《Sinner's Resolve: An Agent's Wish》 Prologue: Forever Sworn Prologue - Forever Sworn ---------------------------------- "As expected of you." (???) The sight of debris, bullet holes, craters, and fires surrounded us as we stood in the middle of the town square. It used to be quite the spectacle as one of the world''s most famous touring spots, quite a shame that it came to this. The buildings would proudly pierce the sky and the area would be bustling with life as people went about their daily business, trading and conversing. But now, there''s nothing more than rubble, left abandoned to rust away into history. "Haha, it was nothing compared to your handiwork." I laughed, struggling to respond before giving a quickglance towards the confirmation of my body''s condition. My body was covered with an innumerable amount of wounds, my right arm was lost from the elbow down and it seems like I''ve lost sensation in my left foot as well. I stopped inspecting my mangled body, struggling to raise my head to check on the others. Seems like they''re not doing any better. Two men and two women clad in full body armor were standing at an equal distance across from each other, staring each other down. Black Death, Iron Fang,Blood Rose, Ghost Blade, the best of the best special operatives from the four organizations that held complete control over the world were gathered into one place. The woman who I responded to slowly collapsed onto one knee right before we all did the same. "Kicking the bucket now Rose? Don''t you have any shame?" (???) A boy directly to my right proudly chuckled in pain as he tried to support himself with his shaking arms. "Doesn''t seem like you''re doing any better Fang. I didn''t know you so blatantly wanted to have a meeting with God. It''sshameful to see how hard Death over there single-handedly kicked your ass."(???) Directly to my left, a girl coolly retorted, slowly trying to move herself to sit. ¡°Oy! Don''t give me that! He single-handedly kicked your ass as well! If you¡¯re so full of yourself,why don''t we go again?!?!¡± (Iron Fang) The boy growled before struggling to get up. "Now now children, we''re all equals in this place, let''s remember to respect each other and be polite." (Blood Rose) Rose gently spoke as she observed the area around us. I sighed and took the lead before it got out of hand, once they started, they would never stop, "Alright, moving on, how''d everyone do?" (Black Death) Sighing in return, Fang dejectedly sat and rubbed his stiff shoulders, "Fenrir is no longer a concern." (Iron Fang) Lightly laughing as Rose sat with her legs tucked underneath her before inspecting her wounds, "Devillian won''t be a problem." (Blood Rose) Ghost slowly brushed off the dirt and soot from her dress, "Matriarch has been dealt with." (Ghost Blade) "And Arya has been taken care of as well, does everyone have the rings?" (Black Death) We all struggled, retrieving the rings from wherever we stored thembefore placing them in front of us. Each ring had special engravings on them with a unique gemstone adorned. From what we could see, the four gemstones were Sapphire, Ruby, Emerald, and Topaz. They had a strange gleam upon further inspection. Everyone sighed in relief. "With this....The world won''t be as depressing, right?....." (Blood Rose) Rose spoke with relief and a hint of happiness as she slowly turned to look at each and every one of us in admiration. "Yeah...No more discrimination or fights for supremacy, children can play and laugh again withoutthe need to be afraid of being drafted into the Great Wars and everyone will have an equal opportunity to fulfill their wishes...They won''t ever have to deal with all of this ever again...Will this really work?.." (Ghost Blade) Ghost nodded as her voice filled with doubt became evident. "Haha, well that''s the reality of it all........I believe it''ll work, I trust in our Seniors." (Iron Fang) Fang shook his head before staring at us with a strong look of determination in his eyes, "No, I''m absolutely sure it''ll work! It was pretty fun...I''m very happy thatwe finally got to pick a fight with the organizations after so much planning, theywere the ones who have raised us after all. I wish I could relive that adrenaline rush...This is the least that we could do for the problems that we''ve caused." (Iron Fang) Fang gave a bitter smile as he rested with his back onto the ground, staring at the sky with the bright, silvery moon in full view and with the stars gently blinking back at us. "This will definitely work, we''ve all gathered enough information from our organizations and other sources when we decided, remember? Everyone can dream again, and everyone can strive to make them come true without the fear of being controlled behind the curtains. It''s true that countless people have died because of us, but we did what we did for our countries back then, it was our job and our duty to do so in order to survive. There''s nothing that we could do about it....We became stronger, and now we''re using that strength for this day, right?...With this, we will have made amends to all of those people, or at least I hope so...Remember this moment, the proof that we were able to free ourselves from our shackles." (Black Death) I tried my best to console them, but as expected, I don''t really have any cheesy words to use and it turned into a lecture instead huh? Ahhh...My bad, my bad. With a smile, I made a move to sit down before taking another quick peek at everyone. "Heh, I think that we''re all probablygoing to go to hell after this though...Not looking forward to that...¡± (Black Death) They laughed, bright smiles were painted all over their face, but it seems like something was still bothering them huh?.... I looked at my bloodied hand. This was an inevitable situation for each and every one of us. Reality slowly started to sink into each and every one of us as we sat in this gloomy atmosphere At that moment, a switch went off in our heads, switching ourselves from battle mode to our normal, unrestricted selves. Tears started to drift down Ghost''s face as she desperately looked towards us.Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. "I don''t want to lose any of you! I want to be together with all of you..I-I don''t want to be in a place where all of you aren''t in it! I want to spend moretime with all of you! I want to laugh with all of you more! I want totalk to all of you more!...I...I..." (Ghost Blade) Her words broke off as she started to gently sob. "I agree with Sis, is there really no other way?......I also really don''t think that it''d be too fun without any of you...We already experienced too much together to just leave things like this...Right?.." (Iron Fang) Fang painfully got back up into a sitting position as he similarly stared at us, sadness and bitterness could be seen all over his face. Silence lingered in the air for a while as the reality of all of this was fully exposed. Born and raised as orphans, we who neverwere given a chance to experience a parent''s love. The governments of each organization chose us by chance. No one cared for us, and every single hour underour respective organization''s care was agonizing for us. Isolated, far away from the warmth of humanity. We were forced to go through countless experiments and years of training to become what we are today. We took care of ourselves, we had to fight in order to survive in a world where results were everything. Anyone who couldn''t meet their quota was disposed of. With the fear of losing our right to live hovering over us for every second of our lives, we worked hard, shedding tears and blood, until we eventually rose to the top. We''ve proven the world to be hardened veterans and experts in this occupation. We finally earned ourselves a name when we had none, we have stolen countless lives with our dirtied hands but how has it come to this? How did cold-blooded killers come tocare for one another? It was by simple coincidence,pure luck. Operations that were given to us by our countries led to our encounters many times, especially during operations of high interest between our organizations. We started off as eternally sworn enemies. Harbingers that devastated the world, the very evil beings that threatened our respective countries. We all thought we were heroes, the ones who would protect and unify our countries, but over a couple of chance life-changing events and realizations, that led us to understand and grow closer to each other. The dream of having a chance where we didn''t have to kill, where we could live normally, where we could have people to actually rely upon without paranoia lingering over us. A chance to defy Fate. Our experiences, our beliefs and our stories were one in the same, someone who was like yourself, wouldn''t you be curious of an impossibility? "I..I also...." (Blood Rose) Tears streamed down Rose''s face as she struggled with her words. Haha well, that''s surprising, Rose is usually the cheerful and energetic person of the group, this is completely unlike her...Oh?... I suddenly felt cool drops of a substance on my left hand. ...Well, that''s embarrassing, I guess I''m the same as well huh?... Do we really have to continue with this?... "Ah......." (Black Death) I shook my head. There''s no turning back, we have to continue. For our sakes and the sake of the people. I hardened my tone, "It''s a bit late to turn back now...It can''t be helped, our organizations left a massive, crippling scar within the world and it won''t fully heal until there''s absolutely no trace of them left. Do you really want others tocontinue in this endless cycle?.... To do what we had to do?..."(Black Death) After secretly wiping my face, deeply engraving each and everyone''s faces into my heart and mind, I forcefully stared at the others, trying to get my message across. We''re all that''s left, we''ve left too high of a profile to maintain quiet lives in this world. It''s our duty to tie up any loose strings and to wrap this all up with a fancy bow. There can''t be a single error or chance of failure in our operation. That''s how we were trained. This was inevitable... But they were also all that I had left... Time seemed to stop as we all embraced the heavy silence that enveloped us. Unspoken words were exchanged between us, we all understood what was going to happen next and we all understood our feelings for each other. Nonstop tears flowed down from our faces, we were grown men and women who were in our early and late twenties, this was a sorry sight...We had definitely experienced a lot, but it could also be said that wehadn''t experienced too much either when it came to living normal lives...The experiences that we just recently had with each other held a very special place in our hearts. ".....I love all of you." (Ghost Blade) "I love all of you more!" (Iron Fang) "No! I love all of you the most!" (Blood Rose) I chuckled while remembering once again at how they all loved to bicker with one another, it was heartwarming to see this again... Will this really be the last time?.... I shook my head at the thought, clearing my mind and grinned, "Don''t forget me! I also love all of you!" (Black Death) Grimly steeling myself, I switched back to a more serious tone as I noticed the ground starting to tremble, "Is everyone ready?..." (Black Death) Everyone reluctantly nodded in response as theirexpressions suddenly turned serious. "Alright...I will begin then..." (Black Death) There''s another reason as to why we couldn''t choose to live quiet lives in this world. A deep groove was directly below each and every one of us. During our confrontations, we skillfully managed to end our fights with each person positioned in front of a different groove. Maybe it was an unconscious reaction for efficiency while we were fighting, but no one had towaste extra movement to reposition themselves to one, I guess it was the least that we could do for each other. While we were talking, our pools of blood slowly filled the grooves to the brim and the ground started to tremble in reaction to that as altars slowly started to rise from each of the grooves. I wore the ring on my left ring finger, stood up, and rested my hand on the altar. Everyone simultaneously did the same. "With the will of the Ancients, I offer my body, my soul and my will to our dance." (Black Death) A cool sensation spread throughout my body as a blue beam of light gently cascaded from my hand towards the center of the four altars. "The Earth shall blaze and roar, the Light shall fade and mumble, the Darkness shall rage and howl, but let our dreams be known." (Blood Rose) A red beam of light that seemed just about ready to engulf Rose burst from the ring and connected with the blue beam of light, creating a circle of fire around the center. "Let our people dream and laugh again, let the lands dance and thrive in renewal, let the skies smile and expand boundlessly with joy." (Iron Fang) A green beam of light widely spread throughout the ground from the ring as if there were living tendrils of flora before connecting towards the center. "Smite all evil, ignite all wills, let all evil be forgotten and let all good be enshrined for time immemorial, and turn the world once more, an era unknown, a place unseen, forever told." (Ghost Blade) A yellow beam of light proudly shot through the ring and brightly lit the whole area around us. """"With our wishes heard, our rites completed and our sacrifices made, let the four once divided become one. By the will of the Ancients, we implore you, [Exodus]!"""" As we invoked the final piece of the ritual, an otherworldly light suddenly exploded from the center where the beams of light connected, quickly expanding and coming to life. A figure slowly began to shape and form until we saw the figure of a blindfolded woman with an otherworldly beauty adorned with ginger hair, a set of pure white wings, scales in her left hand and a longsword in her right to compliment it. She had quite a resemblance to Lady Justice in our world. "Your wish has been heard, with your will becoming mine, and your hopes embodying my own, our agreement shall be upheld as I offer you my oath of fealty. May you rest knowing that you will forever be memorialized as heroes." (Lady Justice) She gently nodded with a smile as we noticed the sky splitting open. Celestial beings similar to Lady Justice suddenly dropped into our world and lined up behind her, bowing towards us in respect before shootingback up into the air and flying towards the corners of the Earth. I immediately started coughing out blood just as the ritual completed, collapsing onto the floor as energy drained from my body. Yes...The ritual would''ve forcefully ended our lives, whether we''ve wished for it or not. So we fought each other as representatives of our organizations, for one last time. Multiple thuds rang out throughout the town square, I quickly glanced at the sources of the sounds. Ah... Seems like they''re starting to deal with the backlash as well. Everyone was collapsed onto the ground with blood leaking from their mouths as they gasped for air, but everyone was also brightly smiling, as though as if a weight had been lifted from their shoulders. "Ah...what a relief...It really did work.....Huh?...."(Ghost Blade) "I told ya so.......Sis!...." (Iron Fang) "We can finally.....rest easy now...right?...Haha I''m so glad!..." (Blood Rose) "Yeah...We finally did it haha....We accomplished our dream...." (Black Death) ..Did we really accomplish our dream?... I weakly struggled to turn my head to look at the fallen figures of the ones that I held dearly, the people whoI had learned how to love and how to laugh with...The people who I am willing to lay down my life for, the people who supported me and gave me a taste of happiness, something that I never thought I had deserved...A family that I thought I could never have...Was this really what we wished for?... We all laid there in silence as we stared at the sky, the figures of winged beings zipping to and fro in the moonlit night as it enveloped our sorry figures. "I want to...Meet all of you again.....Someday........." (Black Death) Why did it have to be so painful to just talk?... My eyesight started to dim as I spoke out in a barely audible tone, earnestly trying to reach out to them with my voice. I don''t know if they can hear me, but please.......Just reach them, just this once! Let me be selfish, just this once! A momentary pause that felt like ages hovered in the air. I sighed in relief as a weak laughter came in response. "Haha...I...Do too.....We''ll...meet again.....Someday...Even if I have to...Come back..." (Blood Rose) "I''ll follow.....You anywhere...Big Bro..." (Iron Fang) "I''ll.....Try my hardest.....To find all of you...." (Ghost Blade) "It''s a.....Promise then..." (Black Death) We chose to sacrifice our dreams for the sake of others. We''ve lost everything...But at this very moment, I can''t help but feel happy. That''s quite strange now, isn''t it? I weakly smiled as the world faded into a gentle darkness with that last thought. Chapter 1: Recall Chapter 1:Recall ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A little boy blankly stared out of a car''s tinted window as he sat in between two figures clad in pristinely kept black suits. The figure to his left was a well-statured man that seemed to be in his late twenties. He had a dark skin tone with dark, shortly cropped hair and a chiseled face. The man to the child''s right looked to be in his early thirties and was the complete opposite when it came to his build. He was very average with tan skin, cleanly cut blonde hair and a fine face. The buildings that they passed by were very well kept and decorated while the streetswere noticeably sanitized, completely unlike the sector that he had just lived in moments ago. Streetlights flashed by as they made their continual advance through the public roads before taking a detour and finally stopping in front of an unpaved road that led into the forest. A gruff voice came from the driver''s seat, "This is your stop, remember to forward to Lancer if any problems arise. Deliver the package in perfect condition, you hear? I don''t want the higher ups hanging us by our necks. " (Driver) A burst of anger came from the figure who was on the child''s left, "We''ll do our damn job and you''ll do yours. God damn, I hate you filthy bottom feeders, becoming so proud of yourselves and thinking that you''re one of us just because you were lucky enough to finish the Public Sector''s Admission Exams!" (Figure 1) The figure to the child''s right turned with a calm voice, "He has a point though, besides, he has the right to worry. The consequences will be severe if something does happento the package. We''ve recently received a report that Devillian has infiltrated our databases after all. It doesn''t hurt to be cautious." (Figure 2) Staring daggers at the driver, the prideful figure finally looked away and scoffed, "Damn...Fine, let''s just get a move on. We''re burning time, I want to be home with my kids." (Figure 1) Lightly laughing in reply, the calm figure gently took off the restraints on the child and scanned the surroundings before escorting him out of the door with the other figure following in suit. The cool nighttime breeze brushed past them as they steadily trekked through the untrodden trail, with the waning moon watching over them.
A couple hours passed by. The childwas raggedly breathing as he tried to catch up with the prideful figure leading from the front. A mountain started to come into view while they continued along the trail. They could see stairs leading from the base of the mountain to its peak. Noticing the awkward movements of the child who was on the verge of collapsing, the calm figure called out, "Oy, let''s take a rest here, we still have a bit of a way to go." (Figure 2) Swiftly turning around, the prideful figure was about to make a retort right before noticing the child''s figure and sighed, "Damn brat......Ha...What a pain....Fine, have it your way." (Figure 1) They looked around for a while and found a sizeable log to rest on. Taking a seat next to the child on the log, the calm figure pulled out a sack and handed the boy a water bottle with a smile, "Here, have a drink." (Figure 2) The childhad a complicated look on his face as he suspiciously stared at the water bottle. "Haha, you don''t have to worry. I haven''t done anything to it! Here, I''ll show you." (Figure 2) He took a sip from the water bottle and showed that he was fine. Reluctantly accepting it, the child started drinking. "We''ll get going again soon, so for now, just focus on resting. Here, I have sweets too if you want them." (Figure 2) Rustling the sack as he searched for the sweets, he finally pulled them out and offered them to the child with a smile. Immediately grabbing the sweets in response, the child started to eat them. Joy was evident on the child''s face, and a little bit of light was starting to come back into his eyes. The prideful figure stepped away in annoyance and maintained vigilance at a considerable distance from them. Enjoying the child''s reaction, the calm figure continued, "Don''t worry about it too much, Jayden actually has a soft heart for kids. He just doesn''t really know how to express himself. My name is Gaiden, what''s yours?" (Gaiden) The boy responded in a monotone while still focusing on the sweets, "Subject number 72." (Child)You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. "Ah...I see." (Gaiden) With a bitter smile, he kept watching over the child. The exchange between the two continued on for a while before they finally finished resting. Suddenly, a stifling presence permeated the air. His instincts kicked in as Gaiden pricked his ears. He noticed subtle movement surrounding them. Shit, where''s Jayden?.... Instantly dragging the child behind the log, hepulled out his pistol and observed his surroundings. "Stay down, and don''t move alright?..." (Gaiden) The child confusedly nodded in response. Jayden was a further ahead to his right, using a tree as cover with his pistol drawn. He noticed too huh?...Guess the reports were true after all. They caught us at a pretty bad time... Quickly peeking out from his cover, Jayden started firing ahead and came back to cover just as quickly. Flashes of light flew past Jayden. The child yelped in shock, hearing the sudden break in silence. Realization hit Gaiden as he listened to the sound ofsuccessive gunfire. Shit...They have automatics... Desperately honing his hearing, he tried to gather more information. Alright...So from the gunshots, there''s only one ahead that''s suppressing Jayden. Looks like he''s currently trying to contact Lancer, and in between the lapse of gunfire, I could hear footsteps coming from Jayden''s left and right. A stray set of footsteps is coming from directly behind us, but they haven''t fired at us yet so that must mean.... "...I know you''re scared, but just hold on for a while longer. I promise that I''ll protect you." (Gaiden) Quickly ruffling the child''s hair in assurance, Gaiden turned away from Jayden''s position, took a deep breath before aiming towards the direction of the footsteps that were behind them in anticipation. A figure fully clad in military gear suddenly appeared in front ofGaiden and immediately aimed at Jayden, but jolted in surpriseafter quickly noticing them. Bingo, guess they really didn''t know that we were here... Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bullets flew in rapid succession from Gaiden''s pistol and accurately struck the figure''s protected forehead, with each bullet hitting the samespot as the first before finally piercing through. As the figure immediately collapsed, Gaiden quickly rushed over to the body and dragged it behind the cover of the nearest tree before taking the rifleto finally inspect it. A modded SA80A2 huh?...Seems to be in good condition...Well, this confirms that they''re from Devillian. He took a quick peek around the corner only to just as quickly fall back to coverwhen he wasgreeted with a hail of bullets. Damn...I can''t get a shot...Maybe he''ll have something that''ll help? He began searching the body and found a couple of frags. ...Strange...If they had this much utility, why haven''t they been using them?... An abrupt realization hit him as he continued inspecting the body. They''re not here for an elimination mission, they''re here for a retrieval...They didn''t know where the package exactly was, so they didn''t take the risk...Wait...But If that''s the case, then shouldn''t there be more of them?... He felt chills running down his spine as he suddenly heard loud, piercing screams coming from Jayden''s direction. Just as suddenly, they became ominously silent. Readying his rifle, he quickly peeked out again. Fear struck his heart, he felt cold sweat flowing down his face as he witnessed the scene ahead of him. The tree that Jayden was using as cover turned into a makeshift gallows, he was on the floor with his back turned towards Gaiden and the child, eyes facing the gallows in shock. The necks of the two Devillian agents were bent in unnatural ways. Their missing limbs weremade obvious by the fresh blood that was still gushing out. A woman was crouched with two daggers deeply pierced into the ground, the metallic rope that wrapped around the necks of the two Devillian agents seemed to be connected to the daggers, acting as a pulley. Although this was an inappropriate situation to be noticing such a thing, Gaiden couldn''t help but stare in awe at the woman''s beauty. She looked to bemiddle-aged, but he wouldn''t blame anyone if they were to have mistaken her as anadolescence. Her body was very fitand had curves in all of the right places. Flawless snow white skin and wavy, violet hair that reached past her shoulders. On top of that, an equally violet one-piece dress and a well-sculptured face complimented her appearance. The only word that he could use to describe her in this situation was... Bewitching. She was able to handle them with such ease?!...Who is she?!?! Wait, no, hold on...Why does she seem so familiar?... "Hahaha, I knew something was wrong when I was out for my morning stroll! The scents were unusually unpleasant today. I rushed here as soon as I got the call from Jayden. Guess I forgot to take out the trash and it attracted some rodents." (Woman) As she removed her hands from the daggers, she stood up and innocentlyscratched the back of her head. "Ah, sorry about this Gaiden! Haha, and of course, you too Jayden! Igot a bit lazy when it came to cleaning out the front yard, so I guess this was only natural. Let me make it up to you all with some tea and sweets at my house." (Woman) She slowly walked to the remaining agent who was a bit further beyond the gallows tree. The agent''s arms and legs involuntarily trembled in fear as he saw the ominous smile inching closer and closer, seemingly spelling out his doom. She faded into the darkness as she passed the tree. Right at that moment, the figures of both the woman and the agent disappeared from the rest of the group''s view. They were only able tomake out the sound of a rifle rapidly firing in the distance before a shrill scream reverberatedthroughout the area. A heavy silence lingered for what felt like ages before the woman finally came back with a cheerful smile, "Haha, don''t worry about the rest of them either, I''ve already taken care of them. So what made ya all come here? It''s rare for me to be paid a visit by all of you!" (Woman) Jaydencontinued toblankly stare at the woman while Gaiden shook off his shock. He scratched the back of his neck and responded with a strained smile, That tone and speech, there''s no mistaking it...There''s not even a speck of blood on her dress. Can''t believe that I''ve forgotten about her absurdness... "We have a package to deliver to you, that''s all haha...I''ll be happy to take you up on your offer. I also see that you''re just as happy go lucky as you were in the past, Vella." (Gaiden) Boisterously laughing, she energetically patted Gaiden on the back, "Haha, and you''re becoming as handsome as ever!" (Vella) Ah...I think she just threw my back...That one''s definitely going to hurt in the morning. Vella curiously tilted her head as a sudden realization sunk in, "A package?...." (Vella) She noticed the child that cowered behind the logwhile stealing quick peeks at her before she eventually nodded, "Ah, I see. It''s finally that time then huh?...Been a while since I''ve seen a Successor." (Vella) She gave a gentle smile as she approached him. Heshook in fear and tried to hide even further behind the log. "Don''t worry, I won''t hurt you...You''re safe now..." (Vella) She gently brushed his hair in assurance as she arrived in front of him, feeling the boy lightly jump beforecalming down. Vella finally looked back towards Gaiden and Jayden, "He''s quite a strong child to have been able to make it to this point..." (Vella) Suddenly remembering where they were, she clapped her hands and panicked, "Sorry! That was a bit rude of me. You all are tired after that right? Let''s continue our conversation whileheading over to my home. You can rest there!" (Vella) With that suggestion, they continued on with their journey through the trail to Vella''s house. Chapter 2: Home Chapter 2:Home ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Finally arriving at the top of stairs within the mountain, they were met with a spacious courtyard adorned with many bright, beautiful decorations and banners that were gilded in silver and gold. Lanterns were spread at an equal distance around the courtyard, warmly welcoming them in with their light. Just ahead of the courtyard, a large mansion that wouldn''t pale in comparison to a mountain castle proudly stood in front of them. It seemed to be built within the mountain and extruded extravagance. It was very clear that the mansion was well kept from how spotless it was. The child hadawe written all over his face as he looked around the area for the first time. "Haha it''s amazing, right? That''s what I thought too when I first came here, but this is nothing compared to the surprises that you''ll get when working with Vella." (Gaiden) Gaiden laughed while the group continued towards the mansion as he noticed the child''s reaction. Vella puffed her cheeks and angrily retorted, "Geeze! Don''t give him any weird ideas! You''ll make him think that I''m a monster or something!" (Vella) You basically are though!....An absurd monster at that!...How can you even live in abuilding of this size and keep it in perfect condition by yourself?!?! You crazywoman! "A-Ah...Sorry..." (Gaiden) He sheepishly scratched his cheek while internally screaming to himself. Vella stared daggers at Gaiden and crossed her arms, "You were thinking of something rude just now, weren''t you?!?! Pfft...Don''t blame me if you findyourself missing a couple of sweets!" (Vella) Ahhh!! No!... I can''t have that now can I?...Her sweets are a delicacy!... Dang it, I have no choice! Gaiden immediately prostrated himself in front of Vella as he received the threat, "I am sincerely sorry. Please forgive this foolishone for his own worthlessness.This mortal would never be able to hold a candle to your excellence." (Gaiden) This should work! No...It has to work! Taste my ultimate technique that has been honed for generations! Vella gave a mischievous smile as she looked at Gaiden''s sorry figure and handed him a list, "Send me a new dining table, the new television set that just came out onto the market as well as all of the books, movies, and ingredients on this list by the end of tomorrow. It''s very boring and lonely up on the mountain range....So you can understand, right? I''ll consider forgiving you then." (Vella) His eyes bulged out as he saw the countless names written in extremely small lettering on the list. His soul seemingly ready to just float out of his body at any moment. Jayden seemed to be lost in thought before noticing Gaiden''s figure, "Sorry, I''d step in, but I don''t want my sweets taken away either..." (Jayden) Jaydengave a pitiful look towards the depressed Gaidenand patted his back in condolence while the child just tilted his head as they finally entered the building. They stood on top of a huge, velvet carpet that rested right before a set of stepsleading into a hallway. "Take your shoes off and put them somewhere on the carpet before you head in. I don''t want to have to clean up after your footprints." (Vella) She promptly took off her shoes and set them neatly on the carpet. Following her example, everyone else obediently took off their shoes and followed her in. If the scene at the front of the mansion was called a work of art, the interior would be called a masterpiece. The wooden floors didn''t even have a speck of dust or dirt on them. They were glossy enough to perfectly reflect the group''s image. Beautiful works of art from all over the worldwere perfectly aligned along the walls to their sides as they walked through the hallway. The colors were very pleasant to the eyes. A few moments later, they exited the hallway only to find themselves in a vast open room. Decorated doors could be seen at the end of the room, with one for the four sides of the room including the one that they just came out of. A large, crystalline table could be seen in the middle of the room with a chandelier gilded in gold directly above it. Cushioned chairs were placed around the table at an equal distance fromeach other while a bartending table was placed directly against the far left wall of the room. Large windows were set on the wall to the far right with sofas that seemed soft to the touch, a flat table, bookcases and a fireplace complimenting the area. Further beyond the crystalline table was a grand staircase that seemed to stop right in front of a largedoorway before wrapping around the room. "Make yourselves at home! Let me go to the kitchen really quick so that I can start preparing." Vella cheerfully smiled at them before moving away to the decorated door on the left with a hum. They gratefully sat down around the table before taking the time again to observe their surroundings.If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. "She''s crazy......How does she even manage to do all of this by herself?...." (Jayden) Jayden quietly whispered to the other two, fearing that Vella would hear him. "Haha, beats me, but I have to admit, she has a great taste in furnishing. I still wonder how she gets this stuff even though I''ve been here before...." (Gaiden) Gaiden chuckled in response and then looked over at the child who was still looking around the room with bright eyes, "How about you? What do you think of this place?" (Gaiden) The child shyly looked down at the table, seeming to collect his thoughts before responding, "It''s...An amazing place...Big Sister is amazing..." (Child) Oh?... Well, this is a good turn of events. I thought that he wouldn''t be able to come to terms with how she handled our situation back there. "She is definitely someone who''s one in a dozen." (Gaiden) Gaiden nodded in reply. "She''s...." (Jayden) Jayden hesitated a bit as if he was afraid, "Abnormal...The way that she handled that situation............" (Jayden) Jayden trembled as he recalled the situation. "She suddenly just appeared behind them...I wasn''t able to hear or see her coming, not a single indication. Her eyes...They were depthless...I felt chills just by looking at them, even though I knew that she wasn''t out for me...It was like as though as if she turned into something dark...Something...Inhuman...I couldn''t feel an ounce of humanity in her. She didn''t even blink whenshe tore apart their limbs and dragged them to the gallows tree to hang them...Her movements felt like they were melding with the shadows...It was...Unnatural..." (Jayden) He continued with a haunted look as he started fidgeting around, "I don''t know if you were able to see it or hear it...But the last agent that was alive tried to talk her out of it. He was willing to go into captivity and tried to explain that he was forced into all of this...He begged for her to let him live for his kids and was even willing to exchange key intel for it..." (Jayden) Gaiden solemnly looked at Jayden as he leaned slightly closer, "And?... What happened?..." (Jayden) Jayden rubbed his forehead, "I saw his eyes, they were desperate and pleading like anyone else''s would be if they were in that situation, but he definitely had kids. I know a father''s eyes when I see one...I know what it''s like when it comes to being in a position where you''re forced to do things for the sake of your children...I guess I''m fortunate since it was better himthan me...But..." (Jayden) Guilt could be seen all over his face. Taking a deep breath, he recalled the scene, "Her heart didn''t even waver, not even once. The bloodthirst surrounding her was suffocating, my palms were sweating and it felt like a snake was slowly wrapping around my neck. I''m sure that he noticed as well, so he tried to do all he could to escape...The last thing that I saw was the way that she killed him...It wa-" (Jayden) A door pushed open. Footsteps echoed throughout the room as they turned to the source. Vella was carrying a tray in each of her hands, "Sorry to have kept you waiting! I tried to spice things up a bit just for this occasion! Hope you all like green tea with a bit of cinnamon in it. I also made sure to have a wider assortment of sweets available this time around." (Vella) Arriving in front of the table, she elegantly set a cup and a plate filled with a colorful assortment of sweets in front of each and every one of them before taking a seat next to them. "Vella! Perfect timing haha, was wondering where you were, thanks for the hospitality! Everything looks good as always." (Gaiden) Ah, well that was unfortunate...But I definitely was expecting for this conversation to happen sooner or later from how he was acting during the last portion of our trip. Just reaffirms our belief that Vella isn''t someone who should be messed with, but then again...We''re also just like her in a way... Gaiden unconsciously stared at his handsbefore he started taking sips from his cup. The temperature''s perfect and the taste isn''t too strong but it''s not that bland either, the cinnamon greatly accentuates the taste of the tea...Haha, she always had an eye out for food and beverages, I forgot that she was this skilled. He gently smiled in relaxation as the tea warmed his body. Jayden had an uncomfortable look lingering on his face before finally accepting the sweets while the boy happily munched on a cookie, "Thank you for your hospitality." (Jayden) "Thank you, Big Sister! These are really good!" (Child) "You''re welcome. I''m very glad that you like them!" (Vella) Vella cheerfully smiledin response while sipping from her cup beforenonchalantly directing her attention towards Gaiden, "Wouldn''t it bequite a misfortune if the teacup that you''re drinking from was laced with poison, and you happened to have only a day left to live unless if you gave me what I asked for?" (Vella) Gaiden choked on the tea as he immediately began spitting out the contents from his mouth. "Haha, it was just a joke! I wouldn''t do that! Don''t be such a worry wart!" (Vella) She lightly patted Gaiden on the back. "Although.....There probably is someone who would do it..." (Vella) An ominous smile grew on her face. This...This woman is going to be the end of me... Clearing his throat in annoyance, he turned towards the child, "I know this is sudden, but would you like to live with that Big Sister over there?" He has to stay anyways, but if he consents to it...That''ll be the best outcome for us. I don''t want a guilty conscience hovering over me and she''ll have an easier time taking care of him. It was Vella''s turn to choke on the tea as she became wide-eyed, shocked by the sudden question that came from out of nowhere. The boy tilted his head in thought before looking at Vella, "Big Sister''s really kind...I...I don''t think I''d hate it..." (Child) Vella started tearing up as she suddenly embraced the child, Gaiden stared at the scene in surprise and heard a mumble next to him, "I guess she does have a shred of humanity after all..." (Jayden) Ah, he''s surprised as well huh? Things are definitely getting interesting, I haven''t seen Vella reacting like that in a while...Hmm... "A-Ah?!...Big Sister, I feel something wet on my cheek.....Are you crying?... Did I do something wrong?...." (Child) "N-No...You''re fine! Just...Let me stay like this for a while. These are just tears of happiness!" (Vella) Gaiden looked outside the window as he noticed that it was still dark and slowly clapped his hands to get everyone''s attention, "I think we should all rest for today, we haven''t gotten an ounce of sleep since we''ve reached this place and I think we''re all pretty tired. Jayden, I also think that your family can wait until tomorrow, you have to take care of yourself first." Grumbling in response, Jayden crossed his arms and looked away, "I guess..." (Jayden) Vella patted the child on the head before turning to Gaiden to respond, "I agree, I''ll lead you to your rooms. You should probably use the bath first, I have robes that you can change into. You can also let me take care of cleaning your suits." She points to the door on the right side of the room, "The bath is over there, it''s pretty large so you should feel comfortable, share it if you want to. I will start heading out now to prepare your rooms and I will also bring you your change of clothes." Politely nodding her head, she went up the grand staircase andentered the large doorway. After declaring as such, the group all went to the bath to clean themselves up right beforeheading off to bed. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bonus: "Hmm...The tea oddly tastes different from what I remembered, even if it''s just the cinnamon...I wonder what she put in it?" (Gaiden) He noticed a container labeled "Cyanide"inconspicuously lying next to the tray while Vella evilly smirked at him. WHY?!?!?!? YOU BI-!!!!! With that final thought, his eyes bulged out as he started foamingat the mouth. His body immediately collapsed onto the ground with the whites of his eyes showing. Chapter 3: Dream Chapter 3: Dream --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A group of children sat together in an empty, whitewashed room with the smell of chemicals lingering in the air. The only sources of light were dimly flashing on the ceiling, seemingly ready to die out. A little girl could be heard crying as she hugged her knees, visibly trembling. "When are we going to leave this place?..." (Boy 1) A boy quietly said as he darkly stared at the only door in the room, a rusty metallic door. "Soon...We''ll be able to leave soon...Alright?..." (Girl 2) A slightly older girl was sitting next to the little girl while rubbing her back, trying her best to comfort her. "That''s what they said before! When are we actually going to leave?!?!... How long are they going to keep doing this to us?!?!" (Boy 1) He burst into anger, glaring at the girl. Mixed feelings flew across the older girl''s face, but her eyes remained unwavering. With a bitter face, he slammed his fist into the ground, slightly jolting the other boy that was next to him. "Why h-haven''t the others come back yet?...W-What''s going to happen to us?..." (Girl 1) The little girl spoke in a tearful voicewith her shoulders shaking, "I-I''m scared..." (Girl 1) "It''ll be okay...Just hang in there...We''ll be okay..." (Girl 2) The slightly older girl hugged the little girl while humming. A calm, soothing melody gently floated around the area. The tense atmosphere slowly quieted down. Everyone stared blankly at the ground, tears welling in their eyes. The sound of a door unlocking echoed throughout the area before it slowly creaked open. "Subject number 69." (???) The boy who made the previous outburst trembled, knowing what would happen if he didn''t leave right this instant. He got up and slowly walked towards the door. Time slowly ticked by. One by one, the figures of the children slowly started to disappear until only the slightly older girl and the quiet boy remained. Noticing the lifeless expression that he had in his eyes, she gently brushed his hair, "Mm?..." (Boy 2) He slowly looked towards her confusedly. "Everything''s going to be alright...Okay?...Cheer up a little...We''ll make it out together." (Girl 2) She cheerfully smiled while continuing to brush his hair with her delicate hands. "How do you know?... Aren''t you scared?..." (Boy 2) With an indifferent voice, the boy blankly stared at her. "I honestly don''t know and yeah...I''m really scared...But I think it''s better to have a little bit of hope while doing something instead of moping around and doing nothing...Don''t you think?..." (Girl 2) The boy widened his eyes at her response as the door slowly creaked open again, "Subject number 71." (???) "Take care..." (Girl 2) The girl quietly whispered before she stood up with a cheerful smile, giving the boy a gentle pat on the headbefore walking out towards the door. He unconsciously reached out towards her as she slowly got further away from him. "Don''t....Go...Please...." (Boy 2) Steps echoed throughout the room, her figure continuing to distance away. "Please! Don''t go!... Don''t leave me!" (Boy 2) His voice became hoarse, pleading towards her disappearing figure. "I don''t want to be alone..." (Boy 2) Tears drifted down his faceas she passed through the door. "Please..." (Boy 2) The door slowly slammed shut. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The child jolted awake, quickly looking around his surroundings. He was in a bedroom. "Is everything alright?... I heard screaming." (???) A figure with a familiar voice dressed in a nightgown stood in front of the doorway to the room beforewalking towards him. "Big Sister?..." (Child) The child could see Vella''s worried expression as she got closer, slowly sitting next to him. "Did you have a bad dream?..." (Vella) The child trembled and slowly nodded. Noticing the tears drifting down his face, she gently wipedthem, "I hate those, I just had one as well." (Vella) Lovingly hugging the child, she started brushing his hair, finally feeling him calm down.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. "I..." (Child) The child paused, hesitating to let out his voice. Vella patiently waited with a face thaturged him to go on. Tightly gripping his fingers, his knuckles slowly turned white, "Don''t want to be alone..." (Child) His voice weakly trembled as he tried to adjust to the pain that lingered within his heavy heart. "I also feel the same way." (Vella) She softly responded with a smile. "Each time I''m alone, or I''d lose something, there''d be a pain right here." (Vella) She gently pulled him away before hovering her hand above her heart. "You''re feeling the same, right?..." (Vella) The child nodded and gave apleading look towards Vella, "...How do you stop the pain?..." (Child) Pausing, she tilted her head towards the ceiling, a complicated look could be seen on her face as she thought about it, "The pain...It doesn''t go away completely." (Vella) The child looked crestfallenly at her before he turned andhugged his knees, "...I hate it..." (Child) Vella''s heart trembled, noticing how vulnerable the little child was, "It doesn''t go away completely...But there are ways to prevent it from happening." (Vella) Slowly turning towards Vella, he looked at her with a glint of hope in his eyes. She lightly laughed with relief when she saw them, "Haha...Whining isn''t one of those ways though, sadly enough." (Vella) Gently patting the child on the head, she continued, "The path that I took in order to prevent it was one of hardship. I wanted to be able to take my life into my own hands, to have the ability to be free...I wanted to be able to protect my loved ones, I didn''t want to ever lose anything again." (Vella) Vella jokingly flexed her arm as an example, "See? I''m strong right?" (Vella) The boy nodded immediately. "This all came from hard work, I wasn''t like this before!" (Vella) He looked at her in surprise, "Eh?! Big Sister wasn''t strong before?" (Child) Vella firmly nodded, "Mhm! I was actually reallysick back then! I would usually stay in bed for weeks." (Vella) She had a strained smile as she recollected her memories, "It was really hard, I thought that there wasn''t any hope for me. My body was very weak and I could barely move...There were many times where I thought it would be better to just give up and get it over with." (Vella) A loving look could be seen in her distant eyes, "I wasn''t alone though...A certain man would always cometo snap me out of it, he took great care of me, even when I was obviously being a burden. He was a hard-working man, a kind-hearted one as well. I always wondered why he never gave up on me...But at the same time..." (Vella) She giggled as a suddenthought crossed her mind, "Haha, anyways, my life changed for the better I think. He one day came and kinda just begged me to take an experimental medicine from some shady organization that I''ve never even heard of at the time. I had nothing to lose so I agreed, although now that I think about it...It probably would''ve been bad if something happened and I wasn''t able to see him again huh?" (Vella) Coughing at the sudden realization, she continued, "I took the medicine and cured myself of my illness. Although, the price of doing such a thing was a shortened lifespan and a hefty contract with that organization. Surprise, surprise, the organization alsohappened to be one of the bigshots. After that, I went through years of trainingwith a Teacher that I met through the organization in order to become stronger. I wasn''t able to meetwith the man that saved my lifeduring and after my training, so I''ve always wondered how he was doing. I''m glad that I was just recently able to find out." (Vella) She noticed that the boy was tilting his head in confusion, "Ahh...Don''t worry about it now, you''ll understand all of this stuff later when you get older. Haha, sorry for talking so much!" (Vella) Her awkward laughter filled the air before the room sunk into silence. Collecting his thoughts, the boy shook his head and finally broke the silence, "Uh-uh! It''s okay!...Big Sister is really amazing...." (Child) He stared at her in awe, as if admiring an idol. "...Ah?...Eh?!...N-No...I''m not that amazing..." (Vella) Vella looked extremely flustered as she fidgeted around with a reddening face. Hestared atthe palm of his hands for a while before turning to her withthe face of a person who had firmly come to a decision, "I want to bestrong like you..." (Child) Vella suddenly had a serious expression on her face, looking at him straight in the eyes, "Are you willing to put up with whatever you have to go through in order to become stronger?" (Vella) The child slowly nodded in affirmation. Unconvinced, shefirmly heldhis shoulders while leaning in closer to get a better look at his face, "Not anyone can become strong, a lot of time and effort needs to be put in, you can''t instantly become strong...You might not like the things that you''ll have to do either... It''s a long and tough road to travel on. It''ll hurt a lot and I can teach you...But I don''t have time to teach people who aren''t serious, even if the person is you." (Vella) Hedesperately looked towards Vella, "I don''t want to be scared anymore...I want to be able to make my own choices, and I want to be able to protect the people that I care about! I don''t want to be useless anymore..." (Child) Memories flashed by as he said that. The time where he first laughed and played in the dimly lit room withthe other children that shared his fate, completely oblivious to the fact of what was happening around them. Their figures slowly faded one by one until only he and the cheerful girl were left again. Her bright smile as she hummed that gentle and soothing melody, her determined look as she said those words that were filled with hope and dreams. Closing his eyes, he softly touched the area where the girl would brush his hair. Coincidentally, it was also around the same area where Vella would usually brush his hair, "I just want everyone to be happy...I want everyone to laugh and to be able to dream..." (Child) Clenching his fists, he opened his eyesto earnestly look at Vella. A renewed, fiery determination flowedthroughout hisbody and his eyes seemed to burn with confidence, "I will do anything to make them come true!" (Child) Vella nodded in satisfaction, a very warm smile could be seen on her face, "Alright, I will do everything in my power to teach and guide you then. Always remember this moment, this determination that you''ve shown me. This will help you when things are getting too tough alright?... I won''t go easy on you! Even if you''re this adorable! But first..." (Vella) She gently lowered his head onto her lap, brushing his hair, "Rest...Your health''s very important. We''ll talk more about this tomorrow, it''s getting really late." (Vella) A soft humming melody floatedthroughout the room, soothing the child''s mind. His eyes started to become heavy as her hand brushed his hair. It was very warm, he could feel the amount of care that was given to him through her gentleness. "I''m...Happy....." (Child) A peaceful smile was left on his face as he driftedaway to sleep. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bonus: "Kyaaa! He''s so cute when he''s asleep!" (Vella) Vella delightfully held the sides of her face as she shook in happiness. "Ahhh...I should quiet down a little huh?... Ahh...I can''t help myself! He''s going to turn into such a handsome man! His determination sent shivers throughout my body! I''m so proud of him!" (Vella) She lovingly looked at the child''s sleeping figure before staring daggers at the door, bloodlust emanating from her. "It''s rude to eavesdrop!" (Vella) The door slowly opened in response. Gaiden was standing at the doorway,fully dressed in his suit. "When did youfind out that I was here?" (Gaiden) Vella smirked at Gaiden''s defeated figure, "From the beginning, your elephant feet can be heard from anywhere you know?" (Vella) Sighing, he scratched the back of his neck, "Yeah yeah yeah, whatever you say you abnormal woman..." (Gaiden) He warmly observed the child''s sleeping figure, "Youhandled that pretty well...You''ve taken quite a liking to him huh?" (Gaiden) Vella nodded enthusiastically, "Of course!" (Vella) Anostalgic, distant look suddenly appeared on her face, "He''s just like me from back then..." (Vella) Gaiden quietly chuckled, "Yeah, I noticed. You were also quite a handful back then, and you had just as many beliefs... Although he''s more obedient compared to you, you were too rebellious for your own good." (Gaiden) Vella puffed her cheeks in anger before a sudden realization hit her, "Are you both going already?..." (Vella) Gaiden solemnly nodded, "We weren''t supposed to even be here for that long in the first place. We were only able to stay for the night becauseof theencounter with the Devillian agents...I guess it could be said that our encounter with them was both a fortune and misfortune." (Gaiden) He ignored the tearful look that she gave when he made his announcement. Quietly walking over, he gently ruffled the child''s hair and smiled, "Don''t worry though,we were given permission to make consistent visits with both of you when I notified headquarters ofthe incident though. They want the package to be as safe as possible since it''s their pride and joy, but I don''t know if Jayden wants to come back. Haha, I think he''s had enough of forests." (Gaiden) Instantly turning cheerful, she looked at Gaiden before giving him a teasing smile, "Be safe alright?... It''d be a shame if I lost the person that''s supposed to be supplying my requests." (Vella) Haaa...This woman... "Alright...Alright...I''ll give you your things at a later date...Be sure to take care of yourself as well." (Gaiden) Responding with a strained voice and smile, he politely bowed before exiting the room. Intermission: Forbidden Memory Intermission: Forbidden Memory ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [Tch...He''s sure taking his time...I''m starting to get impatient...] (???) A large, hooded figure the size of abuilding was sitting behind a plain work desk with their head propped on their hand and an even larger scythe propped on their shoulder. A smaller sized, hooded figure was sitting at a considerable distance awayin front of a decorated table with a teacup resting in their hand while an unconscious man with dark, clean-cut hair, well-defined facial features, a toned body and an unbuttoned business suit sat directly across from them. It was quite a strange sight, they were in the middle of a lush forest with a crystal clear lake next to them and golden specks of light were floating around them, illuminating the area. No sign of life could be seen around them, it was verypeaceful and quiet. "For you to be impatient...That''s quite a wonderful feat consideringthe time that you have on your hands..." (Small Figure) The small figure nonchalantly replied as it took a sip from the teacup. [I''m just curious to see why anabnormality like yourself would come to me with such a request...That is all.] (Large Figure) Shrugging its shoulders, thesmall figure continued to stare at the unconscious man, "I''ve already had my fair share of enjoyment." (Small Figure) [Is that really all?...I don''t understand humans...Why would youhelp someone that has forgotten, not to mention, killed you?] (Large Figure) A long silence was shared between them as the words lingered in the air. The small figuregently placed the teacup onto the table, "I guess you could say love knows no boundaries...Besides, it wasn''t his fault...Other factors were in play at the time." (Small Figure) [Interesting...Hmm...] (Large Figure) The large figure stroked its chin in thought before finally coming to a decision, [Will you still say that you love him, even when you know what the price for this request is?...] (Large Figure) Unhesitantly nodding, the small figure responded with a firm voice, "Even then." (Small Figure) Roaring laughter echoed throughout the forest, [Hahahaha! I expected as much! Abnormallymanaging to escape from Purgatory, managing to defeat all of the Watchers along the way without using a Spirit Weapon and finally, managing to pass through my Gate just so that you could reach this place again!... Absolutely unheard of, but that''s not what has caught my eye.] (Large Figure)Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. The large figure suddenly stopped laughing, leaning closer towards the small figure, [How were you able to slip past into Purgatory when you''re clearly a Sinner? You belong in the Underworld. I have confidence in my subordinates'' abilities, they should''ve been able to handle you.] (Large Figure) Silence enveloped the two as they solemnly stared at each other. [Haa...No response huh?... I allowed you to remain here since you''ve caught my interest, but now I can''t help but feel excited tomeet this human.] (Large Figure) Sighing, the large figure suddenly stared at a paper on its desk before turning back over to the other two, [His memories have almost fully been restored as you''ve requested, we will begin once he regains consciousness.] (Large Figure) The small figuresheepishly scratched the back of its neck, "Sorry, but could you give me some time to spend with him when he wakes up?..." (Small Figure) [Hmm?...] (Large Figure) The large figure was clearly caught off guard by the sudden question, slightly tilting its head in thought. [You have been watching over him for a considerably long time and you also have done all of thoseridiculous things just to get here, so I guess it would only be fair...My subordinates currently have the other three thatwere with him in their care, so I''ll be personally handling their cases while I''m waiting. The cases thus far have been very boring ever since [Exodus] was invoked. A majorityof them were tainted humans, so this isquite refreshing.] (Large Figure) The small figure elegantly stood up and bowed towards the Large Figure, "Thank you." (Small Figure) Nodding in response, the large figure got up and walked away from them. With every step that it took, dark mist drifted from its body, its figure slowly dissipating until it completely vanished. Confirming that the large figure was gone, the small figure walked up to the man and gently brushed his hair, "Don''tbe too harsh on yourself..." (Small Figure) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bonus: [Your name is.... Grape the penguin?...] (Large Figure) A large hooded figure the size of a building was sitting behind a plain word desk with an even larger scythe propped onto its shoulder while a small, male Humboldt penguin curiously looked around. The area around them this time was covered in dazzling, golden sand with a crystal clear ocean accompanying next to it. Gentle waves were lapping against the shoreas the ocean breeze brushed past the palm trees that peppered the area. The sand remained untouched, with not a single footprint to be seen. "Pii, pi pii?(Where''s Hululu?)" (Grape) Staring at the penguin, the large figure responded in a solemn voice, [She wasn''t able to accompany you.] (Large Figure) Grape tilted his head in confusion, "Piii pipii pii?...Pii pi pii pii pi pi...(What do you mean?...She was just next to me...)" (Grape) The large figure gave a heavy sigh before responding, [You were ill. She was by your side as you passed away, taking care of you until the very end. It was quite a heartwarming scene, even for us who constantly deal with cases like these.] (Large Figure) His body slouched with a disheartenedgaze, tears slowly drifting down his face, "P-Pi pii pii pi pii?...(I-I won''t see her again?...)" (Grape) [That''s...] (Large Figure) A heavy silence enveloped the two as the waves continued to lap against the shore. "Pii...Pi Pii pi pii pii pi...(Please...I want to see her again...)" (Grape) The large figure leaned a little closer towards Grape, [...Every wish comes with a price...Are you willing?...] (Large Figure) "Pii...(Anything..)" (Grape) Slowly nodding in response, the large figure lifted the large scythe from its shoulder and stood up before turning towards the ocean. Raising the scythe, the large figurepowerfully slashed downwards. A shockwave emanated from the sheer force of the movement, creating strong gusts of wind and large ripples that broke the ocean''s surface, slowly parting it in half. A large, bright tear in space appeared, floating in the air where the scythe had just cut through. [Enter...A new life awaits you and Hululu.] (Large Figure) Grape firmly nodded and waddled off into the rift. A bright light warmly enveloped his body right before he vanished, carrying a love that was eternally boundless. Chapter 4: Duty Chapter 4: Duty ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A dried pool of bloodsurrounded a prone man clad inmilitarygear as a hooded, masked figure that was as equally gearedholstered away their assault rifle before carefully turning him over, taking off his helmet for a quick inspection. They were in the middle of a wide, open road in an abandoned district. Old, rusty and worn buildings surrounded them while leftover debrislittered the area. The temperature was freezing. A gray sky gloomily hoveredabove the areaas snowflakes gentlydrifted towards the ground. No life could be seen and not a single sound could be heard, a calm silence. A dark red stain rested abovethe man''s heart.He had anaveragebody with tan skin.His blonde hair was peppered with white while slight wrinklesadorned his fine face. He would have definitely been considered good looking if he was back in his prime. The masked figure solemnly stared at the fallen man after finishing the inspection, tightly clenching their fists, "Gaiden..." (Figure) Coldchills suddenly flew down the figure''s spine.Kicking with theirfoot in reflex, the Figure leapt away from the body before rolling into cover. THUD! A large crater appeared at the spot where the Figure was standing moments ago. The Figure breathed heavilyas they sat in an alleyway with their back against the wall.Mixed thoughts andfeelings were rushing through as they thought about Gaiden before a sudden calm enveloped the Figure, their mind switching into battle mode. No explosion, a silenced sniper rifle maybe?...But I''veneverheard ofone being able to make craters...Wh- The Figure ducked as a bullet passed through the walls of the alleyway, dust and debrisexploded into the area from the impact. Quickly grabbingsomething from their chest, the Figure pulled a pin and threwthe cylindrical object outside of the alleyway, back into the middle of theroad where Gaiden lay. Gray smoke quickly rose from the object. Patiently waiting, the Figure honed their hearing in anticipation and observed thearea. The smoke finally covered the area, obstructing the sniper''s view. THUD! Another bulletripped througha portion of the smoke, clearing anoticeable trailtowards the area where the Figure would''ve exited from the alleyway if they had done so before colliding with the ground to create another large crater. The bullet came diagonally through the smoke from my North...The only building in that general direction with thismuch elevation advantage would be the old apartment complex. They''re very skilled to be able to shoot at that distance... Finishing their calculations to pinpoint where the sniper was, the Figure took out anothersmoke grenade from their chestand strongly threw it towards the opposite end of the alley, finally stopping in the middle of another road. Just like last time, smoke quicklyexpanded into the area.Immediately standing, the Figure turned away from the thrown direction and ran, briefly entering the smokethat covered Gaiden''s area and dragging his body before exiting into another alleyway. The Figure gently rested Gaiden''s body againsta wall and ripped the dog tag from around his neck before continuing towards the end of the alleyway, cautiously exiting into the road and moving from cover to cover. No reaction. Taller buildings should be in this direction so I''ll start heading that way. Hopefully, it stays like this...Forgive me Gaiden...I''llcome back for you... With a heavy heart, the Figure continued to weavebetween the alleyways as they took a detour towards theapartment complex, away from the sniper''s line of fire. ------------------------------------------------------------ The masked figurestood on a porch that led to the only entrance of the old apartment complex, inspecting the area with an assault rifle drawn. It was easily the tallest building within this area, nearly tripling the size of all nearby buildings. Overgrown vineswere wrapped around the building and the windows were shattered. The paint was peeling off and rust gathered along the metal railings and supports. It could clearly be seen that the building hadn''t been maintained in a long time. No resistance along the way...The door''s trapped...Alright,let''s make an announcement. Stepping away from the porch and coming to the side of a wall, the Figure quietlysearched through a bag resting on the side of their pants, near their pistol holster before finallydrawing a round object from it. Pulling a pin, the Figure threw the object so that it restedright in front of the entrance before ducking back into cover. BOOM! A loud explosion resounded throughout the area as the Figure quickly peeked around the corner with their rifle aimed towards the entrance, finally entering the buildingonce the figure was sure that nothing was there. Eyes adjusting to the darkness, the Figure entered into the reception area. An entrance with a stairway sign was directlystanding to the right of the reception counter. Silently moving, the Figure pumped their senses into overtime, approaching the stairwaybefore slowly turning the doorknob. It was locked. No reaction from the surroundings, they''re not here...Could probably just break the door open...Hmm... Searching around the area, the Figure noticed an elevator to the far left of the reception area and moved towards it. Holstering the rifle onto their back, the Figure pried open the doors to the elevator. Noticing that the cables were in decent condition and that nothing was rigged onto them, the Figure unhesitantly jumped, grabbing hold onto them beforestarting to climb up. ------------------------------------------------------------ Exiting into the highest floor, the Figure unholstered the assault rifle. Light weakly passed through the broken windows to the left of the Figure while shadows danced across the doors to the Figure''s right. Shards of glass and pieces of junk littered the floor. A stairway could be seen at the end of the hallway.Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. Slowlywalkingthrough the dim hallway, the Figure focused their aim towards the doors. An eery silence lingered in the air as the Figure quietly passed the doors, steadilynearing the end of the hallway while making sure to watch their step. Noticing a sudden movement from above, the Figure rolled forward, landing in a crouched position and turned, immediately firing the rifle. A stray Shadow weaved back and forth, dodging the bulletsas it rapidlyclosed the distance between them. Completely inhuman! Right before the Shadow fully closed the distance, the Figure pulled out a knife with their left hand and lunged forward, swiftly slashing horizontally towards the shadow. The moment the knife was swung, the Shadow slightly tilted to the right and bent backwardin response,dodging the knife. Continuing with the momentum, the Shadow countered with a high roundhouse kick. Stuck in a forward momentum from swinging the knife, the Figure immediately flexed their arm, absorbing the roundhouse kickaimed at their head. Grunting from the numbing shockthat was spreading throughout the Figure''s body, the assault rifle involuntarily dropped. Resetting its posture, the Shadow kicked the ground and threw itsright hand towards the Figure, relentlessly continuingto apply pressure. A gleaming object was in that very same hand, noticing this, the Figure moved to divert the direction of the hand''s swing. The Shadow forcefully stomped the ground in reply, stopping its forward momentum before powerfully turning to hook its left fist, catching the Figure off guard. The fist connected, sending the Figurecrashing towardsa door, breaking it upon impact. Coughing up blood, the Figure laybreathlessly inside of a musty room with dusty furnishing and fragments of the door surrounding them. The Shadow approached the figure with theassault rifle that was dropped. Blood was leaking from the Figure''s right hand. Shit... Carefully aiming at the Figure, time seemed to slow as the Shadow pulled the trigger. Blood and wooden fragments immediately flew towards the Shadow''s face as the Figure swung with their right hand, momentarily blinding it. Continuing with the momentum, the Figure quickly rolled away from the Shadow''s line of fire. Bullets flew into the room, the Shadow blindly firing at the direction of the Figure''s last known location. Immediately taking advantage of the opportunity,the Figure drew a pistol from their side holster while rising, instantly closing the distance between them and fired into the Shadow''s abdomen. BANG! BANG! BANG! Dropping the assault rifle, the Shadowgradually fell to the floor. With the pistol still aimed and ready, the Figure kicked the assault rifle away before inspecting the Shadow. The Shadow was lightly geared. A dark hood covered the shadow''s head while a mask covered the lower half of its face, only the eyes were visible.The Shadow wore a dark blue camo suit on its body, which seemed to darken or lighten depending on the time of day. Knives and bags were attached to a belt around its waist, but nothing more could be seen on the Shadow. A pool of blood was gradually growing around the body. Nothing that would identify their alignment huh?... Expected as much. "Haha...This is how...I''ll go huh?..." (Shadow) The Figure''s stomach fell, thoughts racing and colliding with each other. It can''t be...This voice... "No..." (Figure) Trembling, the Figure unsteadily aimed at the Shadow. "This is?..." (Shadow) The Shadow slowly turned towards the Figure, trying to get a better look. Noticing those familiar eyes, the Figure immediately dropped to their knees and tookoff the Shadow''s hood and mask in order to lessen the burden before continuing to check on the Shadow''s wounds, scrambling to stop the bleeding. A woman with the same familiar well-sculptured face, flawless snow white skin and wavy, violet hair that reached past her shoulders greeted the Figure''s sight, a small smile could be seen on her face. She hadn''t aged a daysince the Figure last saw her, she still remained youthful looking. "I-I''ll get some help right away! Let me stop the bleeding, just hold on! Rest and conserve your energy! Yo-" (Figure) A gentle hand rested on the Figure''s arm as thewoman quietly shook her head, signaling the Figure to stop. Tears started to drift down as the Figure dismayingly looked at the woman''s condition, knowing full well that it was impossible to save her, "Why?..." (Figure) Sadness could be seen in the woman''s eyes as she sawhis tears, "...Headquarters sent...Us here...For Mission...I...Didn''t know..." (Woman) Struggling with every word, the woman slowly raised her hand,taking off the Figure''s Mask and weakly wiping away the tears that stained his face, "You look better...When you''re...Not crying..." (Woman) A young man with dark, short hair, stared at her with a pained expression. Caressing his face, her eyes were filled withhappiness as she admired him, "Haha...Don''t look...At me like...That either..." (Woman) Breaking down, the young man tightly embraced her as he buried his face into her chest, his shoulders silently heaving. The woman warmly smiled, gently brushing the usualspot on his hair, "You''ve...Grown....I''m so...Proud...You''ll be...Fine..." (Woman) She tightly hugged him, earnestly trying to get her feelings across, "Follow your...Beliefs...Live...Freely...Okay?..." (Woman) The young man weakly pleaded with her, despair evident in his voice, "...I''m so sorry..." (Young Man) "Uh-uh...It''s not...Your fault...I was...Running out of...Time anyways..." (Woman) The woman gently lifted his face up, making eye contact with him. Her eyes were very bright, prideand joy could clearly be seen in them as she lovingly smiled at the young man in assurance, "I love you..." (Woman) The young man choked on his words, tearfully struggling to come to terms with this sudden turn of events before finally nodding with a broken smile, "I love you too...Big Sister..." (Young Man) Nodding in satisfaction, she continued to brush his hair as she closed her eyes,enjoying the warmth of the young man''s body, "I''ll leave it...To you...Let me...Stay...Like this...For a...Little longer..." (Woman) Time slowly passed as the sound of gentle breathingflowed throughout the room, calmly quieting until only silence remained. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bonus: "Has Violet Storm been taken care of?" (???) Holographic figures were sittingat the opposite sides of a conference table in a dimly lit room. Medals and ribbons wereworn on some of the figures'' chests while other figures wore luxurious suits or beautiful dresses. Their faces melded in with the shadow, but their bodies could clearly be seen. The owner of the voice was an old man dressed in a suit that commanded respect, sitting at the end of the conference table, clearly visible to all. A figure wearing a uniform adorned with medals and ribbons responded in a respectful tone, "Yes Chairman, she and agent Gaiden belonging to Covert Ops will no longer be a hindrance." (???) An arrogantvoice echoed throughout the room, "What''s so special about a single boy for you to go to such lengths?" (???) A figure wearing a luxurious black suit and tie was leaning backwardin their armchair with their feet propped onto the table. "If you want firepower, we can easily supply them to you. If you want men, we can easily blackmail them to join our cause. If you want resources, we can just march into a nearby country topillage them. So why spoil the boy with this much attention?" (Arrogant Figure) The Chairman calmly replied, "Because he is the lone survivor of the Black Death experiment." (Chairman) A solemn silence surrounded the room. "I thought the experiment was a failure. Why haven''t we been notified of this?!? Are you crazy?!?" (???) A bulk figure with arms the size of tree trunksshook in outrage, fear evident in his voice. "No one besides the people in this room has been informed of this. His capabilities have not yet been fully utilizedas a safety measurein the case that he turns against us. There is no need to worry. He no longer has any connections that wouldanchor him to his past, we have made sure of that. We just need to wipe away his memories and implant the methods to utilize the project. He''ll be a usefultool for us in the future, don''t you think?" The silence continued to linger in the room, evidently clear that the figures were feeling uncomfortable. A bright smile was painted on the old man''s face, "Do you doubt me?" (Chairman) An ominous aura drifted from the Chairman, clearly contrasting with his ''friendliness''. Flinching, the bulk figure leaned slightly away, "N-No Chairman, we would never do such a thing." (Bulky Figure) The aura receded as the Chairman nodded. A figurein an elegant dress politely bowed towards the Chairman, speakingwith reverence, "He is under our custody, we will begin the memory revision as per your orders." (???) "Good, with this, we''ll gain the upper hand in the Great Wars. The future of Arya will be bright...You are all dismissed." (Chairman) The other figures all politely bowed towards the Chairman in unison before disappearing one by one,closing the curtains to a meeting that would eventually spell their doom. Chapter 5: Ending Chapter 5:Ending ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "So you were able to make it this far?..." (???) An old man dressed in an attire thatcommanded respect from even the most prideful of figures sat in an armchair that was turned away from the only door to the room, positionedat thevery end of a conference table. Multiple monitors adorned the wall that he was facing towards. Expensive ornaments and decorations covered the walls of the room while the floors seemed to bemade fromflawless marble. This would have been a very majestic sight if it weren''t for the fact that pools of bloodwere slowly expanding from the dead bodies strewn across the floor. Upon further inspection, the monitors were used to display footage of the many different sections of the multistoried building, but only countless bodies greeted the old man''s sight. A man dressed in full body armor silently stood in front of the door. Not a single trace of blood could be found on him. "Don''t you realize that what you are doing is a mistake? What happened to your desire to protect others? How could you bring harm tous, the protectors of the people?" (Old Man) The old man finally peeled his eyes away from the monitors and slowly swiveled the chair towards the man, sternly gazing at him. "Did you not think that I would eventually find out?" (Man) "What are you sa-" (Old Man) The man''s figure disappeared as the old man suddenly heard a cold voice right next to him,feeling something directly pointed next to his head, "I don''t like people who play dumb." (Man) Chills went down the old man''s spine as he calmly addressed the man, "What do you want?..." (Old Man) "Where is the ring?" (Man) "Are you insa-" (Old Man) The old man felt a sudden impact as he collided with the floor, unseatedfrom thearmchair. Cold, depthless eyesgreeted the old man as he stared down the barrel of a gun. "Remember what your current position is. I won''t say this again." (Man) Slowly nodding, the old man quietly responded to the man, making sure that he wasn''t moving from his position, "It is behind the painting." (Old Man) "I see..." (Man) CRACK! A scream of agony resounded throughout the room as the man forcefully stomped on the old man''s arm, fracturing it. He grabbed the old man''s collar and lifted him up with a single hand, bringing the old man''s face closer to his. "Lie after lie, I''m getting tired of these games. Protectors of the people?... That''s a nice excuse for what you''ve done behind everyone''s backs." (Man) The old man grunted, hatred evident in his tone, "You monster..." (Old Man) An ominous smile was painted on the man''s face, "I''m just doing whatI was created to do." (Man) BANG! Another piercing screaming echoed throughout the room as a bullet pierced through the old man''s right leg, disabling him. "Collaborating with other organizations tohide the rings away, knowing full well that it''d be the end for all of you if they ended up in the wrong hands.Purposefully starting wars so that you all can secretly profit from them while using that as an excuse to dispose of troublesome officials. Willingly participating in banned human experiments to create tools and weapons that would protect your authority. Blackmailing and kidnapping families so that you could use them to your heart''s content, just for your ''fun''. You''re a very interesting man..." (Man) The man threw him into the conference table, crushing it in the process as splinters flew across the room. Feeling his ribs becoming fractured, the old man coughed out blood. Hepainfully tried to catch his breath as he struggled to voice out his words, "Fool...You Won''t...Get away with this...The other...Organizations will stop...You..." (Old man) The man casually walked towards the old man with anuninterested expression on his face,The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. "What other organizations?" (Man) The old man paled as his voice shook from the sinister response, fear evident on his face, "I-Impossible...What did...You do?..." (Old Man) The man stopped just in front of the old man''s fallen figure and crouched, "I''m just taking out the trash." (Man) "You''re going...To go...To hell...For thi-" (Old Man) The old man suddenly felt a hand lodged into his mouth, grabbing onto one ofthe molars, "We''re both going to hell, Chairman...But the one difference that separates you and me is the fact that I know when to make amends to both the deceased and the people that I have done wrong."(Man) "D-Dawnt!" (Old Man) "Sorry, you''re going to need to speak a little louder..." (Man) The man mercilesslyripped out the molar, tearing out a partial chunk of the old man''s gums. A blood-chilling scream, one that was at a higher pitch than the ones previous, resounded throughout the room before it gradually stopped, the old man passing out from the pain as blood continuously leaked from his mouth. "As I expected, he implanted the ring into his molars." (Man) The mantook something out from the molar. It was a ring that had a sapphiregemstone on it. "And with this...Ithas been a pleasuremeeting you again, Chairman..." (Man) Taking out a small terminal unit from his pocket,he released the safety device built into it. "I will see you again, maybe in the next life. Farewell." (Man) The man pressed the switch on the device. Faint explosions reverberated throughout the entire building, slowly growing louder and louder as the explosions climbed up, finally reaching them and putting to a close on an organization that had underestimated its once loyal follower. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bonus: A couple hours before the encounter with the Chairman A man wearing full body armor was cautiously walking through the hallways of the multi-storied building, slowly making his way up to the Chairman''s office. Bodies littered the floor as he continued on, observing his surroundings. The walls were well decorated and furnished, not a single living being could be seen or heard within the area. It was eerily quiet except... The man quicklypeeked the corner of the hallway, grabbing a figure who was hiding around it by the arms and swiftly throwing the figure headfirst to the ground, back into the cover of the corner. Sounds of gunfire resounded throughout thearea as bullets flew past them. Making sure that the thrown figure didn''t have the opportunity to react, the man instantaneously drew a handgun and aimed it at the figure''s face. He suddenly froze, unable to pull the trigger. Why can''t I pull it?... The figure was a man wearing a black suit with an emblem on his chest, an identifier that shows that he is an agent of Arya, the organization that owns this building.He was well-staturedwith a dark skin tone and a chiseled face. Slight wrinkles could be seen on his face while sprinkles of white adorned his dark, shortly cropped hair. "Who are you?..." (Man) Footsteps subtly came closer and closer to them from the hallway. "Tch..." (Man) The man grabbed something from his side pocket, pulling a pin and threw it into the hallway. "Get back!" (???) Immediately using that opportunity, the man quickly peeked out of cover and fired at the three retreating figures, accurately hitting their unprotected vitals as smoke began to rise. BANG! BANG! BANG! The figures slowly crumpled to the ground as the man pulled back into cover and sighed, "Haa...Why would you turn your back to an enemy?..." (Man) "You look just like that kid..." (Agent) The agent was staring at the man, surprise evident in his voice. "Explain..." (Man) "May I sit up at least?..." (Agent) The man nodded his head. Curiosity and eagerness were mysteriously floatingaround the man''s mind. He had always felt like something was missing, an answer that was just a little out of his reach. Something told him that this familiar man would have the pieces to the puzzle, something that he had been trying to solve for years. The agent groaned, still feeling the amount of force thathe was thrown with as he moved to sit up against the wall, "I was contracted to escort a child who was deemed as a V.I.P by the organization along with one other agent. We encountered Devillian agents but managed to dispatch them and we finally arrived at the dropoff point later that night." (Agent) The man seemed to be in deep thought as he racked his brain for those memories, "What are their names?..." (Man) "Agent Gaiden Rosette and Vella Stormheart, I was given permission to visit the child but I decided not to, so I''ve never seen him again after the escort mission...Although..." (Agent) The agent momentarily paused, staring at the man in front of him withobserving eyes before sighing, "Haa...I have been wondering how the boy has grown, maybe I''m starting to become soft-hearted because of my children..." (Agent) The man slowly shook his head, sadness lingering in his eyes, "I don''t remember...Maybe you have the wrong person..." (Man) The names...I''ve heard them before...I feel like I should remember...But I just can''t... Shaking away his thoughts, he continued in a politer tone, "What is your name? Maybe that''ll help." (Man) A small smile rested on the agent''s face, "My name is Jayden Russell, shouldn''t the person asking give their name first?" (Agent) That name''s familiar too... The man apologetically bowed his head, "Sorry, you''re right. I don''t currently have a real name, but people know me by my handle name, Black Death." (Black Death) Jayden''s eyes were wide open in shock, "Black Death?...We received reports that we had an intruder entering the grounds, but I didn''t know it would be our best agent...Most of us have never even seen your face before. If I knew what we were going against, I would have just abandoned my post...Oy...Wait, why are you even doing this?" (Jayden) "Tomake amends by turning the world into a better place." (Black Death) Black Death immediately responded, no hesitation could be heard in his voice filled with conviction. "Aren''t we the protectors of the people?..." (Jayden) Doubt andworry were clearly evident from Jayden''s expression. "That''s what I''d like to think so as well..." (Black Death) A dark expression slowly grew on Black Death''s face as unspoken questions came to their minds, a solemn silence enveloping them. I don''t sense any malicious intent from him anymore...Should I let him go?...Ah...I really did change huh?... "Throw away yourlife as an Aryan agent, leave the area and go back to your family. I still have things to do, it''s dangerous here. It was nice talking to you." (Black Death) Jayden blankly stared at him as a mystified voice involuntarily leaked out from his mouth, "What?..." (Jayden) Standing up,Black Death politely bowed towards Jayden and took a moment to peek around the corner, making sure that no one else was down the hallway before cautiously continuing onwards. "Oy...Be careful alright?..." (Jayden) Black Death raised his arm in response as their paths slowly diverged from one another, pulling their fated encounter to a close. Chapter 6: Reunion Chapter 6:Reunion ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I lived a life filled with death, with betrayal. Countless lives were takenby my hands. I turned a blind eye to those who plead for their lives, young or old. It didn''t matter. All who defied the organizationwould be eliminated. The organization was righteous, the ones who have swornto protectand serve the people, to create a utopia for all. The saviors of mankind...Only a fool would turn against them. My role was the same as any ordinary weapon, emotionless, compassionless, indiscriminate. Although I was placed in such a miserable role, if no one else had to do this cruel work, if no children had to defile their hands with blood and families were able to laugh and cry together, safe from harm, how could anything else make me happier? My sole reason to live. That was what I had thought...So why have I changed?... "Are you awake?..." (???) A soft voicereached me as I slowly opened my eyes. A hooded figure was calmly drinking tea directly across from me. The voice of the figure seems to be masked. We were seated around a fancy table in the middle of what appears to be a forest. A crystal, clear lake was a little away from us while specks of light seemed to be floating aroundthe area. I couldn''t sense any sign of life besides the two of us. It was oddly peaceful and quiet, I wasn''t feeling anysense of discomfort, not even the need to raise my guard like I usually would in this situation. Strange... "Where are we?" (Black Death) The figure tilted its head in thought, "I sometimes wonder so myself." (Figure) A silencesurrounded us as I started to analyze the situation, sorting through my memories. I was in the town square of a well-known city with three other agents from opposing factions.Blood Rose, Iron Fang, Ghost Blade, the people who I''ve thought as my own family. We fought each other as representatives of our organizationsfor one last time, knowing full well that we would not be able to live among the survivors of the world since upon invoking [Exodus].We successfully completed the ritual and then... "Are we in the afterlife?" (Black Death) A sudden realization came to me. The figure nodded before taking another sip from the teacup. "...Then does that mean you''re God?..." (Black Death) Tea flew out of the figure''s mouth as laughter echoed throughout the area, "Pffft, ahahahaha!" (Figure) Struggling to catch their breath and trying to regain their composure, they continued, "Th-Thank you for-haha, thinking that highly of me! But I''m not that special looking as you can see, I''m just an inhabitant of this world." (Figure) Oy, who''s this person then?!?!?! "Who are you then? I thought people who died would usually meet God or something." (Black Death) "Haha, sorry! I can''t help myself, I was planning at first on just talking to you for a little while keeping my identity a secret, but you were always the curious one huh?" (Figure) "What do you me-" (Black Death) The area around us started to warp and shift as the figure carefully pulled down their hood. We were in a very familiar place, the table turned into a crystalline one with an ornate golden chandelier hanging right above us. I could see windows aligned on the walls with sofas, bookcases and a fireplace to compliment them on my far right and a bartending tableon my far left. There was a familiar grand staircase further ahead of us that stopped at a large door before wrapping around the room. This is... A middle-aged woman with wavy violet hair, flawless snow white skin, and familiar warm eyes smiled at me. "Big Sister?..." (Black Death) Vella happily nodded, "Mhm! I''m happy that you still call me ''Big Sister''! You haven''t changed at all!" (Vella) A doting look could be seen on her face as her eyes seemed toprobe me, "Kyaaa! I knew you were going to be handsome! I knew it! I justcouldn''t help myself and wanted to see you up close and personal after all these years. If only Gaiden came with me, haa....." (Vella) Embarrassedly scratching my cheek, I looked around, trying to regain my composure. Huh...It still looks just like how I remember it. Everything''s still in perfect condition as well... A sudden thought flew across my mind. I remember....Everything?... Vellaworriedly look towards me, noticing my dark expression, "Are you alright?...What''s the matter?..." (Vella) "I''m sorry..." (Black Death) Vella confusedly tilted her head before realization dawned on her, "It''s in the past...I''ve already told you that it wasn''t your fault. Remember?... I truly meant that." I stared down at the table, unable to look at her eyes as I tightly clenched my fist, "...I...I didn''t mean to..." (Black Death) "Haa...You''re hopeless as usual." (Vella) She stood up and walked over to me,gently lifting my face to meet hers, "I love you, I said so before remember? You''re my adorable little brother,not only that, you''re also my prized student! I could never hate you!" (Vella)Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. Just like last time...Her eyes weredazzlingly bright, prideand joy could clearly be seen in them as she lovingly smiled atme in assurance, "Have more faith in others as well as yourself. That''s what you''ve always been lacking, even as a child. Not everything in the world is your fault and not everything in the world is something that you can prevent. You''re strong! Very strong, but you must know your own limits, and you must be able to keep moving forward! No one can complain if you''ve done your absolute best!" (Vella) I widened my eyes in shock, taking a moment to register her expression and engraving her words into my heart before slowly nodding, "Thank you..." (Black Death) Nodding in satisfaction, she hugged me.I felt a heavy weightbeing lifted off of my shoulders. The warmth and gentleness thatearnestly showed heraffection for me, the calming scent that would float around the room...This love that would always ease my heart and mind...I''ve never thought that I''d experience this again. It all feels like a dream... We both stayed like that for a while until she finally pulled away from me with an excited look in her eyes, "Alright, now that that''s out of the way, tell me about those three friends that you''ve made!" (Vella) "Haha, them? What do you want to know?" (Black Death) "Everything!" (Vella) "Ah....Everything huh?..." (Black Death) I tilted my head as I thought of what to say. They were my family, aside from Vella who I felt was like my own mother, they were the closest people that I''ve ever come to knowand love.Although we came from the same occupation as sworn enemies and it was only by chance that we were able to become so close to each other, I''m entirely grateful for that chance. We shared the same dreams, the same hopes and we started to become ambitious and confident enough to consider one single possibility, apeaceful and prosperous world, one where no more blood would be shed and one where everyone can smile and laugh. An idealistic world, but... "Haha, I miss them...I really wish I could see them again." (Black Death) She brightly smiled and nodded, urging me to continue. "They''re like my own family. We act as siblings around each other and the warmth that we felt from each other was also very pleasant, I could tell that we cared a lot about each other...They all feel like you in a way Big Sister, but at the same time, they''re all just like me as well. When I''m around them, I feel the need to protect them, and I strive to become stronger to protect the dreams and laughter that we would all have together. I would do anything for them, even if I had to sacrifice my life again. Vella had a distant look on her face. "I don''t want to be scared anymore...I want to be able to make my own choices, and I want to be able to protect the people that I care about! I don''t want to be useless anymore..." (Child) Closing his eyes, he softly touched the area where Vella would usually brush his hair, "I just want everyone to be happy...I want everyone to laugh and to be able to dream..." (Child) Clenching his fists, he opened his eyesto earnestly look at Vella. A renewed, fiery determination flowedthroughout hisbody and his eyes seemed to burn with confidence, "I will do anything to make them come true!" (Child) Vella had a very satisfied and peaceful look on her face as she mumbled, "...this much since I''ve been away huh?..." (Vella) She spoke in a barely audible voice, I wasn''t able to catch what she was saying, "Is something the matter?..." (Black Death) She shook her head and started brushing the usual spot on my hair, "It''s nothing! Haha, it just seems like you''ve made some good friends! Do you remember what I''ve said?" (Vella) I nodded, there were countless lessons and teachings that she had given me, but the ones that were most important were; "To follow my beliefs, to live freely, and to remember the determination that I have shown to you." (Black Death) Vella proudly smiled and tightly hugged me again, "Remember your reason to live and keep moving forward as well, that''s also very important. Your friends seem to be your reason, I''m very happy for you!" (Vella) I hugged her backand scolded her, "Don''t forget yourself. You''re the reason that I''ve even become like this, and you''re definitely the most importantperson in my life! I owe all of this to you! There''s no way that I could live without you." (Black Death) Her shoulders suddenly started to shake, I could feel something wet on my chest. "Big Sister?..." (Black Death) "Thank you...Haha, I-I''m so happy...Ah...This is going to be so much harder for me..." (Vella) She reluctantly broke away from the hug as she quickly wiped away her face, "I''ve said this many times before...But I love you. Always remember that. Okay?..." (Vella) The biggest and brightest smile that she has ever given me was right before my eyes, something felt wrong...I should be happy but...What''s thisuneasy feeling?... "I love you as well Big Sister but is everything alright?..." (Black Death) Vella turned around and seemed to be speaking out into the distance, "I''ve finished my end of the business, I''m satisfied." (Vella) The surroundings started to warp and shift again, finally stopping after a considerable amount of time passed. We were back in the lush forest where I first reunited with Vella, but a dark mist slowly rose from the ground in front of us. The mist slowly started to spread and shape itself until a large hooded figure that was the size of a building stood in front of us. A scythe that seemed to be even larger than the figure itself was resting on its right shoulder as it stared down at us. The figure had a very powerful presence around it... What is this?... ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bonus: [Hahaha, I wasn''t left disappointed...] (Large Figure) A large figure was sitting behind a plain work desk, suspended in an infinitely white space. A small laughter could be heard from the large figure as it looked down at the papers. There were facial portraits of a man and two women. Background information was placed on the right side of each of the portraits, giving the large figure a detailed analysis of their lives and personalities. [It''s been a while since I''ve been this excited...Why hasn''t anyone informed me of these people before?] (Large Figure) The figure sighed as it propped its head on the table, [Haa...My subordinates are absolutely useless! I sometimes wonder why I haven''tstarted the Purge yet...] (Large Figure) A portrait of another man suddenly appeared on the large figure''s work table. [Oh?...Is he finally awake?] (Large Figure) The figure''simpatience was clearly evident in its voice. [I wonder why such a normal looking man has acquaintances like them...I want to know why that absurd woman is so interested in him as well...Such a mysterious man.] (Large Figure) A gray mistdrifted towards the large figure, slowly collecting itself together until a hooded figure in gray robes stood before the large figure. [A Grey Wardendares visit me?...] (Large Figure) The Grey Warden politely bowed. [Speak.] (Large Figure) Recovering from the bow, the Grey Warden continued in a respectful tone, [I am sorry to disturb you. We have received a prophecy from the Great Seers stating that there will be a Flood in the Lightsworn District. I have been sent to request assistance from you.] (Grey Warden) A dark, suffocating aura surrounded the areaas it emanated from the Large Figure, [Tch...That is not a problem that requires the Executioners,we are not bound by the Oaths like you are. You understand this, and yet you dare ask us for help?] (Large Figure) The Grey Warden continued unflinchingly, [We beg of you...If it were to be a normal Flood, we wouldn''t have the need to ask for help from the Executioners.] (Grey Warden) The large figure seemed to be deep in thought as it rubbed its chin, [Hmm...Do we know when the Flood will begin?] (Large Figure) [We have not received any other information regarding the Flood, that is another reason as to why we are asking you for help.] (Grey Warden) [No other information?...] (Large Figure) A surprised voice leaked from the large figure. A solemn silence was shared between the two beings, feeling the weight of the words that were just said. Sighing, the figure nodded, [Haa...I will send a portion of the Executioners to assist you.] (Large Figure) [You have our gratitude.] (Grey Warden) The Grey Warden deeply bowed in gratitude as agrey mist drifted fromhis body, his figure slowly dissipating until nothing was left. [One thing after another...So troublesome...] (Large Figure) The figure sighed again asit started to sort through the papers on the table. "I''ve finished my end of the business, I''m satisfied." (Vella) A familiar feminine voice reached the large figure. [Hahaha, I''m finally able to meet him! I was wondering how long she''d take!] (Large Figure) Regaining its spirit, the large figure happily stood up as dark mist drifted from its body, dissolving the figure little by little until nothing was left. Chapter 7: Wish Chapter 7:Wish --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [I just finished things on my end as well.] (Large Figure) We were standing in the middle of a forest where I had just first reunited with Vella. A large figure the size of a building with a scythe propped onto its right shoulder was leaning a little closer to me, trying to get a better look, [He doesn''t seem too special...I don''t see why he''s caught your attention...] (Large Figure) Vella shrugged her shoulders and gave a small smile, "You''ll see sooner or later. It''s probably not as obvious now, but you''ll definitely see." (Vella) [Hmm............] (Large Figure) The large figure rubbed its chin as it continued to stare at me. "Who are you?..." (Black Death) Suddenly realizing the situation, the large figure leaned away from me and apologetically tilted its head, [Apologies, there are many names that I go by, but I''m more known by you humans as Death. Out of proper courtesy for your current situation, you may call me Hades for now.] (Hades) That''s what I had thought when I noticed his iconic weapon propped on to his right shoulder...Death, the Grim Reaper and Shepherd of Souls? Then that must mean... [Your wish is to see your three friends again, correct?] (Hades) I immediately jumped at the opportunity, excitement welling within me after my suspicions were confirmed, "Have you seen them?!..." (Black Death) [Yes, I have, but it is quite rare for souls to reunite in the afterlife. It will be hard for you to find them unless...] (Hades) Hades suddenly broke off the conversation as he seemed to be deep in thought. "Unless?..." (Black Death) My heart was pounding in anticipation from the short pause that felt like ages. [All wishes come with a price...Are you willing?] (Hades) "Anything." (Black Death) [Is that so?...] (Hades) He looked over to Vella, [Are you sure about this? I will not proceed unless I receive your consent, you should think this over.](Hades) She nodded, giving him a resolved look, "I''ve already prepared myself." (Vella) Her gaze gently rested on me after she said that, "Besides, if I took too much time to think over this, I don''t think I would be able to continue..." (Vella) Wait...Why did he need Vella''s consent? Is there something that they''re not telling me?... Hades nodded in return and hovered his left hand over the scythe. A dark mist gathered into the hand until a sizeable orb made of darkness could be seen. Waving his hand, the orb floated towards me and stopped, hovering just away from my reach, interrupting my thoughts.This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. [Take this, you will need it in order to grant your wish.] (Hades) "Understood." (Black Death) A cold sensation flowed throughout my body as I grabbed hold of the orb with both of my hands. Chains flew out of the orb, slowly wrapping around my arms as I noticed something moving from within the orb. I suddenly felttwomysterious objects resting in both of my hands once the chains stopped around my elbows. Taking that as a signal, I made sure that I had a firm grip on them and started to pull them out with all of my might. A large, dark object slowly revealed itself as I continued to pull until suddenly, the object shot out from the orb''s grasp. I felt a sudden increase in weight on my arms as a pitch black greatsword twice the size of my body greeted me. The air crackled around me and I could feel the greatswordemanating a dark aura. The blade itself was reflecting a dark, otherworldly glow. Continuing downwards, I was holding onto two sword handles that perfectly fit into my hands, and there seemed to be a ring on each of them, resting right below the crossguard. Upon further inspection, I noticed that the rings were fitted with triggers and the chains that were wrapped around my arms was connected to the pommels. Ah...So the rings are acting as trigger guards. [Oh?...] (Hades) Hades leaned closer, observing me as I was holding the greatsword, [Try pulling both of the triggers at the same time.] (Hades) Complying with his request, I pulled both of the triggers in unison. The greatsword suddenly split into two, each half turning into a longsword. The longswords each had a half crossguard, a ring that seemed to act as a trigger guard right below it and the actual trigger itself. There was a sliding mechanism that allowed me to reconnect the two swords together to reform the greatsword. I swung thelongswords around a couple times while practicing my movements to test them. Much to my surprise, the balance is perfect and the swords are at a manageable weight, I haven''t lost my grip onthem yet either...Interesting. Hmm...Will the triggers do anything else if I pulled them again?... To be safe, I pointed the longsword in my right hand towards a tree that was at a considerable distance away from us and pulled the trigger again. BOOM! An explosion came from the end of thelongsword as the trigger was pulled, rapidly launching a dark orb of light. A large hole was left behind as the orbpierced through the tree. Huh...So the longswords also act as firearms? Little to no recoil and no misfire either...Projectiles fly perfectly straight, I don''t know what the effective range of it is though. Color me surprised. I feel a little exhausted after firing the weapon, strange...The orb also appears to be more destructive than a regular bullet. I wonder if there''s a way to transform the orb so that it can act just like the different types of ammunition that I had used when I was alive. "This is..." (Vella) Vella had a surprised expression on her face as she stared at me. [Interesting...] (Hades) Hades seemed to be in deep thought again as he rubbed his chin. "What do you want me to do ne-" (Black Death) The world started to tilt as I slowly collapsed onto the ground, struggling to keep myself up. My body felt like it was being filled with lead, my eyesight was starting todim and my consciousness was fading in and out. What''s happening?... I glared at Hades, forcefully trying to voice out my words, "...What...Did you...Do...To me?..." (Black Death) [Ihaveonly given you a helping hand in order to fulfill your wish, that is all.] (Hades) "...Wait..." (Black Death) I reached out to Hades right before a deep darkness suddenly filled my vision as I lost my consciousness. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bonus: [I can see why he has caught your attention.] (Hades) Hades stared at the unconscious man on the ground with interest. "Mhm! I told you so didn''t I? He''s special." (Vella) Vella was proudly smiling as she stared at the man in turn. [AHybrid Weapon user?... He has quite a strong affinity with the weapon as well, I wonder why...] (Hades) She turned her gaze towards Hades with athoughtful expression, "There''s only afew of them in this world, right?" (Vella) [That is correct, although I''m starting toquestion if they really are that rare to find.] (Hades) Tilting her head in curiosity, she attempted toinvestigate the meaning behind those cryptic words, "What do you mean?" (Vella) Ignoring her question, he turned his head towards Vella, [I trust that you understand what will happen next, yes?...] (Hades) A serious expression grew on Vella''s face, "That''s what I''ve prepared myself for." (Vella) [Good, I won''t be responsible for the aftermath, but I will promise touphold my end of the bargain.] (Hades) She nodded in confirmation, "I understand." (Vella) They both quietly observed the unconscious man on the ground as time slowly passed by, waiting for what was to come next. Chapter 8: History Chapter 8:History ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Wait!" (Black Death) I jolted awake, my hand reflexively reaching out towards the figure of Hades, except... Someone else was in front of me?... A human-sized figure wearing a dark robe satcross-legged in a chair, casually leaning towards me who wasnow sitting on the ground. I could make out a dark red mask covering the figure''s face, but the dim lighting made it very difficult to discern any other details. We were in a room with whitewashed walls and the familiar scent of chemicals lingered in the air. A rusty metal door sat at the far end of the room. A solemn realization came to me, "This place is..." (Black Death) The figure nodded, "Yeah, ironic that we''re back at where we started huh?" (Figure) "What do you mean by ''we''?" (Black Death) Unable to control my anger, bloodlust leaked from my body. "Pffft,that''s cute...You don''t even recognize your own voice?" (Figure) "Stop playing around." (Black Death) "Fine, fine...Tch, can''t even take some time to offer me a proper greeting." (Figure) A red mist drifted from the mask as the figure held their right hand to it, slowly dissolving the mask until it completely disappeared. A familiar young man with dark, short hair and a well-defined face greeted me with a sly smile. Heseemed to be in his mid to late teen years, but his looks were pretty average. He probably would have beenapproached by the vast majority if it weren''t for his unsettling eyes. Cold, calculating and depthless...The eyes of a trained killer. "...From the look on your face, I trust that you''ve come to an understanding?" (Young Man) His appearance was the same as well... Silence enveloped the room as we continued to stare at each other. "..." (Black Death) "..." (Young Man) Grimacing, the young man spoke in an impatient voice, "Oy! Is this really how you greet everyone? Since when did you started working as a mime?!" (Young Man) Ignoring his remarks, I went straight to the point, "What are you and where are we?..." (Black Death) "Didn''t know you were that dense either, can''t you tell?" (Young Man) I impatiently waited for his response as hecontinued to stare at me, "Alright, alright, no need to give me such a scary look." (Young Man) Shrugging, he gave up and stared at the ceiling, seemingly counting the flickering lights, "We''re currently in your subconsciousness. You''ve chosen quite a terrible place for us to meet you know? Surprised that you liked this place so much." (Young Man) An absolute pest... "Black Death, a nickname for the well-known Plague that mercilessly reaped millions of lives in olden times. A fitting name for the project that you took part in.The project itself delved into the tampering of souls, an impossible ambition, and yet here we are...Vella Stormheart, your mentor, wasthe predecessor of the project. The experimental medicine that shehad takensuccessfully stimulated her soul, quickly burning it at the cost of her lifespan in exchange for an extreme increase in physical and mental prowess while also effectively curing her of her illness.You, however, are different in that case." (Young Man) His vision turned towards me as he continued with an uninterested tone, "Instead of usingindirect methods to interact with your soul such as medicine, your soul was directly tampered with. Thestaff involved in the project were able to grant you the ability to collect and integrate souls into your own after a few years of experimentation, a virtually limitless resource thatcould be used to restore and enhance yourself, effectively giving you a permanent increase in physical and mental capabilities just like Vella. Of course, that didn''t mean that you were immortal as you can already tell..." (Young Man)The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. In simpler terms,I''m an expandable, rechargeable battery that starts off at 0% juice while Vella was an extremely high powered, nuclear, one shot battery, but I''ve had no knowledge of this ability until now...If this is truly the case, doesn''t that mean that she would haveeventually died from the exhaustion of her soul instead?... Also, doesn''t that mean that I involuntarily collected the souls of the other three? Amischievous grin grew on his face as hespoke with a teasing tone, interrupting my thoughts, "Don''t worry about those three, nothing happened to them. Although that was the basis of the Black Death project...I think that there were a few additional side effects." (Young Man) "What do you mean?" (Black Death) He stared at his hands, a momentary pause was shared between us before he finallylifted his gazetowards me again, ignoring my question, "The staff ''revised'' the memories of your life as an orphan under the mentorship of Vella Stormheart, making sure that you were unable to recall your ability, the project and anyone that you''ve had strong ties to in an attempt to prevent you from going rogue." (Young Man) A sudden snicker echoed throughout the room, disturbing the flow of the conversation, "Pfft hahaha! But that obviously didn''t stop you now did it? You jumped the gun and screwed them overanyways huh? Not only that, you were able to regain all of your memories!" (Young Man) Recovering his composure, he continued, "Anyways, after that was done, they implanted memories that would be used to help you fully utilize the project." (Young Man) Oy...Can you stop ignoring me and answer the questions already?!?!... "Heh, and here''s the part that you were waiting for." (Young Man) "...Get on with it." (Black Death) A silence enveloped the room as he gave me a triumphant look, enjoying himself. Just when I thought that I''ve had enough, he continued, "I was originallya part of your implanted memories, acting as your alter ego or, to be more precise, an automated systemwith the sole purpose of managing your ability. You would''ve suffered a severe backlash to your body and mental state without my assistance. I have not done anything against the people who you''ve had strong relations with. My appearance, however, is an unexpected anomaly...I''m not supposed to be able to meet face to faceto converse with you like this. I assume thatthe weapon that wasgiven to you by Hades has allowed me to take form. Inheriting the appearance of your younger self is also probably related tothe timeand date of your memory revision." (Young Man) I still don''t understand why I don''t remember the details of the project itself or my abilities for that matter, especially if those implanted memories were supposed to become my own for its sake. Does that mean that I''m only able to remember the memories that I''ve personally made when I was alive? Also, if that''s the case, wouldn''t his existence have ceased due to the fact that those implanted memorieswere completely replaced by my former memories? CRAACK! "Hm...?" (Black Death) I immediately heightened my senses, trying to pinpoint the source of the sound, but instead, noticed a strange smirk growing on the young man''s face as he stood up. Cracks started to form around the area, slowly growing in size and quantity until suddenly... SMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAASH! The room shattered into pieces.We were suspended in an endlessly dark space. I couldn''t see anything below or above me, there were no signs of life and I couldn''t see any objects around the area. "With that out of the way, I apologize in advance. I''m getting quite bored..." (Young Man) I reflexively raised my guard as his figure disappeared, adrenaline starting tokick into my body. A leg suddenly curved towards me from my left, aiming for my temple. At that moment, I understood that he was aiming to kill from the amount of speed and strength loaded into that single kick. Powerfully twisting my upper body, I struck the leg downwards with myleft arm, detracting it away from me.Continuing along with the rotational momentum, I firmly planted myhands on the ground and forcefully pushed myself, launching my lower body up to counterwith a high kick. He managed to block with his arms before leaping away, creating distance between us. "Hoh, so you can fight without needing me to hold your hands?" (Young Man) "I don''t need a faulty crutch to carry my own weight." (Black Death) I stood up and got into a combative stance. "Haha, is that so?" (Young Man) A monstrous smile appearedon his face as he forcefully kicked the ground,instantly accelerating towards me. I took a deep breath, sharpening my focus as I observed his movements, his blurred figure quickly closing the distance between us. Three meters... Two meters... One meter... There! A barely distinctive movement closed in on myface as the distance closed to zero. I immediately shot my right fist forward towards the direction of the movement. BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAM! The sound of our colliding fists echoed throughout the area. From his slight hesitation, heseems to have been caught off guard by my response. Theamount of force that I received from the impactsent numbing shockwaves throughout my right arm but I forcefully ignored it, quickly taking advantage of the slight lapse. Grappling his struck arm withboth of my hands while turning my body, I quickly pulled himforward beforelanding a hard kick aimed at his left ankle joint. I purposefully let him go as he fell from his disrupted balance. He immediately tried to take advantage of the falling momentum. Using his hands to support himself upon landing on the ground, he swiftly rotated to counter with a low sweeping kick, but I had already anticipated the movement. Jumping while strongly twisting my body, I curved my right leg down towards him. SLAM! Caught in his rotational momentum, he wasunable to react as my leg forcefully connected with the back of his head, sending him straight to the ground. Immediately after colliding with the ground, heforced himself to get back up, but it was clear that the impact to his head was drastically affecting his movement. ...Oy, that amount of force would''ve normally knocked a person out...How is he still moving? Not giving him a chance to recover from hisdowned state, I quickly dropped onto his back and locked his arms and legs, making sure that he was completely unable to move, "It''svery impolite toplay around with a guest." (Black Death) "..." (Young Man) Something''s wrong... "What are you after?" (Black Death) "You really aren''t the same person who I''ve come to known huh?..." (Young Man) A bright red light suddenlyexploded from his body, hiding him from my vision as it gradually continued to expand. Chapter 9: Defiance Chapter 9:Defiance --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Feeling a burning sensation flow throughout my body after getting caught in the explosion, I instantly released my hold and leaped away, greatly distancing myself from him before taking a quick glance at my body''s condition. An abnormally bright red mark was imprinted on my chest. My body felt extremely heavy as the mark slowly expanded towards the rest of my body. The feeling of heaviness increased with every inch that the mark expanded to. I couldn''t see any other visible changes besides the mark. Something moved below me. I attempted to leap out of the way once more, but before I could lift off from the ground, a cold sensation suddenly wrapped around my legs, restricting my movements. Losing sensation in my lower body, I was forcefully pulled down to my knees and when I looked below... Human-shaped shadows that were impossibly darker than the void that we were in firmly held me down. Their glowing white eyes greeted me, completely void of life. "It''s a pity that you wanted to play hero, did you really think that they''d forgive you if you just sacrificed yourself?" (Young Man) He had already recovered from his downed position. His footsteps echoed throughout the area as he casually approached me. "Are these the lives that we''ve taken?..." (Black Death) "No, these are the lives that you''ve taken, but they aren''t the only ones." (Young Man) Countless shadowy figures suddenly appeared, encircling the area around us. Like the stars in a starry night, their glowing eyes pierced through the void, observing me. I could barely make out their shapes, but that was more than enough for me to confirm my thoughts. Some were small, some were large...Some were tall and some were short. Some stood straight and proud while some stood hunched and shriveled...The familiar figures of both young and old... He stopped right in front of me with his observing eyes, "Why do you look so bitter? The person that I knew wouldn''t have cared about these pieces of trash." (Young Man) He crouched in front of me, bringing his face closer to mine, "Why have you changed so drastically?... Are they really that important to you? Your magnificence was completely blinding! Your figure unreachable, awed and envied by many! You were a cut above the rest, everyone feared you. Your figure was in its truest form when you meticulously worked to end the life of another, an unparalleled beauty that I''ve idolized and served, time and time again!" (Young Man) "...I killed with ignorance, blind to the events that were unfolding before me." (Black Death) "Do you think that these people care whether you''ve turned a new leaf or not? Do you think that anyone really cared? How naive can you be?! His tone suddenly sharpened, cutting through my thoughts, "Vella, Gaiden, Jayden, and your three ''friends''. They only cared about you because you were strong...Because you were useful...They only cared about you because you were able to provide something that they could not. You were the strongest among them. You were the means to their ends. Wanting to meet each other again?..." (Young Man) A cold, mocking laugh echoed throughout the area, "Hehe...Hahaha! Don''t make me laugh! How do you know that they truly meant that? What use do you have to them now that you''re all dead? How do you know that they haven''t abandoned you?" (Young Man) Only my silence responded to those heavy questions, but that was more than enough, "It''s not too late to turn back. I''ve been your loyal servant, and I still am! I''ve always been by your side! Why should we show them any compassion when they''ve done nothing besides using us?" (Young Man) He held onto both of my shoulders, earnestly trying to get his words across, "You don''t need them! We can get you back into your prime...We can make you stronger...We can take care of those that have done you wrong. We can get back your shining magnificence!" (Young Man) Ridiculous... "You need to have a neutral Karma in order to access Purgatory, but you currently have negative Karma from the number of people that you have ''unjustly'' killed. The purpose of the weapon that you''ve received from Hades was to reap the souls of sinners, balancing your own in order to achieve a neutral Karma. Normally you would need to do this for quite a while considering how negative your Karma is, but we got lucky. A sinner who has just as negative of a Karma as you, maybe even worse, happens to be at our very doorstep. One single soul, it''s as easy as that." (Young Man) A sinner?...But wher- "Sister?..." (Black Death) He nodded, confirming my thoughts, "All we need to do is to kill Vella Stormheart with the weapon." (Young Man) Is that really the only way?... Noticing my reluctance, he continued to pressure me, "She tried to kill you, remember? Everything that she has said only came from her pity for you, we were only being used to clear her guilty consciousness. She''s willing to sacrifice her life for you in compensation for all of this, right?... She won''t hold it against you, and she seems to be completely happy in supporting your goals. Why should we hesitate? She doesn''t ''love'' you, she''s never loved you. You could even tell that that was the case from the time when you were a child." (Young Man)A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. He offered his hand to me, "Together, we can change our destiny. We can show the world that we aren''t just their playthings! We can show them that only we are the masters of ourselves, that our destinies are in our own hands! Aren''t you tired of being controlled by the shadows, by the tyrants that have doomed us from the very beginning?" (Young Man) Maybe he''s right... Maybe their love for me really was just another mask for them to hide behind, to use me as a means to accomplish their goals...I''ve always kept this dark reality hidden in the back of my mind, scared of a possibility that I didn''t want to face, something that I could have never believed to be true, but maybe I was wrong to think that...Have I lost my value to them?... Maybe it really was just a childish dream to hope for something that wouldsave me from my loneliness...This emptiness that I''ve been living with for so long, can I really not escape?... My hand moved on its own, slowly reaching for his. I was on the verge of collapsing from the painful heaviness that strangled my chest, it''s probably from the mark... Isn''t it?... "I love you, I said so before remember? You''re my adorable little brother, not only that, you''re also my prized student! I could never hate you!" (Vella) Just like last time...Her eyes were dazzlingly bright, pride and joy could clearly be seen in them as she lovingly smiled at me in assurance, "Have more faith in others as well as yourself. That''s what you''ve always been lacking, even as a child. Not everything in the world is your fault and not everything in the world is something that you can prevent. You''re strong! Very strong, but you must know your own limits, and you must be able to keep moving forward! No one can complain if you''ve done your absolute best!" (Vella) My hand suddenly stopped, only inches away from touching his hand. ...Our tears, our laughter, our experiences... They can''t be fake, can they?... Me, Vella, Gaiden, Jayden and my friends, our bonds came from our similarities and wishes, can those really be faked?... ...No, even then, even if they were faked, even if I was only a tool to them, even if all of the things that we''ve experienced were meaningless and were meant to only be used as props for their stage act!... They''ve taught me something that was invaluable, the value of family. They gave me a place to belong. My first and only taste of happiness, my one solace in a world of lies. They gave me everything when I had nothing. They were the only people who didn''t treat me as a weapon. My humanity, my resolve, my hope came from their good will. Whether this was intentional or not doesn''t matter, these gifts that were given to me were more than enough. I don''t deserve these wonderful experiences in my life, and I will never be able to pay back their kindness! All of them are the reasons that I have changed! So that''s why... "I''ll put my trust in them, even if it kills me." (Black Death) "Do you understand what you''re saying?!" (Young Man) I firmly nodded, "I won''t bring harm to the ones that have brought meaning to my life." (Black Death) "You''re making a mistake!" (Young Man) Staring uninterestedly at him, a cold voice leaked from my mouth, "My lifealready was a mistake." (Black Death) An extreme bloodlust emanated from him as the shadows that were observing us collected towards his figure, completely wrapping around him. His figure had completely changed. A cloak of red mist drifted from his back, and his robes were instead replaced by a pitch black, full suit of knight armor. The final pieces that completed his spine-chilling appearance were the bright, crimson claws that replaced his hands and the demonic knight helmet that adorned his head, fully covering his face from view. He was the embodiment of darkness itself, but that wasn''t what had caught my eye... A familiar greatsword twice the size of my body floated in front of him, greeting me once more. The deep darkness that shrouded it was absolutely incomparable to his armor, I could feel the blood-curdling aura that emanated from the sword. "Cute, who are you planning onheading off to a date with?" (Black Death) "I will restore you to your former glory, even if I have to do it with my own hands..." (Young Man) A shockwave erupted from him as he forcefully gripped the sword, an embodiment of his anger. "To have changed so far as to disregard your own life...Those pests...I will destroy every single one of them!" (Young man) "Like hell you will you bastard." (Black Death) I forcefully exerted all of my strength, attempting to pull myself away from the clutches of the shadowy figures. My body burned, the mark suddenly increased in heaviness and every single vein felt as if they were splitting apart... But this isn''t the time to worry about such things! I have to do something!!! "It''s useless...I apologize for being extremely rude, but I must borrow your body for a short while. Please don''t overexert yourself. " (Young Man) Move!!! His figure suddenly disappeared as a piercing sensation filled my chest. "...Huff..." (Black Death) Breathless, I struggled to look down. Ah... The greatswordhad pierced through my chest. ...He was able to move faster than what I could keep track of...Got behind me as well huh?... "Rest easy, Master...It will be all over soon..." (Young Man) A numbing coldness started to flow throughout my body, my strength starting to leave me. Slowly, a white auracontinuously drifted from my body andcollected towards the greatsword, as if being devoured. Even in death, my life''s out of my control as always huh?... Ironic. "...Not...Possible..." (Black Death) I slowly moved my hands,fighting to regain control of themas I forcefully gripped onto the protruding blade. But that didn''t matter in the first place now, did it? I will struggle, I will fight, I will protect them.Even if everything that I do ends up being in vain, "Even now, you resist...Even now, your eyes burn fiercer than ever!... I don''t understand!!!" (Young Man) "...Staying...Here...With me...." (Black Death) I slowly pulled theblade forward with an iron grip, lodging it deeper and deeper within my chest. "Impossible!!!" (Young Man) Inch by inch, I unhesitantly continued, turning a deaf ear to his growing panic. "Stop!!! You are going to deal irreparable damage to your body!!!" (Young Man) You shoved a giganticgreatsword right through my chest, how is that not already irreparable damage, genius? "Ha!!!" (Black Death) Somehow managing to ignore the amount of resistance that he put into the sword, I pulled theblade all the way through my chest, stopping just at the hilt of the greatsword. "...All of this...Just for them?..." (Young Man) "...This...Ends...With...Me..." (Black Death) Cracks slowly started to form along the blade,running from one end to the other. An extreme heaviness started to spread throughout my body as the numbing coldness suddenly grew even colder. "...Forgive...Me...Everyone..." (Black Death) The greatsword slowly dissolved into countless particles of gentle light. My vision finally started to blur, slowly succumbing to the familiar darkness thatsurrounded me. I''m sorry... I don''t think I can keep my promise... Thank you for everything... Chapter 10: Departures Chapter 10:Departures --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- An endless darkness surrounded me as I was falling. How long have I been here?... I can''t see... Is anyone there?... It''s so cold... My thoughts started tocloud as I fell further and further into thedeep abyss. Why is it so cold?... Somethinggently brushed my hair. A warm, familiar touch. "You did well..." (Voice 1) This voice... A calm, soothinghum tenderly floated around the area. My thoughtsslowly cleared as the numbing coldness started to fade away, replaced by acaring warmth. "Hmph!... Spoiling him like that!... Well...I guess he wasn''t a completedisappointment in the end at least..." (Voice 2) "H-Hey!...Don''t be rude! Let her do whatever she wants!...I-I mean...I-It''s our reunion and all..." (Voice 3) "Shut up, Shorty!" (Voice 2) "S-Shorty?!?!" (Voice 3) My heart skipped a beat, my thoughts started to race. It can''t be... The woman who had brushedmy hair softly whispered into my ear, "They''re going to be like that for abit, hehe...Don''t mind them..." (Voice 1) "Is it really you?..." (Black Death) I can''t see them...Where are they? "I know that you have a lot of questions on your mind right now... But I''m afraid that we won''t have enough time to answer them. I''m sorry..." (Voice 1) Countless bright, human-shaped figures suddenly filled the endless darkness, lighting up the area like a starry night. The two familiar voices, probably noticing the change in setting, immediately stopped arguing. "Oy, Wimp... Take good care of your new friends. Better protect your sister this time as well. Don''t be the whiny little bratthat you usually are. We''re not going to bail you out again, so don''t screw this up." (Voice 2) "W-What did I just say?!..." (Voice 3) "Tch..." (Voice 2) "Elder Brother, please take good care of yourself, you have to keep fighting! D-Don''t give up! Keepreaching out to them! E-Even when the world seems stacked against you, we''ll be right behind you! You''re not alone!" (Voice 3) "Haha...I have said this already, but don''t mope around okay?...Take action, don''t hesitate. You are not the sameperson who I was fortunate enough to spend time with,instead, you became someone even stronger. I''m very happy. We were never given a chance to live proper lives, but you''re different. So please live on for us... Most importantly...Please..." (Voice 1)Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. """Live your life to the fullest."""(Everyone) "Wait! What about all of you?!" (Black Death) A warm, gentle light startedto gather around me. "Please! Wait!" (Black Death) "We will all meet again someday, please don''t worry about us." (Voice 1) I reached out, vainly grasping for anyone, for anything. "Please!!!... I can''t lose all of you too!!!" (Black Death) "...As kind as always..." (Voice 1) The light completely consumed me, separating me from the endless darkness that had haunted me. ---------------------------------------------------------------- [Hmm...Strange, the process is taking longer than usual...] (Hades) A beautiful woman who seemed to be in hermid-twenties wasjoined by a large hooded figure the size of a building as they closely observed a man lying unconsciousin the middle of a lush forest. A crystal, clear lake was a little away fromthem while specks of light seemed to be floating aroundthe area. There didn''t seem to be any other signs of life. It was oddly peaceful and quiet aside from the strange situation... "Is there a problem?" (Vella) [I would not say that...There have been cases like thes-] (Hades) Hades suddenly leaned closer to the unconscious man. "What happened?" (Vella) Only a heavy silence responded toher question. "Answer me!" (Vella) [His SoulEssence has been shattered.] (Hades) "...His Soul Essence?!..." (Vella) [One moment...] (Hades) He gently rested his handa little above the man''s body,easily covering it with how large his hand was. A white aura quickly surrounded his hand before driftingtowards the man''s body. [Impossible...] (Hades) Their shock was quickly replaced by uneasiness. [He''s reforming his own Soul Essence?...] (Hades) The aura surrounding his hand suddenly exploded into light, hiding the man from view as strong shockwavestraveled throughout the forest. [Hm?!] (Hades) Asilvery-whitegreatsword slowly formed right next to the man''s body,quietly fluctuating with an otherworldly light. "His Spirit Weapon''s changed?..." (Vella) [...His Karma has been balanced...] (Hades) The explosion of light slowly faded away as the forest mellowed, the shockwaves quietly dissipating. They were greeted by the sight of an unconscious youngman with dark, short hair and a well-defined face. Heseemed to be in his mid to late teen years, but his looks were pretty average. It wouldn''t have been far-fetched to consider him as theolder man''s son with how closely he resembled him. "T-This is..." (Vella) [Rebirth as well?...All of this...Who is he?...] (Hades) Retracting his hand, Hades tilted his head, deep in thought. [Maybe...Hmm...] (Hades) He suddenly turned to Vella, [Woman, do something for me and I will ignore your status as a Sinner. I''ll guarantee your passage back to Purgatory with him, a second chance that you have both been wanting. Not only that, I will help him reunite with his friends.] (Hades) She immediately jumped at the opportunity, "What is it?" (Vella) [Upon reaching Purgatory, take him to Judgement Hall.You must do this within twelve cycles otherwise ouragreement is void.] (Hades) "Judgement Hall?! Then does that mean?..." (Vella) [It''s just a simple possibility, his friends have received the same merit for differing Halls, but I think he will be a special case...] (Hades) A short pause was shared between them before she finally nodded, "I''ll gladly accept." (Vella) [Good.] (Hades) He snapped his fingers upon hearing her response. The specks of light thatdrifted around the forest suddenly gathered onto the right hands of Vella and the young man. Slowly, a small, golden crescent scythe formed on the back of their hands before fading away. "Your Sigil?..." (Vella) [A brief summary of our agreement has been included, it will automatically be processed to him once he awakens. Invoke it should anything else happen, and finally...] (Hades) He raised his scythe towards them, [Good luck on your journeys.] (Hades) Knowing what would come next, sherespectfully bowed, gratitude evident. He forcefully slashed downwards, shockwaves emanated from the sheer force of the movement, creating strong gusts of windthat shook the trees and tore at the lake''s surface. A large, bright tear in space appeared,replacing the two figureswho had just beenin front of him. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Short Bonus: Finally alone, he rested his scythe back onto his shoulder,staring at the tear in space. [That woman...What was that strange aura around her?... It feels...Familiar...] (Hades) Shaking his head, he took his right hand and grabbed onto the tear in space. [Interesting...Something grand is going to happen...Just what I needed huh?...Heh...Interesting!] (Hades) Hefirmly clenched his hand, bringing a close tothe strange anomaly.