pina, for as long as you hold my dozy hand... *Yawn* I meant to say... as long as you hold my cosy hand, we shall advance towards our goal.] Even though we were all visibly tired, there was a place we needed to be and only Juger knew about it. Taking detours and staying away from cities, we continued following the knight until the end of world even... well all in all this was an experience for sure, not only for me but for my party members too. I didn''t know how long we have till we reach our destination when... [And there it isthe very passage that will lead us to our goal. Only a few steps remain, my dear comrades, thus let us proceed with ease. This dark knight will take the initiative, as he is not afraid of the path he walked, not afraid of the deeds we preformed, and has no regrets.] But as soon he said those words and we stepped inside of the pond, we were taken aback by what happened. [Ahh! What is this... is this part of your plan?] Between trees there was just your ordinary waterfall with a small pond underneath it. There was nothing usual about the air or the water either, they were still and silent. You could even hear the birds singing in the background, quite a pleasant sound. But that enjoyable noise was broken, as my vision began to twist and turn. With a single step into the water, I saw as the waterfall itself slip into two, Moreover, a strange rock that appeared in the middle. Slowly, we were getting submerged, even if the pond was really shallow. No one in the party knew what was happening. Soon enough my sight began to turn back to normal and I felt like inside of a water container, upside down. Just like everyone elses my feet were touching the surface from below, though we were not drowning. It felt like solid...as if you could talk on it. But somehow, the image of our bodies appeared to become twisted by the waves. Actually I just noticed that... [Hey! What the hell is this!] [Is this...my body?] It was safer to say that our true bodies, which stood motionlessly with their ankles in the water, were no longer hosted by us. Our perspective changed and now we saw the world through our reflections. What a strange sensation...I tried to move, to swim upwards and escape but it was futile. When I tried to bend my hand or twist my head, nothing happened. Only my vision changed, as if I was looking through a camera. Others were the same as I assume, as I couldn''t see their heads moving as well. This was a part of something...I thought as I tried to calm down myself. Whatever it was we would probably know in due time I hoped. And soon... [Wait guys, come down we can''t move anyway. I guess this is some kind of event? It looks really cool so don''t fret. I''m not afraid, I''m actually excited for this.] [Would you please Havah... I don''t like this at all.] [Then it is as their say, cats don''t like water, even this adorable sea cat is no exception.] [Would you shut up already guys? Jeez, you just gotta wait it out.] [But for us to be graced by its presence, this is truly deserving of our struggle.] A strange creature appeared before us, it had a giant mirror and had white and red stripe leg wear, white and back opera gloves with fingertips of inverted colour, short curtained pink and blue hair, and a mask with the same colours. It all looked to strange and a little funny to me but who was it? [Please meet Karma, the Ghost AI who is all for balance, the one that reflects the soul, the one that punishes those that do evil and reward those that do good. It has no gender, and no personality of its own. It can only show what is the truth, so be on your guard.] Immediately, the "ghost AI" replied using a similar voice that Juger had. It was spinning around, appearing and disappearing at random. You could only see the front of it wherever you looked. [It is a pleasure Juger, for I am truly Karma, the one you described. To not waste your time, this graceful mirror that give you what it wants and release you after, leaving the rest to you. Listen well evildoer who despised the good name of justice! It is the gods that strike the hammer. You are just a pitiful man who believes in your own greatness over divine one. Repent now and be spared.] [What language you use and your methods matter not, for I am a black knight that bows to no one. Even if my destiny shall lead me to hell, is it the fire that will bring a new beginning to the mankind. Your divine intervention and power is not needed in this world, leave my sight if you are done.] [Then I will do as you ask and see if it truly so. Speak child what is your name and intent?] [My name is Yukihiru, and you probably already know that. Can I have my body back please? Brr! It''s kinda cold and I can''t shot your face when I''m trapped under water like that.] This time it was Yuki''s turn I guess... this thing won''t leave us alone until it''s done. It also changes its voice every time it speaks to a different person... how annoying. [You think I''m scared of your cold bullets? They already melted so I''m sorry to break the ice for you. Tell you what will warm you up, how about I say how awful person I am to others, how they never listen, or how they are right to leave you right away? Ihihi~ this is going to be so fun talking about your sins.] [You wouldn''t... damn its worse than Schuld! I have done nothing wrong okay? I was born like that and the only way I can cope with it to push others away from me. I don''t care if that a sin... and if its going to break me... as long as they don''t come back...] Suddenly, I could see a vague shadow, something like an outline on surface of the mirror. There was a little ducking crying, all alone swimming on the lake. [Dont... come back, you say?] If this continued then surely it would have wounded Yuki deeply. The problem was though...I couldnt see anyones expression because we were not in control of our original bodies. [But that sin was forgiven, and she is no longer the vile person you see her to be. The reason for that is simple, as nothing lasts forever, so too the dreams must perish. The flame raises and burns all, nothing remains, not the sin, fault or false images. From the ashes there is new life, this power is called destruction, and yet it implies creation.] As Juger said those words, the image of the little Yukihiru vanished in fire and was no longer. However Karma wasn''t finished and arrived at the next victim, which was my lady Avaria. [Say you, do you fancy doing some business with me, oh mysterious creature? Your fashion sense seems most weird but I do like the colourfulness of the design.] [It is precisely what you want to see, isn''t it my young madan? Sorry for you, but this honest mirror only reflects the truth, which is if you mix the colours, only darkness remains. This is something you must understand yes? Beneath that shell...] [...there is a person who have forsaken humanity and left into her own little world of fantasy. On the other side of the mirror, following the white hare, sits a lady with all the riches, only to realise that her golden prison is what she deserves in the end... I''m a monster, who concluded that this black poisoned tea is the pleasure that releases her from responsibility.] In monochrome world of the mirror there was a quite young little gorgeous madam, which was dressed like a princess. Sitting on the table there were two parents, who gifted the girl with presents. Those toys were little humans, and they appeared alive too. Why would they give her these toys and why did she accept them? This was horrible... [You needed to look down on yourself Avaria, for I will release you from that prison. Back at you field! I dare say, a healthy population is depicted by following obligation, though it bleaches the soul from its colour. As much as she accepts the vile of her parents, it is the kindness that she gives to others which remains hers, no matter what opinion you have.] [The responsibility that deteriorates individuality... something that clouds the opinion, and makes you think you are a wrong person because that is what the mirror would say... It all makes sense, my dear Juger, thank you for those kind words which brought my hue back.] There was still some power left in the mirror to perform more of its tricks. Targeting Havah now, it swirled in the air as if it was dancing. [Now what to do with you? Are you a dancer or a killer? Are you a boy or a girl? Are you there or perhaps somewhere else? The truth being the middle I''m afraid, makes it all the more interesting to reflect. Now what do you say about the lies?] [I hate lies! My parents always lie about that I was born differently. And my brother... he would never lie! Because he is the perfect person and he always protected me and...] A crack appeared on the mirror briefly, it looked like something was surfacing there. [What is a lie created by you and for your own sake? It is the very beauty of humans, that they bring out their brilliant imagination and give in to the dream-like power of delusion.] [Stop it! I hate you! Speak of this no longer more or I will...] [Yes, please be angry, for I''m just a killer and I don''t want to kill someone meaningless. I need to become strong, for the sake of my brother, just as strong as those who killed him. Do it, face your demons and say that I''m a terrible person who only knows how to kill.] [No... I will not listen... my brother... will know...] And with a loud smashing noise, the mirror finally broke. It revealed what was the truth I think? I saw two siblings together, they looked alike, but there was a certain difference between them. [This is you and your brother as they were in the past. Listen not to the lies you created, for they were a slight diversion, but to your own soul. Can you hear his voice? Can you tell if he speaks of the truth? Which memory is him and which is you? ] [Brother... is that really you? But who is that person in the mirror? I don''t recognize her... is she really... my head... it hurts! AHH!] [Yes this is all true, this is what you are and this is what your brother was. All this time you were lying to yourself and unfortunately, it was not your fault. Consider this not as punishment, but as a reward for kindness you have shown to others.] And thats how a reward looks like to this god? Its making my stomach turn how awful. Poor Havah is in pain now. Why does this must happen? Why does it torture everyone.... [If this is how you reward kindness then I shall divide this symmetry of yours with one slice! Evil is sought and weeded out, but without it, truth would not exist. If this is too justice, then I must acknowledge it, yet I shall speak that your actions are not welcomed here Karma.] [Because humans are allowed to choose what is good and the evil? Humour me not, for you are the one that forsaken his own god. You are the mortal that sides with hell, thus you expect to know the true meaning of justice? Only the god knows the weight of the soul.] [Perfection is not the aspect of the human nature. We make mistakes, generation after generation and for that judgment is required. But each scale is compared only to satisfy the desire of the masses, not to uncover the truth about what are we made of. To arbiter is to know both sides, and that is why we exist. We are made from evil things, which allows us to grasp the truth, things that are not completely black and white, but grey in their nature, and things that dont last forever, that serve as the soil for future cultivation.] It seems Juger was only partially finished trying to rebuke the god''s word. He had more to say, but it seems his voice was silenced in the middle of the speech. [Your logic speaks enough for itself, Juger, and you do carry a steel conviction. Thus my truth is no longer needed.] My vision got twisted again, and I felt like I was pulled out of my body again... then strange sensation of me being inside of a washing machine appeared and I could move once more. Everyone was back into their body, standing near the waterfall in the pond. [You have performed well rejecting the truth of the mirror, and accepted your selves. All of you, even Pina who was just watching, deserve a reward. In your hands you will find this red apple, it will show us in the end if humans truly understand the way of balance and no longer needs gods.] The item everyone received was an apple shaped like a heart, but there was something strange about it. Its top was peeled in a shape of the letter V. If you shook it made rattle sounds with seeds inside of it. Furthermore, the white part near the top was quite sharp to touch and the apples tip was sliced off perfectly. [I see, so this is the gift of our parents, the very same fruit they cultivated? We have no need for such connections but we won''t throw away our seeds. It is we who will decide where to plant it, where to make a new world for everyone.] [And that new world will grow from the poison that was left by your ancestors? Ask yourself, will the seeds yield fruit in the burned ground, or will they spoil the soil? Only after they are sowed we will know if your destruction will bring the balance you seek. For now, I shall leave you with your own truth you so much want to cultivate, farewell.] Saying those words, Karma disappeared and again the waterfall opened for us to proceed. I was worried, and so were others, about themselves and the future we desire. Was it good, or was it bad? Is there really an answer to that problem, or are those just questions? === Chapter 10 [Oasis] === Chapter 10 [Oasis] We ended up on the other side of the cave finally, but the fun was just about to start well at least the sight was nice. A huge desert with sand everywhere you looked and beyond the horizon even more scorching yellow dunes. There was no end to this barren land and even the sky itself was just a distraction from the hot sun Im sweating. Though, I wasnt the only one to be visibly complaining about the heat. Avaria took out her parasol and small fan. We still had some way until we reached our destination and Juger said we should make it before sundown. And he wasnt wrong, because just as I decided I would go searching for some cooling pads, our goal became visible. It was an oasis, full of strange trees and with lot water inside. I thought at first that was a mirage but I was wrong. Just as we stepped inside, my eyes reflected all the colours of the rainbow. There were so many trees and bushes, each in different shade and shape. It was something I couldnt believe at first, but when I tried to touch one leaf, it was clearly not a dream I sighed and released all the air from my tired lungs finally we could have some rest. [This is the place you were talking about, right my astute Juger? You have leaded us all this way, and truly this is where all our goals lie, dont they? This needful lady shall take her leave right away, I am tired and exhausted so allow me some time to refresh. Im sure that others wouldnt mind either, yes?] [Most certainly yes. Jeez getting all sweaty like that makes me want to take a bath in real life, but I wouldnt mind if we found hot springs around here ihihi~ its way different here than in the snow.] [Right guys I dont think anyone would mind so why dont we split? This place looks quite huge so me might go ahead and start exploring.] [If so are the wishes of my comrades than I shall abide. Be well and unrestrained to enjoy your rest, for the next time we meet, we shall discuss how to fulfill our dark pack from this point onwards.] He meant how we are going to end the world, sitting in a place that was safe from the AIs. Yes, this single garden that Wolf created in the past was the only safe zone they couldnt enter, though the reason escapes me I guess they dont like pretty things or rather have no business here? In any case as other girls suggested I wanted to find some nice spot to rest, though we all ended splitting upI quickly found myself under huge foliage of various green, yellow, violet and orange leaves. Just right above, there were sets little plastic frames that gathered the wines and created a tunnel I was travelling though. I saw something like that before, there is that one shrine that does it with Torri or that thing called the tunnel of love Speaking about love, this place appears quite fitting for a romantic spot for a date so I hope someone at least is having funAnyway I found something amazing after I exited the tunnel, there was like a shrine surrounded by water, on a small island. There was also a bamboo tree with a lot of paper slips attached to them. I tried looking closer when [Well if it isnt you, Pina? Im sorry to scare you all of a sudden but I was just walking by. How are you? We have not meet in ages and I was worried because of that happening now.] [Oh wait are you really? Yes sorry for not talking with you in a while] [Nonsense, personal messages are no longer available now, just like teleporting. I should be thankful first and foremost that you are still alive okay? I was worried] [Yes I was also all this time I was missing you Rose.] From behind and before I could turn, I recognized the voice of someone from the past. It was a little girl wearing a white floral dress. Without any more words, we met for the first time after a long time. I saw my reflection in her green eyes which shed a tear. I started crying a little two, because I could no longer contain all those feelings I had from before. With our hands gravitating, we joined each our bodies with powerful hug that made the wind blew the leaves off the ground WRose Im happy you are okay [Do you know why I came here Pina? I visited this place with Wolf some time ago, that was after he became a hero. We walked around the garden but he was still quite puzzled and confused after what happened during the fight with the dragon. Then we found ourselves here, in this small shrine. I knew that whatever I would say wouldnt change his downcast mood, so at least I wanted to make a wish, so that we would create memories. Silly, I never knew what his wish was and I dont want to.] [So your wish is somewhere there and his as well? Thats quite like Wolf now that I think about it But dont you want to learn about it now? I mean you guys were close so I know you trust him and all.] [I do trust him enough not to search for it, though I would probably not be able to find it now. Anyway, what I wished for was to carry on my wish to the other world and somehow that was granted. Whatever he wrote even the most insignificant thing I want to believe that his wish also came true.] [It would be great right but I do wonder about one thing all this time. I talked with my sister, she said that you havent meet her in person but also that you didnt want to. That was some time ago, and I still havent a slightest idea what it was about. Its somehow related to your wish right?] I wasnt sure about that yet but I could read her expression. We were both standing in front of the main gate, and she was holding her hands in prayer all this time, looking at somewhere. I wanted to challenge that look, to make her realise that I was there, in front of her. Still, it was rather difficult to get her attention. [Yes it is its all related and such is the extend I plan to speak about it. In two years from now, you shall know the truth, but for now I shall keep it a secret. I am deeply sorry for all of this but Im not ready.] [Ready for what? Well forget it, if my sister said that it was really important I must trust her as well. Remember when I confessed that I had my legs hurt in an accident? Somehow I think that connected us two I figured that asking you more about it directly now was okay, but I guess I was wrong. Im sorry that I raised the subject I also met a girl who has told me that some things are better left unsaid. So Rose for now lets keep it at that okay?] [You cant mean Avaria right? That person told you its better to keep your secrets stashed away? So what are you thinking right now must be due to her influence dont get me wrong I respect her, but since she is a part of that group Im worried she might be manipulated to follow them, just like you.] [Wait that is not true she is not under anyones effect, she is her own person, just like me.] When I said those words I noticed that despite how I was trying to defend my lady, WRose made up her mind already. It was the distance that didnt allow her to think freely, thus she assumed the position of the aggression. Honestly, my idea was not to challenge her, but to convince that my ladys words had value, and that it is fine keeping a secret. But now I could feel a breath of hostility from her. Slowly her fists started to clench, one on her chest the other on her skirt. === I took a step back, only to be stopped midway by a temizuya . She didnt even look at me and I was terrified. Knowing so I tried to apologize with my hands, trying to tell her to calm down, but she kept looking at the ground. With a loud click, followed by less gentle ones, she took a step and approached me but then she stopped. Her firsts no longer wrathful and her expression have been calmed. Only by a little she raised her head saying [Well I cant be mad about that, since you are a part of them now. I didnt want to believe your sister at all, when she said all those bad things about them and that you were her pet but I see you have no regents. You can wash your hands and be free from those accusations, because I want to trust that you made the right choice.] [No Im not really What are you even saying? Im your friend not just one of them] [You destroyed that wall right? I can see in your eyes, you are lying.] [But you are not looking at me directly! Please let me explain] The more she felt relaxed and buried into her point of view the more my gaze started looking for an answer. I didnt want her to think that we did a bad thing, rather to understand that we were had a greater goal in mind. The group that wants end of the world being a part of it makes even close friends think awful things about you. But they were nice people, though they had problems, and I wanted to believe that all in all they knew what they were doing. [So what are you guys going to end the world for no ones sake and make everyone suffer? Ugh! What is that plan exactly? Perhaps if we discuss it further we can figure out a better solution, right Pina? As I said I want to trust to because I know you wouldnt go against your sister if you didnt have a good reason.] [There is no better or other way to fix the world. This is what Juger have said. If you could understand them as I do, you would too think so. Sorry Rose, but explaining is pointless I dont even know how exactly he plans to do it! Please listen, all those things that happen before, they were just to make things right for everyone. We really want to help] [Just stop...When that person died you wanted to help him as well? I have heard he committed suicide. When the Everkeeps gate was destroyed the AIs became unstoppable. I also heard a certain group was involved. You were involved in all of this, right? Do you think its better not to consider the methods and simply] Just in this moment, she reached a hand towards my shoulder, though she aimed at my throat at first. Her grip was unusually strong, as if she wanted to hurt and put me into submission. I reached with my hand, and gently wanted to brush hers off, but I was unsuccessful. Her will was much stronger than mine. [All of this is right, those things happened but its not like that. Im sure that guy just killed himself, you can trust me because I was there. Also during the time with Avaria she was really scared honestly, and wanted to stop. But I wanted her to believe in others and me, since there was no one else there. Both hands shared the sin together and simply carrying the burden together with her was the least I could do.] [So you have not disagreeing with me at all? Pina! Listen, there is still time we can stop them!] She shouted at me with both of her hands on my shoulders, pushing me towards the basin of purified water. [Im not a bad person they are not evil I swear! Why wouldnt you believe me? We are friends right] [Yes but I know that you from the past would have never did it you would rather challenge your doubts, you would fight against that what is uncertain, just like you did when stepped up against your sisters attitude back then.] [But this is no different! I believe that they are doing the right thing and in the end we all shall] I tried as hard as I could, but only sadness was filling me. Little droplets fell down, but not onto the basin, but on my chest. Then I realised that I wasnt fighting against her, but she was struggling against herself. With her grip slowly growing weaker, and her legs starting to shake, she was about to fall to the ground. [Rose why are you crying? Could you stop for a moment?] [No because you have changed! And you dont understand that, dont you? What it takes to change Its not just simply trusting yourself but changing everyones opinion as well. Right now you are my enemy, and that cant change because we are friends. I have to accept that everyone who managed to escape to here, is somewhere out planning your demise. This is a non combat zone of course, so dont be scared, youre safe.] [So thats why you are mad because they blame us for everything that happened? That is not true, and you know it! I mean technically we helped a little, but we were not the ones to have caused it. Its the real world that affected] [But that doesnt change anything about what you did. You have to understand, Im trying to make you see your mistakes, even if Im going to hurt you in the end I want to help you turn back and repent. You simply had swept by the current, and wanted to sympathise with others similar to you. I can understand that personally very well, thats why I want you to] But her words didnt escape her entirely. Rather she stopped talking suddenly with her eyes wide open and her face in sorrow. [I want to but thats the same as with Wolf Its only okay to change yourself, not others] [No its okay! I mean really] Her tears, full of bitterness started falling onto my back as her hands hugged me and pushed towards her. Mine were just hanging in the air motionlessly, I did not return her embrace, nor did I start crying with her. Her tiny head and light pink hair found their place on my shoulder, rubbing against it and didnt want to stop. I had to push her a little, grabbing her shoulder, but I couldnt gather my strength to do it properly. I was in a bind and I knew she would not listen to my words at all. This was of course not my fault, but rather hers for not giving me space to argue. But then just by a glance of my eye, I noticed her worry. [Rose, do you hold Wolf close to your heart? You have hope he would return and save the world right now? That he will be once again by your side and that you might both find a way to resolve everything, right?] [Is it Wolf? I gave up on him] But that was a lie, as she only gripped be harder and pressed her thighs against each other. [Do you really? There is not a single day I wish that my legs would have been healed. But thats just a dream, something that cant happen no matter how you pray. Im a part time shrine maiden so to tell you the truth wishes can only be granted if you forget that god exist. Only by looking at reality of things you can see, just how people can be hurt by them. Nothing is perfect, so a desire is born but in the end its just a fantasy.] [Just like this garden beautiful yet it is like a dream. With every step I could feel his smell he is certainly here, but when I turn my head he disappears I want to forget, just like I wish I forget my own body each day alas the truth is different. You saw through me Pina, and even if I wanted to help you It was you in the end] [Its okay Rose I dont think its something you should be embarrassed about, because I was like you When you left my entire world was collapsed and I just wanted to but then a sun appeared. If there is no other way, please believe in something. Im sure that alone will give you the strength for yourself to live through your rainy days] Her problem was her body? I was kinda getting the idea but I didnt want to speak it out loud. She calmed down as I started to pet her. It was my unconscious reaction so I couldnt help it, though she was satisfied. Staying so in silence for a while, I washed the tears from her eyes, and took her for a walk by the river. The flowers on the surface gently danced to the windbesides us white Arum flowers were growing. All of this helped me realise how much I have changed myself really if it wasnt for my lady, Rose, or Juger I would not have believed in myself and chosen the path on my own. I wonder how others were doing...? [Yawn... sorry I need to take a nap. I completely forgot!] === It is an eternal dilemma, whenever the heroes of their times would have succeeded if they followed their moral codes. In times of great strive is it simple to make wrong and irreversible decisions with the presumption that in the end, it will bring peace to all. This time the black knight shall face a new foe, which is his own demon that he kept for this long in check. Before him there is a beauty to the eyes, the garden that hosts only the most alluring of the traps, the dream. Like a creature knowing not about satisfaction, it consumes the soul and strips the man down to speck of humanity. With conviction it can be stopped, but how strong is this heavy steel the hero is wearing? He is about to find out. With a spin the wind is cut and with a jump its invited to play. I have been caught in that trap as well. For no reason at all Havah, my comrade for the past days, have been searching for a perfect grove. His display of magnificent dancing skills deserved the best scene this garden could provide. Truly a master, I could only clap for as he finished his performance, though it seems only I have been witnessing it all this time. [It is a shame really, I was here thinking I would have gather a larger crowd, but nevertheless, Im satisfied.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. Say Juger, what you think? I have been trying to keep my practice but until today I have not stepped on the scene.] [It is as the angels whispers, gentle and light as the clouds, and as beautiful as the sky. You truly did fly in my eyes.] [Is that so? Then Im glad I could have made you happy. The true beauty you see lies within things not from this world, and so to get there, you heartily need to reach a higher attitude. All of this might be just an act but you have realised yes? Something that cant be seen without experiencing it. That is the true nature of dancing I brought to you and others.] [Alas, it is a pity others did not show up. Say you, I have been discussing this matter with everyone thus you must know by now. I ask the question of your conviction, why did you have decided to follow this knights crusade towards the depths of true chaos?] Once again I dared to ask that question, not him but myself. I had to go against not just the morals, but the society and gods as well. Everyone spoke in unisonthis is a great mistake you are making. And yet, I never heard one argument that would question the value of rebirth. They spoke as if they did agree, yet desired change without total destruction. Still, without any other possible solution, we are the only ones with the aptitude to act. What have Avaria said worried me, she desired our plan to succeed simply because she cared not about the world. As for the little bird, Yuki, she has disconnected herself from society, thus affairs concerning others do not matter for her. Pina I do not consider, for she is only a supporter, not a member. Even with my acknowledgement I cant speak for her. And finally there is me who sees no other solution for the problem I am facing. To this day no one has showed me a possible alternative. This road of mine only leads towards one goal and I wont stop now, not with the steps I have already taken. I think not of costs or consequences but the future that is within our hands. It is there only if we decide to reach for it. [What beauty is in destruction you say? Well quite naturally it is a simple yet not easy matter to explain. As you see, a birds life starts with the egg hatching, but if you crack it, the life ends. Such are too, the delicate people, they need to rescue themselves from the prison of the dream. Life in an embryo must be fascinating dont you think?] [With wisdom you speak, Havah of colourful mind, for I agree with one thing. Bound to your mind you lose the soul, and thus your dream degenerate and become a nightmare. There is no value in pursuing the destructive delusions!] [And yet my lovely swan says otherwise, as she was the fruit of my labour. Yes, the very ugly duckling she was, now outside of the egg and in an embryo she continues to dream I hope. Just like for her solutions are limited, our plans must too abide with certain reason. Beauty then is something in between, not perfect but the journey, the effort and experience of the desire to dream. With that you would know now why I follow your plan.] [Certainly, if that is true, if your words carry some substance, then only the hope for a better tomorrow is your reason. Very well, I shall accept that as your conviction and consider your opinion. This knight shall take him leave now.] Alas, I was pleaded to stay by his side a little while longer. His hand reaching towards me in a strange pose, both inviting and deep in thought. He appeared to want discuss other matters while my presence was there. [You never would talk about yourself and your reasons. Speak to me freely for I am worried. Have you not heard what the mirror said? Then allow me question, your parents, are they liars?] [My parents are long dead and most certainly there is no way of knowing whenever they truly loved me in the end. Though my conviction is true, my desire to forgive them is not yielding. I must persevere and have belief, which I lack of lately] [But do not despair any longer, as for my parents are still alive. Speak to me, what would you suggest? I need to know whenever they spoke the truth, and truly want the better for me. As you know, it came to my knowing recently that I was not the person who I thought I was. All this came quick, and now Im confused. Was it possible for them to say something that might have been too much?] [Question not me but yourself. I am not the judge that can come to a verdict based on no evidence. This knight will say just one thing, seek out those who you trust and follow the answer with your heart.] === Hey this is quite nice I didnt know a warm bath like that could be this enjoyable. All thanks to the flowers here, they smell amazing and furthermore add to the delicate nature of this garden. I do feel a little reinvigorated though, and that might not be the best sign, but I have Avaria to cover for me, so there should be no problems I hope. I must say, its quite silly that she carries a whole wardrobe with her and had an outfit for every occasion. Its not really that required in this game but I guess she just likes fashion this much? ihihi~ I could have teased her more, since she simply looked too adorable in that swimsuit. Anyway I should be going now, enough splashing in the pond. [Hey Avaria, you say that you like bubble baths this much that you have to bring a whole box of those rubber ducks? Thats really cute for a little lady like yourself ihihi~ next time you should bring an entire bath tub or something.] [And for what reason my darling little swan? Arent you the most beautiful of my collection? ohoho~ You are right, I should be more acting more mature for my age, but this little lass simply cant help her sweet part. Times it is needed that the more pure side of a lady must be shown, as her gentle nature is by no means a thing to be embarrassed about.] [So you mean you still play in bathtubs all the time? What a silly little habit, much different than mine ihihi~ I got to say you really know how to dress for every occasion and you have the biggest wardrobe I have seen. I need to know your secret Avaria, do you murder people and bathe in their blood or simply have this much luck?] [Dont speak about such atrocities in my presence, what people would think? A fair lady would have never though miss Yuki is right, and I am to blame to my natural charm. It is inevitable, like moths to the light, everyone is attracted and they fall prey to my beauty. Do not be jealous my darling, because its not as you think] Yea, most certainly not like I would ever know. All this time I have been doing things at my pace, and yet not even one guy said that Im truly pretty. They were all close but nevertheless they were lairs. I know I shouldnt be angry, but I am right now. If only I could erase that past and find myself someone [You look down darling, what is the matter? For times like these you must be stronger not only for yourself, but for others. You see, not only you should appreciate your own charm, but others who adore you. What is a lady without her status? And by status I mean every little accessory she wears, on her and around her.] [Accessories you wear around, like Pina? What a wicked thought really, but I like that. I used to have a dirty mouth, but only to strangers really. I wonder if that really changed to me now, will I be able to accept others and their germs I mean surely I can, right? I wouldnt want someone that said Im beautiful to be disappointed.] [So I know what is on your mind finally, and that is fine my dear. The distance and the closeness, all that is a delicate matter Im afraid. My suggestion for now would be to light a spark in his eyes, and then make him follow you. You are the lady of the swan after all, and you should not have it any other way.] Those are some powerful words from Avaria who was contemplating my situation. I was impressed. I thought that she really didnt care about others, but I was wrong. There is something about her thoughthe fact that she is willing to put a leash on everyone and just have her way first, just like with Pina. And when I pondered about her relation with that girl I noticed that she stopped moving. We here riding a boat, through the leaves that feel onto the river. She was on the opposite side, with her bare toes feeling the water. For the balance sale, I was also sitting on the other gunwale, but I dont think it did matter for this game at all. Clearly her face was saying, please dont mind me for I am just a fair lady and I only mind my own business, I dont want to hurt anyone. Its not her goddam fault for being this pretty, just like Im not responsible for my own sickness. At least about that I am able to relate to her. The current is slowly traced by her toe and not a sound is spoken. [Say really, you seem a little under the weather. Tell me why you still insist on having Pina at your side. If that is not a problem of course, I would like to know how you two came to be and everything.] [Well our story is a simple one, so I will put it bluntlyshe has gifted herself for me, her presence and her dedication. I gave her a choice and she simply said yes, but I wonder now if this fair lady would have been better without her. For you see, I dont want to keep her, yet just like with other decorations, it is difficult for me to throw her away.] [No I understand, its just like me and Penkun. I miss him so much, but I know he is happy now. He was a penguin I kept for a long time as my heater though I guess you could say he was precious to me.] [Precious to you something you could not live without and yet he left you?] Suddenly the atmosphere changed. We entered a tunnel made out of branches and leaves. There was barely light, and we had trouble seeing each other. Her and mine faces in sparkling shades, it was as if the fireflies danced in front of us. Without knowing of each others true intentions we both stared, not at our eyes by rather on this spectacle that was transpiring. Precious things you need to discard in order to move on I knew once I found myself in a bind because of that. My body was something I thought was my greatest weakness. Therefore, I tried to erase it as best as I could. But I was wrong then, because it is not the beauty of figure that was important, but how others saw me. We exited the tunnel and our expression never changed even for a second. In this moment I sawour faces on the surface of the water. What was different? I couldnt figure that out, I simply watched [Precious things like my light that everyone is looking for or darlings that I keep as my pets? Which one is the true thing I cant reject? Perhaps it is both, dont you think my sweet Yuki?] [I dont know I can only see my own face on the surface, it looks the same no matter how I look at it why?] But that changed as I recalled somethingthe only person that give me the illusion of being prettyIf he was able to change the reflection, the he was my prince and I was his swan that alone was precious enough. [But I also see him he is the answer of course! Thank you Avaria, you might be someone on a whole different level, but you were still a big help!] [Then this pitiful lady should too have her solution. I must thank you for your time. For now I suggest... *Yawn* that we both reawaken our beauties with a tranquil siesta.] [Im gotta find him first though!] === I arrived where I finally wanted to be, this stage supposed the last place I would perform tonight. This little patch of grass, this very soil where only the gentlest of the flowers would caress my feet, it is here where I would find my long lost duckling, sleeping soundly in the middle of the foliage. It was only when I approached her, her eyes opened as if they thawed, shredding an unrest morning tear. [Ugh... Havah...] I took to her and with a few steps I performed my last act. The feeling of longing, falling to the ground with my arms on my heart, the struggle of desire, anguished walking towards her while still on my knees, and finally the act of forgetfulness, my hands on my forehead, bending my head towards the back. This is how I woke my only and greatest love from her dream. [Havah you surprise me again really. You know you could just have said hello normally. Your dance is beautiful as always but you need to think about your room or something okay?] [It is not a matterI perform in an empty training room below my apartment after hours. My beautiful swam should always wear a smile for I am here to invite her into a dance.] [Quite to the point? I need to talk about something, so why do you sit down first okay?] [If that is your desire I shall comply. Such is a way of splendorit needs time and effort to shine.] Yet she was quite fretted by my arrival. There were things she wanted to discuss with me, and so did I. [What do you think about me in particular? You dont just do shows for yourselfthat would be really silly. All those words for the sake of enchanting your audience, I like that, but I know now there is something else I cant say for sure now but you are not just a simple person who enjoys ballet, right Havah? Im sorry if] [That is absolutely true. Yes, I am a person who enjoys ballet the most and I do think its my entire life. But things are more complicated from here on now, as I noticed just recently. This is why I want to] [Quit dancing and regret for the rest of your life? Are you sure this is the right thing? There are thing really, some things that I cant completely understand, but I try to at least. I cant say Im a capable person, but listen, without your help I would have never believed in myself. Yet, stating that Im not completelybut that is a different matter. You and I are like two opposite, you are fire and Im the snow You are pretty and Im not nothing will change that.] [So who will say that is not what can be accepted? Just like Juger said, no one can become truly perfect. Accepting that there is a certain way to reach true beauty is also convicting yourself there is no world outside of you.] In that moment, the swing bench we were sitting on raised into the air, as if the vines holding it reacted to what I have said. Now our vision was much wider and we could all see the forest as well as the sky. Even if we were high up, we started to swing. Gently and with care I straightened my legs and kept a steady rhythm to harmonise with the space that nature gave us. Yuki on the other hand was a little fretted, as she was holding onto the seat with her tiny hands. I smiled at her Just like I said previously to Juger, going out of your shell means facing the reality. I had to do that as well, when Karma helped me realise what I was missing. My family they really did not lie about how I was born. This DID was something that I was the reason for my confusion all this time, but I rejected it when I noticed something scary. All those memories I thought I had were fakes ones that were created by my misunderstanding. What DID done to me was simply convince me that I needed strength to survive. Doing so I wanted to become stronger, just like my brother. I started to idolize him and created fake memories with me as him, in order to protect that desire. Then I mixed that yearning with my aspiration to dance but in the end ballet was also something that helped me. [Are you having fun like that? You act like a little kid sometimes you know? ihihi~ If you still enjoy being at the playground maybe we should go someone together? Like a theme part or something or this Mermaid City that I heard is opening soon.] [I see, that is a suggestion yes, but for now I wish to speak. I was mistaken about many things, and this childish joy was the only remain from my memories, after they got unfortunately damaged. If I were to speak freely, I must thank you for giving the freedom that I needed to escape from the egg.] [Oh so you did ride that one where they trap you inside of a ball? Thats quite like you, always rolling around and never staying in one place ihihi~ I can race you if later you wanna.] [Im serious here look lets change the subject a little and I will explain it to you.] We stopped our swinging and moved our positions. We faced each other, sitting against the sides. On a certain height, her sight was directed at me and I returned it. Besides us various branches, and colourful leaves of gene I couldnt name or recognise. The tree on her side was blue, and mine was red. [You see, I always wanted to practice ballet as a young kid but I also thought that was not enough. I was bullied because I was weak and shy unlike my twin brother. But he was a man so I guess my father forced him to become strong despite him wanting to be like me. In the end what we both lacked, and what we wanted was to be like each other. That is why after my coma I wanted to carry on his wish and] [And you wanted to become strong? To be someone who is ready to kill at any point? Jeez, that is quite drastic dont you think? Im sorry for your DID and everything but] [Thats not all, because I still had my original desires of becoming the most beautiful dancer. That alone helped me realise that there was something that was contradicting in my behaviour. You know who was the person who helped me the most? It was you Yuki the one I wanted to become beautiful for.] [Wait really? You are making me oh come on! Thats just silly] But thats the truth, without her I wouldnt be able to see my own reflection in the mirror and face it. There are times in life where you would reject your own being, saying that you are not like thatbut the truth is something that you will have to accept in the end, if you want to reach any goal at all. I wanted to know why Im doing this for her or my brother, and my answer was right beside me all along. [You know what the connection between the two is? I wanted attention from my brother, my family and you.] I relaxed my legs a little, and stretched them all the way towards Yuki. She was in my eyes, and I couldnt have asked for a more charming swan to exist for me. A lonely ballet is a sad one. What is a prince without her princess? What is a dream without reality? All those pretty thingsand yet it took me this long to find them in the grass. I dont want to let them go not now or ever. [Like if normal solutions would work for us right? We are like twisted inversions of everyone else, we cant just accept when someone shoves us a get well soon or dont worry too much and stuff.] [That might be the truth you speak, as for those words place within my soul splendidly as well. I remember being told by my parents something similar, yet it never resonated with what I desired.] She brought her face closer to me as my mouth was shut by her gentle smile. My eyes and hers were drawn closer to each other, as if the world in our pupils was becoming one and the same. [You just simply wanted to have everyone see you dance and acted like a killer because that brought the attention to you? Listen Havah, I dont think I could explain the feelings I have right now, but allow me to reach deeper for you okay?] And so, with her hands in the air and her legs holding her body, she started hanging from the swing. She looking at the world upside down now and I could only see how her blue and green horizon was inverted to mine. [Talking about that problem with others is always difficult, because no matter what I say, they tend to make hasty assumptions about me. Since Nymphomania isnt regarded as a disorder, people recognize it as my addiction, and thats the reason why I push them away. And still the truth is that, though no matter how hard I try, I cant control it, and at times my will loses to the heat of my body. Therefore this facile imagine they put onto me becomes the truthIm not like a normal person that can overcome her weakness.] [I dont understand what do you mean by that? Is this why you were acting so strangely that night? Then I apologize for doubting your love. I must be looking like a fool now, the most disgraceful one] [In my eyes that wouldnt be so bad really. People are not perfect, and their beauty is often reflected by that. For example I wouldnt be in love if you were just a person that like dancing you are far more than that. You have passion and skill and on top of that you know to express your feelings unlike me really. Why would we stop at your DID and my sickness if we both have other things? Normal or perfect doesnt matter] Saying so, my body moved on its own to Yuki, since she started trembling. Just like that one time, I firmly secured her thighs and lowered myself, my foot holding against the ledge of the swing. [Because it is not always the most beautiful of the answers, isnt it? Like asymmetry, connecting fire and ice, if we look just at the reflection of the mirror we shall not apprentice the true charm that lies in imperfectness.] [That is why there is no point for us to discard our dreams. Even if our parents say otherwise, let us twist the truth.] Soon we found each others heads upside down, with a mild yet sweet addition of red on our checks. I searched for her body but our hands meet in the middle, as she enveloped her tiny fingers between mine. She completely surrendered to me, giving me no choice but to share the feeling with her. As our lips connected Instead looking at the mirror for an answer, wonder why others remark that you are beautiful when they really mean it. As our tongues exchanged their fluids and without using words, our thoughts enkindled the existence to this fairy tale. Below two little birds were reflected by the pond. Everything was mimicked perfectly and yetnot a single movement was blemished or deformed, not even by a mischievous leaf or the wind. It was the truth of what was between us. Even so the end of the world was about to come. === [So you are saying that nothing else really matter any more huh? You only fight for her now, and thats lovely! But being a killer is not only being strong, it is something you need to take responsibility for too. You killed a person, and personally I cant forgive that! Im going to smack you some sense into you.] [Oh yea, that was my past, and I can assure you Im way ahead now. Can you please stop already? You lack the strength to show that I walk on the wrong path. Tell you what, I fought with Albert. Hes good, but could he handle my dancing style? Huh? You arent even going to dodge? Okay, you asked for it.] [Naive! You need to learn the matchup first because you try something like that! And my pleasure, Im going to teach you how to fight for free, because Albert was clearly sloppy. Just so you know, you will have no rest until you and all of your friends here stop thinking about performing your plan okay?] Yawn...something woke me up? It was a voice...sounds actually. Oh right, I still had this thing on my head...In the distance I could hear some fighting noises I wonder, didnt Rose say that this was a non aggression zone? Anyway I should check it out because I think I heard Titania and Havan fighting, which is really worrying for me. [Oh yea this is really fun isnt it? You can run away all you want I dont have a reason to stop shooting. Besides arent you with the longer range? You should be more aggressive or you will never get a girlfriend ihihi~.] [I feel a little threatened really, just a little bit. My bow certainly has more range but thats not important. I trust my friends not to make a mistake so I cant act out the plan now. You know, you are not looking that bad, maybe we could date after this is over? Oh my Im picking up girls in the middle of the combat again?] [Yes you do sweetheart! ihihi~ but sorry you creepy dark elf girl, Im already taken. Just stand still, and I will show my pity by shooting you dead. Thats the least I can do, because you guys want to be friends right?] [Ugh that again.] Yes certainly there were people there fighting! I could hear Yuki and Darku, but why and how? Did they duel? I needed to run there and stop as fast as I could but I could barely find a way through this maze. [You again? My dear, if one time was not enough, then surely the second time wont be satisfactory. A tip to the young mademoiselle, anger leads to a bad skin care, especially cause wrinkles on the forehead.] [Im not angry, just sad that all this time you could have been helping, you chose to side with them. I understand your needs, they are the same as mine, but Pina already told you right? I trust that she did What you guys are doing is only going to destroy the world and nothing else. You really want that?] [You see, this pathetic lady desires to be punished, for she is a bad and awful person, just like you say. There is no way I would reconsider your offer, Im afraid, because it lacks contents and volume.] [You say so but you can easy just stop now! I dont understand why you people can only say those stupid things!] This was my sister again, arguing violently with my lady. If I were only able to teleport over this stupid hedge wallAnyway it seems this might be the right path, though I dunno if I make it time swimming is the only way now. [So you must the leader of them, Juger right? I will give you no handicap because this is a serious fight. Just be ready to give it all or this will be quick. Im going to show you just how imba Rogues are!] [You humour me young man, but Im not as stupid as you might take me. This knight shall accept the challenge, and crush his opponent as he deserves the punishment fitting of an adult. I show no mercy to those who oppose me.] [Oh you think Im scared? You only really have one skill that I should be worrying about. After you pop it, Im free to ride into your backside all day. You know I sparred with Tania a lot so Im sure you cant be that good.] [What arrogant and pathetic whelp you are, black jacket of adolescence. Find not the opportunity to attack, for you shall face the punishment before you will be allowed. Now see how well you speak against the hammer of justice!] I was almost there I felt it was Tanias other boyfriend, but technically they were not dating, Albert who was fighting Juger. I knew that if everyone was involved it would be a fight to the death and maybe even worse considering what could happen. Why was everyone so eager to defeat one another? Just like Rose tried to forcibly persuade me previously at the shrine I arrived at the location, it was a simple plain with a construction in the background there was something strange about it. A lot of vines, or more like roots, have enveloped the gates and the fence of what appeared to be a hidden garden. I couldnt see very well into it but I could tell there was a certain eerie air about it and I could only imagine what could have been behind that door. Besides me, all my comrades and my friends were lying on the floor near the entrance to it. They were beaten and could no longer fight I assumed, but their faces would say otherwise. Full of anger and remorse, they ignored the pain and thought only about continuing the fight. And there was a little cat girl in the middle of all of it unable to think or to make a decision. [You see Pina, I did not lie saying others were planning to defeat your group all this time. This is how it is, they couldnt understand each other, and yet the only language they decided to mutually use was their fists. A shame really, but I was also a part of it. It seems that due your absence I was the only one left in the end, but dont worry. The battle seems not over yet, far from it Im afraid. What do you say that we also] [No I didnt came here to fight I came to stop all of you! Jeez, you really took from my sister, havent you Rose? I told her to stop making up strange things about me but it seems that wasnt enough. Anyway, the answer is no, I shall say that again if needed. I dont desire to fight any more, so you can do whatever go beat me up if you want.] In all this mess, making us the bad guys and me not being in time, I felt the most wrong out of everyone. I was not fully one of them but also I wouldnt want fight my friends for anyones sake. Rose knew that also, and she could have killed me on the spot there. But she didnt maybe because she never issued a duel with me? [I cant do that, because its not you who I need to beat. Answer me, why do you guys fight? Why did you do all those bad things if the better way was to join with others and figure out] [They didnt have an option I mean they were not given a choice. Just like Schuld said, they were all special, they are not normal like you Rose They are not people like me eitherI cant even come close to relating to them. But there is one thing we have in common, and that is our will to change the world into a better place. I know discussing it is pointless now. We have no choice, no matter what we do, and I at least want to help them] [And you want to help them because thats how you feel, you desire for someone to fix your loneliness, dont you? I can understand that, people are never fully developed, but you should look around you first because you take those steps. What is a path that is filled with lies? Only a forest you get lost in. Just like in this garden, people get lost in its beauty.] Rose was serious all this time, and though he raised a hand at me, it was a gesture pointing behind me. She wanted me to step away, to leave this place and never come back, but I knew that would lead to more fighting [So you want me to leave so you can rethink my problems alone to go against my nature of helping people? That is the only way I can grow? But you are mistaken I still need to push forward after all I have done. You see Rose all those people sleeping and whatnot who is going to save them? You only think that there might be a way to solve this, but the truth is not behind you, its somewhere where you havent yet look, hidden away in a locked and mysterious garden.] [You speak of such things with no understanding. Im sorry but I should have explained that from the beginning. Here is where Wolf has appeared before us. This hidden garden hosts a very important tree, vital to his plan. If we stay there here and wait, all of the affected AIs and players will return to normal, that is what he have told us. However, Juger and his party have wondered here, wanting for destroy the gate. We could not allow that to] [And what about it? Perhaps it is for the best that we seek the solution within our possibilities, rather than prayers. We shall not know until we enter, thus rather than believing a god, or Wolf, you should believe in yourself, just like us.] Avoiding confrontation, I tried to look at Roses expression. I couldnt really read her all that well. She was not angry, nor sad, rather disappointed and uptight. She was still fighting against herself [This is really that simple for you, right? Some people say that its better not knowing the truth. You want to find out, even if its going against the gods words, but wouldnt that bring more disaster?] [No, it will not. Juger have said that evil leads to the truth, and this is exactly like that. If you believe me, you will also know that Im serious about this Is there a better way than] [That to believe in what Wolf have said? We all know there isnt, but the hope is what we have left] [Then consider that your hope might lead to what happened before when nothing was changed.] And so we arrived both with our faces close to each other. Like before a boxing match, she looked at meBut she didnt really want to slap me I could see that in her eyes. They searched for a way to avoid fighting, just like mine all this time. It was strange but even if I had the desire to embrace her I couldnt move as she spoke. [Dreams huh you already convinced me again, that it is not worth locking yourself within a false world. I can only see that as an encouragement to do what shouldnt be done, and I did make that decision in my time. Knowing so, we have no choice but to accept that our struggle will stop this world from reviving for eternity.] [Its not like that, Im sure that eventually things will get back to normal right?] [But that is not what Lunar said. Our generation is stuck within a dream, a fantasy that keeps on repeating. All those protests and terrorist attacks in the media only show that the problem exists in the other world. I believe we can affect it by making our decision, but sitting idly wont fix anything. Thus Pina, it is up to you. I will trust that in the end. Despite whatever happens on the other side, you will make the right choice and wake us.] I dont know exactly what she was talking about, but rather than a stare, she was giving me a deep curtsy. Others also woken and they looked as if there were listening all the time. I saw their faces, Juger, Yuki, Havah and my ladythey were all looking at me as a traitor that didnt show up for a fight but they were also smiling through that. I also noticed now that everything was said, they didnt trust each other either and that wasnt good. However it was the others, Titania, Darku, Albert and my sister who were giving me the creeps. They looked scary, as if they wanted to fight against me and Rose at the same time. At the same time, their looks plead that I would move towards the gate so I walked with my attention little bit divided [In the end I was given a choice that no one wanted to decide on because either way it would hurt everyone, it would not be the way anyone wanted. I know its wrong but you have to trust me and trust each other too! ] Only I could have said the words, as Pina of grey, in the middle of this colourful forest. The two groups, now at temporarily peace, awaited me to perform my duties, as the one who would be neutral. I sided with Juger and his group because what they have said was something that only we could do. I sided with WRose and her team too since they had the same goal as me and others, but a different method. I was in the middle with my apple knife slicing open the roots. The gate was opened, and only our group went through it. === Chapter 11 [Tree] === Chapter 11 [Tree] We entered into another worldthis was no longer the beautiful garden we knew from before. It was a spacious location, and blue sky was around us. As we walked on top of pure white puffy clouds, and before us was a gigantic tree, almost as big as the world itself, with many leaves and branches. When you looked upwards you could barely even see the sky through the foliage on the branches. However, as weird as it may sound, there was no visible light source and the tree didn''t cast a shadow. More so, the sun was not present but the airspace was still blue and appeared to shine on its own. This heavenly space I entered was without comprehension and logic that would originate from the real world. And yet, this was our destination, after all those days of travelling, after all those hours through sleep deprivation...I was still a little dizzy but as for Juger and the others, they looked like they were ready, though everyone was still clueless to what are we supposed to do. [And so, we arrived at what it appears to be our goal, the centre of all the roots, mother earth itself. This tree was here from the very beginning and as it grew, so too the branches did, along with the vile. From it the seed of pandemonium was created, which fertilised the ground to grant wicked powers to the soil. Those that planted their talents in it soon rooted into their selfish desires and were severed from the mortal realm.] [So they left their humanity behind and turned into evil beasts that lurk around every corner. no matter what tomorrow brings, the beauty of it is blemished by never ending cycle of sin.] [Trust and honestly become the words that were replaced by greed and survival. Those normal, yet twisted deep inside, humans are the ones that decide about the narrative and meanings.] [Alas, my dear parents and I might not be one and the same, but I too inherited the sin of weakness. To fight it and overcome it became my path, and thus even if this lady is heinous, she is also noble.] [Yea guys, we can definitely do this now! I don''t want to live in the world like this either, so let''s cut this tree and go home... whatever happens later is something we will have to deal with.] So according to what I think is going to happen, without the tree the world might end, whatever that mean. However it looks healthy on the outsidethe inside of it is a totally different topic. I''m sure by now, that even there is a lot of things good in the world, we can''t just simply stop at them. We have to try, and weed out the garden before it grows into a jungle that, with the exception of monkeys, no one wants live in. With firm steps we approached the tree, and knowing how this world works... we probably triggered the boss. The branches become more alive, as if the wind blew at them. But there was no current I could feel in the air. Instead, the giant tree become animated, as if it was pulled by strings, and the branches became its hands. The huge number of its arsenal was impressive and daunting. Looking at it from afar, we wanted to spot a weak point, although it didn''t appear like it had any. The barks were equal in density and they did look like they were hard. Hands of that monster were also spaced in a way that it was always able to reach us. But anyway, we had to do something... [Here it comes! This wretched creature and its ways shall be cut and laid bare. This black knight will brandish his axe, his hammer of justice that will show the truth.] And with that our battle commenced. All of us started attacking the branches, as Juger rushed towards the trunk. With each hit the boss seemed unaffected, as we didn''t see any visible damages or cuts. Without any effect, soon the hands easily smacked me and others. It did hurt a little, but it was no reason to cry just yet. With his grapple, our Tank wanted to initiate the attack on the tree, but it wasn''t that simple. It seems that you were not able to directly grab the treehis hand just couldn''t get any grip. With Yuki shooting and Havah trying to protect us from hands, I and my lady stayed close to each other, and started to cast our magic spells in hope we would hit multiple targets. But that also had little effect. What we only managed to do was to make the branches shake a little, and made it drop some fruit. It looked a little like an apple, but we could not know for sure. Additionally it was already rotted and smelt bad. I wanted to move away from the stench but I was forced to a corner by one of the boss'' hands. [If this continues I only need to cut right? Easy, I can just use my dancing style.] [Just keep them away from me Havah! I really dislike the creepy kind.] Avaria, who was probably the most confused of the bunch, needed to focus on keeping everyone''s alive. However we were all split and our Tank was far away, taking some damage from the tree. I knew that was fine, that he wanted to active his buff, but without a Priest he would die easily afterwards. Additionally... The rotten fruits that fell down from the tree now emanated a gas of sorts. It was dark and violet, and obviously didn''t smell very pleasant either. Fortunately I wasn''t anywhere close to then, to the danger, but I couldn''t say the same for others. Havah, who were affected started coughing and got a little paler. That is what happens when you get poisoned I guess? But that was not the only visible effect, because as soon as he came close to Yuki, she started being a little sick herself as well...It was contagious it seems, but on top of that the gas clouds on the ground prevented us from freely moving around. [You two lovebirds, this lady shall provide assistance so please kindly remain calm.] [Jeez... I don''t know why this is *cough* but I feel sick in real life too.] [This is just Synapse, don''t worry... *choke*help is coming.] As I was being alone and far from the centre, I couldn''t really hit many branches at the same time. If I was to use my Meteor Strike I had to move closer to the middle, but that was not at easy. It had those guarding hands and those rotten clouds... it was hard to see how I would be able... But then something else happened. Branches that got rid of their fruit had their leaves discoloured, they started to turn less green. It was as if they were turning into autumn-like gold and started being affected by the strange invisible wind. Within seconds it gained speed, and unlike the natural way, the leaves started to fly downward with a swoosh. Quickly the tides turned and I no longer wanted to move towards the tree. Several honey coloured knifes flew at me, and I had to dodge by moving along the circle. Others were also affected by that attack, especially Avaria. It would be most unfortunate to lose her this early in the fight, because I couldnt cast healing magic like her. [Beast of great size like this should behave properly and give this fair lady an easier time. Autumn perfect for a walk in the park, but this rascal acts uncultured towards women.] [Just stay there and heal somehow... you can deflect those projectiles right?] [Yes but not when this lady''s gentle face gets slapped by this brute.] It seemed that we all were getting pretty damaged all over and we needed to do something quick, or this fight would end quickly. If only Juger were able to block the hits from branches for us, we would be in a much better position. But as things are now we can''t afford playing solo like this. === With my powers not being useful for the part much, I only tried not to get hit and dodged the attacks. The branches and the leaves were already enough for me, though I didn''t feel I would last for much longer. I noticed that the tree itself was getting more barren and soon it would get rid of all its ammunition. But thinking so I also noticed what was happening with my comrades. Because Avaria finally reached Yuki, she tried to heal her but was unable due to her poison. Afterwards she also got infected and started coughing. Without the ability to restore HP it would just be a matter of time before they would fall to the ground... Soon, Juger and the others, one by one depleted their health until they could no longer fight any more. The first one to fall was our Rogue, who was quite aggressive in his play style. Following his example, Avaria and Yuki both at similar times fallen to ground, they appeared like if they were having a pleasant dream. And finally our leader would fall, because he refused to heal, not that he was allowed anyway by the relentless hands [I''m alone now right? Guys don''t worry... I will save you all somehow so stay still. I know that you can''t speak now and I''m technically talking to myself... but listen! After all we have been through I have decided to walk this path with you, by myself. That shows that our differences is something we can all overcome, so have hope okay?] As I said those words, there were no more leaves or the fruits on the ground that produced the miasma. The only object, or rather monster was the boss itself, the giant barren tree that went silent. Without any woodcutters that threaten it, it spared no energy to move or finish its aggressors. At the same time, the air around me felt chilly all of a sudden. I started to envelop my arms around me, and rubbed myself a little, but it was still cold. On the ground, instead of the puffy white clouds, something resembling snow appeared. When I moved I also left foot prints that disappeared after a while. Furthermore the visibility got worse and a fog appeared. I could barely see where I was going, and couldn''t hear anything but the wind blowing. My running nose sneezed from the freezing breeze, though I was fine in real life, because it was Synapse that made believe so. I was actually fine outside of the game. With my limbs all over my body, stroking and keeping my warmth, I was glad that I had a blanket in real life. [Avaria... I''m going... *cough* don''t worry I''m not going to freeze or anything, it''s just an illusion, a make-believe play... though I wish it wasn''t this realistic.] Perhaps not visibly, but I felt like my strength was depleting with each moment. Not just my legs, but breath leaving me frail and without stamina. That was just the game I told myself, so...eventually I reached my lady, and though I was barely standing myself, I tried to help her. I wanted to squat down but my legs gave up on trying and fallen flat on the ground. With my hand... [Thank you my dear assistant, even though this might be the only gift I have, take my healing spell which should restore you to back to full strength.] [I appropriate the gift but I''m fine... It''s something with stamina.] With us both back on the feet, I wanted to at least help others before something would happened, but we had little time and we got hit with a surprise. The fog around us disappeared slowly, and another mirage appeared before our eyes. It was a brilliant and filled with light carousel. Around the arena there were horses, fake like the ones you see in a merry-go-round. There were two sets, the one inner and the otherthey both had different rotation direction. Furthermore, some tune was playing, but I didn''t want to listen because it was getting me a little sleepy to be honest... Well anyway, whatever happened we should be wary of something attacking us again and revive others while we still can. While Avaria was taking care of Havah, I helped Yuki up. With this only Juger would remain, I thought, but that had to wait because we were already under attack. Several unicorns dashed, and intercepted our way. They were white as snow as well, their hairs shining with a brilliant mystery. [Are those unicorns now? We have pissed someone off with our aggression, but I don''t care. Let''s just shoot this guys too and fishing up the tree after.] [What marvellous creatures came to see our little play. Very well, I shall deliver my part with a deadly and beautiful pirouette. Have at you!] Luckily Avaria and the others were low HP so they didn''t think about splitting again. Doing so, they were all the benefactors of her Healing Orb and Benediction. With those effects on, Havah managed not to get downed while receiving his hits, and at the same time he allowed Yuki to strike, which shot down the adversary with a single round. I also started casting my spell to damage them... Nevertheless I was knocked back along with Yuki. We were split from the party now, and that was bad. More and more unicorns appeared from beyond the merry-go-round. It was crucial for us to deal with them at once, so I started gathering them in one space. This way I could strike them all down with my Meteor Shower...though that seemed na?ve. Because of their speed and wildness, it would be hard to keep them all in one place, I noticed. Luckily Yuki had the same idea and prepared traps for me to draw in the enemy cavalry. The Shock Trap, should be enough to land a hit or two, but we all had to attack to finish them all in one go. [Hey don''t worry about me... I can blink and run, I''m going to survive somehow.] [Just do it now dammit! Don''t run around trying to be a hero you silly little kitten! You''re too cute for that ihihi~ Just get them here, run and we will be rock solid.] [I never knew words that warm could... well never mind I''m just going to do it!] [Brr! So cold... Can you stop fooling around?] I think that was meant to be sarcasm, right? Anyway we managed to create our trap, with the assistance of Havah. He placed his Spring Trap, I had my Rune Prison and Avaria got her Chill Sphere. All of this combined, was probably too much already, but I didn''t want to take chances. All of us had their own unicorns chasing them, so we only had to move in the middle and then somehow escape before they all surrounds us and beat us up. However, we all did have some skills to deal with running away, like Yuki had her Safety Rope or something. With good hope this plan would work, I ran as fast as I could towards the middle of all our traps. Soon met by Yuki, my lady and Havah, we activated the Shock Trap first, quite early as well. I wanted to jump out with my thunder teleport, but there was still time, so I stayed behind. Others though... they left me. It seems I have become a lonely carrot-on-the-trick in the middle of the shocked horses. Soon enough, their stagger would be over and I could become their breakfast, but that was still too early for that...This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. [No fear my damsel. I have come to protect you from the harm of these beasts. Do not fall for their looks for those pale beings without riders are waging war.] [I see... it''s nice to you made it before I was forced to become their princess thanks.] [It was your lady who granted me another try, thus you should be thankful to her.] A Tank was much more suited for this job so I teleported out. At the same time Juger used his skill, Gravity Pull, to gather all the monsters for us to damage. It was very effective, he caught all of them. And so, we only had to throw our AoE skills at the fenced and defenceless monsters. It was not even a challengethey just died one after another. As for us, we felt once more united and ready for the next phase. === With all of the white haired creatures before us, melting like the snow beneath them, something changed. The ground was no longer cold and I was warming up as well. The light returned, shining more brightly, the fog was no more, but ominous the merry-go-round was running, flashing and the music was playing. From the ground that appeared we could barely notice little green spots that supposed to be grass. It was slowly rising, as if it was just awaken from a deep sleep. Furthermore the tree itself, or rather its branches, also got greener and little leaves started appearing again. With all this, the air was filled with a soft, alluring and pleasant fragrance of various early spring flowers. With the colour turning from white to green, rainbow-like foliage also started to appear, growing into a small garden around the boss. It was a colourful array, like a prismatic corsage of gems it gently encircled the tree. Behind it I noticed that lights on merry-go-round actually resembled those flowers if you looked closely. [This is quite pretty I must say. A simple visionary pleasure to life, the beauty of nature, and the sweet scent of life. All this is what fills the soul with the energy to grow. Say no more, I shall give you a graceful dance, one that would even charm the wild animals from a deep forest.] [You ought to stay put Havah, we are far from done here okay? Besides I can see your forest dance later right? Ihihi~ if we do it that is...] But maybe that was too early to speak because the boss didn''t want us to rest just yet. I heard a strange sound in the air, but I did see anything. Like a flutter or flapping of wings, there was certainly something in the sky and others looked around. I felt like someone was watching. The tree itself got greener but the scent of it was still obscured by the flowers around it. There must have been some connection to the sound and the flowers that grew there but...Others appeared just like clueless as me. Still, that didn''t stop Juger from doing his thing. He rushed at the tree, trying to continue dealing damage like he did before. It seems that worked, but also the tree did not protect itself at all. What was it planning I wonder? I had no idea. [Clearly my darling comrades, the tree itself has given up on its brutality, and gave us a gorgeous garden for us to enjoy. Isn''t it wonderful, yes? Should we follow this gift of generosity and showed that we bear no ill will, we can truly feel at ease, here among the flowers and their charm. ohoho~] [You are joking right... I think it might be too early for me to rest, but I do feel exhausted due the snow trip earlier... maybe it''s fine, I could use some stamina because I feel it''s pretty low now... if not depleted.] [Hey, you two! Just fire at the boss and we can all rest afterwards okay? You don''t want to give up on now because we clearly making progress here.] Ignoring our suggestion the rest simply resumed their attack on the tree so we had to join them as well. We used our buffs, like Blessing or Magic shell, and placed them all on Yuki. Because of Avaria, and her Favoritism, it would boost of her sniper rifles damage by a huge amount, she was our dps after all. Furthermore because we could not grapple the boss, Juger couldn''t use his speciality effectively. But that didn''t matter because we had all our other skills that we could use. With everyone blasting, I tried to use my Meteor Strike finally, but something was amiss, like literally a thing went over our heads. With all the buffs on the Marksman, she became a target of an attack. Those sounds I have been hearing, I could only see a faint outline of their bodies. They appeared as some kind creatures with wings, that looked human, but there was something eerie about them. They used an iridescent magic powder and spread it all over Yuki. [Acho! What is this sparkling thing? I kinda feel strange... Hey don''t just stand there, do something about it, okay?] [Ah but of course I will come to your aid. But without the enemy in sight, what I am do to? Blindly I shall strike with my dance, thus worry not.] [Yea thanks for that, I just need to...] Suddenly, the all mighty and powerful Yuki was charged with strange energy. It rushed through her body, and left the poor girl lying on the grass. She was electrified and left unconscious, but also the light in her...it escaped towards the sky, got absorbed by something and disappeared. I was sure now someone was there. [Hey don''t worry, I will get them with my...] But then I too got covered with that strange powder. At first I could barely notice any difference and just wanted to sneeze, though later my senses got aroused to the sweet flower nectar, like if someone was pouring it inside of my lips forcibly. My body all got numbthe energy around me was changing and started to itch my skin. By that I mean the buffs I had...They somehow transformed and caused pain to my body. After the magic left my body, I felt like my stomach emptied completely. After that I guess I don''t know how but I was still alive, unlike Yuki who fell down on the spot. Perhaps...it depends on the number of buffs, how much damage do you suffer right? But anyway...It''s a pity I didn''t get to use that skill again, because now I need to wait for the long cooldown again. [Here you Yuki, I got your back.] [Thanks Havah, we should get those things... they are after our buffs.] Even with knowing our enemy, we were not able to see them, thus it would be difficult to deal with them. So I was thinking...maybe if we gather them all in one spot we will make the outlines more visible? Or least, our ranged attacks would more likely hit... [Hey we should deal with the adds I think... they will just cause trouble to us. Lets group up in one place and see if they follow it would be easier that way.] However at the same time something happened to Avaria. She was lifted in the air, by a grapple perhaps? It seems that she didn''t want to tech it or didn''t do it in time. Whichever was the case, magic enveloped her. It was sparkly and colourful lights than gently carried her arms and hands upwards. Her legs struggled, but that was not helping. She was already too far from the ground, so kicking wouldn''t release her. [I request from you to release at once, my delicate body is not a plaything!] [Fear not their trickery, for I shall save you from their witchery.] Easier said than done, it wasn''t just the case of helping her, but that she was already out of the Tank''s reach. Furthermore something appeared behind her, it was like a crystal, vibrant and shiny wings... butterfly wings. No longer was she carried but flew in the air like the queen of fairies. Her grace left little sparkles and glitter, her eyes and hair were filled with a strange light. This could only mean trouble, I thought, and I saw right... [So that is the way they treat their guests, how splendid. If its so then I accept, this graceful lady shall become their queen and protect them from the harm.] [Wait what are you saying? Focus on the battle okay?] [When I would rather... I must say I''m confused by all those stimulations I''m experiencing right now, I''m truly sorry. However it appears those invisible creatures are now in my sight, since I was chosen. Yet I cant control these wings. I am unable to help, but I can point you where to strike, is that fine?] [So you were possessed by fairies or something? That''s fine... just point them out.] With that said, we started to chase around the almost invisible shapes pointed out by my lady. Again, without much difficultly we managed to quell them because they couldnt play any more tricks on us. Even if they wanted to use their powder again we were warned by their queen I started to feel bad about killing them, since it seems they just wanted to play... Eventually Avaria pointed out the last one and I used a spell to defeat it. There were no more fairies left. With that my lady descented gracefully onto the ground and her brilliant wings disappeared. She started to fall but I timely arrived to her aid, grabbed her and placed her on the ground. [Like a queen that had to punish their subject, I feel at loss. To speak of what happened, I was whispered to take a role of their leader with all the gifts they granted me, which made me fill bliss. I knew this feeling was a fake one, though I didn''t mind... I fell down into my dream and trance, forgetting about the battle and world. As regretful and pitiful this lady is, please allow her to make up for her gaffe.] With both on her hands on the ground and kneeling, she wanted to say sorry for her slip of mind. But we really couldn''t tell what was happening during that time to her. One thing was for sure. Because this boss didn''t fight normally, not only our bodies were tested, but our minds as well. === With the worried faces, everyone knew that just with tactics and brute straighten we will not succeed. Whatever the boss was going to do now, the party just simply didn''t care, as it posed no threats so far. However, we also knew that we need not only to survive the mechanics of it, but also the effects of Synapse. Naturally you can just turn that thing off, but if we did I feared that we wouldnt be able to deal with something like fairies again. [So it uses Synapse for its mechanics huh...we should keep it on just in case. Have you guys noticed the fairies? I think we only did because of it so...] [Hence, its better to leave it on? This compassionate lady shall abide with the suggestion.] All that considered Juger was not listening to me talking with my lady, and started cutting down the tree. Others also joined him after a brief moment. I could only notice by the corner of my eye, the merry-go-round got a little more liver that before it seems. The horses were faster and the lights were flashing strangely, putting me into a trance when I gazed. On top of the music that played I started to feel a little bit dizzy, like someone was talking to me. While my head hurt, I also felt a slight temperature increase. The grass on the middle of the arena got greened, as well as the leaves on the tree. It was almost like everything blossomed but at the same this was their turn. Once again, the tree woke up and started to swing at us with its arms. We were pushed to the far end of the arena. [With this continuing, we are back at square one, aren''t me? What a bother, after all this phases it''s this one again.] Everything seemed to be just like Yuki said, but I didn''t feel the same. It was something that was echoing my head, telling me to go to sleep and cease fighting. Its like when you play the games for too long, you get tired, and you head plays tricks on you. Go to bed, it''s too late, tomorrow is another day, but you keep playing. I wasn''t quite fortunate because I''m not a coffee drinker, and I couldn''t get tea... maybe I should ask my sister? I think she is sleeping already so I can''t count on her helpI just have to tough it up. Well that aside, my focus was weakening with every second and I barely dodged the boss'' hands that were going after me. [If we continue like this... we should be able to end this right? I feel a little tired but I will manage... just be careful okay?] [And what I was doing all this time Pina? Jeez, you are annoying sometimes, but you''re a cute little scatterbrained ihihi~ Just kidding, keep it together okay?] [Thanks Yuki I think... I should have a snack hidden somewhere.] But I couldn''t even remember where. On top of that, I couldn''t actually stand up from my chair because of several reasons...Still, I hope that I will have the enough energy to finish it before its morning, it was already well past bedtime. Speaking about the sun, it was searing the ground beneath us. It was really hotI had to drop the blanket. Furthermore my hands were sweating as well as my forehead was drenched from the driblets. I used my hand, by it didn''t become wet. I realised that what I have been experiencing was due to the Synapse, probably, but also it felt a lot more authentic this time. I got me looking at the screen, wondering which world was real. I could sense my hands and my legs moving, and with every step, the ground beneath me, and the air around me made me feel more like I was there. There... in the middle of a battlefield. As I was dodging and using skills, I felt exactly like my character would, or at least as I imagined it. With fire spells my hands were warm. With the laser, my bones reacted to the impact. As I jumped up, my entire body was floating in the air, my fluttering skirts material was caressing gently my thighs, and soon enough I forgot about the Pina inside of my mothers room. [Watch out! There is something behind you!] [Huh? I sense nothing.] As I turned my head around so naturally, I didn''t feel like I was sitting in my chair any more. Naturally you can''t twist your neck like that while sitting, unless you have a spinning one, but mine was flat. This not only felt strange to my brain but to my entire body as well. I tried touching my VR set but... [There was nothing... there?] Luckily for me, as I was getting confused, I just barely managed to avoid the boss'' attack. From behind, the merry-go-round horses got off their stations and rushed directly at the tree. There was no pattern, nor did they target us, they simply chose the shortest path to the boss monster. Why would they do such a thing I wonder? I got my answer laterit was not entirely as I imagined it. Havah, who pushed away Yuki to save her, got hit by the horse and suffered the penalty. Before he could move or reach, the head of the pony attacked, threw him into the air and then positioned itself so that he would land in the seat. He didn''t look damaged, and perhaps he could have just teched it, but rather there was something strange that happened to him later. He showed us his smile, gripping firmly at the pole with one of his hand, both of his legs mounting. It was eerie and uncanny, just like Avaria when she got confused by the fairies. The mustang later whinnied, and returned back at its former position, unlike others that destroyed themselves into the tree. [This is... quite fun! ahaha~ You guys should try it too, it feels like I''m dancing with this horse, it''s great!] [What are you talking about? If you can tech it, do it! Come on Havah, this is just another trick they are playing on you, could you stop?] As much as reasonable that sounded, it wasn''t reaching the Rogue quite yet. It was as he was brainwashed or something, similar to how mad AIs were, with his eyes and ears closed. Maybe the game simply took over his character? But that would be impossible because he clearly had his voice still. Whatever it was I didn''t want to join him... Yet something else happened at the same time. As a reaction to the horses attacking, the tree started to glow, and from beneath it, a small red wave appeared. I was slow at first, moving on the ground, as it erased all colour. All those vibrant flowers were now black and white, like drawn on a piece of paper. That wave was expanding, and soon reached all of us. Fortunately Juger that was the closest also noticed that and returned to our side. [Listen to this caring lady, I shall protect you all my darlings.] With the time on the clock I just barely entered the range of my lady''s Sanctuary, which blocked all the damage. That wave didn''t affect us, though our colours did change to monochrome, only briefly fortunately. As it reached the edge, the world returned to its natural hue, slowly gaining saturation. It was all well, except that Havah was still in trouble. It seems he wasn''t affected but still sat on top of the horse full of joy and bliss. He was laughing like a child, and soon other ponies appeared back on the merry-go-round. It seems that we won''t have much time before the next wave. [Look, I want to help Havah first, but don''t worry about me and focus on the hands. If we don''t get the cooldown again we are toasted anyway, so Im going to try something.] [That would be most welcomed from you, white bird, but listen to this knight first. It is most impervious that you steep with ease, as this enemy uses the darkest of magic.] [Yes I will be all right, don''t worry. I got my rope, right?] Saying so, Yuki, before she had put a rope in the middle of the arena, waited until Havah would appear in her sight. This way she was ready to retreat if something happens, is what she thought would be the best strategy. As she came close, and tried to grab his hand, she got knocked back by the brisk tempo of the dancing horses. [Damn... this is not working! It must be a grab or something.] [Then I will come to his aid, as this knight is the only one able his soul.] [You mean you got a skill? Do we even have time for you to switch?] Switching skills in a battle takes time, but his damage buff would probably get cancelled. It appeared that we had no other choice, so he had to do it. Furthermore, when I looked at Havah, I heard less and less his voice and his laughter. This was extremely worrying I admit but then... Just as Yuki returned it seems that all the horses, all but the one with Havah, commenced their attack again. At the same time, my lady got hit by one of the branches and she was on a collision course with one of them. Well what could I do, I teleported, appeared before her as soon as I could and then took the hit for her... She was worth more since had that skill after all that saved us before. === I just hoped my sacrifice wasn''t in vain because I was clearly the one doing the least work out of everyone. With a horse head hitting my behind I was thrown into the air. I had very little control over my body, and I landed on top of the pony. It was strangely comfortable as I mounted it sidesaddle, like a proper lady. With both of my legs on one side and my hand gently grabbing the bar I started feeling a little bit dizzy. It was unlike before, my entire body was stimulated and my mind was dazed. I felt like a gentle feather, or something soft, started to tickle me at foot, my hips and by armpits. With the puzzling sensation, I couldn''t do nothing but laugh. Though that was just the first step, as succeeding that, something else happened. It was as if I started floating in the air and my body was curdled up in a crib. But I wasn''t a baby, I thought, but to speak the truth I didn''t really mind. All those Mermaid City rides really couldnt compare, the feeling felt very genuine and nice. Soon later I remember the days from before my legs got damaged. [Well this is embarrassing... but it is fun just like Havah said... ahaha also I''m not brainwashed, just a little... ehehe~ could you stop? As I said you guys should try it... it might be the only... ahaha~] And with that my vision of my friends was no longer in my sight. I was moved into a different world, the dream world, the land where I could no longer hear my comrades or any voice except my own. It was both cozily fluffy and brightly-coloured. Strange shapes in the warm night sky, sparkly and shiny circles-like stars, there was even a rainbow that looked magnificent. All that time I was riding my horse through it felt more like being carried by a cloud that covered me like a fleecy blanket. I could no longer sense that my limbs were movingrather my head was overwhelmed by the calming sensation that I found difficult to rationalize. I could perceive my body but it was wasnt the same feeling as usual. That would be impossible right? I have only heard about it recently, but what happens with the people infected? Someone said they die... they get strangled and that''s it, just like Schuld... just making me remember that...put me in a state of stress. It''s not possible! He didn''t die because of the game''s fault, that''s ridiculous. But at the same time there was me riding a pony and not being able to move my body... as if I was truly there. [Hey Havah, where are you going? Could you stop... and talk for a little? I''m tired a little and I can''t think straight, but did you really... kill him? Is that even possible? Because if it is then... I feel I got an idea about why he did it.] Someone who got their consciousness completely transferred into a virtual world... was that even possible nowadays? I know that Synapse gets always updated but it shouldn''t be allowed by the government! I mean this sounds like...A plot of a wish-fulfilling of novel or something, and it wasn''t funny. What if like you could overwhelm the brain, and make it feel like they were inside of a game? That was happening to me and I had no idea how to stop it. I was trapped in a dream which was warping into a nightmare. The colours, the music, the pony, my avatar, everything was still the same, happy and laughing. But inside of my soul I felt wrong... that I enjoyed it. Ever since I met my lady I thought it was fine to play around, make money and... well... be her little pet. That was fun, like being with my sister, even though we had our fights from time to time. This shrine maiden thing, Mermaid City and modelling, even if I did hate it because it remained me of my legs, it was also quite enjoyable. Thats why I can also fight this! I don''t need only the happy stuff in my lifeI need the rain to appreciate the rainbow. [Okay focus... I need to press the button on my controller. It should be my pinky so I need to think about it, right? I can do it! I hope that this is going to release me...] I was not sure what happened after that, but it seems that I was no longer riding the horse. Did I press it? When I opened my eyes I saw someone besides me. It was Juger who was on the ground. In fact, I didn''t know why, but it seems everyone else, Yuki, Avaria, and Havah, who were a little closer to the arenas border, were downed. All I could do was to try to recover them one by one, but as my hand reached towards his armour... it was too late. Beneath his metal or on his face I could not feel a pulse. He was... dead? Though maybe I was over-thinking things again, he was only dead in the game, he wasn''t strangled or anything... even if his and others hands was placed on their necks. Was this the effect of the tree? All of this madness, starting with Schuld and ending on the zombies...Alone I did wonder what to do nextno longer could I ask others for help. Alas, there was something else. I noticed that I gained the ability to move my legs freely, like if I were using a full body tracking. What this still the game or a dream? I couldn''t even read the menuseverything was blurred in my eyes [So technically... if I believe what I feel right now and say that I got transferred into the game or something Honestly, I dunno a lot about technology, so I dont know if that possible... but considering others, this is most certainly something real. If that is so then did all this truly happened just now? Did my lady...] It just appeared it my headwas my lady strangled in the game? Did everyone here died in real world as well? Was this really something that could happen inside of a game? I couldn''t be wiser so I rushed towards Avaria, trying my best to see if she was alive. But she was just like Juger... cold hand on her neck and her pulse not present. What I should do? I started to recuperate her as I learned at school. I lowered down to her body, I gave her lips to lips, pushed her chest, but nothing worked. I know that I can revive people, just like my lady, so I switched my archetype and... nothing. At least let me do something here! Dammit! I was really mad that I couldn''t do anything...Before long I started punching the ground with tears in my eyes. It wasn''t just sobbingthe tears kept falling like rain. The sea cat that likes rain... but now I hated it. Not only I couldn''t do anything but no longer was I useful to her. Things that I cared about were no longer near methe precious people I wanted to help ceased to exist. Like a circle, but more wild, the space around me began to burn. This garden of mine, the dream and desire, I no longer have a need for them. There was nothing left for me, only the ashes under my feet. This anger and sadness mixing within me was the reason... [So you trick people into believing in their dreams... trap them in a world that is more colourful than the real one. No one is able to escape you and everyone will become a victim to you eventually... breathless to the marvel of the dream. You are no real, you are lie! You cloud people''s judgment, make them forget and trap them in a circle of iteration. You are evil, but by using you I show you the truth, the only thing I can do now. Burn into ashes completely and disappear forever! ] And so, with the great desire to end this world, I have too became aware what it means to be one of them. People who escape from their life into fantasy... People who get hurt by the appalling elders and parents...People who decide try to reform the society for the better... People who were marked by a vile stigma...Did they all made a choice they are responsible for? If there is no sin, why is this suffering present? The world where justice is something that is set by gods or those in power... what good it is for? It might as well end and forever be destroyed, along with those who are the true sinners. Not even a thousand years are enough for their sentence... this is something that Juger would say. As for me, I am not sure why I''m doing this. I said that I have no choice, but is this really the truth...? If there was a way to take the poison out of the tree then surely... But I was not going to be fooled by lies any more. My dead friends and the ability to walk on my legs, those are my sacrifices that will fuel the flame. Using the tool of destruction, a new world will arise from the ashes, from the lies a new truth will appear. Thus my seed is planted into the soil. [Meteor Shower!] As everything started to burn... I realised it wouldn''t be enough. I had to use one more thing. [With this apple... I''m gonna cut this tree down!] === Chapter 12 ?The End” === Chapter 12 ?The End I was still in Pinas avatar body, I think? I remember when I did that, I started to fall for a long time. Just now I noticed that I was on the ground and quite beaten but I was still barely alive nevertheless. The place I was in was dark, but my eyes picked a faint light. There was a giant glass screen in front of me, some buttons and a control panel. Wait a second, this looks like a bunker since I was underground. I tried getting up from the ground, but I was still in pain a little, so I only managed to drag my tiny body towards the light. Something in front of me, like a giant red button, was flashing as if it was inviting me to press it. It was however... too high for me to reach with my hand so I gave up on trying. I rested my back against the console, and thought to myself, what is this place? And what did happen after all these events we went through? When I say we... I mean the party I was with. If I fell down here, their bodies would also surely... Though I don''t want to think about again, it''s just too sad. I just need to calm down and... [So you have arrived I see? Well then, welcome to my lair and congratulations. You have made this far and forged your destiny on your own, but your reward?] [Wait who are you... I can''t see you at all. Show yourself!] [It''s me Pina, you should remember my mortal form, which was designated by the name of Wolf. I have not revised my name since but I did undergo a change, and I am a different person now. You must be glad seeing me here, I am wrong? I probably am, but let me recuperate your loss first.] This Wolf person, he was certainly someone similar to the man I saw before but was he really a god now? I wouldn''t be surprised if he was given those powers after he became a hero, yet there is something strange. His voice is not the same so I wonder, is he the same person I met or someone completely different? As I was getting confused I noticed that in the darkness there was some sounds, like walking or standing up. They came from a far away opening, so I could barely hear it, but my heart was strangely ignited from them. They were familiar and close to me, those click clicks... there is only one person that wears heels like that. I couldn''t believe my eyes, but due some kind of miracle, my lady was standing in the opening, along with the others. She answered my gaping mouth and shocked eyes with a gentle and elegant smile, followed by a curtsy. I wanted to scream and run at the same time from excitement but I couldn''t move. [Oh my dear, a little kitten has found herself broken like a doll and unable to move? Fear not my child, for this gentle owner shall wind up the marionette into life again.] And with a warm and tender embrace, I and my lady both came together againafter I thought that everything was lost. Her tears fell onto my shoulders and mine traced my chin down to my breast. I could feel their warmth, as if they were a replenishing healing spell cast by the Priest. That''s to say...I regained the ability to move normally again. [Look I can move my legs again! It''s wonderful, I can squad and jump and do things... Just like a normal girl. I just want to dance and sing and even modelling would be...] [Shh... don''t need to get so excited over this simple pleasure of vibrancy. Oh my, this must the first time I see you so lively that this lady can''t simply say no, I shall accept your request, but for now let''s focus on the present, my dearest kitten.] [Oh right, I thought you guys were dead, but somehow you are standing here... And there is also something wrong... with the way my body is right now.] [I shall then explain the circumstances. It is true that you have died, but you were resurrected. This happened because the energy of the tree was released and we no longer could have continued our plan. As you know, the ancient humans, or gods as you call them, devised the plan to save themselves from us. We were considered as a potential imbalance to their realm. To get rid of us they had to awake their sage.] As all this story was happening, I was just really glad that we all made it in the end...I mean they all died right? So what is Wolf saying right now must be the truth, right? [Their plan was to induce a sleep state upon the residents of this world. Afterwards, waking them up would affect the sage as well. Using those who were already in a drowse they spread the infection all over and had everyone running. We have foreseen that, and our countermeasure was to give the humans a dream from which they would not be able to wake up. The tree that you destroyed was the source of that dream, and now the world will wake up, though the chances that the sage will wake up are minimal, due to our doing.] [I understand, you made everyone sleep and protected the garden so that it would be everlasting? The true grace can only be found inside of a dream, and a beauty sleep is needed sometimes, I must say.] [Right now people are waking up and everything is returning to normal, but we are not able to predict what will happen next. The sage might already be trying to perverse the world and create their own tree, one that will warp the reality into a cycle. Our tree merely gave an illusion of that. Alas, there is another way for us to win, something I rather wish not to resolve to. The panel before you is our final fail-safe. Unlike putting asleep, it will cause everyone to sleep eternally, and the end will come.] The end will come? By that he couldn''t really mean... the end of the world? That was our goal from the start, so all this time we only needed to press this one button... and this thing is going to decide the fate of the world... [What do you mean by the end of the world? Do you have any idea... I had my life flashed in my eyes! You bastard! You want us to...] [It is quite so I am afraid... I don''t really mind doing it, but my darlings should have already know this lady''s conviction.] [So we press this button and everything blows up? That kinda sounds cool! I mean I already killed someone...] [Cease your pointless talk, for I dare to say we are not here for chatter. We have been brought here to show our determination in the path that lies ahead.] Everyone started to look at each otherdid they really want to end the world like that? I mean...Havah probably did not realise what was he doing and Avaria... she simply didn''t care. As for Yuki, she wasn''t decided yet, just like myself. I mean I did already brought ragnarok to that tree... [That is very so, if we could have just done it ourselves we would already, but the problem lies in the decision. I have examined your souls and your sins speak for themselves, I can''t allow for such dements to operate. Pina if...] [You say that we do this because we are crazy, because we were born mental, or that we became mad and twisted, but that is not the case. It is the society and our elders which put us in a situation where our actions are wrong, we have been marked as the villains. If anything we always wanted to be normal... to love and give love to others.] Yuki spoke first in a rush, she usually speaks very fast. She wanted to defend herself from those accusations, if her words reached him at all. Wolf was looking at me, not at her, as if I was the one that was worth his power. [You must understand my children, destroying the world is not throwing your tantrums at elders, but ending it and everything you care about. The sacrifice is something you must understand before...] [But the deconstruction leads to beautiful creation, doesn''t it? I say Wolf, you should understand that the from the ashes a phoenix is born, in flames. We are both artists and want to create a magnificent world, we are the same.] This time, Havah, who was posing as a fiery bird, tried to convince Wolf. His words did make sense so the god did give him a gaze, but then returned to me. [Have you no shame, youth of the world? Treated by the blight your minds twisted towards the sin. No fake messiah is going to forgive you, thus you must repent yourself, and see your faults before...] [Alas my dear Wolf, you might not be wrong, that a wicked lady like myself belongs in the deepest part of hell. I dare say, money is the best lawyer in hell, thus the image is too fitting isn''t it? ohoho~ However, I detest from any more assumption as this fair madam has already began her rehabilitation. It is true, isn''t it Pina? Perhaps you are still rooted in your own guilt, Wolf, thus allow us to take it upon ourselves.] Avaria, with her crafty gesturing hand and with a deep blow attracted the attention of the god, but he wasn''t going to give her much of his gaze. This time he did not turn back at me, but at Juger. [You must at least understand that there are other ways to save the world, other than destruction. Have you lost all faith in your convictions dark knight? Is the weight of justice that heavy, that you can only do what must be done under the hammer that judges it all? It is not too late to...] [Even if your tongue speaks accurate, perhaps for the first time, their justice knows nothing about the truth! In this world where the code of chivalry is just an empty world, is it really worth to search for another way? The rot and lime now will remain passed throughout the generations, and plague the very core of this earth.] Behind the monitor I just noticed... it was like a seed daubed in a purple and slimy substance. It was gooey and sticky, like a transparent sap, I couldn''t look at without having my stomach turned. [This knight say, justice is the basis of society, if you twist it you destroy the essence of it, thus we cannot allow for this to continue.] [The matter not lies within what is right or wrong, but what is going to happen afterwards. Do you really think, with conviction, that burning this seed wouldn''t bring a birth to repetition? It will not change the nature, and eventually the poisonous apples will grow again. If we search a way to cleanse the earth from the blight...] [We dont need Rain to fix the world, all we need is fire. We dont need your solution, we have our own way.] This was true for others all well, as their nodded in unison to Juger''s statement. I nodded too, albeit a little slow... because I think there is something we can do... [World isn''t created perfect and there are no perfect things, humans, or solutions to all of your problems. Thus this knight rejected and betrayed his god, leaving his teachings behind. Listen well, Wolf of black fur, you were the one that was chosen to become a hero by Lunar, and given godly power that would save the world. Yet, you have failed, since the blight remained unchanged.] A heated exchange of piercing gazed was traded between the two black figures. [And even so, what makes you so certain that you will succeed at all? What is the secret behind your wicked conviction of destruction?] [Understand our differencewe can do what you cant. Since we are not unlike, we have nothing to lose. As the outcasts of society, as the misfits of society, only we can birth the truth into the world, using unpleasant words normal people are too scared to speak out loud. Becoming the evil for everyones sake, we shall do everything within our power, as we choose not to sit idly for the Rain to come!] The rain to come... even though I always say that love the rain, the word gained a new meaning now. The power of twisting fate... the one ability exclusive to gods. I think I believed in that a little, that one day with hope my legs will heal and I would be able to stand again. But here I am in this cave, with Wolf''s power I am able to walk, though I feel that this is not truly what I desired in the end. Albeit shaken a little, the god in front of me looked at me again, as if I was the only person he could speak to, the only one normal, whatever that meant. But I also didnt feel like that anymore... [I don''t want this world of lies! Wolf... I thank you for your generous gift, the dream that was so dear to me. But I refuse your gift, so I can make the choice. Just like the others who didnt get itI too rather live in reality than inside of a dream. Even if it''s like a nightmare... I don''t hate it, because I accept the consequences.] The dream of a perfect society... in one that everything can be fixed for the better. Is that really an illusion? If only that sage would awake and tell us kindly... but I don''t need his wisdom, because we have our own will. My hand was on the button, and it was joined by everyone elses hands. I could feel that our fire burned greatly. [You can only do what is within your power... The same words as him... be it so, I accept your decision.] Without looking back, we all pressed firmly on the giant red button... but nothing did happen. I was quite confused to what was even supposed... and when I thought about pressing it again... Suddenly the screen lit and showed our imagines from the world. It was a peaceful snow filled place. [No... Penkun! You didn''t die that day... I''m sorry... don''t die!] It showed a penguin group that was... well they looked that had trouble breathing and fell to the ground. In the snow... although they tried to struggle it was pointless. Soon, their movement ceased completely. [My beloved... you truly did love me in the end? My only regret...] We watched a scene where both Havah and Yuki were embracing each other... in their last moment before their breathing stopped. Similar to the way on the screen, the two watching also started to choke and grabbed her necks... though they couldn''t stop it. [This is all the people from Everkeep? They do deserve that fate but...] Now the relay was showing the town that Juger live in, it was a not destroyed in any way, though its residents...A few faces where shown, I assume it was his friends that died there... He tried hard not to shed a tear, but eventually he was getting strangled as well. I and Avaria tried to help him but he pushed us away. [Is this... oh no! Sister please... I''m going to disconnect you!] Though I wasn''t sure how to disconnect myself even... The broadcast showed my sisters character sleeping on the bed, choking and wheezing. She was struggling and fighting to the end... but before I could reach my hand there... [My lady...] My time has come and my hand reached for my neck as well. This is what they all had already experienced, the searing pain in the chest, legs and arms going numb, and the air escaping the lungs. I thought that...I could somehow fight it, that if I had my arms to my neck I would avoid getting strangled but it only got worse... My lady tried to help, trying to stop my choking, but she only managed to hold me until she herself...She pushed her body away, knelled down and grabbed her neck, falling on her side. I was with her, on the ground. Losing consciousness I could no longer hold my grip and released my hands... My legs went cold and so did my arms. With the last vision I caught the glimpse my lady''s face. It was forcing a smile and her eyes were peaceful... I could no longer feel my avatar''s body, nor would I return to my own. I was in an empty place, the darkness without any light. There was no joy or sadness, nor any warmth or coldness, I couldn''t feel anythingI was completely cut from any sensations. This was the end of the world. === I was unable to stop the end of the world and sadly the worst has happened. Yes it is true, the players were given a choice and if they wished they were granted the power to do so, but in the end it was my responsibility to convince them otherwise, so I''m also to blame. I do not fight with liesneither did I agree to all of that, I was merely a victim as well. In this world controlled by adults we live as their slaves, dancing in our mystical circles. Unending is our suffering and great is our pain, thus the anger raises and burns all logic.This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. The destruction and a new begging, that wasn''t my job now. I was merely a broken cog, someone who wanted to push out because they didn''t fit. And yet, after my second try, I did not get the result I wanted in the end. The lies became their shell once again. ... [It is you that give me life and taught me a lot, for that I can''t blame you. It was painful, but I did realise that you had your problems I couldn''t fix them. For that I blame myself. Although in the end, if we blame each other constantly, nothing will actually change right?] I played a character called Juger in a video game, but now I was just myself, visiting my parents grave. I no longer live here, in this temple where I was raised. I am thankful for the past, the good and the bad past. Many memories come back, but I will push forward nevertheless, just like I also do, even without my god. The story of my life is just not worth telling to others, since they will just turn their faces away from me. A child from a degenerate family, someone who tries too hard to become a better person, you are the problem, I heard that too many times now. But all that is now in the past, as only people around from here would remember. [Say dad, maybe I didn''t understand you fully, but what did you see in gambling? You were a priest, shouldn''t you see that all this is the lord''s will, and that you are tested? Greed is a grave sin, but for you it was a pleasure. Maybe you lost all hope and decided to leave it to the luck of draw? I''m sorry, people no longer say "God does not play dice". That theory was overtaken by the Chaos one.] I know that isn''t that quite fitting of a quote but at least it would be perfect for him. He wanted me to appreciate his hobby, showing that there is no virtue in attachment to money. But he didn''t saw his own madness, unfortunately, and died as a lonely and greedy man to others. [I wouldn''t forget about you mom either, you were there for him in times of need. It might have been not for your best, since you body couldn''t even support yourself. But I admired your effort and really did want to earn that money for your cure.] But in the end, not even all the money in the world was enough for your cure. Yea, I agree perhaps I did not talk with my mother a lotshe was the silent most of the time. She would sweep people''s problems under the mat and pretend that they didn''t exist. Maybe that is why she decided to show mercy and marry my dad... I thank her for everything. [So enough about you two, I should be talking about myself right? Well nothing interesting has happened, I''m still in the middle management and unable to find a girlfriend. I know that you are probably upset, but I have been single for this long. It would be awkward for me to suddenly go dating in my fourteens.] I have a better job to do than to pursue love. I wish that someday, I would be able to save this society from all the evil in the world. It is broken without doubt, and even if they do notice they don''t do anything. That is why I must become the dark knight that shows them the truth. This crusade is my repentance after all, since it is hard for me to say that I truly loved my parents. That is the guilt I must always carry with me. In the end, I could never say they were the best parents for me or that I was the best son for themthat does no matter at all. Whats in the past is already over. === The sum we spend into developing Synapse gave us tester privileges that allowed us create the MMO we wanted. Since our world is a virtual one, there is an illusion of whenever the sensations are real. Thanks to that, we accomplished something that was not yet seen in gaming before, something foreboding. We can only technically overwhelm the senses of a human to the point it''s hard to resist. The player is simply put in a dream-like state and functions as if they were inside of the game. This is however not true, and although they still perform actions with controllers as if they were playing, their minds tell them that they actually move exactly as their characters does on the screen. This method however is too invasive and not permitted for commercial use outside of health care. Furthermore, some of the procedures include near death experiences of patients attempting suicide. Thanks to Schuld, we were able to get a licence for that, since we managed to convince their company that we have such people. Also we cant do that officially, but we made it clear in the EULA, that players also accept everything on test servers. ... [So what do you want to say Havah? You seem very eager to talk to us today, thus we can''t hold our excitement. Please tell us what is on your mind.] [I have realised everything, about my DID and about my memories. You don''t need to lie any more, for I have seen the truth. Really, it was that hard for me all this time to accept my brothers death...] [Listen honey, you don''t need to be this hard on yourself, I know that you are suffering so...] [You know nothing of my mind so be quiet and let me finish everything okay? Jeez you people...] Well, I have decided to do this, because I have become a new person thanks to her. I thought really, yea I am enjoying this and I''m helping her grow, but in the end she was the one to show me the way, my hidden truth and its beauty. I''m not the best person to become a boyfriend or a girlfriend but honestly, I don''t care really. I can only thank those that helped me get through all of this, which are not my parents. [Yea I met a girl online and we had a nice time, you can blame her kindness. But that''s not important right now. What I want to say is it took me this long to notice, that all I wanted was attention from you, and my brother. I was the twin who was the shy and the weak one... that is why I wanted to become like my brother when he died.] [That''s... quite interesting actually. It is the first time we are hearing so I must say, we are sorry we did not notice before. Elsewise, if there is anything more you need to speak with us?] My father, who was clearly the alpha male of my family, would always give me and him a hard time. You got to practice, don''t cry like a girl and so on. Eventually it only showed how weak I was, which brought me to tears. The only person there to protect me from the bullies was my brother. I thought that if I became like him... I would be able to protect myself from the terrorists too. [Of course that''s not all! I didn''t talk to you all this time so obviously it''s not just that. You know what DID make people do? They form their own memories and different personalities. Before I couldn''t tell, but now, as I recognized that there is a contrast between my behaviour... that my memories created a person I wanted to become, which was impossible for a dancer like me...] [So you have aspirations honey? We all know how you love ballet, but please consider. You are already of an age and you can''t really afford to be chasing impossible dreams, just like you said. We want you to think about your future carefully, as we will support you.] [Of course your support is everything you could have give to your child... however I don''t need that. I love dancing and I want to purpose it. If not for that, I would have not realised anything. Yes, that sounds ridiculous but I discovered the truth by tracing the steps of my past self.] [I''m glad to hear that honey, but you are an adult now, you can''t think of a ballet career now. It takes many years for young girls to even get the chance at becoming a pro. It''s sad to say, but the reality is hash honey, and we have to make decisions based on rational thinking, isn''t that right?] Sure it is... because you are all normal people who were given all the choices. As for myself, what I am to do with my condition? If I simply quit I fear all those false memories would come back. All those thoughts and tribulations from the past, the bullies or the time the terrorists attacked...I have to be strong for myself, and somehow convince them that I am right, or else they wont believe me. [Here is my answer. Ballet is my life and so I think it is rational to follow it. Without it is like cutting my strings, I become a lifeless puppet. Behold!] I took a letter opener from the table and crossed my legs in a shape of scissors. With the knife between my fingers, I opened both of my palms near the chest and then clutched them into fists. My right hand resting on my heart, my left hand with the blade over and near my neck, this was an act of desperation, but I have already killed someone. [Havah! Please stop! We don''t want to quit balletwe just want you to find something different, something that you can do for your career. We really want to help you realise that you are...] [A defective person? Someone who needs to go through all the schools while his peers are done with college? I don''t want to say you are wrong either, but rather I advise you to stop trying... I''m not a normal person, I''m an artist who seeks beauty above all else. I don''t need your methodsI will crave my own way!] In the end the adults always have a plan for us, pulling from the knowledge of previous times. Now, we chance after our dreams, away from their intention, away from the old society norms. We have to avoid the mundane everyday existence we thought they had, no matter the cost. === There was a miscommunication when we released the zombie event. I was to become Wolf, but I never formally have agreed to that. How would the event play was that the players had to gather, defeat the zombies and somehow survive to the end. But I never appeared to tell them that. I was logged in, sitting in the forests and pressing the button towards no one. The company didn''t even notice, or care, though my father did at least. He said that perhaps I was doing the right thing, but I feel sorry for them. The players never got to know the rules and had to figure out the mystery for themselves. And the problem was, there was no mystery to begin with, so they could only run or log out. Alternatively they could hide in the garden. I must say if I was a game developer, I would say Avalon does a lot of things that are not okay game design wise, for their events at least. You see, they do really grey things, like the thing that happened when you die to zombies. Though the first wave was selected randomly amongst random poll of NPCs, if a player was killed, they turned into a zombie for twenty four hours, while for AIs it was infinite. However, when someone killed the zombified you, you regained the control over your character if you logged in, no matter if you were online or offline during your death. Very few players actually knew about that mechanic. ... Well I don''t get always the best of ideas, but something recently pissed me off quite bad. I was asked to visit my relatives so we all talked and had a nice together. Are you having fun? Of course I couldn''t say no, sitting somewhere in the back, but at least everyone else enjoyed their time. This torture however was the last straw. Right now, I''m going to get my revenge on my parents. [Yes hello mom? Sorry for calling but there is something important I want to talk about. I know it''s late but perhaps you are free now? It won''t take a lot of time really...] [Yes sweetheart, I am always happy that you call me and want to talk about your problems.] [So I''m sorry to say this over the phone but I''m pregnant...] [Wait what? Are you serious sweetheart? That''s lovely! I mean we should all celebrate.] Wow what a bitch! I said that so she would get worried or even panicking but she congratulated me instead. Of course that was a lie by the way, but I wanted to push it further. I didn''t want to make just even, I wanted to defeat my mom once and for all. Her fake smile or whatever... damn I''m so mad right now! [Oh yea I know, I''m also very happy. But I was thinking a lot past twenty four hours. You know, the handsome gentleman that made me a baby was a person I meet online at first. We went to a hotel and did it for real this time and my... it was amazing I tell you.] [That''s fine sweetheart, I''m sure all the juicy details can wait for now. Can you tell me more about him? What is he like? Is he a proper man and everything?] [He had DID and actually killed someone in the game, but worry he is a perfect man for me.] Even though he was born as a girl I think? I don''t really mind at this point honestly, after all those boyfriends maybe it is okay for me to try something completely different. [Uhu... I know that he has a brilliant character already, but does he work? How much he earns?] [I dunno I haven''t yet asked about those questions, but he likes ballet so he has passion.] [Oh okay, that''s fine, it''s really okay. Maybe I can meet him sometime? I mean you are planning to marry him before your tummy inflates right?] Well I could tell she was losing it already, so my mission was accomplished, though partially. I needed to break her, and show her no mercy whatsoever, just like she was treating all this time. [At some point yes, but I''m not sure about that. If he decides to take responsibility then sure, but on the other hand, I can always get an abortion and another baby, that wouldn''t be a problem.] [Wait a second there, what abortion? You guys are in love right? Tell him that if I see him running...] [Oh are you going to murder him? Well good luck he is skilled with a knife by the way.] [tsk... my daughter saying those thing... you have no shame yet? I actually thought...] Yea I would have realised by now too, but in this state I probably will get her to talk, finally. [Yea you can have your typical life where those things don''t happen, but I have my own. No one is perfect, or normal in your language, but you wouldn''t understand that ever. Just keep pretending that everything is alight with me, and what I really need is a job or something.] [Sweetheart... I think we need to talk in person about this. I''m quite displeased you have said that.] [Don''t worry I''m not taping this call or something. Tell you the truth, that guy is real though, we only met in VR. By we I mean he became my boyfriend with all the implications. Yea, I love Havah and he is really sweet you know? It''s my first boyfriend that has no connection to you whatsoever. Are you going also to deny our love or something? He is not worth you sweetheart, you should get a better man... screw that! I simply cant help that, so accept it already!] [Don''t you shout to your mother child, I didn''t raise you like that. I can accept the boyfriend, but only after I met with him okay? If he doesn''t convince me you can forget about the wedding money. And one last thing, who is paying for your apartment? If you managed to get a job I''m fine, goodbye.] Wow she was really pissed saying those last words. But she is right, I probably need money, or else she is cutting me from the family entirely. Oh yea, like I cared for her anyway...Somehow I will manage with Havah I hope... But if I don''t there are always the cold streets... In the end I rather live on my own, without the help of my mother, than to regret not making this decision. === We initially made tree boss to be a worldwide boss, but when we realised that the number of players was dwindling. With that we had to scale the encounter to fit for a smaller group. Before we noticed it just became a miniature boss. Well I didn''t really care but the whole point was that the players could ally with either Wolf and Lunar or their enemies. Choosing to destroy the tree was also ruining the plan of the hero and waking up all the affected AIs. Choosing not to destroy the tree, but defeating it nevertheless, was to accept the rebirth of the sage. If that happened, players would no longer be able to log out and run their AIs for eternity. They now had a dream allowance, which they had to fill somehow... though that would happen anyway, in spite of which path the players would choose. Because the whole point was to force a new way of the AI allowance, we had two narratives ready which would explained the change, either saying that Wolf with Lunar was the cause of the new system, or that the sage was the cause of the new system. However players would never learn about this so that they will always think they had an illusion of choice. Pretty smart, and it''s all thanks to my father. Anyway, the boss itself was a pushover so we had to nerf it for low lever players anyway. ... Ring, ring... someone was at the door? I don''t think my sister would have returned home this early. Anyway I need to get up from the ground and into my wheel chair... I told her to not to forget about the keys. [Hello, you must be Pina right?] [Hello miss... I mean yea that is my name, how did you know?] Actually thats my characters name but... I responded before realising that. [I had a good guess, I''m Avaria by the way.] In very fancy clothes and light makeup, caring a bag and parasol, someone calling herself Avaria... Wait I know her, I mean a character from that game... was that her? She has my address as well...This was getting more and more embarrassing because I was only wearing light clothes on me. [Ehh... please come in!] I couldn''t think about anything to say, I just started to flail with my hands, opening the door for her. Luckily I didn''t manage to hit anything, but it seems my lady didn''t mind my attire at all. In fact, she was acting all natural, just like she would in the game. I still couldn''t believe it was her. [So what are you doing around the house Pina? I mean I could help you with anything, since I''m already here. You don''t need to shy about yourself since I only came to visit.] [Yes but then again... let me change first okay? I dunno what can we do though... I really dont.] [Please, this is enough. I shall take you outside for the day, is that fine Pina? I was planning to do that from the start you see, just didn''t know if you were busy...] [Oh yea I was busy... trying to clean around the house, but don''t worry about that. Anyway, I know it''s a disgrace so I shall tidy myself and... prepare for our outing.] I asked her to come inside, but she preferred the corridor... Well she will be okay, though I cant make her wait all day. Anyway, I don''t have many clothes I can wear but I''m going to borrow from Hinashe wouldn''t mind that. She has the same size and all, so it''s fine. Also, when we are on the topic, I need to say her cord is quite... fitting for her imagine, although she looks more casual than princess-like. [Okay, sorry for the wait. You could have entered, you know?] [It''s okay, I would not want to force myself to dress you anyway, just like I said that one time, remember? I do keep my word.] Dress you... I mean with my disability I get a lot of Do you need help?, but not from Avaria... [Yes my lady... for that I''m thankful.] [And you don''t need to be... this formal I guess? We are just two normal girls now, don''t let your head tell you something weird. After all, that would be awkward, right Pina?] Because wearing a collar outside... even though in the game its fine, here that kind of thing is totally different. I don''t want people to give us weird looks... especially I''m riding a wheelchair and she has the height difference. [Yes I understand that... Avaria is fine right? We can use our real names if you want.] [That won''t be necessaryI''m fine with this pace. Say, when what the last time you did shopping?] [That would be... too long to remember. I hate to say but I don''t always enjoy shopping, if it''s not with my sister. But we are poor anyway... so my only mother buys clothes occasionally for us.] [Then I shall take you to the shopping mall for you to pick something up, Of course I''m not going to make you pay for it, so consider this as my thanks.] Yea... If we are talking about Avaria I wouldn''t be able to afford the clothes she is wearing right now. I could only imagine what kind of shelves she is getting her dresses from. Anyway I found the spare keys, and left my sister a note. I hope she won''t get mad because it seems I won''t be returning home until night. So we visited several boutiques with Avaria, and I was pleasantly surprised. It seems she knows her way very well, though she ended up pushing me all the time because it was faster. It''s such a problem to find fitting clothes for me, but as we went from the fancy and the princess-like dresses we finally found something that was matching with my style. Afterwards she invited me to the park. It was a little cold but I had a warm coat and woollen tights on. Because I was shivering a little, Avaria went on and brought us a freshly steamed pork buns from a stand. I was getting hungry, and though I wanted to pay for that at least, she refused saying that I shouldnt. [There is no need to feel bad about this Pina, think about this as a business trip, minus the alcohol.] [If you are the higher ranked person... I should be bringing you food. I mean whatever, I''m really thankful for your visit and everything. I was getting really bored of being at home all this time... so thanks!] I made a healthy and warm smile after I took a bite out of the bun, so perhaps it was because of my mouth was still hot? Anyway, Avaria was quite delighted too and started biting into her own treat. She walked along side with me so I could see her, and we arrived at a fountain. Even if it was cold, it wasn''t freezing. It was also still operational, despite the chilly weather... though just barely. [Oh yea it''s going to become cold soon so... I was thinking if our bill will go up.] [Are you talking about money again Pina? Don''t worry and listen...] [I''m sorry it just split my mind...] [I wanted to talk with you about that actually. You do art and I do designs. I know that fashion is also art, but you see I''m not that talented at all, I just have a good intuition. I was thinking about opening a shop, which would sell both my designs and certain other brands, if I manage to convince them. I have a huge wardrobe, but it''s only gathering dust so I was thinking of selling it away. From the money I should have enough but...] She paused there for a second and I could only guess why. We stopped and she moved in front of me. Her hands, although a little cold from the wind, touched mine and we looked at each other''s eyes. Hers were gentle and shining and mine were slightly dazed and curious. Like mother and a child... [Say, I wanted to make you a part of this too, you only need to work as you did. I''m going to print and do the ground work myself, because I can''t really force you...] [It''s okay Avaria... since we live in the same town I think I can manage a normal job. Just look, all this time I somehow did well by myself and would you say I did a bad job? You are almost like...] [Ohoho~ I know, I am no stranger to condescension...I''m sorry for that. But are you okay? If this will become a thing I am going to inform you of course, but that only if I manage...] [Yea I''m fine with this... I want to go outside with you a lot more so don''t worry. Anyway you think I rather stay with my sister all the time? You know how she is...] We both laughed a little, and then we hugged. Somehow she became a closer person to me that she was before...Quite a strange feeling, especially when you are lifted off the chair. All in all I had hope that this is going to work. [Have you thought of location and name? I dont mind if you just copy everything Brilliant Dream.] [Of that I didn''t ponder, because I basically need to do researched first. I will ask my dad if he can help and see what I can do after that, okay?] [Yea... I know it''s just a game but I got used to that place.] I honestly do feel like having a special attachment to that shop in the game world... It was like a pleasant dream that kept coming back every night I would go to sleep, but maybe it was just my imagination after all? I wonder if she feels the same. [Hey, do you remember that one day... when everyone...] [Do I remember what day, Pina? Have you forgot? Some things are better left unsaid.] === Our history shows that there are always individuals that say I had no choice, It was necessary at the time. Like a chosen one who appears and saves the world, they too were normal people at some point. I detest fiction, especially heroes that were given godly power to restore order by defeating the evil. It just doesn''t work. What good is a conviction if it only lasts for a moment? How does that make our society a better place for later generations? Those questions can have answers but people will never stop asking them. If the history is depended on every single decision, the way to direct the human mind is what we seek. Total control of humanity... that is nothing more than a madman dream. I learned to see how that power can corrupt the soul and I was against it. But then, my soon-to-be comrades deserted. Perhaps it was for the better that I would seek a way first. Yet those appearing knowledgeable were as clueless as like me. I was again forced to agree with my own lunacy, that there is no other way to save world, other than to destroy it. [And yet you continue to walk the path of the moon, as I probably was the one to fund your trip.] Far in the horizon there is a place called Earth. It was my original home that I left behind. I gazed at how insignificant the humans aretheir ground is blue and green, my dust is grey. Without the gravity that could compare I floated a little, and jumped instead of taking steps. Small foot prints are left on the moon''s surface, and no air is present, yet I''m still alive. This life support was also due his decision and my weakness, but I wonder why really? All this time he wanted me to listen but his voice is far away... echoing in the space. I am hiding from it, on the dark side, where no light from the Earth was reflected. I cut myself from all the signals because I wanted to make my own paths and convictions. I needed not the advice or suggestions... I thought that until now. It seems that my decision...it was weighted not by the gravity, but by the space waves. Truly if humans carry their free will, they should be able to rationalize. But I was unable, and admitted their decision to be the right one. [And so you have agreed that what they did was right in the end, at least from their perspective. Normally what is considered a free will is something you can control, but quantum mechanics are random. Therefore is it okay to say you have no control over your actions? Even in the quantum model of the brain, you can say that our will comes from somewhere else than the brain itself, and that opens your perspectives.] The light that came to we was a shining beam from the Earth. It was a red laser, the one that measures distance, but to me it was a signal from beyond. What this voice was trying to say to me was that despite what I did assume, that despite the technology of today, something like randomness of the brain is still a theory. Then please if you can, tell me the answer to that question, where does the free will of human starts and when does it ends? [What are the answers to questions to life and death? There are none, those are only questions. You see, if god did not exist, it would be necessary to invent him. With all this technology, dreams and fantasies are seemingly possible, but lack narration. Whenever free will exist, and how exactly it works is only up to you. Trust me, and trust yourself above else.] The words of sage reached me once again. He dared to question my deductions. I must say, I wasn''t quite interested in listening to him until now. He gave me the power to doubt. But I was confused, since Juger said that he had no other choice but to end the world. He made the choice himself, therefore whenever he had free will or not shouldn''t matter. [If he had free will, then he consciously did what he did. If he didn''t then it was just a random chance. However I think that all people who say that they had no other choice are hypocrites. For you see Lunar, when you consider making a choice between doing it or not, that already says that your selection exist. Furthermore if you only consider two alternatives then you miss all the solutions that are invisible.] The deus ex machina answer. If that existed in the real world, we would be using that. But we can''t, thus our choices are limited and it no worth considering those we have no access to... the voice is wrong. I could see the earth light faintly now, it shined upon my robe and reflected the glitter on my long hair. [What is better, not knowing you made a wrong choice, or not knowing that didn''t know a better one? First you start listening to the music of the harp you begin to either harmonise with it or hate it. Then you receive your seed, and its up to you to cultivate it, or whenever you share it with others. But at any point of your journey, can you look back and say, could have my choices been any better?] That is unknown just like the vast sky of stars. Can humans be satisfied with only their dreams? Yes, knowing not about the world outside is the true bliss of a child''s carefreeness. However, ignorance that dream will last forever is not permitted. Harm comes not with knowing of different pasts, but not learning from previous mistakes, which is something that humans, even with help of gods, can''t accomplish. [But humans aren''t made of perfect things, but rather contradictions. Is fiction truer and reality? Are god''s words more trustworthy than mortals? Is evil noble if it will reveal the truth? Does destruction leads to creation? Are obligated to listen to your ancestors over reason? All those things are questions that don''t have a clear answer, but nevertheless they can be solved] Before me an object raised from the ground. It was a giant tree broken in half that had green leaves. Its branches were split in the middle, and something like scales were hanging on each side. Unlike our tree it was real and cast a shade onto me. I stopped hopping to take a gaze at it. [Lunar, I give you this word which is Tree. It is the symbol of choice and correlation between generations. Just like others, you are free to do with it as you please. But look closely and you might see something else.] Naturally I started examining the [Tree]. I jumped around and saw every corner of it, touched every branch, and tested the scalesthere was nothing unusual about anything. But one thing came to my mind suddenly. Looking at it I saw Earth in the backgroundthe tree shrouded it completely. Through the light rays that shined, the shade that was produced wasn''t just dark, it had many colours of the rainbow and luminously radiated. [This is no trick for that is the power of brilliant power of knowledge. When you consider all your options, they are always limited in your head. Therefore the naive believe of a better way comes from not knowing. Consider your brain a scale, and the weight your conviction. Any new contradicting information will bring imbalance. Without the flow of the knowledge your decision making ability will degenerate, and that is the reason to stay open minded.] If the cup is filled with water it will overflow when added more. Even if there is enough space to accommodate oceans here, it is only a mare to think the Moons vessel is bottomless. Destroying the world only makes sense if that is the best option, thus the sage is right about that. No matter the past you went through or your beliefs, your choice can only expand. Looking at the Earth I saw how the sun slowly covered its entirety with the light. I was reminded of something important. I can only regret the choices I didn''t do, thus in my hand there are two items. One of them is [Feather]it is a symbol of courage given to the hero who saves the world. The second globe is a miniature moon, [Ashes], which is the token of indecisiveness that leads to ruin. I raised them both towards the tree, then to Earth, and dropped them into the flame. They both burned with a slight grey and white smoke. Even since then I became free from the circle, from the straw men dance. === The end.