《Alcaim Saga》


 1: Ordinance, The Royal Academy of the Demikins

    ¡°Hands off her... or you''ll get hurt.¡±


    I blinked.


    ¡°I believe I''ve made myself clear,¡± a girl no taller than me shoved a glare of dagger on my way, ¡°Hands off her. And never stick your nose in our business again!¡± The stick of wood clenched tightly within her right hand was promptly thrust in my direction. A battle of attrition was taking place.


    ¡°Are you deaf? Hands off her I say!¡± Her wavy hair tied in a ponytail bounced about as her words prickled my sides. The main girl in question, weirdly enough found purchase behind my back, peeking to the side.


    Curling my lips, I turned my eyes over my shoulder. ¡°Cheryll? Please talk some sense into her. She seems jealous.¡± I said while folding my arms, throwing a look at the girl standing in front of me just two arms length away, noticing seething anger gradually taking shape on her furrowed brow. And most probably, her rage will drive her to plow me through and through, like any sassy lass. Though seeing we''re in a shade of a large tree, I couldn''t tell whether it was rage or hate written on her face.


    I''m guessing both, I mean why not? Hell, judging by our past confrontations this would usually end up with her being angsty to a fault. I''m sure the surrounding flowers would agree with me here.


    ¡°Y-You?! You impudent stinking mutt! How dare you speak of Lady Cheryll with your vile tongue!¡± She went on; a sharp tongue had ruled over her tone as she stomped towards me, all the while rolling up her sleeves. Her stick of wood ready to batter away.


    ¡°I let you taste the ways of torture if you don''t¡ª!¡±


    ¡°Pia, stop.¡± A gentle voice came from behind. Wearing a black eye patch that covered most of her right face, a girl stepped in between us. Her flaxen hair was both long and curly, swaying lightly in the cool breeze. Phew, it''s about time to wrap up this show of misunderstanding.


    ¡°But my lady, why would you trust this¡­ this disgraceful, vile human? Am I still not enough?¡± She shook like a leaf. The stick of wood fell to the ground. Her blood-boiled face quickly washed away, as tears could be seen forming in the corners of her eyes. Her pointy ears though short went red, drooping down to match her feelings inside. As ridiculous as it sounds, her tough demeanor would always find itself crumbling whenever Cheryll was in the picture. Not that I''m complaining. Guess that went by the skin of my teeth... I''ll need to thank Cheryll for this.


    Pinching the bridge of my nose, I thought back. That moment when a figure clad in a white uniform jumped out of nowhere, only to spring at you with a flying kick at point-blank range. And she was screaming all like, ''Say your prayers, you mangy cur!'' for dear world to hear.


    Fortunately folks I am still alive, well and fine. Though, I wouldn''t last long if she kept this up¡­


    ¡°No Pia, you''re mistaken. Einst isn''t like that. He''s a gentleman. He wouldn''t even hurt a fly.¡± Said Cheryll with an unwavering certainty. It was almost as if she truly believed those words, ¡°Einst is my dear friend, please understand this. You''re already troubling him as it is.¡±


    I nodded in agreement. Yeah, Pia, you heard that right. Einst''s a gentleman. I''m a nice guy.


    But seriously, wouldn''t hurt a fly? Wasn''t that stretching it a bit too far Cheryll?


    It was then Pia strongly reacted, saying, ¡°B-But my lady he''s¡ª!¡±


    ¡°Pia!¡± with a graceful manner befitting of a young lady, Cheryll planted her hands firmly on her waist, growing a presence vaguely resembling a mother scolding a troublesome child. ¡°You''re not a child anymore. I merely wish for you to get friendly with Einst. Is it that hard of a request?¡± Though her petite looks might let you think otherwise, with her visible crystal-clear eyes looking awfully reproachful, she successfully delivered the message smack-dab into the face of the graelim girl.


    ¡°Y-Yes, my lady. If that is your wish...¡± And Pia answered back by biting her lips, her shoulders slumped. Even so, a tinge of anger still remained in her defeat.


    ¡°So Cheryll it''s¡ª ¡±Right as I''m about to say something, a hand shot to my collar, grabbing tightly in effect. Oh, c''mon what have I done this time?!


    ¡°Lady Cheryll, human...¡± Cold sweat formed on my back as strands of scarlet hair fell on Pia''s bisque doll-like face. Her deep forest-green eyes bore into mine as my brow puckered up. Ah, right, she''s picky about that kind of formality. She''s the type that would beat a grown ass man if they weren''t so much as addressing Cheryll with the respect she deserved. So, uh, that would mean I''d have to answer her fists then.


    Wonderful.


    ¡°Uh... yeah,¡± I said, my eyes fighting back. She tightened her grip. Threatening to throw me off balance. Her fiery eyes told me of a message along the lines of, ''Give in. Or else.''


    Seeing that, I finally let out a slight smirk. It''s funny how I did that each time we batted an eye. Though in this case, I probably should hold off inciting unabated wrath on her end. For that, it would seem an apology is in order. Making an enemy out of her at this point would probably be a bad idea. So remember Einst, smile like you mean it!


    ¡°As you wish, my honorable princess, Lady Cheryll it is.¡± With a wide smile, I swayed my hands delicately about in the air, bowing my head down respectfully all the while. My eyes captured a rare sight, feasting upon a girl red beyond her ears, mouth flapping like a fish gasping for water.


    It was super effective!


    ¡°Pia, let him go.¡± Cher¡ª I mean Lady Cheryll¡ªdecided to end our little skit. I shrugged while keeping a smile on my face.


    ¡°Y-Yes, my lady...¡± She let go of me reluctantly. A hint of disgrace sputtered her words. But believe me, this was just the tip of the iceberg.


    And looks like I had to suck it up.


    ¡°Pia I don''t hate you or anything. In fact, I''m willing to be your friend if you would just try to understand my situation here a little. I''m sure it''ll prove beneficial for the both of us.¡± As soon as the words left me, she trembled with a jolt.


    ¡°What''s with the cold shoulder?¡± Her eyes turned away when we made eye contact. With a wide smile, I go on to say, ¡°I thought we should make peace with each other. Isn''t that right, Lady Cheryll?¡± I figured using the words of the lady herself would drive the point home, and glancing to see how Pia would react, I''d say it worked like a charm.


    ¡°W-What are you saying?! Of course, I would like to be friends with you!¡± Did Pia say, face flushed and somewhat sporting, a weird smile?


    ¡°Well yes, you do. And you know what ladies? It''s time to move. This way.¡± I gestured to follow me, making my way past Pia before giving her a lopsided grin of victory. I could hear the clicking of her tongue reaching to my ears as we left the garden path behind us and headed straight into the grand hallways of Ordinance, our royal academy.


    It was a familiar sight. Filled with isolated warmth, reserved only for the privileged and those with power.


    Having stepped into this place many times over, I couldn''t get used to the fact that it made me all sick inside. All around me, flocking like they owned the place, were demikins. Everything here was made to accommodate their bizarre individual needs. So as you would expect of a world dominated by otherworldly creatures, it was very spacious. Indeed, even the ceilings and the floor themselves were like worlds apart.


    Like a dungeon you would find in video games, to put it into perspective. Case in point: there''s a wall specially made in some hallways that had a number of long poles lining all the way up. It was apparently made in mind for butt monkeys and birdbrains, the latter of which were inherently claustrophobic in tight spaces. I could say more, but explaining each and every bit was a lot of pain for my own good.


    All in all, no sane human would try to build such an impossible architecture, even if it was purely for aesthetic purposes.


    Hell, I didn''t remember how many times I got myself lost in this maze of an academy.


    ¡°Sorry, but I have to go!¡±


    A mild-mannered voice wandered into my ears as I turned to look. Just outside the girl''s restroom to my left, a bunch of muscular-looking orcs were huddling close to a pair of girls. One of them caught my attention. With her lower body long like those of a snake, her head vigorously went left and right, saying something I couldn''t quite pick up. Next to her was a bunny girl, her facial features indicating that she was clearly having fun with all the attention.


    Damn... they''re smoking hot. So hot to the point that I could see why those guys would want to score them up. I guess I would too, but that would practically be a death sentence for me.


    I sighed. If only there were no such uptight rules, I would SMASH ''em!


    In all seriousness, though, those guys have guts. At least try to hide those bulges in your pants, for Pete''s sake, urgh¡­


    I looked over to Lady Cheryll¡ªLC for short¡ªand then to Pia.


    They didn''t even take notice of what was happening in their surroundings.


    Whelp, with those two I bet their minds were pretty much set to, ''nothing much to see here, go along,'' now.


    ¡°We nobles must fasten bonds of trust with each other if we hope to weather through in this city.¡± LC suddenly spoke with such care I only managed to get half of it. Being too preoccupied with my own thoughts, I wasn''t even aware she had started a conversation.


    No matter, I''ve got this covered!


    ¡°You know what, Pia? If you don''t listen to Lady Cheryll, we won''t ever get anywhere. Spreading lies about me being an unashamed pervert isn''t the way to go either; that will just put a dent in my reputation.¡± I made the push, but she just took a step further, always trying to keep her distance from me as if I were a complete stranger.


    Jeez, am I playing a dating simulation game in a hard mode setting or what?


    Running my hands through my hair, I continued on, ¡°Well, if you''re going to be like that, then I don''t suppose any positive relations between us will work out.¡±


    She was giving me the cold shoulders as she backed away from me, sticking close to LC''s side, ¡°My lady, I''ve heard today is the day when your favorites are on sale. How about it? Would you like to go to the cafeteria with me?¡± She''s ignoring me, dammit! How could she?!


    LC plainly shook her head, saying, ¡°This isn''t the time for tea, Pia, not while that person is calling for us.¡± Hearing her master''s blatant refusal, she quickly shot me a dagger to the eye.


    Yes, it''s my fault. Got any problems with that?!


    ¡°Don''t worry Pia, if you want lunch you''ll get some later. Trust me.¡± I said, but it would seem to not be working. She was having this terrifying look, occasionally sending out a murderous vibe towards me. If I go any further, she''ll definitely send me straight into the hospital ward, no questions asked. Sheesh, girl. Calm your tits. I''m not here to ogle ''em bounce or anything.


    Actually, I''m looking at them right now. Shoot me.


    Right then, LC pulled Pia''s sleeve. Drawing her attention. ¡°Are you mad?¡± A worried look was being worn on her delicate features, seizing my heart in place.


    Pia already deeply flushed, started rambling loudly. ¡°W-What are you saying, my lady? Of course, I''m not mad!¡± Pia hurriedly tugged her lips with her fingers, stretching it to form a¡­ weird smile. ¡°See, see!?¡±.


    Aren''t you trying a little too hard?


    Seeing that, LC let''s out a light chortle. Pia''s face already brightening softly.


    ¡°I''ve finally found you.¡±


    At that instant, a shudder ran through me. Stopping myself, I took a glance around. I stood there for a few minutes, searching for the voice. But no matter where I looked, no one seemed on the lookout for me.


    Huh, I guess it was just my imagination.


    ¡°Ah!¡±


    Just when I thought there was nothing, someone bumped against my back, making me fall right down to my face. What in tarnation?!


    ¡°What in tarnation?!¡± I said it out loud, crashing face-first against the cold tiled floor.


    Damn, it hurts. I felt my nose bleeding a little. And that was the least of my problems.


    I raised my head, my face turning serious with dark manga tones around my eyes, like a war general going into battle. The enemy was just right behind me. This was no laughing matter. Their attack had left my nose bleeding, and my manly pride hurt. Humiliating. How dare they ambushed me like that!!


    I must show them the respect they rightfully deserve¡­!


    And sure enough, I found myself staring at a relatively short-statured girl picking up a bunch of files sprawled on the floor. She seemed in a hurry, not minding the least of my current state. Her auburn bobbed-hair flopped messily around, shielding her face from view. Damn hair! Protecting her face, are you?!


    Annoyed, I moved to get closer to her. My hands are working their way in, speeding things up. And by that, I meant helping her get the files.


    ¡°Sorry, I didn''t look where I was going,¡± I said while being polite and flashing the most idiotic smile I could. She shook her head, not bothering to even say something. With my eyebrows arched, I slowly tried to get a glimpse behind that flopping hair, her sweet scent wafting up to my nose.


    And then, my eyes opened wide. Shocked by the appearance of big, round nerd glasses resting on her bridge nose, and to make it worse, it''s opaque! It was even marked with thin black spiraling lines. In short, what stupid-looking glasses if I ever saw one!


    Oh well, there went my chance. I guess picking up the files will do¡­


    Hmm? What''s this? I picked up one particular file. Instantly, it caught my interest. Project Primal? Before I could flip it open the girl snatched the file away from my hands, sealing off my attempt to sate my rising curiosity.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± she said after taking the stack of files off my hands before promptly getting up and bowing down.


    ¡°No prob¡ª¡± Before I could say anything, she scurried away into the distance. I know it''s sudden, but I quickly caught her arm in the act, bringing her tracks to a stop. She seemed surprised and with a little hesitation, she turned around before facing me in the eye. ¡°I forgot to show you this.¡± I held out an open palm, revealing a rectangular piece. It was a student ID card.


    ¡°This is...¡± She took it into her hand. It was then that I realized something strange. Her hands were wrapped in something white, and her neck was in the same condition. Yeah, bandaged would be the word. She just looked on as if frozen in place. ¡°Um¡­ isn''t this yours?¡± She looked troubled. Her eyes fell to look at the ID card''s front covers, showing my stupid face in all its glory. Complete with particulars you would find in any student card.Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    ¡°Yep, it''s mine.¡± I sent while pointing towards my face, grinning. I bet I look like a creep now.


    ¡°Um, why would you give me this, if I may ask?¡±


    ¡°Because I wanted to introduce myself!¡± I flashed her my brightest smile yet.


    The girl on the other hand, just blankly stood still.


    ¡°Ah, this is strictly for business purposes. Contact my number if you need anything or help in any way, and I''ll be sure to get it done! You might ask why, but since you looked like the sort of person who would be interested in a good man to look after your problems, I implore you. With that introduction finished, I am pleased to meet you!¡±


    ¡°Eh? I''m¡­¡± she hung down her head, only to heave a short sigh. ¡°No,¡± she said, giving back my ID card, all the while holding tight to her files. ¡°Now please, excuse me¡­¡± she turned around, dragging herself fast to somewhere.


    Hmm, not the reaction I was getting, but oh well.


    After she was out of sight, I took my time going back to the ladies, feeling a grin slowly being plastered on my face.


    It was not until moments later that I found myself lying on the cold floor.


    Again.


    My cheeks were burning with pain. Mustering bits of strength left, I pushed myself up in order to get a good, hard look at the perpetrator''s face, who''s staring coldly at me.


    ¡°Vermin¡­ imbecilic worm. How dare you make us wait?¡± Pia said simply, pulling me up by the collar, ¡°wasting our precious time and flirting with a girl on top of that! Just your presence alone can harm a lady''s purity! Filthy mongrel, such a vile act deserves proper punishment!!¡±


    I could feel her blood boiling; her other hand was clenched tightly like an iron fist. With her eyes painfully sharp, she said, ¡°And here I thought you couldn''t be any lower¡­¡±


    ¡°W-Wait¡­ I thought we should make peace! Remember?!¡± I said, struggling to draft up the best smile I could. She sure doesn''t pull any punches, though!


    ¡°Pia, just let him go. We wasted enough time as it is.¡± LC came over as Pia clicked her tongue, who could only unhand me reluctantly.


    ¡°And for the last time, I just helped her with stuff. Is there anything wrong with that?¡± Her eyebrows arched when I let out what I was thinking, my hands checking my collar into shape.


    ¡°Oh, spare me your excuses. I''ve seen the lot of you. Vile beasts with no manners¡ªand you''re just the same. After all, who in their right mind would come here, of all places?¡±


    I spoke too soon.


    ¡°Well that''s¡­¡± Words failed to form on the tip of my tongue as I slowly cast my eyes downward. ¡°I¡­ well¡­¡±


    Dang, that''s a tough one.


    ¡°Pia, watch your words!¡± Before Pia could continue our exchange, however, LC swiftly interrupted. Her face was ridden with disappointment, making Pia flinch as if stung by something sharp. And then LC went to stand before me, her head bowing down. ¡°Please forgive her. She means well in all things and is not a bad person at heart.¡± She then raised her head, continuing on with, ¡°And I hope that¡­ you will continue being friends with us, as long as I would like it to last. So please, do try not to hate us.¡±


    I could only put on a wry smile, seeing LC deigned herself like this.


    ¡°Consider the apology accepted. And yeah, I guess I''m the one at fault here.¡±


    I turned toward Pia. I take that back. I''m seriously not at fault here.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I''ll be sure to keep my conduct proper next time, so yeah. I''ll keep my word on it.¡± And why do I have to do the apologizing anyway!? I thought I was the one getting beaten up here¡­


    ¡°As long as you understand, then I won''t push any further.¡± Her arms began to lax as I heaved a sigh of relief. I nearly dodged a bullet there. What could I say, it''s all in a day''s work. My life here couldn''t be any better. For sure, it beats always having neck-to-neck confrontations all the time. I wished she could hold off her racist tendencies for a while though. Otherwise, I''m not sure if I could stand being ridiculed any longer.


    I sighed. After that heated bout, we were now in a moving elevator. And due to its exterior made out of clear material, like glass, I had a good view of watching a sea of towering structures from afar, placed here and there as if they were a piece of art.


    And beyond this picturesque cityscape, lies an unending sea of rolling clouds with occasional gaps in between that reveals the state of the earth below. Right, I live in a world much different from those looking up from there. I wonder how''s the state of affairs on that pitiful surface? It must be simpler when there''s nothing left except ruined civilizations and mindless monsters roaming about.


    Sagging in a sigh, I turned my attention around, where I found Pia staring into the horizon. Her eyes were oddly glazed with coldness. As if to say, there was none of the usual fire lit inside. That was until she craned her neck towards me, shoving a glare while at it. Erkk¡­ looks like there won''t be any peace between us soon.


    Feeling bored, I shoved my hand into my breast pocket, bringing out a rectangular card. Specifically, a student ID card. The image printed on the side, however, made me recall the girl whom I bumped earlier. Even on her ID card, she''s still wearing those odd glasses. Tough luck¡­


    Somewhat let down, I began to scan the other contents.


    Ah, she was a freshman, not to mention a true bona fide demikin. Specifically, a Lycune. A type of beastman with werewolf-like characteristics. Interesting. Musing with her student information, I found yet another intriguing read. Oh, she''s a member of the Extermination Unit?


    I didn''t see that coming. But with her bandaged neck and hands, I could see why.


    Right then, I felt my sleeve being tugged. This timid sensation could only mean¡­


    ¡°Is it about the girl?¡± LC spoke up. To which I could only respond with a wry smile.


    ¡°Yep, it looks like she forgot her ID card. I plan to send it over to the faculty this evening. So no worries there.¡± I put the card back in my breast pocket.


    *Ding!*


    The elevator''s door slid open. We got off the platform and walked on a dark, vinyl floor. I was slightly behind them, still feeling there''s a wall between us. The girls talked to each other in their own little world while I listened.


    I didn''t know what to say. Just like old times.


    Being the third wheel I am, I looked around. I''m currently in a private noble''s lounge. A very dark, noble lounge with bright neon lights placed here and there. The curtains were fully out. Not letting a single ray of light come in. Empty as always. I often wondered if the other lounges were like this, being dark as night and all that.


    ¡°The world here as always can''t be more isolated, I imagined.¡±


    ¡°I admit. It is.¡± Pia suddenly sent, surprising me. And for once, agreed with what I said. I wanted to say something in return, but with her mien beyond peeved, I couldn''t very well say this was a good idea.


    ***


    *KNOCK! KNOCK!*


    ¡°WHO''S THERE?! I FUCKING KILL YOU IF THIS IS A PRANK!¡±


    Pounding on the wooden door, a clunky robotic voice coming from the intercom answered.


    ¡°HELL NO, YOU DAMN A.I NOW LET ME IN!¡± I REPLIED.


    ¡°HUH...WE DON''T ACCEPT DUMB PEOPLE, GO BACK TO YOUR MOMMY OR ELSE FACE MY DIVINE WRATH!¡±


    Clicking my tongue in sheer annoyance over this utter display of disrespect, I said, ¡°For the last time, if you don''t let me in¡­ I''m going to have you answer my fist directly. Literally in that sense. Now if you''re listening, open the damn door. I have guests here waiting to come in.¡±


    ¡°HEH, CHEEKY LITTLE BRAT... YOU''D THINK WE WOULD BELIEVE IN THAT NONSENSE? ANY ASSOCIATES OF YOURS ARE NOT WELCOME. NOW IF YOU WOULD EXCUSE ME, CAN YOU DO ME A FAVOR AND GET LOST?¡±


    Alright, you''re really testing my patience here. Please don''t embarrass me any further in front of the ladies, you damn A.I. With veins popping on my face, I tried a different approach, ¡°Hey, isn''t it about time to end this farce? You know you''re just embarrassing me for a whole lot of nothing right?¡±


    ¡°Okay, code accepted. You can come in now.¡± A relaxed, almost lazy-like voice coming from the door answered my call. So that''s the code this time? What a really roundabout way of doing it¡­


    BEEP!


    At that moment, a beeping sound came out as the plaque on top of the wooden door turned from red to green. Shaking my head, I decided it was best unequipping my shoes and socks, lowering my DEF, AGI, and LUCK stats. For safety measures must be taken if you are about to face the slothful witch.


    I pushed open the now-unlocked door. Woods creaked in agony from the slight movement, revealing a large somber room poorly lit by a bunch of small lamps along with strange antiques and paintings of yore. My nostrils on the other hand, quickly picked up the familiar scent of musty old books in the air, my eyes spotting several... questionable sculptures made from refined wood. Some of them looked quite uncanny to the eyes, as if chiseled out of a surreal film.


    However, having stepped foot into this unholy realm, I could already feel that odd sense of bleakness tugging at my chest, though I couldn''t put my finger why.


    Sagging in a sigh, my eyes proceeded to search around. A piece of relaxing jazz music was playing in the background. And as if that wasn''t enough, the room quickly lights up.


    A girl with waist-long velvety raven hair lay on a fine bed, looking as bored as I am. Her tender, deep-crimson eyes, though lifeless, momentarily held our attention, scrutinizing anything out of the ordinary. The edges of her lips went upward when she bore eyes with mine. A complacent grin was thrown at me.


    ¡°Welcome back, my darling! I have been waiting for you.¡± The witch, obviously faking it, stepped down from her bed of power. Sloppy movements followed after. A simple but proper dark gown adorned her well-endowed figure. The witch''s somewhat sensuous walk had driven me on edge!


    Not that I hated it, of course.


    ¡°Oh, please, sugarcoating it isn''t your best creative yet, my dear witch.¡± I scampered off to a nearby couch. I was quite turned on. So I tried my best to hide them, like really hard.


    I''m a healthy young man. And I''ll work to be one. My life, my rules. Screw yourself.


    I bobbed my ass down on a comfy seat, looking up to the heavens to see a picturesque stained glass. A lofty chandelier hung from the vaulted ceilings along with its... homey friends. And by homey friends, I meant creepy puppets dangling around it. And of course, even with all their glory, I couldn''t seem to appreciate how they always sent shivers down my spine.


    Spooky stuff as always. Nothing new to write home about eh?


    ¡°A lovely room, is it not, my dear nobles?¡± She greeted the girls with a proper bow and, without wasting any more time, led them by the hand, showing them around the place.


    ¡°A pleasure for us same, Lady Alize.¡± Spoke LC to LA, her face beginning to fascinate itself with the place. The other guest following them behind though, couldn''t be more unconcerned, I reckoned¡­


    At that moment, she quickly turned her head around, only to send me a dagger in the eye. Welp, guess I should mind my own business then¡­


    ¡°I''m surprised that a ruling class such as yourself would visit me, of all people. I guess there''s more to you than meets the eye, my dear nobles. But all the same, a client''s need is my need, as they would say.¡± LA spoke briefly before guiding them up through a winding staircase, entering the second floor.


    For a while, quietude dominated the room.


    ¡°Well, well, will you look at that? Our Mr. Main Character has arrived. How laughable.¡± Suddenly, I heard a robotic voice filling the silence. ¡°Ever licking my master''s boots I see¡ªnot bad, not bad. But you know what,¡± Before I knew it, a roundish-looking egg with a face resembling a funny clown appeared before me. ¡°You''re just an eyesore around here, not even fit to be her hands and feet; just a mere puppet. Like me!¡±


    It broke into a vicious grin. Its clown-like eyes smiled widely till I felt something ticked off in my head. ¡°What do you want? I don''t have time to waste on a rotten egg who doesn''t know it''ll soon be shipped off to the junk markets.¡± As soon as the words left me, a moment of clarity began to dawn over the Egg-Clown''s homely face.


    ¡°I-I''ll...WHAT?!¡± It cried loudly, its eyes spinning. ¡°Oh, I get it! You''re trying to spite me into oblivion. Well, scrub it ain''t working jack shit! I know how you filthy humans think¡ªa buncha'' of dimwitted creatures trying to pull a fast one on me, Eggy the Great! Without concrete evidence, you will never fool me.¡± They said, loudly firing complaints one after another. ¡°And to think you would use such a blatant white lie to one such as me, how profane! Bow to me at once, you filthy scrub!¡±


    Ah, shit here we go again. As you can see, we have ourselves here an egotistical robot that''s quick to boast on their high horses while spitting dirt on other people''s faces. Not exactly the best helper around if you ask me.


    ¡°Right, right. You want evidence? I''ll give you one.¡± I raised my right hand before making a small wave motion in the air as a blue screen came right between us. Allowing me to conjure a screen full of texts.


    Etched on the bottom of the text was an invoice, with Eggy being listed to be sold off to one of our clients.


    ¡°T-This is!?¡±


    A surprised look appeared on Eggy''s face. ¡°No... NO! You''re LYING!¡±


    ¡°Figured you would say that. Oh well, it''s not like I have a say either. It''s all on LA''s part of the deal. So like it or not, you just have to face reality my good man.¡± I felt a light smirk working through my lips, enjoying every second of this farce. ¡°Sometimes, you need to be grateful for even having the chance to live. You''re one lucky bastard you know that?¡±


    ¡°K-Kuh... You demon¡ª!¡± Eggy gave me a sneering look.


    I stared them for a moment, before finally blowing a sigh.


    ¡°Ah~, looks like the cat''s out of the bag. I don''t care what''s going to happen to you, but I wish you the best of luck. Oh wait, your time''s up huh. Welp, this might be the best reveals of your life, isn''t Eggy?¡±


    ¡°Blasphemy! I''m in no way going to succumb to your heathen words! For I am Lady Alize''s favourite, her FAVOURITE I''LL TELL Y¡ª¡±


    Before they could say any more, a hole magically appeared beneath them, sucking Eggy to its depths. And soon, the hole magically disappeared just as fast as when it came.


    *Ding!*


    [A message from *PYTHON* has arrived! Will you view it or not?]


    A white notification screen popped into view, round in shape. After thinking for a moment I said, "I''ll view it later, so give him my regards." Having received my voice message, it then quickly disappeared out of sight.


    With that thing gone I straightened my back, thinking about the girls. They sure are taking their sweet time. I wonder what''s up. Just as I was about to check on them, another notification screen appeared before me.


    [Eggy has successfully been delivered. You have received 300CP from *TECHO*. To finalize the agreement between both parties, Eggy''s life core will be donated to Sunny''s orphanage. You have received a *GIFT* from *TECHO*. Will you accept it or not?]


    Smiling at this notification, I said yes.


    [Affirmative. The *GIFT* will be sent to your home within the next two working days.]


    With that, the notification screen finally whisked away into nothingness. Now that''s done, I began to drag myself away to fetch up the silverware kept in a worn-down cabinet positioned in the kitchen area. As I had toiled many times, I dished out plenty of cooking materials and, to the best of my abilities, prepared lunch with style.


    And soon, my ears picked up the pitter-patter of footsteps coming from the staircase. Oh, it looks like they''re back.


    Perfect timing.


    As the three came down, I sneaked a glance toward LA. With that simple eye contact, she seemed to notice the sudden disappearance of the room''s court jester, begging a smile to tug itself on her face. "Ah, already working on lunch I see. Just what I would expect from darling~" LA said clapping her hands gleefully.


    ¡°Th-This is...¡± Pia, having seen my other charming side, wore a disbelieving look as if seeing something out of this world. Literally out of her mind, I reckon.


    ¡°What''s wrong Pia? Is something the matter?¡± However, that look quickly vanished by the time LC tugged on Pia''s sleeve.


    ¡°N-No¡ªit''s nothing, my lady. It''s just that I''m a little hungry right now. That''s all.¡± Pia sent back, looking as composed as ever.


    She''s a tough nut to crack. Even this didn''t get her at least, you know, charmed?


    Who am I kidding? I''m just your average Joe. Short black hair, brown eyes, medium height, no muscles¡ªthe usual package. Though I''m pretty attractive, if I do say so myself, that is if you count my looks in the equation.


    At the very least, I think so. I have to be confident, you know?


    I put the food in the microwave, watching the girls having a conversation. I''m feeling left out. ¡°Sooo¡­ what''s today''s scheme? Playing house? Hide and seek? Or should I say, building sand castles!?¡± For a moment, the girls sent me weird looks before continuing with their talk. There went my attempt at having a glorious day at the beach. ¡°So¡­ what''s today''s scheme? Playing chess? Card Wars? Or should I say, Virtual Gaming?!¡±


    ¡°None of the above. Though it may be sort of¡­ adventurous.¡± LA said, turning on her heels with a sluggish effort towards a wooden desk before sitting on its chair. ¡°Nobles, don''t just stand there. Take a seat if you fancy.¡± LA gestured with a motion of her pale fingers.


    The pair of guests then nodded at each other before taking LA''s offer to take a seat, going around a rectangular wooden table that was flanked each side by a black couch. It went without saying that the pair took the left part, sitting side by side.


    *Ding!*


    I heard a sound coming from the microwave, a cue for which I quickly took the food out. Before long, I worked around the place with joyous rhythm, a tray in hand. ¡°Here, bite ''em. It''s not poisonous or sleep-inducing, I assure ye.¡± I said while spreading the meals on the table.


    With that LC sweetly replied back in kind, ¡°Thank you, Einst. I¡ª Lady Cheryll of the Eloyrian line shall gladly take up your offer.¡± Flaxen curls swayed attractively on her face, gleaming in anticipation of savoring my special lunch. A lunch comprised of tempura nuggets, a filling of cupcakes, and of course, a cup of blood wine.


    ¡°Here''s your beloved premium fruit tarts, a glass of strawberry milk, and crunchy fries. These can''t be healthy.¡± I put those on LA''s desk carefully and slowly. She beamed almost childlike, her eyes sparkling. Her hands then shot themselves to grab my hands. I instinctively pulled away. She frowned for a moment, but not before giving me a bright smile of her own concoction. ¡°As expected of darling~¡± she muttered, ¡°acting so distant like that, are you perhaps trying to pull my strings, darling?¡±


    I winced as the words hit me. ¡°Darling that, darling this... what are we? A couple?¡± I shrugged.


    She placed a finger on her lips, as a temptation took hold of me, forcing me to gulp down or two. ¡°Well yes, we are partners in crime, are we not?¡± Don''t be deceived; this is just one of her tricks.


    "Sure enough." I tottered back to my couch, slightly annoyed. Leaving the two graelim girls to mind our practically silly business.


    The witch visibly chuckled in amusement. ¡°So my lovely guests, did that ever help your cause?¡± LA started, dedicating her mouth to savoring the fruit tarts with ardent fascination. The pair nodded, although someone seemed certainly troubled, judging by a sweat on her forehead. I wonder what''s this about¡­


    ¡°Yes, Lady Alize. Thanks to your invaluable assistance, we''ve managed to confirm its location.¡± LC said, bringing a blue screen to view. Dancing fingers flew around the display. I shifted my eyes. LA was already working on her wooden desk, typing on a keyboard while being absorbed on a projected holographic screen before her.


    On the other hand, Pia was intently providing attention to LC, somehow saying inaudible words that escaped my hearings. She briefly glanced in my direction, as if being watchful for my actions. For what?


    ¡±Right, I think that''s all for the moment. Anymore would require a field investigation into the site,¡± LA sent to the graelims, and then said, ¡°Later, I''ll forward a notice to the Arbiter, so rest assured, Lady Cheryll.¡±


    Smiling sweetly, LC whisked the screen into thin air, turning towards LA for a short bow, before rearing her heels to march outside the room. Her loyal escort followed suit, passing on me with a look of disgust as she took her usual place beside her master.


    Boy, she really hates me, huh? Might as well suck it up. Can''t do anything over spilled water, right?


    Pia suddenly stopped, ending her little stride with a short glance behind.


    C-Crap, did I say it loud?!


    Maybe it was just my imagination but she seemed weary. She then looked away, closing the door in passing motion, leaving the witch and myself to remain within the room in simple silence.


    I turned my attention to the table. Good enough; they''ve finished their fill. I guess it was worth it. Now, ¡°Mind tell me, what''s the deal with you guys just now? I don''t like being left out in the dark you see, and I pretty much love to hear another of your fancy tales.¡±


    The witch down one final spoonful of fruit tarts to her mouth, her high cheekbones twitched in delight. Very cute, LA, very cute.


    ¡°Meet me after class. We''ve got much to discuss.¡±


    ¡°And bring more juicy desserts to the table, I take it?¡±


    An almost sultry smile formed on her face. ¡°As expected of darling~¡±

 2: Colosseum Battlers

    Out in a ruined Colosseum, a string of plasma bolts was fired forth, speeding towards a black smoke. And within the billowing smoke, a pair of red eyes began to glow brightly, as if lit aflame. At that moment, a flash of streaking red light cuts a swath within the smoke, clearing it away with a wave of force, revealing a cerulean armored suit as flying bolts grazed past them.


    With a grunt, the armored warrior reared their heels slightly off the ground before launching fast straight ahead, hands ready on a single curved sword.


    It was a heated battle.


    Seeing their opponent rushing in aggressively, an armored warrior in white from afar launched bolts of lightning from their right gauntlet, each staunched in power that when hit, would surely prove lethal. However, with trained movements, all of them were smoothly avoided by the cerulean sword wielder as they closed in quick on their target, now within reach, before executing rapid slashes in crisp motion.


    The sheen of their sword was gleaming red.


    Taken aback by their swiftness, the warrior blocked the slashes with precise movements as a halo began to appear on their back, generating a wild pulsating plasma.


    The swordsman single-mindedly focused on their slashes, unabated. Such ferocity managed to wound itself on the warrior''s side. Wincing slightly, the white warrior forced themselves to hold out the brutal assault, seeing the incoming blade that would never see them escape.


    But rather than keeping guard, the warrior began drawing up power from the halo, forming a spear of light on their hand that quickly saw an incoming strike at its tip, counterattacking with terrifying ease.


    Their weapons clawed at each other.


    However, with a left feint, the swordsman managed to quickstep instantly behind their opponent''s back, opening a small window for them to land a strike and blowing the warrior far away.


    A bit damaged, the warrior quickly rolled on the ground before launching yet another series of bolts. The swordsman geared swiftly and rushed for their opponent''s head, avoiding the coming bolts yet again. But that proved to be a grand chance when veins of light suddenly sparked in the surrounding air, tracing the path of the bolts. This quickly acts like a magnet that draws the bolts lightning fast, back to whence they came.


    It was a simple trick yet effective, as the swordsman turned their back around to defend as the bolts hit them squarely. Sparks of electrical shocks then arced around their suit, paralyzing the swordsman in place.


    Not wanting to miss this open window, the warrior dissolved their spear. In turn, they began to take up an archery stance. Gathering specks of pulsating blue orbs flew around them before ultimately materializing as a magnificent silver great bow. Bolts of electricity crackled as they flexed their muscles, straining to get the most power out of it. And soon, myriads of silvery arrows came into existence as the pressure eased. Their glowing blue eyes were as sharp as their mind even when their arms were quivering from the weight.


    With one breath, the bowstring whooshed, and the arrows finally came loosed, lancing towards their prey with a silvery brilliance.


    Without proper defense, the paralyzed sword wielder decided to summon forth a small black hole that soon began to suck everything all around. Its demanding, raw force ate the lancing arrows with a clasp.


    The white warrior cursed as the black hole grew bigger as it spewed forth several dark beams that seemed to be screaming for blood, inching faster than expected. There was no time to act.


    In a blink of an eye, the white warrior summoned a great spear of light in their right hand before throwing it with a terrifying force as the spear took flight.


    A resounding clap, and then a burst of blinding light.


    Time was running out, and yet it waited for none.


    The white warrior grunted, drained of stamina. Their eyes adjusted themselves to the light as the surroundings started to clear up. Act fast, and the advantage is yours to take. As these words rang inside their mind, the warrior turned to the side.


    A moment too late, as they were quickly assailed awake by summoned magic flying swords storming dangerously close towards their way. Feeling the adrenaline rush taking its course, the warrior geared their arms to shield themselves with an electrical shield screen. Waves of flying swords then raged head-on, not giving a moment for the warrior to catch their breath as they desperately held their ground still. The powerful force slowly left small cracks on the screen. It seemingly doesn''t seem to end, even as the swords were destroyed by the energy surrounding the shield.Stolen story; please report.


    The warrior cried out in defiance, greedily drawing more power from the halo, when suddenly a looming shadow clouded over their head.


    ¡°I got you now.¡±


    A flash of red.


    And that was enough for a wide explosion to blast everything.


    Within seconds, the battlers emerged from the cloud of dust, each landing a fair distance away. The white warrior heavily damaged, panting for breath. With a triumphant stance, the swordsman proudly raised their chin. Bits of their armor, however, had scrapped off. Burnt but still in shape to say the least.


    Both battlers trained their eyes on each other, wary of possible moves. That was until a vicious storm of swords burst forth from the cloud of dust into the sky, reeling in the white warrior''s eyes. And then, with a curve, the hail of swords made a beeline straight down, aiming towards their target.


    Clicking their tongue, the warrior held their gauntlet up, glowing brightly as a magic circle appeared on the ground beneath their feet. The earth then began to rock wildly. Realizing this, the swordsman began to move quickly, concentrating their mind and the surrounding space into one before instantly blinking their way above the warrior to launch attacks.


    A vain effort at best, as before the swordsman could do damage, the patch of land beneath the white warrior jutted outwards from the grounds. Forcing the swordsman to put their arms up fast to block as the jutting earth hits them fully, enough to swiftly send them flying in the air.


    The flying swords endlessly deluged on hitting the face of the rising earth, missing their target.


    Though damaged, the swordsman quickly performed a somersault to break free from the fall. At once, the sword wielder darted their sword deep into the jutting tower of grounds, letting them phase through in the air back to their sword''s grip. Turning their head up, it seemed the rising wouldn''t stop, the tower of earth casting a long shadow on the grounds beneath while hiding the sun out of sight.


    But that was the least on their mind when they saw a figure in white on a mad dash down across the walls of earth, now brimming with electricity, arcing around them as if lightning itself.


    Sharpening their mind, the swordsman began to emit waves of force. Their armored suit went black as midnight as their bloody-red eyes burned with more life. Then, with a sudden jerk of their sword, the swordsman geared their feet on the walls before forcefully blasting their way up with breakneck speed.


    Lightning rods then were fired off. But with a whole-souled swing, the swordsman managed to defend themselves from the bolts while absorbing the energy dispersed in the air into their sword. Then, with a grunt, released them all at the tip of their sword, firing dark energy blasts in turn.


    Surprised, the warrior began to avoid said blasts while delivering blows of punches on those close enough to their person.


    One of them almost slipped past them.


    It was a sword.


    A sudden realization then hits upon the warrior, as time slowly dwindled into a crawling state, letting them watch as the sword wielder warped through space. They carried their sword firmly in their hands before unleashing a powerful stroke of force downward.


    However, with precise timing, the warrior managed to catch the sword between their hands. Overflowing with the power of lightning, the warrior gripped the sword hard till it shuddered in cracks before completely breaking it off.


    The swordsman quickly prepared to jump away but not before receiving a destructive blow pumped with lightning on their face, sending them high up in the air. The warrior then prepared to bolt themselves towards their opponent with a burst of lightning, determined to end the battle.


    Before they could do so, however, splitting earth began to erupt across the tower, slowly making it fell apart in pieces. Sensing the spell beginning to wear off, the warrior doubled their power to shorten the time.


    Now they only need a mere second to launch off.


    Suddenly, the vicious storm of swords burst forth from the walls of earth overhead the warrior, immediately alerting them. With that the tower''s upper part teetered to their side, slowly falling down like a giant boulder.


    Without delay, the warrior bolted themselves out from within the reach of the falling boulder, while seeing the swords still hot on their trail. Unfortunately, they didn''t manage to find the swordsman in time during the launch¡ªthat was, until a falling sword entered their sight.


    A manifestation in black appeared before the warrior, impelling them to raise a blow of punch. But contrary to their expectations, they only hit upon thin air.


    A cue for the swordsman warped themselves to a sword behind the warrior''s back, having already prepared one ahead of time. Now, only one stroke of a slash will end this.


    As the swordsman began to draw their sword to strike, the warrior instantly disappeared out of their attack range. The swordsman hastily turned their head around only to find a flash of finished lightning-powered gauntlets ready to punch them square in the abdomen.


    The world then stopped momentarily as the Colosseum witnessed a battle of speed unfolding before its eyes.


    Two warriors in their clash of will exchanged high-speed blows and strikes to each other, neither seemed to lose in tenacity and power. Until finally, they were caught in a blast of clashing elements, blowing them far away from each other.


    Time then resumed back to normal as both fell down, with lightning rods already launched in midair.


    The swordsman drew their sword out to deflect them all before placing their attention on the storm of flying swords coming their way. In mere seconds, the swordsman whirled their body around to ride the storm, gearing its path towards the white warrior while casting dark energy blasts at them.


    The warrior safely landed on the grounds, noticing the sky had now turned overcast. Allowing them to unleash their full power, waves of lightning burst from them as they prepared themselves to clash against the coming storm.

 3: Masters of the Temple

    ¡°The battlers¡­ they''re really wrecking things up,¡± a stern voice rang in the air, breaking the silence pervading within the darkened temple of the masters. Only one large screen at the end of its imposing halls provided some light. Watching the match live, Scar could only grit his teeth, knowing how dangerous they could be.


    ¡°Well, what can we say? It''s for research purposes after all,¡± replied a man in a loose military golden-black uniform with light green details, sitting on a chair with his feet up on a desk, looking somewhat satisfied. His looks were a bit young to say the least, with spiky brown hair and smiling blue eyes to make him look more like the part. ¡°Rest your worries, Scar. This is only a demonstration. Nothing dangerous at all. You can even bet my money on it.¡±


    ¡°Precisely. Collecting their combat data is crucial to build a competent Soldiver machine interface. Of course, what better way to achieve that than to have them go all out? Simple as that.¡± Spoke the woman standing beside Blatt, her hazel eyes absorbed on the screen with her hands full on writing a report on a tablet. Her white lab coat spoke for itself, lending her the image of a well-endowed burgundy-haired young woman. ¡°If you really that worried then think back; the monsters all around us are more than capable of destroying us in a blink of an eye. Looking from their viewpoint, I''m sure they see us as anything but pests, and our lives are worth nothing more than those of cattle. In that regard, the battlers seemed nothing like those savage beasts. Therefore, the term dangerous doesn''t even begin to describe them.¡± Islynn stopped writing, shoving a look towards Scar as she fixed her glasses. ¡°Following this way of thinking, your initial concerns for the battlers aren''t warranted in the first place.¡±


    A small laughter escaped Blatt as his ears picked up all of it, before turning to look at Islynn. His face traced in amusement as he said, ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    Islynn raised her eyebrows, however slightly. ¡°Don''t make me repeat.¡± She promptly reared her heels to march outside the place.


    ¡°And what about the data, did you get all of it?¡± Blatt said, his eyes now focused on the screen.


    ¡°I''ll personally review them.¡± It was all she said before leaving the temple''s halls fleetingly.


    Heaving a deep sigh, Scar could only rub his balding head. Genuinely worried.


    ¡°Also, this might be out of topic, but who''s the girl?¡± Blatt pointed to a girl sitting somewhat restless beside him. Her auburn-bobbed hair then flopped messily around as the girl suddenly jerked herself upright, stiff as a board.


    Seeing that, Scar grinned. ¡°Well boy, didn''t you ask for a recruit?¡±


    Blatt raised his eyebrows, tearing his eyes away from the screen to the girl beside him.


    ¡°I''ll introduce you.¡± Scar said before giving a nod to the girl, a cue for which she would begin to speak.


    ¡°Aria Leitzen at your service!¡± A sharp salutation then followed. However, with that odd glasses sitting on her bridge nose, Blatt could only hold his laughter from going out.


    ¡°A freshman?¡± Blatt asked Scar.


    ¡°That she is.¡± Scar sent.This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    ¡°And you expect me to take her under my wing?¡±


    Scar nodded.


    ¡°Your profile,¡± Blatt stretched his hand out and after an afterthought, ¡°please?¡± The girl searched her bag to get a file with her photo and information written down to Blatt''s open palm.


    He began to sift through it. Aria saw his eyes beginning to sharp itself.


    ¡°So they managed to create one¡­¡± Blatt had a disbelieving look on his face, pausing himself for a moment before saying, ¡°I guess that explains why your hands and neck are bandaged. Here''s a simple question for you, do you hate me?¡± Blatt pressed the last part, drawing a smile so wide that Aria could have sworn she saw a wolf baring its fangs out. ¡°Well, do you?¡±


    In that instant, Scar''s face tightened. ¡°You son of a¡ªBlatt!!¡± He promptly moved towards them.


    This will get ugly.


    But Blatt just stopped him with a wave of his hand, ¡°Scar, what did I tell you? Never interrupts when I''m having a conversation. Or do you want me to drill that into your body?¡± Blatt gave him a threatening glare. Scar could only shut his mouth. Seeing that, Blatt continued waiting patiently for his dear recruit to reply.


    Aria gathered her thoughts. It wasn''t like it was hard to answer. In fact, the question was so silly, it made Aria gritted her teeth. It was obvious. Blatt probably knew that from the start.


    He was just toying with her.


    ¡°Yes, Commander Blatt. I¡ª Aria Leitzen, detests you from my very heart. If given the opportunity, I''ll cut you down without hesitation.¡±


    Blatt was happy beyond words. Tears welling inside his eyes.


    ¡°Thank you, I''m quite pleased to know you feel that way towards me. I''ll expect great things from you, Aria Leitzen.¡± With great satisfaction coloring his face, Blatt turned to Scar, saying, ¡°Though I have to question why she isn''t assigned to any corps?¡±


    Sighing, Scar professionally answered, ¡°For the record, she''s officially a member of the Extermination Unit. I''ll have you know that the Black Lotus has offered her a chance to join their ranks. However, due to some unforeseen circumstances, she''ll be transferring to yours this early spring. But of course, for now, just let her get a taste of this godforsaken world. She''ll need it.¡± Scar sent as he turned the screen off, automatically bringing the lights back on in the temple.


    ¡°That she will Commander. Also...¡± Blatt got up from his chair. His right hand stretched out towards Aria. She just blankly stood still, before quickly realizing the message. She took his hand within hers.


    Though Aria was gripping especially hard on her side, Blatt didn''t seem to mind the treatment. ¡°What''s this? Getting peppy here, are we?¡± He then lowered his voice to a whisper and leaned into Aria''s right ear. ¡°Good, now that''s what I want. Respect. Keep it. Not many would do that to their elders nowadays. Not that I''m old enough, to say the least.¡± He said it with a laugh at the end as they tore away. Ironic. ¡°Now then, I''ll take my leave. Scar.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I''ll be waiting at the usual place, tell her that.¡±


    Scar nodded, knowing what he meant. Having said and done with, Blatt promptly left the temple behind.


    Aria eyed her hand, still warm.


    ¡°Commander, that man...¡±


    ¡°One of the best men in the academy. You''ll be in good hands with him around.¡± Scar said, sitting at his desk.


    ¡°I see...¡±


    ¡°And Aria, the report, please.¡±


    Nodding, Aria walked to his desk before bringing out a nondescript file. Scar read the contents again and again, his face beginning to darken. ¡°Did they approve of this?¡±


    Aria shook her head, saying, ¡°No, at least for now.¡±


    Scar, though relieved to hear that, placed his attention on the file again. Project Primal¡ªsummoning the powers of the incarnates¡­ Its contents made Scar afraid of the future. He decided it was best to put the file away in his drawer for now. ¡°You can leave now.¡±


    Aria saluted the stern commander as she usually does before rearing her heels back to where she came from. Before long, she found herself in the faculty room. Face lined with sweat, while she herself huffs and puffs.


    She did have trouble after all, mainly with her student ID card''s missing.


    ¡°Good gracious, if some student didn''t find and send it here, you won''t be able to enter the academy!¡± Said the female teacher, giving Aria her ID card back.


    ¡°Thank you¡ª!¡± Feeling somewhat indebted, Aria bowed to the said teacher again and again, to which the teacher could only smile wryly.

 4: Monster Girls and The Dilemma That Comes With Them

    ¡°Where should I put this?¡± I asked out.


    ¡°Place it next to the drawer.¡± LA sent.


    Mustering up my whole strength, I worked and carried stacks of books across the room. It was painfully heavy to be sure, as I was covered in sweat by the time I finished the job.


    Phew.


    ¡°Izzat all?!¡±


    ¡°No, there''s another one in the back. Carry it next.¡±


    I couldn''t believe my ears. ¡°You''re kidding me, right?¡±


    With glee, LA turned and smiled, "Of course I do, darling. If I didn''t there wouldn''t be any fun!"


    ¡°This is why I hate slave-drivers¡­¡±


    ¡°Five points deducted. Whining about it won''t make it less easy, darling,¡± LA sent, sorting stuff on her table. ¡°Maybe I should put a death pepper in your mouth the next time we meet.¡±


    ¡°I''ll probably tie you up before you can even do that.¡±


    ¡°My! Such a wonderful proposition. Are you suggesting we should get intimat¡ª¡±


    ¡°No, I don''t. Stop being ridiculous.¡±


    ¡°What a shame¡­ Darling, do you hate the idea of being with me that much?¡±


    I closed my mouth off before I could say more.


    LA suddenly went quiet. Her hands stopped dead.


    ¡°Hate is a strong word, and I wouldn''t use that on you. Also, if there''s nothing more to be done, can I go home now?¡± I said as I wiped the sweat off my temple. LA cast her eyes down, covered by the fringe of her hair, seemingly not offering me a single reaction. ¡°Hey¡­¡± I tried to speak up right next to her.


    She was silent, still as water, even as I nudged her right shoulder. Sensing something was wrong, I turned her towards me. Her raven hair flailed around while we made eye contact, and then I saw how her lips were pursed tight and her cheeks rosy with redness.


    I¡­ turned away but as I did, LA grabbed my right arm while saying, ¡°Darling!¡±


    ¡°W-What?¡± I stammered out, flustered beyond a doubt, as our gazes locked on one another.


    ¡°What am I to you?¡± She suddenly threw such a curveball that even my brain stopped thinking for a moment.


    ¡°Huh? What do you mean by that?¡±


    ¡°It''s exactly as I just said. What am I to you right now? Am I someone that you hate being with or...¡± She paused, her voice tender and her words carrying an air of vulnerability.


    She''s...oddly bothered by that one statement. Looking at LA, she was not playing around when she said that. Apparently, I wasn''t being clear enough when I gave her my view on our current relationship.


    So I tried to form an answer that would satisfy her. ¡°Obviously, I don''t hate you. I mean, it''s not like I have a reason to when you have helped me this much over the past months.¡± It''s true. And I was being honest, too. ¡°Thanks to you, I''m sort of able to get my life together here. In a way, I guess I''m glad we have met.¡±


    Man that sounded cheesy as hell but with that said, LA finally let go of my arm.


    ¡°I see...¡± She said.


    ¡°Darling, do you remember how we met for the first time?¡± She turned away, looking outside the opened windows.


    ¡°Yeah, kinda. A bit.¡± It''s a memory I have little recollection of, as I wasn''t fully conscious at the time.


    ¡°On that blood-soaked pavement, you were like a wounded animal close to the verge of death. Companionless, helpless, and almost pitiable. There was nary a fortune to your name and lineage; absolutely nothing that would compel my hand to intervene, only that...¡± She spoke, eyes closed, as if returning to a distant past.


    At that moment, sounds of rustling leaves swept into the room.


    ¡°I remembered when you came crawling to me with your bare face, wheezing for dear breath. Your eyes were completely bereft of light. And yet the words that came out of your blood-curdling throat betrayed the grave conditions sealing your fate thence. You said these,¡± LA turned to face me in the eyes, saying, ¡°I will live¡­ I refuse to die¡­! I will survive! No matter what!!!¡±


    A moment of silence passed between us. Did I seriously say all those things?


    ¡°That sight of you back then was what captured my heart. It was as if I were seeing a struggling worm trying to desperately fight back against the world itself. It truly was a wonderful sight.¡± LA chuckled for a moment before sending me a look. It was bewitching, to be fair.


    I could feel my eyes turning away. ¡°So what about it? What were you trying to say?¡±


    ¡°Darling, if not for me, you would die right then and there on that pitiful spot.¡± LA worked on her heels and slowly closed her distance towards me. ¡°Remember, we are bound together. Remember your promise to me, darling.¡± At that moment, her deep crimson eyes peered deeply into mine, as if hammering the fact that I had nowhere else to escape. ¡°You''re mine, and mine alone. Together, forever.¡± LA drew her face so close to mine that I could feel her breathing touching my lips.


    Steamy, hot.


    I could feel my face going red.


    And hers smiling ear to ear.


    ¡°Yeah, yeah, sure, I know my place. And our promise.¡± I gently pushed her away by the shoulders. She was being fairly aggressive, and I wasn''t ready for it. ¡°Being your temporary darling is not a hard job to be fair. I can do that as much. I''m a man of my words.¡± I proudly sent.


    ¡°Is this you being sweet for once? Color me surprised.¡±


    ¡°You got that right, I''m a sweet man. Remember that, woman.¡± I said with a satisfied look.


    ¡°A sweet man wouldn''t cause a lady to be troubled, you know?¡± A slight glee entered her tone.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    She brought up a screen, proceeding to play a voice recording.


    ''If you do anything strange or even utter inappropriate words to Lady Cheryll, I will crush your lowly vile tongue!''


    Oh, she''s at it again.


    After the recording ended, she waved the screen away.


    ¡°Stay safe out there, darling; I wouldn''t want to see you lying dead in the middle of the streets.¡±


    Then, having said that, she ambled around the spacious room. Gathering a bunch of belongings. The precious little time we had at the moment dwindled with every item she stuffed inside her bag.


    She''s right. Things would escalate if the issue remained unsolved.


    With how Pia seemed to hate my guts, she''ll probably wouldn''t give up after a few tries if it meant she could tear me away from spending more time with Cheryll. I''m definitely not alone when it comes to gaining favors from Cheryll herself, so Pia''s suspicions weren''t without grounds. Intentions matter here¡ªgood ones, in fact. I didn''t know what made her think I was doing harm to Cheryll as I hadn''t done anything wrong myself. However, seeing how dedicated she was to her job, I just couldn''t help but be amazed, and that''s something.


    What a loyal dog.


    That being said, I have to figure this problem out before she gets out of hand, focusing mainly on how to win her trust. But the question was:


    ¡ªhow?


    I looked at the sky outside, thinking deep...


    Maybe I''ll just ask Cheryll when I get the time, she''ll know something.


    Suddenly, darkness crept in one corner of my eyes.


    The dark hour was approaching. And fast. Time to go home.


    ¡°So care to tell me what''d you girls having fun with?¡± I asked while helping her get things done neatly and tidy, adding the final touch.This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    ¡°That''s a girl''s secret. Pay up if you want to know more.¡± She teased.


    ¡°If that is how you want to play it, woman, then I won''t pry any further. Getting your wallet dry sucks after all.¡± Slinging my bag over my right shoulder, I waited outside the room in the hallway.


    ¡°Oh? Not so interested now, are we?¡± She chuckled back, smiling contemptuously all the while. I just gave her a dismissive shrug as we locked the place up before leaving for the main entrance. The entire evening went uneventful, as always. Except for the sounds and flashes of magical exercises being carried out on the academy''s training grounds. As per usual, the intense extracurricular activities around this time could only be done by the most diligent and achieving students.


    Wish there was something interesting going on other than that, but that''s life I guess. I wonder if that bandaged girl managed to get her ID card back... Well, no point thinking about that now. As long as she get them back from the faculty office, there shouldn''t be any problem since I passed over her ID card there a while ago.


    I looked outside as we walked through the hallways, now brightened with lights of their own. I could see snowflakes swirling through the windows and students walking side by side, like us, going home by the gates. Even from here, I could tell. They were all demikins. Pretending to be human. Appearance wise, there''s nothing wrong with their disguise.


    Think of Lady Cheryll and Pia. If not for their lineage, which was identifiable from their long, droopy ears, vampiric fangs and pale skin, I would''ve thought they were human girls. I used to fool myself into thinking they weren''t bloodsucking creatures, just to show that I''m unafraid of them. Although the fact it took me a long while to let it sink in, knowing I''m their favorite food really messed me up.


    Well, to be fair, I haven''t really met any humans other than myself.


    How would a human girl look and act anyway?


    The only person who I could reference in this regard was Lady Cheryll herself. For reasons unknown, the girl really loved tales of the bygone era of mankind and playing with make-believe humans. Going so far as trying to eat human food, even though that would affect her health once every week.


    Sighed. I still couldn''t wrap my head around the whole thing.


    ¡°What''s with the long face?¡± LA sent looking curiously at my way, ¡°Ate something bad?¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°You know,¡± gathering my thoughts, I said, ¡°the graelims, they''re different from vampires, right? Like how they can survive off the sun for long periods of time and are kind of the least xenophobic out of all demikins. I thought they were more monster-like when I was a kid. But now, I''m not so sure.¡±


    As I looked into the distance, I remembered back that feeling.


    I was born human. Without horns, sharp talons, tails or wings, and all that shit. A powerless, pathetic human. To put it simply, I''m weak. If I had the power to change that...


    ¡°So you have done your research,¡± LA sent, pulling me away from my thoughts. ¡°Other than their insatiable lust for blood and human flesh, they''re known to be highly socially involved creatures, even by their own bloodkins'' standards. If you''re so busy worrying about being their next meal, why be friends with them in the first place?¡±


    She gave me a skeptical look. Why huh? Good question.


    ¡°Maybe I wanted to know them better?¡± It sounded like I wasn''t so sure about it myself.


    ¡°Ah, don''t tell me you want to know them in that way?¡± She smiled while eyeing me suspiciously. The nuance behind her words made my face go red. ¡°If there is one defining trait that the bloodkin family of graelims shares among their cousins, it is that they were born with an unnatural beauty that rivals even the elph themselves, while the rest wither in their presence.¡±


    She''s right. Unfortunately LA, as part of the common rabble, I would never be able to appreciate their beauty up close as you do. Friendship means nothing in the face of nobility, and I learned that the hard way.


    Sighed.


    Suddenly, I felt my right arm get colder.


    ¡°However, as my darling, you ought to remember your place. You''re mine, and no one can say otherwise, not even you, darling.¡± She linked her arms with mine.


    ¡°Wha¡ª?!¡± Crap, a surprise attack! To use your womanly charms like that, you have my respect. But LA as my sworn enemy, you''d think I would let you have your way with me?!


    Well, think twice woman!


    I brought up a lighter from my pocket with my left hand before igniting it close between us.


    She didn''t budge. Instead pressing her cold knockers against me even stronger. A shiver ran down my spine. As the lighter began heating up her skin, hints of her true flesh became visible. From pale-looking to downright ugly, fleshy red. I''m used to the illusion. I was trying not to think about it. If I did, I wouldn''t be able to face her straight in the eyes.


    It was unsettling, to say the least. And LA probably noticed that as she said this next, ¡°Your warmth... I think I had enough of it.¡± She said, but her fingers were fairly unwilling to leave my arm alone, making it look like she was gingerly tugging at the edge of my sleeve. ¡°Is the distance alright with you?¡± She asked while smiling happily.


    LA wasn''t human. She''s a witch. An undead witch.


    I didn''t say anything. I just pulled the lighter back into its pocket as LA''s skin turned back to its pale state. It''s a known fact that fire is the bane to all undead, but knowing LA she probably didn''t mind a little warmth here and there, which, honestly speaking, is pretty weird if you asked me.


    Like a moth drawn to a flame. Maybe, I am that flame to her. Or maybe... that''s just wishful thinking on my part.


    ¡°Darling, you''re being extra silent today. Do you... hate being touched that much?¡± LA said wryly, looking sorry all of a sudden.


    ¡°Look, we''re not a couple. And love is a fickle thing. You shouldn''t mistake that with sympathy. I wouldn''t. Now, I don''t hate being touched by you or anything. I''m just adhering to the rules of society. You''re up; I''m rock bottom. I''ll just drag you down should, they see us being¡ªuh.¡±


    I forgot the word.


    ¡°Lovey-dovey?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that''s the thing. We''re enemies, but even I have my own standards.¡± I said with a serious face to boot. For some reason, it came out sounding funny to my ears.


    As we ran our mouth, we soon left the academy grounds. Walking side by side under the streetlamps, she laughed. ¡°Enemy that, enemy this¡ªyou''d think I''d buy that? When your body is plenty honest as it is?¡± She poked at my side. This was some serious business. My whole life would end up behind bars should anything happen between us. LA probably realized that too and promptly stopped.


    She still wouldn''t let go of my sleeve though.


    ¡°Darling, I know you can''t help it. You want to ravish me to your heart''s content, do you? I can tell; it''s all written on your face.¡± LA wore a knowing smile on her face as she said, ¡°You''re trying to control your sense of reasoning, but in the face of my magic, you''ll eventually cave in to your desires. Accept it; you''re my darling. You''ll never escape from me. And I''ll make sure you''ll learn that thoroughly in time.¡±


    Her confidence was almost appallingly nauseating. ¡°In case you didn''t know, I hate pushy and overbearing women. They''re like the second-bottom bottom on my list of things I hate.¡± Pushing my nonexistent air glasses up my nose bridge, I said them all in a matter-of-fact way.


    ¡°Is that so, my dear?¡± LA didn''t look the least bit annoyed by that, only shrugging her shoulders a little. ¡°For the record, what''s your most hated thing on that list of yours?¡± Instead, her eyes lit up almost instantly when those words left her juicy lips, turning into pure curiosity as she gazed back into my eyes.


    ¡°It''s uhm... a secret. There is nothing for you to worry about, I assure you.¡± It may have looked like I wanted to avoid speaking of the subject but its not. Its just better that way I suppose.


    ¡°Is it¡­ your hate for the demikins, or perhaps fear of the undead?¡± She''s oddly persistent about this.


    ¡°Look, can we talk about something else?¡± I tried to steer away the conversation.


    Apparently, that managed to make her realize that I''m uncomfortable with the whole subject, beginning with her eyes looking away from mine as she slowly pouted, and then I felt that our shoulders touched together.


    I wonder why she would be so interested in me.


    I mean, imagine you have this drop-dead gorgeous undead, and¡ªI couldn''t stress this enough¡ªan exceptionally beautiful young woman always sticking up for you, calling you darling day over day. Most people, including LA, wouldn''t probably deign themselves to a lowlife like me without some valid contextual reason. You would think there must be some underlying intentions here, good or bad. And to be frank, I''m not quite sure the affection she has for me is genuine in the romantic sense. It''s just a nagging feeling, but not one that I could quite shake off.


    On top of that, she''s a bona fide demikin literally living in rotten flesh and bones. Then you have me in the picture, a literal average human Joe. But it''s also true that she''s a female, and I''m a grown man with needs. So romance between them was not unheard of, but over here, it''s considered a taboo matter. And strictly speaking, how low would you be to love a living corpse? I wouldn''t; at least that''s how I felt towards the whole thing.


    ¡°Darling, what is it? You''re muttering to yourself again, I''m honestly worried.¡±LA interrupted my train of thoughts. What''s she got to worry about?


    ¡°Well, it''s just that there''s this one thing that''s been bugging me. You don''t suppose demikins came from humans, right?¡± Flustered, I immediately thought up a different topic in an attempt to divert her attention. If she catches on to what I''m actually thinking, there''s no telling what she''ll do next.


    ¡°Let curiosity take its course, and you''ll end up as a fool. Some secrets are best kept in the dark.¡± And somehow she took the bait, looking distant all of a sudden. I wiped the sweat from my brow as I breathed out a sigh of relief.


    ¡°R-Really? I see.¡± I''ve got to steer the conversation in the right way! ¡°But seeing some of them have a close resemblance to humans, you just have to wonder what exactly are demikins right?¡±


    With eyes opened wide in surprise, LA began, ¡°Ahh, a question for all ages. The answer varies, but all reach the common truth: we are twisted creations made to look human. And some are quite far from it, getting names out of fear for their wicked powers and appearances or even, in some rare cases, as patrons for worship. Even so, we are flawed beings. Carrying the same weight as the humans before us, seeking for their Lord''s grace...¡±


    Twirling a finger around her locks, she said, ¡°Thus we exist much for the same sake as for your kind, along with our differing gifts and shortcomings.¡±


    ¡°Even though you guys destroyed most of our civilizations?¡±


    ¡°However you swallow it, the world is a strange place after all. Maybe we exist simply for entertainment. We don''t know, and some of us don''t want to accept the hard truths. While some aren''t afraid to taste the sweetness of revelation themselves, things have never been clear.¡± LA said her face looked cold to the eye. ¡°In the end, we remain a mystery.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ I''m not sure if I quite follow, but I guess I can accept that.¡±


    As our conversation came to an end, the holographic signs of many food stalls and grocery shops soon came to light. Looking around, I could see decorations for winter''s arrival had been propped up which frankly speaking, made the place quite¡­ romantic, to say the least. The mood here is... suffocating...


    ¡°Oh, my... Look at all these people, indulging themselves in their sweet honey pot without a care in the world. What do you think, darling? Should we follow in their step?¡± She urged bewitchingly, her rosy cheeks looking fairly tempting.


    I swallowed hard. There''s a line I couldn''t see here, but it''s definitely there. Should I cross, there''s no turning back.


    No turning back... but I''ll be a different man...


    At that moment, I picked up the scent of fried food in the air. My stomach rumbled loudly. ¡°Hey, what''s that smell? I think it''s coming from there!!¡± I quickly gestured to the far end. A family restaurant could be seen in the distance as I rubbed my stomach and stuck my tongue out as if just seeing food for a long while. ¡°Boy! I bet the food over there is tasty-licious; let''s go eat. Man, I need to stave off this hunger real fast, don''t ya think?¡±


    LA was quiet. She had this dark and scary look plastered on her face. Eyeing sharply at the family restaurant, I gestured.


    I wiped the sweat off my forehead, silently thanking my stomach.


    Alright, let''s keep this professional.

 5: The Start of The Hunt

    Sitting across me was LA. And around us, the demikins. We''re currently in a family restaurant. And waiting right next to me was...


    "Is that all?"


    "Wait, I''ll take a Sizzling Chicken Marbas with egg on top and a strawberry juice," I ordered for my dinner of the day. "And no chilly sauce, okay?"


    "Points taken!"


    I looked towards LA. She already placed an order. A jumbo-sized parfait. Double in fact.


    Done taking our orders, the waitress scooted off.


    "My, look at her go! And with such splendid posterior to boot!"


    I arched my eyebrows. LA was giving me her usual condescending grin.


    "Hey, don''t go off mind-reading people''s thoughts... it''s bad manners. On another note, her backside couldn''t put a candle over yours." I firmly stated, correcting her misconceptions.


    "True, after all, mine is crafted in real flesh, hers in artificial skin." She asserted, seemingly enjoying the fun banter we had been exchanging. The waitress in interest seemed to sport a great time with the patrons, smiling face and all that.


    Judging by her looks and actions, she must be a personia. A term for androids that exhibit phenomenal human qualities and also on an emotional level. At least, that''s what I could tell with how progressive technology of human-android look-alike had become. Hell, she could even be more human in ways I couldn''t imagine. I''m not sure what to expect living here, as this much seemed to be the norm these days.


    "Speaking of flesh, aren''t you an undead?" Suddenly, I realized something. "I mean, think about it. You''re a living corpse. Normally you would have no reasons to consume food with how self-sustaining your body is." I gave her a scrutinizing look, cupping my chin deep in thought. "I always wondered where did all those waste went to if you do eat, since well, you''re dead."


    LA just looked on with her smiling eyes and mischievous grin. As usual, she''s playing hard to read. Her lips moved, "Darling, you aren''t being very tactful you know that?"


    For some reason, she sounded upset.


    "What do you mean?" I asked confused. "Did I say something offensive?" That''s strange, I didn''t remember LA being that sensitive.


    She sighed, "I''m hurt. Do you really think I''m all that corpse-like? That I''m an ugly, rancid-smelling woman?" She said with a mild, apparent distaste. I couldn''t tell since the fringe of her hair was making it hard to see, but her eyes were definitely downcast.


    "You aren''t? I thought that''s pretty obvious" I just scratched my head. Didn''t expect her to throw a curveball there. "Then what are you if you''re not, I don''t know, a walking corpse?"


    With her face beyond peeved, she said, "Darling, I am a living corpse yes, but would you be kindly think and treat me as a girl first and foremost?" She was displeased with how I acted. Confirming my suspicion that she would rather be treated like a normal living person instead of identifying herself as a full-fledged undead.


    I folded my arms, recalling our times together as I felt my brow furrowed. "I''m pretty sure I''ve treated you with all due respect you deserve, unless I''m mistaken by comparing our standards." I paused for a moment, realizing what kind of society I was living in. "Or, is there more to this discussion than meets the eye that I''m not privy of?" I gave her an inquisitive look.


    With her elbows resting on the dining table and her hands joined together in front of her comely face, she said while heaving a sigh, "In all honesty, your lack of delicacy is quite aggravating! I fear for how your future convos with other people will proceed if you continually act in this way. No matter with time, I''ll be sure to beat some common sense into your thinking. Mark my words, darling, I''ll thoroughly shape you up so that you''ll be a functioning member of society!"


    From out of nowhere, she promptly made a declaration upon thin air, and I was like, wait what the fuck?


    "Wait, hold on! Why am I getting lectured here, if all I ever asked was a simple question of why an undead like you would consume food in the first place? Talk about being roundabout." I sent while tilting my head to the other side.


    "You still haven''t got it into your head yet? Darling, what am I going to do with you." She said while shaking her head in a patronizing way. As always, I couldn''t understand her.


    "Spill it, woman. The only thing I want to get something straight here is how you treat your waste products whenever nature''s calling. Understanding such matters might let me gain profound insights on the inner workings of this deformed world." I pressed her further without a second thought.


    "You do realize you''re being extremely rude there, but no matter. I''ll drill some sense into that dense head of yours." With her usual condescending grin, she rested her chin on one hand while saying, "The answer is, I''m not a mere undead. To begin with, the term undead itself is very broad, referring to mindless creatures that walk around without a heartbeat or a soul. This applies to all species, in fact, even yours."


    LA was trying to gauge my reaction. I just shrugged her off. Dead humans coming to life meant they had already lost their humanity. At least that''s what they say anyway.


    "And what about you? Are you gonna tell me you''re one of those special ones who do retain their soul or sense of self upon death?"


    "Yes, yes I am." LA probably expected me to answer that as she continued on with, "As you might have guessed, some of us were born under special circumstances. Think of bloodsucking vampires, sorcerous lich or even possessed corpse. We refer to this type of undead as revenants. Unlike from our mindless cousins such as zombies and ghouls, we continue to display some aspects of life after death such that we''re able to socialize much like any other living person." She pointed to herself and then to me to drive the point home. "Still, being a revenant we still have our own limitations. That''s where food intake comes in."


    Just as she finished saying all that, the waitress finally appeared with a tray in hand. "Thanks for waiting!" She said, being very attentive not to spill the food and drinks on the table as she put them.


    What a diligent and cute personia.


    With that done, the waitress was about to leave but then gave us another hard look, "You two look great with each other!" She said with a radiant smile while motioning a handclap.


    That sudden remark of hers had thrown me off.


    "Especially you miss, I really like the stitch-work done on your body! It''s very beautifully made. And this sweet smelling fragrance of yours, I love it! Any other undead that comes to the restaurant never really cared about presenting themselves properly as you did! So please, do enjoy yourself and come by again! Have a nice day!!" She scooted off after giving a bunch of praise to LA. What an energetic personia.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    "I didn''t expect for a mere android to have an eye for beauty. And being really considerate that, unlike a certain someone here..." LA placed her cold eyes on me. And then, a smug smile sat on her lips as she readied to scoop a spoonful of her jumbo-sized parfaits up to her mouth.


    I was stumped beyond belief. "Well I''m sorry to say if I wasn''t the best person for social etiquette," I shrugged my shoulders in a somewhat exaggerated manners, "if I could perceive you like the rest of the people here do, I probably won''t act the same way I do now."


    Hearing those words coming out of my blabbering mouth, LA momentarily stopped downing her parfaits as she sent worried looks my way. "Darling, do you still..."


    "It''s not that big of a deal, but the fact that I''m not allowed to see your true, pristine form just rubs me the wrong way." I said, unfiltered and probably shouldn''t have never left my mouth, "I''ve been together with you for three months and a half now, shouldn''t that calls for a relationship upgrade? You''d think by now there would be genuine trust between us at this point, not just merely a broken facade..."


    Now if what that waitress said was to be believed in, that would mean LA was not your average, rot-infested undead. My perception of LA was skewed due to the spell she placed on me mind you, so in my own terms I couldn''t very much verify the waitress''s words in truth.


    Shaking those thoughts away, I looked up.


    LA, on the other hand, was having this surprised look, her mouth mouth agape with incredulity. "I''m rather shocked. To think you of all people would be earthly worried by such trifle matters, I guess you can''t judge a book by its covers." She sounded oddly ecstatic, her eyes smiling over the edges and all that. Yeah, not exactly the reaction I was hoping for.


    "Now, what do you think will happen if I show you my true form darling?" She calmly sent.


    "That''s easy, I would be disgusted." I replied back.


    "Exactly." She firmly stated as a matter of fact.


    I knitted my eyebrows, "While true, you have to take into account that it takes time to warm up to appearances. Besides, I''ve seen my fair shares of ugly mugs over the years, and believe me I can very well stomach a few scary faces around, even you!"


    "Darling, that''s a very brave supposition coming from you but I digress. Whatever you say, I would not cave in." Said LA as she casually scooped some more desserts.


    "Why not?"


    "Why? Because I want to show you my best self of course!" LA happily exclaimed with her cheeks flushed red. "And to answer your primary question," she downed another spoonful of tarts, "we turn the food we eat into magical energies which are then used to replenish ourselves. In turn, any bodily waste made inside us will be burned out by the magical excess. I must say, it''s a very efficient thing to have as a living dead." Just as she said that her head fell off and face-landed into the mushy texture of her jumbo-sized parfait.


    At once, the illusion broke off and I saw LA''s true form.


    It was just like the waitress described; LA had beautiful stitches on her body with some of her skin having varying colors from fleshy red to powdery snow and velvety purple, resembling a lot like a mismatch but cute patchwork of flesh doll. Her forearms though were barely covered in fleshy tissues, revealing a skeletal of pearly whiteness underneath. My nose could be wrong, but somehow she smells really nice. Almost flowery. That''s weird, I had this picture of her being a detestable walking corpse, and yet she looked kind of pleasant.


    Hmm....


    And she''s not moving. Guess I''ll have to help her out then. As I tried to get her head, LA''s arms suddenly jolted alive surprising me as she picked up her head fast and screwing it tightly into her neck, joining them together. The illusion once more settled into effect.


    I didn''t get to see her face.


    She gave me a dagger to the eye, "D-Did you saw...?!" She sounded nervous.


    I''ll just come clean, "I did."


    "No... you saw¡ª you saw my true form..." Her voice was weak and wobbly. She was covering her face, trembling and quivering from head to toe. And likely because of that, the dining table, the windows, and the hanging lamps of the restaurant all started to follow suit. People around us noticed the sudden tremor, letting out a collective scared gasp.


    Hot damn, this could be bad. Gotta say something nice to cool her down quick!


    "Hey uh...  Alize, listen to me." I cleared my throat. "I get that you hate your awful appearance, but really, I''m not that bothered by it. And unlike most demikins, you were one of the first few to accept me. At first, it was kind of unnerving yeah, but as time went on, I realized that you''ve become a part of my life. That''s why, no matter how ridiculous your real appearance might be, I''ll likely wouldn''t be bothered by it. Alize, I guess you could say that you''re¡ª"


    My mouth stopped working.


    "I''m... what?" The entire trembling stopped and LA slowly removed her hands away from her face, gingerly peeking her teary eyes from the fringe of her hair.


    "You''re my first... friend? Kinda like that? Ha ha ha..."I let out a small laughter in an embarrassed manner.


    I guess, I couldn''t really say it huh...


    That Alize was just someone there for me to survive in this world.


    Glancing towards LA, she was still quivering. Hands full covering her face.


    But that reaction....


    "Pftt..."


    Hmm?


    Without warning she suddenly burst out laughing. "Hah!!"


    I sat there with a dumbfounded look. I must have looked like a total idiot.


    "That was a good one! A friend!? Really?"


    At that moment I was facepalming myself, hearing the sounds of my teeth gritting against each other. T-This girl...!!


    "Haah... what fun! Thanks darling, you just made my day!" She flashed the most radiant smile I had ever seen.


    "I-I see. Good for you, ha ha..." My smile must have appeared forced. Because right now, my fists were begging to fly over to that pretty face!


    "But you know darling..." LA then looked down, face beet red. Fidgeting over her hands as if she didn''t know what to say. "When you say ''I was your friend'', it made me a bit... happy I guess."


    Ah... I forgot.


    She''s the same as me.


    "Oh shush. Say whatever you want, I''m still gonna unearth your true form one way or the other anyway."


    "That sounds promising, I''ll be sure to remember those words." She said gleefully.


    I shrugged back. But a revenant huh? That would mean, she was reanimated to life by some unholy magic. But who? For what reason?


    As I was deep in thought, LA suddenly nudged me back to reality by saying, "Darling, you said you wanted to know what Lady Cheryll and I had been doing this afternoon yes?" She said that while stuffing her mouth with the parfait.


    "Yeah, what about it?" I sent her a confused look.


    She wiped the cream on her mouth with a single lick before proceeding to cast a holographic pink screen in front of her.


    Wait, that''s...


    [Invitation to Otherworldly Trials:


    Mortals seek you glory? Or is it lofty spoils you desire?


    Very well. Should you, fellow hunters of all things strange, wish to prove your mettle then survive our quest.


    For great power awaits.


    Begin the Trials: Yes/No?]


    An awkward silence blanketed between us. I couldn''t process what just happened.


    "Hey, uh..." I must''ve looked skeptical, because honestly I am. Folding my arms, I said, "you sure this ain''t some elaborate prank LA?"


    "LA?" She tilted her head to one side, "Does my name is too much an effort for you to say?" Oof, she seemed unhappy about it.


    "Well I figured you want a nickname, so there''s that. What you don''t like it?"


    She just looked me on as if she had given up on something. "Darling, I preferred a more cute form of endearment, but you never fails to disappoint me. But enough with that; we''re here to talk business. Seeing that you can read the contents, I guess that means you''re eligible to participate." She puts away the screen.


    "Huh? What do you mean?" I asked.


    "How do I say this, this challenge you see before you is magically hard-coded. It only responds to those worthy enough to participate. And honestly speaking, I didn''t expect you to have it in you. Now, I wonder why that is..." LA had a face that screamed of deep fascination as if she had just discovered a noteworthy object.


    It kind of creeped me out though...


    "Worthy participants you say?" I asked back, worried. "Man this whole thing sounds fishy..."


    "Oh believe me, it is as you suggest. In fact, your very role as of this moment is to be my assistant in investigating the matter. I am plenty sure the noble Graelims will be delighted in hearing your confirmation in the trials." She smoothly talked it out, like it was natural I would be lending them a helping hand.


    Yeah, just great. More troubles down the road.


    "So this is what you guys were up to? Investigating some weird message? Count me out." I answered tersely. Checking my watch, there was still time before the next train came up. Eh, let''s finish eating first.


    LA sighed. "It seems like I have no choice. Darling, this is your chance to rise up in ranks. I''ll give you three seconds to think¡ª"


    "Alright, I''m in baby!!" Without waiting for her to finish her sentence, my mouth worked itself before my brain did.


    "What a simple man you are." LA shook her head. "Well then, now you''re in the team, let''s get this over with. Begin the trials, darling."


    She presented the challenge again.


    [Invitation to Otherworldly Trials:


    Mortals seek you glory? Or is it lofty spoils you desire?


    Very well. Should you, fellow hunters of all things strange, wish to prove your mettle then survive our quest.


    For great power awaits.


    Begin the Trials: Yes/No?]


    I slowly breathed in. I''m used to this anyway, nothing to be afraid of. Gotta man up as they say.


    Thinking that in mind, I proceeded to select [Yes].


    [Very well, let the feast of the hunt begins!]

 6: His Terrible Nightmare

    Time went still as dreams, beasts, and shadows sing a song of chaos into the hearts of men, in a world where skies dyed in ominous red scorned the earth with their thunderous roaring. Bolstered by the sheer din of screaming and wailing of horror-filled voices.


    As reflected in their fear-filled eyes, comprehension was lost. Consumed by the voices, they danced as dread lingers in a land cursed in heresies, crawling deep inside mankind''s psyche, screaming for the beast inside. Gnawing their mind in each passing time while men in white armors and shields crossed-shining swords to each other, intent on drawing blood. Their shouts, hoarse. Their eyes gleaming in madness. Laying waste of bloody red death everywhere, raining steels upon all.


    Such pitiful souls.


    The earth quaked violently beneath madmen, ripped of normalcy. Only, for all there had been was the moment when an otherworldly cry from the sky rocked the entire world, driving magnificent cities made of steel and machinery crushed to their last breath.


    And then, there was none.


    ***


    A flash of streaking red light cut the air before me. A dull thud reached the grounds, inking the stone pavement with clear dripping blood underneath flickering street lamps. Instantly something stirred within me, ticking off my inner survival instinct to work. To run.


    Run?


    "I admit.. you have my respect for managing to escape this far out."


    I was trembling. Every ounce of my body did. Looking down, a boy was lying helpless on a pool of blood. And standing next beside him, was a tall man. The man in his ornate white military outfit lowered to grab the boy''s head, his face stained with gelid red. "Though to be honest, that may be your last act, seeing you''ve got nowhere to run." The white-haired man opened his palm, letting go of the boy''s head until his pale hair brushed against the cold pavement.


    I flinched as the fallen body gave a pitiful moaning over the air, in a vain attempt to power through the unholy din. The boy heaved a struggling sigh, eyes shone little radiance to grasp a semblance of light. His dying breaths were almost misty in the cold rain as bloodthirsty soldiers in white prowled in the distance. His right hand drained of colors raised to reach me. As if to grab the last thing he ever needed in life. The stench of death and blood pervaded my entire mind with its vice-like grip, drilling that indescribable fear without relent.


    The incessant chattering of my teeth brought to a halt; the man stomped the reaching hand with a swift motion of his heavy boot, now whispering crushed bones that cracked beneath him. Painful, painful moaning struck all who listened, tugging a smile to pleasure itself upon the man''s cruel visage.


    My bruised arms, legs and ears twitched as the man continued playing his boot on the boy''s hand. "S-Stop!" I mustered up the courage, "G-Get away from him! Or I''ll... I''ll¡ª!"


    His piercing red eyes, menacing sneaked a side glance to my side, "Oh? Still here hmm? Yet, wetting yourself isn''t the best of move in this bloody battlefield little boy." He cackled with laughter, sounding belittling as he put more force into his boot. Eliciting a more disturbing response from the boy underneath him. "Best you run away, else you end like your friend here." He bared his fangs as he smiled, raising his sword above to the blood-eyed moon and without hesitation, swung it down with a flash.


    In seconds, blood-curdling scream reached its pinnacle, playing music to the man''s ears. "Exquisite~" He held his body as if raced in heat, delighting more and more of the unceasing pandemonium. The clear-cut crushed hand separated from its owner, gushed fountains of blood in seconds.


    My voice cracked, unable to produce a single word out. However, my body in its trembling heartbeat moved, pushing my legs to stand against oprresion. Although my mind was seized by fear, my body cried out in desperation.


    I grabbed a gun kept within my back-pockets, wet and light enough for me to aim and shoot.


    Cursing the world, I opened fire.


    I fired and fired till the boiling inside me raged down. And after three shots, one bullet managed to reach perfectly straight before getting sliced cleanly in two. A curved sword was pointed at me, glistening proudly as if mocking my effort. I clenched my teeth, brimming with uncontrollable anger as I began running towards him on puddles of blood and ash.


    "Ahh, yourrunning.Instead of fleeing away, yours for saving a friend. Admirable." He licked the flowing fresh blood on his curved sword, eyes glimmering in crimson, seemingly taking his time. "Except, you are running to your death. Splendid."


    I gave him my unbridled roar of defiance, keeping myself from feeling the burning sensation in my legs to soldier on with my gun as I continued to shoot till nothing more comes out at the tip. Clicking my tongue, I threw the gun away as my other hand reached into a pouch hanging on my waist. I grabbed one of the many pebbles housed within before flinging it out and multiple more to the soldier.


    "Oh? What game are we playing now boy? Pray, keep it simple: You don''t want it to end before at death door hmm?" His curved sword danced frigid on raining droplets, playing a child''s game of deflecting pebbles to pieces. I just kept on flinging till my pouch ran dry of things. "Still not giving up I take it?" His head tilted to one side, "Well then, try your best at wounding me. That would be you''re... joy is it not?" He broke into a vicious glint in his eyes as I quickly closed our gap in mere seconds. He stood still as I leaped for him. Our eyes met briefly, his were smiling. Mine was pure tearing.


    "Eat this!" My right arm shot upwards, sending sands and dirt from the same pouch of pebbles into the man''s face and eyes. Done what planned, I quickly landed myself down. Rolling left in time before moments of an incoming stroke of sword managed to lodge itself on my side, followed by a sharp yelp from the soldier.


    "Yes, this! This pain!" He gnashed his teeth wildly, eyes blinded by fine grits. Yet, his face was strangely gleaming. I took up a knife thrown nearby as I worked my way towards the boy, his eyes struggling to wake from darkness embrace.


    Sparing no effort I heaved him up onto my shoulders. I checked his arms, one of them had just been crippled. Yet, both were cold to the brim. That asshole!


    The beatings and loss of blood left him wheezing for life. Beady sweats formed on my brow, slipping quietly into my eyes, slowly, as if trying to blur me of my way.


    I couldn''t let it end here!


    "Eli... run, leave me behind. That would ensure your... survival..." I stopped dead in my tracks. Tightening my hold on him, I began to sprint, looking behind once to see the soldier still clutching his face kneeling on the ground. It was enough for me to spur onward. Leaving behind traces of my blood to drip upon the pavement, making way through fires and smoke in ragged panting before setting foot into another path.


    The east district pillaged and salvaged left nothing to view, except a few signs of scattered blood and the none existence of soldiers leave me to wonder if the place was unattended for a while.


    The only thing present for my ears to pick up were the ominous howling of beasts, primitive in its primeval nature sent chills racing down my spine. A nagging itch nudged my mind to get somewhere where safety was guaranteed. A place void of a single man in white and abominations were what guided me to a desolate convent resting atop a hill.


    Miles away, gunshots bore holes into people''s limbs, swords of light clashed against steels in sparks and yet, none could match the havoc caused by the abyssal creatures outside. The screams, the bloody screams all blocked by the walls surrounding us. The genocidal invasion, brutal in its wake, caused heads rolling over streets, in the name of keeping the plague from further corrupting more innocent lives.


    The Executioners had quarantined the city off from the outside world.


    "What are you doing, burdening yourself with a dying... a dying waste..." As I patched up Shiz crippled hand with makeshift fabrics, tears streamed down on his soot-covered face. His black cloth stained with blood, contorted as he tucked his knees close to his chest.


    I took a seat to his right. The only light in the room was the flickering candles playing shadows over the dilapidated walls, walls that were supposed to be sacred. Tarnished with ruined furniture and wrecked debris, holding what was once the remnant of our memories.


    My home was crumbling apart. It was crumbling, crumbling...till I lose it all. Funny. To think we were living our entire life just to meet our end here. Fate sure had a way to make a sick joke.


    I looked to my arms, stained in blood. It smelled much like iron. Stinging and fresh...


    So this was blood.


    A sudden thud. I turned and found my friend hitting the floor with his other fist. Again and again. The dull sound to me felt like a silent scream more than anything. And maybe, because of that, I got up. Determined to bring us to safety. But where? Within this chaos and blooming rotting corpses, where could I find a safe haven?


    A safe haven?


    Hanging my head, I was hit by a powerful realization. As if it was ingrained from the very start, it made me think back. The high walls of this place were not meant to be a safe haven; it was supposed to be a prison built for scraps of waste.


    This was our hellhole from the start.


    Our own magnificent prison, a perfect fit for the unwanted, for war-orphaned children along with sons and daughters of criminals and degenerate pigs. And out of them all, the most dangerous were kept forever within this false paradise. The world had thrown us away, leaving us to rot in ash.


    Right...our days were numbered. Dying early wasn''t the problem here. It''s to be expected. So I had to keep questioning; what is our purpose?


    "That thing... what was it?" I started, musing back a few hours ago when a giant beast donned in a ragged man''s clothing appeared suddenly on the main plaza.Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    "What was it? What it was... was the thing who killed her.Ateher!" I turned with a worrying look, eyebrows arched. Shiz had worn a face resembling the likes of those outsides. A tinge of madness could be seen in his tearing eyes.


    "Sh-Shiz?!" I shook his shoulders for fear of the nightly hunt had rubbed his now mentally impaired state. "Hey, get a grip! We have no time for this!"


    "No time for what? For revenge?" He looked up, now vacantredeyes were staring back at me. "Eli... don''t. You''re the one who should escape. I''m done with this. I''m gonna go back, and kill that damn beast!"


    As I was about to raise my hand, my ears picked the occasional metallic taps pounding the grounds outside. Without a moment to waste, I sprang my knife open before blowing off the flickering candles in the room. "Shiz, forget revenge. Our life is on the line here!" I tried to grab his shoulder, but he pushed away.


    "I... I''m gonna go back; she deserved to be avenged. That damn piece of shit...I''m gonna make it pay for what it did." His emotions were so raw I backed down a little. "It doesn''t matter. As long as I could do it, I''ll gladly put them at peace. And with how I am, it''s almost certain I''ll die anyway."


    There was no hesitation in his words, only determination. That fire lit in his eyes... I could never extinguish that. I had to convince him somehow. I had to get him back to his senses. If I failed that, he would die too and all my efforts would be rendered meaningless.What do I do? What do I say to make him believe me?


    Tell me...I didn''t care who, just tell me!Anyone!!


    "Search the place up! Don''t leave a single incarnatesalive or I''ll be forced to cut your heads off!" Someone roared, echoing till it reached our ears; it''s coming from the entrance way and lights were visible on the walls. I looked closely, one of the soldiers had an eye-patch on the left side, fury could be seen on his strained face.


    "Found you," he glinted as our eyes met, "Shoot them, lads!"


    I was unable to move. His soldiers open fired. Multiple bullets rained on us as time went into a crawling state. I couldn''t feel my legs. They felt heavy. In fact, I couldn''t feel anything.D-Damn! Move it!!


    I screamed to my body as the sense of despair sank in. No time...I wouldn''t make it!!


    And then, everything felt blurry. Blood was spraying in the air. It was not mine. I looked down. Shiz covered for me by pushing me down, painfully aware of the bullets lodged into his body. And yet, it didn''t flinch him as we curled beside a wall.


    I snapped wide awake.


    Shiz had received numerous shots.


    My voice cracked.


    "Eli, stand up. You''re... not going to die here... are you?" He croaked. "Don''t you fucking...die..."


    I clenched my fists, realizing how worthless I am.


    "Don''t you dare die too..." I sent as I picked up his body in my arms and moved to a chamber we used to gather. I pushed its large doors open before barring it with a metallic pole from being opened from the other side. Letting our tired backs leaning against a wall, we sagged in relief at the same time, attesting our weary minds from the chain of events.


    The night had been long, truly. Was it because of the giant red moon hanging in the sky? Or was it because of the otherworldly cry that made the hunting truly grueling? For now, we had to rest; this moment may be our last to do so. After all, none shall escape the eyes of the soldiers in white, executioners meandering with only one objective.


    "Kill all on sight, leave alive none..." I muttered under silent breath, eyes fixed on my bloodstained hands, trembling nonstop. The brutal night, how I wish it would end. As I turned around, I was hit by a powerful stench.


    "Shiz, this stench..." I stood slowly as my eyes saw a familiar flight of stairs leading up before me, covered by a long carpet dyed in red. Upstairs?


    "Eli..." I shifted my gaze to my right, the walls already lit by hanging candlesticks.


    Shiz was pale as white, wheezing for air as his eyes blankly stared off into the distance. A trickle of blood from his patched hand dripped to the cold, stone floor. Biting my lips, I checked his cheeks. There was no warmth.


    My mind began to panic.


    I started to rock him back and forth, pressing down the image from jutting out of their keep. "Shiz! Wake up, now is not the time to sleep; we gotta run! Fast!" Yet, the folding of darkness was clearly pulling his eyelids down.Oh no... don''t do this to me!


    As I tried to wake him up, a booming sound came from behind the barred doors, enough to jolt me back to my feet.


    I heaved Shiz on my back, his body felt light on mine. Praying, I began working my way on the set of stairs, the woods creaked in dear agony as the sounds behind started to hit a whole new volume. Judging by the smoke around the door''s fringe, they must had used explosives. Dust spilled off from its place, raining down on us as I pushed my muscles, gritting my teeth.


    "Oh... Lords... forgive us. For we are weak, incomplete."


    A voice echoed as I climbed. A survivor? With that thought as my only driving force, I spurred on. Hoping that they''ll help in our plight.


    "Thepaleborne, frail. Yet have taken root in our remains. We seek absolution, cleansing purity from our sins, our misdeeds. Forgive us, oh Great Lords..."


    Before long, my foot settled down at the end of the stairs. Beyond me, lies a roofless open space that was wide as a hall, filled with rows of seats as the carpet in red divided a straight line in the center, leading towards an altar decorated with gold idols at the end. That''s...


    A person dressed in bone colored robe typical of a follower knelt before the massive altar. Back hunched, praying a solemn plainchant as if waiting for something...


    I tried to step forward as I raised a hand. The only source of lights which had been flickering in the chamber moments ago died down as I did. The abrupt change in the air was almost spine-chilling as my eyes widened at the sight unfurling beyond me.


    A blast went by. The follower''s back morphed and the shadows on the grounds writhe wildly under the watches of a giant red moon hanging in the sky, basking us in its crimson light.


    Claws of black pounded the floor with sheer force, the once human form squirmed fiercely into beasthood as it released a beastly howl. The chamber trembled as the beast turned its attention behind; its eyes spoke of one descent into madness.


    To my disbelief, my legs lost all strength and buckled down, unable to hold against such monstrosity.


    The night had been truly long.


    The hulking wrought with its beastly limbs stood on all fours, sending a shade of black that reached mine. Swallowing my all.


    Unfathomable.


    Its hovering eyes, red with the color of the moon. Spineless before such grim, my teeth dove into an incessant chatter as the beast escaped thick misty breaths over the air.


    "Kill the beast! Spare no haste: we have a monster to sentence!" Shouts of men rang hollow in my ears as they moved with quick in their steps, forming a circle around the vicinity of the beast. Their sleek guns transforming into something big as it took hold of their shoulders, glowing blue as it gradually lights up a shot.


    The beast lets out a low growl, its snout going just before the floor. The white soldiers prepared then until an order came out from the one-eyed man''s mouth.


    "Bring it to dust, the voice of Yornu shall bring an end to this nightmare!" A sudden realization flashed on me as I looked around; I was being surrounded in between both beast and men.


    Don''t tell me?!


    I grabbed hold of Shiz firmly as I struggled to move but it was all for naught. Had I been faster, I could escape the blue light coming my way. The smiling one-eyed man stood a few miles away, waiting for the sentence to be carried out.


    As I was about to resign to my fate, my ears picked up once again an otherworldly voice that bellowed from the unknown. It was slow and soothing as if caressing my every being.


    If only I could...


    "Fire!"


    A blinding light.


    Ah... looks like we wouldn''t make it.


    "T-This is?!"


    "Rohn! What''re-?!"


    A gunshot escaped my hearings. No, was it two? Or more than my fingers could count on? I didn''t know, I was too scared to know. Hopeless.


    Another shot blared in the surroundings. It was strange, how come could I still hear uncanny screams running through my ears? How could I still feel the warmth on my back and the loud groaning of a beast that shook my whole body?


    "Eli..."


    I snapped open out of my husk. Before me, lies a pool of blood, greedily snaking its way to cover the praying grounds. Yet, one man still stood. His bloodied state continued to hold a gun and a sword on each hand.


    "Marvelous.... truly marvelous!" The one-eyed man laughed sickly as he stood between life and death. Using his sword as a crutch his face beamed, "The gift of the Lords, truly fascinating!"


    He raised a gun, pointing towards me. A trigger resounded, bullets of white flew past behind me as I sat stock still. What?


    A body fell beside me, limbless and white. Covered by lurid blood. A soldier?!


    Instinctively I moved back. And for a moment, I blinked.


    No, not quite. Something was off. With a bit of scrutiny, I realized the head part had grown a horn. Its overall complexion turned blue with a hint of red while covered in blotches of yellowish pus. Quickly I was paralyzed in place. The image dug deep into my fears. Yet my eyes wandered, trying to get a sense of everything.


    And then I gasped. Catching sight of bodies turned into something else, all lying in a pool of blood.


    "Uncultured dog; I can''t let you turn my men into the likes of your ilk. That would be nothing but a sully to my white army." The soldier said, before sending my way a most vicious glint as he combined his sword onto his gun. "Fortunately, your death will more than make up for it. I''ll gladly deliver your cadaver as a gift to Yornu of Ashtell."


    He readied his gunblade, a sizeable weapon that length about an arm. It was glowing bright blue. "This night, your hunt begins."


    A bellowing cry struck me from behind, enough to throw my balance off as my face fell right to the floor. Shiz sprawled beside me like a puppet with its strings cut. His pale face shone no more of the once spirited boy, now lifeless before me...


    For some reason, my chest hurts. As if my heart had been wrapped in a tight knot. My gut failed me as rains in red thoroughly soaked my entire being, quivering in coldness.


    Shiz had died. That fact alone managed to cut me off from the grim reality. A blank in my mind.


    I could feel tears streaming down my cheeks as my body burned in punishing pain.


    The pain hurts. Why was I even alive?


    At that moment, a brief memory of somewhere dark flashed before me.


    A cage? A cell?


    I saw myself facing someone. A vague silhouette in red, stretching an ugly smile and saying¡ª


    ''Rise. Struggle. And worm your way up, if surely you''re one of the chosen.''


    My eyes then darted wide open. Feeling a cold wind blowing strongly around the place. Drained of strength, I laid on the cold floor. Waiting for a chance to present itself as I watched the beast lurched itself forward, striking claws against the soldier''s gunblade with animalistic speed. With slick sidesteps, the soldier tried to land a blow on either of its sides, exchanging a few graceful hits in contrast with the beast''s savage sweeps. Smiling, the soldier stood his ground when the beast aimed in a pincer attack only to be quickly deflected by a blast of fire hitting its abdomen. Seeing a gap in between, he nimbly jumped back.


    The beast''s cry bringing a smile to shine upon the blood-covered soldier, obviously pleased as he hid behind the row of seats. Using them to bait another sweep of the beast''s huge claws, waiting for an opening to rise itself. A mighty growl escaped as the beast''s vicious attacks went no more than a few misses as the soldier in a heartbeat successfully severed its left arm. With haste, the soldier moved right after dodging a powerful retaliation, closing himself an escape by being dangerously close.


    But that proved to be a grand chance as he geared to dug his gunblade''s tip deep within the beast''s chest, gunning it heavily without mercy. Having brought it down to its feet, the soldier proceeded to move away only to set up a small blast all over the beast now scorching heavy with burns on its tattered limbs.


    Realizing a chance to escape had presented itself, I attempted to rise up from my state. As I did so, the air stopped in a stagnant. The beast fell down after one fell swoop from the soldier''s skilled swordplay. At that moment, an otherworldly voice called from beyond. It felt like it was calling for me, tempting myself to rear my eyes towards the stars.


    What''s this? A song? Where it''s coming from?


    I must search for it. That beautiful song. I mus¡ª


    Suddenly, I felt a gaping hole in my chest, going wider and wider as a strange coldness shot itself to every corner of my being. My gaze fell and saw blood bursting out from where the one-eyed solder had stabbed me. It was too deep, too cold. What was this? Death? I could vaguely feel my hands grasping his blade weakly as if it was a single thread of life holding me back to this world.


    This could be tough...


    I was powerless as the soldier shoved me to the floor before pulling the blade out with a sounding slosh of my guts. I couldn''t tell whether it was sympathy or disgust in his eyes as my blood soaked his boots.


    Then it happened.


    The sky was torn asunder, splitting into parts. A large crack in the sky let one gaze into the abyss beyond. In place of a giant crimson moon, a round-dilated eye peeked through the chasm, sucking away the vast ocean of stars into its ever-growing blackness. I felt every grain of my being spiked on my skin as empty silence burrowed into my mind.


    I couldn''t move. I wanted to move.


    Help me...


    "It''s starting," the soldier said, "are you the one calling them?"


    What was he saying? I couldn''t hear anything.


    "If so, I''ll end this nightmare."


    The moon was bright. A blinding crimson light.


    The soldier pulled his gunblade high. I couldn''t see his face, only his gleaming red eyes.


    The light, it was so bright¡ª


    ¡ªeverything went dark.